Is Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass Worth it?

Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a line skipping service at Walt Disney World in Florida. It’s a paid service that replaced Genie+ in July 2024 (and previously the free FastPass).

Lightning Lane Multi Pass can save you a lot of time waiting in line, but it can be confusing, and it’s not always worth it in every situation at every park.

This Disney Lightning Lane guide explains how Single and Multi Pass Lightning Lanes work, suggests the best parks and rides to use them on, answers common FAQs, and will help you decide if the extra cost is worth it for you.

I also share exactly how much time Lightning Lanes saved us on our latest Disney trip.

Contents

• What Is Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass vs Genie Plus
• Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass Price
• Park Hopping with Multi Pass
• When Can You Book Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides?
• When You Should Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• What Is Lighting Lane Single Pass?
• What Is Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
• How to Book Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides
• Using Multi Pass in the Parks
• The Best Disney World Parks to Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass
• How Much Time Can Lightning Lane Multi Pass Save?
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides List and Priorities
• Is Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass Worth It?
• More Disney Posts

What Is Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a paid service that allows you to skip the line on certain Disney World rides.

You may still have a short wait when using Lightning Lanes, but we rarely waited more than 10 minutes (and then only when the standby queue was much longer).

You can purchase Multi Pass via the My Disney Experience app, and it includes one-time access to every Multi Pass ride in the park (or parks) you are visiting that day (see below for the included rides).

You can select up to three Multi Pass rides at a time (bookable 3-7 days in advance). Once you’ve ridden one ride, you can select another, but rides do sell out, so your choice is never guaranteed.

I explain in more detail below how to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass, as it’s important to know the rules to get the most out of the service.

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Lightning Lane Multi Pass vs Genie Plus

Lightning Lane Multi Pass replaced Disney Genie+ in July 2024.

Multi Pass is similar to Genie+ but with an important difference—you can now book up to three rides in advance (rather than one ride only on the day as for Genie+). I explain how the booking process works below.

Unfortunately, this means that rides sell out much faster now. We also found we spent more time on our phone with Multi Pass than Genie+ as we were managing three bookings at once—trying to find better ride times, booking new rides as soon as we tapped into one, checking for the elusive Tiana refill.

We preferred Genie+ but Multi Pass is still a worthwhile time saving tool.

In addition, Individual Lightning Lane was renamed Lightning Lane Single Pass, and it can be booked in advance now—again, this means it sells out faster than previously.

Genie+ was also renamed Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Disneyland California, but there was no change in functionality—you still can not book ahead in California.

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Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass Price

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass cost varies depending on how busy the parks are when you visit. Pricing is based on the park you will start the day in.

So far the pre-tax price ranges per day have been:

• Magic Kingdom: $23-39
• Hollywood Studios: $22-35
• Epcot: $18-32
• Animal Kingdom: $18-29

The highest prices are during peak times such as spring break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/New Year.

The lowest prices are usually in mid January, some dates in February and May, late August, early September, and early December.

Unfortunately, you won’t know until the day you book exactly how much Multi Pass will cost you.

See this Multi Pass price calendar for an estimate and this price tracker for historical data.

At busy times, access to Disney Multi Pass can sell out. This only happens rarely, but to be on the safe side, purchase it 3-7 days in advance. You’ll get the most for your money and the best choice of rides this way.

This guide will help you decide if Lightning Lane Multi Pass is worth it for you.

If the high cost of a Disney trip is a concern, see our tips for visiting Disney World on a budget.

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Park Hopping with Multi Pass

Park hopping is now free with Lightning Lane Multi Pass as long as you have a park hopper ticket.

The Disney World Multi Pass price will be based on the park you want to start in. The first three attractions you book must be for that park.

Once you have entered that park and ridden your first ride with Multi Pass, you can choose another ride (and change your existing bookings) in any park. Of course, this will be subject to availability.

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When Can You Book Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides?

It is essential to book lightning lanes as far in advance as possible, so be sure to work out when you can book and add it to your calendar or set a reminder.

