DO I NEED LIGHTNING LANE MULTIPASS AND SINGLE PASS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD?
There is perhaps no more controversial Disney decision than the decision to take away the free Fastpass system that existed in Disney Parks until 2020. Since then, Disney has made way for different machinations of the same thing- a paid Fastpass system where guests must pay in order to skip the lines for rides.
If you are unfamiliar with the current Lightning Lane Multipass, Lightning Lane Single Pass, or Lightning Lane Premier Pass systems, let me explain.
Lightning Lanes are a way to skip the line, for the most part, at most Disney attractions. Not all attractions offer Lightning Lanes but most do and certainly the most popular offer this perk for parkgoers willing to pay for it. The cost varies by park, time of year, and is subject to surge pricing at the most busy times of year. So Disney took what used to be free and made it very expensive.
Lightning Lane Single Pass gives you the ability to skip the line at Disney’s marquee attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy in Epcot and Tron in Magic Kingdom. These must be purchased per person, per ride and are one time use. Lightning Lane Multipass gives you the ability to schedule return times at Disney attractions subject to availability and limitations. Multipass only includes some attractions and many parks split those attractions into tiers meaning you can only get one multipass for the top attractions and are left to book your lightning lanes at less popular attractions.
There are absolutely benefits to using Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multipass. Skipping a line that is an hour or more certainly will make your park day better and enable you to get more done. But there are negatives, you do not always have the ability to be picky about those return times and you can end up bouncing all over the parks making your day exhausting and inefficient. Plus some parks just do not have enough rides to justify the cost of skipping the line (looking at you Animal Kingdom).
We have used Single Pass and Multipass in the past at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Disney World. We had mixed reviews. A Single Pass seems like a lot to pay to skip a single line but in the right situation, I would absolutely do it again. Multipass had left us exhausted in Disneyland as we darted from one end of the park to the next to utilize lightning lanes. Plus we just find that on some days and definitely in some parks, you do not need it.
So we decided to do a Disney World trip without a single lightning lane to answer the question:
IS IT POSSIBLE TO ENJOY A TRIP TO WALT DISNEY WORLD WITHOUT LIGHTNING LANE MULTIPASS AND SINGLE PASS?
On our most recent trip to Disney World which was, January 2-7, 2025, we did not use a single Lightning Lane and you know what… it was fine. Not perfect. But definitely doable.
We are Disney travel agents. We book trips for families seeking to have the best time at Disney World (we would love to do the same for you too!). We also go to Disney very often to stay up to date on everything happening in the parks and resorts.
One of the most common questions we are asked is… do I need Lightning Lanes to enjoy my park day? Our answer had always been yes at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios but no at Epcot and Animal Kingdom as that had been our experience.
This is the advice we always followed but we decided this time, we would try it out for ourselves. Could we enjoy a trip to Disney World and not use Lightning Lanes AT ALL?
The answer was yes!
Let me tell you how we did it.
Our trip included 5 park days without park hopper. We stayed at Coronado Springs. We are a family of 4 (children 13 and 6). We spent two days in Magic Kingdom and one day at each additional park. We did leave the park every day to take a break. The park crowd levels per Undercover Tourist were a 9-10 most days of our trip with our last day being a 6-7. This was the time right after New Years and with school still being out for most of the country, parks were crowded.
We paid approximately $4,000 for 5 nights at our resort and 5 day 1 Park Per Day tickets utilizing a 25% room discount. Let us know if you want us to book a trip for you!
I will give you all of my tips and tricks but first I want to tell you exactly how we did it. What worked, what did not, and how each day ended up. This will be a lengthy blow by blow our 4 of our park days so buckle up.
Expedition Everest. The low point of the day.
PARK DAY 1: ANIMAL KINGDOM
This was January 2, 2025 and Animal Kingdom was the busiest I have ever seen it. By the end of the day, it was difficult to move in the parks at certain pinch points like outside Expedition Everest and at the entrance.
TLDR of this day: If you want to skip the details, here is the verdict: No you do not need Lightning Lane Multipass in Animal Kingdom even on the busiest day provided you are okay with waiting in at least 1-2 very long lines or you are okay with skipping rides that have prohibitively long waits. One caveat to this is that the price point for Lightning Lane Multipass in this park is not terrible so it will be a cost benefit analysis.
Our Recommendation: Check the crowd calendar and if the parks will be at a 6 or lower, you absolutely do not need it. If the park will be a 7-10, decide if the cost is worth it to you.
