How does "fastpass" work?

[IMGONNABE40!]

From what I understand, I will need to feed my park ticket into a fastpass machine located near the attraction to get a fast pass. When I get my pass, how many people can ride with that one pass? Just me? Others in my party? If its just me, how do we avoid everyone in our party getting different return times? If we can use one fastpass for our whol lgroup, can different members of the group head to different attractions and get fast passes at those attractions for the group?

 

[PrincessCM]

Each ticket must get fed into the Fastpass Machine. It does not guarantee that everyone in your party gets the same return time, but you usually would. I believe you cannot get another Fastpass until your current one is valid for use.

 

[seashoreCM]

One guest per fast pass.

One person can take everybody's park tickets to a fast pass machine, being careful to count park tickets before leaving the area.

If the fast passes retrieved for everyone differ in return time, the difference is only five minutes or so still leaving nearly an hour for everyone to come back and ride together.

After getting a fast pass, the time to get another fast pass is at most about two hours away, less if the time to come back and ride is sooner and less during less busy park days, occasionally unadvertisedly less for a few specific rides.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/fastpass.htm

 

[Eljay]

Look at the small print on your Fast Pass, it will say what time you can get another one. For example, if the Fast Pass says "Return between 2:15pm and 3:15pm", 2:15 would usually be the soonest you could get another FP.
This does vary, as seashoreCM mentioned.

On the FP's for the Auto Stunt Show in MGM, you can get another FP immediately. If it's 11:35 and I get a FP for the 1:00pm stunt show, the FP will say I can get another FP at 11:35.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thank you for the responses.

 

[Pluto4Pres]

Remember also that if you get sidetracked and don't make back to the ride during your designated window, the CMs will usually allow you on late. They'll never let you on early but late is usually OK.

Disney still has the right to stop this practice if there is a problem, but it has always worked for me. Sometimes even with a FP that expired hours earlier.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thank you for that tip, Pluto4Pres.