Lightning Lanes are the easiest way to avoid lines at Disney World. Understanding what they are — and how they work — can significantly reduce the amount of time you waste waiting to get on rides. So let’s get started with our comprehensive Lightning Lane overview and tutorial.
It’s worth noting that Lightning Lane is an ever-evolving offering, so the details outlined below may change over time. We’ll continue updating this article with the latest information.
What are Lightning Lanes at Disney World?
You’re probably already familiar with what Disney calls standby lines. Those are the most straightforward way of getting on a ride: you walk up, wait in line, then ride when it’s your turn.
Some Disney World rides and shows also have another entrance called a Lightning Lane. These are separate, shorter lines for the same ride.
Lightning Lane and Standby Entrances at Toy Story Mania
Before you can enter the Lightning Lane, you have to pre-schedule a one-hour arrival window to ride (in most cases). Then, instead of waiting in line, you can go do something else (even a different ride) until it’s time to come back. Once your one-hour window opens, you can come back and ride with very little wait.
There’s even an upgraded version of Lightning Lane that lets you access the speedy entrance without scheduling a one-hour slot — just walk up and walk on!
Do You Have To Pay To Use Lightning Lanes?
Yes, there is a per-person fee to use Disney World’s Lightning Lanes. The cost of Lightning Lane varies, based on several factors:
- The type of Lightning Lane pass you purchase (see types below)
- The theme park or attraction you select (depending on Lightning Lane pass type)
- The date you’re visiting (busier days cost more)
Disney World Introduces New Lightning Lane System: Multi Pass, Single Pass, and Premier Pass Options Explained
In July 2024, Disney World introduced a new Lightning Lane system, replacing the previous Genie+ service. The new system consists of two options: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.
In October 2024, Disney announced it would begin testing a third option called Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
Here’s a quick glance at the differences between the three:
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows guests to make three advanced Lightning Lane selections at one park per day, up to seven days in advance if staying at a Disney hotel.
- Lightning Lane Single Pass lets guests purchase up to two individual Lightning Lane reservations per day, also available for advance booking.
- Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows guests to ride every Lightning Lane attraction in the park once, without having to pick a one-hour return window for each.
Here’s more information on each of these options.
Image © Disney
Most of the rides which have a Lightning Lane entrance are bundled together in a sort of package deal called Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass gives you expedited access to three or more rides and shows in a single day.
- The price usually ranges from $15-$35 per person, but it can be higher or lower depending on the day of your visit.
- You can pre-select up to three rides before you get to the park, with attractions grouped into Tier 1 (most popular attractions) and Tier 2 categories.
- After you’ve ridden your first selection, you can modify the remaining two selections, even switching to a Tier 1 ride if available.
- You can try to reserve more rides (one at a time) after you’ve gone on your first scheduled ride.
- Lightning Lane Passholders can make additional ride selections after using their initial ones.
This Multi Pass “package deal” is usually the best deal for most families. But it’s important to understand that at least one extremely popular ride in each park is NOT eligible for Multi Pass (see Single Pass below).
Image © Disney
One or two of the most popular rides in each park are not offered as part of Multi Pass. Instead, they are sold individually under the name Lightning Lane Single Pass.
- Lightning Lane Single Pass is available for the most popular attractions in each park, usually the newest or most in-demand rides.
- Prices typically range from $10-$25 per person, varying by ride and park visit date.
- You can purchase up to two rides per day this way, but each pass selection is for one ride only.
These are usually either the newest ride or most popular ride in the park.
Disney is testing a new high-end Lightning Lane Premier Pass. This is the most expensive option by far, but it also includes the best ride access.
- Lightning Lane Premier Pass gives you one ride on each Lightning Lane attraction in the park.
- You can ride at any time during the day, without having to select a one-hour return window.
- You don’t have to pre-reserve any rides before arriving at the park, because the pass lets you walk right on.
- Prices typically range from $119-$449 per person, varying by park and visit date. The cheapest prices are for Animal Kingdom on slow days, with the most expensive at Magic Kingdom on a busy day. Typical price ranges by park are:
- Animal Kingdom: $119-$199
- EPCOT: $149-$249
- Hollywood Studios: $249-$349
- Magic Kingdom: $329-$449
- The pass is currently offered only to a limited number of guests who are staying at Disney Resort Hotels and other select hotels. It’s not currently available to those staying off-site.
While attractions can always be down for maintenance or otherwise unavailable — and others simply don’t have a Lightning Lane at all — this is the closest thing you can get to guaranteeing access to almost every ride in the park during your visit.
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Which Rides Have Lightning Lanes?
