How to Avoid Lines at Disney Without Paying for Lightning Lane

Hello, my dear readers! You don’t have to be a diehard parks fan to be aware that earlier this year, Disney debuted their outrageously priced Lightning Lane Premium pass, or in other words, a very expensive higher-tier fast pass. This bad boy will cost you up to $449 per person, on top of your park pass, and I mean … I just can’t with those prices, can you?! So instead, here’s how to avoid lines at Disney without paying for Lighting Lane because some of us still want to be able to visit without completely breaking the bank 😅

Now, in case you are totally new to the Disney planning experience and have no idea what Lightning Lane Premier is, let me give you a quick rundown. Then, we’ll get to talking about the different strategies you can follow to avoid paying extra fees.

What’s Lightning Lane Premier?

Lightning Lane is Disney’s skip-the-pass now that free, fast passes are a thing of the past. With Lightning Lane, you have the option to purchase:

Multi Pass—The multi pass option allows you to plan ahead and choose up to three multi pass experiences in the theme parks. Once you’re at the park and have used up your first multi pass experience, you can make additional selections throughout the day.
Single Pass—A single pass is a one-time-use ticket that can be used at the most popular attractions, including Cosmic Rewind, Flight of Passage, Rise of the Resistance, Radiator Springs Racers, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Tron Lightcycle.
Premier Pass—A higher-tier pass that gives you a one-time entry into each available Lightning Lane experience in a park for one day. Unlike the multi pass and single pass, you don’t just get placed into a shorter/faster wait line; you can skip the lines altogether and just walk onto the ride. Bear in mind, though, that it doesn’t work for every ride at the park, JUST the rides that offer Lighting Lane, and those attractions can be found here.

Okay, now that we have the basics of Lightning Lane out of the way, here’s how to avoid lines without it!

How to Avoid Lines Without Lightning Lane

Plan to visit during a less crowded time. You can use my crowd calendar to know when it will be the least busy at the parks, but generally, February, early April, and September are good times to go.
Arrive at rope drop. “Rope drop” is Disney jargon for arriving at a theme park when it opens, and a rope drop ceremony is usually involved. If you’re a morning person, you’ve got a big leg up on other park guests, so get there as early as possible and hit all of the popular rides first to avoid the crowds when they arrive.
Use those magic hours. If you’re staying at a Disney Resort Hotel or a Disney Good Neighbor hotel, you may be eligible for extra magic hours (early park entrance), so ask about them and enjoy!
Go on rides during the nighttime shows and parades. Disney parks are known for their nightly fireworks shows and occasional nighttime parades, depending upon the time of year. The Disney fireworks show is my absolute favorite, but if it’s not a big priority to you, it’s a great time to get on the rides because most of the crowds will be busy watching the shows. *This tip is best used at the Disneyland Resort parks, which stay open longer than the Disney World parks.
Check your My Disney Experience or Disneyland app for wait times. Even if you don’t purchase Lightning Lane, you can still use the app’s tip board and view the list of wait times, which is updated regularly.
Use Single Rider! Single Rider is an option that allows groups to skip the lines by splitting up on select attractions. You can still line up with your friends and family, and you’ll only be separated once you’re on the ride. Only some rides offer Single Rider, so check beforehand (click here for the full list). Once you get to the attraction area, ask a cast member about the Singer Rider entry, and they’ll give you a ticket and/or direct you on where to go.

Do You Ever Use Lightning Lane?

Of course! I’ve never purchased the Premier Pass, but I do think using Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass can be worth it if you’re flying in for a vacation and trying to get onto a popular attraction. It can definitely put your mind at ease if you have your heart set on experiencing something that’s in high demand.

I don’t believe in judging people who choose to purchase things like the Premier Pass or the VIP Tour, but I want Disney days/trips to be accessible to people with all kinds of budgets and spending an extra $400+ per person just isn’t realistic for most people. I hate that it’s starting to seem like you need to be full-on rich to enjoy a visit to Disneyland, which is the main reason I started this blog!

Do you prefer to pay to skip the lines at theme parks? How do you avoid crazy crowd levels at Disney?