Lightning Lanes at Disney World Guide
This guide to Lightning Lane MultiPass and Single Pass at Walt Disney World offers answers to frequently asked questions, info & tips for using the paid FastPass+ and Genie replacement. It covers strategy for line-skipping, off-site vs. on-site ride reservation booking windows, tiers for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and much more!
Lightning Lane Multi Pass (LLMP) and Single Pass (LLSP) launched over one year ago, and we’ve extensively tested out the new line-skipping services and shared results in our posts about Lightning Lanes. There are some good recent reports for those wanting to understand how the new pre-arrival system has changed versus the Genie+ system that it replaced.
The purpose of this guide is to act as a primer explaining how Lightning Lanes works in practice, problems we have using ride reservations, and all of the latest updates to LLMP and LLSP. Unsurprisingly, there have still been a lot of questions–even from seasoned Walt Disney World veterans.
The bad news is that the Lightning Lane system is convoluted and confusing, with a ton of differences from Genie. The good news is many of the changes have been positive, and Lightning Lane Multi Pass is very similar to the old FastPass+ system. In fact, so much so that this really is the realization of paid FastPass.
As a threshold matter, you might be wondering whether it’s necessary to pay extra for line-skipping in the first place. We address that in Is Lightning Lane Multi Pass Still “Worth It” at Walt Disney World?
The value proposition of LLMP has changed dramatically over the course of the last year, so if you last visited during the Genie+ era or are hearing advice based on experiences that are over 6 months old, they’re outdated. You might find that LLMP is still worth it for you, but we’d nevertheless recommend reading that post to make an informed decision based on current standby line vs. Lightning Lane dynamics.
Once you’ve decided that LLMP is right for you–or if you’re still on the fence–that’s where this guide comes into play.
If you’re already familiar with Lightning Lanes and don’t need a crash course, we a resource that focuses more on strategy and less on basics: Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World. That also covers a few changes and things we’ve learned over the last few months of field testing, most notably that Magic Kingdom is no longer the #1 park for buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World.
For those who are new to Walt Disney World vacation planning and need background before diving into more advanced strategy, here’s our Guide to Lightning Lane MultiPass and Single Pass at Walt Disney World. This answers the most common reader questions and concerns, making you a ‘power user’ of the new system in the process!
There have been a few additions to the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass lineup in the last few months. The most recent of these is Zootopia: Better Zoogether, which replaces It’s Tough to Be a Bug at Animal Kingdom.
Another recent addition is Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure as a Lightning Lane Multi Pass option in the second group of attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure has proven even ~6 months after its opening, with subsequent shows routinely filling up in advance. That makes this the rare worthwhile Lightning Lane for a stage show, at least as long as the ‘new attraction smell’ lasts.
Nevertheless, both Zootopia: Better Zoogether and the Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure are still recommended as subsequent selections (4th or later) as opposed to something you’d pre-book. You should prioritize rides with Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, not shows.
Prior to this, Test Track 3.0 at EPCOT and rejoined Multi-Pass as a top tier attraction. Along with that, Soarin’ Around the World was ‘demoted’ to the second group of attractions.
This was a big shake-up to the ride roster that actually makes Lightning Lane Multi-Pass much more valuable at EPCOT. As we explained in the EPCOT Lightning Lane Rankings, both of these are now the #1 priority in their respective groupings.
Even several months after this change, Test Track is still the #1 top-tier pick and Soarin’ remains the best second-tier selection. That should be doubly true in Summer 2026 when Soarin’ Across America debuts, assuming it stays in Tier 2.
The other big news is price increases! These started with the new fiscal year, with pretty significant jumps for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass over the old highs of $5 to $6 per park (the previous high was $39 at Magic Kingdom; Animal Kingdom was $29). Here are the new record-high prices for each park:
New Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Peak Prices
- Magic Kingdom: $45 per person
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $39 per person
- EPCOT: $37 per person
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $35 per person
New Lightning Lane Single Pass Peak Prices
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: $15
- TRON Lightcycle Run: $23
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: $22
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance: $25
- Avatar Flight of Passage: $19
Note that Lightning Lane Premier Pass has not increased in price. It was a curious decision on Walt Disney World’s part to not raise prices on Lightning Lane Premier Pass, especially as it continues to sell out with a degree of regularity–especially when it hits peak prices (which corresponds with peak season crowds).
In fact, Lightning Lane Premier Pass sold out every single day in the lead-up to Christmas through early January 2026 (a two week stretch), which suggests Walt Disney World has bandwidth to raise the cost ceiling on the busiest of dates. It’s rare for Disney to pass up a price increase opportunity!
With updates out of the way, let’s turn to the FAQ…
Lightning Lanes FAQ
What are the booking windows for Lightning Lane Passes?
Guests staying at an on-site Walt Disney World Resort hotel and other select hotels are able to purchase Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance, for their entire stay (up to 14 days). Off-site guests can plan up to 3 days in advance.
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. The end result of this on-site advantage is significant: a lot of the “best” Lightning Lanes will be gobbled up before off-site guests can even book.
What are the booking windows for off-site Walt Disney World guests?