Not every ride and show has a Lightning Lane entrance, but most do. Here are your choices.
Here’s a full list of rides/experiences currently offering Lightning Lane access. Click the appropriate tab to see the offerings for each theme park.
Single Pass
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
Multi Pass Group 1*
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Space Mountain
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Multi Pass Group 2*
- Barnstormer
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Mad Tea Party
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- 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
Premier Pass
- All rides listed above under Single Pass and Multi Pass headings
List subject to change.
* When pre-selecting Multi Pass rides at time of purchase, you may select either (A) one experience from Group 1 and two experiences from Group 2, or (B) three experiences from Group 2. After you’ve redeemed your first ride in the park, you may select additional rides from either group if available.
Single Pass:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Multi Pass Group 1*
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
Multi Pass Group 2*
- 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
Premier Pass
- All rides listed above under Single Pass and Multi Pass headings
List subject to change.
* When pre-selecting Multi Pass rides at time of purchase, you may select either (A) one experience from Group 1 and two experiences from Group 2, or (B) three experiences from Group 2. After you’ve redeemed your first ride in the park, you may select additional rides from either group if available.
Single Pass
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Multi Pass Group 1*
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
Multi Pass Group 2*
- 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!
Premier Pass
- All rides listed above under Single Pass and Multi Pass headings
List subject to change.
* When pre-selecting Multi Pass rides at time of purchase, you may select either (A) one experience from Group 1 and two experiences from Group 2, or (B) three experiences from Group 2. After you’ve redeemed your first ride in the park, you may select additional rides from either group if available.
Single Pass
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Multi Pass
- 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
Premier Pass
- All rides listed above under Single Pass and Multi Pass headings
List subject to change.
How Soon Can You Reserve Lightning Lane Rides?
You can purchase Lightning Lane access and pre-select rides before you visit the park.
Here are the booking windows for Single Pass and MultiPass:
- Disney Resort Hotel Guests: Booking window opens 7 days prior to check-in; can select rides for the entire length of your stay (14 days maximum).
- All other Guests: booking window and rules are based on your ticket type:
- Date-based theme park tickets: Booking window opens 3 days before the first day of your ticket’s validity.
- Non-dated tickets and Annual Passes: Booking window opens 3 days before each park day.
For Premier Pass: you can pre-purchase the pass 7 days in advance of check-in, but there’s no need to pick individual rides beforehand as they’re all already included.
All booking windows open at 7AM Eastern Time each day. If you’re a passholder or have a Park Hopper ticket, you can make selections across multiple parks (see FAQ below).
Disney Resorts eligible for the 7-day booking window include:
- Disney Deluxe Resorts
- Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts
- Disney Moderate Resorts
- Disney Value Resorts
- Dolphin, Swan, and Swan Reserve Hotels
- Shades of Green Resort
Before Your Booking Window Opens
There are a few things I recommend doing well in advance of buying Lightning Lane and selecting your rides:
- Install the latest version of the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device and make sure you can log in
- Make sure your entire travel party is listed in the app (send friend requests if you need to)
- Purchase your theme park tickets and link them to your My Disney Experience account
- Make a theme park reservation (if your ticket type requires one)
- If you have a Disney Resort hotel reservation, ensure it is linked to your My Disney Experience account
- Attach a Payment Method to your My Disney Experience account
- Start thinking about your must-do rides so you’ll have a plan once your booking window opens
- Set your alarm, because bookings open at 7AM Eastern time
Step By Step Instructions
Once your booking window opens, you can start purchasing Lightning Lane and picking rides.
- Open the My Disney Experience App.
- Navigate to the Tip Board and select “Purchase Lightning Lane Passes.”
- Choose the date and park visit.
- Select your Lightning Lane type (Multi Pass or Single Pass).
- Pick your rides and arrival windows.
- Pay for your selection and confirm.
Redeeming Rides and Using Lightning Lane in the Parks
Using Lightning Lane within the parks is super easy:
- Wait until your return window begins (but don’t miss it entirely!)
- Head to the attraction and look for the Lightning Lane entrance
- Use your MagicBand, MagicBand+, Key to the World Card (hotel keycard), ticket card, or Disney MagicMobile digital pass to access the ride
- Enjoy your ride or show
- If you purchased Multi Pass, start searching for a time slot so you can book another
Lightning Lane FAQs
Conclusion
The Lightning Lane system at Disney World offers a flexible and efficient way to enjoy your favorite rides without spending hours in line. By understanding how to book Lightning Lanes and making strategic Pass selections, you can make the most of your visit, whether it’s at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom. Be sure to plan ahead, especially if you want to secure spots on the most popular attractions!
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