This guide to Lightning Lane MultiPass and Single Pass at Walt Disney World offers answers to frequently asked questions, info & tips based on confirmed details and our speculation based on FastPass+ and Genie. It covers how you’ll be able to use the new ride reservation and line-skipping services, off-site vs. on-site booking windows, and attraction tiers for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios–and much more!
Walt Disney World just dropped the bombshell news that the Lightning Lane Multi Pass is replacing Genie+ at Walt Disney World. The news was announced via standard press release, plus videos and supplementary information on other websites, social media, etc. Consequently and unsurprisingly, there have been a lot of questions–even from seasoned Walt Disney World veterans.
Our announcement already has over 100 comments, many of which are diehard Walt Disney World fans venting and/or grieving. Understandably. For what it’s worth, we have no problem with you doing either–just please confine the complaints to that post and stick to questions in the comments here. This is going to be a hot topic in the days, weeks, and months to come, and we want to be able to easily find and answer as many reader comments as possible. With that in mind, here’s our work-in-progress FAQ to Lightning Lane MultiPass and Single Pass at Walt Disney World…
“There’s no cause for alarm. Turn off that alarm!”
On days like today, I feel like Tal Marik during the pre-show of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Walt Disney World killing off Genie+ and replacing it with Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is huge, paradigm-shifting news. It’s going to change a lot of ways frequent fans visit the parks. It’s going to cause many planners to go back to the drawing board, rethinking how they approach Walt Disney World. As discussed in our announcement, it’s going to create winners and losers. All of that is fairly undeniable.
You may already know you’re in the “losers” camp just based on the details already revealed, in which case you have our sincere sympathies. Seriously. But it’s also true that Walt Disney World planners are notoriously change-averse and have familiarity bias. If this same announcement was made back between December 2021 and September 2022, the overwhelming reaction would’ve been: ding dong, the witch is dead.
History bears this out. The original FastPass was controversial among Walt Disney World fans in 1999, before becoming beloved. FastPass+ was likewise a reviled replacement among fans who had mastered the paper FastPass system. Disneyland’s launch of MaxPass was met with outrage and complaints, but its use and popularity quickly increased as Disneyland diehards used it in the parks. We know because that was us! After hating everything MaxPass stood for, we got hooked on it, and became MaxPass cheerleaders. Even now, we yearn for a return to MaxPass.
It’s a similar story with Genie, which was almost universally hated at first but became…accepted…(“beloved” would be a very inaccurate word choice) over time. Already, there are tons of fans mourning the loss of Genie+ in favor of the new system. Try to think back to late 2021–it wasn’t that long ago, but feels like an eternity ago–can you honestly imagine anyone being upset at losing that?!
Point being, I would start by recommending most longtime Walt Disney World fans who are angry, upset, scared, etc., start by taking a deep breath. Collectively, you’ve mastered and “beaten” every past iteration of line-skipping Walt Disney World has thrown at you. There’s absolutely no reason to believe Lightning Lane Multi-Pass will be any different. Yes, there will be winners and losers–but you are the high-knowledge fans positioned to always be in the “winners” camp.
Trust me, as someone who has had some time to ‘marinate’ on the specifics of this new system…I’m pretty confident of that. Many of the same fans who are upset will become familiar with the Lightning Lane Multi Pass system will learn its ins and outs, and how to strategically exploit the system–just as they have with FastPass+ and Genie+ before it. The power users will always find out a way to come out ahead, same as they ever have. So don’t sell yourself short!
With that out of the way, on with the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass FAQ…
Why is Walt Disney World making this change?
This is another in Walt Disney World’s line of “we’re listening” changes. According to the company, Walt Disney World guests have told them 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.
Unofficially, we’ve heard that 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 effectively 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.
How does Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and Single Day differ from Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass will replace Disney Genie+ service, and Lightning Lane Single Pass will replace individual “à la carte” Lightning Lane entry for theme park visits beginning July 24, 2024.
Starting July 24, you can purchase Lightning Lane passes and make selections days in advance of your arrival—which gives you more time to plan your visit! The pre-arrival component is the biggest change, but as discussed deeper in this guide, there are numerous other changes. It’s not simply a rebranding at Walt Disney World–it’s a complete overhaul that arguably has more in common with FastPass+ than Genie+.
For those visiting the theme parks before July 24, 2024, Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane entry will still be available. Consult our FAQ for Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World instead of this.
What are the booking windows for Lightning Lane Passes?
Guests staying at an on-site Walt Disney World Resort hotel and other select hotels will be able to plan 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.
Not staying at a Disney Resort hotel or other select hotel?
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.
