Disney Lightning Lane – Over the years Disney has modified its jump the line system several times.
Initially launching in 1999 Disney first introduced Fast Pass, a paper system that was used to save your spot in line during a specific hour, following Fast Pass Disney launched FastPass+ in 2013 eliminating the use of paper Fast Passes and moving to digital options accessible through the My Disney Experience app, both of these options were free of charge and available to all Disney World Parks guests.
In 2021 following the shut down from the pandemic, Disney introduced their brand new paid skip the line service known as Genie+, which introduced Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes a la carte.
While a few modifications have been made over time, Genie+ is the service that is still in use today… That is until recently when Disney announced on June 25th that they are again changing the fast pass service and on July 24, 2025 they will transition to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass!
This system is brand new and we are here to share all the details of what you can expect when using the new feature and what it will look like at your next trip to Disney World.
What is offered with Disney Lightning Lanes?
From what we know so far, this new system seems to be a cross between the prior FastPass+ system and the current Genie+ System.
With this new system you will have the option to purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which will allow you to book multiple experiences throughout your day, as well as Lightning Lane Single Passes, which are similar to the current Individual Lightning Lane Ala Carte options.
What is new?
Let’s talk about what is new and how things are going to be different compared to the current system we are using at Walt Disney Parks.
- When to purchase: Currently, Genie+ can only be purchased on the day of your visit beginning at 12:00 AM. With the new system, you are able to purchase your Multi Pass as early as 7 days in advance for Resort hotel guests and 3 days for those guests staying off property.
- When to book passes: After purchasing your Genie+ you may start booking your first attraction at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit. Beginning July 24, 2025 you will be able to book not only your first pass but up to your first three passes upon purchase. An additional perk if you are staying on site includes the ability to book your passes for your entire trip up to 7 days prior to your check in date which means you may be able to book lightning lanes up to 14 days in advance. That’s right folks, no more worrying about setting alarms to book your fast passes! If you still plan to enroll in virtual queue experiences, you will still have to set that alarm to catch the 7:00 AM drop.
- Tiered attraction system: A brand new feature of the Multi Pass system is the introduction of a tiered attraction system. There are two tiers and each attraction is categorized into one of these two tiers. Tier 1 features some of the more popular attractions and those that typically have longer standby queues where Tier 2 will have the remainder of the attractions that are still great choices but tend to have more manageable lines. When booking your first three passes you will be able to book one attraction from Tier 1 and the remaining two you will be able to choose from Tier 2, or if you choose you can book all three choices from Tier 2. (We will break down which attractions fit into which tier by park a little later)
- Attractions available for Lightning Lane: While there were no lightning lanes removed from any rides, there were some experiences that previously had Lightning Lane available that no longer do. These experiences include Character Meet and Greets, Parades, and Shows.
- Booking rules: After booking your initial three passes, you can book your next subsequent selection upon scanning into one of your selections. Unlike previous systems where you had to redeem all three of your passes before booking something new, this new system allows for a constant 3 selection revolving rule. Once you use one lightning lane, you can book another and continue this throughout the day. Keep in mind, you still may only book one lightning lane per attraction per day.
- See available times and attractions before you buy: With the current Genie+ system you are not able to see available times and attractions before purchasing the service. With the new system, you will be able to see what is available before committing to purchasing your pass.
- Park hopping is available at no additional charge: Currently with Genie+ you must purchase a Park Hopper pass in order to make Lightning Lane selections at multiple parks. With the new system, you may make selections at any park as long as you have a Park Hopper ticket for the day.
What is staying the same?
While there are a lot of new features coming with the transition to this new system, there are some things that will be staying the same or will mirror Genie+. These include:
- Pricing: Disney hasn’t released actual pricing yet but we do know that the pricing for purchasing Multi Pass and Single Pass attractions will vary based on the park you select and the day that you visit. We have a feeling pricing will be the same or similar to the pricing for the current Genie+ system.
- Attractions available for Single Pass purchase: Similar to Individual Lightning Lanes currently available, each park has 1-2 attractions that are available for individual purchase if you would like to skip the line. Additionally, you are only able to purchase up to two Single Pass attractions per day. The attractions that fit this criteria will remain the same and are as follows:
- Tron: Lightcycle Run in Tomorrowland and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom
- Avatar: Flight of Passage in Pandora: World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in World Discovery at Epcot
- Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios
- Virtual Queues: This new lightning lane system will not change the use of virtual queues. The attractions that are currently operating on the virtual queue system will continue to operate this way after July 24th.
- You can still modify reservations: If you make a selection and you’re unable to make your designated arrival window, you are able to modify your selections to change the attraction, time, the park you are visiting, or even the day of your visit.
Which attractions are in which tier?
We explained how the tiered system will work a little earlier but now we are going to break down the attractions from each park and let you know which tier they have been categorized into.
- Tier 1 Attractions
- Magic Kingdom:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Formerly Splash Mountain), Frontierland
- Space Mountain, Tomorrowland
- Jungle Cruise, Adventureland
- Peter Pan’s Flight, Fantasyland
- Epcot:
- Frozen Ever After, World Showcase
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, World Showcase
- Soarin’ Around the World, World Nature
- Animal Kingdom
- Avatar Flight of Passage, Pandora: World of Avatar
- Hollywood Studios
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Hollywood Boulevard
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Sunset Boulevard
- Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Land
- Tier 2 Attractions
- Magic Kingdom:
- The Barnstormer, Fantasyland
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Fantasyland
- “It’s a small world” , Fantasyland
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, Fantasyland
- Mad Tea Party, Fantasyland
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Fantasyland
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Fantasyland
- Haunted Mansion, Liberty Square
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Adventureland
- Pirates of the Caribbean, Adventureland
- Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Tomorrowland
- Tomorrowland Speedway, Tomorrowland
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Tomorrowland
- Epcot:
- Mission: SPACE, World Discovery
- Journey into Imagination with Figment, World Celebration
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, World Celebration
- Spaceship Earth, World Celebration
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends, World Nature
- Turtle Talk with Crush, World Nature
- Living with the Land, World Nature
- Animal Kingdom:
- DINOSAUR, DinoLand, U.S.A.
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!, DinoLand, U.S.A.
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, Discovery Island
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Asia
- Feathered Friends in Flight, Asia
- Kali River Rapids, Asia
- Festival of the Lion King, Africa
- Kilimanjaro Safaris, Africa
- Na’vi River Journey, Pandora: World of Avatar
- Hollywood Studios
- Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story Land
- Toy Story Mania!, Toy Story Land
- Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Sunset Boulevard
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Sunset Boulevard
- Disney Junior Play & Dance!, Animation Courtyard
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing Along, Echo Lake
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Echo Lake
- Star Tours – The Adventure Continues, Echo Lake
- Muppet*Vision 3D, Grand Avenue
Questions, comments, concerns?
This system is new for all of us and is bound to create questions, comments, and concerns along the way.
As with what has happened in the past with other systems, we anticipate that there will be more information that comes out as the launch date gets closer and things will continue to evolve over time.
All in all we are excited to see how this new system unfolds and can’t wait to have our chance at testing it out. If you have an upcoming Disney trip after July 24, 2025 we hope that this has provided some insight on what you can expect when it comes to utilizing lightning lane entry throughout the Walt Disney World parks.