Welcome to planDisney William! I’m so glad you brought your question to us today. It sounds like you have a wonderful
Walt Disney World Resort visit ahead, and how exciting that you’ll be sharing the magic with friends. Coordinating plans between different groups can take a little extra planning, but with the right tools in My Disney Experience, you’ll be able to keep everyone connected and enjoying the fun together.
You can manage
Lightning Lanes together with your friends, even if your booking windows open at different times. Since you are staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you will be able to book Lightning Lane Passes seven days before your first park day. Your friends, if they are not staying at a Disney Resort hotel, will only be able to begin booking three days before their first park day.
Once their three day booking window opens, as long as they are linked to you through the
Friends & Family list in My Disney Experience, you will be able to include them in any new Lightning Lane plans you make. At that point, you can manage selections for the whole group together.
What your friends cannot do is retroactively join the reservations you made earlier at the seven day mark unless there happens to be availability remaining for the same attractions and return windows when their booking window opens. Because of this, it is common for resort guests who want to tour with friends staying off property to wait until the three day mark to make some or all of their selections, so the entire group has the best chance of booking the same return times together.
So in short, you can link up and manage everyone’s plans once their window opens, but your early bookings are essentially separate until then. The key is making sure everyone is connected in Friends & Family so that when their three day booking window begins, you can coordinate all new Lightning Lane selections as a group.
William, I hope this gives you clarity in how to manage Lightning Lane selections with your friends so everyone can enjoy the attractions together, even with different booking windows. Thank you for stopping by planDisney with your question, and I’m wishing you and your group a magical visit filled with shared adventures, laughter, and unforgettable memories!
Kay