How to Maximize Your Disney Day with Lightning Lane: Best Tips and Tricks
When you're visiting Disney theme parks, time becomes one of your most valuable resources. There's so much to see and do, and often, not enough hours in the day! Thankfully, with Lightning Lane it will help you optimize your day by cutting down wait times for some of the most popular attractions. But here's the thing: simply purchasing access to Lightning Lane doesn't automatically mean your day will go smoothly.
To truly make the most of it, you'll need to be a little strategic. In this blog, I'm going to share some general strategies that you can apply across all Disney parks. And if you want more specific tips for each park, be sure to check out my other blogs, where I dive into tailored strategies for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. (each park coming soon!)
Let's get started on how to make your Disney day magical with Lightning Lane!
Basic Information
Each park has several rides and a few non-ride attractions (like shows) on Multi Pass.
Here are the current counts from each park (August 2024):
Magic Kingdom Multi Pass — 16 rides + 2 shows
Hollywood Studios Multi Pass — 8 rides + 5 shows
Epcot Multi Pass — 9 rides + 2 shows
Animal Kingdom Multi Pass — 5 rides + 4 shows
Just some reminders:
You can only use Multi Pass for each ride o nce a day
If you do not ride, it will not automatically cancel so you need to cancel it so you can book youre next one.
Make sure everyone taps at each ride.
Does Sellout Order Still Matter?
Yes, more than ever because some rides you may never get a chance to ride because the LIghting Lanes are sold out before you get to the park.
Maximizing Limited Availability: Lightning Lanes, which allow you to skip the standby queue, have a limited number of reservations for each attraction. Popular rides like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Remy’s Ratatouille can "sell out" quickly, meaning no more Lightning Lane slots will be available for the rest of the day. Booking in the sellout order ensures you get reservations for these high-demand attractions before they run out. This may mean you have 1 late Lightning Lane time in order to get these ride. You will need to ensure you use other strategies so you do not get frustrated by your day.
Prioritizing Popular Rides: Knowing the sellout order helps you prioritize booking the most in-demand rides first. If you book less popular attractions early, you might miss out on high-demand ones that sell out faster, reducing the value of your Lightning Lane access. How do we know which rides sell out first? Thrilldata.com and I share it all the time on social media.
Strategic Time Management: By booking in the sellout order, you can optimize your day. If you secure Lightning Lanes for the most popular rides, you can fit them into your schedule efficiently and avoid long standby waits, leaving time for other experiences.
Avoiding Disappointment: Without following the sellout order, you might find that by the time you book the rides you’re most excited for, they’re no longer available. This can lead to a less enjoyable experience, especially if you had specific attractions in mind.
Which rides have the longest wait times?
Following the longest wait times when booking Lightning Lanes is essential because it helps you prioritize which attractions to book first, ensuring you minimize wait times for the most popular rides. Over the past few years, the trends for longest waits have remained relatively consistent, with certain rides consistently topping the list. If you’re a data enthusiast or want to dive deeper into real-time trends, websites like Thrilldata.com provide detailed insights and live updates on wait times across the parks. However, some newer attractions, like Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, are not included in my data for standby lines because they only operate through a virtual queue system, meaning you can't physically wait in line for these rides but must reserve a spot digitally. Below, I’ll list the rides that typically have the longest waits to help you plan your day more effectively.
TRON Lightcycle/Run 121 minutes
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 49 minutes
Peter Pan’s Flight 44 minutes
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure 54 minutes
Frozen Ever After 51 minutes
Test Track - Currently being refurbished but is typically the 3rd highest wait
Guardians of the Galaxy only operates via Virtual Queue (average wait in the queue 25 - 45 minutes)
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance 51 minutes
Slinky Dog Dash 63 minutes
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster 49 minutes
Mickey and Minnies Runaway Railway 44 minutes
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Avatar Flight of Passage 57 minutes
Na’vi River Journey 55 minutes (NOT WORTH IT!)
Meet Favorite Disney Pals Mickey & Minnie 37 minutes
The average wait times I’m reporting are for the month of September, which historically has been the slowest month of the year at Walt Disney World for the last 20 years. This is largely due to several factors: schools are back in session, the extreme heat and humidity can make park days more challenging, and it’s also the peak of hurricane season. These conditions lead to fewer visitors, which typically results in shorter wait times for attractions. As the year progresses, I’ll provide updated average wait times for busier seasons, including December’s peak holiday period and spring, when crowds tend to increase significantly. This will give a clearer picture of how wait times fluctuate throughout the year and help in planning for both off-peak and peak visits.
