Find out how the handy Lightning Lane Multi Pass can help you skip the lines and ride more at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.
Crowds and lengthy wait times are par for the course at both Disney World and Disneyland theme parks. But there is a way to ride more attractions and shorten your wait: It’s called Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and it’s your (paid) ticket to skipping lines.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is the latest iteration of Disney’s “skip the line” service. Add it onto your theme park tickets, and you’ll only have to wait a fraction of the time in line compared to the standby queue. It can save you and your family a ton of time – and if you’re visiting with antsy kids who struggle to wait, it can be a real lifesaver on crowded days.
We’re breaking down everything you need to know about Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass, whether you’re headed to Disney World or Disneyland for your next vacation.
About Lightning Lane Multi Pass
- What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
- How Lightning Lane Multi Pass Works
- How Much Does Lightning Lane Multi Pass Cost?
What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a paid service you can add onto your Disney World or Disneyland theme park tickets. It’s a single-day service, though you can purchase it for multiple days if you’re planning a longer visit.
With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can select multi pass experiences – like attractions – with a “reserved” arrival window. When your arrival window opens, you can head over to the experience and enter through the Lightning Lane, skipping the standby queue.
Lightning Lane entry allows you to save time and shorten your wait. Typically, you’ll stand in line for under half an hour with a Lightning Lane, compared to an hour or more in the standby queue.
Plus, throughout the day, you can make multiple Lightning Lane reservations (though these are subject to availability.)
With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Disney World guests can also plan in advance. Guests in the U.S. and Canada will be able to choose up to three multi pass experiences and arrival windows in a single theme park before their visit.
Lastly, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will also include other perks, like digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos captured with Disney PhotoPass.
Here’s a comparison of Lightning Lane Multi Pass versus Single Pass at Disney World. Photo courtesy of Disney
What is Lightning Lane Single Pass?
If you simply want to skip the wait for a single attraction, you have an alternative to Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Lightning Lane Single Pass.
This service allows you to purchase just one Lightning Lane entry – and book just one arrival window – for a specific attraction. Only select attractions are available for Lightning Lane Single Pass, but these typically include the most in-demand rides.
The most important detail to remember? You do not have to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass in order to buy Lightning Lane Single Pass.
What is Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
For guests that are looking to pay one set price for entry to all Lightning Lanes, though, a new service is coming in October 2024. Disney has announced Lightning Lane Premier Pass for both Disney World and Disneyland.
The service will allow you to make a single purchase that will give you access to all Lightning Lanes at a certain park for a day (or both parks at Disneyland). You won’t need to choose a specific arrival time but instead can ride all the rides you’d like, with access to each ride’s Lightning Lane once throughout the day. Basically, this is a way to make your day especially flexible and access all the rides you want without an extended wait.
Similar to Lightning Lane Multi Pass, your purchase will also include photo perks, such as digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos.
For Disney World, Lightning Lane Premier Pass can be purchased seven days in advance, and at Disney World is available for one park per day. With your purchase, you will have access to one Lightning Lane use per ride for the day, with the price varying by the park and date.When it launches, prices will range from $129 to $449 (per pass, plus tax).
At Disneyland, Premier Pass gives you acess to both parks, and can be purchased two days in advance. When it debuts, Disneyland’s Premier Pass will be $400 (per pass, plus tax) throughout 2024. In 2025, pricing will vary by date and demand, ranging from $300 to $400 (per pass, plus tax).
What Happened to Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes?
If you visited Disney World or Disneyland prior to July 24, 2024, then you’re likely wondering what happened to the original Lightning Lanes – which were available through Genie+.
Genie+ was a paid service that replaced FastPass and MaxPass. If you purchased Genie+, you could book Lightning Lanes for various attractions at both Disney World and Disneyland theme parks. The price varied depending on the day and current demand levels.
Now, Lightning Lane Multi Pass has taken the place of Genie+. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is the new name for Genie+. In many ways, the two services work similarly (or, if you’re at Disneyland, they’re identical.)
Individual Lightning Lanes have also been renamed as of July 2024. Guests could previously purchase up to two Individual Lightning Lanes for standalone attractions, like Rise of the Resistance, per day instead of paying for a full day of Genie+.
Now, Individual Lightning Lanes are called Lightning Lane Single Pass. They work in the exact same way as the previous iteration, just under a slightly different name.
