Disney Introduces Lightning Lane Premier Pass for Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Walt Disney World and Disneyland are both bringing in a brand new line-skipping pass that is very similar to what you might see available at other theme parks. Disney is introducing Lightning Lane Premier Pass! This new option will let you enter any Lightning Lane WITHOUT having to book the attraction in advance! That’s huge!

How Does Lightning Lane Premier Pass Work?

Lightning Lane Premier Pass includes one entry to each Lightning Lane entrance at any time during the day.

At Walt Disney World, you get access to one full park for the day and the cost for Lightning Lane Premier Pass ranges from $129-$449+tax per person. At the Disneyland Resort, you’ll get both parks and the cost ranges from $300-$400+tax per person. The highest prices will be found on those peak travel days. (Think Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve, etc.)

Lightning Lane Premier Pass includes all Lightning Lane attractions (including Single Pass) in one park for one day at Walt Disney World. Here’s how to use it:

• Go to the Lightning Lane entrance and tap in using a MagicBand, MagicBand+, Disney MagicMobile pass, Key to the World Card or ticket card that’s linked to your valid theme park admission.
• You’ll skip the standby line and join the Lightning Lane for that attraction.
• Enjoy Lightning Lane experiences in the park when you want.
• View your Lightning Lane Premier Pass in the My Disney Experience or the Disneyland app including which ones remain available and which ones you’ve already redeemed.

The Ins and Outs of Lightning Lane Premier Pass

Lightning Lane Premier Pass will debut at the Disneyland Resort on October 23 and the Walt Disney World Resort on October 30.

Disney claims that this will be a piloting of the rollout of Lightning Lane Premier Pass with very limited quantities for Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and other select hotels. This means that it will only be able to be used by very small number of guests each day.

Eligible Guests can purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass up to 7 days before the first day of their Resort stay, for their entire length of stay (up to 14 days), starting at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time for Walt Disney World. For Disneyland, Lightning Lane Premier Passes can be purchased via the Disneyland app up to 2 days in advance of your park visit, starting at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (subject to very limited availability). Before you can purchase a Lightning Lane Premier Pass, you must have valid theme park admission. Park reservations may also be required, depending on the type of admission and the date of your visit. 

There are no changes to how Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass work.

Pricing for Lightning Lane Premier Pass

Prices will vary by date and theme park. The starting pricing will be:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $129-$199, plus tax per person
• EPCOT: $169-$249, plus tax per person
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $269-$349, plus tax per person
• Magic Kingdom: $329-$449, plus tax per person
• Disneyland Resort: Pricing is for both parks. Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be $400 per person for all days remaining in 2024. In 2025, prices will vary by date and demand, ranging from $300-400, per person.

Attractions Available for Lightning Lane Premier Pass

Magic Kingdom

• The Barnstormer
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Jungle Cruise
• Mad Tea Party
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• TRON Lightcycle / Run
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

EPCOT

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Frozen Ever After
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• 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
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Toy Story Mania!
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• DINOSAUR
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• 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
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Naʻvi River Journey

Disneyland

• Autopia
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Haunted Mansion (currently only Virtual Queue)
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• “it’s a small world”
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Pirates of the Caribbean (temporary option)
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
• Space Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Disney California Adventure

• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Incredicoaster
• The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania!
• WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure

Final Thoughts

As with all things Disney and price, the grumbling immediately starts, and I’ll be the first to admit I hate seeing when Disney introduces things that feel like cash grabs. And yes, let’s be perfectly frank. This change is certainly all about increasing revenue. However with this change, I honestly don’t think it’s going to be as big of a deal as people are freaking out about.

To me, I kind of equate this to a different kind of VIP tour, just without the tour guide. Guests who purchase VIP tours already get this kind of similar access, so it’s really no different.

I also suspect that the pool of Lightning Lane Premier Passes will come from the Lightning Lane bucket overall. And it’s a very small number of Guests who can purchase it each day. This means I don’t think it’s going to increase the number of Guests who are standing in Lightning Lanes overall.

Really, I don’t think this is going to make a huge difference for Guests, but it will, of course, be a difference for Disney and adding to profits. (Which, of course, is what Disney is looking to do with this change.)

I’m currently in a wait and see holding pattern. I want to see how this works when it’s actually been rolled out. But overall, I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom like everyone is making it out to be.

Let Me Know Your Thoughts

Follow along here at A Disney World After All for the latest news.

But now, I want to know your thoughts. What are your thoughts about Lightning Lane Premier Pass? Do you agree with me or do you think I’m WAY off base? You can share with me in the comments or on social! Find me on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok.

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