Factors to Consider When Deciding Whether to Buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Single Pass

Just when we had kinda sorta gotten used to Genie+, Disney World has switched their line-skipping system to the new and improved (we hope) Lightning Lane Multipass (LLMP) and Lightning Lane Single Pass (LLSP) system, implemented earlier this week. Take a look a the chart below if you need a quick primer on what these two new products entail.

We’re still getting used to all the nuances of LLMP and LLSP, but what we do know is that these are very much paid products. If you want to bypass a wait at Walt Disney World, it’s going to cost you. Assuming that the pricing will be similar to that of Genie+ and standard Lightning Lanes (the previous iteration of line skipping) you can expect to pay anywhere from about $15-40 per person, per day, for LLMP and about $10-25 per ride for LLSP, depending on demand. (Busier days will cost more.) If you’re traveling with a family, those prices can add up FAST. During peak season, a family of four could easy spend more than $1,000 on line-skipping over the course of week-long vacation.

When face with this kind of expenditure, most guests will logically ask some variation of, “Is it worth it?” And, as with most things Disney, the answer is, “It depends.” Here are some things to think about to decide whether the expense of LLMP or LLSP might be worth it to YOU.

• Are you a high income individual/family? If you have a high enough income, then you may have a “money is no object” attitude about vacations. Go ahead and buy all the line-skipping tools at your disposal, Mr. Moneybags.
• Are you willing to get up early in the morning? Now more than ever, arriving at the parks prior to rope drop could be the key to your success in the parks. If you’re there early, before substantial lines start to form, you might not have a significant enough wait to justify the LLMP expense.
• Are you staying at a Disney World hotel? A corollary of the previous point – Guests staying at the Disney hotels have a half hour jump on park entry over non-Disney-hotel guests every day. If you’re staying off-site, getting first dibs on free access to an attraction is now all but impossible.
• Will you be using a touring plan? The folks here at Touring Plans have spent decades crafting plans that guide guests to the most time-efficient ways to experience WDW attractions, with significantly less cash outlay than dropping bank on daily Lightning Lane Multipasses.
• What else could you do with the money in the parks? Will avoiding line-skipping expenses allow you to stay in a better hotel, or eat at better restaurants, or buy more souvenirs? Does this matter to you?
• What else could you do with the money at home? Is there some expense at home that should take priority over LLMP or LLSP purchases?
• How long is your trip? If you’re at WDW for just a day or two, then buying line-skipping tools to reduce wait times could have an outsized impact on your enjoyment of your trip. If you’re visiting for two or three weeks, then spending a bit more time waiting in lines could be less of a detriment.
• How large is your party? Spending $15 for one person to hop onto Rise of the Resistance may be an easy decision, but if your travel party is 10 people, then your group is spending an extra $150 for LLSP fast access. That’s a mental hurdle that could be challenging for some.
• How patient are you? Some folks might not mind a wait. Do you have a good audiobook to pass the time, for example, then you might enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
• How patient are the other members of your party? You might be able to distract yourself during a lengthy wait, but will your five year old be able to do so?
• Is this a special trip? If this is your honeymoon, big birthday, or other special occasion, then you might want to have an extra special trip. Eliminate those lines!
• How often are you going to use the feature? Are you using the LLSP feature just once during your entire trip or are you using LLMP and several LLSP options every day? The expense could be very different.
• What are the crowd levels like at the parks? On a low-crowd day, the lines might be short enough that faster access is not necessary.
• Does anyone in your party have medical issues? With the 2024 changes to Disney’s Disability Access Service (DAS), some guests may find that purchasing line-skipping tools is the only way they can experience the parks without exacerbating a medical issue. Or, conversely, if member(s) of your party qualify for DAS access, you may be able to wait for a ride elsewhere in the park. You won’t be skipping the line, but you might be able to do so in a more comfortable environment.
• Have you experienced the attraction before? If you’ve been on Space Mountain a hundred times, then it may be less important to you to spend the money to facilitate another zip through the universe. But if Guardians of the Galaxy is new to you, then it may make sense to spend the money for a guaranteed ride.
• How often do you visit Walt Disney World? If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, buying LLMP and a few LLSP could help ensure that you get to all the headliners you’ve heard about. If you visit Walt Disney World at least every year, then paying extra money to ride a headliner might not be something you need to do during every trip.
• What else would you be doing with your time? The purchase of LLMP or LLSP will likely save you some time. Will that time used to making sure you don’t miss your flight home?  Then buy it. Will it be used so you can sit in your hotel room a little longer? Then buying it might be less important.
• Will this expense make you lose self-respect? Some expenditures are a bridge too far for some people. Not spending money to jump the line on a theme park ride could be the hill you choose to die on.

What are your thoughts on the “Is it Worth It” calculus? What factors will influence your decision to purchase LLMP or LLSP access? Are they different for the two different products? Let us know in the comments.