Earlier this year, Disney World and Disneyland did away with the Genie+ skip-the-line system and introduced Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, which worked much like the Genie+ system.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Lightning Lane
We’ve had a chance to use both Multi Pass and Single Pass by now, and just when we thought we had gotten the hang of it, Disney goes and introduces a whole NEW Lightning Lane Premier Pass. Here’s what we know.
Disney has introduced a NEW Lightning Lane Premier Pass to go along with the current Multi Pass and Single Pass.
©Disney
Just as the current passes allow you to skip the line, Premier Pass will do the same — but it won’t be available to everyone. Beginning October 30th, Disney World will begin rolling out this new pilot program. With Lightning Lane Premier Pass, parkgoers will be able to use the pass to skip the line at each participating attraction once per day.
Lightning Lane
At Disney World, Lightning Lane Premier Pass will only be available to folks staying at Deluxe and Deluxe Villas hotels. Guests at these hotels will be able to purchase Premier Passes up to seven days in advance of their stay, except for on the launch date which will have no advance purchases.
Lightning Lane
Like Multi Pass, Premier Pass will be park-specific and will have different pricing depending on the park and date that are chosen. As of now, no Park Hopper option has been revealed.
Here’s a look at the Lightning Lane Premier Passes per person, per day for Disney World:
- Magic Kingdom: $329-$449 plus tax
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $129-$199 plus tax
- EPCOT: $169-$249 plus tax
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $269-$349 plus tax
Lightning Lane
As a reminder, these are the hotels eligible for Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Disney World:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort (eligibility applies to Disney Vacation Club Cabins only)
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Other eligible hotels:
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green Resort
At Disneyland, the pilot program is rolling out in just one week — October 23rd. Here, you’ll be able to purchase the pass up to two days ahead of a park reservation with no advance booking on the start date. But, Disneyland’s version of the Premier Pass will be available to everyone on a first-come, first-served basis with limited availability.
Disneyland’s Premier Pass will also include Lightning Lanes in both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure for the same day.
Lightning Lane at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Throughout 2024, the Disneyland Lightning Lane Premier Pass will cost $400 per person, per day for adults and children. Next year, prices are showing from $300 to $400 per person, per day depending on the date.
Lightning Lanes
As of now, no changes have been announced for Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Single Pass at the parks, but we’ll let you know if that changes. In the meantime, stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney news!
EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Lightning Lanes at Disney World
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They got to be crazy! Spend more on a stupid Premier pass than it cost to get in the park itself!
So this is why they’ve made DAS almost impossible to get, they’re hoping families with disabled members will be desperate enough to buy this.
Terribly unfortunate that Disney is turning from “magic for all” to “magic for a price.”
I was alright with the multipass / lightening lane option available to everyone, but to now offer a package only available to deluxe resort guests is not to my liking… and we often stay at deluxe resorts!
To continue to focus on the haves and have nots seems to me to be antithetic to what Walt was about. He wanted everyone to be able to escape and enjoy, but now Mom & Dad are having to explain to Johnny and Jane why they have to wait in line when others don’t. Where’s the magic in that?
Seems to me that Disney needs to get back to better business decisions and focusing on the right priorities, instead of losing money on agenda pushing movies and radical ideas.
OMG! A hard pass for us.
So for 1,600 a family of 4 can get lightning lanes for 1 day. That’s absolutely bonkers!! Bonkers!!
This is absolutely ridiculous. Say how to be greedy and take away the fun and the magic. That will definitely make the richer very visible in the parks and take away the vacation for all that Walt used to dream about. But how else are they going to pay for all those new projects??? Well the rich will pay and the poor will not go. If I didn’t have a trip planned and paid for I would be cancelling it. And for someone that used to go once or twice a year – I will definitely not go for a while. This is just ridiculous and incredibly divisive.
Why doesn’t Disney make a lighting lane plan for the entire trip? Pay a certain amount to cover everything and price it according to the number of park tickets you bought. Yeah, it’s an added expense, but it could make things easier. Offer pros and cons to my off-the-wall thoughts, please.
So on top of the park ticket, you pay upwards of 400 per person at magic kingdom? So if you did this, a party ticket and park ticket, you’re looking at over 1k for a day in the park? But wait. You must be staying at a deluxe resort too so toss that price even higher. This is absurd
I’m sorry but paying the equivalent of an additional ticket just to be able to ride each attraction once is crazyyyyyyyyyyy
Disney is amazing. They never stop thinking about new ways to get into your wallet and extracting more $$$ from you.
Hey! Sorry, I’m confused. Do the current “regular” lightning lane multi-passes not let you skip the line at participating rides once a day as well? I thought the only rides left out of that were the ones that required a Lightning Lane Single Pass (like the like Star Wars ride for instance).
