As a travel advisor specializing in all things Disney, I’m always on the lookout for ways to help guests make the most of their time in the parks. At the end of October 2024, Disney released a new offering that seemed it could be a real timesaver for families and help check most attractions off your list during a park day – Lightning Lane Premier Pass. Lightning Lane Premier Pass is an addition to Lightning Lane Multi and Single Passes which are already available at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. This premium experience is designed to enhance your day in the parks by giving you one-time priority access to all attractions that offer a Lightning Lane entrance and is priced higher than the other Lightning Lane offerings. Below we’ll dig into what Disney’s Lightning Lane Premier Pass is, how to get it, how much it costs, and if it’s worth it so you can decide if it’s a must do for your family.
Download a Guide to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World or Disneyland
What is Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a new tier of Disney’s Lightning Lane system available at Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks. It offers one-time access to each attraction that has a Lightning Lane entrance without the need for a reservation, unlike Multi and Single Passes which provides you with a one hour window in which you are able to enter the Lightning Lane for a specific attraction.
How Do I Purchase Premier Pass?
Disneyland Resort
At Disneyland, all guests are able to purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass 2 days in advance of their park visit through the Disneyland app. When you open and log into your app you will see a banner prompting you to purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass. You are not required to select the park you will be visiting and you are able to use Premier Pass across both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park if you have a Park Hopper Ticket.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass is $400 per person, per day for park visits through December 31, 2024. Beginning in 2025, pricing will vary by date between $300 and $400.
Walt Disney World Resort
At Walt Disney World, Lightning Lane Premier Pass is available to guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort up to 7 days in advance of their check in date for their length of stay through the My Disney Experience app. Non-resort guests can purchase up to 3 days in advance of the start of their ticket. A banner prompting you to purchase Lightning Lanes will be shown on the homepage of the app. Once selected, you can pick the day and park you would like to visit.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass is only valid for the one park selected at Walt Disney World. Guests are not able to utilize Premier Pass across multiple parks if park hopping.
Like Multi and Single Passes, Lightning Lane Premier Pass pricing varies based on the date and the park selected. At this time passes are priced between $149 and $449 per guest.
If you’d like to budget for your trip, hop onto the My Disney Experience app up to 21 days in advance of your park days to view pricing.
What Attractions are Included?
All attractions available on Multi Pass and Single Pass are included on Premier Pass. Guests are limited to one Lightning Lane entry per attraction, per day. As a reminder, at Disneyland guests can park hop and utilize Premier Pass across both parks if they have a valid Park Hopper ticket. At Walt Disney World Premier Pass cannot be used across multiple parks.
Disneyland
- Autopia
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Haunted Mansion
- Indiana JonesTM Adventure
- “it’s a small world”
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Space Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Disney California Adventure Park
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Grizzly River Run
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Toy Story Midway Mania!
- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Magic Kingdom
- The Barnstormer
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
EPCOT
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Frozen Ever After
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
- Turtle Talk with Crush
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- 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
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- 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 Safaris
- Naʻvi River Journey
Is Lightning Lane Premier Pass Worth the Cost?
Like with most Disney planning questions, there is no one answer. The value of Lightning Lane Premier Pass depends on your family’s travel style, budget, and priorities. For many, the time saved and stress avoided makes it well worth the investment. With Disney’s ever-growing list of experiences, this pass ensures you’ll make the most of every magical moment without having to be as strategic as you would if you opted for Lightning Lane Multi Pass and/or Single Pass. However, you are paying a much higher price for this convenience.
Download a Guide to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World or Disneyland
I tried out Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Magic Kingdom on November 14, 2024. The pass cost $329 and I was able to ride 20 attractions in 5 hours with a half hour break for lunch and several stops for water/bio breaks.
Normally when I visit the parks, especially Magic Kingdom as it’s the most visited theme park in the world, I go in with a thorough plan outlining how I can visit all of my must do attractions and probably average around 10-15 rides in a day. Most days I utilize a mix of Early Park Entry, Virtual Queue, Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and Lightning Lane Single Pass. With this, it means that throughout the day I am making additional Lightning Lane reservations and keeping a close eye on attraction wait times.
With Lightning Lane Premier Pass I didn’t have to put together a plan or spend the day looking down at my phone. Instead I was able to have a relaxing park day and hit every attraction with a Lightning Lane entrance.
So is it worth it? For families who have the budgetary flexibility and want to try to “hit it all,” Premier Pass is a great way to do that and feel relaxed. I would recommend Premier Pass for Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as it is easier to experience most if not all attractions at EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park with a good plan and the purchase of Lightning Lane Multi and Single Passes.
Concierge Disney Planning
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