Welcome back to planDisney, Marlene! Thanks so much for coming to us with your question today. With your trip coming up later this month, it's the perfect time to start nailing down some of the finer details of your trip, like coordinating your
Lightning Lane selections with your dining reservations!
The short answer to your question is yes, you will likely be able to book a Lightning Lane before your dining reservations, and many guests do exactly that to squeeze in some extra fun before breakfast. Whether this works smoothly depends on a few key factors, like when the park opens, where your breakfast reservation is, and which attraction you're planning to ride.
Let's say you're visiting
Magic Kingdom and the park opens at 9:00 AM, with your breakfast reservation at 9:50 AM. In that case, it's doable, but it will be tight. Provided you are inside the park before opening time, ready to go straight to an attraction, this Lightning Lane return time would probably need to be right at 9:00 AM for this to work well, and there are certain attractions I would choose for this strategy. Something like
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin or
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh would be a great choice because they're quick and close to the hub of the park, but something like
TRON Lightcycle/Run or
Tiana's Bayou Adventure would not be a good choice because their wait time tends to be longer and they require you to venture further into the park.
From a technical perspective, the
My Disney Experience app will typically allow a small overlap, in this case, about 10 minutes between your Lightning Lane and dining reservation, but be mindful of travel time and potential delays. I recommend prioritizing an attraction close to your breakfast location for added peace of mind. With a bit of smart planning, it may be possible to make both happen and enjoy a magical start to your day! Even if you decide against it and opt for a leisurely start, that's just as magical, and I know you're going to have a wonderful time.
I hope this answers your question, Marlene, and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation!
Jessica