Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for returning to planDisney with your thoughtful question about planning a practically perfect day at
Walt Disney World Resort with the new
Lightning Lane entrances. There are two ways to access these attraction fast lanes, which are designed to save precious time in the parks. Let's discuss the timing nuances of each.
With the purchase of Disney Genie+ service, you can make your first Lightning Lane selection in the
My Disney Experience mobile app at one of over 40 attractions across the four theme parks beginning at 7:00 a.m. If your ticket does not come with Genie+, I recommend making the day-of purchase by 6:45 a.m. so you are ready to make your first selection right at 7. When making my family's first Lightning Lane selection each day, I consider which attractions typically have the longest standby line as well as their likelihood to run out of return times. On a recent EPCOT day, my family had no trouble securing a Lightning Lane reservation for our must-do attraction, Soarin' Around the World, within one hour of park opening. As soon as you scan your
MagicBand, card, or
MagicMobile device at the second touchpoint, you can make your next Lightning Lane selection. On our EPCOT day, we were able to secure return times that allowed us to ride multiple Lightning Lane attractions back-to-back. The only exception was Test Track, which showed evening return times by noon. With Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations, you are only able to select the return window that is currently available. When the Test Track return time did not mesh well with my family's advance dining reservation at Le Cellier, I kept an eye on the return time and made sure to grab a reservation when the appropriate window became available.
On a recent Hollywood Studios Day, I did not follow my own advice and was making my first Lightning Lane reservation at 7:05 a.m. By that time, our must-do attraction, Slinky Dog Dash, was showing a 6:00 p.m. return time. I grabbed this reservation and immediately set a timer on my phone for the time I was given to make an additional Lightning Lane reservation, which was two hours after park opening. We learned from experience, took advantage of the shorter standby wait times during
early entry for
Disney Resorts Collection Guests, and had success securing Lightning Lane reservations the rest of the day. We were able to accomplish all of our attraction goals by 3:00 p.m.
Individual Lightning Lane purchases can also be made in the My Disney Experience app beginning at 7:00 a.m. for Guests staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel or park opening for off-site Guests. You can purchase up to two Individual Lightning Lane reservations per day, and you are allowed to choose a return window for these selections.
I hope my experience illustrates the flexibility that is built into the Lightning Lane experience. You should not have to sacrifice your family's routine in order to take advantage of the service. Hope to see you at planDisney again soon!
Choose magic,
Jennifer