Hey there, Joan!
Wherever you are, I hope you're having an extra magical day! Welcome to planDisney, we're so glad you stopped by. We know how important it is to make every detail of your Walt Disney World Resort trip practically perfect in every way. Thank you for trusting us with your question!
Planning truly helps your trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth run smoothly. One of my favorite tools for planning is
Lightning Lane passes. By adding this magical option to your days, you'll make the most of your time and maximize every magical moment.
Lightning Lanes let you use a special line separate from the standby line, drastically reducing your wait time. I always encourage Guests to research how to use Lightning Lane before arriving, and to make a list of their must-do attractions so you'll know which ones to book when the time comes.
A big perk I love: if you're staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can make your Lightning Lane selections seven days before your arrival! This gives you first pick before they open to the general public, a
fantastic benefit for on-site Guests. In contrast to Guests off-site, who get to select Lightning Lanes three days before each theme park day.
I also recommend combining Lightning Lanes with "rope dropping" (arriving at your chosen theme park about an hour before it opens so you're among the first to enter).
Early Theme Park Entry is another perk for Disney Resort hotel Guests, letting you in 30 minutes before the park opens to everyone else. Rope dropping helps you knock out the most popular attractions early, then you can use Lightning Lane for others throughout the day.
For example, I like to rope drop
EPCOT and ride
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, then use a Lightning Lane later to ride it twice in one day. I also highly recommend booking a Lightning Lane for
TRON Lightcycle / Run at
Magic Kingdom Park after the sun goes down. It's a one-of-a-kind experience to go off the Grid at night!
Bonus tip: I encourage you to explore the
My Disney Experience app and get comfortable with it before your trip. This is where you'll make your Lightning Lane selections, so it's helpful to know exactly how it works. I also like to set an alarm for when I can book my next Lightning Lane, since it's easy to lose track of time while you're having fun! Finally, I recommend using a
MagicBand+ to save your phone battery and make it easy to scan in for attractions. They have such cute designs to choose from.
Joan, thank you so much for stopping by! It's been a pleasure helping you today. Please come back and see me anytime, and remember, you've got a friend in me!
Your personal planning companion,
Michelle