Here’s What We’ve Learned about the Lightning Lane Multi Pass

On July 24th, 2024, Walt Disney World implemented a new version of its digital queuing system. It’s the thing we called FastPass for many years, although we’d recently known the system as Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane.

The paid FastPass process confused fans since Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lane were different products. However, their names and processes poorly reflected this fact, with guests booking a Disney Genie+ reservation, only to enter the Lightning Lane queue.

After three years, Disney officials rebooted the concept as Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane. The new system has clearer titles, and the one thing DVC members desperately want, the ability to book early. Let’s discuss what we’ve learned after a month of Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Here Are the Basics of the New Lightning Lane 

DVC Resale Market’s Lauren De La Cruz wrote an article about the system. I’d strongly encourage you to read this piece to understand the process.

As stated, the most significant change is that you may once again book ahead of time. DVC members had vented about the pandemic-caused alterations to the former FastPass system. In early 2020, we could reserve FastPasses up to 60 days in advance. 

Under the Disney Genie+ system, Disney expected guests to purchase the service and then book reservations on the morning of the park visit. It was, without hyperbole, one of Disney’s worst changes ever. With Lightning Lane Multi Pass (LLMP), guests staying at official Disney resorts may purchase and book one week before the visit. 

Notably, this competitive advantage has proven massive, as the top attractions are often available seven days in advance. Even when they’re not, you should easily find several high-quality options. 

I’ve collated the data from the new system, just as I did with the old one. The early conclusion is that it’s significantly easier to snag the best LLMP reservations than had been the case with Disney Genie+. Therefore, I perceive the new system as working well and already surpassing the original. 

The Surprise with the New Lightning Lane System

There is one significant change from the previous Disney Genie+ system, though. The former Park Hopper option no longer exists, which was a bit of a (pleasant) surprise. As long as your admission ticket includes the ability to Park Hop, your LLMP purchase will as well. 

Let’s say that you’re starting the day at EPCOT. Once you’ve used your Lightning Lane reservation here for something like Frozen Ever After, the system allows you to book at any of the four theme parks. The caveat is you’re relying on your luck with same-day attraction availability, which is dicey.   

Here’s how Disney describes the new process: “Once you redeem a selection on the day of your park visit, you can choose another Multi Pass experience from either group (subject to availability). If you have valid admission with the Park Hopper option, you could even choose a Multi Pass experience in a different theme park (subject to availability).”

So, that’s another way that the new system has improved from the old one. You no longer must purchase Park Hopper, which was always the most expensive option. Instead, you make that decision on your own when you buy Park Hopper admission tickets or the appropriate annual pass. 

All LLMP purchases empower you with the option to book at any Walt Disney World park. Again, the only caveat is that you must use the Lightning Lane you select at the initial park before you may reserve an attraction at a different theme park. 

The Math of the New Lightning Lane 

After a month of data, a few easily identifiable trends have emerged. These behaviors should allow you to make better decisions about purchasing LLMP and using it efficiently. 

The first thing you should know is that prices are typically static for several days. That’s not an ironclad law, but if something costs $24 on the first day of your visit, it’ll likely stay that way for two or three more days. 

There’s a kind of underlying price uniformity throughout the parks as well. You’ll generally see the same price increase/decrease on the same days across all four theme parks. Let’s use the recent examples of August 18th and 19th. On August 18th, here were the park prices for LLMP:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom — $16
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios — $18
• EPCOT — $22 
• Magic Kingdom –$25 

On August 19th, the prices universally increased:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom — $17
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios — $19
• EPCOT — $24
• Magic Kingdom $27

Thus far, that’s the way it works. EPCOT and Magic Kingdom prices change by $2, while Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios fluctuate by $1. In terms of average prices thus far, here’s what you should expect to pay:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom — $16.54
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios — $18.60
• EPCOT — $23.08
• Magic Kingdom — $26.08

The best way to stretch your vacation budget is probably to start the morning at Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. Then, once you’re done, you can Park Hop to EPCOT or Magic Kingdom and use LLMP to take what’s left. The E-ticket attractions will probably be gone, but you’ve also saved up to $9.54 per person on your purchase. 

Which Attractions Should You Pick?

When you book ahead of time, you should have a plan about which attractions to prioritize. Three of Disney’s parks use the tiered system you likely remember from the FastPass days. 

So, you can pick one attraction from the top group and then the other two from the secondary tier. This subdivision oddly makes the selection process quite easy, at least for those who want to spend the least amount of time standing in line. 

We all know which Walt Disney World attractions require the longest waits. The Lightning Lanes for these experiences typically reduce the line time by at least 50 percent. Here are my data-based suggestions for the LLMP reservations you should prioritize. 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom (in Order): 

• Na’Vi River Journey
• Kali River Rapids
• Expedition Everest
• Kilimanjaro Safaris

Not everyone enjoys wet rides or roller coasters. So, I’ve listed four in order of average wait times in 2024. You can decide from there. 

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Slinky Dog Dash by far for Tier One
• Fallback option: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or Toy Story Mania! from Tier Two

This park’s conversation is complex due to the sheer volume of E-ticket attractions, many of which require an hourlong wait on crowded days. So, personal preference should play a stronger role in deciding what to pick here as well as Magic Kingdom. 

I’ve listed the attractions with the longest waits, but the reality is that you probably won’t do everything you want at Hollywood Studios. Thus, you should prioritize the attractions that matter most to you.

EPCOT:

• Frozen Ever After or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure from Tier One
• Mission: SPACE or Spaceship Earth from Tier Two

Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure often flip-flop as EPCOT’s attraction with the longest wait. So, I’d suggest you select based on personal preference. With Mission: SPACE, it’s clearly the best option of the next tier in terms of time-savings, but it’s also not for everyone. 

A perfectly viable strategy is to book Spaceship Earth first thing in the morning. It’ll save you from circling back later in the day. The only catch is that DVC members staying at Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, or Disney’s Riviera Resort enter the park from the wrong side for this strategy. 

Magic Kingdom:

• Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, or Space Mountain from Tier One
• Haunted Mansion from Tier Two

Notably, there’s a bigger divide between Haunted Mansion and the rest of Tier Two than there is among the top choices in Tier One. Thus, it’s the only one of these I consider a Must Book option. Then again, my wife would divorce me if I didn’t. 

Tier One again comes down to personal preference, as Peter Pan’s Flight and Jungle Cruise typically require hourlong waits. Space Mountain is sometimes the shortest of the three, but it’s also sometimes the longest by quite a bit due to throughput limitations on crowded days. 

Remember that these suggestions have nothing to do with attraction quality. The sole logic is avoiding giant lines. I hope this data helps you maximize the value of a LLMP purchase. The one thing I can say with confidence is that Disney has streamlined and thereby improved the system from Disney Genie+. We should all happily say good riddance to it.