What does the July 24 start date actually mean in terms of making selections or for guests with overlapping trips.
July 24, 2024 is both the roll-out date and the date that everyone can start making selections. Meaning that if you’re visiting on July 23, you use the old system. If you’re visiting on July 24, you use the new system. If you’re visiting both, you use both.
Moreover, the aforementioned windows are shortened for those who are visiting in the days and week(s) immediately after July 24 by virtue of that simultaneous start and rollout date.
Suffice to say, July 24 is going to be a “fun” day. Not only is it a brand new system, but there will be 2-3 weeks worth of guests all trying to make their Lightning Lane selections that same day. Don’t be surprised if Stitch makes an appearance and eats a page or two. Even if it’s much improved, this is still Disney IT, after all!
What qualifies as an eligible hotel 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
- 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
What about Disney Vacation Club?
There’s no reason to believe this will work any differently for DVC, regardless of whether you’re an owner (blue card or no) or renting Disney Vacation Club points.
As with both Extended Evening Hours and Early Entry, it’s about where you’re staying–not how you’re staying there. Frankly, I don’t even think Walt Disney World’s system would allow them to ‘discriminate’ based on how the reservation was booked.
Again, this is unconfirmed for now, but I’m 99.99% sure those who rent points or book with DVC points through whatever means will have access to the on-site advantage. You just need to make sure your reservation is properly linked to your MDX account.
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.
When can international guests purchase Lightning Lanes?
They can purchase Lightning Lane passes and make selections upon arrival into the United States.
As for the why of this, it’s probably not because Walt Disney World hates international guests. Although it might seem that way on this one particular issue, Walt Disney World actually loves guests from outside the United States. They’re more of a captive audience, have higher per guest spending metrics, and typically do longer stays. This is why we routinely refer to British guests as Walt Disney World’s “whales” (non-derogatory).
Walt Disney World has not offered an official explanation (and probably never will), but our best guess is that it’s a matter of law. I don’t know what law, but there are a lot of laws in the EU and elsewhere with which US companies do not want to comply, so the “solution” is simply not offering access in those markets.
That’s probably an unsatisfying explanation, but it’s likely the reason why. This means there probably won’t be resolution to this problem in the weeks and months to come, as it’s deliberate rather than accidental. With that said, this also means that Walt Disney World probably doesn’t care if you use VPNs and other techniques to side step this “rule.” (Not that we’re endorsing rule-breaking…but we aren’t not endorsing it here, either.)
How much does Lightning Lane Multi-Pass cost?
Prices for Lightning Lane Multi Passes vary by date and theme park. Prices for Lightning Lane Single Passes vary by date and attraction.
Beginning July 24, 2024, you’ll be able to view prices in the My Disney Experience (MDX) app.
According to Walt Disney World, guests can expect similar pricing to Genie+ when Lightning Lane Multi-Pass launches. The key words there, in our view, are when it launches. Summer is not peak season, so we wouldn’t expect a price increase right away given demand. October through December are when to watch for higher rates. Suffice to say, we’ll be very pleased if Lightning Lane Multi Pass peaks at $39, which is the current high for the Genie+ service.
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.
When can subsequent selections on the day of a theme park visit?
On the day of your park visit, once you redeem a selection, you can use the My Disney Experience app to check availability for another Lightning Lane Multi Pass experience—and add 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). This is unlike FastPass+, which required you to redeem all 3 prebooked ride reservations before making additional selections. For all intents and purposes, this replaces the “stacking system” of Genie+.
What does this do for a “stacking sleep-in strategy”?
As you might’ve guessed, it kinda obliterates it.
While you can still make 3 selections for the afternoon–or literally whenever–the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass system incentives planners to schedule selections earlier in the day in order to start making subsequent ride reservations. Obviously, it’s still early and strategy will emerge in the weeks and months to come–as will a ‘sweet spot’ for scheduling Lightning Lanes, but the stacking and late arrival approach is now–without a doubt–suboptimal.
What about the 120 minute rule?
It’s gone, too.
Will re-rides be possible?
Just as with Genie+, you won’t be able to book the same Lightning Lane 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.
Genie+ currently charges extra for the multi-park feature, will there be an upgrade cost 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 will differ, just as they do today…meaning that guests purchasing for Magic Kingdom will, for all intents and purposes, still be paying the multi-park or Park Hopping price. (Since that’s currently identical to the Magic Kingdom cost every day.) But those starting in Animal Kingdom, for whatever reason, will receive “free” Park Hopping. Small victory?
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 should work very similarly to Genie+ or FastPass+ and will be advantageous for those who don’t get their ideal ride reservation times to start, or find themselves with a scheduling conflict.
