You shouldn’t at all times purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Move at Walt Disney World. On the contrary, most individuals ought to skip the brand new line-skipping service a minimum of a few of the time, at a couple of of the parks. This lists after we’d suggest company choose in opposition to buying paid FastPass primarily based on our testing, plus higher alternate options.
Let’s begin by briefly addressing the introduction of Lightning Lane Multi Move (LLMP), which replaces Genie+ as the first paid FastPass possibility at Walt Disney World. Lightning Lanes include a price–not only a financial one, but additionally with frustrations, back-tracking, making trip reservations prematurely of your journey, and the educational curve that comes with mastering one other new system.
With the change, there’s as soon as once more the addition of an on-site benefit and the flexibility to make 3 choices prematurely. With this comes the lack of stacking, a drawback for off-site company, and probability that you simply’ll be scoring fewer Lightning Lanes per day. There’s additionally the truth that you simply’re seemingly committing to purchasing (or not) earlier than beginning your journey and seeing/feeling crowd ranges. Given all of this and different altering tendencies, there are new situations the place it is best to and mustn’t buy the Lightning Lane Multi-Move service.
Lightning Lane Multi Move additionally isn’t low cost. This half really isn’t new–we’re seeing costs akin to Genie+ up to now with LLMP. Nevertheless it nonetheless bears mentioning because the financial value is the figuring out issue. (In any case, if it have been free, this put up wouldn’t exist. You need to at all times use it!)
Present per-person costs vary from $16 to $39 earlier than tax every day, with vacation weeks (e.g.Thanksgiving) at Magic Kingdom anticipated to be on the higher finish of that vary. If you happen to’re on a funds or extra price-sensitive, this provides up–amounting to $500 to $1,000 in added prices for a median household throughout a week-long journey.
Walt Disney World is barely inside monetary attain of some households as-is, with an additional $1,000 or so making the journey a complete non-starter. The aim of this information is thus that can assist you decide when it does and doesn’t make sense to buy Lightning Lane Multi Move at Walt Disney World, so that you don’t waste money and time, or topic your self to pointless stress and stress when it actually isn’t needed or advantageous.
Anyway, listed below are the situations when it is best to take into account skipping Lightning Lane Multi-Move at Walt Disney World. As at all times, there’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation, so you continue to might wish to buy line-skipping in a few of these circumstances…
On a Tight Finances – As famous above, loads of Walt Disney World planners don’t have one other few hundred to thousand {dollars} simply laying round. There isn’t a banana stand from which to extract funds. Accordingly, some individuals can’t buy Lightning Lane Multi-Move–it’s a non-starter.
Others might have the flexibility to splurge, however solely on the expense of one thing else. That’s primarily us. We’re frugal, however not low cost. We’re prepared to spend additional for memorable experiences or add-ons that may improve the standard of our holidays. To that time, our checklist of the Finest Worth Splurges at Walt Disney World is crammed with every part from character eating we like to Membership Stage hacks.
It additionally has precisely one entry for Lightning Lanes, and that’s (spoiler alert) at Magic Kingdom. We’d additionally probably splurge on LLMP at DHS, however that’s extra situation-dependent. Crucial factor you are able to do to have an excellent Walt Disney World trip is reject the notion that you simply “want” to buy any add-on (together with Lightning Lane Multi-Move) with a purpose to have a superb day. It’s a recipe for stress, stress, pressure, and grownup meltdowns.
You’ll depart happier, extra happy, and with a fuller pockets if being there on the Most Magical Place on Earth with your loved ones or buddies is sufficient to put a smile in your face and fill your coronary heart. It must be–the moments you’ll bear in mind most a long time from now aren’t what number of strains you skipped.
Genie Plus Professional-Stage Stackers – The demographic hit hardest by the change from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi Move is the professional-level Lightning Lane stackers. Those that diligently set their alarms each two hours (RIP 120 minute rule) to e book new trip reservations and hit the parks within the afternoon with a fats stack of Lightning Lanes (RIP stacking guidelines).
When you can nonetheless make 3 choices for the afternoon–or actually each time–the Lightning Lane Multi-Move system incentivizes planners to schedule choices earlier within the day with a purpose to begin making subsequent trip reservations. The stacking and late arrival method is now suboptimal. The professional stackers ought to solely purchase LLMP in the event that they’ll be happy with solely 3 good Lightning Lanes–their first three.
Staying Off-Web site – One of many large strengths of Genie+ (or weaknesses, relying upon your perspective) was that it leveled the enjoying subject for on-site and off-site company. That’s not the case. Lightning Lane Multi-Move is way more like FastPass+ in most regards (minus costing cash…minor element!).
