The new system has brought a few changes, and knowing the ins and outs can mean the difference between maximizing your day or missing out on top attractions.

Here’s everything you need to know about using Lightning Lane at Hollywood Studios, from which rides book up fast to the strategies that will help you make the most of your day.

What is Lightning Lane?

Lightning Lane is Disney latest, but not greatest, skip the line service. It allows guests to reserve return times when they can walk on attractions with little to no wait.

Guests can pre-book Lightning Lane reservations up to 3 days in advance, or 7 days in advance if staying at a Disney Resort.

Once you’ve booked your first set of rides for the day, you’ll use Disney’s app to add new reservations as you finish each attraction.

For a detailed look at how Lightning Lane works across all parks, check out our complete Lightning Lane Guide.

Which Attractions are Included in Lightning Lane?

At Hollywood Studios, attractions are divided into two tiers: Tier 1 and Tier 2. When pre-booking your Lightning Lane reservations you’re allowed one Tier 1 ride and two Tier 2 rides.

Tier 1 Attractions

These are Hollywood Studios’ headline rides that see the highest demand. Guests can only select one during the initial booking:

• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Tier 2 Attractions

These are still popular, but demand tends to be a bit lower:

• Toy Story Mania!
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Star Tours
• MuppetVision 3D
• Frozen Forever After Singalong
• Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular

Which Lightning Lanes Sell Out First at Hollywood Studios?

It’s no secret that not all rides are created equal when it comes to Lightning Lane demand. Here’s a quick breakdown of the rides that typically sell out the fastest at Hollywood Studios so you can plan accordingly:

1. Slinky Dog Dash: This attraction usually sells out first and consistently has high wait times, so it’s worth considering as your pre-booked Tier 1 choice.
2. Toy Story Mania!: While it’s a Tier 2 ride, Toy Story Mania! often has hefty waits and is popular with all age groups.
3. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: With its newer status and charming storyline, this ride stays popular throughout the day.
4. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Adrenaline lovers flock to this high-speed coaster, especially on busy days, so be prepared to book early.

Our Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy

To make the most of your Lightning Lane reservations, it helps to have a game plan. Here’s a sample strategy that balances efficiency with flexibility, helping you experience the headliner attractions without being tied to a rigid schedule.

Pre-Book Your First 3 Attractions

Start by securing your first set of reservations. We recommend booking Slinky Dog Dash as your Tier 1 selection, paired with two Tier 2 attractions with the earliest return times you can find.

Alien Swirling Saucers and Star Tours are good options for the Tier 2 slots if you’re aiming to keep things early and turn over those reservations quickly.

Arrive Early to Turn and Burn

Arriving at Hollywood Studios at or before park opening gives you a leg up. This allows you to use your first reservation quickly, freeing up a slot to book another high-priority ride. Once you’ve completed two of your reservations, try booking another Tier 1 attraction.

The goal here is to cycle through your Lightning Lane options early in the day for maximum flexibility as you move from one end of the park to the other.

Keep One Slot Active

After turning and burning your first few reservations, try to keep just one reservation booked at a time, with a return time within the next 30-60 minutes. This “active” slot strategy lets you use your reservations as you go, without being locked into lengthy waits. It’s especially helpful when you’re in high-traffic areas of the park where standby lines can get lengthy.

Modify, Modify, Modify

A key trick to Lightning Lane success is modifying your reservations. Disney’s system frequently updates availability as guests change their plans or cancel bookings. If you have a return time that’s later than you’d like, keep checking for an earlier option by modifying the time. This flexibility can make a big difference in how many rides you experience!

Is Lightning Lane Worth It at Hollywood Studios?

It all depends on your goals for the day. Here are a few factors to consider:

• Wait Time Reduction: With Lightning Lane, you can generally expect to wait 20 minutes or less for most attractions. Without it, popular rides can easily exceed an hour or two in line.
• Access to High-Demand Rides: Hollywood Studios is packed with headliner attractions, and Lightning Lane helps you experience more of them without sacrificing your day to standby lines.
• Ideal for Families: If you’re traveling with younger kids, Lightning Lane can help you avoid the long waits that are especially challenging for little ones. Consider sticking to the Toy Story Land attractions and shows for a balanced day.

Ultimately, Lightning Lane can be a worthwhile investment if your goal is to fit as much as possible into your Hollywood Studios visit.

FAQ’s

Whether you’re an early bird aiming to rope drop Slinky Dog Dash or a thrill-seeker hoping to conquer every headliner, a little planning can make your Hollywood Studios day as smooth as possible.

By knowing which rides to prioritize and how to use your Lightning Lane slots effectively, you can spend less time waiting in lines and more time soaking up the fun.

For more tips on navigating Disney World’s Lightning Lane system, check out our full Lightning Lane Guide, or dive into our other park-specific strategies with guides for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom.