For On-Site Resort Guests

If you are staying in an official on-site Disney World resort hotel (and a few partner hotels such as the Swan and Dolphin), bookings for Lightning Lane Multi Pass rides open seven days in advance at 7am EST.

This is seven days before your check-in date, and you can book for your entire stay (up to 14 days). This gives you a major head start and you can book for multiple days at once.

For Off-Site Guests and Annual Passholders

If you are not staying in a Disney World hotel, you can book three days in advance of each park visit at 7am EST.

When Can International Guests Book Multi Pass?

When Multi Pass launched, international guests (everyone based outside the USA or Canada) could only book Lightning Lanes once they were in the USA.

This is no longer the case, and international guests can book the usual 3 or 7 days+ ahead as described above, even if they are still in their home country. We had no problems booking from the UK.

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When You Should Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Buying Multi Pass is not essential to enjoying your Disney World trip, but it can save you a lot of time.

Here’s when it’s definitely worth considering using Multi Pass:

• If you are visiting at a popular time of year – Ride wait times are longest during school breaks and federal holiday weekends. See this Disney crowd calendar for estimates.
• If you have limited time – If you only have one day (or less) per park, you’ll want to maximise your time.
• If you don’t want to get up early – The first hour of park opening is the best time to ride popular rides and I highly recommend getting an early start. If you really don’t want to, Multi Pass can help.
• If you don’t have Early Entry – If you stay in a Disney World hotel, you can enter every park 30 minutes before the official park opening for even shorter wait times.
• If you are park hopping – If you pay extra to make your Disney World ticket a Park Hopper, you can visit more than one park a day. You can use Multi Pass for both parks, so it’s better value for money.

Multi Pass is most useful at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios—I discuss each park in more detail below.

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What Is Lighting Lane Single Pass?

Lightning Lane Single Pass is the new name for Individual Lighting Lanes.

The most popular ride (or two) in each park is not included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass (which offers access to multiple rides in one day). If you want to skip the line for these attractions, you must purchase separate access.

You are able to purchase one Multi Pass and up to two Single Passes per day.

Bookings for Single Pass open at the same time as Multi Pass and they do sell out, so plan ahead.

When we missed out on the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy (which sold out in seconds), we decided to book a Single Pass, but the earliest slot was four days away.

Lightning Lane Single Pass Attractions

These rides are not included in Multi Pass but are available as Single Passes. I list them from most to least priority:

• Tron (Magic Kingdom) – Since the virtual queue was retired in September 2024, standby lines are long. You might want to purchase a Single Pass for $20-22. We bought one so that we could ride it at night on a busy park day and it saved us 75 minutes of queuing.
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Epcot) – This requires access via a free virtual queue (opening at 7am and 1pm). We bought a Single Pass so we could ride it again. It costs $14-19.
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Hollywood Studios) – We found the standby queue much shorter at the end of the day, so we didn’t need to purchase a Single Pass (which costs $22-25). But if you only have one day at Hollywood Studios, and don’t want to risk it, this ride is certainly worth it.
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom) – I really don’t think this ride is worth the $11-13, but you might disagree if you have kids. The waits are shortest at the end of the day.
• Avatar Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom) – We always ride this as soon as the park opens (ideally in Early Entry for resort hotel guests), so we haven’t needed to purchase one ($14-18).

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What Is Lightning Lane Premier Pass?

Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a new line skipping service that is only available for Disney resort guests (plus a few select partner hotels including the Swan and Dolphin).

It allows you to skip the lines on all lightning lane attractions (multi and single pass) at any time (once per ride).

This pass has a hefty fee ranging from $129 plus tax on a low crowd day at Animal Kingdom to $449 (!) plus tax on a busy day at Magic Kingdom.

This is a very expensive pass that I don’t recommend unless money is no object. Availability is limited and it can be purchased 7 days before your stay.

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How to Book Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides

1) Buy Your Disney World Ticket

First, you’ll need to purchase your Disney World ticket. This can be done as part of a Disney hotel booking (which is what we usually do) or separately.

