Navigating Disney’s Lightning Lane: A How-To
In my world, planning a Disney day is one of the funnest tasks anyone could hand me, but if you’ve never been it can seem a little overwhelming trying to figure out what to prioritize. And when it comes to Lightning Lane specifically, there are so many terms thrown around these days like Multi Pass, Genie+, Fastpass, Single, Premier, Extra Elite, Super Special VIP Fancy Person (just kidding with the last two hehe), and these can make the whole process very confusing. Well, there’s no need to Google any further because today, we’re navigating Disney’s Lightning Lane!
What is Lightning Lane?
Lightning Lane is Disney’s current FastPass system. Once upon a time (about 7-8 years ago), fast passes were free, but then, one gloomy day, Disney began charging people to skip the lines and the world hasn’t been the same since 🥺
When you book a Lightning Lane for a specific ride, you’ll receive a time slot/return window so you can go about your day, enjoy other park activities, and then return to the ride when it’s time for your return window. That way, you don’t have to wait in the long standby line and will spend less time overall waiting in lines.
Lightning Lane Multi and Single Pass
Lightning Lane Multi and Single Passes replaced the old Genie+ system. The Multi Pass allows people to book three advanced Lightning Lane selections at one park per day, and the Single Pass allows people to book up to two higher-demand rides.
*Single Passes are for higher-demand rides and are not available through Multi-Pass. They are an additional cost.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass
Lightning Lane Premier allows people to ride every Lighting Lane-eligible ride in the park once. They automatically get sent to the front of the line (rather than receiving a designed time slot/return window for each ride). It’s basically a lower-tier VIP pass.
Does Lightning Lane Cost Money?
Yep, and the cost varies depending on which day you’re at the parks, but here’s a general breakdown:
- Multi Pass: $30 – $39 per person per day
- Single Pass: $17 – $25 per person, per attraction
- Premier Pass: $129 – $449 per person, per park, per day
*Disneyland Magic Keyholders get a 25% discount on Lightning Lane, so smoke ’em if you got ’em!
Which Rides Offer Lightning Lane?
To make things as easy as possible, I’ve listed the Lighting Lane-eligible rides by the park for both Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort:
Animal Kingdom Multi Pass-Eligible Rides:
- Dinosaur
- Expedition Everest
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Naʻvi River Journey
Animal Kingdom Single Pass-Eligible Ride:
*Single Pass-eligible rides are in high demand and are not available through Multipass. They are an additional cost.
EPCOT Multi Pass-Eligible Rides:
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Frozen Ever After
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Turtle Talk with Crush
EPCOT SINGLE Pass-Eligible Ride:
Disney California Adventure MultI Pass-Eligible Rides:
- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Grizzly River Run
- Incredicoaster
- Mission Breakout
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Web Slingers
Disney California Adventure SINGLE Pass-Eligible Ride:
Disneyland multi pass-eligible rides:
- Autopia
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Haunted Mansion
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- “It’s a Small World
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Smugglers Run
- Space Mountain
- Star Tours
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Disneyland SINGLE pass-eligible ride:
Hollywood Studios multi pass-eligible rides:
- 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
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
- Toy Story Mania!
Hollywood Studios Single pass-eligible ride:
Magic Kingdom multi pass-eligible rides:
- Barnstormer
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- “It’s a Small World”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Space Mountain
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
Magic Kingdom SINGLE pass-eligible rides:
Is Lightning Lane Worth Purchasing?
It all depends on the situation. I would say Lightning Lane is worth it for the following scenarios:
- If you or someone in your party has their heart set on a Single-pass eligible ride (they’re a hot commodity, and some are only available via lottery otherwise)
- You’re flying in for your vacay and haven’t had the opportunity to visit the parks before
- If you have little kids
And I would say that it’s NOT worth it if:
- You want to avoid lines in general but don’t necessarily have one MUST-RIDE attraction on your list. I have a guide here on how to avoid long lines without paying for Lightning Lane
- You don’t like being on a schedule while on vacation
- You don’t care whatsoever about what you do or see as long as you get to have fun in general
Is Lightning Lane Refundable?
No, but if an attraction is closed or shut down during your return window, you may be able to get an extra pass for another ride or a refund through guest services.
How to Book Lightning Lane
If you’re visiting Disneyland and want to have Lightning Lane for the entire trip, you can book it when purchasing your park tickets (and I have a nice little discount for ya here!). If you only want it for specific days or plan to go to Disney World instead, here’s a quick guide for both locations:
How to book Lightning Lane for Disney World
- Set a reminder for three days before your park reservation day (or seven if you’re a Disney resort hotel guest).
- Make sure you have downloaded the My Disney Experience app to your phone.
- Connect everyone in your party so that when you purchase Lighting Lane, you can book the rides as a group.
- Tap the Lightning Lane Passes section in the app, select your date and park.
- Select Multi, Single, or both, and follow the prompts.
- If you want to change your selections, you can modify your plans up until the start time of your return window.
How to book Lightning Lane for Disneyland
- Download the Disneyland app on your phone.
- Connect everyone in your party so that when you purchase Lighting Lane, you can book the rides as a group.
- Tap the Lightning Lane Passes section in the app, select your date and park.
- Select Multi, Single, or both, and follow the prompts.
- If you want to change your selections, you can modify your plans up until the start time of your return window.
Does Lightning Lane Ever Sell Out?
It sure does, so I recommend booking as far in advance as possible, especially if you’re going during peak season. You can view my free crowd calendar here for reference.
Do I Absolutely Need Lightning Lane to Skip the Lines?
Nope, and I’ve got a guide here on how to avoid long lines without paying extra!
Do you like using Lightning Lane at Disney parks? What’s your favorite way to skip the lines? Share in the comments below!
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