What happened to Disney’s original way of skipping the line inside its theme parks?

FastPass
Credit: Disney

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It will probably not come as a shock to learn that things were a lot different when the original Disneyland Resort opened in 1955. During its inaugural year, the original Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, featured quite a few curious attractions and experiences, such as a tobacco shop and an intimate apparel retailer.

These locations seem incredibly out of place when looking at Disneyland through a modern-day lens, but they were considered normal when the now-iconic California theme park first opened its gates.

Disneyland also didn’t pack quite the punch it does now in terms of thrilling roller coasters and high-tech dark rides on opening day, though the park did feature several attractions that are now considered iconic, like Autopia and the Disneyland Railroad.

More thrilling adventures like Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Matterhorn Bobsleds would all come to Disneyland at a later date as technology advanced and progressed. Walt Disney himself stated that Disneyland would never be finished but would always be in a constant state of growth and evolution, and this has remained true since 1955.

Perhaps the most significant change involves the way guests actually got into the park and experienced Disneyland’s attractions. Instead of a set price, guests would pay a small fee to get into the park and then purchase individual tickets that gave them access to rides. This is where the term “A, B, C, D, and E-Ticket” comes from.

As time moved on, Disneyland grew in both size and scope, with exciting new rides and attractions popping up all over. The lettered ticketing system was dropped in lieu of a more traditional park entry system, where guests paid a single fee and could experience all of the attractions found inside the park.

This led to more intense lies for rides, however, prompting Disney to introduce a line-skipping tool called FastPass in 1999.

Disney FastPass logo featuring Donald Duck running, with the catchy tagline "Get a Time, Why Wait in Line?" in bold black text.
Credit: Disney

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Disney’s Original FastPass

With FastPass, guests could visit various kiosks around both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, scan their park ticket, and receive a printed-out single-use ticket for an attraction of their choice. These tickets could be used to enter the FastPass queues at select rides and experiences.

The FastPass queue worked precisely as it sounds: a faster version of the regular standby queues found all around the Disney theme parks, offering guests a way to cut back on the time spent waiting in line.

Disney’s paper FastPass system had its problems, as the more popular rides and attractions would often run out of tickets fairly early in the day. There was also the chance guests could lose or damage their paper tickets. On the positive side, the physicality of Disney’s original FastPass system allowed for unique and sometimes magical interactions between guests and cast members, as it was quite common to see guests hand out unused tickets to others if they could not use them themselves.

Cast members would also hand out FastPass tickets seemingly randomly throughout the day to guests or as a way to compensate for issues encountered inside the parks.

However, guests and fans alike now mourn the loss of Disney’s original FastPass, which has since been replaced with a more cumbersome and costly system.

Old FastPass+ kiosks at Disney World
Credit: Inside the Magic

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What Happened to FastPass?

In 2013, Disney changed FastPass into FastPass+. This new system was still free but only allowed guests to make up to three FastPass+ reservations at a time. Once one of these reservations was used up, another could be made, either from kiosks or the My Disney Experience smartphone app.

FastPass+ was quite controversial when it was first released, primarily due to how limited it felt compared to Disney’s original FastPass system.

However, FastPass+ would not last long, being replaced by Disney’s now infamous Genie+ system in 2021. Much like FastPass+, Genie+ allowed guests to book attraction return times from their phones, only this time, costing them real money. Gone were the days of being able to enter the FastPass queue for free, with Genie+ charging guests anywhere from $15-30 a day.

It’s not totally out of the question to charge money to skip the line, with plenty of theme parks like Universal Studios and Six Flags opting to use a similar system. However, Universal’s Express Pass is substantially more expensive than Genie+, meaning fewer guests are likely to use it, thus creating a faster line.

Genie+, on the other hand, was super popular, so both the regular and “FastPass” lines were crowded and slow. Disney has even attributed its booming profits to the system in the past, though this did not save Genie+ from getting the axe.

A sign that reads "lightning lane" in red letters on a white background. A clock is positioned next to the sign. This entrance also services those who use a Disney Das Pass.
Credit: Five Fires via Twitter

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Now What?