You’ll also need to set up a Disney account if you don’t already have one (the same login works across all parks).

You should then link anyone you are travelling with so that you can make Lightning Lane reservations for everyone in your party. You can do that in the Profile section of the Disney app or website and go to Family and Friends List to add a guest.

2) Download the Disney App

To use Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you need to download the My Disney Experience App.

The app is essential for Disney World these days, not only to purchase Lightning Lanes and make your ride selections, but also to join virtual queues, check wait times, make dining reservations, order counter service food, check bus times, and much more.

I also recommend buying a Disney MagicBand or using the free Disney Magic Mobile Pass on your Apple Watch. You can use these as your park ticket and tap into Lightning Lane rides easily without having to take out your phone or ticket.

The MagicBand is slightly better if you are staying onsite as you can use it to enter your room or hotel pool. But if you already wear an Apple Watch, you may as well stick with that, as we did (you can use your phone to enter your room).

If you get MagicBand+, you can also play games and interact with sculptures and shows.

3) Plan Your Priority Rides

I recommend downloading the app, familiarising yourself with it (check ride wait times at various times of day), and planning your priority rides—see our guide to the best things to do in Disney World for ideas.

It’s also important to know which Multi Pass rides are most likely to sell out, so you can prioritise these. See our Lightning Lane Multi Pass ride guide for each park below.

This Lightning Lane availability chart shows the availability for the next three weeks, and you can see the rides that sell out.

4) Purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass

While you can purchase Multi Pass once you are in the parks, you’ll get much more from it if you book when your booking window opens either three or seven+ days in advance (see above).

At 7am EST on your booking day, go to the My Disney Experience app and click Purchase on the Lightning Lane button on the home page.

If you want to book the most popular rides (Tiana, Slinky Dog Dash, and Remy), you’ll want to be ready at 7am exactly.

You then choose the date from the calendar and which park you want Lightning Lanes for (your first park if you are park hopping).

You have the option to book Multi Pass and Single Pass in one transaction—just tick those that apply.

Next, choose who you are purchasing for (your linked family members should be listed), and you’ll get an updated cost.

Continue on to select your three attractions. All parks except Animal Kingdom use tiers, and you can only choose one Group A ride—see the park sections below for available rides and priorities.

I highly recommend choosing at least one ride with an early return time (close to park opening), even if it’s not a priority. Once you ride it, you’ll be able to select another ride (so you can always have three rides booked).

The app will automatically choose the earliest return times for your selected rides, but you can modify them if necessary.

Once you’ve made your selections, you have five minutes to complete your transaction and pay.

Resort guests can then purchase Multi Pass for another day if required. Offsite guests have to wait until three days before each park day.

Note that Lightning Lanes are non-refundable.

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Using Multi Pass in the Parks

Once you have entered the park (ideally at opening), I recommend riding one or two of the most popular rides in the standby queue before using your first Multi Pass (depending on your first return time).

Prioritise rides that are not available in Multi Pass like Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios and Avatar in Animal Kingdom.

Your Lightning Lane return time will be a one-hour window. So if you booked a 9am slot, you can ride any time between 9am and 10am.

Unofficially, you can tap into the ride five minutes early or up to 15 minutes late. This worked for us but try to avoid being late just in case this changes.

To maximise the rides you can secure in a day, ride at the beginning of your window.

The Lightning Lane is a separate entrance next to the standby entrance. You’ll need to tap into the ride at the Lightning Lane using your park ticket or, even easier, your MagicBand or Apple Watch (see above).

As soon as you have tapped into the ride, you can choose your next ride, so do this straight away in the line—don’t wait until you’ve ridden the ride!

You can always hold three Multi Pass selections (subject to availability), and once you’ve ridden your first ride, the tiers are no longer enforced, so you can choose from either tier. You can also book for another park as soon as you’ve tapped in.

If you are forced to choose a Lightning Lane return time later than you’d like, slots do get refills, so it’s worth checking again throughout the day, as earlier times may become available. You can modify your existing ride times in the app.

