Jump to content

Lightning Lane Rules Have CHANGED…But There’s Already a Problem in Disney World


Disney4me
 Share

Recommended Posts

Well, we could have called this one. In case you haven’t heard, Disney just made BIG changes to its paid skip-the-line service, now called Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. We have a TON of super in-depth information about all the changes, and we’re even reporting LIVE on all the new features. It’s a whirlwind, but we’re working HARD to bring you all the information you need to know before your next vacation.

2024-wdw-magic-kingdom-fantasyland-seven

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

As a quick refresher, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes are now called Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. There is a lot to learn about the new system, and we’ve got reporters in Disney World testing all kinds of Lightning Lane situationsBut during our experimentation, we already started to notice some problems — let’s talk about them!

Click here to subscribe

Lightning Lane Multi Pass  and Lightning Lane Single Passes are HERE! Now, you can:

  • Make three Lightning Lane selections BEFORE you’re in the parks (seven days early if you’re staying at a Disney World hotel; three days early if not)
  • Choose experiences and times before purchasing so you know what you’re getting with your purchase
  • Book Lightning Lane passes for MULTIPLE vacation days, all at once
2024-wdw-atmo-dhs-toy-story-land-slinky-

Slinky Dog Dash

Disney is now using a tiered system for ride selections at Magic KingdomEPCOTand Hollywood Studios. From those initial three advance selections, you can choose one from a higher-tiered group and two (or all three) from a lower-tiered group. Tiers do not apply at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Book These Rides FIRST With Disney World’s New Lightning Lane Multi Pass System!

Disney also offers a separate pay-per-ride service. Lightning Lane Single Pass allows you to pay a fee to utilize the Lightning Lane for a single, in-demand attraction. You can make your purchase before your trip (up to seven days in advance if you’re staying at a Disney World hotel; all others can select their first three Lightning Lane Single Passes three days in advance).

2024-wdw-atmo-dak-animal-kingdom-expedit

Expedition Everest

On July 24th, when testing out the new system, we ran into a few issues. Let’s break ’em down!

Characters and Festival of Fantasy

The first problem we ran into was a confusing one! At midnight, when the list of available attractions with Lightning Lanes populated in the My Disney Experience app, select character meet-and-greets and the Festival of Fantasy parade were included like they had been with Genie+.

2022-wdw-atmosphere-mk-princess-fairytal

Lightning Lane at Princess Fairytale Hall

However, as of 7AM on the first day of Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass, those offerings had disappeared! A representative from Disney confirmed that meet-and-greets and the Festival of Fantasy parade are NOT currently included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which is a big change from the old Genie+ system.

2024-wdw-Magic-Kingdom-frontierland-fest

Festival of Fantasy

This means that even at stationary meet-and-greets (like Mickey Mouse in Town Square Theater or the Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall) where there is a Lightning Lane available, you won’t be able to book that Lightning Lane. When we spoke to Cast Members in the parks, they said those Lightning Lane queues were still being used for Disability Access Service at this time, but not for actual Lightning Lane access.

2023-wdw-mk-town-square-theater-mickey-m

Mickey Mouse

It’s possible that this could change in the future (Disney often changed the rules and regulations of Genie+), so we’ll be on the lookout to see if those are added or if that option goes away permanently.

Dining Reservations and Conflicting Plans

When making our Lightning Lane Single Pass and Multi Pass selections the first morning, we noticed that it was still possible to make Lightning Lane reservations that interfered with previously made plans. So you’ll need to be careful!

2024-wdw-disneys-boardwalk-resort-hotel-

Disney World Lightning Lanes have CHANGED

The My Disney Experience app did show our dining reservations for the day alongside the Lightning Lanes, but when it automatically assigned us Lightning Lane times after we selected the attractions we wanted, those times sometimes conflicted with our dining reservations. For instance, one of our reporters was automatically given a Living with the Land Lightning Lane return time that conflicted with their lunch reservation at Spice Road Table.

wdw-2024-mde-epcot-lightning-lane-multi-

©Disney

Now, the good news is that after the app gives you your Lightning Lane return times, you’ll be able to see those return times and your dining reservations on the same screen. If something conflicts, you’ll have a few minutes to change or modify your Lightning Lane so that it doesn’t interfere. Just be warned that Disney won’t automatically work around your pre-scheduled plans!

Deselecting Attractions

Thankfully, we didn’t have too many weird glitches when trying out the new system, but we did spot something unusual when making Lightning Lane choices for Magic Kingdom. One of our reporters picked Tiana’s Bayou Adventure from Tier 1 along with two other rides from Tier 2, and then when the next screen loaded, Tiana’s was completely booked.

2024-wdw-mk-magic-kingdom-atmos-frontier

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Now, that can totally happen, considering a bunch of people are making Lightning Lane choices at the same time. So that reporter went back and selected a new Tier 1 offering. The weird thing is that once that reporter selected a new Tier 1 offering, their previously selected Tier 2 choices disappeared, and they were left with just one Lightning Lane.

wdw-dhs-tower-of-terror-lightning-lane-l

Tower of Terror Lightning Lane sign

So if you run into a situation where something books up and you have to make new selections, keep in mind that you’ll have to remake ALL your selections for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Otherwise, you might miss out on the rides you want.

2023-wdw-atmo-dak-kilimanjaro-safaris-si

Attraction Sign at Animal Kingdom directing Guests to Standby Line and Lightning Lane Entrances

We’ll be answering ALL your Lightning Lane questions and trying EVERYTHING under the new system, so stick around for more!

Everything You Need to Know About Lightning Lanes in Disney World

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.


DFBGuide-ShortCode-Image-1.png

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

What do you think about this NEW system? Let us know in the comments!

The post Lightning Lane Rules Have CHANGED…But There’s Already a Problem in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

View the full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...