Buddy Pass has made it’s way over to Toy Story Midway Mania at DCA, and if your group is eligible it could save you a ton of time.
The Buddy Pass is a separate line for this attraction that helps cast members fill single rows that may not be being used because of large groups or other reasons. It is available for parties of 1, 2 or a small party of two adults and one child. What this option does is put you in a different line and potentially get you on the ride sooner than waiting stand-by. Of course cast members do not guarantee that you will get on quicker than the normal line or that it will be available all the time.
I decided to test the Buddy Pass out on a Friday evening. I wanted to see if the wait was shorter or longer and how the whole thing worked. When you walk up to the cast member at the entrance of the ride, your whole party must be present and able to fit in one row. I asked about the Buddy Pass and was handed the blue card in the photo above. They then direct you to a separate line from stand-by or FASTPASS. This line was located to the left of the main entrance pictured in the photo below. The cast member who handed me the card was very clear to say that this does not guarantee that I will get on the ride faster than the stand-by line.
I started the timer on my phone once I got in line and waited 7 minutes and 20 seconds to get on the ride. The posted wait time when I got in line was 50 minutes. I was seriously impressed. Of course this may not be typical, every single time anyone uses this pass, but if it’s available I’d take my chances and use this line again.
Buddy Pass is also available at times at “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!”. It is used in the same way as Toy Story Midway Mania where you enter a different line and your small group fills the back row of the ride vehicle. The Monsters, Inc. ride is also located at DCA.
