Your complete guide to Lightning Lanes
We all know that waiting in lines at Walt Disney World can be a pain in the boo-tay. Thankfully,Lightning Lanes come in clutch with skipping long lines. Bad news is that the program can be a little.... complicated.
This guide will break down exactly how to tackle your day at Disney World with Lightning Lanes!
Let's get down to business
follow along!
Make sure to watch the video for this chapter to get even more info!
WATCH THE VIDEO
Skip to the timestamps below for each topic:
TERMS:
ATTRACTIONS:
HOW TO USE:
TIPS & TRICKS:
EXAMPLES:
FAQs:
Terminology
Single Pass Lightning Lane (SPLL)
A paid, per-person reservation allowing you to enter the Lightning Lane for a select attraction not available with Multi Pass. When you purchase a SPLL, you are paying to enter into the Lightning Lane for that attraction, and that attraction only. See the current list of attractions here.
Lightning Lanes can be pre-booked before your arrival and also throughout your park day. More info on how to book can be found here.
Lightning Lanes can be pre-booked before your arrival and also throughout your park day. More info on how to book can be found here.
Multi Pass Lightning Lane (MPLL)
A paid, per-person, per-day ‘skip the standby queue’ system that allows you to enter the Lightning Lane for participating attractions with a reservation. When you purchase a MPLL, you are paying to enter into the Lightning Lane for any attraction that is included in the MPLL list. See current list of attractions here.
Lightning Lanes can be pre-booked before your arrival and also throughout your park day. More info on how to book can be found here.
Lightning Lanes can be pre-booked before your arrival and also throughout your park day. More info on how to book can be found here.
PremierPass Lightning Lane (PPLL)
A paid, per-person, per-day ‘skip the standby queue’ system that allows you to enter the Lightning Lane for participating attractions. When you purchase a PPLL, you are paying to enter into the Lightning Lane for any attraction that is included in the SPLL AND MPLL list. See current list of attractions here.
Unlike the SPLL and MPLL system, you do not have to make any reservations to enter into the LL. Instead, you may just walk up to the attraction and enter into the LL. See more info on how to do your park day with PPLL here.
Unlike the SPLL and MPLL system, you do not have to make any reservations to enter into the LL. Instead, you may just walk up to the attraction and enter into the LL. See more info on how to do your park day with PPLL here.
LIGHTNING LANE ATTRACTIONS
SP
- Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train (38")
- TRON: Lightcycle / Run (48")
MP
MAGIC KINGDOM
EPCOT
HOLLYWOOD STUIDOS
ANIMAL KINGDOM
- 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
- Guardians of the Galaxy (42")
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE (40")
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Spaceship Earth
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance (40")
- Flight of passage (44")
- 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 Adventure Continues (40")
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ (40")
- Toy Story Mania!
- DINOSAUR (40")
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (44")
- 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 (38")
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Naʻvi River Journey
Bolded attractions=recommended LL BOOKING
MP
SP
MP
SP
SP
MP
PINK Italic attractions = tier 1,
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40")
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Space Mountain (44")
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (40")
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin' Around the World (40")
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (38")
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (48")
- Slinky Dog DasH (38")
Regular font attractions = tier 2
how to book lightning lanes
park hopping
- You can pre-book up to 3 MultiPass attractions and up to 2 SinglePass attractions before you check-in
- If staying on-property, pre-book up to 7 days in advance
- If staying off property/Annual Passholder, pre-book up to 3 days in advance
- When booking MultiPass attractions, you may choose 1 Tier 1 attractions, and 2 Tier 2 attractions
- You can book another Lightning Lane once you scan into your first MultiPass ride
- Your next Lightning Lane can be from any tier, or any park, as long as it's available.
- You technically have an "unlimited" amount of times that you book additional LLs throughout the day. As long as there are reservation times available, you can book as many as you like.
