Is the Disney Lightning Lane a worthwhile investment?

Looking to maximize your time and experience all the attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland while minimizing wait times? If splurging on a private VIP guide isn't in your plans, Disney's Lightning Lanes are the perfect solution to skip the regular lines.

Lightning Lane serves as Disney's line-skipping service found at most theme parks. With Disney Lightning Lane, you bypass the standby queue and take advantage of a much faster Lightning Lane for many attractions. This can save you hours of waiting and help you enjoy more of Disney's beloved rides during your visit.

However, it’s important to note that it's not a universal solution. You can choose between Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Lightning Lane Single Pass, or a mix of both options.

Before your upcoming trip to Disney World or Disneyland, refer to this guide to get acquainted with the available Disney Lightning Lane pass options, including their costs and how they function. (Spoiler: They operate differently on each coast.)

Here’s all the information you need to determine whether Disney's Lightning Lane service is right for you and how to make the most of the passes if you decide to purchase them.

What exactly is Disney Lightning Lane?

Disney Lightning Lane is a paid feature that allows you entry through Lightning Lane entrances at select attractions. Previously known as Disney Genie+, this service has been rebranded this year with exciting new enhancements. Lightning Lanes let you bypass the standby line, allowing you to experience more attractions with less wait time during your visit.

Most attractions are covered by the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service, but one or two rides at each park require a separate purchase of the Lightning Lane Single Pass to skip the line. You don’t need to buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass to get a Lightning Lane Single Pass and vice versa; however, by using both, you can almost ensure access to all your favorite Disney rides during your trip.

Disney may also implement a virtual queue for new or popular attractions, which may or may not also offer a Lightning Lane entrance.

Joining a virtual queue is free for all visitors, and you can use it with or without Lightning Lanes. All these services can be accessed through the My Disney Experience app at Disney World or the Disneyland app at Disneyland.

What is the cost of Disney Lightning Lane?

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass and the Lightning Lane Single Pass are distinct services and need to be purchased individually. The processes and pricing differ slightly between Disney World and Disneyland, so let’s examine each.

Pricing for Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

Lightning Lane Multi Pass prices vary by date and park. The service starts at $15 per person, per day but can go up to $39 per person, per day during peak times like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break. It's worth noting that these prices may increase in the future.

There’s also a chance that the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and the Lightning Lane Single Pass may sell out. With park-specific pricing, the Lightning Lane Multi Pass might be sold out at one park while still available at another, allowing for flexibility in your park touring plans without completely losing the opportunity to skip the line.

Some parks, such as Disney's Animal Kingdom and Epcot, have fewer attractions eligible for Lightning Lane (and generally shorter standby waits) compared to Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Consequently, the Lightning Lane Multi Pass is often cheaper at Animal Kingdom and Epcot.

Pricing for the Lightning Lane Single Pass varies by attraction, generally falling between $7 and $25 per person for each ride. Guests can make up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass purchases each day, and these can be for different parks.

While these services are distinct, you have the option to buy one or both in a single transaction.

Pricing for Lightning Lane at Disneyland

The prices for Disneyland's Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass differ by day, depending on crowd levels and demand.

Similar to Disney World, you can buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass in advance as an add-on to your Disneyland ticket; however, unlike Disney World, prearrival ride selections are not available. Nevertheless, purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass in advance guarantees a price of $30 per person per day. If you buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass on the day of your visit, the starting price is also $30, but it can vary on busier days, with the highest recorded price so far being $35.

Similar to Disney World, expect higher prices for Lightning Lane passes at Disneyland during peak times like holidays and spring break. It's advisable to purchase the Lightning Lane Multi Pass in advance to benefit from the base price of $30.

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disneyland includes unlimited PhotoPass digital downloads, which is why its starting price is slightly higher than that of the equivalent service at Disney World.

While you can buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass in advance, the Lightning Lane Single Pass can only be purchased inside the park on the day of your visit. Pricing varies daily and by attraction, with costs rising during busier periods. Each guest is allowed to make up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass purchases each day.

How do Lightning Lanes function at Disney World?

One of the great advantages of Lightning Lane passes at Disney World is the option to purchase them in advance and plan your visit ahead of time.

Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, or Swan Reserve, or Shades of Green can buy Lightning Lane passes up to seven days before their trip, starting at 7 a.m. Eastern time for the duration of their stay (up to 14 days).

