October 30th is almost here, and that means Lightning Lane Premier Pass is gearing up to debut in Disney World.
The new skip-the-line service debuted in Disneyland on October 23rd, and we certainly got a feel for the new service then, but Disney World is MUCH bigger than Disneyland Resort. We’re gearing up to take on the new service, and here’s what we learned from our trial day in Disneyland to help us prepare.
But first, a little backstory in case you missed what Lightning Lane Premier Pass is: In Disney World, Lightning Lane Premier Pass is only available to guests staying at Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villas. It’ll allow guests to skip the line at every included attraction in one park ONCE during the day. No need to make a reservation for when you’ll get to ride ahead of time on your phone!
The new service comes at a hefty cost though:
- Magic Kingdom: $329-$449 per person, per day, plus tax
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $129-$199 per person, per day, plus tax
- EPCOT: $169-$249 per person, per day, plus tax
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $269-$349 per person, per day, plus tax
Before We Purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass
There are several things we’ll do before we even purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass and use it. One of the first things is we’ll get familiar with all the rides it includes ahead of time so we won’t waste our time when we’re on the ground in Disney World with the pass.
We’ll also make sure that all our credit card details are already added to the My Disney Experience app so we can buy it quickly. We don’t want to have to scramble to add those details when Lightning Lane Premier Pass goes on sale because it could cost us valuable time that could keep us from purchasing it (as it is limited).
We’ll also make sure the names of EVERYONE in our party that we’ll be using Lightning Lane Premier Pass are already in the app, too. Again, we don’t want to be rushing and trying to add those details at the last minute.
When the day we are ready to purchase our Lightning Lane Premier Pass comes, we’re going to have the app ready to go BEFORE 7AM EST (when Premier Passes go on sale each morning). Note that when we did this in the Disneyland app, we had to search for “Lightning Lane Premier Pass” to find it.
Before We Use Lightning Lane Premier Pass
Before we use our Lightning Lane Premier Pass, we’ll make sure to have a ride strategy in place so we’re not doing a lot of extra walking and backtracking. Premier Pass lets you get into a Lightning Lane at any time, so you can do something like ride everything with a Lightning Lane in Tomorrowland, and then move over to ride everything in Fantasyland, and then make your way through the park hitting every ride along the way.
One thing that happened to us when we tried Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disneyland is that the app gave us an error when we tried to load the ride list. However, we reloaded and it came back up again. If you see an error in the app, just wait a few minutes and refresh.
If you plan on paying the high price for Lightning Lane Premier Pass, you’ll want to get your money’s worth. That means that you should be prioritizing rides over everything else, including dining and entertainment. You might not want to book a lengthy table service meal and opt for quick-service meals. You might also want to skip out on things like parades and shows, which could take up valuable ride time.
One thing that also happened to us in Disneyland is a ride closure that sort of derailed our plans. That’s just something you have to plan around. You can keep checking the My Disney Experience app to see if and when that ride reopens, though, and make your way back to it when you want.
You’ll also want to keep an eye on the rides you’ve already used Premier Pass for (the app will show you) because you’re only allowed to use it once per ride. That will keep you from going back to a ride you’ve already been on and keep you updated on the rides you haven’t used it for yet.
Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars — we’ll be covering the debut of Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disney World soon!
CONFIRMED: Every Ride Included in Disney World’s NEW Lightning Lane Premier Pass
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Are you looking forward to this new service? Tell us in the comments!
If you buy a premier pass do you have the option to also buy a single pass for a ride that you would like to ride twice?