Written by: Bridget Virden, Senior Travel Planner

Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass made their Walt Disney World debut on July 24. No one likes change, so we understand the apprehension surrounding this new launch – especially if you just wrapped your head around Genie+! Never fear! We were in the parks using this new system July 25-29 and are here to report back on what we learned. Take a deep breath – everything is going to be fine!

Advance planning
Lightning Lane return times can now be made in advance! One of the biggest complaints about Genie+ was that ride selections had to be made at 7am the morning of each park visit. For a lot of people, this took a bit of the relaxation out of their vacation time! Having to be up bright and early each morning of your vacation to make plans for the day is not everyone’s idea of fun!

Disney listened, and with Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass, Disney Resort Guests can book three Lightning Lane return times for each park day, SEVEN days prior to check-in. Disney Resort Guests can also opt to purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass return times for each park day. I love being able to map out my plan for the entire length of my trip! Each day you decide to purchase will be a separate transaction, but even with four park days, it took less than 10 minutes to complete the entire process.

Not staying on Disney property? You’ll be able to book Lightning Lane Multi Pass and/or Lightning Lane Single Pass THREE days prior to your park visit. (That seven day advantage is just one more reason to stay right in the Middle of the Magic!)

Tiered System
Lightning Lane Multi Pass operates on a “tiered” system, much like FastPass+ did. When you’re selecting advance return times for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios, you’ll be prompted to select one attraction from Tier One, and two attractions from Tier Two. Animal Kingdom does not currently utilize a tiered selection system.

Once you scan into an attraction and redeem your Lightning Lane, you’ll be able to make your next selection, based on availability. At this point, tiers no longer apply and you can make a selection for any available attraction. For example, our advance Lightning Lane selections for Magic Kingdom were Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (tier 1), Haunted Mansion (tier 2), and Pirates of the Caribbean (tier 2). Once we tapped into Pirates of the Caribbean we were able to choose Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (tier 1), even though we already held a return time for a Tier 1 attraction (Tiana’s).

“Use one, get one.”
This should be your mantra with Lightning Lane Multi Pass! Genie+ users will remember that there were two ways to “unlock” your next Lightning Lane selection – use your most recently booked selection or wait 120 minutes. The 120 minute rule is gone and you’ll be able to book your next Lightning Lane return time once you’ve redeemed a selection. You’ll keep rolling through your day this way, and the app will always show you if you’re eligible to make a new selection or if you need to redeem a selection first.

The System is “Smart”
During the advance selection process you’ll be asked to choose the three attractions you want to ride. The system will automatically pull the earliest available return time for the rides you selected. This is helpful since your best strategy is to book the earliest available return time so you can tap in, ride, and make your next selection. If the earliest return times don’t fit your plan, you can select from alternate times if available.The system also recognizes any other reservations you’ve made through your My Disney Experience account and will let you know if plans overlap. However, we were always able to “override” the suggestions and book overlapping plans if we wanted. So if you aren’t as familiar with the parks, the system does offer guidelines to help make sure you don’t overbook yourself.

No additional fee for park hopping
While each park is priced separately, there is no additional fee for park hopping. With Genie+ there was a “multiple parks” option that you would purchase if you planned to park hop, and it was always the most expensive option. With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you’ll simply select the park where you plan to start your day. Once you’ve redeemed ONE of your advance Lightning Lane selections, you’ll be able to book attractions at the park where you plan to hop.

Able to modify
You do have the option to modify selections once they are booked, based on availability. Our advance selections for our Hollywood Studios day had return times of 9:05 am, 9:55 am, and 12:15 pm. We stayed out too late the night before and decided to change plans that morning. With a little refreshing we were able to rebook each selection for later in the afternoon. You also have the option of modifying or canceling plans for specific members of your party.

Ride “refills” drop throughout the day
You’ll notice that some attractions will be listed as “Not Currently Offered” on your Tip Board in the My Disney Experience app. We found that ride “refills” dropped throughout the day, and we were able to book return times for attractions that were originally not available. After spending the afternoon at Hollywood Studios, we were still able to book Lightning Lane return times for the most popular rides at Magic Kingdom that evening. Don’t become frustrated if certain attractions don’t immediately show availability. Just check back with the app from time to time and you may be pleasantly surprised!

Great first experience!
Our first experience using Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass was definitely positive. We were able to ride our favorite attractions during our four day visit and thought the system was user friendly and easy to navigate. Of course, there will likely be tweaks and changes in the coming weeks and months, and our agents will continue to research so you are prepared to put Lightning Light Multi Pass to work during your next trip! Reach out so you can take advantage of our expertise!