Is the Premier one that just let’s you walk in once *without having to reserve a time* and includes the Single Pass attractions as well? Sorry if I’m not understanding; I’m just trying to figure out what’s premier about it over the regular passes.
That pricing is insane on top of the basic admission prices. Holy cow.
Ridiculous, this is a money grab by Disney.
There will be a an elite few, that will participate, but elitism element is the issue
There is no way we are going to purchase Lightning Lan Premier passes. Are you kidding me? After paying to get in the park you want to charge another $200 -$400 for a premier pass!! Disney has lost their minds. Fix this and fix DAS or we will not be going to Disney World again as a lot of other people will not. Stop the insanity!!
All I’m going to say is WOW
by my estimate a family of 4 costs $2400 and so DISNEY has priced themselves out of the reach of 90% of the population. In short it is no longer worth the cost because it can no longer deliver the magic to most people and most people can’t afford the cost of a premier pass and deluxe hotel. For me and my family, I suspect we will never return to DIsney for a very long time – if ever.
What is Disney thinking?? Why not give this for free to those paying to stay at the deluxe resorts like Universal does?? Or better yet, go back to free fast passes to get people back into their parks? Are they trying to make customers angry?? I’m going to Disney on Saturday and I’m sad to say but this will be our last time. The cost is out of hand. I’m very disappointed with this. I’ll enjoy every minute of next week and then we will take family vacations somewhere else.
Outrageous! Disney is one of my favorite destinations and each year its getting further and further away from my reach. I have an upcoming trip in Nov at the Beach Club and not only did my package cost $11,000 for 4 people -now this! It takes most folks up to a year to save and now most will be pushed aside because $ pays. I’m sad to see Disney go from such a magical place to a cash cow
I am genuinely astonished by that price
Get a grip Disney, this has got to be the craziest idea they’ve had, and cheapek not in sight . Once again cutting value and midrange, and just 1 ride per use . 😂😂, mr igor there’s the door , hope we don’t see ya real soon
OMG! This is a horrifying development! What are they thinking (besides the obvious, of course – $$$)?!?
All along, I have defended Disney when people said they were just money-grubbing – but no more.
Not only does the “more dollars than sense” crowd pay $1,000+ per night to sleep in a Deluxe resort, now they get the “opportunity” to pay up to $450 more per day to skip the lines ONCE at each ride (isn’t that just called LL MultiPass?).
First, they kick disabled people like myself out of the Lightning Lanes because, presumably, they’re getting too crowded and it’s cutting into their Genie/LL profit margin. And now this?!?
Gonna call WDW this afternoon and cancel my January trip. Sad, really – they’re depriving me of the one joy in my life. I might give them a couple of years to come to their senses and start making wise and just decisions before I consider them again. 🙁
I don’t understand why anyone would buy this over regular lightning lane multipass, which goes for less 10% of the cost and can still get you on most of the rides if you plan ahead and are proactive about getting on your next ride while in line. This cost seems astronomical for what you get.
OMG! Are they sure that’s enough? Hate to see them lose money.
Pure Inssnity! Not gonna happen!
Im trying to understand. So the premiere gets us to the fast lane of all available fast lane of the park we purchased. Do we need to schedule a time back? Is this for ppl who just want the convience of not having to purchase single lanes and multi lanes? My head is about to explode!
Seriously??!!
Absolutely ridiculous!!!! Going to Disney for Thanksgiving week. It may be my last trip. We are planning our next trip to go to Universal only.
Another example of Disney catering to wealthy visitors and discounting middle class visitors. My fear is in the not to distant future wDW will be a once in a lifetime trip for the majority of us or something that is just unattainable.
I don’t even like paying for multipass and single pass, so I definitely won’t be using the premier pass. Disney is killing the magic for this previous diehard Disney fanatic.
I think this will backfire on Disney. It’s so expensive that a family of four will book fewer nights at the hotels and spend only one day in MK because they can ride all the most sought after attractions. They will cut back on meals and move to cheaper resorts to enjoy pool and other activities. This is the price point that will determine how much longer Disney will listen to newly minted MBA’s who do not travel with families!! You are so out of touch. I just returned from ten days with my extended family and most people were in the standby lines. Some of my family members thought LL multi passes were very expensive and said they wouldn’t pay that again. Also, Tiana’s experience was a real disappointment. Splash mountain was a happy upbeat ride that all ages loved. Another bad decision.
Holy cow – with those prices, I could fund a whole second trip 🥴 They really lost the plot on this one.