Off-site company are left with desk scraps on the subject of Lightning Lane Multi-Move, as their reserving window is significantly shorter. It’s not simply 3 days vs. 7 days–the latter is definitely as much as 21 days relying upon the period of the on-site keep (on common, it’ll be about 12-14 days). This implies no Tiana’s Bayou Journey, Slinky Canine Sprint, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, and probably much more from our checklist of the Prime 10 Finest & Most Troublesome Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World.
This isn’t essentially to say off-site company ought to at all times skip LLMP. On the contrary, they’re deprived in a number of methods, that means they should work tougher and smarter to get as a lot completed. Pay attention to trip reservation refills and play the refresh sport, arrive early and keep late, go to through the low season or regulate your expectations about how a lot you’ll get completed.
Arriving Late – That is actually a corollary to the primary level, besides not aimed particularly at stackers. As famous above, Lightning Lane Multi Move permits 3 advance trip reservations. Then on the day of your park go to, when you redeem a variety, you may make one other Lightning Lane Multi Move choice.
Take into account this the “rolling 3 rule,” which is to say you could at all times have 3 Lightning Lane choices (topic to availability). With the “rolling 3 rule” of Lightning Lane Multi-Move, you may make your subsequent trip reservation as quickly as you’ve used one.
The “rolling 3 rule” additionally encourages company to e book their LLMPs (or a minimum of certainly one of them) with as early of a return time as potential, because it’s primarily a race in opposition to the clock to unlock the 4th (and many others.) choices and begin making subsequent choices. If you happen to sleep in–and even would like afternoon return instances from a strategic perspective–your probabilities of scoring worthwhile Lightning Lanes with the 4th and later picks decreases dramatically.
…The Reverse of Arriving Late, I Guess? – With that stated, in the event you aren’t sleeping in, you arguably don’t want Lightning Lane Multi Move as a lot as a result of you possibly can knock out rides by way of standby strains whereas they’re nonetheless brief very first thing within the morning.
It’s ironic that LLMP primarily incentivizes visitor conduct that’s principally self-defeating. Belief me, in my testing I’ve repeatedly discovered myself cringing on the return instances I selected. I used to be skipping comparatively manageable standby instances, however my need to maintain the ball shifting on the “rolling 3 rule” roughly necessitated that. It’s a fragile dance, and there’s a candy spot to this–as you don’t wish to burn your the very best Lightning Lanes at instances after they’re completely pointless and gained’t prevent any time.
You’ve gotta hand it to Walt Disney World, as that is virtually a bit devious. They’ve created a system that may enhance visitor satisfaction, thanks partly to the phantasm of getting saved time by way of line-skipping. However actually, it was the visitor’s personal hustle that saved them the majority of that point.
Longer Journeys – This one might be pretty self evident. If you happen to’re taking an extended journey, you’ve extra time to expertise each attraction with out resorting to Lightning Lane Multi Move. Conversely, shopping for LLMP daily of a lengthier trip will value you extra cash than doing the identical on a shorter journey.
I say this ought to be self-evident as a result of that is exactly how Disney’s CFO described Lightning Lanes a few years in the past, commenting that some individuals have extra time and others have extra money. She didn’t put it in as delicate of phrases, however she was appropriate–and it was controversial amongst many Disney followers. The underside line is you could optimize for time or cash, nevertheless it’s tough to have it each methods.
At Animal Kingdom, If Arriving Early or Leaving Late – It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of shopping for Lightning Lane Multi Move at Animal Kingdom. However, it’s potential to attain Lightning Lanes for Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, and extra–and save hours in line in consequence. On busier days, even the stage present Lightning Lanes can have worth.
Nevertheless, this nonetheless solely applies (more often than not) in case your plan is to roll as much as Animal Kingdom after 9 am and depart earlier than 4 pm on reasonably busy or worse days. If you happen to’re arriving for Early Entry or within the mid-afternoon, you possibly can knock out most of the park by way of standby strains. See Animal Kingdom Park Opening & Early Entry Journey Technique and Animal Kingdom Afternoon Arrival Technique for a runthrough of these approaches.
If you happen to’re as an alternative displaying up a bit late and want to depart early, Lightning Lane Multi Move at Animal Kingdom will be advantageous. We’d nonetheless strongly suggest not doing solely the height hours of the day within the park. Not solely is it when crowds are worst, nevertheless it’s additionally when the park is hottest and least comfy. However that is how most individuals method the park–and LLMP can work for them.
Tech-Free Journey – Fortunately, this criticism has been minimized with the change from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi-Move, since now you can e book 3 trip reservations prematurely. In that sense, it’s identical to FastPass+ (however paid). However, it’s nonetheless arguably a problem. An overblown one, for my part, nevertheless it does nonetheless exist to some extent.
