Holiday Crowds Push Disney's Premier Pass to Record Sell-Out Dates

14 hours ago in "Disney Genie"

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Posted: Thursday December 26, 2024 11:00am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Lightning Lane Premier Pass has sold out for even more dates during the busy 2024 Christmas holiday season at Walt Disney World. With Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney's Hollywood Studios now fully booked for select days in late December and early January, the trends seen over Thanksgiving are continuing into Christmas and New Year's celebrations—and may set the tone for future holiday seasons.

Newly Sold-Out Dates

Magic Kingdom has set a new record, with ten consecutive days now sold for Lightning Lane Premier pass.

Here are the latest sell-out dates by park:

Magic Kingdom: December 26, January 1, January 2, January 3
EPCOT: December 31
Hollywood Studios: December 27, December 31

These additions come on top of previously announced sell-outs.

Comparing Christmas and Thanksgiving Patterns

Thanksgiving week was the first major test of the Lightning Lane Premier Pass's popularity, with all four parks selling out for November 25, and Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios experiencing multiple sold-out dates.

Key differences between Thanksgiving and Christmas week include:

Increased Frequency of Sell-Outs: Christmas and New Year's holidays have seen more consistent sell-outs across multiple days and parks. For example, Magic Kingdom is now fully booked for ten consecutive days (December 25–January 3), compared to a maximum of five consecutive days during Thanksgiving.
Earlier Sell-Outs: Premier Pass sell-outs for Christmas week have occurred further in advance, suggesting growing awareness and demand among guests planning their visits.

What This Means for Future Holiday Seasons

These patterns indicate that the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is becoming a staple for managing crowds during major holiday periods. Future holiday weeks—such as Spring Break, Memorial Day, and Independence Day—may follow similar trends. Guests visiting Walt Disney World during these times should anticipate:

Earlier Sell-Outs: As awareness grows, demand for the Premier Pass will likely increase, prompting even earlier sell-outs for popular dates.
Increased Prices: The Premier Pass has already reached $449 for some dates, suggesting that prices may continue to climb during peak periods.
Heightened Competition for Access: With limited availability, securing a Premier Pass will require advanced planning and quick action as soon as eligibility opens.

Overview of Current Sell-Out Dates for 2024 into 2025

Here is the updated list of Lightning Lane Premier Pass sell-outs during this Christmas holiday season:

Magic Kingdom: December 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, January 1, 2, 3
EPCOT: December 21, 31
Hollywood Studios: December 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Planning for the Future

Guests looking to visit Walt Disney World during major holidays should consider these tips:

Purchase Early: The Premier Pass can be purchased up to seven days before a resort stay. Guests should secure their passes as soon as they are eligible to avoid disappointment.
Consider Alternative Options: Lightning Lane Multi Pass or individual Lightning Lane Single purchases may provide additional flexibility.
Plan Off-Peak Visits: For those seeking lower crowd levels, visiting during non-holiday periods may provide a better experience without the added cost of the Premier Pass.

Discuss on the Forums

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monothingie2 hours ago

Absolutely Right. That’s why they’re going to do everything they can to persuade guests to buy it. Of course it wouldn’t be possible that LL is the cause of the problem shown above, not the solution.

Chi845 hours ago

I agree as long as it doesn’t get to the point of ridiculing or insulting those who find value in a product/upcharge. Jumping off a cliff is generally not a good idea. But people can have a great time at an extra-hours event even though others may find insufficient value in them.

MickeyLuv'r5 hours ago

Ditto. What he said! The point I have been trying to make is that there is a connection between what WDW does, and what other businesses do. When I see a change like this, that is one of the broader considerations I have, not just how it will impact me on a single visit. My teachers used to ask, "If everyone else is jumping off a large cliff, does that make it a good idea?" Personally, in the case of this latest upcharge, I'm not just asking if I want to buy this upcharge myself, but I feel we have some collective ability to warn others if we think WDW is offering a bad product/upcharge.

Dranth8 hours ago

Sure, nearly everything is interconnected if we really want to dig into it, but if we were all concerned about how our purchases impacted others we would never buy anything. Instead, we worry about what holds personal value to each of us. Personally, I think LLPP is a rip off and LLMP is a joke for how we tour the parks, so we don't get either of them. Enough people currently think differently so those products continue to exist. At the end of the day, it is simple for me, if the parks get miserable due to crowds and/or long line, we just won't go until that changes. If it never does, so be it. Disney is not a necessity, and this world has way too much to see/do to waste time with something that makes me miserable.

Ayla8 hours ago

A local carwash that I have a membership to has a Fast Pass lane. Every time I go through it, I think about taking a picture and posting it here. 😂

Chi849 hours ago

I’m not sure what you mean. There are moral and legal issues that prevent upcharges in certain situations. Health care and bathroom availability come to mind. No one needs to visit a theme park, but if they decide to do so they are probably going to buy whatever makes their visit more enjoyable. As you point out, many businesses do offer upcharge products.

Chi849 hours ago

We’re repeat customers but we know what we want.

MickeyLuv'r9 hours ago

huh? Repat customer = success.

MickeyLuv'r9 hours ago

Alas, none of us needs to visit a theme park, so we don't actually need to buy any theme park upcharges. Imagine though if hospitals and other businesses adopted the same upcharge model... Have a medical emergency? Good News! Our hospital now offers Lighting Lane Emergency Care for a small upcharge! (Or you can wait in the regular line to be seen for triage care if your medical needs are not urgent. The standby wait will be an extra 30-60minutes.) We actually do now have paid Express Lanes on some highways like I-4 in FL. And airport security has multiple upcharge options. Maybe large theaters/sporting venues should add the premium bathroom opportunity! Starbucks is also missing out on a possible revenue opportunity.

Chi849 hours ago

No I’m talking about people who know what they’re buying. For example, we had a large group with 4 very young children who would have been miserable standing in long lines so we bought LLMP and LLSP. Also, we wanted to go to MVMCP to see the special parade, fireworks and to get on the rides with no wait. We all loved it. We even got a cabana at BB because we wanted a home base where everyone would be comfortable. Advertising/marketing doesn’t work on frequent visitors.

HauntedPirate9 hours ago

FTFY. It couldn't be that the company also pushes said upcharges at every opportunity. For example - It's at the top of your MDE screen when you open it. Or at the top of the Tip Board in the MDE app - "Purchase Lightning Lane Passes". Or the toggle switch - 'Show Only Lightning Lane Experiences". They have you hook, line, and sinker.

Chi8410 hours ago

All of that is correct. But if someone believes a upcharge product is desirable or essential to their vacation they will buy it. I imagine very few WDW planning sessions include a discussion of how those plans impact everyone’s collective theme park experience. I’m just being pragmatic. If a company sells a product people want or feel they need people will purchase it.

MickeyLuv'r10 hours ago

In a way the subject is trivial, but in another sense, theme park upcharges are core to everyone's collective theme park experience. The more parkgoers embrace theme park upcharges, the more all parkgoers are impacted. Upcharges get normalized, even if we don't buy each particular upcharge. Companies are always looking for new revenue. When Disney changed over to dated park tickets, for example, other companies followed suit. The more parkgoers embrace upcharges; the more companies will happily charge us more.;)