Well, if nothing else, Disney sure knows how to keep us on our toes!
Peter Pan’s Flight Lightning Lane
As I’m sure you remember, earlier this year we saw both Disney World and Disneyland do away with the Genie+ skip-the-line system and introduce Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass. But like I was saying, just when we really got the hang of this new system, Disney went ahead and introduced a whole new pass — Lightning Lane Premier Pass. After we recovered from the shock, we had a moment to check out the details and that’s when we noticed that this brand-new pass isn’t even out yet and there’s already one big problem with it!
As we were saying, Disney went ahead and introduced the all-new Lightning Lane Premier Pass to go along with the current Multi Pass and Single Pass.
©Disney
Let’s break it down. Starting October 30th at Disney World and October 23rd at Disneyland, this brand-new Lightning Lane Premier Pass will allow you to skip the line, as the current passes do, but you won’t need to make reservations on your phone — you can just arrive at the attraction and immediately enter the Lightning Lane. With Lightning Lane Premier Pass, you will be able to use the pass to skip the line at each participating attraction once per day.
Lightning Lane
But here’s the twist: for Disney World guests, the Premier Pass will only be available to those staying at Deluxe and Deluxe Villas hotels. Guests at these hotels will be able to purchase their Premier Pass up to seven days in advance of their stay.
Lightning Lane
Here is the list of the hotels eligible for Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Disney World:
©Disney
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Lightning Lane
Now, as for the price, it will will vary by park and date. Here’s what you can expect per day at 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
For anyone heading to Disneyland, the Premier Pass will be open to all park guests, not just those staying at the fancier resorts. Disneyland’s version of the Premier Pass, launching October 23rd, will cost $300 to $400 per person, per day depending on the date (all 2024 dates are $400), and can be purchased up to two days in advance of your park reservation. It’ll even cover both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure for the same day.
Lightning Lane Entrance
All of that is well and good, but here’s where things get sticky. (Did you see the problem already?)
The Big Problem: No Park Hopping
Sure, the price tag for the Premier Pass is steep, but if we’re honest, it isn’t all that surprising. But what’s really concerning is that, for Disney World, there is NO PARK HOPPER OPTION for this new pass. (Just in case you’re new to the whole Disney scene, park hopping is when you visit more than one park in a single day.)
Lightning Lane
This brand-new Premier Pass will be park-specific, meaning that if you fork over $400 for the Magic Kingdom Premier Pass, for example, because that’s your park reservation for the day, you won’t be able to swing by Hollywood Studios for a quick thrill on the Tower of Terror. Essentially, you’re locked into the park you choose when you buy your Premier Pass, and at those prices, that’s a tough pill to swallow.
Lightning Lane
Disney hasn’t said if a Park Hopper version of the Premier Pass is coming later, but for now, it’s park-specific all the way.
Is It Worth It?
So, what’s the verdict? Well, for those staying at Disney’s Deluxe hotels, the Premier Pass could be a game-changer. You’ll get to skip the lines at your chosen park, enjoy your Disney day in style, and leave the long wait times behind. But if you’re at Disney World, without the ability to park hop, you might feel like you’re missing out on a big part of the Disney experience, especially with such a hefty price tag.
Winnie the Pooh Lightning Lane
If you’re a Disneyland visitor, the Premier Pass might be more appealing since it covers both Disneyland Park and California Adventure in the same day. That means you’ll still get some flexibility. But again, you’re going to be shelling out some serious cash for that convenience.
Lightning Lanes
At the end of the day, whether the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is worth it really depends on what kind of Disney guest you are. If you’re all about maximizing time in a single park and can justify the price, it could be a great way to enhance your trip. But if you’re at Disney World, and you’re used to park hopping and want to keep that option open, this new offering might leave you feeling a bit boxed in.
Lightning Lane
We’ll keep an eye on whether Disney introduces a Park Hopper option for the Premier Pass down the line. Until then, stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney news!
EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Lightning Lanes at Disney World
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Even for Disney…, this cost is crazy!!! And once per day…. What?? Universal Studios sounds better and better. Not that Express Pass is cheap, but I still see a better value with EP. Disney heading towards a split of their guests.., those flying first class and those flying coach….
How many rides does it include at each park? Is it one, two, three, all of them?
