Welcome to planDisney, Lauren! How fun that you've got a big Walt Disney World adventure coming up with friends. There's nothing better than sharing the magic with the people you care about, and it's awesome that you're trying to coordinate plans ahead of time. With that in mind, let's chat about how
Lightning Lane reservations work when your travel party has different check-in dates.
When it comes to Lightning Lane, guests staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel become eligible to make their return time selections 7 days prior to
their own check-in date. So even though you're arriving 5 days earlier than your friends, you won't be able to make Lightning Lane selections for them when
your booking window opens. The system recognizes each reservation separately and unlocks Lightning Lane access based on each guest's individual resort check-in date.
That means you can go ahead and make your Lightning Lane selections for yourself and anyone else on
your reservation when your 7-day window opens, and your friends will be able to do the same 7 days before
their check-in. It sounds like you've already done this, but be sure to link together in
My Disney Experience so you can see each other's plans and coordinate together.
Now, here's some good news:
dining reservations work a bit differently! You'll be able to book dining for everyone in your group starting 60 days before your own check-in, even if your friends arrive a few days later. When you book, you only need to specify the number of diners, not who exactly will be joining you.
I hope this answers your question, Lauren, and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation!
Jessica