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Disney’s newest skip the line service rolls out July 24th, 2024. When the first guests will be able to pre-book Lightening Lane selections up to 7 days in advance of arrival at a Disney World resort.

There’s a lot to breakdown – so here’s everything you need to know in 90 seconds.

Animal Kingdom

• Definitely shouldn’t need to purchase the Multi-pass. But if you do
• Prioritize: Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safari (as early as possible), and Expedition Everest
• Single Pass for Flight of Passage is recommended to purchase but not necessary

Epcot

• Probably won’t need Multi-pass unless you are park-hopping or just really love Epcot rides. But if you do
• Tier 1: Prioritize Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Tier 2: Book whatever has the earliest return time
• Single Pass for Cosmic Rewind highly recommended to purchase.
• Check out our full Epcot Lightening Lane Guide

Hollywood Studios

• Multi-pass is a good idea.
• Tier 1: Prioritize Slinky Dog Dash
• Tier 2: Toy Story Midway Mania, and which ever ride has the earliest possible return time
• The Single Pass for Rise of the Resistance is a good buy, but don’t forget about the Single Rider option being tested

Magic Kingdom

• Buy the multi-pass it’s too big of a park to wait in long lines
• Tier 1: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Peter Pan’s Flight
• Tier 2: Haunted Mansion, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, whatever has the earliest return time
• Buy the TRON Single Pass if you were not able to secure a return time for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Be ready to jump online to join the Tiana Virtual Queue when you do visit
• The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Single Pass isn’t worth the cost. The ride is short and the queue has interactive elements you’d miss.

Phew! Are you ready for the new Lightening Lane services at Disney World? Check out our full Lightening Lane Guide on YouTube!

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Get ready to zig when they zag with Walt Disney World’s new advance ride reservations, and cruise through your day without the pesky waits!

What is Lightening Lane?

Disney has long had a love affair with various skip-the-line services. From it’s humble Fastpass origins to the much despised Genie+ service. The folks heading up Disney Parks and Experiences know that no one wants to wait in line.

Guests at Disney parks can skip almost any line, walking straight onto the attraction. For a price. The latest iteration is called Lightening Lane Services and consists of the Single Pass and Multi-pass.

The Multi-Pass gives you access to skip the line at nearly every attraction in any of the Disney World parks, for a flat per person per day fee. But up to two attractions per park are not included and guests will need to purchase a single pass to skip.

EPCOT Lightening Lane

If you’re anything like me, Epcot might just be your favorite park. But for a lot of folks it’s second (or third) best to Magic Kingdom. And when it comes to Lightening Lanes, there’s a lot to be desired.

The main headache with the Epcot Lightening Lane is the dreaded tier system. Unlike its sister parks, EPCOT’s Group B attractions aren’t exactly thrilling. You can hit these rides with minimal waits most of the time anyway.

New to Lightening Lanes? Start here.

With Test Track closed until 2025 and Luminous: The Symphony of Us out of the LLMP lineup, there’s even less to choose from in the top tier.

Tactical Picks

One of the biggest changes to Lightening Lanes is the (re)introduction of attraction tier limitations. Within each park the most popular rides are gathered into Group A, and Group B has, well, everything else. Lightening Lane reservations can be made up to 7 days before arrival for park guests, and 3 days in advance for everyone else.

When pre-booking your Lightening Lane selections you’ll only be able to pick up to one Group A attraction, and up to two Group B attractions.

EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Rankings – Group A

1. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure the newest ride on the Multi-pass system, with a wait often over 90 minutes. This ride is also prone to downtime, due to the painfully new technology. And the standby queue is mostly outdoors.
2. Frozen Ever After is basically an Epcot icon now, and continues to pull insanely long lines nearly a decade after opening. Swap to top priority if this is your make or break ride. Otherwise grab some school bread (and a beer) to stick out this air conditioned line.
3. Soarin’ Around the World is available if either of the top two sell out. But thanks to the height requirements, nature of the attraction, and single ride line – booking this as an additional pass later in the day is likely.

EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Rankings – Group B

Truly, there’s not much ranking priority for Group B at Epcot. Additional reservations should be available throughout the day. But as a general rule – book whichever has the earliest available time.

Timing of your first return window is crucial with the new Lightening Lane system. Because, additional reservations can only be made after you’ve used your first selection of the day. So, the early that you can hop on any one of these – the early you can try to secure a second Group A attraction.

1. Mission: Space
2. Spaceship Earth
3. Living with the Land
4. Journey Into Imagination
5. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
6. Turtle Talk with Crush
7. Pixar Film Fest

Should You Buy Epcot Lightening Lane Multi-Pass?

That’s the magic question but it depends on your bucket list attractions – and patience. Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure both have consistently long lines, and so will Test Track once it comes back on line.

