7 Lightning Lane Tips We Learned - PREP 421

We recently spent several days touring all four Walt Disney World parks and tested Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass strategy. Here are 7 tips we learned that will help you maximize the newest version of Disney’s standby-line skipping service.

Prior to Launch

As we mentioned in our podcast episode prior to the launch of this system, we are optimistic. We arrived to test the new system 4 days after it launched and things got better over time.

Our experience with previous systems included different drops releasing more options at different times. It seems as though they are still tweaking this with the new system.

7 Tips for Using the Lightning Lane System

Modify times to have them overlap: When you are pre-booking your lightning lanes, you will select your party and the attractions you’re booking. The app will suggest times for each attraction. The times will not overlap, but you can modify them so that they overlap. This is different from previous systems because with modifications, you can have them overlap.
Request a refund for an unused Lightning Lane Single Pass in the app: You can request a refund by using the chat feature in the My Disney Experience app. Previously you needed to request a refund at a blue umbrella in the park. This makes requesting a refund much easier if you are unable to use the Single Pass.
If you have a split stay, you will be able to book all lightning lanes for your entire stay 7 days prior to your trip. One of the biggest drawbacks of a split stay is making dining reservations 60 days prior to your first check-in date and then 60 days prior to your second check-in date. This is not how the new Lightning Lane System works and you are able to book all of your lightning lane passes at one time.
Once you tap in for a pre-booked lightning lane, you can book another lightning lane and it can be at a different park. You can only pre-book 3 lightning lanes at one park, but you can tap into your first pre-booked lightning lane and then book your next lightning lane for another park. At this time, you can also modify your existing pre-booked lightning lanes and change them to a different park.
Because the pre-booked lightning lanes are done one day at a time, you might consider booking the day with the most difficult to book lightning lanes first. This is much like our advice in booking dining reservations. Rather than booking them in chronological order, we suggest you book them with the most difficult first.
If you are park hopping, you can use the park hours to your advantage. Animal Kingdom often opens an hour before every other park. If you start there, you will be able to start booking lightning lanes at the other parks as soon as they open.
Although there is a maximum of 3 lightning lanes that you can hold at a time, if you get an anytime experience passes it does not count. If an attraction goes down and your lightning lane is converted to an anytime experience, this will not count toward your 3 maximum.

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