You shouldn’t always buy Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Walt Disney World. To the contrary, most people should skip paid FastPass at least some of the time, at a few of the parks. This lists when we’d recommend guests opt against buying line-skipping based on our testing, plus better alternatives.
Lightning Lanes come with a cost–not just a monetary one, but also with frustrations, back-tracking, making ride reservations in advance of your trip, and the learning curve that comes with mastering the system. Skipping Lightning Lanes will obviously save you money, but sometimes it’ll also save stress, headaches and hassles. That’s right–not skipping lines can improve the overall quality of your trip sometimes!
Given all of this and more, there are scenarios where you should and should not purchase the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass service. The goal of this guide is thus to help you determine when it does and doesn’t make sense to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World, so you don’t waste time and money, or subject yourself to unnecessary stress and pressure when it really isn’t necessary or advantageous.
Way too many guests default to viewing line-skipping as a “nonnegotiable” for their trip, thinking back to the FastPass or even Genie+ days. But things have changed a ton in the last 5+ years, and even in the last year. Lightning Lanes are not nearly as “essential” as line-skipping has been in the past, which is a topic we’ve also discussed at length recently in Is Lightning Lane Multi Pass Still “Worth It” at Disney World?”
Anyway, here are the specific scenarios when you should consider skipping Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Walt Disney World. As always, there’s no one-size-fits-all advice, so you still may want to purchase line-skipping in some of these circumstances…
On a Tight Budget
Current per-person prices range from $17 to $45 before tax each day, with busier weeks (e.g.Thanksgiving) when and where it’s needed most being priciest. Most of the time, when Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is under $30, you don’t need it anyway!
If you’re on a budget or more price-sensitive, this adds up–amounting to $750 to over $1,000 in added costs for an average family during a week-long trip. Walt Disney World is barely within financial reach of some families as-is, with an extra $1,000 or so making the trip a total non-starter. There is no banana stand from which to extract funds, sadly.
Others may have the ability to splurge, but only at the expense of something else. That’s essentially us. We’re frugal, but not cheap. We’re willing to spend extra for memorable experiences or add-ons that will enhance the quality of our vacations. To that point, our list of the Best Value Splurges at Walt Disney World is filled with everything from character dining we love to Club Level hacks.
The most important thing you can do to have a great Walt Disney World vacation is reject the notion that you “need” to purchase any add-on (including Lightning Lane Multi-Pass) in order to have a good day. It’s a recipe for stress, pressure, tension, and adult meltdowns.
You’ll leave happier, more satisfied, and with a fuller wallet if being there at the Most Magical Place on Earth with your family or friends is enough to put a smile on your face and fill your heart. It should be–the moments you’ll remember most decades from now aren’t how many lines you skipped.
Staying Off-Site
One of the big strengths of Genie+ (or weaknesses, depending upon your perspective) was that it leveled the playing field for on-site and off-site guests. That’s no longer the case.
Off-site guests are left with table scraps when it comes to Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, as their booking window is considerably shorter. It’s not just 3 days vs. 7 days–the latter is actually up to 21 days depending upon the duration of the on-site stay. This means no Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Slinky Dog Dash, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and potentially a lot more from our list of the Top 10 Best & Most Difficult Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World.
This isn’t to say off-site guests should always skip LLMP. They’re just disadvantaged in several ways, meaning they need to work harder and smarter to get as much done. Be aware of ride reservation refills and play the refresh game, arrive early and stay late, visit during the off-season or adjust your expectations about how much you’ll get done.
Arriving Late
The Lightning Lane Multi-Pass system incentivizes planners to schedule selections earlier in the day in order to start making subsequent ride reservations. The stacking and late arrival approach is now suboptimal. On the day of your park visit, once you redeem a selection, you can make another Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection.
Consider this the “rolling 3 rule,” which is to say that you can always have 3 Lightning Lane selections (subject to availability). With the “rolling 3 rule” of Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, you can make your next ride reservation as soon as you’ve used one.
The “rolling 3 rule” also encourages guests to book their LLMPs (or at least one of them) with as early of a return time as possible, as it’s essentially a race against the clock to unlock the 4th (etc.) selections and start making subsequent selections. If you sleep in–or even would prefer afternoon return times from a strategic perspective–your chances of scoring worthwhile Lightning Lanes with the 4th and later picks decreases dramatically.
Early Birds
With that said, if you aren’t sleeping in, you arguably don’t need Lightning Lane Multi Pass as much because you can knock out rides via standby lines while they’re still short first thing in the morning.
It’s ironic that LLMP essentially incentivizes guest behavior that is basically self-defeating. I’ve repeatedly found myself cringing at the return times I’ve chosen, but my desire to keep the ball moving on the “rolling 3 rule” more or less necessitated using the Lightning Lane even when standby wait times were reasonable. It’s a delicate dance, and there is a sweet spot to this–as you don’t want to burn your the best Lightning Lanes at times when they’re utterly pointless and won’t save you any time.