Guests with date-based tickets who are not staying at an official Disney Resort hotel can plan up to three days in advance for the duration of their ticket, beginning at 7 a.m. Eastern time.

Guests with annual passes or special ticket types without a Disney hotel stay can plan one day at a time, up to three days before their visit.

If you're only visiting one park each day, it's advisable to purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass for the specific park you'll be at each day and make your prearrival ride selections for that park.

If you're planning to hop between parks, it's advisable to get a Lightning Lane Multi Pass and select your initial rides at the first park you visit. On the day of your visit, the system will recognize your Park Hopper tickets and allow you to make additional ride selections at any park (based on availability).

To make your purchase, launch the My Disney Experience app. You should see an option to buy a Lightning Lane pass on the home screen, or you can tap the hamburger menu at the bottom right to find a button labeled "Lightning Lane Passes."

Next, you will select the date of your visit. The following screen will display availability and pricing for both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass at each park. Choose the park where you wish to buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass. At this point, you can also make up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass selections for any park. You can check attraction availability and pricing without committing to a purchase.

After that, you will be asked to select your party. If someone in your group isn't eligible, a message will explain the reason. If you have your tickets and are within your booking window, this shouldn't pose a problem.

Once you've selected your group, it's time to choose your attractions. At Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios, you're allowed to pick one Tier 1 attraction and two Tier 2 attractions. For instance, rides like Space Mountain, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad fall under Tier 1, while attractions such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh are categorized as Tier 2. Disney's Animal Kingdom, however, does not use a tier system.

While you can select your preferred return window, the system will automatically assign you a return time. You’ll have up to five minutes on this screen to adjust your return times if you wish to make changes.

Next, you will proceed to the payment screen where you can enter your card details and finalize your purchase.

If you are buying tickets for multiple days, simply repeat the above steps. For purchasing multiple days at once, it's advisable to secure your Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios days first, as those selections fill up quickly. You will likely find the best availability for attractions on your last day, so starting your selections there could increase your chances of securing the most popular rides.

You can keep adjusting your ride choices and return times in the My Disney Experience app right up to and during your visit. While Lightning Lanes are nonrefundable, you can change the date and park for a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or switch attractions for a Lightning Lane Single Pass if your plans change. If the new cost exceeds your original payment, you will need to cover the difference. Conversely, if it is lower, you won't receive any refund.

On your visit day, you can reserve additional attractions throughout the day each time you enter an attraction using one of your Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections.

A great benefit of this system is that once you start making selections for the day, the ride tier system no longer applies. You can choose new rides or change existing ones for any attraction and return time at any park if you're park hopping (depending on availability). This means that after using your first Lightning Lane of the day, you can modify your second or third attractions to Tier 1, even if they were initially Tier 2.

What is the process for using Lightning Lanes at Disneyland?

At Disneyland, you can buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass in advance as an add-on for your vacation or purchase it after entering the park each day.

You need to buy the service for every member of your party intending to use it (excluding children aged 2 and under), and each person must have a valid ticket and theme park reservation. No matter when you purchase, you can make your first Lightning Lane ride selection as soon as you enter the park.

When you secure a Lightning Lane reservation, you receive a one-hour arrival window to enjoy your chosen attraction. Once the window opens, indicating it's your time to ride, you can bypass the standby line and enter through the Lightning Lane.

You can make further selections after you use one or when two hours have elapsed since your last selection, whichever occurs first. Additionally, you can adjust Lightning Lane selections if you wish to change the attraction or the number of guests in your party joining you.

You can quickly visit multiple attractions as long as the return times are available soon after you book them. This grab-it-and-use-it strategy can be continued as long as the Lightning Lane windows show immediate or soon-to-come availability.

Another approach is to stack your Lightning Lanes for later in the day. If the app is only showing return windows that are several hours away, you can begin stacking reservations for later and add new ones every two hours. To implement this strategy, you’ll need to use standby lines or individually purchased Lightning Lanes earlier in the day.

Which attractions accept Disney Lightning Lane passes?

Numerous rides at Walt Disney World and Disneyland participate in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. This list can change over time, particularly with the opening of new attractions. However, you can always check the most up-to-date ride list — including which attractions require a separate individual Lightning Lane purchase — on the official Lightning Lane pages for Disney World and Disneyland.