Then you can purchase Lightning Lane passes—and choose experiences and arrival windows—3 days in advance. This varies further based on admission type:
- Guests with date-based theme park tickets (which require the Guest to choose a start date at the time of purchase) can purchase 3 days before the first day of their ticket, for the total number of valid admission days on their ticket.
- Guests with other ticket types can purchase 3 days before their park visit.
- Annual Passholders can purchase 3 days before their park visit.
This is a huge difference between Lightning Lane Multi Pass and the Genie+ service, which was previously same-day only. That leveled the playing field completely; everyone could make ride reservations starting at 7 am on the day of their visit. This is more like FastPass+, which also offered an on-site advantage.
With Multi Pass and Single Pass, the most popular attractions often won’t even be available 3 days in advance. Meaning that off-site guests will have to bank on same-day ride reservation refills if they want a shot at those.
How many pre-arrival attraction selections can be made with Lightning Lane MultiPass?
When you purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you may make up to 3 Lightning Lane selections in a theme park, in advance of your visit. You’ll also be able to choose available times as you make your selections.
This is per person and per day, not for the duration of your visit. Meaning that if you buy one day of Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, you’ll make 3 selections. If you purchase the service for 4 days, you get 3 per day for 4 days (4×3=12). You get the idea, hopefully.
How many pre-arrival attraction selections can be made with Lightning Lane Single Pass?
You may purchase up to 2 Lightning Lane Single Pass selections per day. This makes for a total of up to 5 Lightning Lanes pre-booked each day (3 via MultiPass and 2 via Single Pass).
The most obvious way to buy 2 Single Passes is in Magic Kingdom, where there are two such attractions–TRON Lightcycle Run and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. But you could also purchase, for example, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in the same day.
Which attractions are in each tier for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Magic Kingdom?
Group A: Choose up to one experience from this tier:
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Space Mountain
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Group B: Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this tier:
- The Barnstormer
- 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
Which attractions are in each tier for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at EPCOT?
Group A: Choose up to one experience from this tier:
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Test Track
Group B: Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this tier:
- Soarin’ Around the World
- 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
Which attractions are in each tier for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
Group A: Choose up to one experience from this tier:
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (closing March 2, 2026)
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets (opening Summer 2026)
- Slinky Dog Dash
Group B: Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this tier:
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania!
Which attractions are in each tier for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Animal Kingdom?
Animal Kingdom doesn’t have the Group A/B dynamic, which is honestly sorta surprising given that not all attractions are of equal value in DAK, and there’s a clear good/bad use of Lightning Lanes dichotomy. Our assumption is that this is based on demand–or rather, a lack thereof–obviating the need for tiers. Regardless, here are the Lightning Lane MultiPass attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
- DINOSAUR (closes in February 2026)
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Naʻvi River Journey
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether
Which attractions are part of Lightning Lane Single Pass?
Lightning Lane Single Pass is really just a rebranding of the a la carte or Individual Lightning Lanes. The new name provides better continuity and makes it easy to distinguish between the two products. In any case, here’s the list:
Magic Kingdom Single Pass Attractions (Not Available with the Multi Pass):
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- TRON Lightcycle Run
EPCOT Single Pass Attractions (Not Available with the Multi Pass):
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Hollywood Studios Single Pass Attractions (Not Available with the Multi Pass):
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Animal Kingdom Single Pass Attractions (Not Available with the Multi Pass):
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Does Walt Disney World have a simple option like Universal’s Express Pass?
The latest update is that Walt Disney World does have an option similar to the lower tier of Universal Express Pass: Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
This muddies the waters even further, and makes an already convoluted system even more confusing. The biggest thing you need to know is that Lightning Lane Premier Pass costs $129 to $449 per person, plus tax, depending upon the park and demand. Additionally, Lightning Lane Premier Pass slots in above both of the options discussed here, and is more like an unguided VIP tour.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass is essentially the 1%er line-skipping option, with VIP tours being the top .1% option. By contrast, Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and Single Pass are mass market, aimed at the middle class guests (anywhere from 20% to half of all guests buy LLMP or LLSP on any given day).
Given these demographics and the prohibitive pricing, we don’t see a point in fixating on Lightning Lane Premier Pass in this post. If you’re part of the upper echelon for whom LLPP is aimed, instead consult our Guide to Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World.
How much do Lightning Lanes cost?
Prices for Lightning Lane Multi Passes vary by date and theme park, ranging from $19 to $45 per person.
Prices for Lightning Lane Single Passes vary by date and attraction, ranging from $11 to $25 per ride. You’ll be able to view prices in the My Disney Experience (MDX) app for all dates of your visit prior to purchasing.
When will prices be highest?
The short answer is whenever crowds are highest.
Historically, Walt Disney World charges the highest prices around the weeks of Presidents’ Day & Mid-Winter Break, Easter & Spring Break, Columbus Day & Fall Break, Veterans Day & Jersey Week, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
What qualifies as an eligible hotel for the early on-site booking window at Walt Disney World?
This early-planning benefit is available to registered guests staying at the following resorts:
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Gran Destino Tower
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- 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
- 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
- Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
As well as the following third party hotels:
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green Resort
When can international guests purchase Lightning Lanes?
