Thanksgiving Crowds Push Disney World Lightning Lane Premier Pass to All-Park Sell-Out

3 days ago in "Disney Genie"

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Lightning Lane Premier Pass logo

Posted: Sunday November 24, 2024 3:25pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

For the first time since its debut, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass has sold out for all four Walt Disney World theme parks on the same day—November 25, 2024. The high-demand reflects the heavy crowds expected during the Thanksgiving holiday week and the increasing popularity of Disney’s newest add-on option for skipping standby lines.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass logo

A First for the Premier Pass

The Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows one-time access to all available Lightning Lane attractions in a single park on a selected day. While specific parks have sold out on individual dates in the past, this marks the first time that all four Walt Disney World parks—Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom—have completely sold out the pass on the same day. November 25 is also the first time that Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Disney's Animal Kingdom has sold out.

If you were planning to purchase a Lightning Lane Premier Pass for November 25 and haven’t secured one yet, here are your options:

Use Other Lightning Lane Services: Consider the Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single purchases. These options require booking arrival windows for each attraction but may still be available.
Visit the Parks Without Premier: Though Premier Pass is sold out, standby lines remain an option. Arrive early, prioritize attractions.

This resort-wide sell-out highlights the growing popularity of the Lightning Lane Premier Pass among Disney guests. With holiday crowds ramping up, similar sell-outs could occur on key dates in December, particularly around Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

View current and upcoming Lighting Lane Premier Pass pricing

Stay tuned for updates on availability and tips for navigating the parks during the busiest time of the year.

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lewisc11 minutes ago

Guests complain if they waste time snaking through empty queue segments. Sometimes Disney can't win.

Disstevefan118 hours ago

Very true, before paid LL, I think they inflated times to make folks feel good they waited less than the posted wait time, they still do it today for the same reason with the happy side effect of possibly selling some LLs ;)

Disstevefan118 hours ago

Laketravis19 hours ago

And they've been using optical illusions to make those look longer than they are - like closing queue lanes indoors so the line extends outside (where it can be seen and percieved as a long line).

phillip969819 hours ago

Sorry but those wait times were inflated well before paid LLs were a thing.

lewisc19 hours ago

Don't confuse posters with facts.

Purduevian19 hours ago

They've been inflating wait times long before they sold a skip the line pass. I have yet to see any evidence that they are inflating more than during FP/FP+

Disstevefan119 hours ago

FIFY ;)

phillip969819 hours ago

They can get it right, it’s inflated on purpose. It controls guest flow and increases guest satisfaction.

Disstevefan120 hours ago

The 70 min posted wait time was actually 50 minutes or less. I cant trust the posted times. They simply CANT get it right and most of the time its an over estimate. I do however look at the actual standby queue to try to gauge the wait.

HoustonHorn20 hours ago

I was planning to track that, but after walking to the merge with a posted 70 and a posted 65, I quit. I think Soarin was posted 50 when we waited a little bit, and I think Jingle Cruise was posted around 80. Long enough that I would never have entered the queue without an LL.

Disstevefan120 hours ago

Thanks for the info, My question is the times you waited 5 min to get to merge, what was the posted standby? We know actual standby wait is about 30 percent shorter than posted time. I totally believe folks will cut back on other things to purchase LLPP. I suspect the other segments like dining and merch hate LLPP for taking money from them.

DisneyCane20 hours ago

I would guess that the breakdown skews to a lot more of the former than the latter. The people who can afford it without even blinking will either not purchase any line skip or be likely to do a VIP tour where they are treated like they are "important." It's the same reason that many "whales" in Vegas are loyal and like to get comped and be served by hosts when they could easily afford to just pay for the room and meals. Is it really a big deal for somebody willing to lose six figures over a weekend to pay for a suite at $5k a night? It's the same mentality I'd expect from people in similar income levels at Disney when it comes to something the peons can buy like LLPP vs. an "exclusive" experience like a VIP tour. I have cousins and friends who are in the verge of bankruptcy demographic. I also have friends in the wealthy and mega wealthy demographic. As illogical as it is, the ones on the verge of bankruptcy have the YOLO mentality while the wealthy and mega wealthy don't. I know that my circle isn't necessarily representative of the country but I think it generally holds true.

HoustonHorn21 hours ago

Couple of points as I sit at MCO after a few park days: 1. The changes to LL are "working" from the standpoint of LL efficiency. I think the longest we waited from the time we hit the end of an LL line to the merge was maybe 5 minutes, and probably 95% of the time we walked straight to the merge. So I don't think they are overselling any. 2. To that last point, I overheard a lady behind me in line telling her companion that now that she knows about LLPP, she will be doing it her next trip. But to do so, she will not do the dining plan, not do the photo plan, and will make other cuts. Now that's anecdotal, but it is consistent with reports of people using their WDW budget on LL access and cutting back TS restaurants and others. Disney loves it, because LL is almost pure profit.