Never. We were there July 16th -24th. Never used the genie/lightening lane any of the days we were there and we rode every ride while at the park. All this will do is drive guests to EPIC universe faster than before!!!
They must be out of their minds. I’m convinced Disney is trying to exclude pass holders. Those that buy the multipass and live close, can choose up to 3 days before; we tried it out and by the time we could book anything, most the times were taken and we couldn’t use it for more than the original 3 rides (because nothing was available). I won’t even get into the horrible job they did with DAS. I know people who have been pass holders for years, but because of the changes, can not enjoy the parks because they are getting sick due to the long lines they have to wait in. I think Disney is completely fine with excluding people that are not willing to cough up a ton of money everyday they are at the park.
Walt must be rolling over in his grave; I don’t think this is what he envisioned for the parks.
That seems incredibly steep price wise! Single LL and Multi day LL would be significantly cheaper and with the 7 day pre-purchase option you pretty much get on most rides.
If you stay at Universal the pass comes with it (FREE)
I agree with everyone else. As soon as I saw this price, I was like WTF?? Is that a typo? $400 per day to go on ONE ride??? Get there at rope drop folks and go on the rides you want to with no huge wait times. Ridiculously insane!!!
Hahaha. Why am I not surprised.
Did the problem of not being able to book in ride passes from anywhere outside of the USA/Canada 7 days in advance of a vacation get sorted yet do you know please?
Way too expensive, especially for people who don’t ride every ride. There’s no way to get your money’s worth. It’s very disappointing that Universal has better perks than Disney.
Oh wow….that’s not cheap lol! Good thing we can’t afford deluxe resorts, so it’s not even an option for us
I kinda hope zero people will purchase these passes, but in reality, we know some people will. Don’t really blame them, having the ability to waltz into the lightning lane with zero effort or planning does sound appealing, however it’s not in the cards for the average guest 🤷♀️
I also don’t get why anyone would pay that much for that. I’ll stick with the strategic moves taught by y’all and the AllEars cast on YouTube and use the way cheaper multi pass! I’ll still get on most of the rides once. 🤪 (they should make that premier for ALL rides ALL DAY! 🤷🏻♀️)
Wow talk about creating class separation! The only good thing about this is most people can’t afford it or won’t want to spend that much to skip the line. So hopefully it won’t affect most of us with waiting in line.
To me, this says the same thing that Disney has been saying in many ways for a while now, which is for some reason, they are convinced that they only need the absolute wealthiest to visit their parks and resorts. I don’t know who would pay this, especially after already paying for a Deluxe resort where they get Extended Evening Hours as well. It’s one thing to have the money, it’s another thing to think that this is the way to spend it. Only people who have so much money that it doesn’t matter what they do with it would see this as a good idea over the other LL products, and I’m not convinced that Disney has enough of those kind of visitors to make that the only demographic that they need to target. When you search for resort availability, there is almost always Deluxe/DVC resort availability, even at the last minute, all times of the year. It’s the Value and Moderate resorts that sell out. But only new Deluxe/DVC resorts are being built. In a way, I’m grateful, because that means less demand for our beloved Fort Wilderness Cabins, but it doesn’t mean I’m blind to the message that Disney is sending. And while we don’t use DAS, I can see that the changes have disproportionately impacted veterans and first responders, who are among some of the people best able to afford Disney. So Disney is chasing those customers away along with almost everyone else in their traditional demographic. I am genuinely curious as to what research Disney has done that is telling them that this direction is a good idea.
Shareholders must be dancing in the streets….
Guest staying at a Disney hotel should get Lightning Lane Multi Pass included with their stay. It was expensive enough for a family to purchase. Disney has lost their mind to charge those prices for the “premier” pass.
I would not pay for the Lightning Lane before, definitely not paying for the Premier Pass.
Lets just go back to Fast Pass.
Ok. Skip a line? Does that mean you don’t have to reserve a time slot?
Why would anyone do this? You can buy multi pass and lightning lane pass for whatever park you are in for a third the price! The prices are outrageous for the premier pass. What are they thinking! The system they have isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty good. We used it in September and were pleasantly surprised at how easy and convenient it was. Hard pass on the premier pass!
Bye-bye Disney. Hello Epic Universe.
I can afford this, but I would be so embarrassed to use it. This is nuts.!!!!
Coming from the uk in 2025 staying at wilderness lodge which classed as deluxe had to think for a miniute is this April 1st not a chance that I would pay for that
I have owned Disney stock for more than 30 years and have been to WDW an average of more than once a year for the last 32 years. In fact my wife and I just returned from WDW yesterday. We have never purchased LL for any of our visits and never will. This new policy just makes me sick. I AM DONE WITH DISNEY.