The latest update is that international guests may now use the My Disney Experience app for pre-arrival purchasing and planning for Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, just as they do for Advance Dining Reservations and everything else. This used to require a workaround, but that’s no longer the case.
What about split stays?
Resort split stays that are continuous (back-to-back bookings with no gaps between hotels) may purchase and book Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass selections for the entire length of their visit up to a maximum of 14 days. That’s how it should work, and the system should automatically recognize a split stay.
In practice, this can be hit or miss and can require an override from Disney IT. That’s not completely surprising, as FastPass+ had similar issues from time to time. It’s something to be aware of if you’re doing a split stay.
What is the booking window for on-site guests who are Annual Passholders or are using ticket types that are not date-based?
The 7-day booking window still applies. Or at least, it should. There’s always the possibility of issues when it comes to Disney IT and systems determining which “status” to prioritize, but the official policy is that staying on-site supersedes ticket type.
This means that all guests with their MDX profiles linked to an on-site resort reservation should be able to purchase and make Lightning Lane reservations pursuant to the 7-day on-site advantage booking window.
Can Lightning Lane Single and Multi-Pass both be purchased together?
Yes.
Not only can you buy both, but you can purchase all Lightning Lane passes for your travel party for the same day in a single transaction.
Can multiple days be purchased at the same time?
Not in the same transaction, but at the same time.
After you purchase Lightning Lane passes for your first day, you can purchase a Lightning Lane pass or passes for another eligible park day. This can help you enjoy streamlined vacation planning, since you can make Lightning Lane plans for multiple days—all in the same day, before you arrive.
Are you able to see available times and attractions before buying?
Yes. You’ll select your first three attractions and return times with Lightning Lane Multi Pass and/or Single Pass selections before you pay. Once you make your selections, you’ll have a set amount of time during which your ‘cart’ is reserved in order to complete the transaction.
What about refunds and modifications?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is nonrefundable according to Walt Disney World, but as with anything, that’s subject to the discretion of a Cast Member. If you have a good reason and don’t have a track record of making dubious refund requests, you might receive one.
With that said, you can make modifications after purchasing to your attractions or return times. You can even change the park or the day of your visit after you purchase. If your new park or date costs more, you’ll need to pay the difference in price. (If it costs less, you won’t receive a refund.)
When can subsequent selections be made on the day of a theme park visit?
On the day of your park visit, once you redeem a Lightning Lane, you can use the My Disney Experience app to check availability for another Lightning Lane Multi Pass experience—and add that to your plans.
Consider this the “rolling 3 rule,” which is to say that you can always have 3 Lightning Lane selections (subject to availability). With the rolling 3 rule of Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, you can make your next ride reservation as soon as you’ve used one. It thus behooves you to reserve Lightning Lanes earlier in the day to unlock subsequent selections sooner.
This is unlike FastPass+, which required you to redeem all 3 prebooked ride reservations before making additional selections.
Can Lightning Lanes still be modified?
Yes. To view and/or modify your ride reservations, open MDX and tap on the Lightning Lane Passes section of the home screen. Then, you’ll be able to:
- View your Lightning Lane passes and selections—as well as other plans, such as dining reservations
- Modify your Lightning Lane selections, subject to availability
This works very similarly to Genie+ or FastPass+ and is advantageous for those who don’t get their ideal ride reservation times to start, or find themselves with a scheduling conflict.
Is refreshing and rebooking ride reservations possible with Lightning Lane Multi-Pass?
Yes, and it’s easy thanks to the modify button. As before, you can play the ‘refresh game’ and get better or more convenient return times, and also search for availability at other attractions without losing your existing Lightning lane ride reservation.
Which Lightning Lane selections are the “best” ones from each tier?
We rank the best Lightning Lane Multi-Pass picks for each park based upon time saved and how quickly return times fill up and run out. This is incredibly helpful for choosing the order to book your ride reservations:
- Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Ride Ranks & Strategy
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Ranks & Strategy
- EPCOT Lightning Lane Ride Ranks & Strategy
- Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Ride Ranks & Strategy
Note: those are “aggressive” with how many Lightning Lanes you’ll be able to book per day. In order to score that many LLMPs, you’ll probably need an aggressive refresh game and success with ride reservation refills (see below).
What are the “best” Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World?
Obviously, that’s subjective and comes down to your preferences and priorities.
Beyond the park-by-park list, here’s the Top 10 Toughest Lightning Lanes at Disney World. Those are the most difficult to book Lightning Lane Multi-Passes, which not-so-coincidentally will save you the most time. In other words, the objective best-of list.
Is more availability added to Lightning Lane Multi-Pass throughout the day?
Yes. This is no surprise whatsoever, as both FastPass+ and Genie+ had ride reservation refills, drops, or whatever you want to call them that occurred at consistent times. (See Ride Reservation Refill Rules at Walt Disney World.)
Rather than waiting for a ride reservation refill (that may not happen) before booking a Lightning Lane, we recommend choosing the best available option and then modifying to something better. It’s a good way to hedge your bets. Just be warned: it becomes addictive–just like a video game. Also like a game, it can mean losing a ton of ‘real world’ time as your face is glued to a screen.
