Walt Disney World has raised prices of Lightning Lane Single Cross, efficient instantly for pre-booked experience reservation dates beginning in October 2024. Moreover, Multi-Cross pricing patterns will go up for EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. This covers the earlier than/after costs together with our commentary.
Let’s begin with transient background. Lightning Lane Single Cross (LLSP) points of interest are the person headliner rides that aren’t included within the multi-ride Lightning Lane Multi-Cross (LLMP) service. With LLMP, you’ll be able to pre-book 3 experience reservations per day, and what number of you get whole relies upon upon crowds and the way environment friendly you might be at making the rolling experience reservations after coming into the park.
LLMP excludes the preferred experience (or two) per park, that are the LLSP points of interest. Lightning Lane Multi Cross now makes use of per-park and date-based pricing, that means it may value as little as $16 or as a lot as $39 per individual, per day. Ranges for LLSP are presently $10 to $25 per experience. See our Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for all the pieces it is advisable to know.
Right here’s a take a look at present excessive and low worth factors we’ve seen for Lightning Lane Single Passes previous to October 2024:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare: excessive $12, low $10
- TRON Lightcycle Run: $20
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: excessive $17, low $14
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance: excessive $25, low $15
- Avatar Flight of Passage: excessive $17, low $11
Listed below are the brand new maximums for LLSP costs:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare: $13
- TRON Lightcycle Run: $21
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: $18
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance: unchanged
- Avatar Flight of Passage: unchanged
This worth will increase are efficient for dates beginning October 18, 2024. All dates on the calendar thereafter (to this point) are these new maximums.
Moreover, there’s a change to the Lightning Lane Multi-Cross pricing cadence. Listed below are the costs as of October 19:
- Magic Kingdom: $29
- EPCOT: $21
- Hollywood Studios: $27
- Animal Kingdom: $19
Listed below are the costs as of October 20, 2024:
- Magic Kingdom: $29 (unchanged)
- EPCOT: $24
- Hollywood Studios: $29
- Animal Kingdom: $22
Notice that none of those LLMP costs are new all-time information, whereas they’re for LLSP. The Lightning Lane Multi-Cross adjustments are, for lack of a greater time period, new worth permutations. Usually, Magic Kingdom is costlier than DHS by just a few {dollars}, and generally $10 (or extra) increased than Animal Kingdom. Beginning October 20, the spreads between the opposite parks and Magic Kingdom are narrower than regular.
I don’t suppose that is significantly noteworthy (but), and if this had been taking place with out the corresponding Lightning Lane Single Cross enhance, we wouldn’t even be reporting on it. That truth is, Walt Disney World has experimented with a whole lot of Lightning Lane Multi Cross (or Genie+ earlier than that) worth combos. This might be nothing in any respect–a check that’ll be undone inside a pair days.
It’s however been fairly uncommon for this little of a distinction between Magic Kingdom and the opposite parks, which leads me to suspect we would see increased Magic Kingdom costs quickly (dates past October 20 have but to be launched). I’d not anticipate a brand new all-time excessive for Magic Kingdom till Thanksgiving (on the earliest), however it appears very possible than the $40 barrier might be damaged after so many dates offered out final December. Walt Disney World making a giant leap–all the way in which to $49 for peak late December dates–wouldn’t shock me within the least.
Turning to commentary, these Lightning Lane worth will increase and adjustments struck us as value reporting on for just a few causes. The primary is the self-evident one which Walt Disney World elevating costs is newsworthy. It’s particularly notable with Lightning Lane Single Passes, which seldom see their costs raised. It hasn’t occurred with anyplace close to the frequency of Genie+ or Lightning Lane Multi-Cross.
In reality, TRON Lightcycle Run has by no means diverse in worth. It has at all times been $20. Personally, I believe it is because the curler coaster is so brief, and Walt Disney World fears complaints or backlash about increased costs not being “value it” for such a brief experience.
Then once more, perhaps that is projection on my half. I just like the coaster properly sufficient, however can not fathom paying even $20 for ~90 seconds. I don’t purchase any LLSPs, but when I had been to purchase one, TRON would actually be my final alternative. To every their very own, although.
