Hey Howdy Hey Amy and welcome to planDisney!
Thank you so much for reaching out on the specifics of Individual Lightning Lane attraction purchases. These can be a little tricky to interpret but never fear Amy, you've got a friend in me to help you out with this answer!
The purchase of
Individual Lightning Lane entry can be such a big time saver on your trip. Those very high-demand attractions fill up quickly and if you are not a morning person on vacation, it might be tough to secure a spot without a long wait for attractions such as
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT. I am sorry to say, that in the case of booking Individual Lightning Lanes, even though you are sharing plans with your friends, you will not have the opportunity to book Individual Lightning Lanes for the ones staying off property at 7 AM EST. They will need to do this starting when the parks officially open.
If you are wanting to purchase your Individual Lightning Lane at 7 AM but still want to try to have the opportunity to experience the attraction with the other families, you might want to be a little bit more deliberate with the times you pick. Try to pick prime meal times such as during lunch at noon or dinner at 6 PM as many parkgoers may avoid those times due to dining reservations. You can also look ahead to purchase these Lightning Lane entrances during highly attended events in the parks such as booking
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train during the
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade in Magic Kingdom might give you the best shot at riding together.
I hope this helps give you a little more insight and a plan going forward. Please feel free to reach back out with any questions you may have, we would be happy to help!
Have a Magical Day,
Nick