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Table of Contents
  1. Lightning Lane at Disneyland
  2. What is Lightning Lane?
  3. How much does Lightning Lane cost?
  4. How do I buy Lightning Lane?
  5. Can I upgrade my tickets to pre-purchase Lightning Lane?
  6. Can I pre-purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass?
  7. Do I HAVE to buy Lightning Lane to ride anything on my vacation?
  8. Do I need Lightning Lane for everyone in my party or can we share?
  9. Will Lightning Lane sell out?
  10. What attractions are included with Lightning Lane?
  11. How do I use Lightning Lane?
  12. Can I book a Lightning Lane selection for Disneyland if I’m in Disney California Adventure and vice versa?
  13. Do I have to have a Park Hopper to have Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
  14. Can I have more than one Lightning Lane at a time?
  15. How long will I have to wait in line with Lightning Lane?
  16. What about the Lightning Lane Premier Pass?
  17. Adding Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass to Your Package
Disneyland Resort
Our Best Lightning Lane Tips for Disneyland
November 26, 2024
20 Comments
Learn everything you need to know about Lightning Lane - now at the Disneyland Resort!

Lightning Lane at Disneyland

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024. There is SO much to learn about visiting Disneyland right now and Lightning Lane is at the top of that list. Because things change on a regular basis it can be hard to keep up! But, that’s where we come in.

We’re covering everything you need to know about Lightning Lane (the Genie+ and FastPass replacement) Disneyland Resort. Our team uses Lightning Lane Multi Pass on nearly every visit and we are here to share everything we know with you!

Get Away Today Cheat Sheet
  1. Lightning Lane is available for pre-purchase with your Get Away Today tickets.
  2. Day-of Disneyland Lightning Lane price varies by date, and will only be shown on the day-of in the Disneyland app.
  3. Disneyland Lightning Lane selections can begin as soon as your tickets are activated at the turnstiles. Make selections via the Disneyland app.
Book Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets with Lightning Lane
Book Disneyland 1-Park per Day Tickets with Lightning Lane

What is Lightning Lane?

Disney introduced Genie at Disneyland Resort on December 8, 2021. But in 2024, that name was replaced by Lightning Lane.

Here is a brief definition of each of these new terms:

  • Lightning Lane Multi Pass; A paid service that gives you access to Lightning Lanes for select attractions (one attraction at a time, based on availability) and unlimited PhotoPass+ downloads.
  • Lightning Lane Single Pass: Formerly known as Individual Lightning Lane, this is an alternative to stand-by queues with expedited access to one specific attraction.

How much does Lightning Lane cost?

Lightning Lane is $32 per person per day when you pre-purchase it with your Disneyland tickets. Otherwise, you can purchase after you scan into the parks each day where it is demand-based pricing and will fluctuate.

Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass includes access for approximately 20 attractions. If you did all the Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions in a day, which is totally possible, that breaks down to around $1.60 or so per attraction to access the Lightning Lane entrance.

How much does Lightning Lane Single Pass cost?

Lightning Lane Single Pass selections are dynamic and prices can vary depending on demand for the attraction. Only select attractions offer Lightning Lane Single Pass. You can expect to pay approximately $10-$30 per person per attraction

Do I need to purchase both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass?

You can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass AND/OR purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Passes per day. You don't have to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass, or vice versa. They are considered separate from each other and are not tied together.
Disneyland Main Street Railroad Station with Disneyland sign and colorful banners

How do I buy Lightning Lane?

There are two ways you can purchase Lightning Lane:

First, you can pre-purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass as part of your Disneyland ticket. By pre-purchasing, you will have the service for each day of your ticket. For example, to upgrade a 3-Day Disneyland ticket to include Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you’ll pay an additional $96 ($32/day) and have Lightning Lane Multi Pass available all three days of your trip.

There are two main benefits of pre-purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass:

  1. Locking in the $32/day per ticket price instead of being subject to dynamic pricing.
  2. Convenience of already having it loaded onto your Disneyland tickets. Once you’re in the Parks, you’re ready to go and start making your first Lightning Lane selection.

You can also purchase Lightning Lane through the Disneyland app. When purchasing on the app, you are limited to buying one day at a time. Additionally, you must wait until you are physically at the parks to make the purchase.

To purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and make your first Lightning Lane selection, park officials must scan you into the park. You’ll have more flexibility this way, however, just be aware that once you use Lightning Lane, it will be hard to go back to not having Lightning Lane. Because of that, we recommend pre-purchasing your Lightning Lane Multi Pass tickets through Get Away Today.

Can I upgrade my tickets to pre-purchase Lightning Lane?

If you bought tickets from Get Away Today, you can add Lightning Lane Multi Pass to your tickets. However, there are a few important things to consider.

If you already have your tickets and have made theme park reservations, in order to upgrade you will need to modify your current theme park reservations. Because of this, we recommend checking theme park availability before upgrading your tickets to include Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Once you’ve made sure your dates are still available, give us a quick call at 855-GET-AWAY and we’ll be happy to make the change. If your dates are not available, you can add Lightning Lane Multi Pass to your tickets one day at a time once you’re in the parks and it will NOT affect your theme park reservations.

Can I pre-purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass?

No, Lightning Lane Single Pass can only be purchased day of through the app and prices will vary. You’ll be able to see the price for your desired attraction the day you visit the park, but they will typically be anywhere from $10-$30 per person per attraction.
Book Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets with Lightning Lane
Book Disneyland 1-Park per Day Tickets with Lightning Lane

Do I HAVE to buy Lightning Lane to ride anything on my vacation?

Absolutely not. Standby queues will always be available to guests, and many rides don’t have Lightning Lanes available. It’s also important to note that even guests who purchase Lightning Lane will also use standby lines at times. We always recommend checking the official Disneyland app for wait times.

There are also other ways to save time in lines. Rider swap and DAS (Disability Access Service) are all still available to all who qualify to use those services. Single rider lines may be available at some attractions as well. If you’re traveling with adults or older kids, keep an eye out for this option.

Do I need Lightning Lane for everyone in my party or can we share?

If you only want photo downloads with Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you just need to buy it for one person in your group. Everyone who wants to experience these popular rides will need to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to use the Lightning Lane together.

Children aged two and younger will not need to purchase Lightning Lane because they do not need theme park admission. If their group has purchased Lightning Lane , they will be able to ride any attraction using the Lightning Lane with their group as long as they meet the height requirement.

Keep in mind that most Lighting Lane attractions have height requirements, so if you have any group members that are too short to ride, you can combine Lightning Lane and Rider Swap. Just check in with the Cast Member at the entrance to your Lightning Lane and they will make sure your rider who sits out is able to ride.

**Please know that if you want to combine Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Rider Swap, anyone who is riding will need to have purchased Lightning Lane Multi Pass in order to use the Lightning Lane. Some riders who purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and use Rider Swap will be able to ride twice, but in order to utilize Rider Swap with Lightning Lane Multi Pass, all riders must have purchased Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Will Lightning Lane sell out?

While Lightning Lane does not typically sell out, there are limited amounts of Lightning Lane spots available, so certain attractions may not be available. Like with the old FastPass and MaxPass systems, the earlier you get to the parks and start using your Lightning Lane selections, the more Lightning Lane options you’ll have.

Keep in mind that the PhotoPass downloads will still be available to use throughout your day and do not sell out.

What attractions are included with Lightning Lane?

Lightning Lanes are available at many of the most popular attractions. Here is the list of available Lightning Lanes listed by park:

Disneyland Park
  • Autopia
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
  • Haunted Mansion
  • Indiana Jones Adventure
  • “it's a small world” (Holiday version included during Holidays at the Disneyland Resort)
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds
  • Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
  • Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
  • Space Mountain
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  • Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Tiana's Bayou Adventure

Disney California Adventure Park
  • Goofy's Sky School
  • Grizzly River Run
  • Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! (Monsters After Dark included during Halloween Time)
  • Incredicoaster
  • The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
  • Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
  • Soarin' Around the World
  • Toy Story Midway Mania
  • WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Exterior view of Guardians of the Galaxy ride
Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions at the Disneyland Resort often swap. However, each guest can only purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass selections each day.

Disneyland Park
  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Disney California Adventure Park
  • Radiator Springs Racers

**Please note that Lightning Lane attractions may vary by date, are subject to change, and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time of purchase. Availability can change throughout the day. To learn about any closures or long-term refurbishments, please view details about the attraction on Disneyland's official website or mobile app.**
Radiator Springs Racers sign

How do I use Lightning Lane?

