Updating Some Bad Lightning Lane Advice

I’ll lead with an apology. Previously, I gave you some Lightning Lane advice I considered quite good at the time.

Having recently tried my own advice under the new Lightning Lane system, I quickly identified several flaws.

Photo: Disney

In short, I’m updating some bad Lightning Lane advice I gave you to help make your next park visit even better.

Tiers Create Problems

Lightning Lane

Okay, I only got this advice wrong at two parks, but it’s an important enough oversight that I’m leading with this correction.

Basically, when I’ve written previous how-to articles regarding Lightning Lane Multi Pass, I’ve overlooked a problem.

Hollywood Studios entrance

At Walt Disney World, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT employ tiered Lightning Lane systems.

In reviewing my old notes, I’ve dramatically undersold how significant a factor the tiering is.

Photo: Disney

Obviously, we all know that you should book your Lightning Lane Multi Passes – which I’ll call Lightning Lanes – ahead of time.

When you stay at an official Disney resort – and you always should! – you can book up to a week in advance.

Photo: Disney

That’s a vital competitive advantage in that most of the attractions listed in the top tier sell out before the date of the park visit.

Now, Disney either adds inventory or enough cancellations occur that you’ll often find more options while you’re at the park.

Slinky Dog Dash

Still, the reality is that when you miss out on something like Slinky Dog Dash, you’d need a miracle to get it back later.

So, that leads to errors in judgment during the early booking phase. Please allow me to explain.

The Problem with Tiered Lightning Lanes

Let’s say that you’re visiting Hollywood Studios and hope to ride all its E-ticket attractions.

With Lightning Lane, you can only book one of the following:

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash

Slinky Dog Dash

I suspect the overwhelming majority of fans target Slinky Dog Dash, which typically requires the longest wait at the park.

Since we all know that, we’re happy to book Slinky Dog Dash as a Lightning Lane whenever we can.

Photo: Disney

That’s the mistake I made, and I regretted it. The reason why is that my Lightning Lane return time was 7:30 PM.

In the process, I locked myself out of the top tier of Lightning Lanes until I rode Slinky Dog Dash.

Photo: Disney

That’s the rule with Lightning Lanes when they’re in tiers. You can only book one thing in the top tier at a time.

Once you use your Lightning Lane, you may book another, providing you with additional opportunities to skip the line at Disney’s busiest rides.

Basically, I locked myself out of any chance at a Lightning Lane for Runaway Railway or Smugglers Run during my visit.

That was a totally avoidable mistake, and the explanation for why is pretty simple.

I should have booked a Lightning Lane from the park’s top tier first thing in the morning.

Then, I could have been on the lookout for other Lightning Lanes in that tier throughout the day.

Slinky Dog Dash

Instead, I accidentally took an all-or-nothing approach with Slinky Dog Dash.

The Simple Lightning Lane Fix

Let’s say that you’re visiting EPCOT and are buying Lightning Lane.

Historically, I wouldn’t have recommended that, but there is a LOT of evidence right now that EPCOT is Disney World’s most popular park.

As such, purchasing Lightning Lane here makes more sense at the end of 2024 than it ever has in the past.

EPCOT also employs a tiered Lightning Lane approach, with Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Soarin’ in the top tier.

Frozen Ever After

Generally, there’s a difference of 20-25 minutes between Soarin’ and the other two rides.

So, you should target them with Lightning Lanes. However, since you are paying for Lightning Lane, you really want all three.

Photo: Disney

Thus, your primary target isn’t just Remy or Frozen. You’re also angling to get one of them as early in the park day as possible.

That way, you’ll have the rest of your visit to try to book the others, which is the dream scenario here.

Your success rate will depend on the date of your visit. We were at EPCOT on a couple of 5-6 out of 10 days, and we managed it.

Still, I wouldn’t expect it per se. Instead, this discussion is more about increasing your odds.

Evaluating the Lower Tier

Lightning Lane

Here’s Disney’s dirty secret about the lower-tier rides. At EPCOT, that list includes:

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Spaceship Earth
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Mission: SPACE

Only one of those rides, Mission: SPACE, will have more than a 30-minute wait most of the time.

So, your Lightning Lane becomes a de facto walk-on ride, and a couple of these are pretty much that anyway.

At Hollywood Studios, here are the lower-tier attractions:

• 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™
• Toy Story Mania!

So, that’s a slightly different discussion. Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania often require waits of 45 minutes or more.

On crowded dates, Alien Swirling Saucers might as well. And I’ve reached the point where I believe everyone should experience the Frozen Sing-Along during a visit.

For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

Ergo, your decision-making isn’t quite as cut-and-dried here, but the underlying thought remains.

You can experience most of these attractions without standing in line for an extended period.

Tower of Terror

As such, you should prioritize certain Lightning Lanes as your hard targets.

What Are the Hard Targets in the Lower Tiers?

Lightning Lane

So, here’s where I’m going this entire conversation. You want to use your Lightning Lanes for the most valuable real estate.

Disney hands you “skip the long line” chips, and you should use them at the longest lines.

Long Lines at Spaceship Earth in EPCOT

Since you have that top-tier limit of one attraction, you want to accomplish two goals.

The first is to make sure that your top-tier attraction reservation is happening soon.

Entrance to Magic Kingdom

That way, you’ll have more time to try to book others. Now, you may not be successful, but it’s easy to improvise in such scenarios.

You can quickly book a near-immediate lower-tier Lightning Lane, do that experience, and then start your search anew.

Toy Story Mania

In terms of hard targets, here are the lower-tier Lightning Lanes that provide you with the most time savings:

• Mission: SPACE
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania!

Photo: Disney

Others to consider, depending on the crowd size during your park visit are:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Living with the Land
• Spaceship Earth
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue!

There’s a hidden benefit to the Frozen Lightning Lane. You’ll sit in the middle, providing you the best possible view of the presentation!

All the other Lightning Lane attractions in the lower-tier are nearly walk-on anyway. So, they don’t help you much.

Photo: Disney

Overall, I hope I’ve clarified my mistake and provided you with a better strategy in maximizing the value of your Lightning Lane purchase!

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