travel thoughtfully.

For those who know us, it's no secret that having an engineer for a husband has its advantages.  Short of creating a spreadsheet for the whole experience, he has figured out how to navigate the complexities of the entire Lightning Lane experience.  

In case you're wondering, that is not my husband in the picture above.  My family picture would show my husband on his phone weighing the most efficient way to book the next ride so we get the absolute most out of our experience at the park, while my daughters are eating Mickey ice cream bars that are melting down their chins, and I'm performing the trick that all moms perform by juggling waters, hair ties, cooling cloths, the backpack, sweatshirts for later, sunscreen, phone chargers, an epi-pen, and a little baggie of band-aids (IYKYK).  

More on packing tricks later.

First, Logistics of the Lightning Lane.

▶️  Figure out your password for My Disney Experience App and log in.  Now set up that Face ID thing.  It's much easier.

▶️  Go to the little hamburger icon (that's the three stacked lines) on the bottom right-hand corner.  Select Lightning Lane Passes.

▶️  Choose:      1. Single Pass  2.  Multi-Pass.  3.  Premier Pass

▶️ Do your research into which rides are under each pass for that park.  Here I am talking about Single or Multi Pass only.   More on Premier Pass later.  View your ride options here, as they may change from the time of this entry:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/lightning-lane-passes/

▶️ Begin making selections either 3 days (if staying off-property) or 7 days (on-property) in advance, starting at 7am ET.

‼️  7 days in advance means 7 days prior to YOUR CHECK-IN DAY.  That's right.  That's the day you are checking into your hotel, not necessarily the day you are visiting the park.

‼️ Book LL for each park day for the length of your stay or the length of your ticket (2-day, 3-day, etc...)

⁉️ Can I select rides for another park if I have a park-hopper ticket?  Yes.  But stay with the class and don't jump ahead.

Lightning Lane Multi-Pass ($15-39 per person/per day)

You can start with 3 ride selections from two different groups/tiers of rides.  You choose a ride and time window from Group 1 (a selection of about 4 of their most popular rides), then select 2 rides and time windows from Group 2 (some of their more classic ride selections).  

All day, you should have three rides booked.  Once you scan your cool MagicBand+ through the queue on your first ride, YOU GET TO CHOOSE ANOTHER RIDE!

Some rides have just one scan checkpoint while others have two checkpoints.  You must scan at both checkpoints before you can book your next LL ride.

Here are some tips that we have learned:

▶️  Make a mental note of priority rides and book those first.  Every other ride can revolve around these "must-do" rides for your family.

▶️  Choose rides that are in your vicinity to avoid walking 35,052 miles.  Use your Wait Times Map to help.

▶️  Popular rides can and do "run out" of LL times.  Make sure you book those rides early.  The arrival windows to choose from get later and later (usually by mid-day), and sadly, there is an end to booking times.    "And so, our journey comes to an end... Now go.  Let your dreams guide you..."

▶️  If done right, you will be choosing rides to go on just because.  Should we book a LL for the ride with a 5-minute standby time? Absolutely.  You earned it.

▶️ You have an hour-long window to ride your ride.  But you technically have 5 minutes before your window and up to 10 minutes after your window to scan in.  To get even more technical ... it's really up to the lovely cast member guarding the gate of entry.  If you are super friendly, if you get them to empathize with you, or if you make them laugh, then they can really let you in whenever they want.  Just keep in mind, Walt Disney would likely frown on bribery.

Lightning Lane Single Pass ($10-35 per person/per ride)

Disney has limited these selections to just two per day.  Boooo.  They are a selection of one or two of the top tier rides of the park, and they are completely separate from the Multi-Pass selections.  Meaning, you will not find Single Pass rides on a Multi-Pass selection list at any point.  You must purchase the rides if you want to breeze through the line, and the prices for the rides change depending on the day.

⁉️ Can I book my two single passes for the same ride?   No, sadly, if you want to go on one of these rides again, you must join the masses and wait in the standby line.  (or steal your friend's MagicBand... just sayin'.)

⁉️ Can I book a multi-pass ride and a single-pass ride at the same time?  Yes. You can book a multi-and a single-pass ride at the same time if you think you are going to be able to do both rides within the time window.  

Lightning Lane Premier Pass ($129-459 per person/per day)

For all you families where money ain't no thang, or your kids just absolutely cannot wait in a 60- or 90-minute standby line... I bring you, the Premier Pass.  You purchase this pass for ONE PARK per day, and ONE PARK only.   You can ride EACH Lightning Lane ride ONCE throughout the day.  This qualifies for all of the Multi-Pass and the Single-Pass rides.  So what's the major perk?  You don't need to book a time window.  Just show up... when you want... like the bougie kings and queens you are.

Now onto all your questions...

