UPDATED July 21, 2025

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland during a notoriously busy season? Then you’ll want to be IN THE KNOW about Disney’s Lightning Lanes!

In 2021, FastPass+ and MaxPass were discontinued at Disney World and Disneyland and thereafter replaced with new paid systems — Disney Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection (otherwise known as pay-per-ride). In 2024, these services were reintroduced under a new name (with NEW benefits!). The U.S. Disney parks are now in their Lightning Lane Era!

Disney World’s and Disneyland’s Lightning Lanes provide access to “Lightning Lanes” for rides so guests can bypass Standby lines for select attractions through an extra purchase made on the My Disney Experience app and Disneyland app.

This optional add-on service helps guests maximize their time in the four Disney World theme parks —  Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — and the two Disneyland Resort theme parks — Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure.

But visiting the Disney parks during peak busy times can be a whole other challenge entirely, adding high crowd levels into the mix.

As a primer, there are three types of Lightning Lane services available for purchase:

• Lightning Lane Multi Pass;
• Lightning Lane Single Pass;
• And Lightning Lane Premier Pass. 

Arguably, the most popular (and MOST CONFUSING) option of the three is Lightning Lane Multi Pass. We’re starting with a quick glance at all three:

So now we’re sharing our TOP TIPS with you if you plan on using Lightning Lane Multi Pass in the parks during busy periods and/or the holidays!

What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is an optional paid service available through the My Disney Experience app and Disneyland app which allows you to bypass standby lines and enter the Lightning Lane at select attractions in the parks by paying a base price for multiple attractions.

• You can find everything you need to know about when and how to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Disney World (along with pricing info) HERE.
• You can find everything you need to know about when and how to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Disneyland (along with pricing info) HERE.

What is Lightning Lane Single Pass (Pay-Per-Ride)?

Lightning Lane Single Pass is a pay-per-ride for individual attractions. Select, highly popular rides (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure Park, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disneyland and Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT) are NOT included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

That means that even if you pay for Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you will NOT be able to select a time for/use the Lightning Lane at those attractions. Instead, if you want to use the Lightning Lane for those attractions, you’ll have to pay for the attractions INDIVIDUALLY.

You can only buy a maximum of 2 pay-per-ride selections in total per day. Prices for each experience can vary by ride, park, and day.

• You can find everything you need to know about when and how to purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass for Disney World (along with pricing info) HERE.
• You can find everything you need to know about when and how to purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass for Disneyland (along with pricing info) HERE.

What is Lightning Lane Premier Pass?

A third option, Lightning Lane Premier Pass made its debut on October 30th, 2024. This inclusive option grants one-time entry into EVERY Lightning Lane entry in a given park in Disney World* for one price (so, ALL rides available through both Multi Pass and Single Pass), eliminating the need to monitor Lightning Lane availability and make new Lighting Lane reservations throughout the day, and granting the ability to simply show up at an attraction and enter the Lightning Lane (as opposed to booking a specific time).

*Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disneyland grants one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane experience in both of the Disneyland Resort theme parks for one price.

Premier Pass is available in limited quantities in both Disney World and Disneyland, and it is also the most expensive option (by far): You can see price ranges for Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disney World here, and see price ranges for Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disneyland Resort here.

Click here to see our FULL PAGE dedicated to explaining everything you need to know about Disney World Lightning Lanes!

Alright, now let’s get to our tips for using Lightning Lane Multi Pass during the busy times and holiday periods in Disney World.

Using Lightning Lane Multi Pass During Busy Times in the Parks

Be Prepared

First, it’s important to be prepared. Before your trip arrives, make sure you have downloaded the My Disney Experience app or Disneyland app. From here, there are some required steps as well as things we’d advise to prepare in advance:

• REQUIRED STEP: In order to purchase a Lightning Lane pass, you are required to have valid theme park admission for everyone in your group for whom you wish to make Lightning Passes. (Please be aware that select ticketholders — including Disney World Annual Passholders — may also be required to have a Park Pass Reservation.)
• REQUIRED STEP: Have your whole party loaded into and linked together on the My Disney Experience App or Disneyland app before you’re eligible to start booking Lightning Lanes, so you can move through the process quickly.
• WE ADVISE: If you plan to purchase both Multi Pass and Single Pass for each day of your trip for Disney World, do both for each day at the same time.
• WE ADVISE: Have a plan of action. Read up on attractions and know which rides you want to shoot for as far as Lightning Lane Multi Passes go, and especially which Lightning Lane Single Pass options you wish to purchase.

Practice Makes Perfect

Before your trip, you’ll also want to become familiar with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. You can read our articles and watch our videos, but there’s nothing like actually taking a look at the system. So ahead of your trip, open up your My Disney Experience app or Disneyland app and check out the Tip Board and My Day sections in the Genie portion of the appropriate app.

There, you’ll get to see what the system looks like, see the return times for the rides, tap through to see how to make selections, etc. The more familiar you are with the system, the better prepared you’ll be when it’s time to use it in the parks. Even just a few seconds can make a difference when getting a hard-to-get selection.