- If you are planning on Park Hopping, you must pre-book your MP LL selections for you first park only
- You can book any tier MP LL for the next park as soon as you scan into your first MP LL at the first park
- If pre-booking SP LL for multiple parks, you may want to book 1 SP LL for the first park, and the other SP LL for the 2nd park
SEE SCREENSHOTS
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
THE AVERAGE LIGHTNING LANE WAIT TIME IS 5-10 MINUTES!
fyi
PRE ARRIVAL
BOOK MORE
JUMP TO SINGLEPASS & PREMIERPASS LIGHTNING LANES
THE AVERAGE LIGHTNING LANE WAIT TIME IS 5-10 MINUTES!
fyi
1. Select "Purchase" under the Lightning Lane section of the MDE app up to 7 days or 3 days before you arrive.
2. Select the date you want to purchase SP or MP Lightning Lanes
3. Select the park you are booking LL for.
If Park Hopping, select your first park of the day.
If Park Hopping, select your first park of the day.
4. Choose your booking party.
park hopping
- You can pre-book up to 3 Multi Pass attractions and up to 2 Single Pass attractions before you check-in
- If staying on-property, pre-book up to 7 days in advance
- If staying off property/Annual Passholder, pre-book up to 3 days in advance
- When booking Multi Pass attractions, you may choose 1 Tier 1 attractions, and 2 Tier 2 attractions
- You can book another Lightning Lane once you scan into your first Multi Pass ride
- Your next Lightning Lane can be from any tier, or any park, as long as it's available.
- If you are planning on Park Hopping, you must pre-book your MP LL selections for you first park only
- You can book any tier MP LL for the next park as soon as you scan into your first MP LL at the first park
- If pre-booking SP LL for multiple parks, you may want to book 1 SP LL for the first park, and the other SP LL for the 2nd park
SEE SCREENSHOTS
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
PRE ARRIVAL
BOOK MORE
5. Select your attractions from the provided list.
6. Review your confirmed times. These reservations will be saved for 5 minutes until payment is complete.
7. Follow the prompts to completed payment, and select Plan Another Day if you are purchasing for more days.
how to book lightning lanes
THE AVERAGE LIGHTNING LANE WAIT TIME IS 5-10 MINUTES!
fyi
You're at Magic Kingdom and you scan into Haunted Mansion (a tier 1), you can now book Jungle Cruise (a tier 2).
park hopping
- You can pre-book up to 3 Multi Pass attractions and up to 2 Single Pass attractions before you check-in
- If staying on-property, pre-book up to 7 days in advance
- If staying off property/Annual Passholder, pre-book up to 3 days in advance
- When booking Multi Pass attractions, you may choose 1 Tier 1 attractions, and 2 Tier 2 attractions
- You can book another Lightning Lane once you scan into your first Multi Pass ride
- Your next Lightning Lane can be from any tier, or any park, as long as it's available.
- If you are planning on Park Hopping, you must pre-book your MP LL selections for you first park only
- You can book any tier MP LL for the next park as soon as you scan into your first MP LL at the first park
- If pre-booking SP LL for multiple parks, you may want to book 1 SP LL for the first park, and the other SP LL for the 2nd park
SEE SCREENSHOTS
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
PRE ARRIVAL
BOOK MORE
how to book lightning lanes
HOW TO BOOK MORE:
- Go to the Tip Board under the My Day section of the MDE Home Page
- Tap on the park where you want to book additional Lightning Lanes
- Choose from the list of available Lightning Lanes. You will be able to see the earliest reservation time within the attraction's info
THE AVERAGE LIGHTNING LANE WAIT TIME IS 5-10 MINUTES!
fyi
You're at Epcot and scan into your Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Frozen Ever After at 9:30am and now you can book Slinky Dog Dash for 7:30pm in Hollywood Studios (since you're hopping there later).
park hopping
- You can pre-book up to 3 Multi Pass attractions and up to 2 Single Pass attractions before you check-in
- If staying on-property, pre-book up to 7 days in advance
- If staying off property/Annual Passholder, pre-book up to 3 days in advance
- When booking Multi Pass attractions, you may choose 1 Tier 1 attractions, and 2 Tier 2 attractions
- You can book another Lightning Lane once you scan into your first Multi Pass ride
- Your next Lightning Lane can be from any tier, or any park, as long as it's available.