Should I book the default return times that Lightning Lane Multi-Pass spits back after selecting my rides?
Yes, most of the time. The Lightning Lane Multi-Pass system is “smart” and will book the first available return time for each attraction, with a sufficient buffer between them so that you’re not double-booked. This is the ‘best practice’ because you typically should be making as early of arrival times as possible (for at least one attraction) in order to “unlock” that 4th ride faster.
In fact, you should consider changing your Group B selections in order to prioritize for a mixture of return time and ride priority. Don’t book Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, for example, if both have return times in the afternoon. Opt for the next highest priority with an early return to unlock that 4th pick.
What’s the best order of parks for making advance Lightning Lane Multi-Pass reservations?
From what we’re seeing in terms of availability (or lack thereof), you should book parks in the following priority:
- Magic Kingdom (Tiana’s Bayou Adventure)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Slinky Dog Dash)
- EPCOT (Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure)
- Animal Kingdom (Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids or Expedition Everest)
For the best attraction and return time options, you’ll want to backload your bookings with Magic Kingdom furthest out, then DHS, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom. This matters less if you have a longer trip and more for a shorter one.
For example, if visiting the parks December 22-25, book in the following order:
- Magic Kingdom: December 25
- DHS: December 24
- EPCOT: December 23
- DAK: December 22
This should change once Tiana’s Bayou Adventure becomes more reliable. Its capacity will improve and thus so too will its Lightning Lane availability. In the long term, it’s unlikely that Slinky Dog Dash will dethroned from its #1 spot.
Is it possible to see available attractions and return times before buying?
Yes. In fact, this is the only way to do it.
You select your first three attractions and return times with Lightning Lane Multi Pass before you pay–that’s the last step of the process. Once you make your selections, you’ll have a set amount of time during which your ‘cart’ is reserved in order to complete the transaction.
How much time do you have to check out with your Lightning Lane selections?
You have 5 minutes from the time you place Lightning Lanes in your cart to complete checkout.
This can mean there’s still a shifting of times right at the 7:00:00 am mad dash, but once you make the selections, they’re locked into place. This is a massive improvement from Genie+ when times were ‘blind’ for the first 30 minutes due to the massive shifting possible.
This also means you probably want to keep playing the ‘refresh game’ until around 7:30 am when booking your Lightning Lanes via Multi-Pass, as carts will expire and other guests will keep swapping around Lightning Lanes and “trading up” times as availability allows.
Do tiers apply same-day?
If you’re just booking ‘cold’ or for the first time, the Grouping A and B distinctions do apply with your first same-day Lightning Lane Multi-Pass selections.
Once you’ve entered a park and tapped into your first Lightning Lane, tiers no longer apply for subsequent selections.
What about tiers to modifications?
Tiers do not apply to modifications so long as you’ve already redeemed a Lightning Lane. Meaning that you could redeem a Lightning Lane for Pirates of the Caribbean at 9:05 am, and then modify pre-booked Lightning Lane from Haunted Mansion to Peter Pan’s Flight while still also holding a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Lightning Lane.
This is another reason why it’s advantageous to book a return time for (at least) your first Lightning Lane selection that’s as early as possible–because it unlocks your 4th pick (and so on).
Can Lightning Lane ride reservations overlap with one another?
Not completely. In the screenshot above, you can see that we have a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Lightning Lane for 11:45 am to 12:45 pm and Haunted Mansion from 12:35 to 1:35 pm–an overlap of 10 minutes.
By default, it seems like there isn’t overlapping. It also appears that if you modify to create an overlap, the system will attempt to shift your other existing selections to reduce or eliminate the overlap. But you can still modify to create greater overlaps–at least, in some scenarios, and at certain attractions.
This is unlike the Genie+ system, which was “dumb” and thus didn’t check for conflicts with existing reservations. It is similar to the FastPass+ system, which prevented overlap.
Can Lightning Lane ride reservations overlap with Advance Dining Reservations?
Again, not completely. Meaning that if you have an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) at Cinderella’s Royal Table starting at 2:05 pm, you cannot have a Lightning Lane also starting at 2:05 pm. This is also unlike Genie+.
Weirdly, it does seem that you can have a Lightning Lane starting at 1:55 pm even if you have an ADR at 2:05 pm. It’s unclear how much buffer is necessary or if this is a glitch and will change–but it’s what we’re seeing so far.
What does this do for stacking?
It’s gone. You can still make 3 selections for the afternoon–or literally whenever–but the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass system incentives planners to schedule selections earlier in the day in order to start making subsequent ride reservations. The stacking and late arrival approach is now–without a doubt–suboptimal.
What about the 120 minute rule?
It’s gone, too.
For all intents and purposes, the rolling 3 rule replaces the “stacking system” of Genie+.
Are re-rides be possible?
Just as with Genie+, you cannot book the same Lightning Lane Multi Pass more than once per day.
Can you make Lightning Lane Multi-Pass selections when planning to Park Hop?
Yes. 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.
Is there an upgrade cost for Park Hopping with Lightning Lane Multi-Pass?
No. There is no additional charge for Park Hopping, and you do not need to pay for the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass a second time.