What are the filler rides?
At Walt Disney World, filler rides, attractions, or shows are typically lower-demand experiences that don’t usually have long wait times and can be enjoyed between your scheduled Lightning Lane reservations for more popular attractions. These experiences, like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, The PeopleMover, or Living with the Land, are key to planning a successful day because they allow you to make the most of your time without spending it in long standby lines. They provide a chance to relax, cool off, or enjoy something that adds magic to your visit without the stress of heavy crowds. Using filler attractions strategically helps balance the day, filling gaps between your Lightning Lane windows while ensuring you still experience the variety and magic of the park. This approach keeps your schedule flowing smoothly and maximizes the number of experiences you can enjoy.
Does Standby Skipper still work with the New Lightning Lanes?
Standby Skipper still works seamlessly with the new Lightning Lane program, and in fact, it’s better than ever for helping you secure reservations for those hard-to-get, sold-out rides. Standby Skipper is a service that continuously scans the system for available Lightning Lane slots, even after they appear to be fully booked. This can be a game-changer when popular attractions, like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Peter Pan’s Flight, sell out early in the day. With Standby Skipper, you have a much better chance of snagging those last-minute cancellations or newly released slots, allowing you to enjoy top-tier attractions without the long waits. It’s a powerful tool for making the most of your day at the park, especially if you’re aiming to experience all the most popular rides.
Balancing Popular or Priority Rides vs. Earlier Times in Initial Bookings
Balancing your family’s priority rides, which are often the most popular attractions, with rides that have earlier return times can be tricky when trying to maximize your Lightning Lane usage. Popular rides like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Slinky Dog Dash tend to have later return times due to high demand, sometimes leaving you with long gaps in your schedule. On the other hand, attractions with earlier Lightning Lane availability, like Buzz Light Year Ranger Spin or “it’s a small world”, offer the chance to get more reservations throughout the day. The challenge is deciding whether to lock in a Lightning Lane for a high-priority ride with a late return time, which might limit your flexibility, or to grab several attractions with earlier return times, maximizing the number of experiences you can enjoy. Finding that balance requires careful planning to ensure you’re hitting the must-do rides while still making the most of the system to reduce wait times across your day.
In the Park
Think in Geographic Zones
When booking Lightning Lanes, it’s important to think in geographic zones within the park to make the most of your time and minimize unnecessary walking. Remember how I always say plan with a Park Map in front of you. This is why! Walt Disney World is massive, and booking rides on opposite ends of the park, like Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland and Space Mountain in Tomorrowland, can waste valuable time as you trek across the park. By grouping your Lightning Lane reservations in similar areas—like focusing on Fantasyland in the morning and Adventureland in the afternoon—you can experience more rides without the hassle of constantly crisscrossing. This strategy also allows for smoother transitions between attractions and less exhaustion for the whole family, helping you maintain a steady pace throughout the day. Planning your Lightning Lanes with the park’s layout in mind is key to a more efficient and enjoyable visit.
For my birthday trip, we started in Frontierland. We had a Haunted Mansion reservation and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I needed a filler ride and chose "It's a Small World" because it is on the way to Haunted Mansion and would open up my booking availability.
Burner Ride
A burner ride is a strategic move in using the Lightning Lane system, where you book a reservation for a ride that may not be your top priority, but serves a specific purpose—either to trigger the next booking window. Since you can only hold three Lightning Lane reservation at a time (except under certain conditions where you get a multi experience pass when rides break down), using a burner ride allows you to take advantage of earlier return times, freeing you up to book another ride more quickly. For example, if you can’t immediately get a reservation close to park opening, let’s say EPCOT opens at 9 am, and you have Remy at 2 pm and Finding Nemo at 10 am, you may choose Figment at 9 am even if it is not important to you or only has a 5-minute wait in the morning. By tapping into Figment at 9 am, it opens your app availability to be able to then grab Frozen Ever After, which is a popular sellout ride at 9 am, versus waiting until 10 am or 2 pm for Remy. It’s an essential tactic to keep the momentum going throughout the day, allowing you to maximize the number of attractions you can experience.
