Hi Liz!
Welcome to planDisney, and thank you for stopping by with your question. I love your idea of visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park in the morning and EPCOT in the afternoon/evening. What a fantastic way to experience two unique parks in one day! With the combination of Lightning Lane Multi Passes, Single Passes, and even a Virtual Queue, you're well on your way to making the most of your day. Let's dive into the details to help you strategize.
To answer your question, when booking
Lightning Lane passes, you can mix parks as you plan your day, with a caveat! Starting seven days in advance for Guests of a Disney Resorts Collection hotel and three days for all others, you'll be able to purchase both the Multi Pass and Single Passes for Individual Lightning Lane attractions at both parks (subject to availability). For Multi Pass selections, you'll have to choose which park you'd like to purchase the Multi Pass for and make your initial three selections at that park. Unfortunately, you can't buy the Multi Pass at Animal Kingdom, make a reservation for a ride, and then make two ride selections at a different park. However, once you redeem your first Lightning Lane, you can make another reservation for another park as long as you have the Park Hopper Option attached to your ticket. As for the Single Passes, each Guest can also purchase two Single Passes per day, and they can be at different parks.
Given your schedule, I suggest purchasing Lightning Lane Single Passes for Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. These high-demand attractions are best secured early to ensure you don't miss out. Once those are locked in, focus on Multi Pass options at EPCOT. I'd recommend grabbing the earliest available option for either Frozen Ever After or Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, then planning to redeem that Lightning Lane as soon as possible so you can book another for whichever you didn't select initially. While most other EPCOT attractions tend to have shorter waits, Spaceship Earth and Turtle Talk with Crush are great options to round out your initial Multi Pass selections.
Now that we've covered the pre-booking process, here's how I'd structure your day. Arrive at Animal Kingdom in time for rope drop (or take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry if staying at a Disney Resorts hotel) and start with Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. Then, head to Kilimanjaro Safaris to experience the animals in their morning routines. By this point, your Lightning Lane return time for Avatar Flight of Passage may be approaching. If there's still a bit of time, enjoy attractions like DINOSAUR, Na'vi River Journey, or the always-entertaining Festival of the Lion King show.
When heading to EPCOT, consider using a
Minnie Van or rideshare service to streamline your transition between parks. Once there, jump straight into the Lightning Lane for Frozen Ever After or Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, depending on which you secured earlier. From there, immediately book another Lightning Lane for the attraction you missed, which will likely be for later in the evening. In between, explore World Showcase, which offers countless dining and entertainment options to fill your afternoon and evening.
I hope this helps you plan your day, Liz! If you have any more questions or would like my recommendations for what to eat and drink around the world,
feel free to come back and ask. I'd love to assist you further!
Cheers!
Brent