Upfront prices do differ, meaning that guests purchasing for Magic Kingdom will, for all intents and purposes, still be paying the multi-park or Park Hopping price. But those starting in Animal Kingdom, for whatever reason, will receive “free” Park Hopping.
However, you must use your first Lightning Lane before making subsequent selections in different parks. If you try to modify Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections from one park to another before using any of them, you will have to pay the difference.
What happens to Lightning Lane selections if you cancel a resort reservation?
If you cancel or modify your Resort hotel reservation after you’ve already purchased a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, then your selected attractions and arrival windows are subject to cancellation based on eligibility rules. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is nonrefundable.
Do all rides at Walt Disney World have Lightning Lanes.
No.
However, all major attractions offer Lightning Lanes. Basically, if it’s an attraction with a lengthy line that you might want to skip, it has a Lightning Lane. Even some attractions that are usually walk-ons have (unnecessary) Lightning Lanes. We call these the “consolation prize rides” because 3 of the 4 parks don’t have enough Lightning Lane capacity without the filler.
Were Lightning Lanes removed from any attractions?
Yes.
Character meet & greets no longer offer Lightning Lanes, nor do parades and other entertainment.
Could the tiers change?
As always, all of the attractions on the above lists are subject to change as dictated by demand and whatever other parameters Walt Disney World uses. As noted above, Soarin’ was just relegated to Group B when Test Track returned and reclaimed its rightful spot in Group A.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if select character meet & greets are re-added at some point if Walt Disney World realizes there’s insufficient capacity at present. Alternatively, if demand drops and Disney wants to incentivize more LLMP purchases, offering more eligible experiences is one way to accomplish that.
What has changed with standby lines?
Nothing.
Regular ole walk-up standby lines are still available on all attractions. (Virtual queues have been retired at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and TRON Lightcycle Run, meaning all rides now have standby lines for the first time in years.)
Why did Walt Disney World reintroduce pre-arrival ride reservations?
This is another in Walt Disney World’s line of “we’re listening” changes. According to the company, guests have told Disney that they would prefer to have the option to do more of their planning before their theme park day. Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and Single Pass accomplish this, while also providing more certainty and allowing guests to coordinate ride reservations with ADRs and other plans.
The two biggest complaints Walt Disney World has received about Genie+ are the 7 a.m. wake-up call on vacation and too much screen time during the day. This moves that early wake-up call, along with some of the stress and headaches associated with planning to before the vacation. If there is an issue, confusion, or frustration–now it’s happening at home instead of setting a sour note to start the day while at Walt Disney World.
Shifting the purchase of Lightning Lanes prior to the trip also benefits Walt Disney World. Guests are more likely to purchase line-skipping before their trips due to FOMO or FUD. Guests haven’t started experiencing the parks, so they don’t know what wait times will be like, and might be more inclined to worry about ride reservations selling out.
Fears of colossal crowds might also be front of mind. As a result, Walt Disney World is able to capture more advance sales and still benefit from same-day Lightning Lane purchases. On top of that, advance Lightning Lanes function as a substitute for the loss of park reservations, so Disney has a better forecast of attendance and can staff or allocate resources accordingly.
How can we provide feedback to Walt Disney World about Lightning Lanes?
We recommend respectfully expressing your opinions as to how Lightning Lane will impact your vacations or business with Walt Disney World by email [email protected].
This is far superior to complaining in comments, social media, forums, etc. (Although Disney sees all of that, too.) Rather than starting petitions, which are largely ineffectual, share feedback in guest satisfaction surveys, bring it up if you speak with managers or others in park leadership, or even contact Guest Relations.
Just as FastPass and Genie evolved over time based on guest use and demand dynamics, so too can you expect Lightning Lane MultiPass and Single Pass to change throughout the rest of this year and into 2026–meaning that everything above is subject to change. In other words, the “rules” and how Lightning Lanes work will continue to evolve and we will update our recommendations accordingly.
We’ll continue to keep you posted, as more changes are likely on the horizon. We’ll also continue updating this FAQ as we learn more and we receive more reader questions. For now, this should answer most of the questions that readers have been asking about Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World. There have been a lot of questions, so if we didn’t address yours, we apologize. Please post in the comments below and we’ll answer more as they’re asked!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have any questions we didn’t answer with the above FAQ? Still confused by how Lightning Lane MultiPass or Single Pass work? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
When they dropped free fast pass and came up with Genie plus I refused to pay for Genie plus.
I can easily afford it as it’s just the two of us. But I didn’t want to feed the greed monster.
We didn’t stop going to Disney. I’m not cutting my nose off to spite my face. (Yeah that’s how old I am, quoting a 1950’s expression.)
We had to work around those long lines created by people who paid their money to jump the line.
Sometimes we skipped a ride till the line went down.
We always found stuff to do and had a good time. Occasionally we waited an hour for SDD.
Going to the Parks used to mean you expected to have a bit of a wait.
I always thought Disney needed to solve the problem by creating MORE rides and entertainment venues.
That’s still the right answer.
Honestly I never thought they would come up with a system that would put more money in their coffers by allowing guests with deeper pockets to line jump. Never let a good crisis go to waste eh?
