Are you planning a family vacation to Disney World? Confused about how the Lightning Lane system works at Disney World? Here is a beginner’s guide to Disney World’s Lightning Lane system.
What is Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane?
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane is similar to the old Fast Pass system. It is a reservation system to get on rides at Disney. The purpose of Lightning Lane is to cut down on the amount of time you spend standing in line.
How Much is Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane?
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane is $15 per person per day. Not to be confused with the Individual Lightning Lane (see below for details). For my family of four, I spent an extra $60 per day just to have Lightning Lane.
How Does Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Work?
1. Buy Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane on the day of your park visit (you need a park reservation to be able to buy it). You buy Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane on the Disney app. Go to Tip Board and you will see the Disney Genie+ Logo click on Purchase for Today.
2. Book your first Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane ride starting at 7 am. I suggest you get up early and book at 7 am for the most popular rides because they do sell out!
3. You can book your second Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane after you redeem your first Lightning Lane or if 2 hours have elapsed (note that the 2 hours start when the park opens). So if you booked at 7 am and did not redeem the first ride yet, you are eligible to book your 2nd Lightning Lane 2 hours after the park opens (say the park opens at 8:30 am so you can book at 10:30am).
4. Keep booking your next Lightning Lane after redeeming the previous ride or if 2 hours elapsed. The Disney website says you can get around 2-3 Lighting Lane reservations per day but from personal experience, you can get more than that.
5. Remember, you can only use Lightning Lane once per ride per day.
What is Disney’s Individual Lightning Lane?
Individual Lightning Lane is the a la carte version of Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane. It is a separate Lightning Lane pass that is sold per ride. It is a bit confusing because the names are very similar! Typically, the most popular rides at Disney are sold as Individual Lightning Lane passes.
How Much is Disney’s Individual Lightning Lane?
Individual Lightning Lane prices vary by attraction with the price ranging from $10-$15 per ride. The most expensive Individual Lightning Lane ride at Disney World is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at $15 per ride.
When Can You Buy Individual Lightning Lane Passes?
Individual Lightning Lane passes are sold on the day of your park visit. If you are a Disney World Resort Guest (including Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walk Disney World Dolphin Hotel, and Shades of Green Resort), you can buy Individual Lightning Lane starting at 7 am on the day of your park visit.
If you are not staying at Disney World Resort, you can buy Individual Lightning Lane when the park opens. Just know that Individual Lightning Lane passes do sell out for the most popular rides so you should buy them as soon as you can.
How Many Individual Lightning Lane Passes Can You Buy per Day?
You can buy 2 different Individual Lightning Lane passes per day, one at a time. Know that you can’t buy 2 Individual Lightning Lane for the same ride! You need to wait in line in the Standby Queue if you want to re-ride the attraction.
How Does Disney’s Individual Lightning Lane Work?
1. Buy Individual Lightning Lane on the day of your park visit (you need a park reservation to be able to buy it). You buy Individual Lightning Lane on the Disney app. You can buy Individual Lightning Lane starting at 7 am if you are a Disney Resort guest. If you are not a Disney Resort guest, you can buy Individual Lightning Lane when the park opens.
2. I suggest you buy your Individual Lightning Lane as soon as you can (set your alarm). Or at the latest, buy it when the park opens for the most popular rides because they do sell out!
What is the Difference Between Individual Lightning Lane and Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane?
Here are the key differences between Individual Lightning Lane versus Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane:
The Price is Different
Individual Lightning Lane prices will vary from $10-$15 per ride while Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane is $15 per day.
One Ride for Individual Lightning Lane versus Multiple Rides for Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane
Individual Lightning Lane lets you redeem it for one ride only while Disney Genie+ Lighting Lane lets you redeem it for multiple rides throughout the day. Typically, Individual Lightning Lane rides are the most popular rides at Disney (see list below).
You Can Select Your Time Slot with Individual Lightning Lane
Individual Lightning Lane lets you select the time slot for when you can redeem your Individual Lightning Lane pass while Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane assigns you the next available time slot.
Check out our article on Is Lighting Lane Worth It at Disney World?
What is the Lightning Lane Window?
For both Individual Lightning Lane and Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane, you have a 1-hour window to redeem your Lightning Lane.
However, for some Disney Genie+ Lighting Lane attractions, the window of time to redeem is less than an hour. Typically if it’s a show or if it’s for a Lightning Lane window that is less than an hour before closing time, you will have less than an hour to redeem your Lightning Lane. For example, when I booked my Lightning Lane for the Lion King Show, it was only valid for use within a 20-minute window.
What Happens When You Are Late for your Lightning Lane?
From personal experience, we almost missed the Dinosaur Ride at Animal Kingdom because I made the mistake to get on the train to Rafiki right before. We were actually 3 minutes late but when we tapped our MagicBand to the reader it turned green and we were able to get on the ride. I asked a cast member about the grace period and I’m told there is a 15 minutes grace period (note: this information is not verified, it’s just based on personal experience and from one cast member).
What Disney World Rides are Individual Lightning Lane Rides?
Below you will find a list of Disney World rides that are Individual Lightning Lane Rides. Note that Disney often changes the rides that are sold as Individual Lightning Lane. Please check the Disney website for the most up-to-date list of Individual Lightning Lane rides. The list below are Individual Lightning Lane Rides at Disney World as of July 5, 2022.
Individual Lightning Lane Ride at Magic Kingdom
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train $10
Check out: Magic Kingdom Lighting Lane Strategies
Individual Lightning Lane Ride at Epcot
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind $14
Check out: Epcot Lighting Lane Strategies
Individual Lightning Lane Ride at Hollywood Studios
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance $15
Check out: Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategies
Individual Lightning Lane Ride at Animal Kingdom
Avatar Flight of Passage $11
Check out: Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategies
Which Disney World Rides Are Included in Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane?
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane is available for most rides at Disney World. Below you will find a list of rides that are included in Genie+ Lightning Lane. Do make sure to check Disney’s website for the latest Lightning Lane ride list because it can change. The list below are Lightning Lane Rides at Disney World as of July 5, 2022.
Lightning Lane Rides at Magic Kingdom
The Barnstormer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
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
Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea- Journey of The Little Mermaid
Lightning Lane Rides at Epcot
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Frozen Ever After
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Soarin’ Around the World
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
Spaceship Earth
Turtle Talk with Crush
Lightning Lane Rides at Hollywood Studios
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage
Disney Junior Play and Dance!
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Muppet Vision 3D
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours- The Adventures Continue
Toy Story Mania!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Lightning Lane Rides at Animal Kingdom
The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
Feathered Friends in Flight!
Finding Nemo
It’s Tough to be Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Na’vi River Journey
Disney World Parks Lighting Lane Tips:
Epcot Lighting Lane Strategies
Magic Kingdom Lighting Lane Strategies
Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategies
Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategies
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