Before your first visit to Walt Disney World, you might underestimate the importance of using the FASTPASS service available for many of the more popular rides at the four Disney theme parks. Wait times really can eat up a chunk of time at Disney World, and this computerized queuing system allows visitors to avoid some lines by reserving ride times in advance using self-service machines located at the rides for which FASTPASS is available.

Here’s how it works: Insert your park entry ticket, which is digitally encoded with a unique ID, in the FASTPASS machine at the ride you want to take. The machine will print out a pass indicating a specific window of time when you may return to that ride and enter via a dedicated FASTPASS gate, with little or no waiting time. There is no extra charge for this service, and it is available to all park visitors.

Bear in mind that FASTPASS reservations can get booked well in advance for popular rides and on especially busy days, so if you have your heart set on a particular ride, get your reservation as soon as you enter the park. And remember that a separate reservation is required for each individual rider, so if several members of your party want to ride together, you’ll have to insert each person’s ticket separately into the FASTPASS machine.