Welcome back to planDisney, Crystal! I'm so glad to be able to answer your question today. Welcome to the
Annual Passholder family! I'm so excited for you. You've made an awesome choice, and you're going to love the flexibility of being an Annual Passholder and having access to an entire year of magic.
I'm pleased to tell you that, yes, you can book
Lightning Lane selections before your pass is activated at a ticket window. Because an Annual Pass requires
theme park reservations, the system knows you intend to use that pass for admission on the days you've reserved. As long as your pass is linked to your
My Disney Experience account and you've made a theme park reservation for the day you want to visit, you'll be able to purchase Lightning Lane selections in advance; no need to wait until you activate your pass.
Also, be sure to double-check your Family & Friends list so you can plan for everyone at once, and keep an eye on your park reservations. Annual Passholders can hold a set number at a time, unless you're staying at a
Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, in which case you can hold a reservation for every day of your stay. If you're staying off-site, you can book your allotted number of reservations, visit, and then add more as needed on a day-by-day basis. Once you arrive and tap in that first day, your pass will activate automatically at the gate, and you're off to the races!
I hope this answers your question, Crystal, and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation.
Jessica