Things are CHANGING fast with Lightning Lanes.
Magic Kingdom
Disney shocked the theme park world on June 25th by announcing a massive overhaul to their Genie+ skip-the-line system, which will go into effect on July 24th. Not only will the program’s name change — with terminology changing from Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass respectively — but the entire structure of how and when attractions are booked is different.
According to Disney, the new Lightning Lane structure will “blend features from our current services and the previously offered FastPass+ service, giving guests the choice to plan ahead and removing the hassle of planning during their vacation.” The company says this was due to guest feedback, which indicated that many Disney visitors would “prefer to have the option to do more of their planning before their theme park day.”
On a base level, the new system works like this:
Lightning Lane Multi Pass
You will now be able to make 3 Lightning Lane selections in one Disney World theme park, in advance of your visit (yes, that does sound familiar) and choose available times as you make your selections. From there, as you use each selection on the day of your visit, you can use the My Disney Experience app to make an additional selection based on availability.
Lightning Lane Single Pass
Lightning Lane Single Pass will remain similar to Individual Lightning Lanes in concept. You’ll still be able to “secure a time to ride one of (Disney’s) most highly demanded attractions” for an additional charge. However, you’ll now be able to make said purchase and plan in advance.
Timing-wise, “Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel and other select hotels will be able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance, for their entire stay (up to 14 days). All other guests can plan up to 3 days in advance.”
Kali River Rapids Lightning Lane sign in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
However, both we and many of you, our readers, have some questions about the new Lightning Lanes and how they’re going to work come July 24h. We did our best to find out answers to some of the most burning queries.
How Much Does it Cost?
Arguably the question asked whenever Disney introduces anything new regarding price. According to Disney, “Pricing for Lightning Lane passes varies by date and theme park or attraction, and purchase is subject to limited availability.”
What Time Do Purchases and Reservations Open Up 7 Days Ahead of Time and 3 Days Ahead of Time Respectively?
According to Disney, “Guests can purchase Lightning Lane passes for days they have valid theme park admission starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time on their first day of eligibility.”
Do You Purchase Multi-Pass and Reserve a Lightning Lane at the Same Time?
Yes, you reserve your Lightning Lanes (both multi and single) at the time of purchase.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Do Lightning Lane Single Pass Reservations Open at the Same Time?
Yes, according to Disney the availability for both Multi-pass and Single Pass Lightning Lane opens at the same time.
Is There Still a 2-hour “Cooldown” Period?
No, there is no longer a 120-minute “cooldown” period. You can hold up to 3 Lightning Lanes at any given time.
Slinky Dog Dash
If You Book 3 Lightning Lanes Ahead of Time in the Evening, Do You Have to Wait Until You Use Your First One Before You Can Book the 4th?
Yes, it seems that you will be allowed to book your next Lightning Lane pass once your earliest Lightning Lane pass has been used (or its arrival window has passed) no matter how late in the day that said earliest arrival window is.
Will the System Warn You if You Have Overlapping Plans Such as Advance Dining Reservations?
According to Disney, the system with “recommend arrival windows that work with your plans” including dining reservations to avoid overlapping bookings.
©Disney
Is Park Hopping an Option?
According to Disney, “When you purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass for a theme park, you’ll be prompted to choose up to 3 multi-pass experiences and arrival windows in the same theme park. Once you redeem a selection on the day of your park visit, you can use the My Disney Experience app to choose another multi-pass experience in any Walt Disney World theme park (subject to availability), as long as you have a valid ticket with the Park Hopper option or an Annual Pass. The ability to visit another park is subject to the park’s capacity limitations.”
Are There Any Differences between Walt Disney World and Disneyland?
In the past, Disney’s various incarnations of FastPass and Genie+ have sometimes included differences in procedure between Disney’s east coast and west coast U.S. resorts. That’s still the case, as Disneyland will not be offering the same pre-purchase windows available at Walt Disney World. Instead, if you’re visiting the Disneyland Resort, you’ll be able to make your selections after entering your first park of the day. There are several other slight differences as well.
©Disney
Can Plans be Changed and Modified?
Yes, according to Disney Lightning Lane reservations can be changed and modified in the My Disney Experience App. However, these modifications are subject to availability, and there may be price differences involved if switching days and/or parks.
Are Lightning Lane Single Pass Eligible Rides also Available for Multi-Pass?
No, the Walt Disney World rides eligible for singles passes — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Tron Lightcycle/Run, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Rise of the Resistance, and Avatar: Flight of Passage — are NOT available as Multi-Pass Lightning Lanes.
