California Adventure Rides and FASTPASS Guide

After having a hectic and stressful day at Disneyland, we vowed to have a game plan in place before we set foot in California Adventure.  My family and I scoured the internet for a California Adventure FASTPASS guide and received contradicting advice from various blogs.  What we ended up doing was we followed advice from my sister-in-law who lives in southern California, and combined it with tips from other disney bloggers and the plan worked beautifully with very little hiccups.

Utilizing the FASTPASS system at Disneyland and California Adventure can help ensure that you get a chance to ride the bigger rides without wasting time in line.  You get to ride some of the smaller rides with less of a wait time in between the bigger rides.  It’s brilliant and a must-do if you’re visiting the parks.

In a hurry?  Scroll down to the category you are searching for.

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What is a FASTPASS?  

Well, it’s a little paper ticket that you retrieve at the distribution points near some of the bigger rides at Disneyland and California Adventure.  You simply stick your paper ticket into the FASTPASS machine and out pops a paper FASTPASS ticket with the time that you can return to that ride.  The FASTPASS will give you a one-hour window to ride that ride.  Once you return to the ride, you hop into the FASTPASS RETURN line which has a shorter wait time and allows you to basically jump right on the ride.

Everyone in your group must have a FASTPASS to ride.  Designate one family member to retrieve FASTPASSES.

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Can you get multiple FASTPASSES at once?

Technically, no.  But there are some exceptions.  The character meet-and-greets and shows allow you to hold more than one FASTPASS at the same time.  Depending on your ride preference, I suggest grabbing World of Color, Radiator Springs and Anna and Elsa Meet-and-Greet first.  If you’re not into Radiator Springs Racers, substitute for a ride like Tower of Terror or California Screamin’.

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Things to Remember

#1 – Get to California Adventure early!  If the park opens at 10am, plan to get there early (around 9:15am) because parking and waiting in line can take awhile.

               – Lines You Will Wait In Before You Step Into the Park:  Parking, Bag Check, Ticket Purchasing and Park Entrance.  

If you purchase your tickets online, you can skip the ticket counter and head straight to the park entrance gates.  Once you show the park employee your online ticket (whether a printed version or e-version), he/she will give you a ticket that looks something like this (below):

#2 –  Make a list of your must-ride rides before you enter the park!  Determine which rides you absolutely want to ride and which attractions are most important to you.  If your family wants to ride Radiator Springs Racers but doesn’t really care about Tower of Terror, make sure you snag a Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS first.  Be sure to make note of where you need to grab a FASTPASS for each attraction, as some aren’t located at the attractions’ entrance.

#3 – Designate a FASTPASS collector!  If you have little kids, send one adult with the kids to ride the little rides in A Bug’s Land while the other adult takes all of the tickets to get the FASTPASSES.  Since A Bug’s Land isn’t popular amongst adults, this is a great opportunity to knock out a bunch of the rides early on.  My husband and mom took our girls to ride the kids rides while my dad and I collected FASTPASSES in the morning.

#4 – Ditch the paper map and download the APP!  The Disneyland app gives you the current wait times for each ride, shows you where you are in the park at any time, filters the attractions to how you specify and more.  It also helps you locate eateries, shows, etc.  The app helps so much in both parks.  Some of the rides may offer FASTPASSES but the wait lines might not be long so you might want to forego the FASTPASS feature.

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My 3 Must-Have FASTPASSES (that you can hold at the same time)
Some of the rides offer FASTPASSES but you won’t necessarily need them depending on the time you choose to ride the ride.  If you keep an eye on the wait times on the Disneyland app, you might be able to hop in line and have a shorter wait time.  Here are my must-have FASTPASSES and directions on where to get them.

Must-Have FASTPASS #1 – World of Color should be the first FASTPASS you wait in line for in the morning.  Getting a FASTPASS for this evening show will ensure that you have a great view.  Plus, this FASTPASS is disconnected from other FASTPASSES which means that you can hold another FASTPASS at the same time.

Must-Have FASTPASS #2 – Radiator Springs Racers – This FASTPASS is not distributed in Cars Land.  Instead, you can get your FASTPASS in front of the It’s Tough to be a Bug section of the park.  While waiting for the park to officially open, you will notice a line starting to form for these FASTPASSES.  Don’t let this line trick you.  Be sure to get your World of Color FASTPASS first.  A good idea is to have a family member waiting towards the back of this line while you take all of the park tickets over to get World of Color FASTPASSES.  Walk briskly (since you can’t run) back to the Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS line once you get your World of Color FASTPASSES.

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Must-Have FASTPASS #3 – Character Close-Up at Disney Animation (Anna and Elsa) at Stage 17 – While you’re over here, you can meet Olaf next door.