Welcome, Julie!
Thank you for visiting planDisney! You are in for quite a special trip in just a couple of days. I am thrilled to hear you will be returning to the Walt Disney World Resort after a few years away. It's so exciting to return to the magic.
It is such a great time to visit and I am sure there are quite a few changes since your last vacation. If you like thrills, you have to check out
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind,
TRON Lightcycle / Run and
Tiana's Bayou Adventure. They're all so amazing! Even my mom, who usually is not a fan of thrill rides, loved Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Alas, Fast Passes and then the FastPass+ system are no longer available and have been replaced by
Lightning Lane passes. They are indeed the only way to reserve a time ahead and skip the stand-by line for select attractions. There is Lightning Lane Single Pass which offers an arrival window and access to the Lightning Lane entry for a single attraction or there is Lightning Lane Multi Pass which allows you to select arrival windows and Lightning Lane entry for multiple attractions. You can purchase one or both through the
My Disney Experience mobile app.
Guests staying at a Disney Resort Hotel or other select hotels may purchase Lightning Lane passes 7 days ahead while all others can purchase up to 3 days prior. It sounds like a lot of new information, but the helpful Lightning Lane link I attached above has great videos to help explain how the new process works.
As always, we are here to guide you as well, Julie, so please don't hesitate to come back if you have any other questions. Have a wonderful vacation, Julie!
Magical Wishes,
Lauren