What Happens When I Have a Lightning Lane in Disney World, but the Ride Closes?

If you’ve ever pulled up to an attraction right at your Lightning Lane return time only to see it unexpectedly down, you are not alone.

This happens more often than people think, especially with some of the more complex rides. The good news is that Disney actually has a built-in system to handle this situation, and it is usually much less stressful than it feels in the moment. So let’s walk through exactly what happens, what Disney officially says, and how you can make the most of it when a ride goes down during your Lightning Lane window.

What Disney Does When Your Lightning Lane Ride Closes

According to Disney’s official guidance, if you have a Lightning Lane booked and that attraction goes down, you will automatically receive a “Select Experiences” Lightning Lane added to your account. You don’t need to go to Guest Relations or talk to a Cast Member for this to happen in most cases. It should show up on its own in the My Disney Experience app.

When this happens, you are also able to book another available Lightning Lane immediately. This is one of the rare situations where you can technically hold more than three Lightning Lanes at once, which can be a big win on a busy park day.

Your “Select Experiences” Lightning Lane is completely separate from your other Lightning Lanes. It doesn’t have a specific return time and can be used at any point throughout the day. You can also decide whether you want to use it on the original attraction once it reopens or choose a different attraction from a pre-approved list.

How to See Which Attractions You Can Use It On

You won’t be able to use this Lightning Lane on just any attraction in the park, so checking the list is important. To find it, open the My Disney Experience app, tap the three lines in the bottom corner, scroll to “Today’s Plans,” and then select your “Select Experiences” Lightning Lane. From there, you will be able to see exactly which attractions are eligible.

While it is totally your call, you might want to hold onto that Lightning Lane for the attraction you originally wanted. Once you see it’s back up and running, you can head over as soon as you reasonably can. If the ride ends up being closed for the rest of the day, then you can make a game-time decision and pick a different attraction from the list.

What About Lightning Lane Single Pass Attractions

Lightning Lane Single Pass works a little differently. If you have a Lightning Lane for one of these attractions and it goes down, you will be able to use that Lightning Lane at any time once the ride reopens later that day.

If the attraction ends up being closed for the rest of the day, you may see an automatic refund processed back to your original form of payment. If you don’t see that refund, we recommend chatting with a Guest Relations Cast Member to see what your options are. You can find them at the Guest Relations office near the park entrance or under the blue umbrellas throughout the park.

Why Checking the App Matters

Ride closures can happen quickly, and reopening times can change just as fast. That is why it is a really good idea to check the My Disney Experience app frequently throughout the day. Staying on top of closures gives you more flexibility to adjust plans, rebook Lightning Lanes, or decide how to best use a “Select Experiences” Lightning Lane.

Unexpected ride closures are frustrating, but knowing how Disney handles them can take a lot of the stress out of the situation. With a little flexibility and a few app checks, you can still have a great park day.

Oof! Lightning Lanes can be confusing, but we’re here to help. Make sure you keep following AllEars for all the details you need for your next Disney World vacation. Check out our video on Lightning Lanes, too!