The good news is that the combine wait time for both should be less than 4 hours. Epcot is normally open for 12+ hours each day, plus 3 hours more for guests of Deluxe Disney Resorts (and the Swan/Dolphin collection). So you don’t need the Epcot Multi-pass to experience the whole park.

If you’re planning a half day at Epcot and hopping over to Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, Multi-pass is a good buy. Especially Animal Kingdom where there are no ride tiers. But you’ll only be able to pre-book Lightening Lanes at your first park of the day. Additional selections can be made day of after use of the first return window of the day.

Epcot Lightening Lane Single Pass

If you’re not confused and frustrated yet, don’t worry there’s more! Epcot’s number one attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is not included in the multi-pass. And there’s still not a standby line. Guests have two options for this experience: join the Virtual Queue (at 7am or 1pm) or purchase a Lightening Lane Single Pass.

The problem is that Lightening Lane Single Pass is available to pre-book just the same as the multi. 7 days before arrival for resort guests, or 3 days before for everyone else. On busy days it can, and probably will, sell out. Then you are stuck rolling the dice and trying to jump in the Virtual Queue.

The Virtual Queue which routinely books up within minutes.

Should you pre-book the Cosmic Rewind Single Pass? If you need to guarantee the experience, yes – absolutely.

We’ll be at Disney World testing out this new system (as well as Food and Wine and Not So Scary). Follow along on Instagram for a sneak peak of our latest reports and videos.

Ready to make the most of your EPCOT day? Let’s go!

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The Genie is out of the bottle, and out of Disney World! That’s right, beginning July 24th 2024 Genie+ will be replaced with Lightening Lanes. This new iteration of Disney World’s skip the line service will offer Disney Resort guests a big advantage, just one more reason to consider staying on property.

A Brief History of Disney‘s Skip the Line Service

As Rafiki warned us all, “the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” So, we’ll suffer through a little bit for some Dis-tory – I promise, it’ll be brief.

Fastpass

The original Fastpass system was introduced at Disney World in 1999. The novel new process allowed guests to request a physical Fastpass, out side of an attraction, which let them return at a later time when they could immediately board the attraction.

It was a ground breaking idea that many theme parks implemented as a paid service, shortly after. The system wasn’t perfect, as it required running back and forth between attractions all day to secure the Fastpass and then return back. Guests weren’t able to see the return windows currently being printed before requesting theirs and return windows couldn’t be adjusted.

How far we’ve come, right?

Fastpass+

But Disney World is extremely popular and Disney sought to make some big improvements, if only to give guests a bigger incentive for staying at an official Disney World resort. In 2013 the new Fastpass+ system was introduced, which made use of the phones that seem to have become part of our being.

The Fastpass+ system had 2 major changes. First off, we went digital! The eldest sibling no longer had to run around from ride to ride, securing those sweet sweet Fastpass tickets for the whole family. Instead, we could book everything through the Disney World app.

But the biggest upset was the implementation of advanced booking. Guests staying on property at a Disney World resort could pre-book up to 3 attractions 60 days in advance, while non-resort guests were only able to book 30 days in advance. A huge benefit for those staying in a Disney World hotel, as some of the most popular rides could fill up within a few minutes. (Looking at you Peter Pan’s Flight)

This is also when things started to get more complicated though. Attractions in each park were separated into 2 tiers. The most popular attractions, Splash Mountain, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Frozen Ever After, were placed in Tier 1 with all others in Tier 2. The problem was that guests could only choose up to one attraction from Tier 1 and up to two attractions from Tier 2.

Genie+ and Individual Lightening Lanes

And then 2020 came and everything closed. With so much uncertainty it was unclear when the parks would re-open and what it would even look like. And when it finally happened, things looked a lot different. Reservations required, limited capacity and no more Fastpass or Fastpass+.

It wasn’t long though until Disney unveiled their newest, and most confusing, skip the line service: Genie+.

Genie+ is the first paid skip the line service offered at Disney World, largely modeled after Disneyland’s MaxPass. With variable pricing, guests can pay between $15 and $30 (approximately) per person, per day, to enjoy nearly all the benefits that were previously free under Fastpass+. Return windows were renamed to Lightening Lanes, and could only be booked on the day of your visit.

Additionally, within each Disney World park there could be up to 2 rides not included in Genie+. Lightening Lanes reservations can be purchased for these individually, with a similar price range and a max of two per person per day. So. Much. Fun.

NEW Lightening Lane Passes

Which brings us to today, the latest skip the line system – Lightening Lane Passes. There are (2) different types of Passes; Individual and Multi-pass.

Lightening Lane Multipass

For the most part, the Lightening Lane Multipass is pretty similar to Genie+ with a few additions from Fastpass+. Lightening Lane Multipass is a paid service that allows you to book return windows, digitally, for your favorite rides and attractions at Disney World.