Additionally value mentioning is that this is applicable to dates in October 2024. As we just lately lined in Worth Will increase Possible Coming Quickly at Walt Disney World & Disneyland for 2024-2025, the corporate elevating charges on parking, admission, meals, upcharges, and extra across the begin of the brand new fiscal 12 months is probably going. It’s really much less of a prediction and extra of an inevitability.
As famous there, Disney has traditionally elevated costs across the begin of the brand new fiscal 12 months for some time and on October 11, particularly, for each of the final two years. Regardless of that, we felt/really feel that that is extra more likely to happen on October 8 or 9, 2024 than October 11, as a result of latter being a Friday.
Properly, October 18 can be a Friday. Personally, I don’t suppose that’s significantly significant as a predictor for when the remainder of the will increase will roll out, as a result of Lightning Lane Single Cross costs aren’t going up on that date. The rise has already occurred (efficient instantly)–that’s simply the primary impacted date.
With that mentioned, I’m stunned by the October 18, 2024 timing. That’s the weekend after Columbus Day, which is usually the preferred weekend for fall breaks. To make sure, each lengthy weekends–and the complete week in between–are busy.
As lined in our checklist of the 10 Greatest and 10 Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2024 & 2025, we anticipate October 11-19 to be one of many busiest stretches of the 12 months. So why not begin the rise on the front-end of fall break fairly than the bottom?
Whilst fall break has gotten busier and busier, it nonetheless has nothing on the November and December peak week holidays, that means that it’s completely potential that these Lightning Lane Single Passes nonetheless haven’t hit their highest highs for 2024. Not suggesting I’d wager on additional worth will increase for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New 12 months’s Eve–as Walt Disney World has been slower to boost costs on the a la carte rides–however I wouldn’t wager in opposition to it, both.
As for why Lightning Lane Single Cross costs are growing, the only clarification is demand.
Even in low to average crowd ranges, Lightning Lane Single Cross is promoting out way more typically than Particular person Lightning Lanes did. The possible causes for this are past the scope of this publish, however it’s one thing we deal with at size in Lightning Lane Single Cross is Promoting Out FAST!
The title there actually says all of it, however suffice to say, a number of of those LLSPs at the moment are totally booked up prematurely or have restricted same-day availability. For what it’s value, we’re seeing one thing related with increased demand for Lightning Lane Multi-Cross. The transfer to pre-arrival reserving has clearly been a wise one for Disney from a monetary perspective.
Talking of which, that is most likely a good time to plug our latest publish: When You Ought to Skip Lightning Lane Multi-Cross. Whereas good for Disney’s backside line, unlucky byproducts of pre-arrival Lightning Lanes from a visitor perspective are heightened FOMO and FUD–two of my favourite “facronyms.” Because you’re not shopping for Lightning Lanes same-day, it’s harder to evaluate the necessity for them and regulate accordingly throughout your trip. That publish will assist you decide when LLMP is probably not “vital” for you.
On a considerably related word, however barely extra speculative, I wouldn’t be stunned if Walt Disney World is elevating costs on Multi-Cross and Single Cross in anticipation of launching Lightning Lane Premier Cross, which we totally anticipate to be Disney’s reply to Common’s Categorical Cross (however not with a limiteless choice).
Elevating costs on ‘common’ Lightning Lanes could assist enhance the perceived worth proposition of the upper finish providing. Since that new system will undoubtedly be controversial, I might additionally see Walt Disney World launching it on the very same day that the remainder of the worth will increase hit. Ripping the band-aid off abruptly and consolidating the damaging information right into a single day fairly than drawing it out could be in Disney’s greatest pursuits. Once more, pure spitballing hypothesis on my half, however it could make sense.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the Lightning Lane Single Cross worth will increase? Is $20+ for a 90 second curler coaster an excessive amount of or cheap if it means bypassing a 2-hour wait? Ideas on the probability that Walt Disney World will increase charges across the begin of the brand new fiscal 12 months? Suppose Lightning Lane Multi-Cross will break the $40 barrier this 12 months? Count on a $49 worth level, or one thing decrease? Any predictions about Lightning Lane Premier Cross? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
