How much value is there to the Fastpass in the slow value season?

[LauraSAnne]

I've been to WDW hundreds of times, but never in the value season. The last week of January will be my first time visiting in the value season, which has raised the question of: "Are fastpasses really needed?"

So based off of your experiences during reeeaallly slow times, do they hold a lot of value? I think a lot about Soarin' and wonder if in the slow times, the wait is still awful. My husband always used to go in January when he was younger and told me about walking on practically every ride...I just cannot fathom it! :confused:

[DizneyFreak2002]

I been there during slow times and still had 40-100 minute waits for some rides... Fast Pass is worth it any time of the year.. Especially now since, there really isn't the typical slow season anymore..

[Lessie]

When it is really slow, which in my experience it still is during most of January and February, fast pass isn’t usually necessary. It certainly doesn’t hurt to get one if you are nearby, or to get one for a really popular attraction, but I do not think you will need to plan your day around getting and using fast passes. I’ve even seen the fast pass stations closed when the parks are slow because they just aren’t necessary!

[Strmchsr]

So based off of your experiences during reeeaallly slow times, do they hold a lot of value?

"Reeeaallly" slow times don't exist anymore. You need fastpass pretty much all the time. If you hit a slower week you might find some rides where it isn't a necessity, but the crowds will still be enough that you'll need it for the more popular rides.

[kakn7294]

In my experience, if the standby line is less than 30 min long, the FP machines generally aren't even open. There are still some attractions for which FP is highly useful even in those "slow" seasons since they aren't all that slow anymore. Soarin' is a great example - I've never seen that line less than 60 min long.

[wedway76]

"Reeeaallly" slow times don't exist anymore. You need fastpass pretty much all the time. If you hit a slower week you might find some rides where it isn't a necessity, but the crowds will still be enough that you'll need it for the more popular rides.

With a school age son I haven't had experience with slow times in years but I hear that what Strmchsr said is now the case. There really aren't really slow times any more. I guess that's a good thing? :shrug:

Even if there is a short standby line we will often get a FP and either ride the same ride twice, once standby and once FastPass, or ride something else stand by and come back for the FP.

[kbean]

You picked the best time to go. I went last year to MK on the last weekend in Jan. Every ride you could walk right on to except for Peter Pan (40min). It was cold all day even in the sun. The one month it is cold down here. You should have fun. I'll be going again the same week for a day or two.

[mttafire]

We travel to Disney in Early May or Sept. Both IMHO slow times. We hardly ever need a fast pass. The most we have waited for any attraction during these times has been 20 min.:thumbsup:

[scootch713]

I have gone the past three years in november and only gotten a fast pass twice.

[jkj1224]

a lot of times if it's slow and the waits are less than 20-30 minutes they won't even open the fast pass machines

[tinksmom02]

LIke another poster, we were there last week of January into February and walked onto everything but Peter Pan (20 minute wait). And I mean everything: Soarin', SM, BTMRR, etc. I only grabbed one FP for the entire week, for Rockin' Roller Coaster, and actually never got back to use it :(

Sure was cold most of the week, though!

[gerald72]

I was at MK Sept 18. A few fastpass machines weren't open. I found fastpasses largely unneccesary.
We got stuck on Splash Mountain, and received fastpasses that could be used on any FP attraction. Jungle Cruise's FP was not open, but I asked if I could use my FP ticket there. "Yes, but why would you want to? It's only a 5 minute wait." The 40 minute wait sign was broken.
I think I eventually used them on Peter Pan's Flight, which might have been 20 mintues.
I still got fastpasses whenever I could, though, and took them home as souvenirs.

[LibertyTreeGal]

You'll probably always need FP for Peter Pan, but at the slower times of the year it's hit and miss. I don't bother if the wait is less than 20 minutes long.

[WDWfanatic742]

Peter Pan is never less than a half hour wait anymore. September and January seem to be the slowest times to go to WDW anymore.

[ILoveLegos]

We always go in January, 2nd or third week and fast passes not really necessary then but they are "useful" for the "biggies" like Soarin', Experdition Everest, Rockin Rollercoaster, and sometimes Test Track, and for some reason Peter Pan. At times we use fastpass machines in combination with the standby line to get a bunch of rides in a row, or when I went with my elderly grandmother and aunt, they'd fastpass a ride with their ticket to get a few more rides for the "thrill seekers" in our group.
Even during our most recent trip, the 1st week of October 2007, we didn't use all of the fast passes that we got, mainly due to the F&WF - we kept getting Fastpasses for TestTrack and then never got back "around the world" to ride it or it would start raining cats and dogs so the ride was not our first choice in that weather. So our unused fastpasses become something for the scrapbook.

[DisneyGRL7]

We always go in January, 2nd or third week and fast passes not really necessary then but they are "useful" for the "biggies" like Soarin', Experdition Everest, Rockin Rollercoaster, and sometimes Test Track, and for some reason Peter Pan.

I've found the exact same thing. If you CAN use one in order to avoid a line, go for it. It's always nice to walk past the people in the standby line (no matter how few there are) and have a clear path ahead of you:thumbsup: It's definately more of a convenience than a NECESSITY

[bkfree]

We went in Jan.07,second week which is a really slow time. That being the case, FP were still really useful and at a few rides where they weren't using them, really needed.
At WDW they were still needed for Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan. At Epcot, Soarin usually had a 60 min. or more wait without them. We did not really need them at Test Track or Mission Space. The best thing for us during Jan. is the Early Magic hours at Epcot. In one hour we rode Soarin twice, Test Track 3 times and Mission Space twice with no waiting at all. To us that was awesome and magical.
At MGM they were till useful for the Action Show.
At Animal Kingdom they were till needed for Dinasaur and Everest. The biggest disappointment was that the Safari Ride was not using FP's and the wait was over 2 hours the entire day, so we just had to skip it altogether. We also used it for Bug's Life.
So I can say that even in a very low crowd day the FP were still very useful.