In 2024, Disney announced that Genie+ would be discontinued and replaced by a simpler, more streamlined system called Lightning Lane. The new system is divided into two sections: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Multi Pass essentially works just like Genie+ and FastPass+, allowing guests to book up to three ride and/or attraction reservation return times at once. As these are used, more can be made throughout the day.

Single Pass lets guests book Lightning Lane entries a la carte, allowing for slightly more freedom during the park day. Both of these new offerings come at a cost, which varies by day and by time of year. Lightning Lane is set to see its highest price point yet in November, reaching $35 per guest per day.

To add to the ever-growing pile of Disney add-ons, the company also unveiled a new premium line-skipping tool named Premier Pass in 2024.

Much like Universal’s Express Pass, Premier Pass lets Disney guests skip the lines to all rides and attractions inside the parks. This comes at a hefty price tag, of course, ranging between $129 and $400 per guest per day. Only time will tell how Disney’s newest system goes over, though considering the sheer amount of controversy and backlash that Genie+ received, Premier Pass is unlikely to win over guests who were already feeling sour.

More on Lighting Lane and Premier Pass below:

Lightning Lane How-To:

Enjoy Multiple Experiences

When you purchase a multi pass, you can:

Guests can purchase Lightning Lane passes for days they have valid theme park admission* starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time on their first day of eligibility.

Here’s when you can purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass and/or Lightning Lane Single Pass—and choose experiences and arrival windows:

7 Days in Advance for Eligible Resort Hotel Guests
When staying at Disney Resort hotels or other select hotels, Guests can purchase Lightning Lane passes—and choose experiences and arrival windows—starting 7 days before the first day of their Resort stay, for their length of stay (up to 14 days).

This early-planning benefit is available to registered Guests staying at:

3 Days in Advance for All Other Guests
Not staying at a Disney Resort hotel or other select hotels? Then you can purchase Lightning Lane passes—and choose experiences and arrival windows—3 days in advance. See additional details below, which vary based on admission type:

  • Guests with date-based theme park tickets (which require the Guest to choose a start date at the time of purchase) can purchase 3 days before the first day of their ticket, for the total number of valid admission days on their ticket.
  • Guests with other ticket types* can purchase 3 days before their park visit.
  • Annual Passholders* can purchase 3 days before their park visit.

Valid Admission Required
Before you purchase a Lightning Lane pass, you must have valid theme park admission; you may also need a theme park reservation, depending on the type of admission and the date of your visit.

Premier Pass How-To:

Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows one-time entry to each Lightning Lane experience in a theme park—to enjoy at your leisure that day.

Before You Begin
Please review your Family & Friends list to make sure everyone in your party is connected, is a registered Guest at an eligible Resort hotel and has valid theme park admission. Park reservations may also be required, depending on the type of admission and date of your visit.

How to Purchase
Open the My Disney Experience app, find “Lightning Lane Premier Pass” on the home screen and then tap “Purchase”. Follow the prompts to complete your purchase—and receive a confirmation.

Price
Prices for Lightning Lane Premier Passes vary based on date and theme park; purchasing is subject to very limited quantities.

Prices will be displayed in the My Disney Experience app.

Make the Most of Your Pass
Lightning Lane Premier Pass gives you one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane entrance in one park for one day. Here’s how to use it:

  • Go to the Lightning Lane entrance and tap in using a MagicBand, MagicBand+, Disney MagicMobile pass, Key to the World Card or ticket card that’s linked to your valid theme park admission.
  • You’ll skip the standby line and join a shorter line for that attraction or experience instead.
  • Continue to enjoy other Lightning Lane experiences in the park—at your leisure.

Keep Track of the Fun
To view the Lightning Lane experiences you’ve redeemed that day:

  • Open the My Disney Experience app and tap “Today’s Plans” in the app menu. This will take you to the “My Day” feature.

  • View your Lightning Lane Premier Pass and tap to see your experiences for that day—including which ones remain available and which ones you’ve already redeemed.

Do you miss Disney’s original FastPass system? What are your thoughts about Lightning Land and Premier Pass?

The post How Disney’s FastPass System Went From Free to $400 appeared first on Inside the Magic.

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