Ever since Disneyland first opened and essentially created the modern theme park industry 70 years ago, visitors have been waiting in long lines to ride in-demand attractions… and for pretty much just as long, those visitors have wanted a way to skip those lines.
Currently, both of the world’s premier theme park companies — Disney and Universal — provide skip-the-line services. However, each approaches the concept VERY differently, and our readers have thoughts on which is better!
So, before we get into what our readers think, a quick refresh on how Disney and Universal currently handle skip-the-line offerings.
Disney’s system has evolved multiple times over the years, including the original FastPass and Genie+ systems. Currently, the company uses the Lightning Lane system which was introduced in 2024.
Currently, there are three levels of Lightning Lane available:
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Guests can purchase up to 3 Multi Pass experiences and arrival windows in a single theme park per day prior to their arrival (7 days prior for Disney resort guests, and 3 days for non-resort guests). After using their first Multi Pass experience, guests can make an additional selection. If their park admission includes Park Hopper benefits, they can choose from Multi Pass experiences in other parks.
- Lightning Lane Single Pass: Guests can purchase Lightning Lane Single Passes for in-demand attractions not available with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Guests can purchase up to 2 single passes per day, subject to availability.
- Lightning Lane Premier Pass: This pass allows one-time entry to each Lightning Lane experience in a given theme park to enjoy at your leisure that day.
Universal Orlando uses a slightly more streamlined approach. Their regular Express Pass offering allows guests to skip the regular line at participating rides and attractions one time during their park day. There is also an Unlimited version (currently restricted to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure), which allows guests to skip the lines multiple times at participating rides and attractions.
So, how do these offerings compare price-wise?
Disney uses a dynamic pricing model per park based on expected demand.
- So far in May of 2025, Lightning Lane Multi Pass has cost between $17 and $27 per-person/per-day at Animal Kingdom, $24 and $29 per-person/per-day at Hollywood Studios, $19 and $24 per-person/per-day at EPCOT, and $27 and $32 per-person/per-day at Magic Kingdom.
- During the same period, Lightning Lane Single Passes have cost between $11 and $13 for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, $19 and $21 for Tron Lightcycle/Run, $16 and $18 for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, $20 and $24 for Rise of the Resistance, and $15 and $17 for Flight of Passage.
- Finally, during the same period, Lightning Lane Premier Passes have cost between $139 and $189 per-person/per-day at Animal Kingdom, $289 and $309 per-person/per-day at Hollywood Studios, $189 and $209 at EPCOT, and $359 and $419 at the Magic Kingdom.
Universal also uses a dynamic pricing system. Express Passes for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure range between $119 and $319 per-person/per-day, and Unlimited passes for those two parks go for between $149 and $349 per-person/per-day. Express Passes for Epic Universe, which opens to the public on May 22nd, currently cost between $129 and $329 per person/per day. Universal also offers 3-Park, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Day Express Passes for $105, $86.67, $73.75, and $61.00 per-person/per-day, respectively.
Universal also offers Universal Express Unlimited as a FREE benefit to guests staying at select Signature Collection hotels.
Now that all those basics and prices are laid out, what do YOU, our readers, think of these skip-the-line offerings? We took to Facebook to ask, and these are some of the responses we received:
Reader Jason still preferred Disney’s Multi Pass system, saying it “at least allows you to still skip the lines with just 5 mins, just like free fastpass used to. Although Express Pass provided access to all Universal rides, the wait times at Universal EP are still extremely long, like 30-40 mins each (my experience). Personally, multi-pass providing not all but some rides works better than PP or EP providing all of them. Because let’s be honest, is it even possible to ride everything in one park in just one day (for Magic Kingdom’s case)?”
Reader Samantha agreed, writing, “Eh. Paid $191 for one one-time Express Pass at Epic yesterday (which excluded 3 rides), and I still waited 30-45 minutes for most rides. Paid $50 something for Magic Kingdom today with Tron and Seven Dwarves and rode everything I wanted to (don’t care to do tea cups, barnstormer, magic carpets, but I could have) by 4PM and never waited more than 10 minutes. I know which purchase I felt better about. If I am paying to cut the line, I want to actually cut the line.”
Reader Amelie felt differently, writing, “Disney is a waste. At Universal, you get unlimited rides with their unlimited EP at BOTH parks for less than the Premier Pass for just one park at Disney (and that is just one time ride per ride). I’m assuming that is what you were trying to compare, the EP vs the Premier Pass (instead of the LL). You can’t compare EP vs regular LL because they work drastically differently.”
Reader Cela also said they preferred Universal’s approach, writing, “I think Disney should follow what Universal does and have an unlimited ride pass and a once-a-day ride pass, then give select resort guests a free or discounted rate on each pass option.”
As both Disney and Universal continue to add new attractions and refine their skip-the-line options, the debate over which system works better will surely continue. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on both parks’ ticket options.
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
If You Want to Ride the NEW Harry Potter Ride at Epic Universe, You NEED To Know These Tips!
Which did you prefer: Lightning Lane or Express Pass? Let us know in the comments below.
None of the above. Will not pay for fast pass which was always free in the past.
Same!!
Been visiting WDW since 1972. My observation is that crowds and people on phones is changing the “experience” and not for the better. Used to love spending the entire day in the parks, but age has caught up with me. Too expensive and crowded to enjoy like we used to. Still love Disney, but times and costs for seniors have made it more difficult to go. I think depending on crowds, Disney or Universal plans will benefit you best. Both have advantages.
Why do I have to pay more to ride attractions when I just paid a load to enter the park?! Both of those parks are too greedy and why I haven’t returned to
Disney since FastPass disappeared. It’s ridiculous and I won’t pay those fees. They made plenty of $ before Lightning Lane!
Express pass at Universal is hands down better! Now that is not the new park Epic. We were at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure on a crowded weekend and our waits were really short with the express pass.
Then went to Disney when the parks were predicted to be much less crowded during the week. We bought multipass ahead of time for one day, we used a pass and started rebooking…pretty quickly we could only get passes for the evening so a big gap during the most crowded time. Went to buy the multi pass for another day (not 7 days ahead) and didn’t But not because we couldn’t get any of the rides we wanted.
Universal Express pass is DRASTICALLY different. The unlimited version allows as many times as you want per ride, while the more expensive Disney version is only once. And unlike Disney, you don’t have to schedule a time, you just walk on. And don’t forget, you’re not guaranteed every ride at Disney, but at Universal it just depends on line length as to how much you get done. Also good for both Universal parks, but Disney is bought separately for each park you want to use it in
So here’s the thing. If these “skip the line” passes went away most everyone would spend much less time waiting in lines. Even if you use a skip the line, if you wait in standby on just a single attraction that HAS skip the line, it takes 2 to 3 “skip the lines” to make up for it compared to simply NOT having any skip the line. That’s because standby increases by 2 or 3 times when skip the line is available. Additionally it seems more crowded at the parks. Think about it, I reserve a skip the line and it’s like “poof” a clone of me appears. “Hey, you go wait in this line while I’m going to first go shopping and then go wait in a different line.”. So while I would be in a line if NO skipping was possible, I’m now BOTH in a line and shopping and then in a second line. Please make line skipping go away for quadruple the cost so MOST people don’t use it. That would benefit everyone’s wait times.
Universals EP and Disability Service.
Disneys has little to no value if the park is busy. I also dont think that people who have less money than others dont get the same freedom from their phones that the elite pass at Disney has