How Lightning Lane Multi Pass Works
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is slightly complicated, but once you use it once, you’ll get the hang of its quirks and processes.
If you’ve ever used any of Disney World or Disneyland’s other services, like FastPass+ or Genie+, you’ll likely find it easy and helpful as you plan out your day (especially with kids!) However, there are some significant differences between Disney World and Disneyland in how the service works and how it can be used once you’re in the parks.
Lighting Lane Multi Pass at Disney World
Disney World’s version of Lightning Lane Multi Pass is the more complicated version – but it also allows guests to plan in advance, which is very handy.
If you know you’re going to want to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass during your Disney World vacation, you can purchase the service in advance. However, if you’re unsure, you can always purchase it day-of in the theme parks, too.
If you want to plan ahead, you can buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass and pick your first Lightning Lane reservations before arriving. Here’s how it works:
- Guests who are staying at a Disney World Resort hotel (or other select hotels with on-site benefits) can buy Multi Pass and book Lightning Lanes up to 7 days in advance of their trip for the length of their stay (up to 14 days)
- All other guests can buy Multi Pass and book Lightning Lanes up to 3 days in advance, with amount they are able to book dependent on their ticket type:
- Guests With Date-Based Tickets: Can start purchasing three 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 for the current day and up to three consecutive future days.
- Annual Passholders: Passholders can purchase for the current day and up to three consecutive future days.
This works for both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass – so yes, you can nab a spot for supremely popular rides like TRON Lightcycle / Run 3 to 7 days in advance.
Here’s a preview of how Lightning Lane Multi Pass works for Disney World. Photo courtesy of Disney
Once you’ve arrived at a theme park and used your first Lightning Lane reservation, you can then make another (subject to availability, of course.). If you have a Park Hopper option or are a Passholder, you can select from other theme parks once your initial three selections have been redeemed.
Whether or not you opt to plan some of your Lightning Lanes in advance, all Lightning Lane Multi Pass users will be able to choose attractions for the day based on a tier system. All guests who purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass can make up to three Lightning Lane selections per day, choosing one from Group One and two from Group Two (if you ever used the former FastPass+, this probably sounds familiar!) The only exception to this tiered system is Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Group One attractions include some of the most popular attractions in the parks, while Group Two includes all other Lightning Lane eligible attractions. Here’s how it breaks down at each theme park (minus Animal Kingdom.)
EPCOT
Group One Attractions:
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin’ Around the World
Group Two Attractions:
- Journey Into Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE
- Spaceship Earth
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Turtle Talk With Crush
- Disney Pixar Short Film Festival
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Group One Attractions:
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Slinky Dog Dash
Group Two Attractions:
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania!
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
- Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
- Disney Junior Play and Dance!
- Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Muppet*Vision 3D
Magic Kingdom
Group One Attractions:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Space Mountain
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Group Two Attractions:
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- “it’s a small world”
- Dumbo The Flying Elephant
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickey’s Philharmagic
- Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
- The Barnstormer
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Journey of the Little Mermaid
Lighting Lane Multi Pass at Disneyland
While the switch from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi Pass brought plenty of changes to Disney World’s version of the service, it’s essentially unchanged at Disneyland Resort. Aside from the name change, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will continue to function just like Genie+ at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park.
Here’s how it works at Disneyland Resort:
- Purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass service for the day (which can be done before you arrive or the day of your visit)
- Select your first attraction and arrival window after you enter either Disneyland or California Adventure
- After redeeming your first Lightning Lane, you can select another
- You can continue to make Lightning Lane attraction selections one at a time throughout the day
There are no tiers or groups to choose from at Disneyland. All available Lightning Lane options will appear when you’re ready to book an arrival window.
How Much Does Lightning Lane Multi Pass Cost?
The cost of Lightning Lane Multi Pass is based on demand, which means it fluctuates throughout the year. During peak times – the most crowded times of the year – prices are higher.
Guests can see the daily cost of the service in the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps. Starting prices at both Disney World and Disneyland are:
- Disneyland Resort: $35
- Magic Kingdom: $29
- EPCOT: $21
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $26
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $18
However, keep in mind that Lightning Lane Multi Pass can range anywhere from $25 to $45 per day at Disney World, with the busiest times of the year (most notably, the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s) seeing the highest prices.
