If you’ve done any sort of research on what to expect when you visit Tokyo Disneyland, you know that it is always busy! Crowds for days (do the kids still say that?). One of the most effective ways to maximize your time at Tokyo Disneyland is to take advantage of their FASTPASS system.
You can save a lot of time and ride all the top attractions if you have the right Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy. It is truly the best Tokyo Disneyland tip I can give you.
This post will cover everything you need to know about the Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS system and give you all the inside tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your FASTPASS.
What Exactly is a FASTPASS?
This is probably the first question that comes to mind if you’ve never been to a Disney park. Disney has its own language, and you have to learn it to be able to speak it!
Simply put, a FASTPASS holds you place in line while you’re off doing other activities.
You get your FASTPASS, enjoy other things in the park, and then return to the attraction at the designated time on your FASTPASS ticket. Once you return to the attraction, you get in a special queue that has little to no wait time.
Most of the time there is hardly any wait in the FASTPASS-dedicated queue, but there are times where you have to wait 5 to 10 minutes to get on the ride.
That is significantly less time to wait than standing in the regular queue, so it is well worth it!
How Do I Get a FASTPASS?
There are two ways you can get a Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS.
The first is by physically going to a FASTPASS machine and scanning your park ticket, and the second is by using the Tokyo Disneyland app.
Getting a Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS at a FASTPASS Machine
Getting a physical FASTPASS is the most common way to get a Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS. In fact, up until mid-2019, it was the only way to get a FASTPASS at Tokyo Disney Resort.
For every ride that has the FASTPASS option, there are a number of small ticket machines near the ride. You simply walk up to one of those machines, scan your park ticket, and you will receive your FASTPASS for that attraction.
It is quite easy to identify where you can get a FASTPASS for each attraction. There are normally signs above or beside the FASTPASS ticket machines with the attraction name and return time.
You can only get one FASTPASS per park ticket at a time, but one person is able to scan multiple tickets for their group and get everybody’s FASTPASS at the same time.
Getting a Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS Through the App
The Tokyo Disneyland app launched the option to get FASTPASSes electronically in July of 2019. Getting a FASTPASS through the app is very similar to using the Shanghai Disneyland app or the MAXPASS in Disneyland.
The issue with using the app is that it is only in Japanese, and you need a Japanese iTunes account.
I have never personally used the app to get Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASSes, but it would be a great way to avoid the opening mayhem at some of the most popular attractions.
Chris from TDR Explorer who lives in Japan did a great YouTube video going through the process of downloading the app and getting a FASTPASS. I highly recommend you watching it (embedded below) if you’re interested in using the app to get your FASTPASS.
How Many FASTPASSes Can I Have at Once?
You can only have one Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS at once.
The exception to this is if you’re FASTPASS is for many hours in the future. In that case, you’re able to get a new FASTPASS at an allotted time.
You can find the time you’re able to get a new FASTPASS written on the bottom of your FASTPASS. It is either the time the FASTPASS begins or two hours after you got your current FASTPASS.
For example, if you got your current FASTPASS at 10am, and your return time is 4pm, you’ll be eligible to get a new FASTPASS at 12pm.
This scenario only happens when you get a FASTPASS for one of the most popular attractions.
In most cases, you will be able to get a new FASTPASS after you use your current one no matter how much time has passed.
How Much Do FASTPASSES Cost?
This is the best and most exciting information.
Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASSES are complimentary and included in the price of admission!
Every guest who visits Tokyo Disneyland is able to use the FASTPASS system without paying an additional fee.
Disney parks never charge you for using the basic FASTPASS system. Some parks like Disneyland California and Shanghai Disneyland have an additional features you can pay extra for, but you don’t need to pay anything additional to use FASTPASSes.
Thank you for the extra magic Disney!
Are Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASSes Unlimted?
No. There is a set number of FASTPASSes available for each attraction per hour and per day.
This means that once the ride has met its qutoa of FASTPASSes it can distribute, you will have to wait in the normal queue because there are no FASTPASSes left.
You’ll want to get a FASTPASS for the most popular attractions first because they will run out of FASTPASSes the quickest and have the longest lines throughout the day.
Rides that Offer the FASTPASS Option
Not every ride at Tokyo Disneyland offers the FASTPASS option. It is reserved for the most popular attractions that have the longest lines.
Rides that offer the Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS option are:
- Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
- Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Haunted Mansion
- Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
- Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
As you can see, there are quite a few attractions that offer the FASTPASS option.
This is great because you’re able to get multiple FASTPASSes for different rides, and they don’t all sell out quickly because people can choose from a number of options.
What Rides Run Out of FASTPASSes First?
Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek are the two most popular rides in Tokyo Disneyland, and they are the first to run out of FASTPASSes.
The next rides to run out of FASTPASSes are the three mountains. Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear, and Star Tours are the last to run out of FASTPASSes.
Even though some attractions run out of FASTPASSes later than others, they quite often all run out of FASTPASSes.
You can expect that by midday, the only FASTPASS options left are for less popular rides late in the evening. Like 8pm onwards.
Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS options aren’t like FASTPASSes in other Disney parks around the world. You can’t walk up to an attraction at any time during the day and get a FASTPASS.
You need to have a solid FASTPASS strategy in order to make the most out of the Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS system.
Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS Strategies
Now that you know all about FASTPASSes and their importance, it is time to discuss Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategies.
People have different priorities at Tokyo Disneyland, and some things are more important to some than others. Your priorities and interests will impact your Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy.
Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS Strategy for the Ride Lover
This is the perfect FASTPASS strategy for people who love rides and want to experience every attraction Tokyo Disneyland has.
I personally follow this FASTPASS strategy, and it has worked for me numerous times. I find this is the best way to optimize your time at Tokyo Disneyland and ride as many rides as possible.
This Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy does come at a cost though. You’re not able to do as much other than riding rides. You have to put rides above watching the parades and shows.
Here is my recommended Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy for ride lovers:
- Get a FASTPASS for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
- Head over to Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and ride it by waiting in the stand-by queue
- Ride your choice of Fantasyland attractions that don’t have the FASTPASS option
- Return to Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek and use your FASTPASS
- Get a FASTPASS for one of the three mountains (Space, Splash, or Thunder)
- Wait in the stand-by queue for any attraction you want that doesn’t offer a FASTPASS
- Return to your chosen mountain and use your FASTPASS
- Get a FASTPASS for another mountain or Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
- Keep using the shortest standy-by queues to ride the most rides possible (as long as they are rides you’re interested in riding)
- Return to use your FASTPASS at your allotted time
- Get a FASTPASS for whatever is left. This is most likely Haunted Mansion or Star Tours.
- Ride the rest of the rides in the stand-by queue.
This Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy requires a lot of running around the park to different lands.
It doesn’t really follow the logical pattern of visiting one land then heading to the land next to it and so and and so forth until you’ve seen the entire park.
This strategy hinges on making the most out of your time and riding as many rides as possible. You have to hustle from one place to another and strategically choose what rides you want to wait for in stand-by based on the wait times.
This particular Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy is a lot easier if you’re able to download the Tokyo Disney Resort app and get your FASTPASSes electronically.
It will save you lots of time walking back and forth to different areas of the park just to get a physical FASTPASS.
Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS Strategy for the Show Lover
Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have some of the best shows and parades in the world! The shows and parades are incredible, and a lot of people plan their park days around seeing them.
There are tons of different shows and parades to choose from. There are so many that you could easily spend your entire day watching the shows and parades and not have time for anything else.
Since Tokyo Disneyland is always busy and crowded, you have to queue for shows and stake out your spot to watch the parade well in advance.
Sometimes up to an hour in advance- especially if you want a prime viewing location for the most popular shows and parades.
I always try to watch some of the entertainment when I have multiple days in Tokyo Disneyland and can spread out riding the attractions.
But if you don’t have multiple days in the park, wanting to watch some of the shows and parades requires a unique approach to maximizing your FASTPASS options and getting the most out of your time.
Here is my recommended Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy for show lovers:
- Get a FASTPASS for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
- Head over to Pooh’s Hunny Hunt and ride it in the stand-by queue
- Queue for your show of choice
- Return for your Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek FASTPASS
- Get a FASTPASS for one of the three mountains
- Watch another show
- Ride a Fantasyland attraction without a FASTPASS option by waiting in the stand-by queue
- Return for your FASTPASS for your chosen mountian
- Watch the parade
- Get a FASTPASS for whatever is left
For your last FASTPASS, it is possible you will be lucky and get a FASTPASS for Big Thunder Mountain on a quiet weekday.
It is more likely that you will have to choose between Star Tours, Buss Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, and Haunted Mansion.
I recommend you get a FASTPASS for Buzz Lightyear. It normally has the longest line and sells out of FASTPASSes first between those three options.
The exception to this is when Haunted Mansion has its holiday overlay.
Haunted Mansion gets a special Nightmare Before Christmas overlay every year during the Halloween and Christmas celebrations. It is extremely popular (and very well done). If you’re visiting Tokyo Disneyland when Haunted Mansion has its overlay, I recommend you get a FASTPASS for it rather than Buzz Lightyear as your last FASTPASS of the day.
Well-Rounded Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS Strategy
So far I’ve given you two Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategies that are centered around particular objectives like riding all the rides or seeing as many shows as possible.
But many people want a balance FASTPASS strategy that allows them to ride some rides and see some shows.
That is what this final Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy provides.
It offers a balanced and well-rounded approach to FASTPASSes and allows you to optimize your FASTPASS selection, so you can ride a number of rides and still watch some entertainment.
Here is my recommended Well-Balanced Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy:
- Get a FASTPASS for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek
- Use the stand-by queue to ride Pooh’s Hunny Hunt
- Ride other Fantasyland attractions that don’t have a FASTPASS option
- Return to Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek and use your FASTPASS
- Get a FASTPASS for one of the mountains
- Do some shopping
- Watch the parade
- Return to your selected mountain and use your FASTPASS
- Get a FASTPASS for whatever is left
- Ride any other ride you want by using the stand-by queue
This strategy allows you see all the highlights of Tokyo Disneyland in a single day.
