Hey there, Kyle. Thanks so much for bringing your question here to us at planDisney. Let's get your question answered right away so that you can truly embrace the essence of "Hakuna Matata" and have no worries for your Disney days.
If your tickets are linked to your account and assigned to you, you should not have an issue purchasing
Lightning Lanes when your window opens. For Guests staying at a Disney Resorts Collection Hotel, that's 7 a.m. EST seven days before your check-in day. For all other Guests, it's typically 3 days before the start of their theme park ticket at the same time. There are a few ways that you can check to verify that you're all linked up and ready to go. So, deep breaths, and let's get you to that "Hakuna Matata" state of mind.
First things first, the
My Disney Experience mobile app will actually tell you when you're eligible. Here are the steps to check:
- In the app, click the 3 horizontal lines (≡) in the bottom-right corner, and then click the "Lightning Lane Passes" tile.
- Under the "Lightning Lane Multi Pass" heading, click the "Purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass" button. Don't worry, you're not purchasing anything yet, and for this exercise, it doesn't matter which product you are actually planning to purchase when your window opens.
- From the calendar, select the date for which you'd like to purchase passes.
- Select the park you're planning on visiting that day and any of the Lightning Lane options. While you'll definitely want to select the correct park, the actual Lightning Lane option shouldn't matter for this exercise.
- Click the blue "Continue" button at the bottom.
- On this screen, you'll be able to see if and when you're eligible to make your purchase. It should say the date and time your window opens. If it looks correct, you should be good to go.
If the correct date isn't displayed, take deep breaths (remember your "Hakuna Matata" outlook), and I have some troubleshooting tips for you. Here's what you can do:
- Verify that your Disney hotel reservation is linked to your account by clicking the 3 horizontal lines in the bottom-right corner of the app and selecting “Hotel Reservations.” If your stay is not displayed, you can link it using your confirmation number and the lead Guest’s last name. Remember that the 7-day Lightning Lane advance purchase window is only available to Guests staying at Disney-owned hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green.
- If your ticket is not date-based, you'll need a Theme Park Reservation to purchase Lightning Lanes. Annual Passholders who want to purchase passes before 2 p.m. or at Magic Kingdom Park on weekends need one of these reservations, but are exempt from this requirement on dedicated good-to-go days.
- Click on the "My Tickets & Passes" tile on the main menu of the app, find your ticket, and make sure it is assigned to you. If it isn't, click the "Reassign Ticket" link at the bottom (if available) and follow the prompts.
- If none of these solve your issue, you can call or chat with a friendly Cast Member for help.
Kyle, best wishes, and if you have any other questions,
please feel free to reach out again.
With no worries and lots of Disney magic,
Matt