Walt Disney World continues to tweak queue capability allocations, and that on high of adjusting crowd patterns and better costs has resulted in a distinct worth proposition for Lightning Lane Multi-Go. This appears at wait occasions for standby strains, LLMP availability, plus our experiences and reader experiences to clarify how issues have modified in 2025 and enable you decide whether or not Lightning Lanes are nonetheless “price it” or if sticking to free standby plus savvy technique is nice sufficient.
It is a subject we first addressed final yr in Right here’s Why Standby Traces & Lightning Lanes Are Transferring Sooner at Walt Disney World. I don’t need to merely rehash that submit and would additionally like this to be extra concise, so I’m going to construct on a number of of the conclusions there whereas additionally presupposing others.
Crowd ranges are usually down at Walt Disney World on a year-over-year foundation since final February. This does not imply that wait occasions are low–it implies that they’re, on common, decrease than the identical timeframes as final yr. That means Spring Break 2025 was nonetheless slammed, however not as slammed as final yr. Summer time is already heating up–you may encounter a 75 minute await Slinky Canine Sprint, whereas it’d’ve been 90 minutes final yr. Nonetheless an extended wait, however not an insignificant distinction!
However as we frequently level out, crowd ranges as decided by wait occasions (an imperfect measure, however the one worthwhile one) will not be the identical as ‘looks like’ crowds or congestion. The latter is extra akin to attendance (nonetheless imperfect, however nearer). Principally, wait occasions don’t inform the complete story.
For in regards to the final yr, there’s been much more of a divergence between wait occasions and crowds or attendance, with the previous dropping greater than the latter. In actual fact, wait occasions have continued reducing in 2025 whilst executives have indicated that bookings are up at Walt Disney World year-over-year. Attendance is rising whilst wait occasions are reducing. How can that be reconciled?
Our concept: decrease use of the Lightning Lanes is the first driver of decrease standby wait occasions. Fewer friends are skipping the road, and are as an alternative within the common line (or doing one thing else completely). This might clarify why the standby strains are shifting extra fluidly and why wait occasions are decrease–as a result of fewer friends are within the Lightning Lanes, being prioritized and pulled in entrance of standby strains.
Underneath Genie+ and FastPass, customary working process known as for a roughly 4:1 or 80:20 ratio of ‘quick lane’ to standby friends on the the attraction’s merge level. This meant that for each 10 events boarding an attraction, 8 had been pulled from the Lightning Lane and a couple of had been pulled from standby.
This was the baseline–the ratio solely will get much less favorable for the standby line! When there was elevated demand, Forged Members had the discretion to regulate that merge to a 90:10 ratio. From there, the ratio might be adjusted up even additional, which solely occurs within the occasion of prolonged downtime and a backlog of Lightning Lane friends.
That is accompanied by an arbitrarily excessive wait time being posted to discourage friends from getting within the standby line. As a result of though these friends may see a brief line, it’s nonetheless an extended wait. The entire aim is to course of the backlog of Lightning Lane friends. None of that is something new–these ratios have existed for the reason that FastPass days.
That’s why standby strains can transfer at a snail’s tempo with FastPass/Lightning Lanes, as a result of these friends are progressing via the road slower. It’s (virtually) all in regards to the ratio. There might be 200 friends within the Lightning Lane and 50 within the standby line, but when the pull ratio is 90:10, the 199th visitor within the Lightning Lane will nonetheless board earlier than the thirtieth visitor within the standby line.
As I shared in our earlier replace late final yr, my expertise within the standby strains over the course of the final yr has undoubtedly not been that 4 persons are being pulled from the Lightning Lane for each one visitor from the standby line.
So far in 2025, I’ve been doing intensive testing for overhauled itineraries and with the change to standby for Cosmic Rewind, Tiana’s Bayou Journey, and TRON Lightcycle Run. Anecdotally, this has kind of confirmed what I beforehand suspected: the ratio is now pretty near 1:1. That’s one celebration from standby for each celebration from the Lightning Lane.
For what it’s price, this will nonetheless skew in favor of the Lightning Lane. Walt Disney World operations nonetheless has a mandate to prioritize Lightning Lane friends and guarantee their wait occasions are stored to a minimal. So if there’s a backlog of friends within the Cosmic Rewind Lightning Lane, for instance, as a consequence of downtime or at Peter Pan’s Flight post-parade, these friends will nonetheless be processed first, tipping the scales again in favor of the Lightning Lane. However throughout regular occasions, I’d ballpark it at 1:1.