It is the FASTPASS strategy I would recommend to someone visiting Tokyo Disneyland for the first time and wants to get a taste of everything the park has to offer.
You won’t be able to ride every ride or see every show if you follow this strategy, but you will be able to get a feeling for all the different aspects and offerings of Tokyo Disneyland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Navigating the Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS system can be a bit difficult for people who have never visited Tokyo Disney Resort or used a Disney FASTPASS system in the past.
I’ll answer all the Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS FAQs I can think of here including questions and concerns I had when visiting Tokyo Disney Resort for the first time.
Please leave a comment below with your question if I don’t answer it here, and I’ll do my best to provide you withe best and most useful answer!
Why Do You Recommend Getting a FASTPASS for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek First Rather than Pooh’s Hunny Hunt?
You probably noticed that all of my Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategies started with getting a FASTPASS for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek first and then waiting in the stand-by queue for Pooh’s Hunny Hunt.
The answer to why I recommend this is two fold.
First, Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek is in Tomorrowland and Pooh’s Hunny Hunt is in Fantasyland. Tomorrowland is near the front of the park and Fantasyland is much deeper in the park behind the castle.
It is much quicker and easier to get to Tomorrowland to get a FASTPASS than it is to run all the way to Fantasyland to get a FASTPASS and then all the way back to Tomorrowland to wait in the stand-by queue for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek.
It is a much better use of your time and energy to get a FASTPASS for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek than for Pooh’s Hunny Hunt.
Second, Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek traditionally has a longer line throughout the day while Pooh’s Hunny Hunt tends to die down later in the evening.
You have a much better chance of Pooh’s Hunny Hunt having a shorter line from 8pm onwards than you do for Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek.
Do I Need to be there when the Park Opens?
Yes!
All three of my FASTPASS strategies rely on the expectation that you will get your first FASTPASS shortly after the park opens.
It is essential that you are at Tokyo Disneyland when it opens. If you’re not there when it opens, you will have to heavily alter my FASTPASS strategies, and you will only get one or two FASTPASSes the entire day before they sell out.
I can tell you from personal experience that not being at Tokyo Disneyland when it opens deeply impacts your FASTPASS strategy.
One day I forgot something in my hotel room and had to take the monorail back to get it and then back to Tokyo Disneyland. I lined up in the queue 30 minutes before park opening.
And I didn’t get into the park until 15 minutes after the park opened.
I rushed to Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (I rode Monsters Inc. the day before and wanted to ride Hunny Hunt on my last day), and the FASTPASS return time was already for 2pm!
I will admit that it was a little busier than normal that day, but it is not uncommon for FASTPASSes to have a return time in the afternoon within 30 to 60 minutes of the park opening.
Will I get Trampled with Everybody Rushing to get a FASTPASS?
The answer to that is, sadly, yes, it is quite possible that yo will be pushed or stepped on while walking to Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek or Pooh’s Hunny Hunt to get a FASTPASS right when the park opens.
This is a much larger issue in Tokyo DisneySea with everybody rushing to Toy Story Mania, but it can still happen in Tokyo Disneyland.
Make sure you’re listening to cast members and following their instructions. Walk and don’t run.
You will get your FASTPASS without any issue. Just be safe!
How Long is the FASTPASS Return Window
The FASTPASS return window is one hour.
This mean you can return to the attraction you have a FASTPASS for anytime during that one hour time window. Your time window is written on your FASTPASS, so it is easily identifiable.
You will not be allowed to enter the FASTPASS queue before your FASTPASS window, and you’re normally not allowed to enter it after your window ends.
There is about a 5 minute grace period on either side of your FASTPASS window, and cast members normally let you into the FASTPASS queue if you show up five minutes before your time window or five minutes after your window ends.
That is not a guarantee though, so you should try your best to arrive during your one hour FASTPASS window.
Conclusion
Optimizing your Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy takes a little bit of work and fore thought. It is best if you have a plan before you go to Tokyo Disneyland and modify it as you see fit once you’re there.
You need to know what rides you want to try to get a FASTPASS for as the day goes on and FASTPASSes for certain attractions are sold out for the day.
Which of the three mountains is your must-ride? Do you want to ride Haunted Mansion or Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters? Are you will to forego a certain ride to watch a parade or show?
These are all questions you should have an answer to before you enter the park.
Your day in the park will go much more smoothly and stress-free once you have a Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategy in place. It can, of course, change and bend as you learn what rides you like and want to ride again.
The three Tokyo Disneyland FASTPASS strategies I have provided will help you plan your perfect day in Tokyo Disneyland depending on what your interests and priorities are.
No matter which FASTPASS strategy you choose, you’ll want to be at the park right when it opens. This will give you the best chance to maximize the FASTPASS system and allow you to ride the most rides.
