Disney has lastly confirmed the rumored Lightning Lane Premier Cross is coming quickly to Disneyland and California Journey. This put up covers the launch date & value ranges for the line-skipping service that’s just like Common Studios Hollywood’s Specific Cross. Plus, our commentary about how pricing compares to the Walt Disney World model when you get previous the sticker shock, and whether or not it’s “value it” from a visitor perspective…and even the corporate’s perspective.
There’s quite a lot of floor to cowl right here, so we’ll in a short time recap what has occurred in the previous couple of months with Lightning Lanes. As you would possibly recall, Disneyland lately renamed the Genie+ service as Lightning Lane Multi-Cross (LLMP). Together with that, a la carte or Particular person Lightning Lanes turned Lightning Lane Single Cross (LLSP).
The important thing distinction between Walt Disney World and Disneyland is that there are not any substantive adjustments. It’s actually only a title change at Disneyland for the sake of continuity between the coasts. Should you had been already conversant in Genie+ at Disneyland, all you actually need to know is that it’s now referred to as Lightning Lane Multi-Cross and Single Cross. Frankly, the brand new names make extra sense and are much less complicated to informal visitors than pairing Aladdin and Automobiles characters for no cause specifically. Disneyland’s LLMP and LLSP supply no solution to pre-book trip reservations, a reality that continues to be true with the launch of the brand new Lightning Lane Premier Cross (LLPP).
There’s much more to the brand new Lightning Lane Multi-Cross and Single Cross, all of which is past the scope of this put up. When you have extra questions in regards to the fundamentals of utilizing Lightning Lanes at Disneyland or how this line-skipping system works, see our Information to Lightning Lanes at Disneyland & DCA. It’s lots simpler at Disneyland–and is principally simply paid FastPass that you just use an app to buy and use (or in different phrases, MaxPass).
The vital factor to know is that Lightning Lane Multi-Cross and Single Cross will live on at Disneyland. Lightning Lane Premier Cross is distinct from each, and will likely be an alternate line-skipping product providing for visitors who don’t need to trouble with LLMP or LLSP. Once more, Lightning Lane Premier Cross doesn’t introduce pre-arrival trip reservations (opposite to some rumors). As a substitute, it’s principally simply the tech-free model of Lightning Lanes for many who don’t need to spend time on their telephones making trip reservations.
Right here’s what Disneyland has formally introduced about Lightning Lane Premier Cross…
Within the coming weeks, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort will start piloting another choice for attraction entry that will likely be supplied in very restricted portions: Lightning Lane Premier Cross.
Lightning Lane Premier Cross is just like line-skipping companies which were accessible for buy at different theme parks for many years, and a service like this affords a stage of comfort that many Walt Disney World visitors have requested.
Lightning Lane Premier Cross will embody one entry to every Lightning Lane entrance within the theme park they’re visiting that day, which visitors can use anytime all through the day at their comfort – with no need to guide an arrival time prematurely. In a nutshell, Lightning Lane Premier Cross is Disney’s reply to Common’s Specific Cross.
A few of the added perks of Lightning Lane Premier Cross embody:
- All sights from Lightning Lane Multi Cross and Single Cross.
- Visitors can trip the sights that they need–when they need.
- Lightning Lane Premier Cross will embody PhotoPass picture and video downloads.
Disneyland Resort will start piloting Lightning Lane Premier Cross on October 23, 2024.
At Disneyland Resort, Lightning Lane Premier Cross will likely be accessible first come, first served to all visitors with a theme park ticket and park reservation. Lightning Lane Premier Passes could be bought through the Disneyland app as much as 2 days prematurely of your park go to, beginning at 7:00 AM Pacific Time (topic to very restricted availability).
That is not like Walt Disney World, the place it’s solely accessible to on-site visitors staying in Deluxe Resorts or Disney Trip Membership Villas.
Lightning Lane Premier Cross at Disneyland will likely be $400 per individual via December 31, 2024 because the launch coincides with the vastly common Halloween and Christmas seasons.
In 2025, pricing for Lightning Lane Premier Cross at Disneyland Resort will differ by date and demand with a value vary of $300 to $400 per individual. Costs will likely be displayed within the Disneyland app as much as 2 days prematurely of your park go to.
The Lightning Lane Premier Cross supplies one-time entry to every accessible Lightning Lane attraction queue at Disneyland Park and Disney California Journey Park—for the day, throughout common park hours. Simply make sure your legitimate park admission consists of the Park Hopper profit.