- If you are planning on Park Hopping, you must pre-book your MP LL selections for you first park only
- You can book any tier MP LL for the next park as soon as you scan into your first MP LL at the first park
- If pre-booking SP LL for multiple parks, you may want to book 1 SP LL for the first park, and the other SP LL for the 2nd park
SEE SCREENSHOTS
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
PRE ARRIVAL
BOOK MORE
how to book lightning lanes
SINGLEPASS LIGHTNING LANES
- Booking (purchasing) Single Pass Lightning Lanes works the same way as booking Multi Pass Lightning Lanes
- SPLL's are limited to 2, per person, per day
PREMIERPASS LIGHTNING LANES
- PremierPass Lightning Lanes are only available for guests staying at a Disney World Resort hotel, and participating Good Neighbor hotels.
- You can purchase PP LL up to 7 days before your check in date
- You may use PP LL once per attraction at the park you purchase it at
- If you plan on using Lighting Lanes to ride an attraction more than once, or you plan on Park Hopping, you will need to purchase either SinglePass or MultiPass for that same day.
modifying & canceling lightning lanes
Did your group decide on a different attraction? Do you
Why modify lighting lanes?
TO GET A SOONER RETURN TIME
Earlier return times for attractions may come out through the day as others are modifying/canceling. Refresh until your sooner preferred time comes available.
YOU WON'T MAKE IT IN TIME
You can select a different return time, or cancel the selection.
SWAP FOR DIFFERENT ATTRACTION
The attraction must be in the same park as the attraction you are swapping with.
have a dining reservation running late and need to push back your Lightning Lane return time? Do you need to head back to your hotel for a break? Don't feel like you are stuck with your Genie+ selections! You can modify and cancel your selections very easily in the MDE app.
Did your group decide on a different attraction? Do you have a dining reservation running late and need to push back your Lightning Lane return time? Do you need to head back to your hotel for a break? Don't feel like you are stuck with your Lightning Lane selections! You can modify and cancel your selections very easily in the MDE app.
How to enter
lightning lanes
Each member of your party that is entering through the Lightning Lane will need to scan in at the front of the attraction. You can do this 1 of 3 ways:
- A Magic Band or Magic Band+
- Magic Mobile on your phone or smart watch
- A Key to the World ticket
TIPS
EPCOT TOP PICKS
- Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin' Around the World (40")
Tier 1
Tier 2
- Spaceship Earth
- The Seas with Nemo and Friends
- Living with the Land
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
Note:
Wait times for Tier 2 rides at Epcot are generally low (30 min or less). I would advise on your park day to focus on booking Tier 1 rides after your first LL scan.
PHONE BATTERY
Your phone battery will probably not last through the whole day. I recommend getting a portable Fuel Rod off Amazon to keep in your park bag. You can replace dead Fuel Rods at the kiosks all throughout the parks for free!
STANDBY SKIPPER
Don't feel like being attached to your phone all day? Let someone else do all the work for you! Download the Standby Skipper app to have this service book all the Lightning Lanes for you!
Magic Kingdom
Multi Pass Pre-Booked Attractions
- 9 am - Pirates of the Caribbean
- 10:15 am - Haunted Mansion
- 11:15 am - Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Single Pass Pre-Booked Attraction
- 9:30 am - Tron Lightcycle/Run
8:30 am - Ride Seven Dwarf Mine Train during early entry
9 am - Pirates of the Caribbean LL; Immediately after scanning, book LL for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for around 10:30 am
9:30 am - Tron Lightcyle/Run
10:15 am - Haunted Mansion LL; Immediately after scanning, book LL for Jungle Cruise around 4 pm
10:30 am - Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road LL; immediately after scanning, book LL for Space Mountain for around 1:45 pm
11:15 am - Tiana's Bayou Adventure; immediately after scanning, book LL for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin for the early evening
12 pm - Lunch Break
1:45 pm - Space Mountain LL; immediately after scanning, book LL for a character meet and greet for before/after dinner time
2:15 pm - Get in spot for Festival of Fantasy Parade
3 pm - Festival of Fantasy Parade
4 pm - Jungle Cruise
5 pm - Dinner break
6-7:30 pm - Misc LLs, shopping on Main St.