🙂 Does everyone in my party have to ride?  No.  Even if you have linked others into your Friends and Family group, they can opt to modify your initial ride selections, or opt not to buy into this Lightning Lane stuff at all.  They have control over their choices, not you, you control freak.  Simmer down.

🙂 What else comes with my Lightning Lane purchase?  Well, it comes with free downloads of your ride photos and videos.  And it comes with access to Disney PhotoPass Lenses, which adds some fun "augmented reality" images to your phone's camera.  Take a selfie with Goofy peeking over your shoulder, or turn yourself into a Genie.  But, well... that's it.  What else do you want?

🙂 I have a park-hopper ticket... Yes, we've answered that earlier, thanks to some overachievers.  You can book LL rides for the first AND second part of your day at the park you are going to hop to.  So, stand in line at Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom and book your afternoon ride at EPCOT (Frozen or Ratatouille, of course).   Pro tip:  Don't waste money by buying a Park-Hopper ticket AND a Premier Pass.  Your Premier Pass won't transfer to the next park.

🙂 I don't know anything about any of the rides, and I'm very sure I won't know where I'm located in the park at any point in time.  How do I do this?  You are my favorite type of person.  You are going for it, because it's what all the cool kids are doing and you're up for doing anything once.  I can almost guarantee that you are going to have an amazing time, no matter what.  Mostly because you don't know any different.  I am going to give you my favorite first ride selections to get you started.  After you have gone on your first ride and want to choose your next one, hit the "+" sign on the bottom of your app, then select "View My Genie Day and Tip Board."  This will give you recommendations on where to go next.  If you're feeling adventurous, go ahead and use your Wait Times Map to see what rides are near you.

1️⃣ Magic Kingdom: Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Winnie the Pooh, and Haunted Mansion...  and both Single Passes for Tron Lightcycle / Run and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

2️⃣ Hollywood Studios:  It's a tossup, but Slinky Dog or Aerosmith (no shade in either line!), Toy Story Mania!, and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

3️⃣ EPCOT:  Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (the no shade thing..), then.. pick two others, it really doesn't matter.  The other rides are likely to have short wait times at some point during the day.  Grab Frozen Ever After as soon as you get off Remy's because it will sell out.  A Single Pass for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a must if you enjoy rides that leave your mind blown.

4️⃣ Animal Kingdom:  Toss up between Kilimanjaro Safari, Na'vi River Journey, and Expedition Everest.  Consider the Single Pass for Avatar Flight of Passage.

🙂 What does "ride stacking" mean? I heard some Disney gurus talking about it.  What they're talking about is stacking rides such that you schedule a ride for a bit later, then two hours passes, and you're able to book another ride.  Disney lets you choose another ride if either you have scanned into a LL ride, or if 2 hours has passed since you made your selection, whichever happens first.  It really doesn't add an advantage other than you have 2-3 rides pending in your queue that you haven't ridden yet.  The maximum number at any point is 3 rides... which we knew was our limit to begin with... so there's really no big secret.  It's just time management.

🙂 Is it worth it?  Ehhhh, I have the most annoying answer for you, and that is -- it depends.  Here is just my humble opinion.  

🙁 Animal Kingdom:  I have never purchased a Multi-Pass for Animal Kingdom.  Single Passes for Avatar Flight of Passage is sometimes required, since wait times can get up to 120 minutes at times.  

🙂 Magic Kingdom:  I personally believe Multi-Pass and Single-Pass LL's are a "must" at Magic Kingdom.  I haven't experienced the Premier Pass yet, but if I were feeling bougie, I would likely indulge at Magic Kingdom.  The danger is, once you're spoiled, you never go back!  

🙁 EPCOT:  Again, take a look at the ride selection for each park for the Lightning Lanes, and decide what your family is willing to sacrifice.  Can you wait 60 minutes for Ratatouille and 80 minutes for Frozen Ever After?  If not, are you willing to pay $100+ for your family of 4 to not wait in line?  I would argue that the remaining rides at EPCOT almost always have short to reasonable wait times for standby.  Guardians of the Galaxy is a must purchase for the Single-Pass at EPCOT, since it's still the most popular ride in the park and entire Eastern seaboard.  

🙂 Hollywood Studios:  This park is hotttttttt.  Like, sweltering temperatures, hot pavement, and no shade.  Who wants to stand in line for more than 30 minutes like this?  Take all my money, please.

I would also like to comment that long wait times are sometimes not all that bad!  Disney specializes in immersion, meaning they tell a story with every ride.  The line queue is an immersive and creative experience that builds upon the ride.  It's where my portrait feature on my iPhone camera gets good use!   How else would you know that the armadillo in Tiana's Bayou Adventure has a name? (It's Lari).  And he likes to steal things to make the bayou creatures' musical instruments.  Take your time to read the signs posted on the walls in line... you learn a lot!  And don't forget to look for those hidden Mickey's -- they're everywhere.  

It's all a part of the Disney Magic.

Adrienne