Accessing Lightning Lane is really easy to use, especially if you are familiar with the official Disneyland app. The only way to access Lightning Lane and all of its features is through the app, so once you’re in the app, scroll down to the Lightning Lane section and you’re good to go.

Just be sure that before you travel, you have the most up-to-date version of the Disneyland app already downloaded. You’ll also want to load your credit card to make mobile ordering and potential Lightning Lane purchases super easy.

Make sure all of your tickets are linked and assign one person in your group to be in charge. You’ll also need to turn on your notifications and location services in order for Lightning Lane to work to its best ability.

Once you’ve accessed Lightning Lane, you’ll see all available Lighting Lane attractions and return times. You can select one at a time. The person in charge can make selections for everyone in the group. If you have some people that want to split up, you can make attraction selections for each member of your party. This way your group can have different plans, but keep everything organized.

Genie list view in the Disneyland App

Can I book a Lightning Lane selection for Disneyland if I’m in Disney California Adventure and vice versa?

If you have a Park Hopper ticket, then YES! You can make Lightning Lane reservations for another park. Park Hopping is allowed beginning at 11:00 am, so just be sure that your attraction return time is at 11:00 am or later if it is in the park other than the one you started your day in. If you select a Lightning Lane in the other park, it must be for a return time of 11:00 am or later depending on availability.
Lightning Lane selection QR code.

Do I have to have a Park Hopper to have Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

You can add Lightning Lane Multi Pass service to either a Park Hopper or a 1-Park per Day ticket, however we strongly recommend buying a Park Hopper ticket so that you have the most flexibility with your ticket. This is especially true if you are starting the day in Disney California Adventure Park.

There are several Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions with Lightning Lane access inside Disney California Adventure Park, and it’s pretty easy to get through all of them in a morning with the new service. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, beginning at 11:00 am, you can move on to the other 12 attractions available through Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Disneyland Park. You can get so much more done with a Park Hopper!

Can I have more than one Lightning Lane at a time?

Yes… and no. Lightning Lane selections are intended to be available one at a time, however there are three exceptions to this.

First, Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions are not tied to the Lightning Lane Single Pass selections.

Second, much like Disneyland’s previous FastPass and MaxPass systems, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will allow you to make a new reservation after you’ve redeemed your active reservation OR two hours after you’ve made your selection. For example, if it is 10:00 am and the next available time for Space Mountain is 2:00 pm, you could select Space Mountain for a 2:00 pm return and you’d be able to select another Lightning Lane Multi Pass at 12:00 pm. You will NOT have to wait until 2:00 pm to make your next selection. The Disneyland app will tell you when you can make your next selection, so pay attention to that and consider setting an alarm, so you don’t miss the opportunity to book your next one ASAP.

Third is our favorite, and most flexible exception: Multiple Experiences. These happen if an attraction you have a Lightning Lane Multi Pass return time for goes down at any time during that window. Those reservations become “Multiple Experiences” that you can use for most attractions at any time during your day. You are able to hold as many “Multiple Experiences” you get (again, the attraction you’re hoping to ride has to go down temporarily in order to get one), PLUS whatever active Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservation you make. Only certain attractions allow Multiple Experiences, so be sure to see what attractions you can use your Multiple Experience on.
Outside Millennium Falcon ride at Disneyland.

How long will I have to wait in line with Lightning Lane?

Lightning Lanes are intended to have much shorter wait times. While you won’t skip the line entirely, we typically wait 5-15 minutes per ride that has stand-by lines of 40-60 minute waits. There will however, always be exceptions to this. For example, if a ride experiences some down time during the day waits are often longer as a result of demand build up.

What about the Lightning Lane Premier Pass?

The Lightning Lane Premier Pass debuted in late 2024 and is an option in place of both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. The cost starts at $300 per person, per day and can be added on through the Disneyland app as early as 2 days before your trip.

It allows you to use the Lightning Lane queue once per ride without scheduling a return time. You can arrive whenever you'd like as long as the ride is operating. PhotoPass is also included.

Adding Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass to Your Package

If you’d like to add Lightning Lane Multi Pass to your vacation package or Disneyland tickets, we’d love to help. These tickets are available to purchase at getawaytoday.com. And of course, when you purchase your tickets with Get Away Today, you’ll always get a savings off the gate price and have flexible options. Theme park reservations are required and can be made 180 days in advance. If you’re planning to visit the parks past the 180 day mark, we’ll send you a reminder when it’s time to make your theme park reservations.

