Disney’s new skip the line passes are here! The old Disney World Fastpass system is now Disney World Lightning Lane. Get a free cheat sheet to help plan your trip and learn how to navigate the new system (which has recently replaced Disney Genie Plus). Let’s master the Lightning Lanes at Disney World!
Does Disney have skip the line passes?
The short answer is YES! Disney World does have skip the line passes.
However the passes have changed names so many times in recent years it can be hard to keep them straight (and I’m an expert 😵💫).
The newest way to skip the line is the Disney World Lightning Lane system, which is essentially a paid Fastpass system.
I’ll explain in details how it works so you can have the best possibly experience at Disney World and avoid waiting in line as much as possible!
What does Lightning Lane do at Disney World?
The Lightning Lane is a separate line (aka queue) that some attractions have at Disney World. It is separate from the regular line and gives you a MUCH shorter wait for the attraction.
You can only access the Lightning Lane with a pass – essentially a “skip the line” pass.
The passes used to be called Fastpass, which many people still call them (old habits die hard). They also used to be free, but unfortunately years ago Disney World starting charging for skip the line passes.
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How does Lightning Lane work at Disney World?
There are now two different ways to access the Lightning Lanes at Disney World.
The Lightning Lane Multi Pass will let you make Lightning Lane selections from a group of attractions in each park.
The Lightning Lane Single Pass is for the most in-demand attractions and is separate from the Multi Pass.
Since their names are so similar, I’m going to color code them to help you keep them straight!
Both the Multi Pass and the Single Pass can be purchased in the My Disney Experience app either three or seven days before your trip (more on that below).
How does Lightning Lane Multi Pass work?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass has recently replaced Genie Plus as the way to access the Lightning Lane at a group of attractions in each park.
When you purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass for a day, you can use it to make up to three advance Lightning Lane selections before your visit, then continue to make more Lightning Lane reservations throughout the day until they run out!
Here’s the number of attractions that are included with the Lightning Lane Multi Pass at each park:
- Magic Kingdom: 18
- Epcot: 10
- Hollywood Studios: 13
- Animal Kingdom: 9
For a complete list of the Lightning Lane rides in each park, head over to this post.
How does Lightning Lane Single Pass work?
Lightning Lane Single Pass is the new name for the Individual Lightning Lanes. It is basically a separate Lightning Lane pass for the most in-demand attractions that aren’t included with the Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
When you buy a Lightning Lane Single Pass in the My Disney Experience app, you get access to the Lightning Lane at that specific attraction only.
For a list of the attractions that offer a Lightning Lane Single Pass, click here.
When can I make Lightning Lane reservations?
A big improvement of the new Lightning Lane system at Disney World is that you can make three selections in advance – you no longer have to wake up at 7 am every day of your vacation to start making your reservations.
Also you are able to make ALL of your Lightning Lane reservations for your entire trip on one day!
However, when you can start making Lightning Lane reservations depends on whether you have a Disney World Resort reservation or not.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort
If you are staying at a Disney World resort hotel, you can make your advance Lightning Lane selections at 7 am EST seven days before you check in for your resort reservation. This includes guests of all Disney World owned and operated resorts, along with the Disney Swan and Dolphin resorts and Shades of Green.
If you do NOT have a Disney World Resort reservation, you can make your three advance selections at 7 am three days before the first day of your park ticket.
IMPORTANT: Note that you must be in the United States or Canada to make advance Lightning Lane reservations. This means that if you are traveling from overseas, you won’t be able to make your advance selections until you are physically here, regardless of when your window is supposed to start. We hope Disney will get this limitation fixed at some point.
How many Lightning Lanes can I book at 7 am?
Either seven days before you check into your Disney World resort or three days before your first day in the parks, you can begin making advance Lightning Lane selections at 7 am EST.
You can make up to three advance Lightning Lane selections for every day that you purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
You can even pick what time you want to ride the attraction from the list of available times! This is a huge improvement over Genie Plus which forced you to take the next available time slot.
But of course there are some rules about which attractions you can choose (it’s gotta be complicated, it’s Disney World).
There is a tier system at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. This means you can only make one advance selection from the “Tier One” attractions.
This is an attempt to make sure all of the passes for the most in-demand attractions aren’t immediately gone at the seven-day window.
When can I make more Lightning Lane selections?
Another improvement over previous Fastpass systems is the ability to make additional Lightning Lane selections throughout the day.
As soon as you check into your first Lightning Lane of the day (when you tap your Magic Band, phone, or park ticket and enter the queue) you can make another Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection from any tier!
Every time you use a Lightning Lane selection you can make another selection until passes run out for the day.
In that way you can continue to make and use Lightning Lane reservations all day, but you can only hold a maximum of three Lightning Lane reservations at any given time.
How much do Lightning Lane passes cost?
As I’ve already mentioned, the new Lightning Lane passes are essentially a paid Fast pass service.
But how much do the Lightning Lane passes cost? Well that depends on what park you are visiting on what day.
Both the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass have dynamic pricing, meaning the cost will be based on demand.
The most popular park at Disney World is Magic Kingdom, so the cost for a Lightning Lane Multi Pass will be higher at Magic Kingdom compared to other parks, for example.
The most popular days to visit Disney World (such as Christmas Day) will have the highest prices for the Lightning Lane passes as well.
You can expect to pay between $15 to $35 for a Lightning Lane Multi Pass per person per day.
You can expect to pay between $12 to $25 for a Lightning Lane Single Pass per person per attraction.
Some attractions offer a virtual queue in addition to Lightning Lane Single Pass. Using the virtual queue instead of buying a pass is a great way to save money – click here to learn all about the virtual queue system at Disney World.
Can I Park Hop with Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
You might be wondering how park hopping (switching parks in one day) works with the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
When you make your Multi Pass advance selections, they must all be in one park. But once you check in for your first Lightning Lane pass, you can begin making selections in another park!
This means that you can use your Lightning Lane Multi Pass for park hopping.
Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom
Other Disney World Lighting Lane Rules and Considerations
There are a few more things to keep in mind in order to master the Lightning Lanes at Disney World.
First, everyone who wants to use the Lightning Lane who is over three years old needs their own Multi Pass. One person can purchase Multi Passes for some or all members of their group at the same time in the app.
You can only use the Lightning Lane for each attraction once per day. So even if there are passes available, you will not be able to book them if you have already used the Lightning Lane for that attraction that day.
You can change the time and attraction for your Lightning Lane selection at any point if your plans change.
Note that for now, there are no character meet and greets included with Multi Pass. These were included with all previous versions of Fastpass, so it is possible they will be added at a later date.
I hope this post helped answer all of your questions about Disney World Lightning Lane! If there is anything else you want to know, just leave a comment below or join the discussion in The Budget Mouse Facebook group.
