What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass?
The New Lightning Lane Logo
Genie+ is changing! But only at Walt Disney World! Everything stays the same at Disneyland, they will only get a name change! A new Lightning Lane system is coming to Walt Disney World. Think of it as a combination of Genie+ and FastPass+. I am here for it!
It's time for the most comprehensive Lightning Lane guide out there. After extensively studying Lightning Lane and using it for groups of 15, 4, and 2, with varying advance booking days, I've gathered numerous tips and tricks. I have extensive experience with Genie+ and FastPass+, and this blog might not be big enough to cover every strategy.
This guide is structured into two parts: the first part will teach you how to use Lightning Lane and explain what it is, and the second part will delve into different strategies.
If you're new to Walt Disney World and have questions about setting up My Disney Experience or have no clue what that is, you need to read the blog first.
Whats in a Name?
First, the nomenclature is changing, and that is a good thing. Disney Genie made the naming conventions really confusing. The new naming structure makes sense and is straightforward.
The Disney Genie Service is a free planning tool built into the My Disney Experience app. It's designed to help guests optimize their day at Walt Disney World by providing personalized recommendations, real-time updates, and tips to maximize your time in the parks. It's important to note that you will also need it for part of the strategy we will discuss later, so do not dismiss its capabilities.
The Lightning Lane system at Walt Disney World allows guests to bypass the regular standby lines for certain attractions by using a separate, faster-moving queue. This system replaced the former Genie+ and FastPass+ programs and is part of Disney's broader suite of services, which includes Lightning Lane multi-pass and Lightning Lane single-pass.
LIghting Lane = The physical queue you want through to get to the ride.
Lighting Lane Multi Pass = Genie+ Rides - these are the rides that are avaliable on the system for booking broking into a tier system at most parks currently.
Lightning Lane Single Pass = Individual Lighting Lane attractions - Separate from Mutli Pass and also paid, with prices varying by date and attraction.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
The primary grievance expressed of Genie+ revolved around the inconvenience of having to wake up at 7 a.m. in order to secure their initial ride selection.
Prior to the pandemic, we had the ability to reserve 3 FastPass+ attractions (formerly known as Genie+ and now referred to as Multi Pass), a service that was highly valued by many as it greatly facilitated their vacation planning process.
In response to user feedback, Disney has decided to reintroduce this feature in addition to reinstating other pieces of FastPass+, like the tiers.
IS THIS A GOOD THING?
This new system will be a good change improving the overall guest experience. It provides visitors with a more comprehensive understanding of what to expect during their park visit, thereby enabling them to make necessary adjustments to their plans.
However, it's important to note that certain familiar elements, such as stacking, will no longer work the same way. Despite this, the implementation of the new system is expected to enhance the overall guest experience while on vacation significantly.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW?
Cinderella Castle at Disney's Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World
Tiers are BACK! If you do not know what that is basically you have Tier 1 and Tier 2 level rides.
Stacking is pretty much gone. I know so many loved it but we have to wait to see what other strategies we can use for late park guests.
The 120 minute rule is gone! Once you tap in you can book your next ride.
From what I have found there is no multi-park option but there will still be variable pricing. After you book your first LLMP you can book at any park.
You already know how to use this more than you think. Sellout order still matters and your family preferences are still the number one priority when it comes to having a great vacation.
THE RULES
Walt Disney World Resort guests can book Lightning Lanes 7 days in advance of their Disney vacation for a maximum of 14 days.
This also includes Shades of Green, Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve.
All other guests, including Annual Passholders without a hotel reservation, can book 3 days before their trip.
All of your LLMPs must be in the same park during pre-booking. You can hold 3 LLMP and up to 2 LLSP.
Virtual Queues will not be changing, so you will still need to wake up at 7 am to book VQ.
Once you tap into your first LLMP, you can book your next ride, and if you are park-hopping, you can book at a different park.
During pre-booking, you can choose one (1) ride from tier one, two (2) rides from tier two, or three (3) rides from tier two.
During your initial pre-booking, everyone must book the same ride. Once you have booked, you can go in and modify the members of your party.
WHAT IS LIGHTNING LANE SINGLE PASS?
Tron Lightcycle/RUN at Magic Kingdom Park
This is your new Individual Lightning Lane. These are the highest-demand rides at the Disney parks. This is a pay-per-ride experience. We are assuming that the function will still be the same at Walt Disney World, where you can pick the time that you want to book these attractions. Each park can have up to two of these experiences, and you can only book two per day in total.
LIGHTING LANE SINGLE PASS
Magic Kingdom Park - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train & TRON Lightcycle/Run
EPCOT- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park - Avatar Flight of Passage
Disney Hollywood Studios - Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
TIER ONE RIDES
These rides are the next tier of popularity behind the Single Pass rides at each park. They tend to sell out quickly, so a restriction allows you to pick only one of these rides during pre-booking. When compared to Genie+, these are the rides that are in high demand category and are likely to be the first to sell out. It's important to choose the most important ride for your family when pre-booking. Keep in mind that these Tier One rides may sell out due to pre-planning, so plan accordingly.
If you select a Tier One Ride during pre-booking you can pick one (1) from the list below:
MAGIC KINGDOM PARK
EPCOT
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM THEME PARK
Does not have any Tier One rides.
TIER TWO RIDES
MAGIC KINGDOM PARK
Remy's Ratatouille Topiary at The International Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT
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
EPCOT
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
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM THEME PARK
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
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
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!
HERE ARE SOME COMMON FAQs!
Can we overlap times like Genie+? Yes you can! You can overlap in pre-booking by 15-20 minutes and you can overlap in day of booking completely booking at the same time.
