If you’re planning a Disney World trip, you’re probably already aware that things can get a bit pricey.
Between all the tickets, hotels, food, and those irresistible Disney World treats, it all adds up fast. And for those who dream of skipping the lines, Disney offers a brand-new $400 pass called the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which promises to take Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass to the next level. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, the short of it is that there are some massive problems with it that might have you wanting to never, ever buy it!
As we were saying, Disney World just started offering a brand-new service called Lightning Lane Premier Pass that’s supposed to take skipping the line to the next level.
It is similar to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass, but the biggest difference is that you don’t have to book a specific time to visit a ride’s Lightning Lane if you have Premier Pass. On paper, it sounds amazing, but the reality of it is that there are some huge problems that definitely need to be addressed!
Why Are You Making Me Wake Up at 7 A.M. for This?
One of the biggest perks Disney promotes with the $400 Lightning Lane Premier Pass is that you don’t have to be up glued to your phone on the My Disney Experience app, meticulously planning every single ride. So why, then, are people still required to get up at 7AM on the day they want to buy it?
Yes, you read that right. If you try to purchase it before 7AM, you’ll see the price and be able to continue to the purchase screen, but you will get a warning that the date you’re looking for is not available until 7AM.
You can buy the pass at 7AM ET up to 7 days before your trip, and Disney says availability is very limited. So despite the hefty price tag, you still probably need to wake up early to purchase the pass — and use that app you’re trying to avoid to do it! This doesn’t exactly sound like what anyone pictures when they think “VIP access.”
Maybe I’m wrong, but wouldn’t it make way more sense to allow guests to add this pass to their reservation at any time before their trip? Imagine if a travel agent or even the concierge at your Disney hotel could set this up for you when you book your stay and how convenient that would be, but instead, guests have to race against the clock (creating a lot of unnecessary stress) and all for something that’s supposed to make your trip smoother.
With the amount of convenience Disney could be offering with the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, it’s strange that they’re sticking to a system that’s this inconvenient.
You Can’t Park Hop
If you’re paying $400 to skip the lines, it seems fair to assume you’d have flexibility to enjoy as much of Disney World as possible, right? Unfortunately, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is valid for one park only per day. You can go to other parks — if your ticket allows park hopping — but you won’t be able to use the Premier Pass on rides anywhere but the park you bought it for.
So while it might be possible to ride all the rides at Hollywood Studios with your premier pass well before Magic Kingdom closes and hop over to Magic Kingdom, you won’t be able to just jump into Lightning Lanes there like you could at Hollywood Studios.
And just consider what this means if your family has diverse ride interests (just like mine). Let’s say some family members are all about Star Wars and want to experience Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios, while others are big on classic Magic Kingdom rides. If you want to buy Premier Pass, you’re either splitting up the family or missing out on some experiences. Maybe for $400, guests should have a bit more freedom than that.
Only One Ride Per Attraction?
All of that being said, perhaps the most surprising limitation of the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is that you’re only allowed to use it once per attraction. For a lot of people, this restriction is an instant dealbreaker. If you’re paying $400 for a VIP pass, wouldn’t you expect to hop on your favorite rides as often as you like? But under this rule, if you want to get in as many rides as possible on Space Mountain, you’ll need to stand in line like everyone else after that first ride.
This restriction is also especially hard if you’re traveling with kids, who are notoriously fond of re-riding their favorites. The same is true for adults who love Disney thrill rides.
Maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way, but it almost sounds like the Lightning Lane Premier Pass seems designed to discourage repeat rides as a crowd control measure. But when you do that, a lot of guests will feel like they aren’t getting their money’s worth. After all, isn’t the idea of VIP access to create a sense of unlimited possibilities?
Is It Worth It?
The Lightning Lane Premier Pass is marketed as the ultimate way to beat the crowds, but with so many restrictions, it’s hard to see that the value adds up. Now, if Disney reworked some of these policies by allowing purchases in advance, making park hopping possible, and lifting the “one-and-done” rule for rides then this could genuinely become a dream pass. But for now, if you’re planning a Disney World trip, it might be worth holding off on getting this skip-the-line pass and spending that $400 on other experiences instead.
In the meantime, keep it right here at AllEars for all the latest from Disney!
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Are you thinking about getting Lightning Lane Premier Pass in Disney World? Let us know in the comments!
Disney already has all the options you just listed in their VIP tours: ability to add to your trip early, unlimited rides, and parkhopping. This new premiere pass is a mid-range purchase between the LLMP and LLSP that we have had access to already and the VIP tours. I know it seems strange that a $400 add-on is “mid-range”, but welcome to Disney!