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One Headliner Per Day on FastPass+ Now Being Tested at Epcot



By Dave Shute

What You Need to Know About Fastpass+ from yourfirstvisit.netThere’s been speculation by all who can do math for years now that FastPass+ might need to be restricted to one “headliner” per day for everyone to get a chance at these most popular Walt Disney World rides.

See, for example, this.

Until lately, this has not been an issue among the Fastpass+ tests.

But while making FastPass+ for my December trip (yes, there’s a December trip coming up too) I noted that at Epcot I could only pick one from among Soarin, Test Track, Maelstrom, and the character greeting there.

Restricted Headliners at Epcot from yourfirstvisit.net
See the image above for what I saw on MyDisneyExperience.com
Kenny the Pirate adds Illuminations to this list from which you must pick one, and says this applies to all new Fastpass+ selections at Epcot between now and December 29.

I’ve already given my advice here for how to handle Epcot with just one headliner, but here it is again:

Epcot: Plan to arrive early and see Test Track from the stand-by line.  Target for Fastpass+ first Soarin, then Turtle Talk with Crush,  and then Spaceship Earth (the last two aren’t that hard to get now, but I predict they’ll become tougher as Fastpass+ takes more of their capacity).

And the other options?

  • No one should bother with a Fastpass+ for Maelstrom–just see it first thing after Word Showcase opens, or skip it
  • Lines at the Epcot Character Spot will grow because it is the only FastPass+ option especially appropriate for little kids. FastPass+ it only if you plan to see nothing else on this list
  • I can’t right now see a Fastpass+ for Illuminations as the highest priority for many, but will have a better sense next weekend, after I’ve seen if from the Fastpass+ location

You would think that this change should have no effect on those who made their Epcot Fastpass+ choices before it went into effect on Friday.

But you know what?  I wouldn’t change any prior Epcot Fastpass+ reservations until we hear from the field that people are able to do this and still keep the three headliners available before this new wrinkle to the Epcot test!

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6 comments

1 Christy { 11.03.13 at 2:50 pm }

Definitely DO NOT change existing FP+s for Epcot. I had Test Track, Soarin’, and Mission Space for a party of 12. I changed Mission Space for Turtle Talk, and the result was that the system deleted ALL of the fastpasses for 11 of the 12 people in our party. Tech support is trying to fix it, but it’s taking days. If you booked before Friday, leave well enough alone! 🙂

2 Dave { 11.04.13 at 7:08 am }

Thanks Christy and good luck!!

3 KE { 11.03.13 at 4:17 pm }

Thanks Dave and Christy! I was going to look at changing my Epcot selections because I was having 2nd thoughts about the 3rd selection I made. Now that I read this, NO WAY! My husband and I waited an hour and a half for Soarin on a late magic hour night 6 years ago and have never been on Test Track because of the waits and the running out of FastPasses. I know my daughter will love Soarin and since I do not think it is worth the wait, I wanted a FastPass+. Also, we will all love Test Track, if we could just get on it…hence that as a selection for our upcoming trip. So glad I saw this! Cannot imagine how frustrated I would be if I lost out on our current selections! I love that every time I come here I learn something that is relevant to my upcoming trip and often saves me time and sanity! THANKS again!!!

4 Dave { 11.04.13 at 7:10 am }

You bet, KE!

5 Heather { 11.04.13 at 7:51 am }

I hope this is just a test and doesn’t become a new FP+ rule. I have 3 boys in the tween-teen age range, and they’ve discovered the joy of sleeping in. I’m looking forward to FP+ so that we can schedule all our FPs for late afternoon/evening. There is NO WAY we will make it to rope drop with these three dudes! We go to WDW once or twice a year and spend a LOT of money there. If only one headliner FP+ per day becomes an ongoing restriction, I can definitely see us looking for other places to take our vacations. It pains me to say that, because I love WDW, but my boys won’t get up for rope drop and don’t want to waste their vacation time standing in long stand-by lines.

6 Dave { 11.05.13 at 7:25 am }

Me too, Heather…but I fear it’ll become the new standard…

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