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Individual Lightning Lanes are pay-per-ride entry at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood, and Animal Kingdom. Guests should purchase line-skipping privileges at the preferred attraction in every park. This information covers pricing, when journey reservations are promoting out and methods to e-book ILLs. Plus, the greatest ones to purchase–and why we don’t advocate buying the others. (Updated March 2, 2023.)
The very first thing you want to know is that Individual Lightning Lane points of interest aren’t included within the Genie+ service. Think of that as a paid “FastPass Minus,” which is to say that it’s like FastPass+, besides it prices $16 per individual per day, and excludes the preferred journey per park which can be ILL. (That’s an unlucky acronym, however maybe it’s meant to evoke the way you’ll really feel after dropping ~$90 for your loved ones to not await Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, solely to have the journey breakdown when you’re within the Lightning Lane.)
We’ve deal with the variations between Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes in quite a few posts, together with our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World & Lightning Lane FAQ. We’re not going to rehash these foundational variations right here, so please consult with that for those who’re nonetheless confused. Instead, we’ll concentrate on methods to purchase the pay-per-ride Individual Lightning Lanes, pricing, and the way ILL is promoting so far…
Before that, a fast housekeeping notice. Walt Disney World has used a number of phrases to consult with this identical line-skipping choice: a la carte Lightning Lanes, Individual Attraction Selections (IAS), and particular person Lightning Lanes–all interchangeably–when referring to this.
These all imply the identical factor. Typically, Disney now refers to this pay-per-ride choice as Individual Lightning Lanes, however you might sound different phrases used right here and there. Essentially, these are the Lightning Lanes which can be not a part of Genie+. They’re those out there for the preferred attraction with the longest wait time in every park. (It nonetheless could be complicated, however hopefully that helps.)
If that wasn’t difficult sufficient already, Walt Disney World moved Individual Lightning Lane points of interest to Genie+. Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Hollywood Studios, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After at Epcot, and Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom at the moment are included within the flat-rate Disney Genie+ service and won’t be offered a la carte as Individual Lightning Lanes.
This was initially a brief change, however Walt Disney World made it everlasting final fall. This is nice information for anybody wanting to purchase the Genie+ service, however probably unhealthy information for anybody who solely cared about these explicit rides. (For the overwhelming majority of visitors, this modification is a constructive.)
Next, let’s check out Individual Lightning Lane pricing. Walt Disney World beforehand introduced that costs will differ relying on the attraction and day of go to. Think of it like Express Lanes on highways—dynamic pricing that will increase with demand.
Last fall, Walt Disney World rolled out date-based pricing for the Genie+ service. That’s code for a worth enhance, because the outdated on a regular basis worth is the brand new lowest attainable worth. Under the date-based pricing, the common worth of Genie+ has been $20 to $22 by way of March 2023. The highest worth Genie+ has reached so far has been $29, with the bottom worth being $15. (All numbers are pre-tax costs; after tax the vary is ~$16 to ~$31.)
Along with this, costs have additionally elevated for sure Individual Lightning Lane points of interest. Here’s a take a look at new/present weekday pricing:
Here’s a take a look at excessive and low worth factors we’ve seen up to now post-price enhance:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: excessive $12, low $10
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: excessive $17, low $15
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance: excessive $25, low $20
- Avatar Flight of Passage: excessive $16, low $14
Prices hit these highs final yr throughout the week of Thanksgiving and once more in 2023 throughout the week of Mardi Gras and Presidents’ Day. Our expectation is that the height of spring break sees related pricing–if not increased. (See our Spring Break 2023 Crowd Calendar at Walt Disney World for the dates which can be prone to be busiest, and thus, most costly for Lightning Lanes.)
With date-based pricing, Walt Disney World is extra keen to regulate costs with regularity, particularly across the aforementioned holidays when demand is way increased. As we’ve seen over the course of the final yr, Individual Lightning Lanes promote out sooner–even at increased costs–when crowds and wait occasions are worse.
Which makes full sense: even when it prices extra, there’s extra worth in skipping an extended line. In different phrases, present demand already means that the costs may doubtless go up considerably. In different phrases, don’t be stunned if costs attain new data later in March and April 2023.
Speaking of which, the latest Individual Lightning Lane attraction can be TRON Lightcycle Run, which opens on April 4, 2023. The pricing of this Individual Lightning Lane stays to be seen, however our expectation is that it’s on par with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and priced at $15-17.
