You don't need Aladdin's magic lamp to find a FASTPASS.

Q: What is a FASTPASS, and how do I use one?

A: A FASTPASS is a paper pass that allows the bearer to jump to the front of the line upon returning at the scheduled time.

Since the summer of 2000, Walt Disney World has allowed guests to use a FASTPASS in order to skip the long lines at some of the parks' most popular attractions. Guests insert their Disney World theme park tickets in a FASTPASS kiosk located next to the attraction, just as they insert their theme park tickets at the gate in order to enter the park. Then the FASTPASS kiosk returns the ticket along with a paper pass or FASTPASS. The pass advises the user to return at a certain time. For instance, the FASTPASS might state that it is good between noon and 1 p.m. The user is free to enjoy other attractions and return when the FASTPASS is valid.

Then the magic begins. While those without a FASTPASS might wait as long as 90 to 120 minutes for popular attractions such as SOARIN' at Epcot and Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, the FASTPASS allows guests to enter through a separate, shorter line marked "FASTPASS RETURN." It feels like cheating, but the FASTPASS service is available for free to all park guests.

What makes the FASTPASS service work well is that most guests do not take advantage of it. Although Disney World explains how the FASTPASS system works in the park guidebooks and on TV at Disney's resort hotels, many guests automatically jump in the longer stand-by entrance line instead of obtaining a FASTPASS from the kiosk. Guests may insert their park tickets in another FASTPASS kiosk after their first one expires or after a certain time (printed on the FASTPASS).

Unlike other theme parks including Universal Studios, Disney World offers the FASTPASS service for free. The only limitation is the number of times guests can use FASTPASSES on any given day. Depending upon park attendance, the total wait time between FASTPASSES ranges from 30 minutes to several hours. On a regular morning at the Magic Kingdom, when the average wait time for most rides is short, guests can usually get a new FASTPASS every 30 minutes. On a busy afternoon at Epcot, however, it is not uncommon to wait two hours or longer for a FASTPASS to SOARIN' or TEST TRACK to become valid.

FASTPASS TIPS:

1. Grab a FASTPASS for every member of your party upon entering the park. The FASTPASSES for the most popular rides--generally the thrill rides such as SOARIN' and roller coasters--are distributed quickly. By the afternoon, Disney posts signs announcing that all FASTPASSES have been distributed for the day for most of the thrill rides.
2. Get as many FASTPASSES as you can throughout the day to reduce or eliminate wait times on Disney's best rides.
3. Designate one person as the FASTPASS collector. Give everyone's theme park tickets to the FASTPASS collector, who can insert each ticket in the FASTPASS kiosk while the rest of the group is busy doing something else. This will also prevent guests from losing FASTPASSES or digging in their pockets in the FASTPASS RETURN line.
4. All members of the party need a FASTPASS, unless they are two years of age or younger. A basic rule of thumb to follow is that if you needed a ticket to get into the park, you will need a FASTPASS to join the rest of the party in the FASTPASS line.