7:30 - Get in spot for Happily Ever After
8 pm - Happily Ever After
SAMPLE ITINERARIES
EPCOT
SAMPLE ITINERARIES
Multi Pass Pre-Booked Attractions
- 9 am - Frozen Ever After
- 10:15 am - Spaceship Earth
- 11:15 am - Living with the Land
Single Pass Pre-Booked Attraction
- 4:30 pm - Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
8:30 am - Ride Soarin' during early entry
9 am - Frozen Ever After LL; Immediately after scanning, book LL for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure for around 1 pm
9:30 am - Grad Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros
10:15 am - Spaceship Earth LL; Immediately after scanning get LL for Journey Into Imagination with Figment
11:15 am - Living with the Land LL
12 pm - Lunch Break
1 pm - Frozen Ever After
2-4pm - Explore World Showcase, snack around the world, do festival activities (if applicable), meet characters
4:30 pm - Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind LL
5 pm - The Seas with Nemo and Friends and explore the sqarium
5:30 pm - Journey into Imagination with Figment
6 pm - Dinner Break
7-8 pm - Shopping, ride any rides you didn't get to
8 pm - Get spot for fireworks
9 pm - Fireworks
Hollywood Studios
SAMPLE ITINERARIES
MultiPass Pre-Booked Attractions
SinglePass Pre-Booked Attraction
7:30 am - Leave your hotel and head towards Hollywood Studios
7:50 am - Arrive Hollywood Studios; Immediately head towards Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway to get in line for Early Entry.
8:30 am - Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway during Early Entry
9:15 am - Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run(38") Accounts for riding twice if using Rider Switch.
10:40 am - Rise of the Resistance (40") LL. Accounts for riding twice if using Rider Switch
11:30 am - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (40") LL; Immediately after scanning, book a LL for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (48"), aiming for a time around 5 pm
12-1 pm - Lunch Break
1:15 pm - Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
2:50 pm - Toy Story Mania! LL; Immediately after scanning, book a LL for Alien Swirling Saucers, aiming for a time around 4:20 pm
3:05 pm - Slinky Dog Dash (38") LL; Immediately after scanning, book a LL for anything available
3:30 pm - For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along
4:20 pm: Alien Swirling Saucers LL
5 pm - Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (38") LL
5:30-6:30 pm - Dinner Break
6:30-7:30 pm - Shop, misc LL, character meet and greets
7:30 pm - Get in spot for Fantasmic!
8:00 pm - Fantasmic!
- Slinky Dog Dash (38"): 3:05 pm
- Toy Story Mania: 2:50 pm
- Tower of Terror (40"): 11 am
SinglePass Pre-Booked Attraction
- Rise of the Resistance (40"): 10:40 am
7:30 am - Leave your hotel and head towards Hollywood Studios
7:50 am - Arrive Hollywood Studios; Immediately head towards Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway to get in line for Early Entry.
8:30 am - Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway during Early Entry
9:15 am - Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run(38") Accounts for riding twice if using Rider Switch.
10:40 am - Rise of the Resistance (40") LL. Accounts for riding twice if using Rider Switch
11:30 am - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (40") LL; Immediately after scanning, book a LL for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (48"), aiming for a time around 5 pm
12-1 pm - Lunch Break
1:15 pm - Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
2:50 pm - Toy Story Mania! LL; Immediately after scanning, book a LL for Alien Swirling Saucers, aiming for a time around 4:20 pm
3:05 pm - Slinky Dog Dash (38") LL; Immediately after scanning, book a LL for anything available
3:30 pm - For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along
4:20 pm: Alien Swirling Saucers LL
5 pm - Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (38") LL
5:30-6:30 pm - Dinner Break
6:30-7:30 pm - Shop, misc LL, character meet and greets
7:30 pm - Get in spot for Fantasmic!
8:00 pm - Fantasmic!