You’ve gotta hand it to Walt Disney World, as this is almost a bit devious. They’ve created a system that will increase guest satisfaction, thanks in part to the illusion of having saved time via line-skipping. But really, it was the guest’s own hustle that saved them the bulk of that time.
At EPCOT, Often
The reopening of Test Track has really changed the equation on this one. Not only is that reimagined ride very popular, but it added Lightning Lane inventory and resulted in Soarin’ getting bumped to Tier B. That makes Lightning Lane Multi-Pass more valuable and useful than it was one year ago. We still prefer arriving early and staying late, but see the value in LLMP.
The biggest problem with LLMP is the layout of EPCOT. If playing Theme Park Tycoon with the goal of maximizing walking distances, for who knows what reason, you’d drop EPCOT’s marquee attractions exactly where they are. This is not a huge deal when you’re taking a linear approach to the park, but it can become a serious issue with Lightning Lane return times, which can necessitate considerable criss-crossing and backtracking.
Depending upon your walking speed and actual wait times, you might actually waste more time with Lightning Lane Multi Pass than it’s worth at EPCOT. This is very much a ‘your mileage may vary’ thing–both literally and figuratively–so we are far less inclined to write off LLMP across the board at EPCOT. It might be “worth it” to you in certain circumstances.
Longer Trips
This one is probably fairly self evident. If you’re taking a longer trip, you have more time to experience every attraction without resorting to Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Conversely, buying LLMP every day of a lengthier vacation will cost you more money than doing the same on a shorter trip.
I say this should be self-evident because this is precisely how Disney’s CFO described Lightning Lanes a couple of years ago, commenting that some people have more time and others have more money. She didn’t put it in as delicate of terms, but she was correct–and it was controversial among many Disney fans. The bottom line is that you can optimize for time or money, but it’s difficult to have it both ways.
At Animal Kingdom, If Arriving Early or Leaving Late
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom. Nevertheless, it is possible to score Lightning Lanes for Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, and more–and save hours in line as a result. On busier days, even the stage show Lightning Lanes can have value.
However, this still only applies (most of the time) if your plan is to roll up to Animal Kingdom after 9 am and leave before 4 pm on moderately busy or worse days. If you’re arriving for Early Entry or in the mid-afternoon, you can knock out most of the park via standby lines. See Animal Kingdom Park Opening & Early Entry Ride Strategy and Animal Kingdom Afternoon Arrival Strategy for a runthrough of those approaches.
If you’re instead showing up a little late and would like to leave early, Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom can be advantageous. We’d still strongly recommend not doing only the peak hours of the day in the park. Not only is it when crowds are worst, but it’s also when the park is hottest and least comfortable. But this is how most people approach the park–and LLMP can work for them.
Tech-Free Trip
Thankfully, this complaint has been minimized now that you can book 3 ride reservations in advance. In that sense, it’s just like FastPass+ (but paid).
You could spend all day with your head buried in your phone playing the refresh game or trying to time Lightning Lane drops. Personally, my informal “rule” is only playing the refresh game while I’m in the Lightning Lane return line, trying to book my next selection. Simply opting out of the compulsion to check for “better” times and ride reservations will dramatically reduce your screen time, and your experience will still be good.
Nevertheless, I can empathize with the spirit of the complaint. That’s because Walt Disney World has leaned so heavily into technology and in-app features in the last several years, the totality of which do more or less necessitate screen time. If you want to reduce your screen time, it thus makes sense to not purchase the LLMP.
Spontaneity is Significant
Long before Lightning Lanes were a twinkle in the eyes of their father, Bob Chapek, we wrote a ‘warning’ about Being Spontaneous at Walt Disney World. Part rant, part advice, part cautionary tale about taking the guidance on blogs like this one too seriously, it basically espoused our personal approach to doing Walt Disney World.
I’ll be honest with you: Genie+ worked better for us than Lightning Lane Multi Pass. I loved the way Walt Disney World scaled back on pre-planning post-pandemic, as I had zero desire whatsoever to plan where I’d eat 6 months in advance or what I’d ride 2 months ahead of time. To me, that’s craziness. The antithesis of what it means to vacation. But I also realize that not everyone is me, and Lightning Lane Multi Pass gives peace of mind to other WDW planners.
In any case, you are likely making ride reservations anywhere between 3 days and 21 days in advance with LLMP. If you like to take a more relaxed approach or go with the flow, this might be at odds with how you do Disney. So many of our plans are informed by the previous days’ successes or failures, weather, and our whims. Lightning Lane Multi Pass runs counter to much of that, and we’re unlikely to use it as often (for fun) as a result. YMMV.
Eligible for Early Entry
Too many Walt Disney World visitors underestimate Early Entry. Many don’t use it at all, dismissing it as “only” 30 minutes and thus not worth the time.
