Hi there, Paige, from a fellow North Carolinian! I'm so glad to hear that you are a regular guest at
Walt Disney World Resort and that your next visit is right around the corner!
How fun that you are planning to purchase
Lightning Lane Multi Passes this time! It sounds like you're already a pro at planning your family's Disney vacations, so it should be a breeze for you to navigate Lightning Lanes. Our family adds them on some trips, but not others. It just depends on the budget and our priorities. Since you have date-based tickets, you do not need park reservations. You are still able to purchase Lightning Lane Passes, make Lightning Lane reservations, and use the
Disney Genie service.
To access the Genie, you'll need valid theme park tickets linked to your account. Start by opening your
My Disney Experience App and clicking the three lines in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Scroll down just a bit and select "My Plans." You'll see the dates at the top, choose the one you'd like to plan for. You'll have the opportunity to add dining reservations and shows to your day here.
If you are a Disney Resort hotel guest, you can purchase your Lightning Lane Multi Passes and make your Lightning Lane selections for the length of your stay, beginning 7 days before the start of your trip. Off-site guests can make Lightning Lane Reservations 3 days in advance of the start date of their ticket. Bookings open at 7 am Eastern Time, so set your alarm!
Everyone has a different strategy, but I like to book my first Lightning Lane for mid-morning, if possible. That way, I can rope-drop one or two popular attractions. Once I scan in for my first Lightning Lane, I am ready to start booking the next! In Magic Kingdom Park, I might choose
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (scheduled to open May 3) from Tier 1 and
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and
Haunted Mansion from Tier 2. As soon as the park opens, I'd head straight for
Peter Pan's Flight (It's a classic, and the queue is worth it!) and then
Jungle Cruise.
In EPCOT, I'd go with
Test Track,
Soarin' Around the World, and Spaceship Earth, while rope-dropping
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. My fellow panelist, Tami, has some good tips and a slightly different strategy, so I'll link her answer
here.
It's going to be another magical vacation, Paige! I hope you'll find some new experiences for added pixie dust! If you have any more questions, please come back and see us here at
planDisney!
Always dreaming -
Elizabeth