Disney created the problem of long lines, maybe not on purpose at first, but they saw it starting and did nothing to alleviate it. Then people fell into their trap. Folks who could or felt they had to, to save their vacation, shelled out even more money to go to the head of the class.
Here’s something to remember.
Those of us who can afford Disney at all are already in a smaller privileged class than those who can’t.
Now people are pissed off because one of our entitlements, genie plus, which says, “Look at me! I can buy my way out of the line.”, has been replaced by a new money enriching scheme (I mean plan).
Don’t let Disney spoil your trip.
Going to the Parks the old fashioned way still works.
Enjoying life is still an option.
I love this comment! I’m in an older age bracket and have vivid memories of waiting 3 hours for Space Mtn…not to mention the EPIC line when the Living Seas first opened. Waiting in line was expected, and we took it in stride. This is why Disney did, and still does, build largely entertaining queues. I have refused to buy into Genie+, and I may or may not buy this new version…there is still fun to be had the old fashioned way 🙂
Here’s a question regarding booking LLMPs and ILLs for International Guests who have booked a WDW Resort vacation. Would it not be possible to have any trusted friend, associate or family member living in the US log into my Disney experience account 7 days before my arrival and purchase and book LLMPs and ILLs on my behalf?? Anyone know any reason why this wouldn’t work? My son has a few very good friends who are US citizens.
Hi Kelly. I’m s Canadian who has booked a WDW Resort vacation also and have been having the same feelings as you since this new system was announced. I had an idea that we can get one of my sons close friends who lives in the US to log onto my Disney experience account on our 7 day out from arrival date and book our LLMPs and ILLs for us. Do you have any trusted family or friends or associates who live in the US or perhaps know someone who does. Perhaps this could work for you as well. Good luck!!
I don’t understand why purchasing multi-pass makes it so you can’t purchase a single pass as well since they’re operating on different sets of rides. This basically forces guests to choose either to ride the single premier ride, or to use multi-pass to ride several medium-tier rides. Why not capitalize on guests with extra cash who would purchase both?
You can purchase both. You can buy LL Multi Pass for a day, or you can buy one or two LL Single Passes for that day, or you can buy all of it. The rides offered as LLSPs don’t overlap with those included in the LLMP system.
What in this article made it seem like purchasing the multi pass would prevent someone from also buying single pass?
We are booked on Disney property for a total of 6 nights with a 5 day park hopper pass, but we will switch hotels after the 3rd day (3+3 split stay). Will I be able to book rides for the entirety of my trip or does the lightning lane purchase window stop and restart days later?
This was my question as well!
Do we know how Disney will resolve conflicting timeframe restrictions, i.e., you have an annual pass (3 day window) but you are staying at a DVC property or WDW hotel on site (7 days)? I would hope the hotel reservation would be the one that would control the timing, but has that been said for certain. or is that still up in the air? Just when I had figured out the Genie+, too, but it’s tough to be peevish when I don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to hover over my phone while I’m on vacation. To be able to plan ahead even a little bit is a blessing for me — it takes the anxiety off the table of randomly assigned times that conflict with ADRs, and that alone will allow me to get better sleep. Thanks for updating on this!
British whale here. Ugh, what a nightmare!!
Any word if there will be changes to Single Lightning Lane purchases?
Will you still be able to purchase 2 per day from any park?
Ie: Purchase Tron & Guardians at the same time when going to MK first on a day?
Hey Tom – Wondering if day-of ride refills have been confirmed by Disney or if it is still possible that folks who don’t stay on site could end up with no options for booking. Also, do you think this reduces the amount of rides a power user can ride in one day? I usually sleep late and stack using the 120 minute rule, but am worried that the removal of the 120 minute rule really limits things if the only times available during booking are late in the day.
Or even if the ride refills are great, starting your day later just does not give time to select another one until you use the first. Almost need to start your day earlier and keep selecting the next best LL as best you can throughout the day. defintly stinks as we’ve become later day visitors too. Sleep late, party hard through closing and repeat.
I am just confused if we keep choosing a new lightning lane once we check into each ride? So say I check into my first lightning lane at Remy, do I get to choose another ride or have to wait till I use all 3 pre selected rides?
you can hold up to 3 at any given time. Meaning let’s sy you chose all 3 LLs days ahead of your arrival, once you use your first one on the scheduled day, then you can select another BEFORE you use the remaining 2. That inherrently makes it more advantageous to start early in the day.
VPN is not an option. not work with the MDE app
Will a VPN plus a GPS spoofer not work? I was under the impression that it would.
Don’t even know what a VPN or a GPS spoofer is? I am considering driving across the Canadian border into US on my 7 day out day of my vacation pkg to book LLMPs and ILLs. About a 4 hour drive from my home in Canada. Will that work?? Does it matter where I am in the US, or will I still not be able to purchase and book??
I think you are right. VPN often gets kicked out of sites.
I am a Canadian and use VPN for some browsing etc. and finding it hard to use on some sites.
Wonderful detailed explanations. Thank you. Can’t wait to read your review when you try this new system. Especially the hacks!!!
Canadian Annual Passholder (who always stays at a Disney resort) here.
Wow, I’ve never felt so undervalued in my life.
So the only options I have in order to make my selections 7 days prior to my stay is to 1) drive over the border or 2) get a VPN?
Does anyone have any VPN suggestions? And know if a VPN would actually work for the app?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Fellow Canadian. Also enraged!
Try looking at reddit.com. Some of the most interesting solutions to tech problems do come up there….. Maybe some luck at your local CAA Canadian automobile association… They deal alot with Disney… maybe they are helpful.
I do not have a solution, but just wanted to ensure you that many Canadians hate being tossed aside .
Hi Samantha. I’m also a Canadian withh a WDW Resort vacation booked and have been very upset by this new system that puts us at such a great disadvantage. I was considering driving across the border on my 7 day out date, about a 4 hour drive, not 100% that would even work. Was also considering canceling my booking altogether. It just hit me that my son has quite a few trustworthy long time close friends living in the US and that maybe we can just get on the phone with one of them while they log on to my Disney experience account and purchase and book LLMPs and ILLs for us 7 days out from our arrival date. I can’t think of any reason why this wouldn’t work. If anyone knows a reason why this wouldn’t work please respond? I think it’s a good idea. Samantha do you or anyone in your family or any of your friends perhaps have a trusted friend, associate or family member that could do this for you?
Will LL availability be visible before purchasing? I get that there will be refills day of, but that would still be disappointing if you’re staying off site and pay for the MultiPass and then go on to book and there’s nothing good left. It’d be nice to know before shelling out the money what rides are still available.
Another Canadian in the comments, with a trip booked in August who is not scheduled to arrive in the US until the day before we plan to visit our first park… holy cow it does feel irritating to be planning a trip and realize that we will be extremely disadvantaged and may show up at the parks without a chance to ride any of the big attractions unless we want long waits in the standby queue. On the positive side, we won’t waste any additional money buying the LLMP.
Although I have enjoyed the magic of Disney in the past, I have a feeling that will vanish if we’re not able to experience any of the major attractions without a 120 minute wait. Coupled with the terrible exchange rate, this trip may be shaping up to be a mistake.
Right now, I regret choosing Disney over Universal.
Hi Kelly. I’m s Canadian who has booked a WDW Resort vacation also and have been having the same feelings as you since this new system was announced. I had an idea that we can get one of my sons close friends who lives in the US to log onto my Disney experience account on our 7 day out from arrival date and book our LLMPs and ILLs for us. Do you have any trusted family or friends or associates who live in the US or perhaps know someone who does. Perhaps this could work for you as well. Good luck!!
Another Canadian here. Huge disappointment. I just sent an email to Disney guest relations. I already have my trip booked with a local agent so using a USA based agent isn’t an option. Nor am I tech savvy. I will attempt to book by calling a Cast member. Thankfully our trip is mid-August so that gives plenty of time to see how this all rolls out.
Let’s say I book one Tier 1 and two Tier 2 rides before entering the park. I then use the first pass and can book a fourth ride (for a rolling three rides). Can the fourth pass be for a Tier 1 ride? Do I have to use my Tier 1 pass before I can book another Tier 1 ride?
I found the answer in the post – just needed to reread it… a lot to digest!
“How do the tiers apply when making same-day or subsequent selections? They don’t.
Tiers only apply to advance Lightning Lane Multi-Day selections. Once you’ve arrived and used your first selection–or if you make reservations in the first place on the day-of as opposed to in advance–you aren’t bound to the groupings. You can make any selections day-of without regard for the tiers–those only apply to your advance bookings.”
OK here’s a power user question: I had a similar thought to your comment about why it might make sense NOT to book all three passes in advance. Is there any indication of what time of day on the day-of your visit you will be able to book LLs? Example: I’m going to EPCOT so I book an LL for Remy, but that’s the only one I book in advance. Assuming availability, at what time on the day of my visit can I jump on MDX and book both SOARIN and Frozen? Maybe they haven’t said yet, but something to keep an eye out for.
I’m trying to understand the pre-booking window for our situation.
We have a May 2025 Disney moderate resort reserved, but we purchase our tickets (non-date-based) from Shades of Green. Does the Disney resort reservation put us in the seven-day advance booking, or do our non-date-based tickets pull us down to the three-day advance booking?
Update: Disney replied that the 7 vs. 3-day pre-booking depends on the hotel, not the tickets.
Are Canadians classified as International Guests for this or do we have to wait until we arrive to get this benefit?
Great question. I always feel like Americans ignore us … Yes we share the world’s longest unprotected boarder on earth , but honestly we are another country.
Sorry for venting. Just came back from US holiday…and it did not involve Disney. Had a great time , spent lots of money despite poor exchange rate.
Good luck with your travels when Disney sorts this out.