Characters were not on FastPass+ and they are not currently listed and Scott Gustin a trusted disney source has said they are not coming back. so we will see!
What is the pricing? Similar to the Genie+ variable pricing, the biggest difference is that instead of spreading the cost over multiple days, you are now paying all that money up front each time. Every time I have done it, so fast, I have had a fraud alert on my card because you book one park day at a time. So, if you have a series of charges that look the same, usually your bank card will trigger a fraud alert for the purchase. Just be prepared for that.
Will split stays have two dates like dining? No! Which is amazing! One booking window as long as your stay is consecutive days without a break. This is great for us who love doing split stays between value/moderate and deluxe resorts.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN PLANNING
DELAYING PARK DAYS
When planning your visit to the park, consider the way we think about booking our dining reservations - dining options tend to improve later in a trip, the availability of rides and experiences may also improve the closer you get to your visit date. This is because individuals visiting 7 or 3 days before you may have already selected their rides, causing the available times to shift to later slots. Alternatively, you can choose to start your park day later and select rides with later available times.
OFF-SITE GUESTS
I remember that in past years, the availability off-site and the overall experience looked different because we didn't have the 60-day advantage (the old FastPass+ rule). Since FastPass+ was free, everyone used it, but with a paid service like Lightning Lane and Genie+, it may not be as big of a change. We'll have to wait for the data to see how things play out. But so far the data is showing, you are at a disadvantage but it is not impossible.
THE THROW AWAY OR BURNER RIDE
With FastPass+, we used to book a random early ride to start booking for the day when we felt times were not in our favor. Or we would even only book ONE ride just to burn it in the morning. And this strategy is back 100%. We are back in teh burner ride era and I will explain this more in the stratergies blog when you are planning your trip.
WHAT IF RIDES ARE SOLD OUT
Two words. Standby Skipper. Its the only way. You also have the option of Standby lines, Virtual Queues for a few of the popular rides, and you could get lucky the day of, we are seeing a pattern where Disney is doing small drop through out the day if the rides are operating smoothly. So do not give up hope, but be prepared to use other strategies.
BASIC BOOKING STRATEGY FOR LIGHTING LANE MULTI PASS AND SINGLE PASS
Here is what Jessica would do? ( I referring to myself in third person!)
MAKE A LIST OF 5 RIDES FOR EACH PARK EACH DAY
We already know which rides are going to be the most popular. We understand the concept of Sellout order and that has not going to changed. Now that we are limited to tiers, please pick your family's top five attractions and list them in that order of importance to your family!
Example: Magic Kingom Park - TRON, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Teacups, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight
Ranking:
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Big Thunder Mountain
Teacups
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
TRON
Peter Pan’s Flight
STRATEGIZE
This is where understanding the park layout is going to be important. If you are coming from the front of EPCOT, you can choose Remy because it is easier to Rope Drop Frozen. Maximizing your day will look different, so going with a Rope Drop, Midday Break, and Stay Late strategy will always be your best bet. But you could also come early and leave early to reduce tantrums.
Know what your advantages are: Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours, are you doing an After Hours event or Holiday Party? Use all advantages to help strategize your vacation.
RANK
We already know what the most popular rides are going to be, sellout order will not change. Knowing now that we are limited to tiers, select your family's top five attractions and list them in that order.
TIME MATTERS
If we know Slinky Dog is the number one sellout, we go for that first. Then we look at the time we get—let's say we get 5 p.m. If it is later in the day, we may pick a ride that has an earlier time available, like Alien Swirling Saucer, which has Indiana Jones at 8 a.m., because we want to be able to book our next ride and make a tap in early.
If I am at Magic Kingdom - I know that we have Early Theme Park Entry so I could knock some of those Fantasyland Ride out like Teacups - but I do not want to wait for Peter Pan’s Flight. I can purchase 2 Single Pass attractions for TRON and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. So then I am left with
Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
If I know that Tiana’s will be the most popular right now - I think I should book this first and that takes away my Tier One Ride. Now I will pick TWO Tier Two rides with the EARLIEST times possible because I want to be able to start booking once I take in. More than likely Mickey’s PhilharMagic or Barnstormer. I want to pick time that is the earliest, and honestly you do not have to book both. But if the kids want to ride then I will book both.
GET UP EARLY! AND PUT HARDER PARKS LATER IN THE WEEK
Just like booking dining reservations, there is usually more availability for reservations on the later days of your trip. It's a good idea to schedule the trickier parks the same way Disney's Hollywood Studios I am looking at you!
On the day of booking, ensure you have a handwritten list ready for each park you plan to book. Remember, booking starts at 7 am Disney World Time, so it's best to rise and review your plan early. While I'm not certain about the number of people in your party who can book simultaneously, having multiple people booking for different days can certainly reduce stress for each person.
MODIFY
After you have finished booking, you can modify rides for individuals in the group. If you know that not everyone will ride Slinky Dog or Tower of Terror. Majority rules for initial booking! You can change the people in your party who will not ride to a different ride. Then, go in and modify dining reservations and set new dining alerts. This will give you a better overall view of your day. I promise you will eventually love it!
I promise this change is a positive one and will help you be more relaxed on your Disney Vacation. Let the kinks work its self out but its going to be amazing! If you want to download this FREE Lightning Lane PLanning sheet you can get it below!
Come back later this week for more stratergy!
Lightning Lane Blogs (more will be added as they are written)
How to Use My Disney Experience at Walt Disney World
What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass?
How to book Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass
How to Maximize Your Disney Day with Lightning Lane: Best Tips and Tricks
Lightning Lane Strategy for Magic Kingdom Park
Kid-Approved: The Ultimate Guide to Kid-Friendly Rides at Magic Kingdom
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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!
I am so happy to be on this journey with you.
