How Does the New Disney FastPass Work?

Are you planning a trip to a Disney park, but the thought of spending a big chunk of your precious time waiting in line makes you second guess going altogether?

Happily, there’s a tool to add a little magic to your Disney vacation and help you bypass those long queues for attractions. Over the years, the free Disney World FastPass evolved into various paid line-skipping programs, like Genie+ and now Lightning Lane passes to give guests more control and flexibility over their visit.

Take a look at how you can skip the lines with the latest Disney FastPass alternative and learn how much it’s going to add to your Disney vacation budget.

Disneyland and Disney World FastPass is now called Lightning Lane Pass

Historically, Disney offered a free FastPass option to skip the line at select rides by making an advance reservation with your park ticket. Disney retired that free option years ago.

The latest Disney FastPass iteration is a paid program called “Lightning Lane” with two distinct options: the Lightning Lane Single Pass and the Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Here’s how Disney's "new FastPass" system works, how much Lightning Lane passes cost and their eligible attractions.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Lightning Lane Multi Pass directly replaces Disney’s former Genie+ program.

With a Multi Pass, you can select three experiences and your preferred arrival window in advance before entering the park through the Disney app. Park Hoppers who are visiting multiple Disney parks in a single day can select up to three total experiences across parks.

After redeeming a Lightning Lane request — or after two hours has passed since making a selection — you can choose another Multi Pass attraction so you have three experiences at any given time, subject to availability.

To buy any LIghtning Lane Pass, you must have a valid park admission and a theme park reservation. This add-on option starts at $32 per ticket, per day. Pricing varies based on your visit date and is also subject to availability.

This pass option also includes unlimited Disney photoPass downloads from your day, and access to augmented-reality Disney PhotoPass Lenses.

Disneyland Lightning Lane Multi Pass Attractions

Disney World Multi Pass Attractions

» Learn more: How to go to Disney World for cheap

Lightning Lane Single Pass

The Lightning Lane Single Pass is a one-time fastpass that lets you bypass the standby line for a popular attraction that isn’t available through the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Single Pass prices vary based on your chosen attraction and visit date, and availability varies.

Visitors must have a valid admission ticket and park reservation and can buy up to two single passes per day.

Lightning Lane Single Pass: Eligible attractions

Disneyland

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Disney California Adventure

• Radiator Springs Racers.

Magic Kingdom

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

• TRON Lightcycle/Run.

Epcot

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage.

When to buy Lightning Lane fast passes

When you can purchase your Lightning Lane Multi Pass depends on the Disney resort you’re visiting.

For Disneyland Resort guests, you can buy a Lightning Lane Multi Pass in advance when you purchase your admission ticket, or through the Disneyland app upon entering the park on the day of your reservation. The option to add a Multi Pass to an existing ticket might also be possible. Disneyland theme park visitors can buy a Lightning Lane Single Pass upon entering their reserved theme park.

At Disney World, guests who are staying at an eligible resort hotel can purchase a Multi Pass or Single Pass up to seven days ahead of time. Otherwise, guests can purchase a Multi Pass up to three days in advance of their visit.

Getting a Disney FastPass: Are new Lightning Lane Passes worth it?

If you want to reduce as much time waiting in standby lines as possible, buying both a Lightning Lane Multi Pass and a Lightning Lane Single Pass will help you maximize your time (if your budget allows for both).

After all, the wait times for popular rides like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train can be well over an hour. Weigh the cost of Lightning Lane Passes for your entire group against the estimated wait time to decide if it's worth it for you.

What makes your decision even more complicated is the fact that Disney's new FastPass system cost isn’t fixed, so it might be higher or lower based on which pass you choose and when you’re at a park.

If you’re spending multiple days at the parks, you don’t have to cram your schedule with back-to-back attractions from open to close. With a multi-day ticket, you can spread out your to-do list and increase your chances of getting on the popular rides without a Lightning Lane Pass.

Consider purchasing Lightning Lane Passes when you don’t have much time at the parks, the wait times are longer than 60 minutes and when the cost isn’t at peak pricing. Otherwise, just keep swimming.

(Top photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort)