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you last visited during the Genie+ era or are hearing advice based on experiences that are over 6 months old, they’re outdated.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!
Can you buy the same SPLL twice on the same day? So if you were only going to Epcot, could you buy two rides on Guardians?
No, you can only buy one single pass lightning lane for the same ride. But you could go on guardians twice by joining the free virtual queue for guardians, and also buying a guardians pass lighting lane
*single pass lighting lane
I haven’t been to Disney since 2019 and have zero experience with the virtual queues. Do we know yet if we’ll be able to get a lightning lane single pass for an attraction that has a virtual queue, AND still be able to sign up for the virtual queue in the same day? Thanks!
Maybe I’m hoping for some kind of loophole for Park Hoppers still… but can you buy Single Pass for one park, and then Multi Pass for another? Or both Single Pass and Multi Pass have to be purchased for the same park for the same day?
No connection. You buy LLMP for a specific park, and then you can also buy LLSP for *any* two LLSP rides.
The whole “international guests can’t book reservations until they are in the US” makes me long for the days of idiotic decisions by Chapek. This is a lose/lose situation. It’s bad for guest satisfaction and I can’t see how it’s a good business decision for them. They’ve made a lot of terrible decisions in the past like paid ride reservations, axing free resort parking and Magical Express but at least in those cases it was obvious they were trying to cut costs and/or increase revenue. I can’t see how this is good from a guest or business perspective. As a Canadian, I just wouldn’t bother buying it anymore. The goodwill they recouped by bringing back free parking just got obliterated by this. I’ve already emailed to express my frustration. I’m hoping others will as well. I also included that if this is still the case by the time our trip rolls around in January, that I would likely cancel at least our on-site reservation, if not our entire trip and take our business down the road to Epic Universe.
Some smart Americans could probably work out a way to make some easy money creating a business charging international WDW resort guests to book their LLMPs and ILLs on their Disney experience app accounts for them!!
Exactly. Not related…but sort of…I keep saying the next wave of “tour guides” will be popping up offering a wait-in-line service for families with disabilities (those who now don’t qualify for DAS) so they don’t have to split their party, with the new return to line option. If there is a Disney need and money to be made, someone will fill it!
This already exist and its free. They are called Authorized Disney Vacation Planners. Their services are free and already valuable become infinitely more so in my opinion now with the new LLMP system. Really is a no brainer to use them now ADR’s they do all the work finding best deals and combo of deals etc. I realize for those with already booked vacations doesn’t help but I’d think a one time purchase and use of a cheap VPN should do the trick.
Hey. What’s that?!
It’s the sound of Walt clapping in his grave 🙂
YES!! MultiPass!!! Leeloo Dallas will love this!
https://youtu.be/RdqiaNsKR2E?si=WwqiIfGcZQB_MHpN
I don’t understand what Tom meant in this article about the on site advantage for ILLs being 7+14?? What does that mean??
Also, how much do ILLs cost??
He means that 7 days prior to your stay (at 7am) you can book LLs for your entire trip upto 14 days. There’s an advantage here for longer visits as the farthest days will have the smallest demand when you book. Most people don’t go that long though. On a normal week trip, it will be much easier to get Slinky Dog Dash on the last couple of days of your trip.
I think he meant you can book up to 7 days in advance of your stay, and your stay can be up to 14 days long.
Onsite can buy LL (single and/or multi) up to 7 days in advance, and at that time also for the first 7 days of their trip.
This is the equivalent of 60+ FP, where onsite got 60 day advance PLUS days onsite.
Here with LL, the limit is 14 days total. If I have a trip booked starting Aug 10 for a week long, on Aug 3 I can sign into MDE and make reservations for my whole week. No need to do it day by day, only for days beyond 7 in your trip.
I’m pretty sure that’s how it’ll work.
Thanks Matt
Thanks to Heather and Amanda also!! Does anyone have any idea approx how much ILLs cost??
Although someone else commented on this, I’m still a little confused. If I’m staying at a Disney World Resort, but have dated tickets, do I get to make reservations 7 days in advance or 3 days
If you link your resort reservation to your MDE (My Disney Experience App / website), then you’ll get 7 day advance booking. If you just have the ticket linked, then it would be 3 days.
So I can book three rides AND pay for 2 ILL’s per day of my upcoming trip?
That’s correct. You then get to book another MultiPass attraction after you tap into your first. We’ll all be interested to see what availability looks like. There will be lots of new strategies to learn.
After I read ‘international guests have to wait until they arrive in the US’, I couldn’t really concentrate on the rest of the FAQs and basically scrolled through to comment with my outrage! After a recent big win in Australia with the arrival of DCL, this feels like a bit of a slap in the face.
Luckily for us, we are less impacted personally because we’ll be spending time in the US before heading to Orlando (depending on time differences, we may lose the first few hours of our window while still in transit), but I’m a bit devastated for my fellow Aussies who don’t have that option. The only redeeming factor is that usually international visitors will stay for longer, so when they arrive in the US, they should still be able to get some advantage for the later days of a 10-14+ day trip. Hopefully there is a fix being worked on for this urgently!
Lana, I recommend joining NordVPN. You connect your phone/ipad/PC/mac etc to a USA based server and then buy the LL. Problem solved for $6/month. It also hides your home VPN from websites you visit.
The response I got from NordVPN yesterday when I asked if a VPN would work in this case:
“Hello, Sam,
Thank you for contacting us.
Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm whether you will be able to achieve what you are looking for, because it is possible that the application you are referring to could be determining your location via GPS instead of IP.
In that case, unfortunately, the VPN won’t be helpful as unfortunately, NordVPN is not a location spoofing service. That means we do not provide location emulation, due to the way the VPN inherently works.
Feel free to contact us if there is anything else we can assist you with.
Also, regarding any issue, we strongly suggest visiting our help center as it contains a lot of solutions for a variety of issues, which will result in getting rid of the issue faster.
You can do so by following this link:
https://support.nordvpn.com/hc/en-us
Lastly, please note that we are available 24/7 via email, thus do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we can help you with.
The ticket will be re-opened automatically if you reply to this email.
All the best,
Pepe Antolin
NordVPN.com”
If they only allow you to book LL in the App, then you’ll have to spoof the GPS in addition to having a US based server IP address. Here’s how to spoof your location on iPhone.
Hi Tom have you noticed if there has there been any information released concerning Canadian travellers. Are we included in the international group?
Hi Kelly, this is not Tom but I can assure you we Canadians are definitely included in the international group. Anyone not on USA soil is in the international group. We have all been put at an extreme disadvantage.
Thank you Med, this is horrible news though because we usually take a couple 3-5 day trips per year and stay on property.
Kelly, checkout NordVPN (or any others) for $6/month you can connect to a USA server and then all the websites you visit think you’re physically in the USA. Sometimes their servers IPs get blocked, but there are tons of them so you can jump around. Problem solved.
Thanks Matt it’s worth a shot.
Matt, I wanted to learn more about this NordVPN you mention but I’m not very tech savvy, I looked it up on Google search and immediately became unsure what to purchase. As Canadians wanting to use this to help book the WDW LLMP do we buy NordVPN Canada or NordVPN USA for this purpose and is it even allowed for us to buy and use the USA NordVPN while in Canada or will it just kick us out and redirect us to the Canada site??
Med, just buy the VPN in canada and you can then connect to any of their servers worldwide. You’ll also need to spoof your GPS location on iPhone. I’m guessing Disney is limiting the purchase to USA only to prevent having to keep up with tax laws / remittances in other countries.
HI! I’m from Brazil and very upset about this international rule. Last time we used Fastpasses we were able to book from here 60 days in advance, without any problem.I’m pretty sure it’s something they could do. About VPN, it will probably not work because you will have to keep your location “on” on your phone for the MDX app to work. But I’m no tech expert…
Good question regarding location tracking. I don’t think the website does that. I’d bet a $1 the VPN hack will work.
The UK (whale – I’m claiming it ) ticket is valid for any 14 days within an 18-day period. Will we be able to book a Multipass for the 18th day (i.e the last day the ticket is valid) or only up to the 14th day with days 15-18 rolling? If so, if the 3/7 day window had begun (assuming you had already arrived in the USA), could you potentially make reservations 21 or even 25 days in advance?
