Last week, Disney announced a new standby line-skipping system that will replace Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes starting July 24th. The new service combines elements of Genie+ with the old FastPass+ system. Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows you to skip the standby line at select attractions by reserving arrival times for up to three attractions before your vacation. Below, we provide an overview of what we know (so far) about this new system and how it will work when it’s released later this summer.
It’s important to be familiar with how Genie+ currently operates to get a complete understanding of what’s changing. If you’re unfamiliar with Genie+, check out our guide before diving deep here.
How Lightning Lane Multi Pass Works
Lightning Lane Multi Pass will replace Genie+ on July 24th. It’s a paid service that allows you to skip the standby lines at many attractions at Walt Disney World by reserving return times in advance. With Multi Pass, you can make up to three attraction selections before your vacation. Lightning Lane reservations are made through the My Disney Experience app.
Guests staying on-site at a Disney Resort can make their Lightning Lane reservations seven days before their check-in date for up to 14 days. Off-site guests can make ride reservations three days in advance. This instantly enhances the perks you get for staying at a Disney Resort!
Once you redeem your first Lightning Lane Multi Pass at the parks, you can reserve additional Lightning Lane entrances one at a time, based on availability.
Additional perks of Multi Pass include digital downloads of your PhotoPass attraction photos and access to exclusive AR PhotoPass lenses that interact with specific elements in the parks (these were also included with Genie+).
What is Lightning Lane Single Pass?
Individual Lightning Lanes will now be referred to as Lightning Lane Single Pass. Lightning Lane Single Pass works the same way as Individual Lightning Lanes. It’s a pay-to-ride service available for the parks’ most in-demand attractions that aren’t included with Multi Passes. Purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass is the best way to ensure you can ride Disney’s most popular attractions without waiting hours in line. You can buy up to two Lightning Lane Single Passes in a day.
How Is Lightning Lane Multi Pass Different Than Genie+?
There are several differences between Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Genie+. The first and most prominent difference is that Multi Pass allows you to make three attraction reservations before you visit the parks. You can also book multiple days of Lightning Lane reservations at one time (up to 14 days). On the other hand, Genie+ is a day-of purchase that only allows you to book ride reservations on the same day.
The other major difference is that with Multi Pass, you can reserve multiple rides at once. With Genie+, you can only make one ride reservation at a time. The only way to make additional Genie+ reservations is to redeem your last Genie+ reservation or wait two hours after making a reservation for your next booking window. This created a complicated procedure known as the “120-minute rule” that was confusing and often made guests feel they needed to constantly be on their phones so they didn’t “miss” a booking window.
Another difference is that Multi Pass allows you to pick a ride reservation from a list of available times. Genie+assigns you the next available reservation window automatically.
Multi Pass lets you choose your Lightning Lane reservations and arrival windows before purchasing the service, so you know what you’re getting. With Genie+, you have to buy the service first to see available attractions.
There are no character meet and greets or parade viewing included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass, at least initially. With Genie+, you could use the service to skip the standby line at many different character meeting locations, such as Mickey at Town Square Theater and princesses at Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom. Experiences included with Lightning Lane Multi Pass will likely change, so this may be added later.
How to Reserve Multi & Single Passes
You can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Passes and Single Passes using the My Disney Experience app (MDE). You can also purchase Multi Pass and Single Passes in the same transaction. While the exact steps of purchasing aren’t known yet, Disney promises the process will be more straightforward and streamlined than Genie+.
The booking window for Disney Resort guests opens one week before your resort check-in date, even if you don’t plan to visit the parks for several days after arriving. Guests staying off-property can make their Lightning Lane selections three days in advance.
Booking windows open at 7 am EST every day. You must have valid theme park admission and your family members linked in MDE make ride selections for them.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Park Hopper
Park hopping is available with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. However, you need to pick a park to make your three advanced Lightning Lane ride selections. Once you redeem your first Lightning Lane, you can look to see if additional choices are available at different parks. Since you can book more Lightning Lanes as soon as you use the first one, there’s an incentive to book your advanced Lightning Lanes at the first park you plan to visit and make your first reservation as early as possible. However, you may find that rope-dropping one park in the morning and booking your three advanced Lightning Lanes in the afternoon at a different park may work best for your family. Multi Pass pricing is the same whether you have a Park Hopper or a One-Day, One-Park ticket. Unlike Genie+, buying a Multi Pass is the same price whether you use it to Park Hop or stay at one park.
How Much Do Lightning Lane Passes Cost?
While we don’t know exactly how much Lighting Lane passes will cost when the system goes into effect, we expect it to follow a similar pricing structure to Genie+. The price will vary by day and the selected park. Prices will be available to view before you purchase the service when they’re released on July 24th.
Included Multi Pass Rides
When you book your three advanced Lightning Lanes, you select a ride from one tier and two (or all three) from a second tier. This structure is similar to how advanced FastPass+ selections worked. Tier 1 rides are popular but not as in-demand as those available for Lightning Lane Single Pass. Tier 1 attractions include:
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Soarin’ Around the World
Tier 2 attractions include fan favorites that usually have moderate waits. These include:
- Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Expedition Everest
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Spaceship Earth
- Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Na’vi River Journey
Note: Available experiences and attractions often change, so visit the official Lightning Lane site for the most accurate information about available attractions.
Lightning Lane Single Pass Attractions
These rides are the most in-demand at the Disney parks and aren’t available with Multi Pass. To ride one of these attractions, you must either wait in the standby line or purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass. Single Pass attractions are:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- TRON Lightcycle/ Run
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Avatar Flight of Passage
How to Use Multi and Single Passes
Before your trip, get with your family and decide on your top must-dos. Pin them to the “My Day” dashboard in MDE, so you know which rides you want to reserve Lightning Lanes for. You can only make a Lightning Lane reservation for a ride once per day. If you want to ride a particular ride twice, you must use the standby line or purchase a Single Pass (if available). Once you’ve made three advanced selections for your first vacation day, tap “plan another day” to make additional purchases and ride reservations. You can modify your ride selections after making them. Once you redeem your first Lightning Lane reservation, return to the app to book another Lightning Lane if available. You can keep doing this until the park closes.
What About Disneyland?
Genie+ will also become Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and Individual Lightning Lanes will become Lightning Lane Single Pass at Disneyland on July 24th. However, the logistics of how Multi and Single Passes work will remain the same as Genie+.
Navigating Lightning Lane Passes with Wishing On A Star Travel®
Guests can make advanced Lightning Lane reservations beginning July 24th. This means guests checking into a Disney Resort on July 31st can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass on the 24th and start making advanced selections. If you will be at Walt Disney World or Disneyland when the changes go into effect on July 24th, contact your Wishing On A Star Travel agent to see how the new system may impact your trip.
At Wishing On a Star Travel, we’ll provide expert advice and guidance on utilizing standby-line skipping services like Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass before your trip. However, you must purchase Lightning Lane passes, make selections, and modify reservations individually. This is so you can best use the service based on your family’s unique needs and scheduling preferences.
To see how we can help you plan the vacation of your dreams, call us at 1-888-678-TRIP or request a free vacation quote. Also, subscribe to our newsletter for more travel news and updates!