Whereas I reported my suspicions of this months in the past, my current testing has additional bolstered that that is taking place. And I’m not the one one which’s been watching this. TouringPlans lately launched their very own subject testing outcomes, providing corroboration. They arrive on the identical 1:1 conclusion, with a sliding scale of two:1 and three:1–nonetheless decrease than the outdated mannequin beneath FastPass. Additionally they recommend that much less park capability has been put aside for Lightning Lane friends.
There are a few ways in which our conclusions differ. The primary is that they recommend it is a current growth as of 2025. Whereas I might agree that the apply has turn out to be extra pronounced this yr, I noticed (and wrote about) this sample final yr. It felt noticeable throughout above-average vacation dates between Veterans Day and Christmas.
They conclude that the adjustments are nice for friends in standby strains, leading to shorter waits. I strongly agree with this–it’s fairly inarguable–and suppose it’s price underscoring a number of occasions. Standby strains are shifting sooner and the wait occasions are decrease–that was actually our earlier headline. An enormous win for friends sick of upcharges.
Nonetheless, their flipside conclusion is that friends utilizing Lightning Lanes can have “marginally longer” waits. I may see how this inference could be drawn from the info, however my on-the-ground observations don’t actually assist this. From what I’ve seen, the reverse is true. On its face, that will not make sense. Trip capability is what it’s, so positive aspects for standby come on the expense of Lightning Lanes–and vice-versa, proper?
A method we will decide Lightning Lanes is by merely them. There are a number of different sights that used to recurrently use overflow queues for the Lightning Lanes. There have been occasions when Peter Pan’s Flight would again up previous PhilharMagic, Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare would have a number of switchbacks (through tape on the bottom), House Mountain had a line out to the TTA observe, and so forth.
This could nonetheless occur from time-to-time, particularly on peak days or after rides return from extreme downtime. Nevertheless it was beforehand occurring with regularity, even on low season days. I haven’t seen Lightning Lanes that persistently backed up within the final ~11 months. It’s a night-and-day distinction.
This helps another speculation: what if as an alternative of the ratio being modified to favor standby and improve waits for Lightning Lanes, that fewer Lightning Lanes are being issued within the first place? That it’s not the tail wagging the canine–the ratio is just not what modified first, however is an oblique byproduct of decrease utilization of line-skipping? (In different phrases, it’s provide facet–fewer Lightning Lanes are being distributed.)
In combing via the info and listening to Disney’s earnings calls, the reason for that is not Lightning Lane Multi-Go or Single Go having decrease demand than their predecessors. On the contrary, Lightning Lane Single Go is promoting out far more usually than Particular person Lightning Lanes did, even in low to reasonable crowd ranges.
We’ve noticed increased demand and extra restricted stock for Lightning Lane Multi-Go and Single Go. A number of completely different Lightning Lanes totally ebook up upfront and have restricted same-day availability, together with some that by no means had been tough with the Genie+ system. As for the ‘why’ of this, our greatest clarification is heightened FOMO and FUD.
Since friends are now not shopping for Lightning Lanes same-day, it’s tougher to evaluate the necessity for them and regulate accordingly throughout your trip. As such, there’s seemingly an inclination to “over-purchase” Lightning Lanes as in comparison with beneath the outdated system. (One other topic that’s past the scope of this submit, however it’s price studying our current submit: When You Ought to Skip Lightning Lane Multi-Go.)
I’ve seen this with regularity when subject testing Lightning Lane Multi-Go. Not simply that point slots are filling up upfront and a few rides are ‘promoting out’ of Lightning Lane stock a number of days upfront, but in addition that same-day drops are much less widespread. (They nonetheless happen, you simply should work extra for them.)
All of this and extra is mentioned in our new Prime 10 Suggestions & Tips for Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World in 2025, with recent suggestions for adapting to the entire main adjustments from Genie+ to Multi-Go that we’ve skilled in apply. (Not simply theoretical or coverage/rule adjustments.) One huge change is that Disney’s Hollywood Studios has turn out to be the #1 park for LLMP, dethroning Magic Kingdom, which was once one of the best park because of its experience roster.
That modified largely as a consequence of tougher same-day availability and experience reservation refills at Magic Kingdom. You possibly can nonetheless leverage the rolling 3 rule if you happen to put somewhat elbow grease into your refresh recreation, however it’s tougher at Magic Kingdom than it was once. I might hazard a guess that the common visitor (not you) is acquiring fewer worthwhile Lightning Lanes per day than earlier than on reasonable crowd stage days at MK. We’ve additionally heard this from readers, lots of whom are high-knowledge friends who’ve executed “worse” with Lightning Lane Multi-Go.
