Walt Disney World’s high tier Lightning Lane Premier Go has offered out for a 10-day stretch through the upcoming peak Ski Week. Along with that, each it and Multi-Go have returned to their all-time highest costs in March 2025. This submit covers offered out dates and prices for Lightning Lanes at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, plus commentary about pricing.
Let’s begin by distinguishing the assorted paid FastPass merchandise at Walt Disney World. Lightning Lane Premier Go (LLPP) is a high tier of line-skipping, supposed for the highest ~2% of spenders and priced in accordance. Against this, Lightning Lane Multi-Go (LLMP) and Lightning Lane Single Go (LLSP) are the mass-product merchandise aimed on the majority company and in addition priced accordingly.
There’s much more to find out about Lightning Lane Premier Go, Multi-Go and Single Go, all of which is past the scope of this submit. Should you don’t already find out about these line-skipping companies, we’d encourage you to learn our Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World as an alternative of this submit.
Should you’re questioning why Lightning Lane Premier Go is abruptly promoting out, one clarification is that Walt Disney World expanded eligibility for Lightning Lane Premier Go to all company, on-site and off-site, about one month in the past.
This was a a lot extra important step than the earlier one, when Disney expanded LLPP from Deluxe Resorts to all on-site resorts. As we defined again on the time, it was unlikely that many Worth or Average Resort company could be springing for the extremely costly top-tier line-skipping possibility. There have been in all probability some exceptions, however not many.
Against this, increasing Lightning Lane Premier Go opened up the pool fairly considerably. This implies among the costliest inns in Central Florida at the moment are eligible for Lightning Lane Premier Go, together with however not restricted to the 4 Seasons Orlando, JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Conrad Orlando, and extra. All of those have greater nightly charges than Worth or Average Resorts at Walt Disney World, and supply facilities and repair above Deluxe Resorts.
Critically, additionally they do not supply an on-site benefit with Lightning Lane Multi-Go, so there could be a powerful incentive for company of the 4 Seasons Orlando and these different inns to improve to Lightning Lane Premier Go. It’s not simply these inns, both. There are various large mansions round Walt Disney World which might be rented out as trip houses; that’s one other massive demographic that is perhaps available in the market for Lightning Lane Premier Go.
On high of that, this upcoming week (Presidents’ Day/Mid-Winter Break/Ski Week) is the busiest of the primary two months of the 12 months, and the primary actually ‘peak week’ since Walt Disney World expanded the eligibility pool of Lightning Lane Premier Go to all company, not simply on-site ones. See Excessive Crowds & Wait Instances Warning: Worst Week of Winter 2025 Is Coming to Walt Disney World! Given all of that, it’s actually not shock to see LLPP promoting out with regularity.
Thus far, Lightning Lane Premier Go is now offered out at Magic Kingdom for a 10-day stretch from now by way of Friday, February 21, 2025 (the sellouts began a pair days in the past, we simply didn’t really feel the necessity to cowl the area of interest matter till there was extra to the story).
We now have that greater information, with all 4 parks being offered out of Lightning Lane Premier Go for the primary in 2025 on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Along with that, LLPP is offered out at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from as we speak by way of February 17 and it’s unavailable at EPCOT each days this weekend.
The longest stretch of offered out dates was beforehand the weeks of Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve, when Magic Kingdom offered out most dates–however by no means 10 consecutive days. Different parks equally offered out sporadically throughout that peak week between the 2 holidays.
December 28, 2024 is the one different day for LLPP to ever promote out all 4 parks, and that ended up being the second-busiest day of the 12 months, with 10/10 crowds. Mid-Winter Break shall be busy, however not that busy. I wouldn’t be stunned if this weekend doesn’t exceed 8/10 crowd ranges. There’s a really massive distinction when it comes to wait time unfold between an 8/10 day and a ten+/10 day like December 28. LLPP was “price” much more on Dec. 28 than Feb. 15, regardless of equivalent peak pricing for each.
As we harassed lately, Don’t Fall for FOMO with Lightning Lane Premier Go at Walt Disney World. We don’t suggest this to anybody on a decent funds, so in the event you’d must splurge to purchase LLPP, it’s in all probability not for you. There are use instances for it, however principally amongst folks for whom cash isn’t any object.
Walt Disney World’s official web site nonetheless emphasizes that they’re piloting the rollout of Lightning Lane Premier Go with “very restricted portions.” When the brand new tier of line-skipping first went dwell, our greatest query was: simply how restricted could be very restricted?
That’s a good query to ask, and we’ve heard from loads of followers who’re apprehensive that Lightning Lane Premier Go will make the visitor expertise worse for everybody else. Every little thing we’ve seen to date strongly means that the caps for LLPP are fairly low, which is a good factor for everybody else.
As talked about beforehand, the audience for LLPP is exceedingly restricted by advantage of its worth. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t be stunned if Walt Disney World raises the caps on Premier Go within the weeks and months to return. Walt Disney World received’t formally announce this in the event that they do it, so we received’t know with 100% certainty if it occurs. One factor to look at for, although, could be fewer promote outs throughout Spring Break–Easter week being probably the most conclusive, as it’s all the time busier than Presidents’ Day weekend and the week that follows.
One other apparent chance, as all the time, is worth will increase. Perhaps Magic Kingdom will hit $500 throughout Easter, with DHS breaking $400, EPCOT eclipsing $300, and Animal Kingdom above $200. That additionally wouldn’t shock me if Walt Disney World desires to proceed promoting LLPP in the identical portions. However since they by no means instructed us how restricted “very restricted” is, my guess is that the caps are raised versus costs.
