Let’s be honest with ourselves, here: no one likes standing in the queues. Despite how queues have evolved over the years, from simple switchbacks stationed outside of a ride to elaborately themed and interactive guest experiences in their own right, the fact of the matter is you still have to stand in line, sometimes for hours, just to experience and attraction, and no game of Headbandz is going to convince your feet not to hurt after that 190-minute wait.
With the growing popularity of theme park attractions over the last three quarters of a century, wait times have been longer than ever, and the Disney Parks and resorts have been trying to remedy this problem ever since 1999 when the first FastPass ticketing system was introduced to their parks. Anyone who has been within a hundred mile radius of a Disney park knows what FastPass is – a special ticket guests could either receive or purchase for a fee, that would allow them to bypass the standby queue, and enter a specially reserved queue for FastPass holders that promised shorter wait times and a streamlined park experience.
Over the years, Disney has tweaked this system. Some guests would say the changes are for the better, others would say the changes made the system worse, but beginning October 23rd, 2024, the skip-the-line system at Disneyland in California will be seeing a huge change in its Lightning Lane ticketing system that may herald a new and improved age of line-skipping for guests looking to make the most out of their park experience.
While the Lightning Lane system got off to a rocky start with some guests, Disneyland is looking to make the Lightning Lane system easier than ever by introducing a new tier of skip-the-line ticket that allows a truly no-hassle experience where guests can hit their favorite in-demand rides and know they’re getting the best Lightning Lane experience possible.
With Lightning Lane Premier Pass, guests can purchase individual days of all-inclusive Lightning Lane access for 400.00 USD per person per day, which gives them once-per-day access to the Lightning Lane experience for every ride at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park (with valid park admission, of course!). This includes not only all rides available for the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, but all rides available for the Lightning Lane Single Passes as well – which are typically high-profile attractions excluded from the Multi-Pass for their high demand and popularity, and must be purchased a la carte. With Lightning Lane Premier Pass, you get it all!
This is the third product in the Lightning Lane family of tickets, joining the Lightning Lane Single Pass and the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass – but unlike its two predecessors, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows guests to experience the attractions on their own time. No arrival windows are assigned to guests looking to use their Lightning Lane Premier passes, meaning they can arrive and queue for whatever Lightning Lane they want, whenever they want, giving more flexibility to the guests’ day. We all know that planning the perfect run at any theme park is already a hassle – with Lightning Lane Premier Pass, guests are no longer forced to organize their days around arbitrary and sometimes inconvenient arrival windows, making the entire theme park experience more leisurely than ever before!
Plus, guests purchasing the Lightning Lane Premier Pass or the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass are entitled to photo perks, meaning unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass digital downloads from your day using your Premier or Multi-Pass ticket. Guests with these exciting photo perks can also use them at select photographers stationed throughout the park, for truly memorable moments at the most picturesque places in the park! Guests with the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will also get access to the Disney PhotoPass Lenses, which allow guests to edit their photos Disney-themed augmented-reality effects!
Unlike its sibling tickets, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass can actually be purchased in advance of your Disney day! Guests can use the Disneyland app up to 2 days in advance of your park trip, starting at 7:00 AM Pacific Time (UTC -08:00). Because the Lightning Lane Premier tickets are in extremely limited supply right now, guests looking to purchase will have to be diligent in order to secure their passes. And don’t forget! In addition to your valid park admission for that day, you will also need a park reservation in order to purchase a Lightning Lane Pass.
While the Lightning Lane Premier Pass can only be used once per attraction per day, you’ll be able to keep track of exactly what Lightning Lane attractions are still available to you via the Disneyland app! Navigating to “Today’s Plans” and then the “My Day” feature will allow guests with a valid Lightning Lane Premier Pass to see what Lightning Lane attractions are still available to them, and which one’s they’ve already used their tickets on that day!
Don’t forget, this roll-out is a test! Disneyland has stated on their announcement of this exciting new system that the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a pilot system that will last from October 23rd to the end of the year, after which the price will vary depending on date and demand. Which means if you can’t get your hands on a Lightning Lane Premier Pass this year due to its stunted supply, you don’t have to worry! The program is planned to continue into 2025, and is sure to bring even more ease and convenience to the Disneyland Parks as this new addition to the system finds its footing!
Despite the high price and low supply, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is truly the skip-the-line experience that Disney has sorely needed over the last few years, and may be one of the best advancements to the ticketing system that the Disney Parks have seen in ages!
