By Jenna Caron

Disney dropped some BIG NEWS last week that will be impacting your Walt Disney World vacation in a HUGE way! Say adios to Genie+ and hello to Lightning Lane multi pass and Lightning Lane single pass. This has been in the works for quite some time - Disney announced last year that they were looking to make some changes to their "skip the line" system. There were quite a few things that guests disliked about Genie+, including:

• No ability to plan ahead - day of planning required
• Unsure of what you're buying - not able to see what attractions will be available throughout the day
• Having to be on your phone too much
• Getting up at 6:45am (or staying up until midnight the night before) to purchase Genie+ and make your first selection of the day

Disney Genie+ was introduced at Walt Disney World in October 2021. The pricing started out fixed and became dynamic, with Magic Kingdom being the most expensive park to purchase Genie+.

Lightning Lane multi pass and lightning lane single pass will officially come to Walt Disney World on July 24, 2024. Lightning Lane multi pass = Genie+. Lightning Lane single pass = individual Lightning Lane. Clear as mud? Thought so.

Some KEY TAKEAWAYS about new Lightning Lane passes; you will be able to:

• Make Lightning Lane plans BEFORE you arrive for added convenience
• Choose your experiences and times prior to purchasing, so you know what you're getting
• Book Lightning Lane passes for MULTIPLE days, all in a single day

So how will Lightning Lane Passes work?

If you decide to purchase Lightning Lane multi pass - you will be able to choose up to 3 Lightning Lane experiences in one theme park in advance of your visit (each day of your visit, up to 14 days). You will also be able to choose the time for each experience. On the day of your visit, you can book another Lightning Lane experience on the My Disney Experience app once you use your first advance Lightning Lane selection. If you have the park hopper - you will be able to start booking Lightning Lanes in other parks after you use your first Lighting Lane selection in whichever park you're starting at.

Lightning Lane single pass will work almost exactly the same as an individual lightning lane. The only difference, is that instead of purchasing this on the morning of your visit - you will be able to purchase it in advance.

Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel and other select hotels will be able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance (7 days from check-in day), for their entire stay (up to 14 days). You will be able to logon to the My Disney Experience app at 7:00am EST and purchase your Lightning Lane passes. All other guests can plan up to 3 days in advance. 

Guests may purchase a Lightning Lane multi pass, a Lightning Lane single pass or both. The app will also be updated to make it quicker and easier to purchase and plan, with fewer steps and a new option to purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass in one transaction. 

Lightning Lane passes are blending features that guests liked from the previous system FastPass+ as well as Disney Genie+.

Walt Disney World will also be re-introducing "tiers". When you make your Lightning Lane selections in advance - you will be able to choose one tier one attraction and two tier two attractions. Here are the tiers in each theme park:

• Magic Kingdom tier one: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
• Magic Kingdom tier two: The Barnstormer, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world”, Mad Tea Party, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• EPCOT tier one: Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Soarin’ Around the World.
• EPCOT tier two: Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, Journey into Imagination with Figment, Living with the Land, Mission: SPACE, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Spaceship Earth, and Turtle Talk with Crush.
• Hollywood Studios tier one: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, and Slinky Dog Dash.
• Hollywood Studios tier two: Alien Swirling Saucers, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Disney Junior Play & Dance!, For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Muppet*Vision 3D, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania!
• NO TIERS FOR DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM

Lightning Lane multi pass and single pass strategy

It's hard to formulate a strategy on a system that I haven't personally used yet, but fortunately I will be headed to Walt Disney World in August for 2.5 weeks and I will certainly be providing my input on strategy at that time.

One thing I will say is - book what is important for you and your family. I also HIGHLY suggest pairing a Lighting Lane strategy with an effective rope drop strategy. When you rope drop one of the Disney theme parks, you can easily get a tier one attraction off of your list. Maybe even a tier two attraction as well. This can help you plan your Lightning Lane selections in advance, if you know what attractions you're going to rope drop.

It's also worth mentioning that since you can't book your next Lightning Lane until you use your first one, it would be advantageous to book earlier times with your pre-selections so you can keep booking attractions throughout the day.

One thing we can expect from Disney - it will always be changing. When you use an authorized Disney vacation planner like me - I stay up to date on all things Disney so that I can provide you the best information. I will always ensure you're fully equipped with knowledge and ready to enter the parks with confidence. Stay tuned and be sure to subscribe to my blog to be the first to hear what I think about the new Lightning Lane multi pass system, and the strategy that was most effective for me!