Are Disney Lightning Lane Passes Worth It?

UPDATE

As of July 24, 2024, there are several changes to how line-skipping at Walt Disney World works. Disney Genie+ has been discontinued and been replaced with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Individual Lightning Lane rides are still available under the name Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Please see our Disney World Lightning Lane Overview and Tutorial for up-to-date information.

The article below was written before these changes and may contain outdated information.

Lightning Lane passes have arrived at Disney World and Disneyland. This is exciting news but there’s a lot of confusion out there. What are Lightning Lanes? What is a Lightning Lane pass? How do they differ from Disney Genie+? How much do they cost? Keep reading and find out if Lightning Lane passes are worth it!

Disney has permanently retired its free FastPass+ system and replaced it with paid Disney Genie+ and pay-per-ride Lightning Lane passes.

These line-skipping add-ons are available at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

What are Lightning Lanes at Disney?

Lightning Lane queues have replaced FastPass+ queues at Disney theme parks. They allow expedited entry on a select number of Disney theme park rides.

In other words, Lightning Lane will allow guests to skip the normal standby lines and head right onto the rides (or at least have a shorter wait time).

To utilize a Lightning Lane, guests must pay for Disney Genie+ and/or pay-per-ride Lightning Lane passes and make their reservations via the Disney Genie mobile app.

What are Lightning Lane Passes?

As we discussed in our What is Disney Genie blog post,  Disney Genie is a free mobile app designed to help you maximize your Disney experience with personalized and time-saving recommendations.  Disney Genie+, on the other hand, is a paid option for guests who wish to utilize shorter ride queues via Lightning Lane queues.

For roughly $15-$30 per person per day (price varies based on date/demand/park), Disney Genie+ gives Disney World guests expedited access (via Lightning Lane entry) to over 40 attractions. For $25+ per person per day, Disneyland guests will have expedited access to over 15 attractions at Disneyland.

The Disney Genie+ reservation system allows guests to make one reservation at a time.  As soon as you use your first reservation you’ll be able to make your next.

Overall, we think adding Disney Genie+ to your tickets is worth the money.

Lightning Lane passes are related to Disney Genie+ but it’s a separate expense entirely.

A Lightning Lane pass allows a guest to utilize the Lightning Lane entrance at one of Disney’s highest-demand attractions.  Passes are available on a pay-per-ride basis and guests are allowed up to two passes per day.

Guests are not allowed to choose the same attraction for their second pass on the same day.

Please beware that guests do not need to purchase Disney Genie+ in order to take advantage of these high-demand Lightning Lane passes. However, if you want to experience short wait times at Disney’s other attractions then we recommend that you also pay the extra fee to add Disney Genie+ to your ticket.

Your first Individual Lightning Lane selection can be made at 7 AM on the day of your visit if you are staying at a Disney hotel. If you are staying off-property (a non-Disney hotel), you can make your first reservation once the park opens on the day of your visit.

Which Disney Attractions Will Have Individual Lightning Lane Passes?

Individual Lightning Lane passes are Disney’s highest-demand attractions.

Here are the current pay-per-ride individual Lightning Lane attractions: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Tron Lightcycle Run, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Avatar Flight of Passage.

Learn more about these rides in our Best Magic Kingdom Rides, Best Animal Kingdom Rides, Best Epcot Rides, and Best Hollywood Studios Rides pages.

View the chart below to see a list of the Disney rides that are included with Disney Genie Plus and which Disney attractions are only available on a pay-per-ride basis as Individual Lightning Lane Access passes.

How Much Do Lightning Lane Passes Cost?

Individual Lightning Lane access prices can vary based on the date, level of demand, and popularity of the attraction.  We’ve seen them as low as $7, but generally speaking you should expect to pay somewhere between $10-$20 per person, per ride… and occasionally maybe a bit more than that.

How Do You Book Lightning Lane Passes?

Reservation must be made on the same day as the visit. You can book your selections via the Disney Genie mobile app.

Guests staying at a Disney-owned resort hotel will be eligible to purchase and reserve their first Lightning Lane pass at 7 am.  Guests staying at a non-Disney off-site hotel will be eligible to purchase and reserve their first pass when the park opens.

This is just another reason to stay inside that park!

See our Disney World Hotel Comparison, Disney Value Resorts, Disney Moderate Resorts, Disney Deluxe Resorts, Best Pools at Disney World, and Lazy Rivers at Disney World for more information.

Are Disney Lightning Lane Passes Worth It?

Yes! You are on vacation and this is your time to have fun. Spending a little more money means that you will be spending a little less time in line and we think it’s worth it! Be sure to add Disney Genie+ to your trip as well.

Need Some Assistance?  Contact The Vacationeer!