With the retirement of Disney Genie+ service, Walt Disney World now offers guests the Lightning Lane Passes system. This is a paid for service that offers similar benefits to the previous program and is still designed to enhance the overall theme park experience for visitors. It allows guests to make Lightning Lane selections for certain popular attractions, entertainment, and character meet and greets, enabling them to skip the regular lines and enjoy more of their favorite experiences. Here is everything you need to know regarding this new system.
Definitions:
Lightning Lane Multi Pass – has replaced the Disney Genie + system and offers guests the opportunity to choose from a variety of attractions and schedule a time to experience at minimum three attractions during their day in the parks entering the attraction through the Lightning Lane line.
Lightning Lane Single Pass – has replaced the individual “al a carte” lightning lane attractions. The Lightning Lane Single Pass offers guests the opportunity to save time and enjoy some of the most in-demand attractions that are not included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Guests may purchase up to 2 single passes per day.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass – Announced in October 2024, according to the website the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is, “A Convenient Way to Save Time in Line. Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows one-time entry to each Lightning Lane experience in a theme park—to enjoy at your leisure that day. Beginning October 30, 2024, we will begin piloting the rollout of Lightning Lane Premier Pass with very limited quantities for Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and other select hotels.” This would mean that the guest would not have to schedule a time for their experience. They would simply show up and enter the Lightning Lane line when they are ready. We will follow the roll out of this new service in the coming months.
What is new?
- Purchase Lightning Lane passes in advance of your visit.
- When to purchase: Guests of Disney Resort Hotels may purchase up to 7 days in advance of their stay for the length of their stay (up to 14 days).
- Guests staying off property may purchase up to 3 days in advance of their stay. Guests with date-based theme park tickets (which require the Guest to choose a start date at the time of purchase) can purchase 3 days before the first day of their ticket, for the total number of valid admission days on their ticket.
- Guests can purchase Lightning Lane passes for days they have valid theme park admission starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time on their first day of eligibility.
- Plan your visit for multiple days all in the same day!
- Prepare ahead of time and make a wish list of the attractions you and your party want to experience. Make your selections prior to your arrival for your entire stay!
What is all included with the Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
When you purchase a multi pass, you can:
- Plan your day in the parks ahead of time by choosing up to 3 multi pass experiences and arrival windows in a theme park.
- Once you are in the park and you enjoy your first multi pass experience, you may be able to make an additional selection if available. If your park admission included Park Hopper benefits, you can even choose from multi pass experiences in other parks.
- You will receive digital download photo perks of select attraction photos and videos from your day in the park as captured by Disney PhotoPass Service.
What do the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass cost?
The prices vary by the pass and the theme park. It is best to refer to the My Disney Experience App for current pricing.
How do I purchase and use Passes?
Go in with a gameplan first! You will want to make sure you have downloaded the My Disney Experience App. Ensure that everyone in your party is connected and, on your Family & Friends list. This will allow you to be able to purchase Lightning Lane passes and make plans for everyone that is eligible in your party. Gather your groups wish list for attractions and experiences and be ready to select your most desired options first!
When you’re ready to purchase Lightning Lane passes, here’s what to do:
- Open the My Disney Experience App and tap the Lightning Lane Passes section on the home screen.
- Select a date and theme park.
- Select a Lightning Lane Single Pass, a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or both.
- If you select a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can choose up to 3 Lightning Lane Multi Pass experiences and arrival windows in advance.
- If you select a Lightning Lane Single Pass, you can choose an arrival window in advance.
- Follow all prompts to complete your purchase—and receive a confirmation.
- From the confirmation screen, you can tap “Plan Another Day” to purchase another pass—or tap “View My Day” for details about your Lightning Lane selections.
Modify Your Plans:
You can modify or change your selection at any time. To get started, tap the Lightning Lane Passes section on the app’s home screen to find your plans. Then, you can:
- Change your selected park and/or date in advance (subject to availability)—up until the moment you redeem your first Lightning Lane selection of the day.
- Change each selected experience and/or arrival window in advance (subject to availability)—up until the start of the arrival window
Adding additional experiences:
On the day of your park visit, once you redeem a Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection (or once the arrival window has passed), you can use the My Disney Experience app to check availability for another Lightning Lane Multi Pass experience—and add to your plans. To maximize the use of the system and your purchase, try to select the earliest time possible.
You can make one selection at a time until regular park closing (subject to availability). If your park admission includes Park Hopper benefits, you can even choose a Lightning Lane Multi Pass experience in a different theme park.
Here is a good example of attractions to select at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These are popular attractions with early time selections.
Which experiences and attractions are included?
Most attractions in each park are included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass or the Lightning Lane Single Pass options. All Lightning Lane experiences and options are subject to change without notice and are subject to availability. It is recommended to check the My Disney Experience App on the day of your purchase for the most up-to-date details.
Should I consider this additional expense?
There are a few factors to consider when deciding whether to forgo or purchase the service. Visiting during peak times, such as holidays or summer months when schools are out, often means larger crowds and longer wait times. In such cases, investing in the Lightning Lane Pass system can be a wise choice to maximize your time and experience more attractions.
The length of your visit plays a crucial role in the decision-making process. If you have a short trip with limited days in each park, Lightning Lanes can help you make the most of your time by reducing wait times and allowing you to enjoy more attractions. On the other hand, if you have an extended vacation, you may have the flexibility and choose to utilize the standby lines on certain days.
Different parks may have varying levels of demand for attractions and experiences. My recommendations for considering investing in the Lightning Lane Passes based on the specific parks are as follows:
- Magic Kingdom– I always recommend making the purchase of Lightning Lane Multi Pass within this park. There are so many attractions that are included, and this park is typically the busiest of all the parks.
- Hollywood Studios– This is another park that I would always recommend purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass when visiting. Since the addition of Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge the park draws in larger crowds. The park has many popular attractions that make the investment a smart choice.
- Epcot– This is a very large park, and the crowds seem to be spread out more throughout the park. If you can invest in the cost, I would say it would be a good investment to purchase the Lightning Lane Multi Pass when visiting Epcot.
- Animal Kingdom– Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a great option to use at the park for attractions such as the Kilimanjaro Safari, Kali River Rapids, and Na’vi River Journey. If you can get to the park at park opening and visit these popular attractions early in the day, then you may be able to forgo the purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass when visiting Animal Kingdom.
The number one reason to consider utilizing the Lightning Lane Pass service is the investment you have made already in your vacation! Within the parks, the more attractions you experience not only make for amazing memories, but it escalates the value of your investment.
To book your next vacation to “The Happiest Place on Earth,” contact me today!