At the least for now, we’ve noticed completely no affect on Lightning Lane utilization because of Premier Go. In truth, fairly the other.
Lightning Lanes are far much less busy than on the identical level one 12 months in the past, and standby traces are shifting way more effectively. Clearly, this isn’t as a result of Lightning Lane Premier Go. It in all probability has a bit to do with the change from Genie+ to Multi-Go, however is generally concerning the DAS modifications.
We defined this lately in Right here’s Why Standby Traces and Lightning Lanes Are Transferring Sooner at Walt Disney World. The underside line is that Lightning Lanes and standby traces are typically shifting effectively, or at the least way more so than the final couple of years. (Disneyland is a distinct matter–we’re nonetheless observing loads of issues and logjams there.)
So nothing to fret about with Lightning Lane Premier Go (for now), even on offered out days, besides to the extent that LLPP is extra prone to promote out when the parks are busier. There’s nonetheless a really, very small variety of company utilizing LLPP–and most could be shopping for Lightning Lane Multi-Go or VIP Excursions in any other case, so it’s not like they’re including a lot new pressure or demand on the system.
Talking of Lightning Lane Multi-Go, this line-skipping possibility has returned to its all-time excessive pricing in March 2025.
From March 2-4, 2025, the LLMP service hits its peak worth of $39 at Magic Kingdom. The opposite parks are of their high tier pricing ballpark for a subset of those self same dates, and all parks are at their highest ranges on March 4, 2025. Until I’ve a faulty calendar, that’s a Tuesday. Granted, it’s Mardi Gras…however it’s nonetheless a Tuesday earlier than Spring Break.
My greatest guess is that Walt Disney World’s pricing individuals are seeing excessive occupancy round these dates, particularly the weekends earlier than and after because of runDisney and ESPN Huge World of Sports activities occasions. They’re additionally in all probability taking a look at previous knowledge from Mardi Gras. However we’ve seen time and time once more that Mardi Gras is barely depressing when it coincides with the week of Presidents’ Day. Furthermore, runDisney and ESPN WWoS occasions have a disproportionate affect on occupancy, however not as a lot on attendance and crowds.
This isn’t to say that weekend or the following one and the times in between shall be uncrowded–they received’t. Nonetheless, that is earlier than the guts of the Spring Break season, and it’s not usually that dangerous. On the contrary, some years are downright blissful (this received’t be one in all them). On that Tuesday, I’d be stunned to see crowd ranges (as measured by wait instances) eclipse 7/10.
It’s attainable Walt Disney World is aware of this, and isn’t anticipating peak season crowds that weekend or week. As a substitute, this could possibly be to prime planners for a worth enhance through the coronary heart of Spring Break season. We anticipated that again round Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve, however prices ended up being unchanged year-over-year. We had been bracing ourselves for Lightning Lane Multi-Go breaking the $50 barrier. Perhaps now’s when that lastly occurs? Or possibly there’s a half-step first, with Magic Kingdom hitting $44?
This all comes as reviews have emerged that even Walt Disney World is Fearful About Its Excessive Costs.
Some followers are going to see Lightning Lanes return to all-time file excessive costs, together with the potential of additional will increase, and have an comprehensible response: “I assume Disney is just not actually that apprehensive about costs!”
The entire subtext of the reviews from throughout the Walt Disney Firm that leaders have “severe considerations” concerning the rising value of visiting the parks is that that is an ongoing inside debate. You can’t have a debate if there’s consensus. Which means that not everybody at Disney is apprehensive about this and, judging by the trajectory of pricing, these sounding the alarms internally have been shedding the argument.
In truth, the Wall Avenue Journal’s reporting particularly stated that these points had been raised with Disney CEO Bob Iger, however “parks had been nonetheless booming.” The article omits his response, however it may be inferred from context that he didn’t do something. That Parks & Resorts had turn out to be the corporate’s major revenue engine and Disney “wanted” Walt Disney World to overperform to compensate for different segments being laggards. (Story as outdated as time.)
That is exactly why we’ve referenced Bob Iger being “alarmed” by worth will increase at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and was involved that Chapek was “killing the soul” of Disney again when he returned in late 2022. He shortly made strikes to handle this in early 2023 and worth will increase did decelerate after that, however not a lot has been executed sense to handle visitor goodwill, satisfaction, or different key metrics. The current circumstances parallel these, and Iger and Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro must do one thing once more.
That is exactly how and why leaks like this week’s happen. When folks on the bottom at Walt Disney World and Disneyland have considerations and wish to make modifications to enhance the trajectory of varied metrics, however are overridden at a better stage. From the surface wanting in, it’s not possible to say who’s making that call, however as all the time, the buck stops with Iger and D’Amaro.
Our expectation and hope is that, as earlier than, that is too massive to disregard. That the Walt Disney Firm will want to reply with motion, making one other spherical of guest-friendly modifications, as an alternative of simply releasing a hole press launch to “clarify” why the parks are literally worth and company are proud of their experiences. How that manifests itself–and even whether or not it occurs in any respect–continues to be very a lot up within the air, however we definitely would not count on it to return by reducing Lightning Lane Premier Go costs. That will be the equal of providing a center class tax break by providing rebates on Porsche purchases.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Lightning Lane Premier Go? Stunned that it’s promoting out throughout Ski Week, or did you count on that? What about Lightning Lane Multi-Go hitting its peak costs for Mardi Gras? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we can assist 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!