Tap and Burn
With the Tap and Burn strategy, once you tap into your first ride, the tier restrictions disappear, allowing you more flexibility to grab the popular rides. Let's use your Magic Kingdom example:
You start your day with a 9 a.m. Lightning Lane for “it’s a small world”. As soon as you tap into that ride, you’re now eligible to book your next Lightning Lane. Since Flying Carpets of Aladdin is scheduled for 10 a.m., but it’s considered a lower-tier attraction, you can modify it. Instead of sticking with Aladdin, you use this opportunity to grab a high-demand Tier 1 ride like Big Thunder Mountain for later in the morning or early afternoon.
This strategy allows you to stack multiple premium rides in the same day, so even with a 2 p.m. reservation for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, you’re able to slot in Big Thunder before it. Essentially, by tapping into your first ride and modifying your lower-priority bookings, you can continuously refresh your options and snag the best attractions without getting locked into less popular rides. This maximizes your day, making it easier to experience the most thrilling and in-demand rides.
Do You Have To Use Your First Tier 1 Before Booking Another Tier 1?
Nope! After redeeming one of your three Lightning Lanes, you can immediately book another attraction from either group for that day.
Tap, Book, Modify
The Tap, Modify, Book strategy is a game-changer, especially during busier times when return times for rides start pushing later. With the new app design, when you go to modify a ride, you can now see all available Lightning Lanes across all parks, giving you a complete overview. This makes it crucial to have your top picks ready because the most important rides to your family will be shown at the top, and as you pull down to refresh, you get an updated view of availability for ALL OF THEM!
While this new setup is amazing, making it easier to grab those key rides, it’s also true that refreshing is more challenging compared to the old Genie+ system. For larger groups, it can be almost impossible to find availability, but if you’re in a group of 4-6, it’s definitely worth trying your luck. Sometimes, you might need to refresh for up to 20 minutes when availability is scarce, but persistence can pay off, especially when you're aiming for those must-do rides!
Single Rider Lines
Using single rider lines can be a fantastic way to maximize your day at Walt Disney World by allowing you to bypass the regular standby queue and get on popular rides more quickly, even if you're visiting solo or don’t mind splitting up from your group. This strategy is especially useful during peak times when standby waits are long, as single rider lines typically have much shorter waits.
The following attractions consistently offer a single-rider line:
Test Track at EPCOT *currently being refurbished.
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney's Hollywood Studios
12PM to 4PM
If you do not listen to a thing I say and do not believe in midday breaks or maybe you want to stick around for the 3 pm Festival of the Fantasy Parade before taking a break 12 - 4 pm everyday is peak park hours. utilizing Lightning Lane heavily can significantly enhance your park experience by helping you avoid the longest wait times. This period often coincides with the highest crowd levels and the longest standby lines, making it crucial to leverage Lightning Lane reservations to bypass these waits. By booking popular attractions ahead of time or modifying your existing reservations to secure Lightning Lane spots for high-demand rides, you can keep your day running smoothly and avoid the frustration of extended lines.
Can we still stack rides with the new Lighting Lane System?
Absolutely! With the updated Lightning Lane system, stacking rides works differently, but it’s still a valuable strategy. Although a late morning start is not feasible due to how the new system operates. Stacking works with taking a midday break, which is crucial, especially when traveling with children—and let’s be honest, adults need a break too. During this break, you can use the time to modify your Lightning Lane reservations and set up new ones for the evening. This way, when you return to the park refreshed, you’ll have several rides lined up and ready to go, making your evening experience just as enjoyable and streamlined as your earlier park hours. It’s all about maximizing your time and energy throughout the day and stacking in the evening this way still does that.
Grace Periods
Remember to use grace periods when making reservations. For example, when we had a reservation for 1900 Park Fare, I booked our first Lightning Lane for 9 am. I knew that with a 9 am reservation, we could enter the attraction between 9 am and 10:15 am due to the grace period, allowing us to book our next Lightning Lane reservation. The same strategy worked when we had a reservation for Big Thunder Mountain. We arrived 10 minutes early and were able to enter a little bit earlier than our scheduled time.