One warning for 2025 and 2026 visits: Animal Kingdom will be under a massive amount of construction as DinoLand USA closes. Several rides will close which means that lines at other attractions will only get longer.
HOW WE DID ANIMAL KINGDOM WITHOUT LIGHTNING LANES
7 AM: ROPE DROP ANIMAL KINGDOM
The park opened at 7:30 for resort guests, we arrived at 7 and were immediately allowed in and to the line for Flight of the Passage. The line was very long but since the park was not open and no lightning lanes were being redeemed, the line moves constantly. We waited a total time of 40 minutes.
FLIGHT OF THE PASSAGE: 7:25 in line, off the ride by 8:15.
KILIMANJARO SAFARIS: 8:42 in line, no wait except for time to walk through queue and board, off by 9:18
RAFIKI’S PLANET WATCH: boarded the first train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.
· Saw the veterinarians working on a sick bird
· Completed the animation workshop for Mufasa (so much fun!)
· Affection Section
· Character greeting with Timon and Pumbaa
· Back to Africa by 11 AM
LUNCH AT MR. KAMAL’S: done by 11:25
MOANA CHARACTER GREETING: done by 12:00
At this point, the line for Expedition Everest was way too long at 65 minutes so we went to visit characters in Dinoland USA and to ride Triceratops Spin (now closed).
We took time to walk around, see characters and eat a snack. We also saw the bird show, Flight.
DINOSAUR: 45 minute wait at 3:00 PM. Normally we never would have waited in any kind of line for Dinosaur but since the ride is closing before we plan to return, we decided to brave it and wait. Not worth any kind of wait but it was fun to enjoy one last time.
By this point in the day it was 4:00 PM and we had not ridden Expedition Everest. The line had only gotten worse and now was at 75 minutes. We got in the line for Expedition Everest. At this point the park was so full that it was difficult to move in the Asia section of the park so being in line was not terrible but still very long.
EXPEDITION EVEREST: 4:30 to 5:50: This is the one part of the day where I wished we had lightning lane multipass because the line was very slow loading, lots of Lightning Lanes were being redeemed and the standby line was very long. Since our youngest is too young to ride single rider, that was not an option for us. If you could ride single rider, I absolutely would do that because that line went very fast particularly with so many large groups in the parks for the holidays.
After that the only ride we had not ridden was Na’vi River Journey which is my husbands least favorite ride and the wait had never dipped below 75 minutes. Park was set to close at 8 so if we wanted to, we would have waited until close at 8 and gotten in that line. But we had reservations at Sanaa and simply do not see Na’vi as worth any kind of wait. We wrapped up our time in Dinoland USA since it would close before we return and left the parks.
Overall we found that Lightning Lanes are not necessary in this park if crowd levels are at a 6 or under provided you are willing to rope drop the park and knock out Flight of the Passage early. Also, utilizing early entry to resort guests was key for us to avoid using Lightning Lanes. If park crowds are between a 7-10, it will be up to you. No, you do not have to have it. Animal Kingdom has so few rides that you can ride everything fairly easily as long as you can tolerate a wait on some rides.
THE VERDICT
ANIMAL KINGDOM: Lightning Lanes are not required even at the highest crowd levels provided you can rope drop the park, utilize early entry for resort guests, and are willing to stand in some lines.
Recommendation: If crowds are predicted between 7-10, I would look at the cost and make a cost benefit analysis on whether or not it is worth it to you to spend the money. If you have park hopper and will be visiting another park that same day, it may be worth it.
HOW TO SPEND A DAY AT MAGIC KINGDOM WITHOUT LIGHTNING LANES?
DAY 2: MAGIC KINGDOM
January 3, 2025
Park level is a 10
Early morning makes for a much easier park day in Magic Kingdom. We were at the park by 7 AM and in line for Tron at 7:26 after being held on the bridge to Tomorrowland.
TRON: 7:26 got in line, off the ride by 8:05
This was amazing as we walked through the line and got onto Tron which is the most fun 90 seconds ever. While we were in line, Chris and our youngest walked on and off much of the fantasyland rides like Teacups, Dumbo, and Tomorrowland Speedway.
HAUNTED MANSION: Walk on at 8:22 (13 minute wait), off the ride by 8:40
BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN: waited in a 30 minute line, off by 9:30
After eating breakfast, we were called to board TIANA’S BAYOU ADVENTURE. This ride is only available via virtual queue so there is no wait.
For the rest of the morning we went to It’s a Small World (15 minute wait), character greetings with Tiana and Rapunzel, and Minnie and Daisy. Lines were fairly short for these at about 20-25 minutes.