The primary skip service rule, known as the 2 hour rule, is still applicable. Once guests have received a Lightening Lane Multipass Reservation they must wait 2 hours or until that return time to book their next reservation, which ever comes first.

Advanced Booking Lightening Lane Multipass Reservations

The biggest change is the return of pre-booking for both on and off property hotel guests, within the United States and Canada. If you reside outside of these countries, I’m very sorry but, this will not be applicable.

Beginning 30 days before your arrival date, guests can begin purchasing Lightening Lane Multipass and advanced booking experiences. You’ll be able to book for your entire trip, up to (14) days, all at once.

Everyone else can pre-purchase and reserve return windows just (3) days in advance). In both instances Lightening Lanes reservations must be within one park.

Additionally, guests will not be able to make another selection until after their first Lightening Lane has been used. At this time you’ll be able to make a selection from a different park, if you have a park hopper or annual pass.

However, attraction tier groups have returned.

Magic Kingdom Attraction Tiers

Tier One

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Space Mountain
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Tier Two

• The Barnstormer
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Haunted Mansion
• ‘it’s a small world’
• Mad Tea Party
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

Epcot Attraction Tiers

Tier One

• Frozen Ever After
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World

Tier Two

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Spaceship Earth
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Hollywood Studios Attraction Tiers

Tier One

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash

Tier Two

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play & Dance!
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania!

Animal Kingdom Attraction Tiers

Currently, there are no attraction tiers at Animal Kingdom for Lightening Lane Multipass. But, here’s a list of all the attractions included with this service.

• DINOSAUR
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• Feathered Friends in Flight
• Festival of the Lion King
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!
• It’s Tough to Be a Bug
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safari’s
• Na’vi River Journey

We'll be releasing revised Strategy Guides for each park in the coming weeks. Please subscribe to get the latest info and tips for your next vacation. 

Lightening Lane Single Pass

The most popular rides, up to 2 in each park, will not be available through the Lightening Lane Mulitpass. Instead, guests will be able to pre-purchase up to (2) Lightening Lane Single Pass reservations (previously known as Individual Lightening Lanes).

Magic Kingdom

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• TRON Lightcycle / Run

Epcot

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Hollywood Studios

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage

New Lightening Lane Stragies

This brand new announcement from Disney World changes everything. While it’ll be nice to sleep in past 6:30 am on a vacation, there’s pro’s and con’s to this new system.

With so many changes, we’re working at the speed of light to design new park guides, strategy recommendations, and tips to help you make the most of your Disney Vacation. We’d love for you to subscribe to our newsletter so we can stay in touch. In the meantime, here’s the highlights.

Book It and Buy It

We predict a high level of guest buy in with these changes, and it’s understandable. Being able to pick and secure your favorite attractions before purchasing a Multipass is amazing. It’s a guarantee that you and your family will get to do at least those 3 rides, and not have to race around to do it.

But that means that Lightening Lane Reservations will go fast. In the days of Fastpass+ it was nearly impossible to book a second Tier 1 attraction on the day of your visit.

Stay on Property

Disney World is amazing, for so many different reasons. But my favorite thing about Disney World is the immense and varied accommodations. There are more than 20 Disney World hotels, some with prices under $100 per night at times. We’ve talked before about the many, many, reasons to stay on property but being able to pre-book Lightening Lane 30 days in advance is a game changer.

Save Must-Do’s for the End of Your Trip

Not only can on property guests book Lightening Lane Reservations 30 days before arrival, they can book for their entire stay – up to 14 days. If you are lucky enough to book a 2-week trip, that means you can pre-book 44 days in advance.

It also means I want you to adopt me, but that’s a different article.

Chances of securing the most popular reservations will be higher at the end of your trip, so try and plan them for those days.

Yes, We Have to Pre-Purchase the Single Passes Too

The one thing I dislike about this new system is pre-purchasing Lightening Lane Single Pass. As I mentioned, the Fastpass+ system was extremely popular and the most in-demand attractions would quickly book up. Now, Disney has taken the most in-demand attractions and added an individual price tag.

While we don’t think pre-purchase of the Single Pass will be quote as popular, I also wouldn’t take the chance for rides without a standby entrance. For rides like Cosmic Rewind and Tron Lightcycle / Run there are only (2) options: virtual queue or Lightening Lane Single Pass.

There’s a fair chance that Single Passes will sell out on busy days. At that point, if you’re not able to secure a virtual queue spot you won’t get to ride. If these 2 attractions are must-do’s for your Disney World vacation, plan on purchasing them ahead of time.

Non-Refundable

It is extremely important to note that neither the Multipass or Single Passes are refundable. If your trip get canceled or rescheduled, you will not get a refund for these purchases and will need to re-purchase if you are visiting on different days.

What do you think of these latest changes to Disney World’s Skip the Line Service? Will you be pre-booking Lightening Lane Reservations?

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