Walt Disney World's New Lightning Lane Explained: Skip-the-Line for a More Magical Vacation

Introducing the era of Lightning Lane! The term has been used since Genie+ was introduced in the fall of 2021. The section of each attraction queue that allows guests to skip the standby line are called “Lightning Lanes” but starting July 24, Disney’s “skip the line system” will be renamed and rebranded to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass (the product formally known as Individual Lightning Lane).  

Although frustrating, tedious, and complicated, a lot of us had gotten used to Genie+ and all of its nuances. It’s normal to feel a little apprehensive about the idea of getting used to another new system.  And if you've never used Genie+ before…well, lucky you. Because I can tell you that ultimately this new system is going to provide a much better experience for guests with the ability to plan ahead and less complicated rules and steps.

Below are the major things to know for Walt Disney World Resort as we are all just learning about this new era of Lightning Lane. Definitely something to note: these changes are for Walt Disney World Resort ONLY. Keep reading to learn about how this affects Disneyland Resort.

You will be able to select and book Lightning Lanes in advance of your park days. No more frantic early mornings while you're on your vacation. For Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you'll be able to secure (3) Lightning Lanes for each day you're planning on being in the parks. A select group of attractions at each park are included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass. 

For Lightning Lane Single Pass (formerly known as Individual Lightning Lanes), you'll be able to purchase these in advance as well (up to two per day). Lightning Lane Single Pass will be offered for rides like Tron, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance - and is a separate purchase from Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Your selections made ahead of time for each day have to be in the same park

So, for instance, if you have a park hopper ticket, you'll have to know which park you're going to first and make your three selections for that park only. Lightning Lane Single Pass purchases can be made at different parks as along as you have a Park Hopper Ticket.

On your Park Days, once you use a Lightning Lane, you can immediately select another. You don't have to use all three before you can book another. And, as long as you have a Park Hopper ticket, that next selection can be at another park.

You can pick your return times!

When you are selecting your Lightning Lanes in advance, you can pick your return times. With Genie+, you can't pick your return times. This nuance of Genie+ makes planning in advance extremely difficult and also stressful if you are also flying into Orlando on the day of a park day. With Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, you can plan for an accommodate your schedule with ease.

You need to be aware of the “attraction tiers” when making your selections. All parks except Animal Kingdom have separated their attractions that offer Lightning Lane Multi Pass into Tier 1 and Tier 2. When making your three advance selections, only one can be in the Tier 1 group - the rest have to be in Tier 2. It’s unclear whether or not the “Tier Rule” will apply on your park day as you are adding Lightning Lanes each time you use one.

Disney Resort Guests have a HUGE advantage. Guests staying at a Disney Resort will be able to make their selections 7 days prior to check-in. All other guests can make their selections 3 days prior to check-in. Another perk to staying at a Disney Resort for your vacation!

This is a paid system.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass will be a flat fee per day regardless of the park and will include the three selections you make in advance as well as additional Lightning Lanes you book on your park day. Lightning Lane Single Pass will be charged per ride and can be purchased in addition to or instead of Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Pricing has not been released yet. The expectation is it will be similar to Genie+ pricing but nothing official yet.

You have to be in the United States to purchase and book Lightning Lane selections ahead of time. Because Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass can only be accessed through the My Disney Experience App, any guests from out the country will have to be somewhere within the USA to make their selections. Currently the My Disney Experience App is only available in the USA. This is really unfortunate for guests that don’t live in the US - hopefully Disney will be able to remedy this issue soon.

Disneyland Resort will NOT have the same changes. Disneyland Resort will function the same way it does now (the system can be purchased with your tickets or day of your visit and your first Lightning Lane selection can be made when scanning into the parks). The only change will be the branding - it too is ditching the Genie+ name and changing over to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.

With this new system, guests will be able to plan ahead for their vacation and navigate their mornings in the parks with much more ease and stress than before. That’s a win all around and something that Genie+ was severely lacking these past few years.

Also, it has to be said that this change up is just another example that shows why it's so important to work with a travel advisor. It's my job to stay up on all the latest news and changes from Disney. My current clients don't need to worry about this change because I will be here to walk them through it - which will ultimately give them a huge advantage come vacation time (versus everyone else who is just trying to figure it out via google searches and a wing and a prayer). Policies, rules, restrictions etc. can change at any time in the Disney bubble and the travel world beyond - having an expert in your back pocket makes navigating these situations easy and stress free. 

It's a ton of information and we're still waiting on a lot of the facts (ie pricing). But here's the coolest part - as part of my Concierge Planning Service, if you decide to use this system, I will help you select your attractions for each park day. When your window opens up, I will make these reservations for you! And I'll also teach you how to use the system while you're there so you can add more Lightning Lanes and work it to its max potential. 

If you're thinking about your next vacation, don't wait! I’d love to help you and your family create your most magical experience yet. Click here and let the planning begin!