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

30 days ago in "Disney Genie"

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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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DisneyDreamer085 hours ago

I’m wondering if the people purchasing premier pass have ever actually used multi pass. Even though the idea of using premier pass is intriguing to me, I know it’s not financially responsible because my experience with multi pass has been very good 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sirwalterraleigh5 hours ago

If slow moving lines in sparse crowds are “under control”…well rue the day if its ever crowded again

lentesta5 hours ago

Yield Management has funded FY2025 Dynamic Pricing projects for tickets and hotel rooms for WDW and DLR, just like DLP.

Chi846 hours ago

You’re assuming the people who are buying the LLPPs are somehow invested in keeping the parks going. I doubt many of them are.

DoubleSwitchback6 hours ago

I'd guess yes to all of those. I bet that the objective function is to sell as many as possible while ensuring that LL waits rarely get above X minutes again. So it's not a widget, but now that the DAS reforms have LL waits under control, you can't have the people who paid $2k for the day stuck in long LLs again. They understand a lot about the dynamics of clumpiness when many people can enter a LL at whatever time of their choosing from DAS.

Sirwalterraleigh6 hours ago

I’m not “hoping” for anything…I’m watching self destructive business…from both sides of the window

Chi847 hours ago

The only way people will stop buying it is if Disney stops selling it. They may, if enough people stop coming to the parks. The ones who buy it and the ones who reject the parks are often two different groups. Hoping that people who want this product won’t buy it is probably futile.

Sirwalterraleigh7 hours ago

You’ve yet to learn when it sticks to your shoe and smells really bad…it can only be one thing… Dust is really potent stuff…

Sirwalterraleigh7 hours ago

…you know…that might be something worth considering…or we can keep riding the locomotive into the ravine beyond the tracks

Disstevefan18 hours ago

I think the key as you describe Disney is getting “money for nothing”. They created a “vapor ware” product that is as close to 100 percent profit, and also, they can adjust the supply and demand with a few keystrokes. I do not think Disney has any concern about selling “too few” of this product like there is a warehouse back stage that is bulging with inventory.

Coaster Lover8 hours ago

Curious what sort of revenue they are making on these... if you figure an average cost (across the four parks) of $250, even if they only sell 100 per day per park (which seems VERY low), that's still $36.5 million per year in essentially pure profit (there's no need for any additional staff/resources to use this... it uses all preexisting resources).