It’s additionally supported by thrill-data, which tracks Lightning Lane availability. It has decreased markedly within the Lightning Lane Multi-Go/Single Go period. All of this helps a conclusion that Walt Disney World has throttled Lightning Lane provide.
This isn’t occurring in isolation. It’s additionally been occurring alongside the overhaul of Incapacity Entry Service to scale back abuse and misuse. It’s our understanding that that is what’s having the most important impression on each wait occasions and decreased utilization of Lightning Lanes.
It’s all however sure that the DAS overhaul is without doubt one of the main causes for shorter standby strains and fewer Lightning Lane utilization. This was one of many driving forces behind the crackdown, so it is sensible. Even previous to the overhaul announcement, we had heard that DAS utilization had exploded and DAS utilization outpaced paid gross sales of Lightning Lanes.
Disney has been sued over lodging for disabled friends previously, and these stats have come out throughout discovery and testimony. A take a look at examine throughout that exposed that DAS customers skilled, on common, 45% extra sights than these with out DAS. And that examine was beneath the outdated system that was tougher to make use of and had much less abuse.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t point out right here that this DAS crackdown got here on the expense of disabled friends who want DAS in an effort to take pleasure in Walt Disney World. Whereas it’s good to see the abusers being denied, there was collateral injury. Many friends who’re really disabled have been swept up within the crackdown–it’s unlucky there’s no approach to narrowly goal the abusers. I received’t fake to know what the “excellent” resolution is–however among the tales to come back out of the established order are heartbreaking.
Nonetheless, that is about shorter standby strains and decrease Lightning Lane utilization regardless of demand. Given the entire above, it’s unimaginable to reconcile all of that with out attributing it to the DAS overhaul. There are different contributing elements, however a main driver is undoubtedly DAS.
DAS is just not the one driver, although. As talked about above, the provision we’re seeing in our subject testing and knowledge strongly suggests much less stock for paid Lightning Lanes, too. That is fascinating, as a result of the DAS crackdown may theoretically yield the other–extra stock. And but, that has not been our expertise. It’s as if two huge dials are being adjusted directly, and each in the identical path.
That is additional bolstered by Lightning Lane Multi-Go not promoting out in the course of the vacation season or spring break, which used to occur with regularity beneath Genie+. In all chance, it’s because Disney is managing stock for the Lightning Lanes, allocating fewer to every visitor who’s using the system.
That form of begs the query: if much less stock is being utilized by DAS and by paid Lightning Lanes, the place is it going? Who’s the winner beneath this method? As already mentioned above, friends within the standby strains–that is exactly why common wait occasions are shorter (and likewise, not longer for friends in Lightning Lanes). They’re not the one ones, although.
One other winner is friends who buy Lightning Lane Premier Go. This isn’t to say that they had been actually losers earlier than, as that product providing has remained static since its launch. Nonetheless, the marginal worth for LLPP has arguably elevated since its launch. That is very true once you evaluate product choices. If the typical visitor who buys Multi-Go is barely getting 4-5 “good” Lightning Lanes as an alternative of all or most of them, the worth of LLPP isn’t just in comfort, lack of display screen time, and so forth. It additionally affords extra utility than the choice.
In concept, it is sensible that Walt Disney World would need to differentiate its product choices, throttling Lightning Lane Multi-Go to some extent to enhance the worth proposition of Lightning Lane Premier Go by comparability. Actually, I’m wondering if this was the first motivation. Lighting Lane Premier Go is a somewhat area of interest product with an exceedingly restricted audience.
Making Multi-Go much less helpful is much less prone to push individuals in the direction of LLPP than it’s to push them in the direction of nothing in any respect–free standby strains. The associated fee disparity is the true hurdle for the overwhelming majority of friends, not product differentiation. Volkswagen throttling the pace of the Beetle wouldn’t be a savvy technique for pushing individuals to buy the Porsche 911. That’s not the way it works.
Consequently, this as soon as once more brings us again to friends in standby strains as the most important winners. The final ~5 years have made a whole lot of Walt Disney World followers extra cynical in the direction of the corporate, me included. And for good cause! Even earlier than I hit publish, I can hear you doubting this conclusion (that’s proper, the skepticism is so sturdy that I can already hear it through a while warp kinda deal). When you’re executed laughing at the opportunity of Disney bettering the “free” visitor expertise on the expense of the paid upcharge, hear me out.
