A Disney World Lightning Lane Guide

If you’re looking to skip the ride line at Disney Parks, then let us help you get familiar with Disney World Lightning Lanes. This paid skip the line service is available for most rides across the parks. And is offered in a variety of options, includes Lighting Lane Multi-Pass, Single-Pass and Premiere Pass. Even though this service is only available at an additional cost, it does allow you the chance to plan your Disney World Rides selections ahead of time! Praise be! It can however, be a bit confusing and expensive. We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the Disney World Lightning Lane Service and how it can help you save time at Disney World.

Lightning Lane Details

In this post we’ll go over the three types of Disney World Lightning Lane Options. Including the New Disney Lightning Lane Rules, Costs, and Lighting Lane Rides in Each Park. Plus how you can get the most rides using Lightning Lane with a Disney Lighting Lane Strategy plan.

Lightning Lane Options

There are three types of Lightning Lane Options at Disney and each has it’s own rules. Lightning Lane Passes are Per Person, Per Day.

• Lighting Lane Single-Pass allows the purchase a lightning lane pass for only select rides in each park at a premium cost. You can only buy 2 Lightning Lane Single Passes per day. But, you can only buy a Lightning Lane Single Pass for each ride once per day. Cost is $10 -$25+ depending on the day and ride chosen.
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows the purchase of a lightning lane pass for only select rides in the park, with an initial selection of 3 rides. Initial rides can be chosen up to 7 days in advance of your vacation.  Cost is $18- $35 per day, depending on the day and park chosen.
• Lighting Lane Premiere Pass is the most expensive lightning lane option and includes one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane experience in a park for one day. Rides on Multi-Pass and Single Pass are included in the Premiere Pass. Cost is $150- $400+ depending on the day and park chosen.

Before you Begin

1. Download the My Disney Experience App, if you don’t already have it.
2. Within the App, be sure to connect all everyone in your travel group on your Friends and Family list. This is super important, as it will be the only way you can make ride reservations for your whole group at a time. If you’re traveling with new people, simply send them an invitation from the app, by using their Disney associated email address. After they have accepted your invite you can include them in your plans.
3. Figure out everyone’s favorite rides and plan to pick 3 rides when you purchase. You can choose up to 3 rides in advance each day, and you can simply repeat this process for each park, as you work through the days throughout your trip.

Purchase Lightning Lane Passes for your Trip

1. Open the My Disney Experience app, then tap the Lightning Lane Passes section on the home screen.
2. Select a date and theme park.
3. Select a Single Pass, a Multi Pass or both.
   • If you select a Multi Pass, you can choose up to 3 Lightning Lane Multi Pass experiences and arrival windows in advance.
   • If you select a Single Pass, you can choose an arrival window in advance.
4. Follow all prompts to complete your purchase—and receive a confirmation.
5. 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.

Lightning Lane Reservations

When Can I Purchase Lightning Lane Passes? Lightning Lane Multi-Passes can be purchased ahead of time, while Lightning Lane Single Passes must be purchased day of.

7 Days in Advance for Eligible Disney Resort Guests

When staying at Disney Resort Hotels or other select hotels, guests can purchase Multi Pass passes—and choose experiences and arrival windows—starting 7 days before the first day of their Resort stay, for their length of stay (up to 14 days). This benefit is reserved for guests staying at Disney Resort Hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan, Swan Reserve and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green Resort.

3 Days in Advance for All Other Guests

• 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 with other ticket types can purchase 3 days before their park visit.
• Annual Passholders can purchase 3 days before their park visit.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Replacing Disney Genie+, which previously allowed guests to buy skip the ride line passes for same day use, the NEW Lightning Lane Multi Pass service, now allows you to buy and plan your ride experiences ahead of time. Now, you can choose up to 3 Lightning Lane ride selections, in a theme park, in ADVANCE of your visit. As you reserve the ride selections you are able to also choose available times, so that you can make your Disney Day Planning easier. All the Rides included in Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass are included later in the post.

• Plan ahead of your visit and choose your initial 3 multi pass experiences and arrival windows in a theme park.
• After you use your first multi-pass lightning lane, you can choose your 4th multi pass. Repeating this process every time you use one, you can add one.
• As part of Multi-Pass you receive digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos from your day, captured with Disney PhotoPass Service. Plus, access Disney PhotoPass Lenses.

Lightning Lane Single Pass

Select popular rides, not available with Multi Pass, are available via a Disney Lightning Lane Single Pass for a charge. When choosing these rides, you ‘ll be able to purchase the Lightning Lane for a specific time period, so that you can plan in advance. You can purchase up to 2 single passes per day, subject to availability, but can only ride each ride one time. Here are the Lightning Lane single Pass Rides you can find in each Disney World Park.

• Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run
• EPCOT: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Hollywood Studios: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage

Lightning Lane Premiere Pass

Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows one-time entry to each Lightning Lane experience in one theme park—to enjoy throughout the day. Available to guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels and Villa Resorts, as well as the Swan and Dolphin Hotels. Eligible Guests can purchase Lightning Lane Premier Passes up to 7 days before the first day of their Resort stay—for their entire length of stay (up to 14 days)—starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time.

Lightning Lane Cost

Lightning Lane Passes are offered Per Person, Per Day. So, when you’re planning your trip, if you have 4 people and all plan to use Lightning Lane Passes in Magic Kingdom, on 1 day you will need 4 passes for that day. Typically adding about another $100 to your costs for just one day of your trip. See below for the Price of Lightning Lane in each park.

• Lightning Lane prices vary by date and theme park attraction.
• Rides may have limited availability.
• Daily Prices are stated in the My Disney Experience App

How Much Does Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Cost?

Lightning Lane passes vary throughout the year, but costs of a Lightning Lane Multi-Pass per person, per day at each park are as follows.

• Magic Kingdom – $29- $35+
• Hollywood Studios – $26- $32+
• Epcot – $21- $26+
• Animal Kingdom – $18- $23+

How Much Does Lightning Lane Single-Pass Cost?

The Lightning Lane Single Pass Cost per person, per day ranges from $16- $30, depending on the ride and time of year.

How Much Does Lightning Lane Premiere Pass Cost?

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $129-$199 plus tax
• EPCOT: $169-$249 plus tax
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $269-$349 plus tax
• Magic Kingdom: $329-$449 plus tax

Can you Buy Both Lightning Lane Single Pass and Multi Pass?

Yes. Disney Guests can buy either a Lightning Lane Single Pass, Lightning Lane Multi Pass, or both! As certain rides are only available on either, it may make sense to have both if you’re trying to fit in all the things on your Disney trip. Just check out the My Disney Experience App for options to buy either or both. Disney has promised that the app will allow for all these changes to the Disney Genie+ service, seamlessly, so that you can both plan and purchase in the app, as well as online with ease.

Where Can I Purchase Lightning Lane Passes?

Disney Multi Pass and Single Pass Lightning Lanes are available in the My Disney Experience App, and on the website.

Are Lightning Lane Passes Refundable?

No. Lightning Lane passes are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

How is the Lightning Lane Premiere Pass Different?

• Provides More Flexibility: With Lightning Lane Premier Pass, you don’t have to choose arrival windows for Lightning Lane attractions and experiences—so you can enter Lightning Lane entrances for the experiences you want, when you want (subject to availability). With other Lightning Lane passes, you must choose an arrival window for each Lightning Lane experience.
• Includes Each Available Lightning Lane Experience in One Park: Lightning Lane Premier Pass gives you one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane experience in one park for one day. This includes Lightning Lane Multi Pass experiences and Lightning Lane Single Pass experiences in that park.

Lightning Lane Attractions in Each Park

These rides are on the list of rides where Lightning Lane can be purchased as needed throughout the day, on an individual basis. Check the My Disney Experience App for prices and availability. As you’ll see these are some of the Best Rides at Walt Disney World. When purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass you’ll be prompted to choose up to 3 multi pass experiences and arrival windows.

• Once you redeem a selection on the day of your park visit, you can choose another multi pass experience from either group (subject to availability).
• If you have valid admission with the Park Hopper option, you could even choose a multi pass experience in a different theme park (subject to availability).

Magic Kingdom Multi Pass Attractions

Here are the Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Rides included in Multi Pass. You can choose up to 3 per the tier instructions below.

Choose up to one experience from this group:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Space Mountain
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this group:

• The Barnstormer
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Mad Tea Party
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

Magic Kingdom Single Pass Attractions

These attractions are NOT available with the Multi Pass service and can be purchased separately. As a reminder both TRON and the Mine Train ride have a standby queue.

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• TRON Lightcycle / Run

EPCOT Multi Pass Attractions

Here are the EPCOT Lightning Lane Rides included in Multi Pass. You can choose up to 3 per the tier instructions below.

Choose up to one experience from this group:

• Frozen Ever After
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World

Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this group:

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Spaceship Earth
• Turtle Talk with Crush

EPCOT Single Pass Attractions

As a reminder this attractions are NOT available with the Multi Pass service and can only be purchased separately.

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Hollywood Studios Multi Pass Attractions

Here are the Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Rides included in Multi Pass. You can choose up to 3 per the tier instructions below.

Choose up to one experience from this group:

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash

Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this group:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play & Dance!
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
• Toy Story Mania!

Hollywood Studios Single Pass Attractions

Lightning Lane Single Pass rides are NOT available with the Multi Pass service and can only be purchased separately. Luckily, Star Wars Rise of the Resistance has a standby line as well as the Single Pass option.