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.
Which attractions are in each tier for Magic Kingdom?
Group A: Choose up to one experience from this tier:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- 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
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- 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 EPCOT?
Group A: Choose up to one experience from this tier:
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
Group B: Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this tier:
- 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 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
- 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
- Disney Junior Play & Dance!
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania!
Which attractions are in each tier for 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
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Naʻvi River Journey
Were Lightning Lanes removed from any attractions?
Yes.
Character meet & greets will no longer offer Lightning Lanes, nor will parades and other entertainment.
Wait, didn’t CommuniCore Hall just open with a Lightning Lane?
Yep, Mickey & Friends debuted two weeks ago in CommuniCore Hall with a Lightning Lane. That is now being eliminated.
Kind of hilarious in a sad sort of way that one hand didn’t know what the other was doing there. Regardless, a perfect encapsulation of CommuniCore Hall as a whole. Just the chef’s kiss on that whole project.
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.
Again, we’d be getting ahead of ourselves with strategy, but you should be able to imagine scenarios where you do NOT pre-book all 3 selections and instead wait until the day-of to leverage ride reservation refills and sidestep the groupings. Those two things plus Park Hopping will present some very interesting opportunities. This is one of the big reasons we’d encourage you to not freak out about Lightning Lane Multi-Day just yet. It’s gonna be fun to figure out how to “hack” this new system!
Give me an example.
Okay, for the sake of discussion, let’s just say that you’re staying off-site and there are no great options available by the time your booking window rolls around. Rather than choosing the least-bad option, you book “it’s a small world” with a return time of 9:05 a.m.
You tap into “it’s a small world” at that time, wait a few minutes for a Lightning Lane drop time, and book Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, and Soarin’ Around the World all at once. No worries about tiers, and all at a different park that same afternoon.
I’m not saying that exact scenario will be possible–it remains to be seen based on how the new system works–but I can tell you that I could’ve done something similar with the current or past parameters of theGenie+ and FastPass+ systems (graphed over onto the rules of Lightning Lane Multi Pass).
What happens to virtual queues?
Regrettably, nothing.
Lightning Lanes are separate and distinct from virtual queues, which are currently in use at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle Run.
You can join the free virtual queue and also pay for a Lightning Lane. The former is an alternative to a standby line whereas the latter skips the line. Even though it’s “virtual,” you’ll still have a longer wait for the ride upon returning to the virtual queue than you will with the Lightning Lane. Upon opening, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will also use a virtual queue for some amount of time.
This means the same 7 am “boarding pass dash” that occurs now will continue, so that early wakeup call isn’t necessarily over. At least for now. Unless you want to buy your way out of it with Lightning Lanes.
What has changed with standby lines?
Nothing.
Regular ole walk-up standby lines are still available on all attractions except the aforementioned trio with virtual queues.
Is there an on-site advantage with Lightning Lanes going forward?
Yes, and it’s a massive one–on par with the old FastPass+ system, albeit with a 7+14 rule instead of a 60 day window. Still, the end result will be the same, and that’s a lot of the “best” Lightning Lanes being scooped up before off-site guests can even book.
This is a huge difference between Lightning Lane Multi Pass and the Genie+ service. That leveled the playing field completely, allowing everyone to make same-day ride reservations starting at 7 am. The only advantage came via Individual Lightning Lanes, and that only really mattered when a ride was still brand-new or during the busiest times of the year.
If FastPass+ is any indication, and it almost certainly is, the headstart given to on-site guests will be hugely advantageous. There’s a decent possibility that attractions like Slinky Dog Dash, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and other tier 1 headliners won’t even be available 3 days in advance. Meaning that off-site guests will have to bank on same-day ride reservation refills, which should still exist going forward–same as always.
Are other on-site perks possible down the road?
That remains to be seen. Walt Disney World has on-site hotel occupancy targets that are incredibly important metrics. If bookings are low and there’s extra bandwidth in the Lightning Lanes, expect to see more incentives to stay on-site. That could happen as soon as in 2025 when Epic Universe opens and Universal is presenting compelling reasons to stay on-site there instead.
As for what that looks like–it’s impossible to say. Many fans would love to see free Lightning Lanes, period, for on-site guests. We highly doubt that will ever happen. We’d be surprised if even Deluxe Resort guests get the service entirely for free. What could be possible is ‘bonus’ selections for higher-tier resorts. That’s purely speculative and we certainly would not bet on it–but Epic Universe is a potential paradigm-changer and it’s impossible to predict how it’ll change the dynamic in Central Florida, especially when it comes to resort stays.
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 Genie+ evolved over its first year-plus 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 int 2025–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 will 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!