Positive, you can spend all day together with your head buried in your cellphone enjoying the refresh sport or making an attempt to time Lightning Lane drops. However that’s not needed to make use of the LLMP system to most of its potential. Personally, my casual “rule” is just enjoying the refresh sport whereas I’m within the Lightning Lane return line, making an attempt to e book my subsequent choice. Merely opting out of the compulsion to verify for “higher” instances and trip reservations will dramatically scale back your display time, and your expertise will nonetheless be good.
However, I can empathize with the spirit of the criticism. That’s as a result of Walt Disney World has leaned so closely into know-how and in-app options within the final a number of years, the totality of which do roughly necessitate display time. It’s nonetheless potential to go tech-free, however you’re unquestionably at a drawback when not Cell Ordering, becoming a member of digital queues, and many others. If you wish to scale back your display time, it thus is sensible to not buy the LLMP.
Spontaneity is Vital – Lengthy earlier than Lightning Lanes have been a twinkle within the eyes of their father, Bob Chapek, we wrote a ‘warning’ about Being Spontaneous at Walt Disney World. Half rant, half recommendation, half cautionary story about taking the steerage on blogs like this one too critically, it principally espoused our private method to doing Walt Disney World.
I’ll be sincere with you: Genie+ labored higher for us than Lightning Lane Multi Move. I liked the way in which Walt Disney World scaled again on pre-planning post-pandemic, as I had zero need in any respect to plan the place I’d eat 6 months prematurely or what I’d trip 2 months forward of time. To me, that’s craziness. The antithesis of what it means to trip. However I digress.
Level being, with Lightning Lane Multi Move, you’re seemingly making trip reservations wherever between 3 days and 21 days prematurely. If you happen to wish to take a extra relaxed method or flow, this may be at odds with the way you do Disney. So lots of our plans are knowledgeable by the earlier days’ successes or failures, climate, and our whims. Lightning Lane Multi Move runs counter to a lot of that, and we’re unlikely to make use of it as typically (for enjoyable) in consequence.
Eligible for Early Entry – Too many Walt Disney World guests underestimate Early Entry. Many don’t use it in any respect, dismissing it as “solely” half-hour and thus not well worth the time.
To make certain, Early Entry is just not that nice at Magic Kingdom–a minimum of, not till TRON Lightcycle Run (inevitably) joins the trip roster. That’s the one park the place Lightning Lane Multi Move makes probably the most sense and common rope drop is simply pretty much as good as Early Entry. Nevertheless, at 2 of the 4 parks, Early Entry is superb. (At EPCOT, it’s solely okay till Check Monitor reopens or Cosmic Rewind ditches the VQ.)
Between it and common rope drop, you possibly can typically accomplish and save extra time than a whole day with Lightning Lanes, and with out spending any extra cash. We simply overhauled our step-by-step methods for Early Entry and park opening, which you could find by way of our Information to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.
At EPCOT, Often – On much less busy days, Lightning Lane Multi Move is just not actually essential to effectively expertise EPCOT’s headliners. On busier days, there isn’t sufficient Lightning Lane stock to attain trip reservations for greater than 2 of the headliners. Once more, that is exacerbated by the Check Monitor reimagining.
Compounding issues is the format of EPCOT. If enjoying Theme Park Tycoon with the aim of maximizing strolling distances, for who is aware of what motive, you’d drop EPCOT’s marquee sights precisely the place they’re. This isn’t an enormous deal whenever you’re taking a linear method to the park, however it could possibly grow to be a severe situation with Lightning Lane return instances, which may necessitate appreciable criss-crossing and backtracking.
Relying upon your strolling velocity and precise wait instances, you may really waste extra time with Lightning Lane Multi Move than it’s value at EPCOT. That is very a lot a ‘your mileage might differ’ factor–each actually and figuratively–so we’re far much less inclined to write down off LLMP throughout the board at EPCOT. That is particularly the case now that per-park pricing typically places EPCOT at underneath $20, which could make it “value it” to you in some circumstances.
Capable of Keep Late – Lightning Lane Multi Move is just not needed in the event you keep late at Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, at minimal. Each parks filter out considerably within the night hours, particularly in reasonable or decrease crowd ranges.
This doesn’t work fairly as effectively at EPCOT or Magic Kingdom, however wait instances do drop within the night hours at each. That’s particularly the case within the entrance half of EPCOT forward of Luminous, and as many company begin staking out spots for the Fortunately Ever After fireworks at Magic Kingdom. By the final half-hour of the evening, precise wait instances are minimal. (Posted wait instances for headliners are often massively–and purposefully–inflated to discourage company from leaping in line on the final minute.)
Eligible for Prolonged Night Hours – That is like the very best of each staying late and Early Entry, a longer-lasting on-site perk for an much more choose viewers. Prolonged Night Hours final 2 hours (versus half-hour) and provide an opportunity to just about run the desk on the most well-liked sights at EPCOT or Magic Kingdom (…or Hollywood Studios/Animal Kingdom throughout Celebration Season).
