Welcome to planDisney, Robyn!
Are you just so excited that you will be in The Most Magical Place on Earth before the end of the year? In my experience, Walt Disney World Resort always feels a bit more magical when experienced with those you hold dear, so I'm sure your upcoming vacation will be filled with lifelong memories!
Bypassing standby queues by purchasing Lightning Lane passes is a great way to maximize the magic of your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. In order to reserve
Lightning Lane passes as a collective group, you'll need to be
linked and sharing plans through the Family & Friends List in your My Disney Experience accounts. Once everyone is linked you can delegate one person to purchase and reserve Lightning Lanes for both groups (up to 20 people) at one time. It's important to note that although you will be able to purchase Lightning Lane passes as a single group, unfortunately, the differing arrival dates mean that the
7-day purchase window will also open on differing dates. Each individual will become eligible to purchase Lightning Lane passes 7 days before check-in to the Disney Resort Hotel reservation they are associated with in My Disney Experience.
If experiencing attractions as a group is your priority, I would suggest that the first group wait one day (until the 7-day window opens for the other group) so that the Lighting Lane selections can be made at one time. However, if certain attractions are more important for some, you can always make the purchases according to the separate timelines and modify the purchased Lightning Lanes to align with what is available for the second group if possible.
If you're in need of further assistance, Robyn, feel free to
stop back by! I was able to use the new Lightning Lane system just after it debuted and felt that it was easy to navigate and a huge time-saver, so I'm happy to provide suggestions and tips!
Thinking Happy Thoughts,
Lizzie