Lightning Lane Pass FAQ
Updated: Nov 22
Lightning Lane Pass is Disney’s paid service that allows guests to skip the standby queue and more quickly ride attractions via the Lightning Lanes. You can purchase Lightning Lane passes and make selections days in advance of your arrival giving you more time to plan your visit. Let's look at frequently asked questions about Lightning Lane Multi, Single, and Premier Pass, how to use them, and if it is right for your family. For more information about the MDE app click here. For information about Virtual Queues click here.
*updated October 16, 2024 to inclue Lightning Lane Premier Pass
Lightning Lane Pass Overview
What is a Lightning Lane?
Lightning Lanes are Disney's alternative to the standby queue, allowing guests to have a much shorter wait before experiencing an attraction. You must have purchased a Lightning Lane Pass, or be qualified for DAS (more on that here), to enter a Lightning Lane.
What are Lightning Lane Passes?
Lightning Lane Passes are Disney World's paid way to skip the standby line for most rides and experiences in Walt Disney World. Previously the line skipping was Genie+. The Lightning Lane passes allow for more control than the previous itteration, allowing guests to purchase before they visit and book multiple attractions at a time.
What is a Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass (LLMP) is the new service which replaced Genie+. Much like Genie+ you are paying to be able to schedule a window of time for an attraction where you can skip the standby queue and enter through the Lightning Lane. Unlike Genie+ you will be able to book your selections prior to your arrival, and select 3 different experiences.
What is a Lightning Lane Single Pass?
Lightning Lane Single Passes (LLSP) are replacing Individual Lightning Lanes. Each park has one or two premium attractions that are not included within Lightning Lane Multi Pass and are purchased separately. You do not need to have purchased Lightning Lane Multi Pass to purchase Single Pass. Unlike Individual Lightning Lane, you will be able to book your selection(s) prior to your arrival. You will have the ability to make selection and pick your return window prior to purchase. You may purchase only 2 LLSP per day.
What is Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a line skipping option which will include one entry to each Lightning Lane entrance and can be used anytime throughout the day. It will include all attractions currently available for purchase with both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass. It will also include PhotoPass downloads. There will be no Park Hopper option offered.
The cost of Lightning Lane Premier Passes will be quite pricey and vary by date and theme park. Prices will range from $119 to $449 per person, plus tax. This service will only be available to guests staying on property and at all Walt Disney World resort hotels including the Walt Disney World Dolphin, Swan, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green Resort. LLPP is only availably in limited qualities, and like other Lightning Lane passes, it will be able to be purchased up to seven days in advance of arrival. You can read more about it here.
Are there any additional perks that are included with a Multi Pass?
Guests receive digital downloads of select Disney PhotoPass attraction photos and videos taken at the park on the day of your visit. Guests are also able to use Disney-themed photo lenses on their mobile device, featuring magical augmented-reality effects. Disney PhotoPass terms and conditions apply. Read more about PhotoPass here.
Lightning Lane Attractions
Which attractions are in each tier for Magic Kingdom?
Tier 1: Choose up to one experience from this tier:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan’s Flight
Space Mountain
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Tier 2: Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this tier:
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
Which attractions are in each tier for EPCOT?
Tier 1 Choose up to one experience from this tier:
Frozen Ever After
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Soarin’ Around the World
Tier 2: Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this tier:
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
Which attractions are in each tier for Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
Tier 1: Choose up to one experience from this tier:
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Slinky Dog Dash
Tier 2: Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this tier:
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!
Which attractions are in each tier for Animal Kingdom?
Again, Animal Kingdom only has one tier. Any three selections that are available may be scheduled from the following experiences:
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
With Multi Pass, can I choose from any three Lightning Lane experiences?
Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios have a tiered system. You may pick one experience from Tier 1 and two (or all three) from Tier 2. Animal Kingdom only has one tier, and any three experiences that are available may be choosen from it. We talk about the different groups in each park later in the FAQ.
Can you use Lightning Lane Multi Pass with all of the same experiences as Genie+?
No. Character meet and greets will no longer offer Lightning Lanes, nor will parades and other entertainment, though shows are still included.
Purchasing Lightning Lane Passes
When can you buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass?
The booking window starts at different times depending on whether or not you are staying on site at a Disney World Resort hotel:
For guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, Lightning Lane Passes, both multi and single passes, can be purchased up to 7 days in advance of check-in, for their entire stay (up to 14 days).
Guests with date-based theme park tickets can purchase Lightning Lane passes and choose experiences and return times for the total number of valid admission days starting 3 days in advance.
Annual Passholder, who are not staying on property, and guests with other ticket types must purchase 3 days before their park visit, one day at a time.
If you are an Annual Passholder you must have a park reservation in order to purchase a Lightning Lane Pass, even if they have a Walt Disney World Resort reservation.
When can international guests purchase Lightning Lanes?
There appears to be a work around for international guests so they can purchase before getting to the states. Read More here.
International travelers can only purchase Lightning Lane passes and make selections upon arrival into the United States. Alternatively if they are working with a travel agent based in America, the agent will be able to purchase them 7 days in advance.
What time will guests be able to buy Lightning Lane Passes?
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.
How much does Lightning Lane Multi Pass cost?