After watching Festival of Fantasy, we boarded the boat to the Wilderness and had lunch. At this point it was 12:45. We had ridden Tron (used rider swap), Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and seen 4 characters. We then went back to our hotel for a break and to eat at our resort for dinner.
We returned to the park at 7 PM and it was very crowded. We first went to Fantasyland and rode Dumbo without a wait. At that point the fireworks started and the line for Mine Train dropped to 30 minutes so we got in line and rode with only a 30 minute wait. After that we decided to ride one more ride as our youngest was fading fast and got in line for Space Mountain.
SPACE MOUNTAIN where we questioned all of our life choices: In line at 8:27 and I feel like we were in there for 3 hours. The wait posted was 40 minutes but it took much longer, so much longer we considered getting out of line. There was a huge issue with a Cast Member on the standby side. I feel bad saying this but he was simply terrible at it. He got distracted and would not load the trains. One train left with no one in it. Finally he was replaced and a female cast member got the line moving again and was much more efficient.
This was the end of the night for us since we had another full day at Magic Kingdom on our last day and we made our way back to Coronado Springs. We absolutely could have knocked out much of the rest of the rides had we stayed until 11 but since we had another day at Magic Kingdom we decided to leave the parks early and get a good night’s rest.
HOW TO VISIT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS WITHOUT LIGHTNING LANE MULTIPASS
DAY 3: HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
January 4, 2025
Park levels were predicted a 10, I would have thought they were closer to an 8.
We arrived to the parks early for Early Entry which is key. We arrived at 7:10 and were allowed to enter at 7:30.
TOWER OF TERROR: We walked on to Tower of Terror at 7:30 with no wait.
MICKEY AND MINNIE’S RUNAWAY RAILWAY: Walk on.
SLINKY DOG DASH: 8:40 AM, 50 minute wait, Done by 9:30
This was our longest wait of the day but as a cast member said, it will only get longer.
ALIEN SWIRLING SAUCERS: We waited for about 25 minutes for this ride.
We took time to visit some characters like Joy and Frozone. Plus we grabbed a Baby Jack Jack Num Num cookie which is one of our favorite Disney snacks. Our family of 4 shares one cookie and its huge.
Do not be fooled. This was about 530 PM.
SMUGGLER’S RUN SINGLE RIDER: My husband opted out of Smuggler’s Run so my daughter and I got in the single rider line. We waited for under 20 minutes. We were not aware that Smugger’s Run was trying a two rider line so my daughter and I were selected at the same time and got to ride together. You typically will be an engineer in the back but you get to push lots of buttons and we have ridden many times.
MUPPET VISION 3D: We walked into the show and are sad to see it go. Statler and Waldorf better make it into the new Muppet version of Rock n Roller Coaster.
After that, we hopped on the Skyliner and made our way to the Boardwalk. We find that the Skyliner is a great way to get a break from Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
SKYLINER: I assume since crowds were so high, the Skyliner stopped and slowed down frequently. The relatively short distance took much longer than it ever has but it is still a great way to spend half an hour.
Once we returned to the park about 5:54, we only had two rides left to ride: Rise of the Resistance and Toy Story Mania. Rock n Roller Coaster had been closed much of the day which had driven the line too long for us and we choose to never ride Star Tours again.
TOY STORY MANIA: 60 minute wait. This is the time of the day and the kind of wait that made us question our life choices to not get Lightning Lanes but we made it.
RIDE OF THE RESISTANCE: 50 minute wait. Rise of the Resistance had a long wait most of the day but we noticed it drop around 7 PM so we got in line. The line was right around 50 minutes and totally worth it.
After that we went to Docking Bay 7 to grab our Mobile Order for dinner and went to ride Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway one more time before leaving the park right at close after watching the nighttime show.
The Verdict: Hollywood Studios does not require lightning lanes at any crowd level provided you are willing to stand in some long lines. If waiting in line will make you miserable, go ahead and buy Multipass and use it well. If crowd levels are low, you likely do not need it at all but be prepared to rope drop the park, get in one of the marquee attraction lines first before day guests are allowed to enter.
Now is the time to answer…
DO I NEED LIGHTNING LANE MULTIPASS IN EPCOT?
DAY 4: EPCOT
January 5, 2025
Crowd levels at a 7-8
Okay this is the kind of Disney day where all of your dreams die. Things just went wrong all over this park for us so while we rode everything, we did have to do a lot of pivoting.
We took a Minnie Van to the Beach Club to grab breakfast but also to utilize the International Gateway entrance to the park meaning we could be front of the line for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Great idea, right?