Couple Strategies
Using multiple strategies with Lightning Lane is crucial for a seamless and efficient day at Walt Disney World. Arriving early for Early Theme Park Entry for on site guest allows you to secure top rides before the bulk of the crowds arrive, maximizing your morning. Rope Dropping Magic Kingdom Park for those who are off-site since only Tomorrowland an Fantasyland are open for Disney property guests. Booking rides based on geography helps minimize unnecessary walking and ensures you make the most of your time by experiencing attractions in the same area consecutively. The Tap and Burn approach, where you tap into one ride and immediately book or modify another, helps you stay flexible and snag reservations for high-demand attractions. Incorporating breaks into your day prevents exhaustion and maintains your energy levels, the kids happiness, making the park experience more enjoyable. Finally, stacking rides in the evening can help you make the most of lower wait times as the day winds down. Combining these strategies ensures you manage your time efficiently, avoid long waits, and maximize the number of attractions you experience, making for a more enjoyable and stress-free visit.
Rider Switch and Theme Park Nanny
If you need to use Rider Switch at the parks, it’s important to plan ahead by identifying which rides require this service and accounting for the additional time it will take. Rider Switch allows one adult to wait with non-riders while the other adult enjoys the attraction, but it can add extra time to your visit. Additionally, check out my blog on theme park nannies—they can be a great resource for making your day more seamless by helping with child care, managing wait times, and ensuring that everyone in your group has a more enjoyable experience.
International Guests
I was in Mexico on the second day that Lightning Lane was available, and I got an error message stating that I could not use it because I was not in the United States or Canada. I don't know if these techniques will work, but this is what I have heard to try. I hope that one of these tips will help for international guests.
Travel Agents: If you have a travel agent who is stateside, you may want to ask them if they are willing to book your lighting lanes by logging into your My Disney Experience account. This may be an extra fee because I personally would not be waking up early for anyone else to get this done. It takes about an hour to book multiple days and times and the back-and-forth and modifying.
VPN: If you're having trouble accessing or managing Lightning Lane reservations from abroad, a U.S. VPN might help you navigate the app or website as if you were in the U.S.
Turning off Location Servies:
Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Close the My Disney Experience app completely.
Step 2: Turn off your phone's location services. For iPhone users, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings
- Tap on Privacy & Security
- Select Location Services
- Toggle it off at the top
Step 3: Reopen the My Disney Experience/Walt Disney World app. It should completely reload and show the splash screen. If it doesn't, double-check that the app was fully closed.
Step 4: In your My Disney Experience account settings, ensure that your country is set to the United States.
If you've completed all the steps correctly, you should now see the "Purchase" button for Lightning Lanes on the home screen, ready to go.
I don't know if any of these suggestions will help, but it's worth trying all of the above to ensure you have the chance to pre-book your Lightning Lane access, especially since you are spending a lot of money to visit Walt Disney World.
Navigating the complexities of Lightning Lane strategies can transform your theme park experience from overwhelming to exhilarating. By mastering the art of optimizing your Lightning Lane bookings, you can bypass the long waits and enjoy more of the magic your favorite park has to offer. Whether it's employing the 'Tap and Burn' approach, adjusting your plans with the 'Tap, Modify, Book' strategy, or simply understanding how to make the most of the new app features, these strategies are designed to enhance your visit and make your day at the park as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Remember, the key to a successful theme park adventure lies in preparation and adaptability. With the right strategies in place, you'll be equipped to handle even the busiest days with ease. If you’ve found these tips helpful, be sure to come back for more expert advice and insights. We’ll continue to provide you with the latest strategies and updates to keep your park days filled with fun and free of stress.
Happy planning and see you soon for more tips and tricks to make your theme park experience truly unforgettable!
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Thank you for visiting the Well Hello Magic Blog. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments, and I will be sure to answer them.
Planning a Disney vacation can be overwhelming, but you don't need to worry because we have got your back! Here are a few blogs to help you get organized!
How to Use My Disney Experience
Disney Infants: Everything You Need to Know!
Tips for Traveling with Family, Friends & Large Groups
What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass?
Strolling through Disney: Disney Stroller Tips
What to do if you Get Sick at Disney
Baby Care Centers at Walt Disney World
The Differences between Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort
Who is the Mom behind Well Hello Magic? Click Here!
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