Hi Tom, I’m a middle class Canadian WDW fan. I’m spending many thousands and thousands of dollars to have an on site WDW vacation at the end of September (19-30). We used to visit WDW almost yearly for approx 17 years but have had to put off returning these past 7, almost 8 years due to our poor $ exchange rates, Covid, and all the price increases at WDW. I’ve been saving for this a long time and I booked our WDW vacation package with hotel, 10 day park hopping tickets and dining plan months in advance. I can book tickets to special events months in advance. I can book dining reservations in advance. I used to be able to book free fast pass in advance. Why on earth can I not book the “pay extra for” LLMP or ILL in advance?? Makes no sense as I can book everything else from WDW in advance. This is very stressful news. We are specifically wanting to experience the newer rides that we’ve missed out on over the past 7+ years that we’ve had to put off any WDW vacation and we are not as much interested in the older rides we’ve done a dozen or more times on previous visits. I also am now dealing with physical health issues that make it impossible for me to stand in line for 60+ minutes at a time, and I’m not eligible for DAS. Now it seems that this new system will unfairly put us at a great disadvantage and may ruin this vacation for me. My question to you is, if I spend the extra time and the extra money to drive out to a US border town and spend a night at a US hotel 7 days prior to my arrival date at WDW would I then be guaranteed to be allowed to book the LLMP and ILLs for our 10 day vacation (actually 12 days but I dont count arrival or departure days as there’s no time for the parks) ??
Hi Med, I’m not Tom but he’s probably pretty busy right now; I hope my feedback is helpful. First, I will second what Tom said: “If I were an international guest–a so-called whale that Disney purports to value–I would be livid. Absolutely irate.” I agree 100%. Disney is treating international guests terribly with this policy.
Can you try the suggestions Tom mentioned in the article? Tom said: “I still think international guests will be able to workaround this. Using U.S. based Authorized Disney Vacation Planners are one option. Calling Walt Disney World and having a Cast Member make your selections is another.” While not ideal, this seems easier/cheaper than driving to a U.S. border town, so I’m guessing you may have overlooked it.
As a last resort, Tom mentions: “VPNs, GPS spoofers, and other techniques to side step this “rule.”” However, this requires a lot of tech-savvy. Maybe you have a younger “techy” friend/relative who could assist?
I hope one of these options is helpful. Good luck!
Thanks Josh. Tom’s update with those suggestions were not added until after I posted my question. I’m going to try getting through on a call to a WDW castmember (usually sit on hold forever) to find out if getting them to book these things for me 7 days out over the phone is even an option? I’m wondering if this is an option Tom has confirmed with WDW that is definitely available for us or if he’s just guessing/throwing some ideas out there that he doesn’t really know if they’ll actually work? I booked my vacation pkg directly online on the WDW website. I don’t know how I would go about changing it to a US travel agency, I don’t really think that’s an option. I’m not very tech savvy, I never really was and now I’m getting old. I could ask some of the younger people in my family if they could try to create a technical work around for this. The problem with all of this is at 7 days out it’s too late to cancel my vacation package and I’m afraid if none of these suggestions work out I’m either going to end up stuck having a WDW vacation that’s going to cost me thousands of dollars and end up having a really crappy time or have to make a last minute run for the border (about a 4 hour drive for me) to try to book LLMPs and ILLs!! Of course I have no guarantee that even that would work out. I mean is it good enough to be anywhere on US soil or are there other issues involved?? It’s very frustrating. I’m thinking at this point I’ll try calling WDW and wait on hold for a few hours and ask them if I can actually call at 7 days out and have a cast member let me purchase and book rides for me with LLMPs and ILLs over the phone. I have a bad feeling they’re going to say no, or they won’t actually know, or they’ll tell me yes and then it won’t actually
be correct/ end up working when I call back in at 7 days out, or so many people will be phoning in asking for this that I won’t be able to even get through. Either way it all seems very complicated and frustrating. It’s all very dissappointing and disheartening. Thanks very much to you though, for responding and for trying to help. I appreciate you taking the time to try to help a stranger.
I appreciate the feedback, Med. I’m so sorry that better options are not available. I see the tough spot you’re in; I don’t see a better solution than the one you described. Shame on Disney for not creating a better option for International guests.
Med – There is one other option – if it’s available to you. If you know someone who lives in the US and you trust them implicitly, give them your My Disney Experience login information and ask them to make the selections for you. You can be on the phone with them at the same time and work through the process and selections. I have seen other posts where people will be doing this.
Good luck!!
Update:
I called Disney and spoke to a cast member.
1)I asked if I was to drive over the border to US soil to book my selections, would they remain on the app when I return to Canada or would they disappear because I’m no longer on US soil?
They reached out to the internet help desk, who told them that the selections will remain. Once you book them in the states, they will stay on the app.
I understand this is not an option for most international guests, but for my fellow Canadians close to the border, I think it’s helpful to know there’s an option for us.
2)I asked if international guests would be able to call in to Disney and have a cast member make their lighting lane selections for them, and they said that will not be an option. They said that cast members have never had the ability to make Genie+ selections for guests over the phone, and that that would not be an option for the new lighting lane rollout.
3)They said another option for international guests is to use a US travel agent.
4)They said that apparently the reason why the new system isn’t being rolled out internationally is because of a “legal issue” and that it might not be a permanent thing, and that maybe it would go internationally in the future but that because of this “legal issue” they won’t be able to roll it out to international guests by July 24th.
I’m not sure if I believe that last one, but hopefully us international guests get the same advantages as US guests in the future.
Also, I spent zero time on hold waiting to speak to a cast member. Only spent a few minutes on hold waiting for them to get more information from the internet help desk.