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All About Disney's New Lightning Lane Premier Pass
- Angelica Lynn
- Oct 16, 2024
- 6 min read
Disney has rolled out a new way to enhance your park experience with the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, offering guests faster access to some of the most popular rides at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. But while the concept is similar at both parks, there are differences in how the Premier Pass works between Disneyland and Disney World. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the details of each pass and explain how it can help you skip the lines and make the most of your Disney day.
What Is the Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
The Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a premium option designed to minimize wait times and give you more flexibility during your park visit. Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World offer Lightning Lane options, but the Premier Pass is a new level of convenience, allowing guests to access more attractions in a day without needing to book each one individually.
Let’s dive into how this works at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, so you can see how each park’s Lightning Lane Premier Pass might best fit your plans.
Disneyland’s Lightning Lane Premier Pass
At Disneyland Resort (including Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure), the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is an enhanced version of the traditional Lightning Lane service that offers several key benefits for guests looking to cut down on wait times.
How Does Lightning Lane Work at Disneyland?
The standard Lightning Lane at Disneyland is accessed through the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service or by purchasing individual Lightning Lane passes for high-demand rides. You reserve one attraction at a time, based on availability, and show up during your designated return window. Once you've used that pass, you can book another.
With the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, you can bypass that reservation process altogether for select rides, giving you more freedom to visit your favorite attractions at your own pace.
What Are the Benefits of the Premier Pass at Disneyland?
Unlimited Access: Unlike the Lightning Lane Multi Pass or individual Lightning Lane purchases, the Premier Pass allows you to access available rides without making reservations and having to worry about return times.
Faster Lines: You’ll use a shorter, faster queue that typically has far less waiting time compared to the standard standby line.
No Scheduling Required: The Lightning Lane Premier Pass eliminates the need to select a return time for each ride, giving you more flexibility in how you spend your day.
Included Attractions
Some of the top rides at the Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure available through the Lightning Lane Premier Pass include:
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
These are some of the most popular rides in the parks, with standby lines that can stretch for hours, making the Lightning Lane Premier Pass a valuable time-saver.
How much is the Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Disneyland?
Disneyland has announced that it will begin rolling out the Lightning Lane Premier Pass in limited numbers at $400 per person, per day for visits through December 31, 2024.
At the beginning of 2025, the prices will be in the range of $300-$400 per person, per day.
Disney World’s Lightning Lane Premier Pass
Over at Walt Disney World, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass offers similar benefits, but it’s tailored to fit the larger scale of the Florida parks, which include Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
How Does Lightning Lane Work at Disney World?
Like at Disneyland, Walt Disney World offers standard Lightning Lane access through the Multi Pass and individual attraction purchases. However, with the Premier Pass, you’ll be able to access many of the select high-demand attractions in a day without needing to reserve specific return times.
What Are the Benefits of the Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Disney World?
Multiple Rides Per Day: The Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows you to ride select attractions as many times as you want throughout the day, without having to wait in the regular standby line.
Flexible Use: You don’t need to worry about scheduling your day around ride times—simply walk up to the attraction and enjoy the Lightning Lane queue.
Wider Attraction Access: The Premier Pass includes some of Disney World’s most iconic and high-demand rides across all four parks.
Included Attractions
At Walt Disney World, the Premier Pass covers major attractions such as:
- Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
- Avatar Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom)
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (EPCOT)
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
How much is the Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World?
At Walt Disney World the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will launch at $129-$449 per pass, depending on the selected park and peak days. Initially, during the pilot release, it will only be available to guests of Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts.
FAQs: Understanding the Lightning Lane Premier Passes
Q: How is the Premier Pass different from Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
- A: The Lightning Lane Multi Pass requires you to select return times for individual rides, and you can only hold one reservation at a time. The Premier Pass allows unlimited access to select attractions without making reservations.
Q: Are Premier Passes available at both Disneyland and Disney World?
- A: Yes! Both Disneyland and Disney World offer the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, but each park includes different rides based on popularity and demand.
Q: Can I use the Premier Pass on the same ride multiple times?
- A: No, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is good for one-time use for each available ride during a day. Guests can keep track of their redeemed Lightning Lanes in their My Disney Experience app or Disneyland app.
Q: How much does the Premier Pass cost?
- A: The cost of the Premier Pass varies depending on demand, seasonality, and the park you’re visiting. You can check the price in the Disneyland or My Disney Experience app before purchasing.
Q: Can I combine the Premier Pass with Lightning Lane Single or Multi Pass?
- A: At this time, we assume you can use both services, though we could not find a clear answer. It is my best guess that adding other Lightning Lane options can help you reserve times for rides not covered by the Premier Pass or a ride you've already used your Premier Pass on.
Q: What if the ride I want is temporarily closed?
- A: If a ride is temporarily closed, check the app for updates. The Lightning Lane Premier Pass gives you the flexibility to come back once the ride is reopened.
Should I get the Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
If you're visiting Disneyland or Disney California Adventure, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is perfect if you want to make the most of your time in a smaller park with limited time-sensitive planning. It’s especially valuable for fans of thrill rides like Indiana Jones Adventure and Radiator Springs Racers, which generally have long standby lines.
At Walt Disney World, the Premier Pass is ideal for those visiting multiple parks in one day or looking to hit the most popular rides across all four parks without having to worry about return times. If you’re short on time or simply want to enjoy as many attractions as possible, this pass offers flexibility and efficiency.
The Lightning Lane Premier Pass is designed to make your Disney trip smoother and more magical, whether you’re visiting the original Disneyland Resort in California or the expansive Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. With shorter lines, more flexibility, and the ability to enjoy more of your favorite rides in a day, it’s the ultimate way to upgrade your Disney experience!
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For more Disney magic and tips on making the most of your park adventures, follow me on Instagram @neverlandblonde! Stay tuned for all the latest updates on Disney happenings.
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