TRON Lightcycle / Run
Are Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Rides Separated into Tiers?
Yes. At the Magic Kingdom…
©Disney
…EPCOT…
©Disney
… and Hollywood Studios, multi-pass rides are separated into tiers. You can select one of the top tier and two (or all three if you choose) of the second tier for your initial three Lightning Lanes. Your fourth can be from either list once you’re eligible to pick it.
©Disney
Of note, Animal Kingdom does not feature any tiers.
©Disney
What If July 24th Is In the Middle of My Trip?
DFB reader Molly has a Disney World trip planned for July, and the 24th (when this new Lightning Lane system rolls out) is right in the middle of her trip. She asked a Cast Member whether she would be able to book her Lightning Lanes seven days in advance or if she couldn’t do it until the 24th (when the changes start).
The Cast Member responded that you can plan in advance beginning on the 24th, so Molly could not make her reservations in advance for this trip.
If you have a trip planned and July 24th falls right in the middle of it, you won’t be able to plan ahead until the 24th.
There is A LOT to take in about Disney’s new Lightning Lane system, and surely more will change in the lead-up to and aftermath of its July 24th introduction. Stay tuned to DFB for all the latest on these changes.
13 Unforgivable Disney World Changes
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What do you think of the new Lightning Lane systems? Are you happy to see elements of FastPass+ return, or will you miss Genie+? Let us know in the comments below.
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Disney has just announced Canadian visitors have access to the same rules as United States visitors.
I hope that helps.
A couple of things. It looks like they already have fixed the Canadians issue and they will be able to purchase in advance now.
After reading, a lot, I realized I will be able to stack up to 3 premium rides with some planning and luck in the morning. Especially since this new version allows you to pick right after your 1st reservation has been tapped into or timed out.
If I check in on 7/27 is the 24th the earliest I can purchase since it starts on the 24th or will I be able to purchase on 7/20 since I’m staying on property?
Hi TJ! The 24th will be the earliest you can purchase the Multi Pass.
So I can have 1 pass for a tier 1 attraction and 2 for tier 2 attractions.
Once I tap into the tier 1 attraction, I have a slot open. Can I book another tier 1?
In other words, is the tiering structure about how many you can hold AT A TIME? Or am I limited to a maximum of 1 tier 1 attraction for the whole day?
Hi Dan! The tiers are only for advance booking. Once you’re in the park and use your first selection, you can select any ride that was previously in any tier.
Will the Virtual Queue still be in place for Tiana’s, Tron, Rise and Guardians?
Hi Wendy! Rise of the Resistance no longer has a Virtual Queue, but the Virtual Queues are still in place for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, TRON: Lightcycle Run, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Maybe this is a silly question but if I am traveling with a group … how does this work? Do we all need to purchase the LLMP for each day first?? Then since we are all grouped together in our Family & Friends List – one person in the group can get the group our LL? Or how does that work?
Hi Linda! You make the selections before you pay so you would all have to decide who wants to ride with whom and which rides you want to do. If you are all wanting to ride together then one person from your group will need to pay -and- make the selections for everyone, otherwise you’ll need to form groups and have someone from each group pay and make selections.
OK so we have annual passes and we are staying on property
Sooo -Say we have purchased the multi pass for HS and we’ve picked the 3 choices for that park- -Are we then limited to have to check into that specific park as the 1st park for the day?
Or…So like we can’t just hop into another park in the early morning at “rope drop” to just wait in line for a ride there and then move over to the park with our 1st multi pass choice can we?
Ok we are annual pass holders/ park hoppers
so let’s say we’ve chosen 3 multi pass rides and times in … Epcot and we scan in for the 1st one
Now apparently we can choose our next ride in ANY PARK if we wanna park hop to say HS ? YES?
AND If so …can those original remaining 2 rides
(that we made with the first ride in Epcot)
be modified to other parks and other park rides as well
or do we have to hop back to Epcot to ride those ?
Hi Lo. Yes, you can choose your next ride in any of the parks once you’ve fully scanned in to your first selection. You will not be able to modify your first selections to choose rides in other parks at those times. You would need to cancel them and book new rides if you’re not planning on hopping back to ride at the times you have selected.
Hi Lo, you don’t have to check in to the park that you have your Multi Pass selections in first. You can start at another park and then hop over to use the selections in whichever park they’re in.
Will the system allow you to have overlapping lightning lanes? For example, can you have a return time of 9:30-10:30 for Pirates and a return time of 10:00-11:00 for Jungle Cruise? Thank you!
Hi Cece! They won’t overlap when you first make the selections, but they can be modified to overlap.