Disney Lightning Lane: Pre-Booking Checklist
I’m not a regular Lightning Lane user. There are a few reasons for that: I don’t love paying extra to ride attractions I’ve been on dozens of times, I hate being tethered to my phone, and I’m not interested in waking early to take full advantage of the service. But I caved and bought a Multi Pass for next Saturday. I want to ride Test Track with family and friends without spending half the day in line. Normally, we’d just hit the single rider line, but for our first run on the reimagined track, we want to experience it together. We’re sentimental like that.
So I was admittedly a little rusty when I logged into the My Disney Experience (MDE) app at 7 AM ET last week (6 AM for me). I had woken up all of three minutes earlier. My eyes wouldn’t focus. Neither would my brain. But I’m comfortable in the MDE, so I wasn’t worried. I’d be asleep in about 5 minutes.
I selected the day, park, and members of my party before tapping on Test Track, Soarin’, and Living with the Land. The former had availability starting just after 1 PM. The two Land Pavilion rides had morning slots. Perfect.
The next screen confused my foggy brain. The app listed our first ride at 2 PM. Nope, that’s not right. So I clicked the back button. The three original ride times were still available, so I hit continue. Same thing. Test Track was at 2 PM.
Even more frustrating was the fact that the MDE was showing me earlier times were available. The app was taunting me.
Power Lightning Lane users might know where this is going. But it took me a second. Why was it putting everything at 2 PM or later? Then it hit me. While everyone in our party has Disney hotel reservations, one of them must not have made an EPCOT park reservation. Remember, Annual Passholders can enter the park without a park reservation, but only after 2 PM (except for Magic Kingdom on the weekends). So the app was only spitting out afternoon rides.
At no time did the MDE alert me to this fact. Instead, the screen simply read, “Here are the times we found that fit your day.” Imagine being a first-time Lightning Lane user trying to navigate that? The system knows why the 2 PM dates are the only ones available. Why not relay that to the user?
Disney’s Lightning Lane is a complex service. That shouldn’t mean booking is a complicated user experience. The app should guide people through the process, helping them overcome pitfalls along the way. It typically does that, but as you’ve seen, it’s not foolproof. That’s why we’ve come up with a list that hopefully accounts for all contingencies.
Lightning Lane pre-booking checklist
1. Know when you can book
Disney World resort hotel guests can make their selections seven days before their visit. All other Florida visitors can do so three days out. Our reservation date calendar will let you know exactly when your window opens.
While Disneyland guests can purchase Lightning Lanes ahead of time with their tickets, they can’t make reservations until they’ve scanned into a park. The same is true for Magic Key Holders.
2. Make your park reservations
Don’t be like me. If you or anyone in your party has a ticket that requires park reservations, book them before your Lightning Lane window opens.
3. Connect your party
Make sure everyone in your party is added to your Friends & Family list online or in the MDE app. Otherwise, anyone not on that list will have to make their own reservations. Booking Lightning Lanes is stressful enough without trying to coordinate times while searching for rides at 7 AM (or earlier).
4. Choose your favorite rides
Ask your friends and family for their favorite rides. Depending on preferences, you may have to use a combination of Disney’s Lightning Lane services. Which leads us to our next step…
5. Decide which Lightning Lane service(s) you wish to purchase
Disney offers three types of Lightning Lanes. Most guests will use either the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, the Lightning Lane Single Pass, or a combination of both.
If you’re booking Multi Passes, make sure you understand how the park tiers work. You can reserve only one Tier 1 pass in advance. The rest of your selections must come from Tier 2.
The priciest option, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, is the simplest to use. After purchasing, guests can head straight to any attraction’s Lightning Lane – no advance reservations or planning required.
6. Familiarize yourself with the MDE app
- Find the Lightning Lane section: From the main menu, tap the home screen icon. You won’t get far without park tickets and reservations, but this helps you see where to start.
- Check the Tip Board: Tap the “+” button in the same menu, then select “View My Genie Day and the Tip Board.” This screen includes a link to purchase Lightning Lanes and see that day’s current availability.
- For Annual Passholders: You can go a step further by selecting a day within the next three. This allows you to do a dry run, practicing booking Multi Pass and Single Pass Lightning Lanes. You won’t be charged unless you complete the payment step, so just back out before confirming.
While Lightning Lane isn’t impossible to master, it might feel that way if you’re scrambling at 7 AM without a plan. The good news? If you prepare in advance, you’ll be booking rides like a pro in no time.
