What's the Deal with Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
I'm not going to lie: Lightning Lane Premier Pass is freaking me out. Here's why:
I want it.
I can't possibly justify the cost (on top of the cost to qualify for it at all).
Multipass worked really well, so I don't think I need premier pass. But I do worry what premier pass will do to multipass availability.
It's classist.
So is Universal, so it's not like that's something new.
In this week's article, we're going to break it all down for you.
But first, a quick refresher on lightning lane multi pass and single pass
This summer, Walt Disney World made changes to their previous Genie+ lightning lane system, turning things into multi pass and single pass lightning lanes. Guests who purchase the ability to book multi pass lightning lanes can hold 3 lightning lanes at a time, though sometimes ride tier systems may come into play. If guests have a park hopper, these can be rides in different parks. A return window (about an hour) is assigned to guests based on first availability, and some of the most popular rides do run out of lightning lane time slots as the day goes on. Any guest can purchase this option, whether staying on site or not. If staying on site, guests can start booking these 7 days ahead of the first day of their trip. If staying off site, guests can book these 3 days ahead. And international guests can book them when they arrive in the United States. The cost of multipass access ranges from $19-$26 per guest per day (depending on the park and time of year).
Single pass lightning lanes are reserved for the most popular 1-2 rides per park. Guests who purchase a single pass pay a price for EACH ride they want to book and will get a return time for that ride. Only two single passes can be held per day, and only one per ride, but if a guest has a park hopper ticket option, they can book the two in different parks if they want to. Everything else works the same as multipass in terms of booking ahead. The cost varies widely by ride. We've seen ranges from $11-$26 per guest per ride.
The math (this will be relevant later, we promise): If a guest were to "max" their multipass and single pass purchases and pay the highest price possible, they would be looking at something like...
$26 (multipass) + $26 (1st single pass) + $26 (second single pass) = $78 per guest per day.
Slinky Dog Dash - an infamous must-have lightning lane
Introducing Lightning Lane Premier Pass
Starting October 30th, Walt Disney World began piloting a rollout of a new Lightning Lane Premier Pass. The Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows guests that purchase it to use the lightning lane once for each eligible lightning lane ride on the date of purchase for one park. This means a guest with premier pass would have access to the lightning lane in all the rides in the park they purchased it for on that day. This includes all multipass rides AND all single pass rides. All the rides must be in one park, regardless whether the guest has park hopper. But all the rides can be ridden at any time using the lightning lane entrance. In other words, no return times are assigned. The guest can show up and use the lightning lane once per ride any time they want to.
This new option will cost $129-$449 per guest per day, depending on the park and time of year. As usual, Magic Kingdom will be the most expensive park for this option, while Animal Kingdom will be the least expensive. This expense is on top of the cost of park admission, which ranges from $109-$189.
Additionally, to be eligible to purchase the premier pass, a guest must be staying at a Disney Deluxe resort, a Disney Deluxe Villa resort, or the Dolphin, Swan, Swan Reserve, or Shades of Green resorts. And quantities, at least during the pilot, will be very limited.
Inside the lobby of the Polynesian Village resort, one of the deluxe resorts at which guests may be eligible to purchase the Premier Pass
Why We Want It
There are several major perks to have a lightning lane premier pass, in our opinion. The biggest is the guarantee to be able to ride every lightning lane ride in a given day without having to worry about the availability of return times running out. Some attractions are notorious for running out of return times, such as Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Frozen Ever After, and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. The strategy involved in ensuring you can ride these rides using a lightning lane before the return times run out feels a bit like gambling some days.
Additionally, we don't love being beholden to return times. We've found ways around this, particularly by using the "modify" feature after booking the first return window given and modifying to any later return time that is still available. But even so, gone are the days of touring a park in order without criss-crossing all over the park. We envision a leisurely day where we hit all the Tomorrowland attractions we want before making our way to Fantasyland and hitting all those, etc. This would be particularly valuable on those hot days or those times when members of the party just aren't up for much walking or can't move very quickly through the park.