When you have a 1-park ticket, then your Lightning Lane Premier Cross can solely be utilized in one theme park. The worth of a Lightning Lane Premier Cross doesn’t differ primarily based on the variety of theme parks you go to that day; it can’t be discounted or refunded.
That is not like Walt Disney World, the place Lightning Lane Premier Cross provides visitors one-time entry to every accessible Lightning Lane entrance in a single theme park for in the future. Walt Disney World has per-park pricing in consequence, and affords no Park Hopper possibility for LLPP.
The worth vary can also be much more variable for Walt Disney World, beginning at $129 and maxing out at $449 plus tax throughout peak season dates (assume the week between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve) in 2024. Since there’s no Park Hopper possibility, you’d have so as to add the price of two parks collectively for an equal providing at Walt Disney World–making the precise most over $800 after tax.
So actually, when you get previous the sticker shock of the $400 Lightning Lane Premier Cross at Disneyland versus the $129 base value at Walt Disney World, the latter truly finally ends up doubtlessly/theoretically costing way more when it’s most helpful or “essential.”
Turning to commentary, I need to begin by directing your consideration to our put up masking the announcement of Lightning Lane Premier Cross at Walt Disney World, which discusses comparisons to Common’s Specific Cross at size. I’m not going to rehash these right here, however they’re roughly relevant to Disneyland vs. Common Studios Hollywood–minus Specific Cross being included in on-site resort stays at USH.
We’ll as an alternative give attention to the wrinkles which might be distinctive to Disneyland Resort, beginning with the static $400 value level for Lightning Lane Premier Cross in the course of the remaining few months of the 12 months. I’m truthfully fairly stunned by this. It’s true that there’s extra variance to Walt Disney World crowds, which is already mirrored within the wider vary of Lightning Lane Multi-Cross costs.
Walt Disney World can backside out at $16 for Animal Kingdom in the course of the low season, or value as a lot as $39 throughout peak season dates at Magic Kingdom. (For now–it’ll in all probability hit not less than $49 as soon as November and December 2024 roll round.) That’s a approach wider vary than Disneyland, the place costs for Lightning Lane Multi-Cross are likely to differ by solely round $10 between lows and highs. So from that perspective, a $100 vary on the premier product does make a point of sense.
It doesn’t make an entire diploma of sense, nevertheless, particularly in the course of the remaining two months of the 12 months! If something, Disneyland’s method to Lightning Lane Multi-Cross pricing is what didn’t make sense to start with. The road-skipping service is just not value “solely” $10 extra in the course of the week between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve or, conversely, it’s not value “solely” $10 much less in the course of the winter doldrums of January and February. Identical thought right here.
This will likely be evident within the subsequent couple of months, however particularly December. Final 12 months, the slowest days throughout that month had 1/10 crowd ranges with common wait occasions of 18-21 minutes. Later within the month, crowds peaked at 10/10 crowd ranges with common wait occasions of 42 minutes. If we dug a little bit deeper and excluded all sights that don’t have Lightning Lanes, I’m fairly assured the unfold could be even better. (I’m not going to try this math, although.)
The underside line is that Lightning Lane Premier Cross received’t supply the identical worth on December 4 because it does on December 30, 2024. On the previous date, you could possibly “get away with” buying Lightning Lane Multi-Cross and possibly nonetheless get as a lot accomplished as somebody who buys Lightning Lane Premier Cross. In the course of the busiest dates main as much as New 12 months’s Eve, you undoubtedly couldn’t.
Personally, I received’t be shopping for Lightning Lane Premier Cross on any day, however I’m additionally not the goal demographic for such a luxurious product. When viewing this providing at arm’s size, I truly do see the worth in buying a single-day of Lightning Lane Premier Cross if I had been visiting throughout peak journey dates.
In actual fact, I feel Lightning Lane Premier Cross is sensible as a splurge, particularly if I had to decide on between…let’s say…staying a pair nights at Pixar Place Lodge for the sake of the Early Entry perk or staying throughout the road at our new #1 resort at Disneyland and shopping for in the future of Lightning Lane Premier Cross. In that hypothetical, I’m selecting the latter. (In reality, I’m selecting neither–simply to be clear.)
Setting apart the sticker shock, that is why I feel Lightning Lane Premier Cross could be extra compelling at Disneyland Resort than Walt Disney World. Line-skipping would even be very helpful throughout that peak week at Walt Disney World. However the distinction is that there are 4 parks (three the place you want it), making the price $1,047 (plus tax!) versus $400 (no tax!). And I’m betting even then, the 2 parks at Disneyland Resort nonetheless have extra worthwhile Lightning Lanes than the three at Walt Disney World.