I have just emailed guest services (thanks for the email address, Tom) to say that while the changes are broadly positive, the decision to disadvantage international guests is a misstep. I explained that I was now considering switching the first week of our next trip to Universal, instead of two-weeks at WDW, so we can be on US soil 7-days before we need LL reservations. This is about money at the end of the day…
Suzanne that is a fantastic idea!! I think if Disney doesn’t fix this issue we’ll be booking our next Orlando vacation spending the first 7 days elsewhere and maybe just the last 4 days at a WDW Resort. Great solution. They’re getting much too expensive for what they’re offering, they keep taking things away and raising prices, the value just isn’t there anymore. I hope you have a wonderful vacation.
What if your staying at a Disney hotel but have the annual pass ticket?
Go to the “What are the booking windows for Lightning Lane Passes?” section in this article. It’s the third question listed.
If you have a special ticket event, but not a park ticket, can you still book lightening lanes during the time you are able to be at the park?
Thanks for this helpful info! Any word on split stays onsite? Will I have 2 separate 7-day windows or can I book all my passes 7 days before checkin day at my first resort?
Disney IT has never been able to link split stays. You’ll have to book the LLs as 2 trips…I’d bet $100 on this. 7 days is pretty long though. You’ll still get everything you need on days 4-7…just book Slinky on those days.
Hi TOM, or Anyone else that can Help with this question: – Do you think AVATAR Flight Of Passage will only be and STAY in the LIGHTNING LANE SINGLE PASS where you have to PAY a Separate price for just this ride ??!!
Will it Only be – PAY for this one ride, OR just Wait in a LONG Line ?
Flight of Passage will remain an LLSP for as long as it’s the most popular ride in the park, which will remain the case for several years to come.
Going to MK and Epcot next fall the week before the week of Thanksgiving, and wondering if it’s even worth it for us to buy the new fast pass system. Half our crew gets motion sick easily or is too short for half of the stuff at Epcot, so I’m wondering what the odds are of getting the Frozen ride staying off site. If we didn’t manage it, it would feel like a waste of money considering most rides there aimed at little kids have very short waits. ♀️
Try to book Frozen. If Frozen is unavailable, then you don’t have to buy LLMP.
I’ve tried posting this twice, not sure why it’s not showing up?
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 that 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.
Thanks for sharing this information Samantha. It’s good to know. Tom said in his post that international guests could not book until they are in the US because it is not a web based system. Does this mean that it can only be purchased and booked on the mobile my Disney experience app on a cell phone and cannot be booked on a laptop or computer?? Anyone know or can explain this for me. I’ve never been very tech savvy and now I’m getting old.
Hi Med,
As far as I know, the only way to book is from the My Disney Experience App.
I read some of your previous posts – if you’re going to get someone from the states to book for you, I think they would have to log on to the app itself under your info and book from the app.
For me, I will be able to drive over the border and book from the app on my phone. I have a US phone plan. If you don’t have a US phone plan but decide to go over the border to book, I think you would have to be connected to US wifi to use the app on your phone. Don’t quote me on all that because I am not a tech genius, but I think that’s how it should work.
My trip is August 3rd so I am going to go over the border July 27th and see how that goes, I can update you then on what my experience was
Ok, thanks Samantha. If you can let me know how it works out for you that would be great.
I don’t have a US phone plan so Im not 100% sure but I think it should work out OK and I can buy a US roaming option for 1 day and I think I’m about a 3 1/2 hour drive to the border. I’m still considering that path. Still a little worried about taking all that time to drive out there and find out it doesn’t work. I know that I would have to give my sons friend my disney experience app account log in info and payment info to have him log into our account for him to be able to book these for us but I don’t have a problem with that. I know his friends in the US very well and they are very good trustworthy people. My only concern there is finding out if they will have the time to help us out with this on our 7 day before arrival date as it is a week day and I’m not sure how time consuming the booking of the LLMPs and ILLs will be. Hopefully one of them can commit to the time it might take to do this favor for us. Thanks again and good luck with everything. I hope it all works out and that you end up having a wonderful vacation.
If Disney requires LL to be purchased in the App (and not on the website), then here’s a hack to fake your GPS location. You’ll also need a US VPN server for the IP address. I’m guessing there will be dedicated posts on this in forums.