Disney FASTPASS service is a free virtual queuing program for certain popular attractions that allows guests at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure to bypass the regular Stand-by lines that have longer waits, and receive a return time “entitlement” in the shorter, faster FASTPASS line. This popular program was first used during the 1999 holiday season on “it’s a small world holiday.” Then shortly thereafter FASTPASS options for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin quickly followed in early 2000; additional attractions have been added to the program ever since. The whole FASTPASS distribution system was updated in 2017, replacing printed FASTPASS return tickets with the ability to simply use park tickets and annual passes as the “pass” to return to the attraction.

A MAXPASS upcharge option was also put into use last year. You can find out everything you need to know about MAXPASS by clicking here.

Here’s how FASTPASS works:

• FASTPASS Return Times are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not guaranteed. For certain popular attractions, FASTPASS return times may be filled early in the day. After that, no further FASTPASS entitlements will be issued for the attraction.
• FASTPASS return times are distributed at terminals near each attraction that offers FASTPASS. (With these exceptions: Star Tours FASTPASSES are located near the exit of Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, World of Color FASTPASSES are distributed near The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, and Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASSES are distributed near It’s Tough To Be A Bug.)
• To obtain a FASTPASS entitlement guests insert their park ticket or annual pass into the FASTPASS terminal, which reads and returns the park ticket along with a FASTPASS receipt indicating the time period during which the guest may return to the attraction.
• To use the FASTPASS entitlement, guests must return during the specified time frame to the queue marked for FASTPASS and scan the same park ticket/annual pass that was used to obtain the entitlement.
• After a guest has obtained a FASTPASS on one attraction, he or she cannot obtain a FASTPASS on a second attraction for at least two hours or until the beginning of the return window on the first FASTPASS, whichever comes first. The exceptions are World of Color and Fantasmic! as they are used to reserve seating for the nightly shows. Guests may obtain other FASTPASS entitlements in addition to these.
• Guests are free to enjoy the park and its attractions elsewhere while waiting to return to their FASTPASSED attraction.
• FASTPASS is available as a free service to all guests with theme park admission (children under the age of 3 do not need a FASTPASS).

FASTPASS distribution is available for the following attractions inside Disneyland:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• FantasmicI (nighttime show)
• Haunted Mansion
• Haunsted Mansion Holiday (when applicable)
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• “it’s a small world” Holiday
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
• Space Mountain
• Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy (when applicable)
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

FASTPASS distribution is available for the following attractions inside Disney California Adventure:

• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark (when applicable)
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania!
• World of Color (nighttime show)

Want more ways to make the most of the lines at the Disneyland Resort? Check out our information on single-rider lines and the rider-switch program. (And yes! Rider switch can be used in conjunction with FASTPASS.)

Editor’s Note: Updated on 1/27/18.  This article was originally posted on June 6, 2013.