Even then, that’s not an apples to apples comparability since you can not commerce down in resorts and nonetheless buy Lightning Lane Premier Cross at Walt Disney World. You need to be staying Deluxe or DVC! So there’s actually no state of affairs by which LLPP represents a singular splurge at Walt Disney World. The time of 12 months you’d want it most, you’re already paying peak season resort charges for the most costly resorts on property. It’s thus narrowly focused at visitors for whom cash isn’t any difficulty.
In all probability, that’ll largely be the core viewers at Disneyland Resort for Lightning Lane Premier Cross. There’s the notion that Disneyland is a playground for native Annual Passholders. And, as mentioned in our companion put up about Lightning Lane Premier Cross at Walt Disney World, we park regulars are “unfavorable” attendees. Whereas true, that’s solely a part of the story.
It’s additionally true that the collective inhabitants of Los Angeles and Orange Counties is roughly 14 million. When you throw the Inland Empire, San Diego and different areas into the combination inside an inexpensive driving distance of Disneyland, you might have round 25 million potential visitors. These native numbers imply there’s an enormous visitor pool for Disneyland–and I can guarantee you, Disneyland doesn’t have 25 million Annual Passholders (or anyplace near that quantity).
All of that is to say that there’s quite a lot of potential native demand for Disneyland exterior of Annual Passholders, even earlier than you take into account the demand from different states within the West. Whereas most Disneyland Resort visitors come from someplace in California, folks journey from different states, as effectively. Utah and Nevada are chief amongst these, with Oregon, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Washington additionally closely represented.
It’s in all probability not going to shock anybody, however there’s an incredible quantity of wealth in Southern California, to say nothing of these different states. There’s in all probability no scarcity of locals who aren’t fairly available in the market for VIP excursions however would purchase one thing like Lightning Lane Premier Cross for a whirlwind day at Disneyland. Some would possibly even want the self-guided nature to a VIP tour.
Finally, my perspective is that Lightning Lane Premier Cross could possibly be “value it” as a splurge for some visitors in some eventualities, even when it’s undoubtedly not for me. My expectation is that LLPP will likely be an enormous success when judged by gross sales. When judged by sentiment, it’s doubtlessly a special story completely.
As a longtime fan, considered one of my fears for some time has been that Disney is inflicting long-term model injury for short-term achieve. We’ve seen this with the elimination of free FastPass, leisure cuts, nickel and diming, catering to the prosperous, crowds and lengthy strains, and a laundry record of different complaints. To not point out Disney’s falling fame, which is predicated on the entire above plus different points. We’ve mentioned all of this at size–no sense in belaboring the purpose right here.
Past that, there are examples of very area of interest product choices which might be clearly aimed on the rich. Most notable of those is the deserted Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Identical goes for the $100,000+ personal jet Disney Parks worldwide “journey” and the new Cotino Storyliving by Disney communities. Starcruiser was a colossal failure, however I’ve lengthy puzzled whether or not–even assuming it had been a monetary success, was it value the entire destructive headlines? All the aforementioned choices cater to a small handful of visitors, however have an outsized digital footprint. Is the financial achieve definitely worth the model injury and lack of goodwill?
I can’t assist however marvel the identical factor about Lightning Lane Premier Cross. Disney has pressured that this new line-skipping product providing will likely be offered in very restricted portions every day. I’d anticipate that to be true, but additionally that it’ll be extra mainstream than Galactic Starcruiser, Cotino, or the Adventures by Disney jet factor.
Nonetheless, I’d additionally anticipate that the quantity of people that examine Lightning Lane Premier Cross on the day it’s introduced and really feel alienated or irritated will dwarf those that ever buy it. Most customers will rapidly conclude the reply is “no” when asking themselves whether or not it’s value it. Disney could be well-served to ask themselves the exact same query in relation to this and different such prosperous choices. I’ll wager the reply could be the identical in the event that they appeared past the speedy impression to this quarter’s steadiness sheet.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Ideas for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site resorts in our Anaheim Lodge Critiques & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Critiques. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seaside, and tons of different locations!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Disneyland launching Lightning Lane Premier Cross? Do you want they’d additionally roll out the substantive pre-planning system, or do you like the extra relaxed method of the California parks? Nonetheless confused by how Lightning Lanes work at Disneyland and DCA? Assume that is an enough substitute to the FastPass and MaxPass techniques, or do you want Disneyland would’ve simply left these alone? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
