Hiya, Robert, and welcome to planDisney! I'm so happy you've stopped by with this great question about your upcoming visit to the Most Magical Place on Earth! My Panelist pals and I are here and always happy to help our fellow Guests, just like you!
Robert, I'm thrilled to share with you some of what I've learned through my experience with booking
Lightning Lanes. While I can't directly make your selections for you, hopefully these tips will give you a little more confidence and peace of mind as you enjoy your vacation.
There are so many things to take into consideration, like
Early Theme Park Entry and whether you're purchasing Lightning Lane Single Pass as well as Lightning Lane Multi Pass. If you truly want to experience every attraction and not worry about return times,
Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be your best bet. It's a limited offering, and the price reflects the value, but this is the perfect way to ensure you can take your time in the parks, not worrying about going out of your way just to make it to a Lightning Lane selection.
Here are some of my best scheduling tips - please keep in mind that availability will change, and this exact timeline might not be possible due to crowd level, weather, and other factors. I always get to the parks as early as possible, plan to spend time watching parades and fireworks, and stay as late as I'm able.
At Magic Kingdom Park, you might consider booking Lightning Lane Single Pass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle / Run toward the middle of the day. That way, you can spend the morning in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, which are relatively close to each other. I recommend making a Lightning Lane Single Pass selection for Tiana's Bayou Adventure in the afternoon. Choose a Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland for the morning, and as soon as you've experienced that, try to book a time at Space Mountain for the morning or Jungle Cruise for the afternoon. This lets you spend the afternoon in Frontierland and Adventureland.
At Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, choose a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Avatar Flight of Passage after lunch. You can often experience many of the other attractions in the morning, and I always recommend riding Kilimanjaro Safaris as early as possible, when the animals are the most active. The afternoon is a great time to watch shows, like Festival of the Lion King. You might find that you don't need Lightning Lane Multi Pass at this park, unless you want to avoid most of the standby queues.
At EPCOT, I highly recommend purchasing Lightning Lane Single Pass for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This is a good late-morning choice. You can often experience the attractions that are closer to the front of the park, like Soarin' and Turtle Talk with Crush, with little wait early in the morning. This leaves the afternoon to make your way throughout the World Showcase.
At Disney's Hollywood Studios, I think it's important to use both Lightning Lane Single Pass as well as Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Choose a time for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in the early afternoon. This allows you to spend the morning riding attractions like Tower of Terror and Slinky Dog Dash. Don't forget to make time to experience all of the awesome shows!
Robert, I know this is a lot of information, and so much can change depending on availability. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if there is any other way I can be helpful!
See ya real soon!
Jennifer