Disney Expands Lightning Lane Premier Pass to All Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Guests

Nov 22, 2024 in "Disney Genie"

Gallery / 1 Photo
Lightning Lane Premier Pass logo

Posted: Friday November 22, 2024 7:00am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney World has expanded the availability of its Lightning Lane Premier Pass, previously offered exclusively to guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, and select hotels. As of November 22, 2024, the pass is now available to guests staying at all Walt Disney World Resort hotels, including the Walt Disney World Dolphin, Swan, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green Resort.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass logo

Expanded Access for More Guests

The Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows guests to skip standby lines and use Lightning Lane entrances for one-time access to each available Lightning Lane attraction in a single park on a given day. Previously limited to guests at Disney’s highest-tier resorts, this expansion now opens the option to all Disney Resort hotel guests, making the service more widely accessible.

Eligible guests include those staying at:

All Disney Resort Hotels
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Shades of Green Resort

How the Lightning Lane Premier Pass Works

The Lightning Lane Premier Pass differs from other Lightning Lane options, such as the Multi Pass and Single Pass, in its flexibility and scope:

No Arrival Windows: Unlike other Lightning Lane passes, Premier Pass holders don’t need to select arrival times for attractions. Guests can enter Lightning Lane entrances whenever they choose, subject to availability.
One-Park Access: The pass includes one-time access to every available Lightning Lane experience in a single park for one day.
Photo Perks Included: Guests also receive digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos through Disney PhotoPass, adding extra value to the pass.

Eligibility and How to Purchase

Guests staying at eligible hotels can purchase the Lightning Lane Premier Pass up to seven days before their stay using the My Disney Experience app. Pricing varies by date and park and is displayed in the app at the time of purchase. As this remains a limited-quantity offering, early booking is recommended for those interested.

Magic Kingdom: $329–$449
Hollywood Studios: $249–$349
EPCOT: $149–$249
Animal Kingdom: $119–$199

View current and upcoming Lighting Lane Premier Pass pricing.

What’s Next for Lightning Lane Premier?

With this expansion, Disney is testing how the Lightning Lane Premier Pass can cater to a wider audience. While it remains to be seen how this affects availability and guest satisfaction, the move signals Disney’s interest in providing more premium service options to a broader range of visitors.

Future updates to the Lighting Lane Premier Pass may include an option allowing for Lighting Lane access across all four Walt Disney World theme parks, although Disney is yet to announce any new additions to the service.

Guests are willing to pay a high price to secure easy entry to E-Ticket rides like TRON Lightcycle Run

Discuss on the Forums

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Splash4eva19 hours ago

Im not backpeddling at all. Ive done nothing wrong followed every guideline given to me by Disney and chose to spend extra money due to my condition to ensure the best trip possible. Im not asking you or anyone to lose sleep at all. Again i dont need to rationalize anything i do.

HauntedPirate1 day ago

Considering that’s coming from the one who has no qualms about double-dipping with DAS and LLMP/LLPP… I won’t lose any sleep. And no one EVER suggested everyone using DAS was lying/abusing it. You’re backpedaling and rationalizing your “use” of DAS.

Splash4eva1 day ago

Listen ive accepted it and still approved & they literally implemented stuff ive suggested so i think they did a good job there. The issue now is w the new version of LL bc they were terrible and drops were not effective at all

Chi841 day ago

As I recall there were problems with everybody’s suggested fixes. In any case Disney made its decision and I’m not sure what good it does to keep rehashing this. It’s probably best to accept it and move forward.

Splash4eva1 day ago

The point tho is this. The % was NOT that high. The added extras Disney allowed and encouraged were a major problem and even before the changes i was on record stating how things could have been fixed

lentesta1 day ago

We estimated, by counting people get in line every minute for hours on end, that up to 70% of guests using the LL line were DAS users. I’m reasonably sure the average usage was in the range of 30-70% of all LL guests, depending on the popularity of the attraction. I ran the range 30-50% by Disney for a newspaper article and said I knew it was conservative. I asked if they’d dispute that. They said they would not. I know documents exist that show usage near 80% on some rides.