Note that you can only use Lightning Lanes for each ride once, so if you want to ride it again, wait until the end of the day when standby lines are shorter or use the single rider queue (if offered).

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The Best Disney World Parks to Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Hollywood Studios is one of the best parks to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass, especially for adults. There is a relatively limited number of rides, and wait times are long. It can save hours of queuing.

Magic Kingdom is also an excellent park to use Multi Pass and the top pick for small children. It’s easier to use than at Hollywood Studios as there are 18 attractions available with Multi Pass, so fewer rides sell out and return times tend to be earlier.

We managed without Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom by hustling to all the major rides in the first few hours. You might consider Multi Pass if you don’t have Early Entry, don’t want to hurry in the first few hours, or if you are park hopping.

I don’t think Multi Pass is necessary at Epcot if you have Early Entry—we managed all the popular rides without it. You might consider it if you are park hopping, can’t arrive early, or are visiting at peak times.

You can see the Lightning Lane Multi Pass priority rides for each park below.

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How Much Time Can Lightning Lane Multi Pass Save?

On our mid-November visit, we bought Multi Pass for Hollywood Studios and park hopped in the evening to Magic Kingdom.

We rode six attractions and saved 180 minutes (3 hours) compared to the standby line.

We probably could have fit in a few extra rides if we hadn’t taken an afternoon break and had stayed later at Magic Kingdom (we left at 9pm and it was open until 11pm with some Multi Pass availability left).

On a previous trip with Genie+, we saved 275 minutes (4.5 hours!) with five rides at Hollywood Studios, so the saving wasn’t quite as great with Multi Pass.

I think this is because it was a quieter day at Hollywood Studios (but much busier at Magic Kingdom as it was a rare non-Christmas party day).

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Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides List and Priorities

These are the rides included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World and the priorities for booking in advance.

Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides

Magic Kingdom has the most attractions (18) available with Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

The new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (the Splash Mountain replacement) is the most popular pick, especially as there’s currently no standby line so it’s virtual queue or Multi Pass only.

Tiana usually sells out 7-8 days in advance. Refills do happen on the day, so keep checking the app—we found this led to us spending way too much time on our phone, though. We did see a few time slots appear in the morning (try 9.40am and 10.40am), but we weren’t quick enough to snag them.

See our guide to the must do rides at Magic Kingdom for more details on each attraction.

For Magic Kingdom Multi Pass, you can choose one selection from Group A (listed here in rough order of popularity):

• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (#1 priority)
• Peter Pan’s Flight (2nd choice if you want to ride it and can’t get Tiana)
• Jungle Cruise (my preferred 2nd choice if you can’t get Tiana)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Space Mountain

Plus two selections from Group B. I’d choose from these:

• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

With Group B the priority is to make sure you get an early ride time (preferably around 9am). Then as soon as you have tapped into the ride, you are able to make another Group A selection. The earlier in the morning you do this, the more choice you’ll have.

There are other Multi Pass rides like “It’s a small world” and Under the Sea, but Lightning Lanes are not usually necessary. Only use it for them once you’ve worked your way through the priority rides above.

As we park hopped to Magic Kingdom, we booked our Lightning Lanes on the day. At 11am, the earliest return times for Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear were in the evening but that suited our plans.

Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides

While there are fewer Lightning Lane Multi Pass rides at Hollywood Studios, it can save you a lot of time as wait times are long.

Slinky Dog Dash, a gentle Toy Story rollercoaster, is the most popular Multi Pass pick. If you want to ride it, book it first as it will sell out 7-8 days in advance.

See our guide to the best rides at Hollywood Studios for more details.

For Hollywood Studios Multi Pass, you can choose one ride from Group A:

• Slinky Dog Dash (#1 priority if you want to ride it but we skip it)
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (#2 priority)
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Plus two selections from Group B:

• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (#1 pick in this group)
• Toy Story Mania (#2 pick in this group)
• Alien Saucers
• Star Tours
• Various Shows – These do not require Lightning Lane.