Until you wish to repeat favourite sights, it’s pointless to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Move in the event you’re making the most of Prolonged Night Hours. That is quicker and simpler, whereas additionally being extra enjoyable and environment friendly. See our Information to Prolonged Night Hours for technique and different information.
Peak Pricing – We’ve but to see this firsthand with Lightning Lane Multi Move because it hasn’t had any peak season dates but, nevertheless it stands to motive that this shall be just like its predecessor. Principally, as soon as the service breaks the $30 threshold, which means heavy crowds. The (slightly costly) lesson loads of company be taught from these days is that demand for Lightning Lanes is highest when costs are highest, which implies much less trip reservation stock and likewise longer Lightning Lane return strains.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and even Animal Kingdom, the Lightning Lane system reaches a breaking level in heavy crowds, and there’s not sufficient trip reservation stock to fulfill demand. This implies you gained’t be capable of rating various worthwhile Lightning Lanes. The superb information with the change to Lightning Lane Multi Move is that you simply’ll be capable of lock-in 3 choices prematurely, or know that there aren’t good choices and can purchase or skip on that foundation. That is not like Genie, whenever you have been principally shopping for blind and hoping for the very best.
Although this can be a checklist of circumstances when it is best to skip the LLMP service, we’re not essentially saying that about this situation. Reasonably, that it is best to regulate your expectations. A number of planners count on Lightning Lanes to be the proper or solely “technique” needed. If you happen to’re visiting peak vacation weeks, that is unfaithful. These are Lightning Lane and ___ conditions. Whether or not that clean be arriving early, staying late, or having an aggressive standby technique is as much as you. Simply don’t merely depend on Lightning Lane Multi Move as your silver bullet to chop by means of crowds. It gained’t be.
Our recommendation throughout peak season could be to purchase (or not) primarily based in your preliminary 3 pre-arrival Lightning Lanes and having zero expectations for 4th and subsequent choices. If you happen to’re happy with the worth provided by these first 3 picks, purchase it. If not, don’t. However don’t assume you’ll rating something worthwhile same-day after redeeming these. Take into account something over and above that icing on the cake.
Off-Season Pricing – The reverse of the above can also be true, for exactly the identical motive. Demand is highest when costs are highest, and demand is lowest when costs are lowest. That’s as a result of, fairly merely, Lightning Lane Multi Move is just not all that needed on sluggish days.
On crowd degree 1/10 to three/10 days, Lightning Lane Multi Move gained’t prevent a lot time over savvy technique or an environment friendly Walt Disney World itinerary. You’ll be able to plan your journey round today by consulting Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars…or take a look at the worth of LLMP on the day of your go to, to see if it’s underneath $20 at Animal Kingdom or EPCOT. If that’s the case, that’s a robust signal (however not fairly conclusive) that Walt Disney World is forecasting a slower day.
I’ve tried at subject testing Lightning Lane Multi Move at cheaper price factors…and failed. It simply hasn’t been needed and didn’t allow me to perform something I couldn’t have by way of standby when working throughout the established parameters of how Lightning Lane Multi Move works greatest (arriving and redeeming early, however not too early).
The corollary to those final two entries is that the “candy spot” for purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Move is on reasonably busy days. Our testing has persistently discovered that to be when line-skipping is most helpful for Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (And to a lesser extent, EPCOT.)
In the end, that’s our perspective on when to skip Lightning Lane MultiPass at Walt Disney World. Even with all of this stated, it’s value reiterating that these aren’t onerous and quick guidelines, and also you may wish to ignore our suggestions and purchase LLMP in borderline situations, or add your individual ‘must-skip’ situations. There isn’t a such factor as one-size-fits-all recommendation for Walt Disney World.
At its greatest, LLMP can free time for slowing down and savoring the parks. At its worst, Lightning Lanes feed into company’ worst impulses to go go go, beholden to a strict schedule of doing rides “guidelines fashion” and never stopping to odor the roses or recognize the opposite ways in which Walt Disney World is a premium theme park expertise. As with all journey planning recommendation, even this can be a ‘YMMV’ factor the place LLMP will empower some company to have a extra relaxed day whereas burdening others with stress.
If in case you have questions in regards to the fundamentals of utilizing–or not utilizing–the paid FastPass service, see our Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World for the entire foundational need-to-know information of each LLMP and LLSP. This entire system is complicated and convoluted, so that you might need a query or two-dozen. That solutions the entire most typical ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part you might want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider skipping Lightning Lane Multi-Move at Walt Disney World? Are there days whenever you don’t really feel the necessity to use line-skipping, or is it at all times a must-buy in your trip days within the parks? Some other issues we did not take into consideration or missed/obtained fallacious? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
