Hi Heather,
Welcome to planDisney! My family used
Lightning Lane passes on our most recent trip and absolutely loved the updated system. It was so nice to plan 3 rides ahead of time each day and be able to schedule around meals.
If you are staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you get the bonus of being able to purchase Lightning Lane passes 7 days before your stay for the entirety of your stay (up to 14 days). This is a huge perk because it gives you first dibs on those hard-to-get Lightning Lane passes for Tiana's Bayou Adventure. This ride is 100% worth every penny you spend to ride it, but make sure to bring a raincoat or poncho because it is a wet and wild ride through the bayou! The best way to ensure you get to ride this iconic attraction is to jump online as soon as your window opens up and go for a Lightning Lane pass for it first.
Unfortunately, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Individual Pass are both nonrefundable. If an emergency happens or a guest in your party winds up sick, you could talk to Guest Services at the theme parks or
call Guest Services Billing to see if they would be willing to make an exception for you. I would not count on it, but it doesn't hurt to try if you find yourself in that situation.
You do have the ability to modify your Lightning Lane selections in the
My Disney Experience app up until you redeem your first Lightning Lane selection of the day. We had to do this recently during the hurricane, and it was easy to do in the My Disney Experience app. All you have to do is navigate to the "Lightning Lane Passes" icon in the app and find your plans. There will be an option to modify the date on this screen, but it is always subject to availability. If your party member just needs a little extra rest, you can use the same screen to modify arrival windows for your rides to later in the day as well.
Happy Planning,
Jenna