The price of Lightning Lane Multi Passes varies both by date and by theme park. The prices for Lightning Lane Single Passes also vary both by date and attraction. Prices for Multi Pass currently range from a high of $29 per peson per day at Magic Kingdom to $16 per person per day for Animal Kingdom. Prices for Single Pass currently range from a high of $26 per person for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to $11 for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. These prices are compriable to the pricing of Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane. You can also view the pricing for both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass three weeks out from the current date. .
How do I buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass are purchased in the My Disney Experience app. Make sure you have linked your entire party's tickets in the app before purchase. You can read more about how to do that here. You also need to make sure your MDE app is updated and your phone is running the latest version of its opperating system.
Open the app, Click on the purchase button for Lightning Lane Multi/Single Pass on the home screen.
Select a date and a theme park.
Pick Single Pass, Multi Pass, or both.
Select from available attractions and arrival windows. (You will have five minutes to select experiences, so make sure you have back-ups planned ahead of time.)
Select the guests you want to include.
Complete your purchase. Afterwards you will be able to tap "Plan Another Day" to purchase more passes.
Can I use a Disney gift card or a Disney Visa rewards card when purchasing the Lightning Lane Passes?
Yes, you may use a Disney gift card, Visa rewards card, or debit/credit card.
Can Lightning Lane Single and Multi Pass both be purchased together?
Yes. Both Multi Pass and 2 Single Pass can be purchased for your entire travel party in the same transaction for a specific day.
Can multiple days be purchased at the same time?
They can be purchased at the same time, but not in the same transaction. Each day of your trip would be a separate transaction.
Booking Lightning Lane Attractions
Should I book Multi Pass or Single Pass first?
Our best advice is to book your Multi Pass selections first - those times will run out sooner. Then go back and do your Single Pass selections for that day.
When can I book additional Lightning Lanes?
As soon as you have used one of your pre-booked selections, you can book additional Lightning Lane throughout the day, keeping a maximum of 3 active at any time. There are no tiers when booking additional Lightning Lanes.
Can I book all of my planning party on the Multi Pass and only some of my party on the Single Pass?
You can certainly book less people from your party on your Single Pass, but not in the same transaction. Book your Multi Pass first, pay for it, then go back and book the Single Pass.
Can you make Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections in a different park if you are planning to Park Hop?
You must schedule your first three Lightning Lanes selections at the same park. If you have a Park Hopper ticket or an Annual Pass, once you redeem your first selection of the day, you can use the MDE app to choose another Lightning Lane return time in any of the other theme parks, subject to availability.
Is there an additional charge for using the Multi Pass when park hopping?
No. There is no additional charge for Park Hopping.
Can I modify a return time after I have picked one?
After purchase, under the My Day tab in the MDE app you will be able to modify the times you have selected. Before purchase, right before you check out, there will be a screen you can modify the times of the experiences you have selected.
Can I overlap my return time window for my Multi Pass or Single Pass selections?
Not when originally booking the times, but they may be modified to overlap by ten minutes.
Can I book a Lightning Lane selection to the same attraction multiple times?
No. You may only use Lightning Lane Multi Pass to book an attraction one time each day. But you can always join the stand by line in order to ride twice.
Am I able to modify my selections so that specific members of my planning party can choose a different attraction?
Yes, when modifying under the My Day tab scroll all the way to the bottom and you’ll see all family members listed. There is a blank button. (We assumption is that this is supposed to say EDIT and this will be corrected.) Click the blank button and choose the members in your party for whom you want to modify the selection.
What should I do if none of the attractions I want are available when I try to book additional Lightning Lanes?
Just keep checking and reloading. People change their selections throughout the day, and sometimes Disney just releases more. But do be aware that really popular attractions such at Tiana's Bayou Adventure will rarely be available throughout the day.
Lightning Lane Multi and Single Pass Tips
Do you have a suggestions on how to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass to make the most of my day at the parks?
We have our best suggestions for maximizing your park day using LLMP on our Tips for Planning your Day post for each park. You can find them each here; Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom
Do I need to use the Lightning Lane Pass system?
Absolutely not -
It is possible to tour the parks without purchasing a Lightning Lane Pass, almost every ride has a standby queue that can be used at no extra charge. The exceptions to this are Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and Guardians of the Galaxy, all of which do not currently have a standard standby line, but do have a virtual queue (see our post here). Depending on crowd levels having LLMP can make it easier to fit in more rides. But, LLMP is not a requirement for having a good time. You can absolutely manage without LLMP if you have a good touring strategy and are more flexible with your itinerary. Be aware it will be more difficult to hit all of the super popular attractions without it.
However -
We do recommend using LLMP at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, especially if you are aiming to fit in a lot of those more popular attractions. And again, if you are visiting at a time when the parks are more crowded, LLMP will make it easier to fit in more rides.
Lightning Lane Multi and Single Pass Cheat Sheet
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass Cheat Sheet. Click on the Image to go to the .pdf download link
Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation? Click here for our planning guide. Need tips for planning a Walt Disney World Vacation with someone with a disability? Check out the disability section of our blog here. Need help navigating the parks using DAS? Click here. No longer qualify for DAS and need help figuring out now to approach a day at the parks? Click here for our ideas on how to flip your thinking and still have a good experience at Disney.
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