Be Prepared for Price Increases

If you’ll be using Lightning Lanes during a busy time period, be aware that you may encounter some price increases for Lightning Lanes. Holiday seasons typically result in peak pricing for Lightning Lanes. 

You’ll want to set aside some extra funds in your budget to accommodate this. In fact, throughout the year, we continually track the price of Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Disney World by date HERE, so you can get an idea of how special events at Disney World and various holidays may affect pricing.

See day-by-day PRICING for Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Disney World HERE. 

Book Your Selections A.S.A.P.

Be sure to know EXACTLY WHEN you are eligible to start booking your Lightning Lanes, and have those times written down somewhere and set your alarms.

You’ll want to make sure you can make those first selections A.S.A.P. (especially if you’re trying to get a selection for a popular ride)! Eligibility varies in Disney World for Disney Resort hotel guests and offsite guests, and Disneyland has its own unique timing for booking Lighting Lanes. Click either of those links to determine the booking timeframe for your destination.

We have seen Lightning Lane selections run out temporarily, though they often come back with availability later in the day. Still, if you’re looking to get your ideal return time and assure that you get a return time, you’ll want to book those popular rides early. When it comes to pay-per-ride selections, those can in fact SELL OUT (though again it’s always good to keep checking availability in case anything changes).

Find out HOW QUICKLY pay-per-ride selections can sell out on Christmas Day HERE. 

If, for example, you’re hoping to get a Pay-Per-Ride selection for something like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, you’ll want to get those as soon as they open up for you.

Prioritize Your Picks

In line with the above, you’ll want to prioritize your picks so you can do your best to get the Lightning Lane selections you want. Which rides are must-dos for you? What rides do you feel like you absolutely need a Lightning Lane selection for?

If you’re hoping to get a Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection for something like Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios, the return times for that ride can quickly get quite late, so it’s one that you’ll probably want to prioritize.

Remember That Selections Can “Sell Out”

As we mentioned above, keep in mind that Lighting Lane Single Pass (Pay-Per-Ride) selections can sell out and Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections can temporarily run out (but more selections may pop up later). This can happen during normal times, which means the busy season only makes it worse, as you’ll be fighting to get your picks with an even larger crowd.

Again, if you have some rides that are must-dos, make sure you get the Lightning Lane selections for those AS SOON AS YOU ARE ELIGIBLE to purchase them.

Keep Refreshing

Things with Lightning Lane Multi Pass can move fast! You might scroll past some rides and see one return time, but when you refresh, the times have changed. Or, you might not find something you need, but it may appear after you refresh. If you’re using Lighting Lane Multi Pass and you can’t locate something you need, you might want to consider refreshing to see if it then pops up. And keep in mind that Modifying a Lighting Lane Multi Pass selection is also an option! 

In this case, let’s say you’ve grabbed the rides you want, BUT the timing is not ideal for you. (Perhaps there is a potential conflict with an Advance Dining Reservation or a parade you also want to see.) There are NO guarantees, but it can be worth it to check for potential opportunities to change your ride time by looking at “Modify Time” (if it pops up).

Yes, Lightning Lanes Can “Sell Out”

In February 2023, Lighting Lanes (then Genie+) sold out for the first time in Disney World. Be aware that the date was February 19th, which — in 2023 — was the Sunday of the always-busy Presidents Day weekend. We saw this happen again over Thanksgiving week and a few times during the 2023 holiday season. We saw Lightning Lanes selling out in Disneyland Resort for the first time in late 2022.

So it’s a good idea to keep in mind that Lightning Lane Multi Pass is subject to availability, and there isn’t always a guarantee it will be an option — we recommend buying it AS SOON AS YOU ARE ELIGIBLE — especially during peak holiday seasons — if you think you might need it to avoid missing out.

Be Specific With Free Genie

If you’re planning on using the free Genie planning service (which DOES still exist for ALL guests within the My Disney Experience app and Disneyland app whether they purchase Lightning Lanes or not). Be aware that you need to have your valid park admission already purchased and linked to your My Disney account to start this process. From there, be sure to give the system as much information as you can and be specific.

Be sure to enter in ALL of your preferences in MY TOP PICKS as early as you can so that the system is ready to go once the day of your vacation actually arrives.

Consider Utilizing Early Theme Park Entry and/or Extended Evening Hours to Get More Done

If you’ll be staying at a Disney World Resort hotel or another hotel that qualifies for bonus time in the parks, consider utilizing that. Though this is not necessarily a direct Lightning Lane tip, that extra time in the parks could help you knock out some rides early on, giving you more wiggle room and flexibility when it comes to making Lightning Lane selections for the remainder of the day.

Guests staying at ANY Disney World hotel (and select other hotels) can take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry — allowing them to enter any park of their choice on any day 30 minutes early. Keep in mind that a valid park ticket is still required.

Guests staying at Disney World Deluxe Resort hotel and Deluxe Villas can also take advantage of Extended Evening Hours — allowing them to spend extra time in select parks on certain nights.

Again, during the busy season, getting this extra time in the parks with more limited crowds can really help you have more flexibility later in the day.

And that’s a look at some of our tips and tricks for using Lightning Lane during the busy and/or holiday periods in Disney World and Disneyland!