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What is Lightning Lane
Lightning Lane is term Disney uses for a faster, priority queue available at select attractions. (For those familiar with the past, think of Lightning Lane as a new name for the "FASTPASS" or "FastPass+" queue.) It is an alternative to the "standby queue," which is what people enter when the simply walk up to the attraction, get in line, and wait for their turn to ride.
How To Get Lightning Lane Access
Lightning Lane queues can only be used by those paying for an add-on service (Genie+ for most attractions, Individual Lightning Lane purchases for one or two "big" rides in each park), or by those partaking in services offered through Rider Switch or Disability Access Services.
How Does Lightning Lane Work?
There are two different ways the general public can use the Lightning Lane queue at an attraction:
- Genie+ (See our Genie+ page for details!) Genie+ gets you "next available" access to Lightning Lanes at many attractions, one-at-a time, for a per-day, per-ticket fee. The price of Genie+ varies by date and can be as low as $15 plus tax.
- Individual Lightning Lane purchases are available for one or two attractions at each park that are not part of the Genie+ offerings. Basically, you pay to hop in the Lightning Lane to skip a potentially long line. Beginning at 7:00 a.m. every day, a Disney Hotel Guest can purchase any available Individual Lightning Lane attraction (see list below) through the My Disney Experience app. For those not staying at a Disney Hotel, an Individual Lighting Lane for an attraction can be purchased when that attraction's park officially opens for the day. A maximum of two Individual Lightning Lane purchases can be made per day, and you cannot purchase access to the same attraction twice in the same day. To purchase Individual Lightning Lane access, you do not have to also purchase Genie+.
How Much are Individual Lightning Lane Selections?
Prices will vary by attraction and day of year, and Disney may not release this information in advance. However, so far Individual Lightning Lane pricing has ranged from $7 to $22 per person per ride, with many attractions costing a couple dollars more (but still within that range) on weekends vs. mid-week.
When Can I Book Individual Lightning Lane Selections?
Guests of Disney-owned resorts, the Swan and Dolphin, and Shades of Green can book at 7:00 a.m. the day of their park visit. Other guests can purchase when parks open that day.
What Attractions Use Individual Lightning Lane?
Magic Kingdom
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
EPCOT
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Disney's Animal Kingdom
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Other attractions have been available via Individual Lightning Lane attractions in the past, and Disney can adjust this roster at any time.
Individual Lightning Lane Tips and Advice
- Much of the advantage of Individual Lightning Lane (short lines) is only applicable in the middle of the day. If you are the type of traveler who uses a Touring Plan and routinely gets to the park before official opening, you do not need to purchase Individual Lightning Lane.
- You can only purchase two Individual Lightning Lane passes per day, which is important to remember if you plan to park hop.
- See our Blog Content on Lightning Lane and Genie+ for various analyses, recommendations, and in-the-park experiences.
