If you’re heading to Disneyland anytime soon, you may want to consider this skip-the-line option… if it’s not going to break the bank.
Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland
That’s right, you can skip the lines on almost every ride in Disneyland — if you buy a Lightning Lane Premier Pass. But these things don’t come cheap, so is it worth it? We tried it, and we’re here to tell you exactly how it went!
Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a “luxury” service where you can pay to access EVERY Lightning Lane for rides in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for one day. Once you purchase it, you get to use each ride’s Lightning Lane once, including every ride listed for Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.
©Disney
However, the biggest difference between Lightning Lane Premier Pass and Multi Pass and Single Pass is that you don’t have to make a timed selection for each ride. You can just get in each Lightning Lane whenever you want. The service also includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads and PhotoPass Lenses.
©Disney
The price of Disneyland’s Premier Pass varies by date, but is generally in the $300 to $400 per person per day range. So it’s time to ask: Is Disneyland’s Lightning Lake Premier Pass worth it?
It’s Worth the Cost if…
First of all, this service might be worth it for your group if you’re okay with paying extra for convenience. It’s $400 per person, but with that cost, you won’t have to book Lightning Lanes all day, run back and forth across the park, or fight with scheduling conflicts like dining reservations.
Lightning Lane entrance for Matterhorn
Also, this might be worth the cost if you were planning on paying for a VIP tour but only wanted to do it for the Lightning Lane access. As part of a VIP tour, a Disney Cast Member will escort you through Lightning Lane queues for whichever attractions you’d like to enjoy, but you also get backstage access and other perks. If the only perk that you care about is minimal wait times, then this could be significantly cheaper than a VIP tour.
Lightning Lane for Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Another person who may want Lightning Lane Premier Pass? Someone who only has ONE day in Disneyland Resort. If you’re park hopping to both Disneyland and California Adventure and it’s your goal to get as much done as possible, this is probably the most efficient way to accomplish that goal. Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Disneyland Resort includes access to all the Lightning Lanes in both parks on the same day.
Lightning Lane Entrance
Basically, if you’re trying to be incredibly speedy about accomplishing as many attractions as possible, then this service could be for you…as long as you have the budget!
It’s Not Worth the Cost if…
Now it’s time to fight for the other side of the coin. Obviously, the first point is that this service is NOT for you if you’re heading to Disneyland Resort on a budget. You’ll save a lot of money by just purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass each day. Sure, you’ll have to schedule your return times yourself, but it might be worth it to literally save HUNDREDS.
Lightning Lane at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
If you’re going to be in Disneyland Resort for multiple days, this service probably isn’t for you. Those who have 4-day or 5-day vacations can likely get everything done that they want to accomplish in the parks during that time, without paying extra to skip the lines. Especially if you make use of Multi Pass in the place of Premier Pass.
Lightning Lane Entrance
And to counter an argument from the first point, you probably don’t want to shell out the $$$ for Premier Pass if you’re not using park hopper tickets. The $400 cost includes access to 22 Lightning Lanes across both parks, and if you’re not park hopping, then you don’t get the full value for the day. Don’t waste your cash!
California Adventure
Last but not least, we’ll probably not recommend Lightning Lane Premier Pass as much for a family with mostly or only small children. Most of the rides that have longer waits and offer Lightning Lane are those that have height requirements. If you’re going to Disneyland Resort with your baby or toddler, you may not get the same value out of this service because you’ll only be able to use a select number of Lightning Lanes throughout the day.
Radiator Springs at Disney California Adventure
So there you have it — our breakdown of who should and shouldn’t pay for Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disneyland Resort. Stay tuned to DFB for more information about this new system, as well as all the updates once it lands in Disney World.
Step-By-Step: How to Buy Lightning Lane Premier Pass on the Disneyland App
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What do you think? Would Lightning Lane Premier Pass be worth it to you and your group in Disneyland? Let us know in the comments!
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“Is Disney’s $400 Lightning Lane Premier Pass Worth It?”
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Short answer? NO! We’re both in our 70’s, so a day in a park usually ends right after lunch. There is no way we would have the time to hit enough attractions (even with LL) to make it worthwhile.
You didn’t have to buy anything to publish these opinions. It would be nice if you would have included some data with this article, such as how many of the rides you managed to get on that particular day. It will vary by day but it would still make this article feel less “click-baity.”
Or, change the title of the article from “Is Disney’s $400 Lightning Lane Premier Pass Worth It? We Tested It Out So You Don’t Have To!” to “our breakdown of who should and shouldn’t pay for Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disneyland Resort.” At least it would be accurate.
This is a bad idea. This is like Universal’s express pass only way more expensive. The problem with not having a defined return time is if there are enough Lighting lane premier passes sold then the lighting lane lines can get very long. Remember if everyone has a Lighting lane premier pass then no one has a Lighting lane premier pass. We ran into this exact problem at Universal one Christmas. It seemed like everyone had bought an express pass and the lines were as long as the standard line. What a waste of money. Disney will have to severely limit the number sold (not likely at 400 a pop) or hope the excessive price is self limiting.
I have been to Walt Disney World 15 times since 1975. It has gotten to be so expensive and hectic, it is not much fun anymore. We can go to Universal, stay in a premium resort and get the express pass included with the room.
I love going to Disney but it is not worth it anymore. It is too much
i’m going to be honest, if your willing to pay that much for the old fast pass, why not go for the guided tour and gather people who want to do the same ?
I’d totally pay it off it was offered in Disney World Parks. I’m a solo non adult who really wants to enjoy their food options.
I used it on day 2 of my 1st trip to Magic Kingdom. It was a non-party day and, even in the middle of Sept on a Wednesday, the wait times were getting longer. I rode every ride I wanted to, except Tron due to the new overlay, and it was a great 1 day splurge to get a lot done. I rode Pirates, Pan, Mine Train, Space, Small World, Mansion, Tiana’s, and Jungle Cruise in the 2nd half of my park day. Would I do it again? Probably not since I only had 1 day solo in MK before an AP friend joined me the next day and MK is her least fav park, so I knew we weren’t going to be there all day.
Have not used it in Disneyland, but it was totally worth it for us in WDW. The pressure of being in a specific place at a set time makes me so incredibly anxious that the anxiety of picking where to be in each park at a set time days in advance ruins the fun of the trip. We used premiere lane at Hollywood Studios and Epcot, in spite of people saying it is not necessary and too expensive and it calmed down my anxiety. We had a lovely trip and rode every single ride we wanted to when we got to that ride on our trip. So now we just budget for it and stay one less day or at a moderate resort if necessary. Low stress and no worry makes for a nice time in our family. People with high anxiety, like me, may find it equally calming.
We used Premier Pass in WDW back in June for MK, HS and Epcot. AK we just purchased a single pass for FOP. It was by far the best decision and worth every darn penny! It let us relax and have a character breakfast every morning without having to rush to the park. We were able to accomplish everything we wanted to with ease and zero stress! It was also a lifesaver because the week we went it was in the upper 90’s and the thought of having to wait in that dreadful 75min Slinky Dog line with that heat was enough to make anyone crazy! It was 96 degrees on our MK day and it didn’t bother us a bit because we were able to keep ducking into indoor attractions quickly and it kept things bearable. We’ll be going to Disney in January as well and I plan to purchase them again. There’s no going back now. Lol