Lightning Lane

If you love rides and hate the waits (I think that's most of us), then adding Lightning Lane to you trip is worth taking a look at. Lightning Lane is Disney's replacement for Genie+ (for those of you who remember it). Essentially, instead of waiting in the normal line for a ride you enter through a separate line for anyone who has purchased Lightning Lane.

Please note that everything contained in this article is accurate as of the time of writing. Things can change, sometimes quickly, so always check Disney's official sites.

Let's explore more about this add-on for Disneyland and Disney World park tickets.

What's Does Lightning Lane Cost?

There are 3 tiers of Lightning Lane, and not all are mutually exclusive. Your total cost will depend on how far you're wanting to take the experience. Prices also fluctuate with the time of year, so there's really no exact & set cost. You also have to buy a pass for each park you visit, so it can add up fast.

You also must have a park pass, so this is in addition to the park pass.

Single Pass

Allows you to get Lightning Lane for 1 ride.

Prices range from $15 - $30 per person per day. The more popular the ride is, the more expensive it will be.

Multi-Pass

This pass is complicated and takes some additional planning. You get to pick 1 ride from a group of "in demand" rides and 2 from a second tier of rides for a total of 3. Some of the most popular rides are excluded from this pass entirely and you will have to buy the single pass for those.

Prices range from $18 - $35 per person per day.

Premier Pass

Allows you to ride every Lightning Lane approved ride once per park that you buy it for. This is a great option, but it can also be expensive.

Prices range from $129 - $210 per person per day.

What Rides Should I Most Consider Lightning Lane For?

Based on my experiences, I would most recommend you consider purchasing Lightning Lane, especially during more crowded times, for the following rides:

• TRON Lightcycle Run

• Peter Pan's Flight

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

• Avatar Flight of Passage

When Can I Buy?

If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you can book up to 7 days in advance.

If you are not staying at a Disney hotel, you can book up to 3 days in advance.

Overall: Is It Worth The Cost?

Telling everyone that Lightning Lane is worthwhile is a difficult thing to do. I think a lot of this will depend on the time of year that you visit, how long you're willing to wait for rides, what your budget is, and other factors. Overall, I can simply say that I personally find Lightning Lane to be worth the expense so that I can pack in more rides with less frustration. The only decision I have every time I go is how far I take it.

My Recommendation

Typically my family and I will buy the Single Lightning Lane for rides like TRON and Guardians of the Galaxy. Depending on how much time we're staying on our trip or how busy the parks are, we often also buy the Multi-Pass.

A Blast From The Past

To be honest, I miss Genie+. Genie+ was simpler, easier to use, faster between rides, and overall a much better experience. Lightning Lane feels like Disney's attempt to rip you off while having you feel good about it. Still, I'm also the sucker who is impatient and I pay for Lightning Lane every time.

What Rides Are Included Or Excluded?

Talk about complex, here's where things go over the top and why I prefer the old Genie+ to Lightning Lane. I've tried my best to create a simple chart of what's included in each type of pass and what's excluded entirely.

Note that if a pass is available on Multi-Pass or Single then by default it is also available on the Premier Pass.

Magic Kingdom

Tomorrowland
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Carousel of Progress	No	No	Yes
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin	No	No	Yes
Astro Orbiter	No	No	Yes
Space Mountain	Yes	No	No
People Mover	No	No	Yes
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor	Yes	Yes	No
Tomorrowland Speedway	Yes	No	No
TRON Lightcycle Run	No	Yes	No
Fantasyland
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Mad Tea Party	Yes	Yes	No
Dumbo the Flying Elephant	Yes	Yes	No
The Barnstormer	Yes	Yes	No
Journey of the Little Mermaid	Yes	Yes	No
Enchanted Tales with Belle	No	Yes	Yes
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel	No	Yes	Yes
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train	No	Yes	No
It's a Small World	Yes	Yes	No
Liberty Square
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Haunted Mansion	Yes	No	No
Hall of Presidents	No	No	Yes
Frontierland
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Tiana's Bayou Adventure	Yes	No	No
Big Thunder Mountain	Yes	No	No
Adventureland
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Pirates of the Caribbean	Yes	No	No
Enchanted Tiki Room	No	No	Yes
Jungle Cruise	Yes	No	No
Magic Carpets	Yes	No	No
Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse	No	No	Yes

EPCOT

World Nature
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Turtle Talk with Crush	Yes	No	No
The Seas with Nemo & Friends	Yes	No	No
Living with the Land	Yes	No	No
Soarin'	Yes	No	No
Journey of Water	No	No	Yes
Journey into Imagination with Figment	Yes	No	No
World Celebration
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Spaceship Earth	Yes
World Discovery
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Mission: SPACE	Yes	No	No
Guardians of the Galaxy	No	Yes	No
Test Track	Yes	No	No
The World
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Grand Fiesta Tour (Mexico)	No	No	Yes
Frozen Ever After (Norway)	Yes	No	No
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (France)	Yes	No	No

Hollywood Studios

Sunset Boulevard
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror	Yes	No	No
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster	Yes	No	No
Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage	Yes	No	No
Fantasmic!	No	No	Yes
Toy Story Land
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Toy Story Mania!	Yes	No	No
Slinky Dog Dash	Yes	No	No
Alien Swirling Saucers	Yes	No	No
Star Wars Land
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Rise of the Resistance	No	Yes	No
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run	Yes	No	No
Commissary Lane
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Star Tours	Yes	No	No
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular	Yes	No	No
Frozen Single-Along	Yes	No	No

Animal Kingdom

Pandora
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Avatar Flight of Passage	No	Yes	No
Na'vi River Journey	Yes	No	No
Africa
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Festival of the Lion King	Yes	No	No
Wildlife Express Train	No	No	Yes
Kilimanjaro Safaris	Yes	No	No
DinoLand U.S.A.
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
DINOSAUR	Yes	No	No
Finding Nemo	Yes	No	No
Asia
Ride	Available on Multi-Pass?	Available on Single?	Excluded Entirely?
Expedition Everest	Yes	No	No
Kali River Rapids	Yes	No	No
Feathered Friends in Flight	Yes	No	No

Links

• Disney World Lightning Lane

• Disneyland Lightning Lane