6 BIG Changes with the New Lightning Lane Service Coming Soon to Disney World

Disney recently announced that it would be overhauling and renaming its paid skip-the-line service, which has been offered since October 2021. The service has been mostly unpopular from the start, confusing to understand, and challenging to use. Disney has been listening to feedback and has significantly changed the service. The new program begins July 24, 2024, and there are some significant changes to be aware of. Keep reading to learn about the six big changes to the new Lightning Lane service at Disney World.

1 – Simpler Names

One thing we heard over and over again was how confusing the original program was. Disney Genie is a complimentary planning service. Disney Genie+ is a paid service that allows you access to an attraction’s Lightning Lane, but not all of them. An Individual Lightning Lane was necessary for the most popular attractions and didn’t come with Genie+. The first change you’ll notice is that while the basics are the same, the names are much more straightforward and more intuitive. With the new program, Genie+ will now become Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and Individual Lightning Lane will now be Lightning Lane Single Pass. These names make it more obvious that one provides access to multiple attractions, and one provides access to a single attraction.

2 – Booking Ahead of Time

The single biggest complaint we’ve heard about the original service was the inability to plan ahead like FastPass+. The service currently only allows you to purchase the day of, and you need to book at 7:00 am. That meant someone had to get up early every single day of their vacation to book their initial three selections for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes. That person never gets to sleep in, and you never know what you are going to get. Now, beginning July 24, guests will be able to purchase Lightning Lanes days in advance. We love this because now, just like the FastPass days, you will know that you’ll have at least three selections for attractions before your visit. Additionally, you can now make plans for multiple days, all on the same day, which no longer means that you have to get up early to book at 7:00 am every single day of your visit!

3 – Advanced Booking for Disney Resort Guests

There have always been perks to staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, and another compelling perk has been added. Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel or other select hotels can purchase Lightning Lanes passes and choose experiences and arrival windows, starting seven days before the first day of their Resort stay, for their length of stay (up to 14 days). All other guests can book three days in advance. This means resort guests will have a four (and more) day advance jump on booking those hard-to-get attractions with Multi Pass. We almost always recommend staying on property because of all the fantastic benefits. If booking certain attractions is high on your list, then you’ll want to seriously consider staying at a Disney Resort hotel.

4 – Advanced Pricing Will be Available

Currently, pricing is only available on the day you purchase it. You can’t see the price days or months in advance. Beginning July 24, 2024, you’ll be able to view prices in the My Disney Experience app. This will help planning for your vacation budget.

5 – Meet and Greets and Other Experiences Have Been Removed

It’s important to know that other changes have been implemented. First, character meet and greets, access to the Festival of Fantasy Parade and Enchanted Tales with Belle at Magic Kingdom, and The Animation Experience at Conservation Station in Disney’s Animal Kingdom have been removed from the attraction lineup for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. These used to be a part of Genie+ but are no longer being included.

6 – You’ll Be Restricted in What Attractions You Can Book

Currently, there are no groupings or tiers when booking Genie+ attractions. However, with the new service, tiers are back, though they are calling them groups. If you’re familiar with FastPass+, you’ll remember that each park had certain tiers for attractions. You’ll only be able to choose one experience from the top tier for your initial three passes. Like FastPass+, after using your initial three Lightning Lane passes guests may book additional passes as availability permits.

We’ve got more coverage on the new Lightning Lane service, including a full guide on how to purchase and book your selections, what attractions are included with Multi Pass and Single Pass, and more! Stay tuned!