Visitor satisfaction and intent to return or suggest metrics took a beating after the honeymoon interval post-reopening as a consequence of numerous cuts, whereas additionally implementing insurance policies that many followers hated. We’ve mentioned all of this at size, explaining that bettering these metrics has been the driving issue behind making different guest-friendly adjustments within the final couple of years.
It is a subject that once more reared its ugly head in Walt Disney World is Apprehensive About Its Excessive Costs, which lined how alarms are being sounded inside the corporate. Some executives worry that value will increase, nickel & diming, and so forth. are alienating followers, souring sentiment, and pricing out the center class. A few month after that leaked, Walt Disney World went on an all-out discounting and advertising blitz, with a flurry of offers that make this summer season the most cost-effective time to go to Walt Disney World since (a minimum of) 2019. The entire low cost facet of the “Cool Child Summer time” marketing campaign ought to’ve vindicated the experiences of these inside alarms and worries.
Again when the DAS adjustments had been introduced final yr, we indicated that the meant beneficiary was friends within the standby strains. That it wasn’t merely about liberating up capability to promote extra Lightning Lanes, however hanging a greater steadiness. That queueing is a zero-sum recreation, and internally, the view was {that a} small proportion of energy customers had been reaping disproportionate rewards on the expense of the overwhelming majority. The aim was to normalize wait occasions throughout the board. It now appears that this was true by adjusting each free and paid line-skipping.
Actually, it nonetheless comes as one thing of a shock to me that Walt Disney World would do something on the expense of paid Lightning Lane customers since that dangers decrease satisfaction amongst increased spending friends, to not point out future gross sales. Not fairly certain the right way to totally clarify this. Maybe management has been so happy with the general visitor satisfaction positive aspects that it’s one thing they’re prepared to tolerate.
Possibly they’ve managed to string the needle, discovering that the ‘candy spot’ for prime Lightning Lane purchaser visitor satisfaction is 4.12 strains skipped on common or 93 minutes saved ready in line, versus 4.47 strains and 108 minutes (all utterly made-up numbers), as may’ve been the case beneath the Genie+ system. It’s additionally doable that the understanding of pre-booking alone will increase visitor satisfaction amongst patrons, even when they’re securing barely fewer experiences on common (and once more, averages aren’t the identical as maximums–it’s nonetheless doable for high energy customers to outperform!). I actually haven’t any clue–simply spitballing potential explanations.
In the end, that’s our concept to why standby strains are shorter and sooner shifting on the identical time that Lightning Lane utilization has decreased, even with demand for Multi-Go and Single Go showing pretty sturdy. This strikes us as the one believable conclusion that reconciles Disney’s quarterly outcomes reporting increased bookings, decrease common wait occasions knowledge, decreased Lightning Lane availability, and our intensive experiences when testing.
Evidently Walt Disney World has achieved that desired higher steadiness between pursuits of friends utilizing standby strains and Lightning Lanes. As for the titular query about whether or not Lightning Lanes are nonetheless “price it?,” our new rule of thumb is that you must most likely make the acquisition (or not) based mostly on the experience reservations you’re in a position to make on the level of buy, with the belief that you just’ll rating one further worthwhile Lightning Lane at DHS and two at Magic Kingdom with minimal effort, and maybe a number of extra you probably have a robust refresh recreation.
Actually, the vital factor is that you just make an knowledgeable determination on the query as as to if Lightning Lanes are nonetheless definitely worth the cash to you, personally. The important thing right here is to know that standby strains are shorter and sooner shifting, with posted and precise wait occasions which can be decrease as a result of ratio of Lightning Lanes to the standby line altering fairly dramatically.
As must be demonstrated by the forgoing, it’s the “why” of this that basically issues. Whether or not Lightning Lanes are nonetheless price it’ll be subjective–various based mostly in your finances, tolerance for ready in strains, and different technique. It additionally presupposes that line-skipping ever was price it within the first place, which I don’t suppose was the case.
Personally, I’d nonetheless purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Go virtually the entire time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, more often than not at Magic Kingdom, lower than half of the time at EPCOT, and virtually by no means at Animal Kingdom (exception: December 22, 2025 to January 5, 2026). So there’s your reply if you happen to’re actually craving one, versus an in depth clarification.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s been your expertise with standby strains, Lightning Lanes, and the circulate of each at Walt Disney World within the final yr or so? Have you ever been in a position to rating extra, fewer, or about the identical variety of Lightning Lanes beneath Multi-Go vs. Genie? Have you ever seen any discernible variations? Would you suggest LLMP or simply advise sticking to standby given these tendencies? Do you agree or disagree with my evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