The justification for it being increased could be demand–it’s going to be the preferred journey in Walt Disney World’s hottest park. The justification for it being decrease is that the journey is quick–it’s solely a pair minutes from start-to-finish. This is in contrast to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which is prolonged and satisfying. Disney might not need to threat poor visitor satisfaction and a “that’s it?” response from visitors who pay to journey TRON Lightcycle Run.
Another unknown as of proper now could be whether or not Seven Dwarfs Mine Train can be ‘downgraded’ to Genie+ when TRON Lightcycle Run debuts on April 4, 2023. Currently, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the oldest attraction with ILL standing, and Magic Kingdom could be the one park with two ILL rides.
However, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train continues to be extremely in style and with a completely completely different demographic than TRON Lightcycle Run. On prime of that, Magic Kingdom already has 23 Genie+ Lightning Lane points of interest, which is greater than some other park. So Disney would possibly keep its ILL standing in an effort to seize extra income. We may see it going both approach.
That brings us to our subsequent subject: Individual Lightning Lane availability or lack thereof–what’s promoting out and what’s available. Note that that is primarily based on our experiences from so far in 2023. Going ahead, Individual Lightning Lanes will nearly definitely begin promoting out sooner from March 11 by way of April 16, 2023. Expect one other slowdown after that and thru the beginning of summer time season in June 2023.
During final yr’s spring break season, that’s precisely what occurred–even the final in style Individual Lightning Lanes offered out early within the day. We’ll be monitoring availability and can report again as to how every day availability is wanting.
On busier days, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom sells out with regularity, however normally lasts for a number of hours after park opening.
Over at Epcot, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has improved Individual Lightning Lane availability. With it now simpler to enter the digital queue for Cosmic Rewind, the Lightning Lane typically shouldn’t be promoting out till after boarding teams replenish. (See our How to Ride Guardians of Galaxy Cosmic Rewind & Virtual Queue Speed Strategy for enhancing your odds of success on the free digital queue.)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is house to the best-seller: Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. This Individual Lightning Lane attraction typically sells out earlier than DHS even opens, which is when off-site visitors are eligible to buy.
On much less busy days, it might have availability by way of mid-morning and even past if crowd ranges are actually low. The decrease the standby wait time for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the longer its Individual Lightning Lane availability lasts. When the posted wait time doesn’t crack triple digits, Rise of the Resistance can have ILL stock into the early afternoon.
To compound issues on busier days, DHS can be house to the unequivocally hottest Genie+ Lightning Lane attraction: Slinky Dog Dash. This presents a sensible drawback–how do you e-book each? There isn’t any great way for one individual to perform each past attempting to do issues shortly and hoping for the perfect. Realistically, you’ll need to have two adults awake at 7 am, with one reserving Slinky Dog Dash and the opposite reserving Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. For the perfect end result, observe our Speed Strategy for Genie+ Selections.
With all of that stated, for those who’re solely going to purchase one Individual Lightning Lane, make it Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This is the one huge exception to our advice that you simply strategize round ILLs, and is for a number of causes. First, we expect it’s the greatest attraction of all at Walt Disney World. Second, it sometimes is the longest wait time in all 4 parks.
Finally, and most significantly, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is essentially the most unreliable attraction, with breakdowns occurring every day. If you soar right into a multi-hour standby line, there’s reasonable chance of downtime when you’re ready. That not solely means you’ll probably be caught in the identical spot for an hour or so, but in addition that when Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance returns from downtime, it’ll have a backlog of Individual Lightning Lane visitors–who’re prioritized–to course of earlier than the standby line.
Speaking from expertise, it’s extremely irritating and an enormous waste of time if this occurs when you’re within the standby line. While we hate Individual Lightning Lanes as a matter of precept, we’re additionally realists and acknowledge that trip time is finite and has a per hour worth. There’s additionally the fact that enduring a journey breakdown of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance whereas within the standby line may actually put a damper in your day, and trip as an entire.
For this cause alone, we advocate Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance throughout Early Entry, on the finish of the evening, or through the Individual Lightning Lane. The threat and potential for wasted time through standby throughout the center of the day is just too excessive. It’s not an overstatement or exaggeration to say {that a} damaging standby expertise with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance may damage your day.
Another different is ready for a refill of the Individual Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. See Ride Reservation Refill Rules at Walt Disney World for timing on when these sometimes happen.
