Fast pass. Genie+. Lightning Lane. Single pass. Multi pass. In the last few years, Disneyland’s “cut the line” system has changed a lot – both in name and in practice. The ever-changing system can be super confusing, especially if you’re not a frequent park visitor. So let’s take a moment to go through exactly what the system is now and what options you have to choose from during your trip.
WHAT IS LIGHTNING LANE?
Lightning Lane is Disneyland’s “front of the line” pass, widely known by its previous name of “fast pass”. with a Lightning Lane, you enter an attraction in a separate line from standby, theoretically much shorter and giving you the chance to ride more rides during your visit. But unlike its predecessor, Lightning Lane is not free. Prices seem to vary a bit – and there are three separate systems you can purchase within the Lightning Lane umbrella: single pass, multi pass, and premier pass.
LIGHTNING LANE SINGLE PASS: ONE PASS, ONE POPULAR RIDE
A single pass is a Lightning Lane for an extremely popular ride. As of writing this post in August 2024, there are two attractions within this category: Rise of the Resistance (in Galaxy’s Edge) and Radiator Springs Racers (in Cars Land). You can purchase one single pass for each of these two attractions per day, as soon as you are officially past the park gates. These two attractions are NOT available as part of the multi pass system (which we’ll talk about next), so the single pass is the only way to skip the standby line for these attractions.
LIGHTNING LANE MULTI PASS: THE NEW “FAST PASS” SYSTEM
Multi pass is the closest to the former fast pass system. You can hold one Lightning Lane at a time, and then select your next attraction once you’ve used up your selection or two hours have passed, whichever comes first. In the Disneyland app, you’ll see the options for available attractions and the next time window you can choose from. As an added perk, the multi pass also includes unlimited digital downloads of photos taken by Disneyland photographers throughout your visit.
LIGHTNING LANE PREMIER PASS: COMBINE THE TWO AND SKIP THE WINDOW SELECTION
And finally, there is premier pass. With this pass, you can access all single and multi pass attraction offers once per day each, and don’t have to deal with selecting entry windows or wait time to redeem your next one. Instead, this functions largely like the “multi experience” replacement you get when an attraction goes down. You can visit an attraction on the list anytime you want to redeem that Lightning Lane.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For more information about Lightning Lane, check out the official page here.