4. Fastpass bottlenecking

Fastpass+ revolutionized the way guests wait for rides. With a few exceptions, it has proven a fantastic system, and Disney’s Magic Bands have made it easier than ever to arrange Fastpass times. Whereas in the past guests had to fumble about for paper tickets, guests can simply tap their Magic Band or pass to a Mickey logo to be on their way onto an attraction. It’s a wonderfully simple system.

Or so it should be. Enter the Fastpass bottleneck.

You’re on your way to the Fastpass entrance when the party in front of you stops in the entrance. The cast member watching the queue helpfully points out they’re in the Fastpass line. The bewildered party nods that they understand, then proceeds to start rummaging through purses and pockets looking for their Magic Bands or tickets. One strikes up conversation with the cast member, asking a number of questions about the ride. You attempt to maneuver around the party to the second kiosk, but the confused party spreads across the path, blocking the way. The cast member is distracted attempting to assist the party who can’t figure out how the system works. Finally, they press their Magic Bands to the kiosk only to find out certain members of their group have a different time scheduled to ride, or they don’t even have Fastpasses, or they’ve been trying to press their FitBit to the kiosk the entire time, or…

You get the picture.

Similar bottlenecks can occur at the park entrances with guests who cluster together all waiting to use the same entrance kiosk while blocking other guests from using the others. Generally, it’s not done with malicious intent, but it ends up proving a huge frustration to other parkgoers.

Disney is an overwhelming place. It takes a little time to get the swing of things, but the best way you can avoid bottlenecks is to be prepared before you approach an attraction. Have the My Disney Experience app installed on your phone so you can easily check Fastpass times or at least take a few moments to record Fastpass times in a journal. Before you reach the queue, have your Magic Band or ticket ready and direct your party members to use both kiosks so you can move through the line quickly. If you run into a snag, try to move to the side so other guests who have passes ready can still use the second kiosk.

We all make mistakes, and it’s easy to slip up on etiquette when visiting a place as vast as Disney World. However, with a little foresight and extra courtesy, we can all work together to keep the most Magical Place on Earth magical.