Animal Kingdom is the place you’ll discover one in every of Walt Disney World’s hottest points of interest: Avatar Flight of Passage. This has offered fairly properly, typically being gone earlier than afternoon whereas posting hour-plus and even triple digit standby wait occasions.
However, it’s additionally comparatively straightforward to expertise Avatar Flight of Passage with no prolonged wait. Either arrive for Early Entry and do it first, or present up late and do it over the last hour of the night. We’ve performed each approaches many occasions, and infrequently have an precise wait time of underneath half-hour, whatever the posted wait time.
Next, right here’s methods to e-book Individual Lightning Lanes…
There are a number of alternative ways to make an preliminary buy of Individual Lightning Lanes.
It’s totally attainable you’ll be prompted whereas looking My Disney Experience or organising the free Genie service, during which case you’d see one thing just like the above.
You also can navigate to the Tip Board through the + button on the center backside of My Disney Experience or the hamburger button on the underside proper.
From there, you’ll see one thing much like the above display. Click the Individual Lightning Lane field for the attraction to which you’d like to purchase line-skipping entry.
From there, you’ll both see the display above or one to pick out your get together. This is fairly self-explanatory; you choose the beginning time of accessible one-hour return home windows.
Be positive to test your current plans (faucet the arrow subsequent to “Plans During This Time” for a dropdown) to keep away from vital overlap between Advance Dining Reservations, Genie+ choices, and different plans. My Disney Experience is not going to stop you from reserving conflicting plans–it’s as much as you to ensure you’re not double-booked.
It’s additionally attainable you’ll first be directed to this display, the place you possibly can choose which members of your get together for whom you’d prefer to buy Individual Lightning Lane entry. This implies that you do not must buy ILL for anybody who the journey would possibly make bodily unwell, youngsters who’re too quick to journey, and so forth.
If you don’t see the above display first, you may get up to now by tapping the “Edit” button to the best of your get together on the time slot choice display.
After confirming your get together and deciding on a time, you’re despatched to a display to assessment the main points earlier than finishing the acquisition.
If something is inaccurate otherwise you’d like to alter it, faucet the again arrow on the highest left nook of the display.
Otherwise, it’s on to enter or verify your contact particulars, cost information, and comply with Disney’s phrases & circumstances earlier than tapping buy. Notably, Individual Lightning Lane costs don’t embody tax–identical to the Genie+ service–which appears like nickel & diming on prime of nickel & diming.
On a extra humorous notice, there’s a caveat above the phrases & circumstances that this Individual Lightning Lane can solely be redeemed at Walt Disney World–close to Orlando, Florida. If somebody can’t distinguish between Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Walt Disney World, they’re significantly going to be misplaced in relation to the convoluted Genie system!
From there, you’ll obtain a receipt with a prolonged affirmation quantity and order particulars that ought to look much like the above. I say “should” as a result of I’ve by no means really purchased Individual Lightning Lane entry and don’t have any intentions of doing so.
No offense to those that plan on shopping for these–to every their very own–however it’s merely a line we’re not keen to cross, so to talk. While we’re already followers of Genie+, that’s bundled entry for a number of points of interest that makes the entire day simpler. This is completely different, because it means placing a worth on a single attraction–all of which we’ve got performed many, many occasions over time.
Beyond that, us shopping for Individual Lightning Lane entry shouldn’t be needed “for the sake of research,” whereas testing and utilizing Genie+ very a lot is. Since there’s presently just one ILL journey per park, it’s fairly straightforward to rope drop one and do the opposite proper earlier than park closing and bypass the traces that approach.
If something, pondering up, attempting, and testing different savvy technique to bypass lengthy waits at Individual Lightning Lane points of interest can be a “fun” problem. That’s extra essential to us than attending to skip the traces ourselves! We advocate an identical strategy to most trip planners who’re on a tighter funds, with the one potential exception being Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. For the explanations outlined above, it may be use of cash that minimizes complications and saves a ton of time–however even then, doing it throughout Early Entry or on the finish of the evening is a viable different.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about motels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips submit takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to begin is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for all the pieces you want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the pay-per-ride Individual Lightning Lane journey reservations? Planning on utilizing this to skip standby traces, or do you favor to not pay much more for an already costly Walt Disney World trip? Are you extra prone to buy Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes–or neither? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation and evaluation? Any questions we will help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
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