Alien Saucers (which is not a great ride) and Star Tours (which usually has short queues) don’t usually require Lightning Lane. You might choose to pick one of them if Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania only have afternoon return times.

Again, getting onto your first ride early will increase your chances of getting more Group A picks.

On our visit, we booked 8 days in advance and chose Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Toy Story. These were the earliest times available:

(Note: we could have got a 5pm slot for Slinky but chose not to as it’s not our favourite and we were park hopping to Magic Kingdom in the evening).

I was happy to get one ride at around 9am, but would have preferred Toy Story earlier (10am ish).

Epcot Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides

Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Epcot is less good value as there are fewer headline attractions. It’s only really useful for Remy and Frozen, which are busy all day.

If you have Early Entry, as we did, you can skip Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Our guide to the best things to do at Epcot has lots more suggestions for the park.

In Epcot, you can choose one attraction from Group A:

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (#1 pick and could sell out 7 days in advance)
• Frozen Ever After (#2 pick)
• Soarin’ Around the World

In 2025, when Test Track reopens, it will likely be the top pick in Group A (and Soarin’ will drop to Group B).

Plus two from Group B:

• Mission: Space
• Spaceship Earth
• Living with the Land
• Journey Into Imagination
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Shows (not necessary)

None of these require Lightning Lanes unless the park has high crowds, which is why Epcot Multi Pass isn’t good value for most of the year.

Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rides

Animal Kingdom only has 9 Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions, the fewest of all the parks, and only a handful of these are actually useful.

You only need to consider purchasing Multi Pass for Animal Kingdom if you are visiting at a peak time and don’t have Early Entry.

See our detailed guide to the best things to do at Animal Kingdom for more about these rides and how we ride everything without Multi Pass.

There are no tiers at Animal Kingdom, so these are the rides to book in priority order.

• Na’vi River Journey (#1 priority)
• Kilimanjaro Safari – This real wildlife safari is best in the morning when the animals are active and queues are usually low then, so you might want to ride it right after Avatar without Multi Pass (which is what we usually do).
• Kali River Rapids – The queues for this water ride depend on the weather as you will get wet. In summer it’s very popular but less so in winter.
• Expedition Everest – The single-rider line is another good way to skip the lines for this fun rollercoaster.
• Dinosaur – You are unlikely to need Multi Pass except on a very busy day.

Lightning Lanes aren’t really necessary for everything else at Animal Kingdom such as It’s Tough to Be a Bug and most stage shows.

That said, on a very hot day, we couldn’t get into the 12pm showing of Festival of the Lion King (and the long line had no shade), so it could be handy for this.

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Is Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass Worth It?

Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disney World is a useful service that can save you hours in line.

If you have limited time, it’s definitely worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and at very busy times, you might consider it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

Multi Pass is best value if you are park hopping as it maximises the number of rides you have access to.

That said, Multi Pass isn’t essential. If you are at Disney for 6+ days and stay onsite, you can utilise early entry and stay late to ride many rides without long waits.

We only used it for one day on our latest week-long stay and managed to re-ride most of the attractions on other days without Multi Pass or long queues.

We also found park days without Multi Pass more relaxing as we didn’t need to be on our phones so much.

I hope our Lightning Lane Multi Pass review has helped explain this somewhat complicated service. If you have any questions, leave a comment below.

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More Disney Posts

Plan your Disney trip with our other posts about the parks in Florida and worldwide:

Disney World Orlando

• 20 Must Do Rides at Magic Kingdom Orlando
• 23 Best Things to Do at Hollywood Studios
• 21 Best Things to Do at Epcot
• 22 Best Things to Do at Animal Kingdom
• Best Things to Do at Disney World: Must Do Rides for Adults in Each Park
• Planning a Trip to Disney World on a Budget

Disney Worldwide

• Disneyland & California Adventure in One Day: An Itinerary for Adults
• Best Tokyo Disneyland Rides For Adults
• Best Tokyo DisneySea Rides for Adults
• Disneyland Paris for Adults: Itinerary for 2 Parks in 1 Day

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