We can’t wait to help you plan your Disneyland vacation!

Book Disneyland Resort Tickets with Lightning Lane
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Lightning Lane at Disneyland

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20 Comments

Get Away TodayDecember 04 2024

That is a great question! There is typically a grace period of 5 minutes before your Lightning Lane start time and 15 minutes after your time slot has ended. We hope that helps!

AnonymousNovember 28 2024

How long do we have to use it before the ride time expires? Example we get a pass from 12-1230 but we don’t get to the ride til after that time is it automatically canceled?

Get Away TodayOctober 10 2024

Hi Sam, that is a great question! The Lightning Lane Single Pass are for rides that are not included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. For example, Radiator Springs Racers is not included in the Multi Pass, so guests may prefer to purchase a Single Pass for the ride in order to bypass the regular queue.

SamOctober 09 2024

Hello. I'm super confused as to why I might want to purchase a lightning lane single pass if I have purchased the lighting lane for the day.

Get Away TodayJune 05 2023

Hi Lili! Thanks for your questions! Disney Genie+ is the service you use to make your Lightning Lane reservations. There are Lightning Lanes that are included with the purchase of Genie+ and then you can pay for additional Lightning Lanes that are not included in Genie+. If you have more questions, please feel free to call our agents at 855-GET-AWAY and they would be happy to assist!

LiliMay 29 2023

Hi! I am a but confused about the lightning lane. So I am understanding we can combine Gene+ and if the attraction offers Lighting lane, both an be used? So lighting lane is to speed up wait time too? That's what I'm confused about. I am taking a 6yr old, 9 and 12 and two seniors. I want to make sure all enjoy this day. I'm reading and I am a little overwhelmed as it will be our first time to this Park. We are planning to get Gene+ for all and Park hopper. Thanks.

Get Away TodayDecember 23 2022

Hi Ashley! Once you are scanned into the Park, you will be able to access Genie+ to make your Lightning Lane reservations.

AshleyDecember 23 2022

I have purchased 1 day per park tickets and it came with genie + included. I don't see anything on the app that shows I have genie +. Is there some way I need to activate it before I can use it?

Get Away TodayMarch 23 2022

Hi Elena! If there are reservations for your dates available still, please give us a call and we would be happy to help you upgrade those tickets! If reservations are sold out over your dates, then you'll want to add it on at the Park. If possible, we recommend upgrading before hand so it's one less thing to worry about at the Parks. :)

Elena PrunedaMarch 21 2022

I have park tickets purchased already, how can I add the geni plus? Do I have to call or can I purchase at the park?

Get Away TodayFebruary 10 2022

Hi Karah! Yes, that is correct. The Lightning Lane for those three rides are only available through Individual Lightning Lane selections at an additional cost. Thanks for clarifying!

KarahJanuary 19 2022

Can I confirm with you, after reading this very helpful article, that the Disney Genie + does NOT include the lighting lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Radiator Springs Racers, and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure? You can only utilize the lightning lane on those three rides if you purchase them individually?

Get Away TodayDecember 15 2021

Hi there! If your trip is further in advance when Park reservations are still available, you can give us a call at 855-GET-AWAY and we can help you upgrade your tickets over the phone. If your trip is coming up soon, or you don't want to receive new ticket numbers, we recommend adding on Genie+ each morning when you are at the Parks.

AnonymousDecember 14 2021

How do I add genie+ to an order I made before genie+ was released?

Get Away TodayDecember 13 2021

Hi! You are able to add on Genie+ at the ticket option portion of building your package. You can also give us a call at 855-GET-AWAY and an agent would love to help you over the phone.

AnonymousDecember 08 2021

Trying to book my trip right now but don't see genie + as an option to add to my ticket. How do I add it on?

Get Away TodayDecember 07 2021

Hi Anonymous! Magic Key Pass Holders will be able to add Genie+ on each day at the Parks once you are scanned in.

Get Away TodayDecember 07 2021

Hi Amber! You will need to add on Genie+ each morning once you are scanned into the Parks. There is no way to add it on early without changing your ticket numbers/ticket type. Hopefully that helps!

AnonymousDecember 07 2021

Do you know how it will work for magic keyholders?

AmberDecember 06 2021

Do i have to wait until im at the park to buy the Genie + or can i go to the app and add it to my tickets starting on Wednesday. I will be at the park the 26th,27th and the 28th?

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