This will also just add more people to the lightening lane lines. Since they don’t have to book the lightening lane, the idea of controlling the number of lightening lanes for an attraction will be difficult. Plus the price is outrageous! No way would I pay that even if I was staying at a deluxe resort.
This may be the most absurd thing they’ve done since going woke, taking on State of Florida and ruining the foundation fairy tales that Disney was founded and built on. So, for a family of 4, already paying in the neighborhood of $7,000 for their 4–5-day Disney vacation, you’re adding about $$,000 more to do this. ABSURD! Bring back the old fast pass system, FP’s were a rite of passage. Life action is killing Disney. Allow the beauty of animation to promote children’s creativity. This BIZZARE “Snow White” due out in March 2025 may be the final nail in the Disney coffin. No one is too big to fail!
Are you saying you can’t get a Lightning Lane Pass of any type unless you stay at a Disney World premium hotel?
This is literally made for rich people. What family is gonna pay hundreds of dollars per person for just one park? You already have to be paying exorbitant amounts at their overpriced hotels. The lines are never that bad to even justify purchasing this. It’s almost like Disney is secretly trying to make themselves look bad.
Everyone seems to be missing that the launch of this is a PILOT! That means things are likely to change, both in how if works and who can purchase it. The amount of whining and complaining is ridiculous for something that hasn’t even started yet. Plus it is OPTIONAL, not a requirement to visit WDW!
That seems an exorbitant amount of money for one day ride skipping. I’m really confused by the offering. Are people really going to do this? What am I saying… of course some people will.
This is beyond my distaste for the whole change up with the discontinuation of Fast Pass overall… this just feels way out of my range of reality. I paused when I read the prices and had to look again to see if maybe I had read the preceding paragraph wrong.
Wow.
You could still park hop because your premier pass would get you on all of the rides in every park except MK by early afternoon. You just can’t keep using your premier pass for the other park. I doubt if they will ever include park hopping in this pass because most people would try to do all four parks in one day. And, no, I will NEVER get this pass at this price point. For a family of our, a day at the parks with this pass would be beyond exorbitant. There is no way to justify this cost for a family on vacation.
I signed up and sent my money and downloaded a few brochures. I tried to download another and it aid I had to purchase a membership. How do I know if I have a current membership?
Of all the stupid decisions Disney has made of late, this takes the cake. It does not provide a benefit anywhere near the cost, and basically just has them admitting that LLMP does not work as it should, since they don’t cap it. Additionally, it does not compete with Universal, because people who stay in their premier hotels get the express pass for free. I see no benefit to getting this, and that’s given the fact that I use LLMP when I go. Anyone who would pay this amount of money for something with such a small return is drinking the kool-aid. :0
The Premier is a DISGUSTING AND DISCRIMINATORY IDEA. If you are RICH you can walk onto every ride right past the minions who can’t afford it but save money throughout the year to bring their children to Disney World only to be disappointed against. THERE I SAID IT AGAIN. When will the MONEY GRAB END AT DISNEY. Walt would NEVER HAVE ALLOWED Disney to stoop to these MONEY GRAB LEVELS. SHAME ON YOU DISNEY
The problem WDW has is that except for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, there are not enough attractions in the parks. The only time I can imagine guests wanting to consider this pass are the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, so I am anticipating most guests who purchase this pass will be paying the highest price. Remember, this cost is per person and on top of the daily ticket cost, park hopper option, hotel, food, etc. I am anticipating only a select few will purchase the Premier Pass. As passholders, we would never consider this pass. Heck, we don’t even buy the current skip the line passes. Disney is always looking for ways to get more money out their guests. More power to them. It helps the Florida economy. This pass should have no impact on most guests.
There is no magic at Disney anymore. Just greed.
Another way to stomp on the struggling families who have to save for years just to afford the basic park costs! As if the regular lightening lanes wasn’t bad enough! This is so wrong! A young family is being priced out enough! Now you are stealing even more of their magic? Where is Walt! They need to take his name off the parks, he is not there any more! This is ALL about the stockholders!
Money sucking pigs, Walt must be turning over in his grave. The rich always destroying everything. They will be the end of the world!
Hi Johanna! The Premier pass is only for guests of Deluxe Resorts, but the other Lightning Lanes are still available to everyone.