Animal Kingdom
MultiPass Pre-Booked Attractions
SinglePass Pre-Booked Attraction
6:45 am - Leave your hotel and head towards Animal Kingdom
7:15 am - Arrive Animal Kingdom; Immediately head towards Pandora to get in line for Na'vi River Journey
7:30 am - Na'vi River Journey
8 am - Breakfast
8:50 am - Flight of Passage (44") LL (accounts for riding twice, if using Rider Switch)
9:40 am - Kilimanjaro Safari LL
10 am - Festival of the Lion King LL
11 am - Gorilla Falls Exploration Trails
11:45 am - Maharajah Jungle Trek
12:20 pm - Expedition Everest(44") LL (accounts for riding twice, if using Rider Switch)
1:10 pm - Lunch at Yak & Yeti
2:50 pm: Wildlife Express (Africa Station) to Rafiki's Planet Watch
3:20 pm: Affection Station and explore Rafiki's Planet Watch
4 pm - Wildlife Express back to Africa Station
4:15 pm - Discovery Island Trails
- Kilimanjaro Safari 9:40 am
- Expedition Everest (44") 12:20 pm
- Festival of the Lion King 10 am
SinglePass Pre-Booked Attraction
- Flight of Passage (44") 8:50 am
6:45 am - Leave your hotel and head towards Animal Kingdom
7:15 am - Arrive Animal Kingdom; Immediately head towards Pandora to get in line for Na'vi River Journey
7:30 am - Na'vi River Journey
8 am - Breakfast
8:50 am - Flight of Passage (44") LL (accounts for riding twice, if using Rider Switch)
9:40 am - Kilimanjaro Safari LL
10 am - Festival of the Lion King LL
11 am - Gorilla Falls Exploration Trails
11:45 am - Maharajah Jungle Trek
12:20 pm - Expedition Everest(44") LL (accounts for riding twice, if using Rider Switch)
1:10 pm - Lunch at Yak & Yeti
2:50 pm: Wildlife Express (Africa Station) to Rafiki's Planet Watch
3:20 pm: Affection Station and explore Rafiki's Planet Watch
4 pm - Wildlife Express back to Africa Station
4:15 pm - Discovery Island Trails
SAMPLE ITINERARIES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW MUCH DO MULTI PASS LIGHTNING LANES COST?
Pricing varies by day and by park. As of today, the minimum price has been $15 per person, per day and the maximum has been $35 per person.
HOW MUCH DO SINGLE PASS lightning lanes cost?
Pricing varies per day and per attraction. As of today, the minimum has been $9 per person and the maximum has been $27 per person.
do i have to purchase MP LL'S if i only want to ride SP LL attractions?
No! You can purchase SP LL's without purchasing MP LL for the day.
Can LIGHTNING LANES SELL OUT?
Yes, both attractions and SP/MP LL as a whole will sell out during busy days.
do SP/MP LL attractions ever change?
Yes, these attractions can change without notice. I try to check these reguarly to make sure the list of attractions are always correct in this guide.
HOW DOES PARK HOPPING WORK with ll passes?
As long as you have a Park Hopper ticket, you can book a Lightning Lane in the park you're hopping to after you scan into your first pre-booked Multi Pass.
What do i do if my ll attraction breaks down during my return window?
Most likely a Multiple Experience Pass will show up on the MDE homepage, which you can redeem for any Lightning Lane attraction.
ARE LL'S available during early entry/extended evening hours?
No, it is only available during normal park hours and ticketed after-hour events.
HOW DOES THIS WORK WITH RIDER SWITCH?
Everyone who wants to use the Lightning Lane in the first group would ALL need to have a Lightning Lane booked. Ie: you can't cheat the system and only book for 1 parent, and then switch.
HOW MUCH DO PREMIER PASS lightning lanes cost?
Pricing varies per day and per park. As of today, the minimum has been $129 per person and the maximum has been $449 per person.
I'm brittany
Hiya, Pal!
Your Disney Planner BFF
but you can call me Britt
I'm a self-taught graphic designer, wife & mama, born-and-raised FL girl, and your new official Disney Planner BFF.
I have loved Disney as long as I can remember. I was the girl that was Princess Jasmine for Halloween 3 years in a row because I was literally that obsessed. I also rewatched Beauty and the Beast on VHS so often that I eventually broke the tape. (90's kids, iykyk.)
I went to Disney World for the first time at 4 years old, but didn't get to go again until my late 20's. Even though I live almost 7 hours away, my little family & I try to go as often as we can. My daughter (who may be more obsessed with Disney Princesses than I am) says that Magic Kingdom is her favorite place in the world. I can't disagree with her.
My love for Disney World, plus me being a text-book Enneagram 2w3, led me down the path of Disney travel planning. I love using my Disney knowledge to help others have a relaxing and memory-filled family vacation.
