Lightning Lane is a great system that lets you make your theme park visit easier and more fun. There are two different options for Guests to utilize – Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. The Lightning Lane service can be found in the My Disney Experience mobile app. Lightning Lane does have a cost. This service allows you the opportunity to use Lightning Lane entrances at select attractions and experiences at the Walt Disney World theme parks. (These are the former FastPass+ queues.)
With Lightning Lane, Guests are able to enjoy ride one attraction or see one show once per day. If you’d like to experience the attraction again within the same day, you’ll need to use the standby line.
Lightning Lane varies in pricing, based on the date the Guest is visiting, much like theme park tickets currently do. Pricing is lower on less busy days and it will cost you more to use the Lightning Lane service on busier, peak days.
Disney has also introduced individual park pricing for those looking to take advantage of Lightning Lane. Guests at Walt Disney World will now be able to purchase Lightning Lane based on how they want to visit. Guests who purchase Lightning Lane will be able to use this service at either a single park OR if you purchase the Park Hopper option, you can use it for that too. In addition some Walt Disney World theme parks may offer lower pricing for Lightning Lane than other parks.
Experiences may vary by date and are subject to change or closure. There’s limited availability for experiences. Also they may not be available at all on the date of visit. Or it is possible they are not available at the specific time you are looking for. Also, in order to be able to use Lightning Lane, Guests will need to have valid admission.
How Will Lightning Lane Work?
Lightning Lane Multi Pass
When you purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you will have the ability to make up to 3 attraction selections in a theme park, in advance of your visit. You’ll also be able to choose available times as you make your selections.
On the day of your visit, once you use a selection, you’ll be able to check the My Disney Experience app for availability to make an additional attraction selections.
Lightning Lane Single Pass
Lightning Lane Single Pass will work much like it already does. Guests can secure a time to ride the park’s most popular attractions, but you’ll now be able to make your purchase and plan in advance.
How Can You Plan Ahead?
By having the opportunity to pre-plan your selections, it will allow Guests the chance to choose times that work best for your schedule, like working with dining reservations or any other plans that have been pre-planned.
Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel and other select hotels will be able to plan their attractions up to 7 days in advance beginning at 7:00 a.m., for their entire stay (up to 14 days). All other Guests will have the opportunity to plan up to 3 days in advance beginning at 7:00 a.m.
EPCOT Lightning Lane Tips and Strategies
Getting the most out of both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Individual Pass first involves preparation. For Lightning Lane, you definitely want to have completed your purchase before you try to make your first booking. You need to buy through the My Disney Experience app starting at midnight.
At 7 a.m., Guests are able to start making their first Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations and their Lightning Lane Single Pass reservations at that time. You will want to start choosing your attractions as close to 7 a.m. as possible for the best selection.
To optimize the number of attractions you’ll be able to see, you’ll want to start booking your next Lightning Lane attraction as early as possible in the day and AS SOON AS you scan through that final touch point at the attraction.
How to Purchase
Same Day of Visit:
Available for existing ticket holders or Annual Passholders. Purchase via Lightning Lane service in the My Disney Experience mobile app.
What Are Lightning Lane Single Pass Attractions?
Guests will need to purchase access for Lightning Lane entrances individually for the most popular attractions. Guests may purchase and select an arrival window one at a time for up to 2 of these attractions a day. (If available.) This option is available for all Guests, no matter whether you’ve already purchased Lightning Lane Multi Pass or not. The pricing varies by attraction, and can even vary by day. Guests will find out the cost of the Lightning Lane Single Pass access in the My Disney Experience app for the day of their visit. To purchase, you can do so within the Disney Genie service Tip Board or My Day itinerary in the app.
Guests of a Disney Resort Hotel will be able to make their first purchase starting at 7:00 AM up to 7 days ahead of their visit for up to 14 vacation days. This option is available to Disney Resort hotel Guests and Guests of Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green. All other Guests will have the opportunity to plan up to 3 days in advance beginning at 7:00 a.m.
Use our Lightning Lane Guide.
Attractions
Currently, Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions are:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Currently, Lightning Lane Multi Pass is available for the following EPCOT rides, shows, and experiences:
Choose up to one experience from this group:
Choose your other 2 experiences—or all 3—from this group:
- Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
- Journey Into Imagination With Figment
- Living With the Land
- Mission:SPACE Green or Orange
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Spaceship Earth
- Turtle Talk With Crush
Disney Lightning Lane Tips for EPCOT
Here are a few tips to help you decide which experiences you should choose depending on your touring party.
EPCOT Disney Genie + General Strategy
The EPCOT Lightning Lane strategy requires guests to make decisions about what is most important to them. The biggest challenge for guests is that the most popular attractions are Frozen Ever After, Soarin’ and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. (You’ll also want to purchase Individual Lightning Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.)
If you and your group are up for anything and just want to experience all that the park has to offer, the attractions for which Lightning Lane Multi Pass will save you the most time are generally Frozen Ever After, and Spaceship Earth. You also might want to consider choosing Mission Space.
If you still wanted to experience Soarin’ and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure with as little wait as possible, the fastest way to do that is probably to head straight to Soarin’ when the park opens, and then head straight back to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
The attractions on this list that generally have little to no wait include Living with the Land and the Pixar Short Film Festival.
Groups with Small Children
If you are visiting EPCOT with small children, you most likely should choose Frozen Ever After. This is still newer attraction for EPCOT. It’s also one of the most appealing attractions for children so riding this attraction with Lightning Lane Multi Pass is key. Standby wait times here will likely be long. If you think you will want to experience this attraction, try to make a Lightning Lane reservation for it.
Additional child-centric options that will generally save you the most time are The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Journey Into Imagination with Figment. The lines for Journey Into Imagination can be a little unpredictable, so if you have access to Lightning Lane, you might want to consider it, but if the standby line is short, your next best option to save time is probably Spaceship Earth.
Thrill Seekers
At the moment, the EPCOT Lightning Lane options for Thrill Seekers are a little limited. Of course, you’ll want to purchase the Lightning Lane Single Pass option for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. You should also definitely consider getting Lightning Lane reservation for Mission:SPACE Orange. Soarin’ is a fantastic option, although less of a thrill ride. And finally, while not so much thrilling, Spaceship Earth is going to be the next best option for a Lightning Lane Reservation.
Tips and Tricks
As an extra help, Guests are able to use the My Disney Experience app to check your My Day itinerary or Tip Board to see when you’re eligible to make another selection.
For quicker access to select attractions and entertainment at Walt Disney World, when using Lightning Lane, you should choose the next available attraction arrival window.
When booking those Lightning Lane reservations, you should “stack” reservations close to each other. This means that you can experience numerous attractions in quick succession. Be sure you give yourself enough time to experience the attractions and travel to the next. You’ll then want to start making your next reservation as soon as you use your first reservation.
Guests are also able to book a Lightning Lane reservation for a park that they have not yet park hopped to. So if you are planning on hopping, you can make a reservation for an attraction in the park you’re planning to hop to before you begin your travel to save time upon arrival.