Lightning Lane attractions at Disney World

Magic Kingdom

Select up to one experience:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Space Mountain
• Tiana's Bayou Adventure

Choose two more experiences (or three, if you didn't select one from the previous group):

• 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

Individual Lightning Lane purchases are required for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tron Lightcycle / Run.

Epcot

Select up to one experience:

• Frozen Ever After
• Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin' Around the World

Choose two more experiences (or three, if you didn't select one from the previous group):

• 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

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind requires a separate individual Lightning Lane purchase.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Select up to one experience:

• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash

Select two more experiences (or three, if you didn't choose one from the previous list):

• 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
• MuppetVision 3D
• Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance requires a separate individual Lightning Lane purchase.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Choose from these 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
• Na'vi River Journey

Avatar Flight of Passage requires a separate individual Lightning Lane purchase.

Lightning Lane attractions at Disneyland

Disneyland Park

Select from these experiences:

• 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
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
• Space Mountain
• Star Tours — The Adventures Continue

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance necessitates a separate individual Lightning Lane purchase.

Disney California Adventure Park

Select from the following attractions:

• Goofy's Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout
• Incredicoaster
• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue
• Soarin' Over California
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

Radiator Springs Racers requires an individual purchase for the Lightning Lane.

Is it possible to enjoy Disney without using Lightning Lane passes?

There are times when buying Lightning Lane passes might not be essential for your visit.

Are you planning a day of indulging in food and drinks around the world at Epcot? Do you enjoy leisurely walks through the parks, taking pictures and observing the crowd? If you dislike being glued to your phone or following a strict schedule, and prefer to go with the flow, then Lightning Lanes might not be beneficial. However, you can utilize the complimentary Disney Genie service in the app to order a cocktail or discover attractions with the shortest wait times.

Disney Genie enhances your day by recommending activities in the optimal sequence, showing real-time and forecasted wait times, enabling mobile food orders, providing navigation through interactive maps, and more. You can access the complimentary Disney Genie service via the "My Day" link on the app's homepage or by selecting "Today's Plans" from the menu.

If you're on a budget, consider purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass only for the rides you absolutely must experience, while using other strategies like early entry to minimize waits on additional attractions. Based on our observations, wait times tend to increase throughout the day, so starting early is advantageous. This can also apply during later park hours.

You can also take advantage of virtual queues for Disney's latest rides, which are available for free to all guests. This allows you to enjoy top attractions without any extra cost. Be prepared to secure those virtual queues precisely at 7 a.m. — we suggest using the world clock and refreshing as the time approaches. The same applies at 1 p.m. if you wish to grab a virtual queue for the park you're visiting at that moment.

Is investing in Disney Lightning Lane worthwhile?

In summary, yes, Disney's Lightning Lanes can be quite beneficial if your goal is to experience as many attractions as possible in one day with minimal waiting time. However, there are some important factors to consider to get the most out of your investment in Lightning Lanes.

It's essential to buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass and select your rides as early as possible to secure the best availability. This approach maximizes the number of Lightning Lanes you can access. If you wait until later in the day to purchase, their value diminishes. Even when booking a week in advance, some popular attractions, like Tiana's Bayou Adventure, may already be booked.

You should also employ additional expert-level Disney tactics to ensure you experience as many rides as possible. Remember, the early bird gets the worm. If you arrive before the park opens, you can position yourself near the front and enjoy some high-demand rides before the lines swell, without needing to use Lightning Lanes. Standby lines are typically shorter during the first hour after opening.

Additionally, it's important to note that some attractions might run out of Lightning Lane slots before the park closes for the day. The sooner you can make your Lightning Lane reservations, the better, even if they are scheduled for later.

If you're unable to find the desired Lightning Lane when it's time to make your next selection, the best approach is to keep refreshing the app repeatedly. This applies to both new bookings and changes to existing ones. New Lightning Lane slots appear when groups cancel or as Disney adds more throughout the day. So, the more diligent you are with refreshing, the more options you'll eventually find.

In summary

The worth of Lightning Lanes is contingent on the type of Disney World or Disneyland experience you're planning.

For most visitors eager to enjoy a wide variety of attractions during their Disney trip, investing in Lightning Lane passes is justified to bypass long wait times. There are numerous ways to save at Disney, enabling you to incorporate Lightning Lane into your budget and ensure a truly magical vacation.