Why We Can't Justify the Cost
We'll compare the cost of this to the competitor's Express Pass a bit later, but let's take Walt Disney World in isolation for a second, and consider what this premier pass gets you. Yes, the ability to ride every lightning lane ride in one day seems amazing. But we're honestly not sure we can do it and have a good time. For one, we would have to stick with one park. And we'd also probably have to forego our usual afternoon break and go open to close in order to actually take advantage of every single ride we could.
But also, as I wrote about in my last trip report, I felt pretty good about how the lightning lane multipass system worked out for me, to the extent that I felt I was too successful in getting return times, and left quite a few rides on the table (just not returning for my return time) because I wanted to do other things. A focus on rides is just not how I do Disney anymore. I want those moments where I can take in the ambiance, see a performance, enjoy a minor attraction that doesn't use lightning lane, shop, or eat, and my success with the multipass system actually prevented me from being able to do some of my favorite diversions at Walt Disney World. Which shakes out to: I don't really need more than the multipass system gives me.
But then let's talk value. Remember how we calculated what the max cost per person would be if a person bought multipass on the most expensive day and their maximum of two single passes? The cost of the premier pass at its lowest price is nearly TWICE that cost. And at its highest price is nearly SIX TIMES the cost. This on top of the fact that you've already dropped a ton of cash on staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort (which, by the way, you're not going to be able to enjoy much on any days you have premier pass because you'll be in the park, riding).
Animal Kingdom, in the seating area behind Flame Tree Barbecue. I feel like most times I'm in this park, I discover something new. But not last time. Because I was busy riding rides.
Multipass works well, but that might change
Let me start by saying, if things do change, they won't change immediately. Not during the kind of "very limited" pilot Disney is currently doing. But we can't help but recognize that rides will always have an upper limit of how many riders per hour can be handled. This is factored in when people are assigned lightning lane return times. In short, x number of riders with this lightning lane return time are expected to arrive in that window, and therefore the standby line moves slower to keep that space going. Cast members typically know how many lightning lane guests to allow through per standby guest based on this background math.
But with no return windows, a level of unpredictability occurs. What if every premier pass holder wants to ride Tron after dark? (And they will.... that's decidedly the best ride to ride after dark at the Magic Kingdom in our opinion....). Does the regular lightning lane slow down? Does the standby line screech to a halt? How does Disney accommodate this influx of guests who could show up at any time when the theory is riders are equally distributed, but we know they won't be?
Our fear is that lightning lanes will move slower in general, especially at certain times of day for certain attractions. And that standby wait times will be very high during those same times. Rides we're specifically concerned about:
TRON - at night
Tiana - at night
Slinky - at night
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - at park opening
It's Classist
Ok, strong words. And to be fair, I understand Walt Disney World itself, and going there at all is a luxury. And that Disney isn't a charity and of course is in it to make a buck. But my current problem is that the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is being made available only to guests staying at deluxe resorts already, especially at the price its being offered.
Now, I can understand Disney wants to give deluxe resort guests a carrot. Guests have been complaining about wanting more for staying a) on site, and b) at a deluxe resort, for years. But if that's the case, I would hope Disney would do what Universal does, which is waive the cost of the premier pass for those guests, and allow ANY guest, whether staying on site or not to purchase it. I mean, it's not like it's not already a truckload of money.
To be fair, this is just a pilot. And I would hope after the pilot, that any guest could purchase the lightning lane premier pass, because at the costs associated with a Disney vacation, guests certainly will have to choose where they splurge and where they save, and I could totally see staying at a value resort and splurging on a premier pass (or the dining plan, or a tour, or something else).
Comparing the Lightning Lane Premier Pass to Universal
Friends, two years ago, I had planned to spend three days at Universal Studios while staying off-site, but a tropical storm had other ideas. And the way things shook out was that there was only one day where my husband could join us at Universal. And knowing it was busy, I started to look into ways we could avoid some lines, and I was shocked at the price of express pass. I remember at the time that it was roughly again the cost of the admission to the park, and telling myself it wasn't worth it. Everybody has a threshold they will not cross, and for me, it turns out that threshold is doubling the price of admission.
Hogwarts, at Universal Islands of Adventure
And yet everybody talks about how Disney's lightning lane multi and single pass systems are so expensive in comparison. I do not know where this comes from. But with premier pass, this argument finally has some merit.
