Disney World Fast Pass Question

Hello,
We just returned from Disney a few weeks ago(we've been multiple times over the past few years). At Disney - the Fast Passes are free. With the fast pass - you insert your ticket into a machine near the ride of choice and the machine returns your ticket with a fast pass. The fast pass will give you a time to return (i.e. between 2-3 PM) - but it's good anytime that day AFTER your return time. In terms of riding the rides - I'd recommend that you map out your day and figure out which rides you and your family really want to ride. Before our first visit, I purchased "The Unofficial Guide to Disney World" as it has some great ideas. I don't follow their "touring plans" - but I definitely take their advice on some of the rides. Also, 2 really good websites where you can gather some great info before your trip are www.disboards.com and www.allears.net.
Have a wonderful trip! - A.

All Fast Passes are free, but are limited by timing, in that you can't get another Fast Pass until the time has come to use the first one you got (i.e. Fast Pass for ride #1 is for 11:00 - 12:00, so you can't get another Fast Pass until after 11:00). Usually it's best to get to the park when it first opens, and either hit the most popular rides first (before it gets super-crowded later) or get Fast Pass.

There is a book called the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World - they come out with a new edition every year. It is stuffed full of useful tips and info, including some things that you may not have realized or considered. It also has "touring plans" that outline exactly which order you should hit each attraction to minimize waiting in line (including utilizing Fast Pass to it's fullest extent). The "Dumbo-or-Die" plan really worked for us!

When I went it was included with your ticket. You put the ticket into the fast pass kiosk and it gave you a time to return to the ride. It was wonderful for the popular rides. I don't know about price but if you purchase in advance you don't have to wait in the ticket line :)

When you get in the park, pick up a Fast Pass for the most popular attraction that you are interested in. It will have a one hour interval to use it, but usually they will honor it all day. One hour after you got the first Fast Pass, you can get another fast pass for a different ride, even if you haven't used the first one yet. The Fast Pass thing really works well

We purchased our tickets at our hotel, but there was a $5 per ticket convenience charge. So if you decide to purchase somewhere besides at the Park itself, ask about surcharges. I probably would have paid the extra $20 for us to be able to avoid standing in longs lines AT the park when we got there that day, but the day we went (early in the year and it had been raining) there were no lines at the ticket area. So it was a wasted $20.

Ticket prices at the Disney store and at the parks are exactly the same (it used to be cheaper at the Disney store, but they changed it). We just went in February, and we bought our tickets online through the Undercovertourist.com website by clicking on a link through the Mousesavers.com email newsletter (free to join); by clicking through Mousesavers, you get the largest discount. For 2 adults and one child, we saved a total of $48 over gate prices for 7-day tickets. I've bought from them 3 times already... they are an authorized Disney ticket reseller, and all the tickets are legit. We also saved a bundle on car rental by using discount codes from the Mousesavers website.

Have a blast!

The opportunity to use the fast passes is included in your ticket (unlike Six Flags where you have an extra charge I believe) Each park has different attractions and rides that you can fast pass. You insert your ticket in the designated machines (located near each specific ride) and it spits out a fast pass ticket to ride at a designated time. And as already mentioned to can visit during that time or later in the day. We usually have one designated person (usually the fastest walker) hold all the tickets (after getting in the park) and go to get the fast passes we want, while the rest of our group heads to the next destination. What you might want to consider when you buy your tickets is whether you want a park hopper ticket that lets you visit more than one park a day. If you are taking a Disney Cruise, you can probably get your tickets as part of that deal. You can purchase a disney gift card at any of the gift stores or resorts and use it throughout the stores and restaurants at the park. I am not positive that the disney gift card can be used at the drink stands or things like the balloon vendor. Last year during the Food and Wine festival they had small gift cards on a wrist band-i don't know if they offer those during other times of the year. Have a wonderful trip!