To be sure, Early Entry is not that great at Magic Kingdom–except on 8 am park opening days when it’s glorious. That’s one park where regular rope drop is just as good as Early Entry. However, at 3 of the 4 parks, Early Entry is amazing.
Between it and regular rope drop, you can often accomplish and save more time than an entire day with Lightning Lanes, and without spending any extra money. We just overhauled our step-by-step strategies for Early Entry and park opening, which you can find via our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
When Staying Late
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is not necessary if you stay late at Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, at minimum. Both parks clear out significantly in the evening hours, especially in moderate or lower crowd levels.
This doesn’t work quite as well at EPCOT or Magic Kingdom, but wait times do drop in the evening hours at both. That’s especially the case in the front half of EPCOT ahead of Luminous, and as many guests start staking out spots for the Happily Ever After fireworks at Magic Kingdom.
By the last half-hour of the night, actual wait times are minimal. Posted wait times for headliners are usually massively–and purposefully–inflated to discourage guests from jumping in line at the last minute.
Eligible for Extended Evening Hours
This is like the best of both staying late and Early Entry, a longer-lasting on-site perk for an even more select audience. Extended Evening Hours last 2 hours (as opposed to 30 minutes) and provide a chance to pretty much run the table on the most popular attractions at EPCOT or Magic Kingdom (or Hollywood Studios/Animal Kingdom during Party Season).
Unless you want to repeat favorite attractions, it’s unnecessary to buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass if you’re taking advantage of Extended Evening Hours. This is faster and easier, while also being more fun and efficient. See our Guide to Extended Evening Hours for strategy and other info.
Peak Pricing
Once the service breaks the $39 threshold for Magic Kingdom, that means heavy crowds. The (rather expensive) lesson a lot of guests learn from those days is that demand for Lightning Lanes is highest when prices are highest, which means less ride reservation inventory and also longer Lightning Lane return lines.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and even Animal Kingdom, there’s not enough ride reservation inventory to meet demand in high crowds. This means you won’t be able to score more than a few worthwhile Lightning Lanes. The very good news with Lightning Lane Multi Pass is that you can lock-in 3 selections in advance, or know that there aren’t good options and can buy or skip on that basis. This is unlike Genie, when you were basically buying blind and hoping for the best.
Our advice during peak season would be to buy (or not) based on your initial 3 pre-arrival Lightning Lanes and having zero expectations for 4th and subsequent selections. If you’re satisfied with the value offered by those first 3 picks, buy it. If not, don’t. But don’t assume you’ll score anything worthwhile same-day after redeeming those. Consider anything over and above that icing on the cake. Combining Lightning Lanes with other savvy strategy is a must during peak weeks.
Off-Season Pricing
The reverse of the above is also true, for precisely the same reason. Demand is highest when prices are highest, and demand is lowest when prices are lowest. That’s because, quite simply, Lightning Lane Multi Pass is not all that necessary on slow days.
On crowd level 1/10 to 3/10 days, Lightning Lane Multi Pass won’t save you much time over savvy strategy or an efficient Walt Disney World itinerary. You can plan your trip around these days by consulting Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars…or look at the price of LLMP on the day of your visit, to see if it’s under $20 at Animal Kingdom or EPCOT. If so, that’s a strong sign (but not quite conclusive) that Walt Disney World is forecasting a slower day.
I’ve used Lightning Lane Multi Pass at lower price points. It didn’t enable me to accomplish anything I couldn’t have via standby and a modicum of strategy. It was a complete waste of money, which is precisely why it was cheaper in the first place. I would’ve rather paid slightly more for LLMP on a busier day when it actually would’ve saved me time. The sweet spot is 4/10 to 7/10 crowd level days–that’s when LLMP shines!
Ultimately, that’s our perspective on when to skip Lightning Lane MultiPass at Walt Disney World. Even with all of this said, it’s worth reiterating that these are not hard and fast rules, and you might want to ignore our recommendations and buy LLMP in borderline scenarios, or add your own ‘must-skip’ scenarios. There is no such thing as one-size-fits-all advice for Walt Disney World.
At its best, LLMP can free time for slowing down and savoring the parks. At its worst, Lightning Lanes feed into guests’ worst impulses to go go go, beholden to a strict schedule of doing rides “checklist style” and not stopping to smell the roses or appreciate the other ways that Walt Disney World is a premium theme park experience. As with all trip planning advice, even this is a ‘YMMV’ thing where LLMP will empower some guests to have a more relaxed day while burdening others with stress.
If you have questions about the basics of using–or not using–the paid FastPass service, see our Guide to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for all of the foundational need-to-know info of both LLMP and LLSP. This whole system is confusing and convoluted, so you might have a question or two-dozen. That answers all of the most common ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of skipping Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Walt Disney World? Are there days when you don’t feel the need to use line-skipping, or is it always a must-buy for your vacation days in the parks? Any other considerations we failed to take into account or missed/got wrong? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!