The Universal tickets and express pass costs vary by day, so we'll list the starting cost:
Tickets for Universal Studios OR Islands of Adventure start at $119
We don't yet know about Epic Universe, and we're not counting Volcano Bay. Even though Universal calls this a fourth park, it's a water park (It's $80 in case you wonder, though).
An Express Pass similar to what the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will do, which offers one express pass per ride for one park ranges from $89.99 to $289.99 per person depending on the day.
Universal also has options for express pass at two parks (starting at $104.99), or unlimited express pass (can ride each ride as many times as you like, starting at $134.99 for one park).
These prices, while extreme, are comparable in terms of starting price to Disney's Lightning Lane Premier Pass, but much less expensive at their highest than Disney's Lightning Lane Premier pass.
Again, Disney's Lightning Lane Premier pass starts at $109 at its lowest (at Animal Kingdom) while Universal's Express Pass (one pass per ride for one park) starts at $89.99. Disney's Lightning Lane Premier Pass caps out at $449 (Magic Kingdom, busy day), while Universal's Express Pass (NOT unlimited, so we can compare apples to apples) with one ride per ride in one park caps out at $289.99.
But Universal has much richer options for their Express Pass, including the ability to use it in two parks on the same day, or the ability to ride an unlimited number of times, and even plussed to the fullest extent, it's STILL less expensive than Disney's most expensive Lightning Lane Premier Pass option. AND Universal's Express Pass is available for purchase for any guest, even those staying off site. In fact, if a person is staying at a deluxe resort at Universal Studios, they get their Unlimited Express Pass INCLUDED for FREE for the duration of their stay, including check in and check out day. In fact, this is a well-known hack for Universal guests - stay one night at a deluxe resort, and enjoy two days with Express Pass.
We know we're not comparing apples to apples here. We personally believe the Disney parks are cleaner, the staff is better at Disney, and the rides are more inventive than most of Universal's rides which rely on screens. That's why this is a Disney blog and we'll always be Disney fans.
But this is one rare occasion where we do think Disney could take a lesson from Universal's book. Because not only is Universal offering more comparable options at a lower price than Disney, but they are incentivizing stays at their deluxe resorts in greater ways than Disney is, by making the express pass free for those guests (along with 1-hour early entry, merchandise delivery to resorts, and priority seating at restaurants).
The only downside to Universal's system, compared to Disney's, is that there is no cheaper option than the basic Express Pass, which is comparable to Disney's Lightning Lane Premier Pass. At Disney, we can still get a Lightning Lane Multipass for about $20/day and have a fine time. At Universal, it's bust the bank or ride standby.
The Universal logo fountain near the park entrances in the Citywalk. Did we enjoy Universal? Yes. Did we get the Express Pass? No. Is it better than Disney? Also, no.
Our Bottom Line
Given the market, which is basically whatever Universal Orlando is doing, it's not surprising that Disney is rolling out a Lightning Lane Premier Pass, even if it initially struck us as a surprise. What is surprising, honestly, is that Disney has a lower cost alternative that works fine in terms of multipass and single pass Lightning Lanes, which, currently, look like they'll be around a while. When used to their full advantage, the multipass and single pass options work fine, and make it hard to justify a need for a Premier Pass.
We could see getting a Premier Pass for very special situations, like if you traveled a long way and have only one day at Disney, or if you're celebrating something with a special person who wants to ride all the rides and never wait in line. But we're also not entirely convinced it's for us.
We'd also like Disney to make some changes to incentivizing resort stays (I know, what's new?). Their competitor has people staying in deluxe resorts because they include the Express Pass in that stay. Disney should do this with the Premier Pass or at least multipass lightning lanes when staying at deluxe resorts, and then make it available for purchase to all other guests, still in limited quantities so the system works, but at least everyone has a fair chance to throw money at Disney. And it would cost Disney little to allow deluxe guests to enter the parks a full hour early rather than the half hour that currently stands.
We're skeptical of the lightning lane Premier Pass pilot and are interested in seeing how it goes and how guests that purchase it use their time and end up feeling about it.
Would YOU purchase the Lightning Lane Premier Pass? Why or why not? Tell us by joining the conversation over on Facebook. While you're there, follow us to see when new posts drop each week. Until next time....
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