Hi Alexi!
Welcome to planDisney!
If you’ll be booking
Lightning Lanes for your group 7 days prior to your check-in date, only those eligible to book at that time will be able to be selected when confirming your party as you go through the prompts. The others will have a note written under their name stating when their eligibility opens up.
So, those in your party staying at a
Disney World resort or select good neighbor hotel will be able to book and purchase Lightning Lanes beginning at 7 AM Eastern, 7 days prior to their resort check-in date. And those staying off property won’t be able to book their Lightning Lanes until 7 AM Eastern, 3 days prior to the start date of their ticket if they have a date-based ticket. If they’re staying off property and do not have a date-based ticket (which includes, but is not limited to,
Annual Passes), their booking window will open at 7 AM Eastern, 3 days prior to the specific park day they’re hoping to purchase the pass for.
Since your travel party will have two different booking windows, you’ll have a few options. You can book part of your party’s Lightning Lanes early when their booking window opens, then hope to get similar return times when booking the rest of your party later. You can wait to book everyone’s Lightning Lanes together once the second booking window rolls around. Or you can decide to split up a bit during your park day if your Lightning Lanes don’t quite match up.
It’s also good to note that you can book up to 2 Lightning Lane Single Passes each park day. Those are often some of the most popular attractions in the park and may sell out by the time the second booking window opens. If you have anyone in your travel party who has their heart set on one of those attractions and is able to book their Lightning Lanes 7 days in advance, you may want to consider booking those as early as you can.
I hope that helps! If you have any other questions as you continue to plan, feel free to come back and visit us!
Jenn J.