We thought so.
But no. We, along with 3000 other people were in line for Remy when we were informed Remy was down and they did not know when it would come back. Initially we, along with those 3000 other people, stayed until I snuck up front and heard a cast member saying the ride would not open soon. So we pivoted and knowing that everyone would go to Frozen Ever After, went to Soarin.
SOARIN: 8:00 AM, Walk On
We walked right onto Soarin’ and were off in minutes. Not even enough time to play the game in line.
Now I will be honest, this day was not a day anyone should copy or revere. Nothing seemed to go our way except for a boarding group for Guardians of the Galaxy. After enjoying Moana’s Journey of Water, we made our way to Guardians. Guardians always does a number on me so I laid on a table at Connections until we, I mean me, could pull ourselves, really myself, together enough to eat breakfast, and make our way to Mexico.
I decided that since we were doing this without Lightning Lanes, we would take a logical path through the park so that is what we did. One negative to Lightning Lanes for us in the past has been that we have had to walk all over the parks and were not able to make a logical path. Logical path it was!
Margaritas in Mexico are essential before boarding the Gran Fiesta Tour in the pyramid. This ride is also closing for refurbishment and we like it. There was no line and it was walk on.
Next up, we waited in a very short line to greet Elsa and Anna and then our luck ended again.
We waited in an hour long line for Frozen Ever After. The good news was that we took turns since the line was outside and went to the China pavilion during the wait. Still I hate waiting in this line and I do not know why but I imagine it is the weird serpentine pattern on the inside that makes no logical sense.
FROZEN EVER AFTER: 60 minute wait. This wait was to be expected and we knew we would wait. Since this was our only considerable wait that day, it was not all that bad. But still in the moment, I hated it.
After that we grabbed our favorite snacks in Norway, a viking coffee and school bread, before we made our way around the world to Italy. We took our time, watched the performers, and enjoyed each pavilion.
Our midday break included a trip on the Skyliner to the Riviera Resort to eat at Bar Riva which is one of our favorites. Then we made our way back to Epcot and headed back to the Land pavilion.
LIVING WITH THE LAND: Walk on. Okay this is, at least according to my kids, the most boring ride on Earth, but it was decorated for Christmas so we made the best of it. Plus, everyone loves a boat! That is what I said at least.
SEAS WITH NEMO AND FRIENDS: Walk on. The park really had died down by this point so we got right on. This ride needs some updating but I do love that little song at the end.
We made our way back to World Showcase stopping the UK pavilion for some music and shopping and then to the France pavilion to give another shot at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and to grab some ice cream.
REMY’S RATAOUILLE ADVENTURE: 45 minute wait. This was around 8 PM. This wait is not terrible, is nearly a constant load, and we did not see very many Lightning Lanes being redeemed because it was so late in the day.
This is one of our favorite rides and we love it.
After that the park was near closing so we exited out the International Gateway and took a Minnie Van back to Coronado Springs.
THE VERDICT
Epcot rarely requires Lightning Lanes at this point. Once Test Track reopens and Guardians of the Galaxy is not a virtual queue, I suspect I change my stance but at this point, you simply do not need it. Get to the park early, knock out either Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, or Soarin. Get a virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy, and just wait in line for the other two. Getting in line at the very end of the night can be a good strategy as well if you do not mind missing fireworks.
Our final day was in Magic Kingdom but I will not bore you with the details of that day. We had designated that day a “chill day”. We checked off every other ride we missed earlier in the trip but our day was dominated by Bippity Boppity Boutique and a late breakfast with Winnie the Pooh at Crystal Palace. Plus it rained.
But I wrote all of those 3,000 words to say this…
In general, you can have a perfectly lovely Disney World trip without spending extra money on Lightning Lane Multipass or Lightning Lane Single Pass.
You absolutely will benefit from Lightning Lane Multipass and Single Pass if you chose to buy it. If you have the money, this is a once in a lifetime trip, you are in a time crunch, or you do not want to wait in any lines, certainly purchase them because you absolutely will benefit from skipping lines through the parks but you do not have to utilize the service to enjoy your Disney park day.
However, if you do not want to spend the money, do not want to spend the day staring at your app, or just want to be able to have a fun day without being tied to return times, you absolutely can skip Lightning Lanes even at busy times of year. Just be flexible, download some games on your phone, get to the parks VERY EARLY, and enjoy the world. Grab a snack before you get a long time, you will thank me.
Lightning Lanes are a choice but a requirement.
Much love- Jessica