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Animal Kingdom Multi Pass Attractions

Here are the Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Rides included in Multi Pass. Unlike the other parks, Animal Kingdom does not have a two tier selection process for Lightning Lane Passes. So you only need choose 3 from the list below

• DINOSAUR
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• Feathered Friends in Flight!
• Festival of the Lion King
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
• It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Naʻvi River Journey

Animal Kingdom Single Pass Attractions

• Avatar Flight of Passage

Lightning Lane Rules and FAQ

• Each person in your party needs a Lightning Lane Pass  if they intend to use Lightning Lane. This includes children age 3 and up.
• Before you purchase a Lightning Lane pass, you must have valid theme park admission; you may also need a theme park reservation, depending on the type of admission and the date of your visit.
• Limit one Lightning Lane entry per attraction, per day.
• Annual Passholders and Guests with tickets that are not date-based may purchase Lightning Lane passes for any day within the 3-day purchase window.

Can you Book Lightning Lane Passes Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you’re a guest staying at a Disney Resort, you are able to select your Lightning Lane Passes up to 7 days in advance and choose Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections for your entire stay ( up to 14 days). If you are not staying on Disney World property, then you can make your Multi Pass selections up to 3 days in advance.

• For Disney Resort Guests: Up to 7 Days in Advance of your arrival date
• All other Guests: Up to 3 Days in Advance of your arrival date

This service change is a welcome need, for those of us Disney Planners out there. While we don’t love that you have to pay for rides at Disney World, if you don’t want to wait in line, the option to at least be able to plan ahead is a godsend. It’s also an easy addition to the Disney Vacation Planning Timeline that also requires things like booking transportation ahead of time, making Advanced Dining Reservations, and ordering your MagicBands.

Can you Choose your Lightning Lane Rides and Times Before you Purchase?

Yes! One of the biggest changes to this new system is that you can CHOOSE your rides and times ahead of time. Just head to the My Disney Experience App to make your selections at the 7 day, or 3 day mark, depending on where you’re staying.

Can you Book Lightning Lane Passes for Your Entire Vacation all at Once?

Yes! If you are a Disney Resort Guest, you can make your ride selections 7 days in advance for up to 14 days of your trip. This means you can simply choose your top 3 rides for Lightning Lane Multi Pass in each park and schedule them for each day of your vacation.

Can you Change Your Lightning Lane Passes?

Yes. While Lightning Lane Passes are nonrefundable, they are able to be modified. To change existing Lightning Lane Multi-Pass ride reservations, you can follow these steps in the My Disney Experience App. Note, that you can change your Lightning Lane passes up until the moment you redeem your first Lightning Lane pass of the day. However, be aware that the rides you want, or time slots, may not be available once you begin the change process.

1. Tap the Lightning Lane Passes section on the apps home screen.
2. From here you will see your plans and ride reservations.
3. Change your selected park and/or date in advance.
4. Change each selected experience and/or arrival window in advance.

How Many Lightning Lane Passes Can I Get?

As many you can try for! On the day of your park visit, once you redeem a Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection, you can check the My Disney Experience App for your next one. You can make one Lightning Lane Ride Selection at a time until regular park closing (subject to availability).

As soon as you scan into your Lightning Lane Multi Pass ride line, you can check for another and choose another. Even if you’re going to be waiting in a line for bit, you can maximize that time, by checking the app and adding another ride to your list. This is the BEST STRATEGY for getting the most Lightning Lane Passes throughout the day.

Since this is how the system works, there are a couple things to consider when scheduling your Top 3 Multi Passes.

1. Choose popular rides, as they may not be available via Lightning Lane Pass the day of your visit.
2. Choose early ride times, as this will give you plenty of time to add more Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections throughout the day.
3. Be sure to Add another Lightning Lane Multi Pass as Soon as you Scan into a Ride.

Can I use Lightning Lane Multi Pass with a Park Hopper Ticket?

If your park admission includes a Park Hopper Ticket, you can even choose a Multi Pass experience in a different theme park, after you’ve used your first three. However, Lightning Lane Premier Pass is only good for one park per day. And gives you one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane entrance in one park for one day.

Can I use a Lightning Lane Pass on a Ride More than Once?

No, Disney limits one Lightning Lane entry per attraction, per day.

Is Disney Genie still Available for Free for Planning?

While the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Service has replaced the Disney Genie+ system, the complimentary Disney Genie planning service is still available in the app for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This service allows you to do a variety of things with in the app to help you plan your day.

• Allows you to create a personalized Itinerary
• Find your attractions, shows, and characters faster!
• Join a Disney Virtual queue at certain attractions.
• Make Dining Reservations
• Make Experience Reservations
• Mobile Order Food
• Get Help from a Virtual Assistant

Can You Still Ride Rides at Disney World for Free?

Yes, you absolutely can! You simply have to wait in line. We recommend you plan ahead to make the most of your time if you choose not to get the Disney Lightning Lane Service. Read our Disney World Ride Strategies So You Don’t Have to Wait in Line post for some ideas.

Disney Lightning Lane Guide

There you have it! All the details of how to Reserve Rides Ahead of Time at Disney World, for your Disney Vacation. We love this option to make Planning a Trip to Disney easier. While we don’t having to pay for the skip the line service, it’s a great option if this is your only Disney World vacation, as it will make the experience easier. It’s also great for your First Trip to Disney World, and for short trips to Disney.