How to Stand in Line.
The strategy behind this seemingly mindless activity.
There are a couple ways to stand in line at Disneyland, and there strategies that go along with this seemingly mindless activity. Disneyland is much more simple than Walt Disney World, but it still requires some basic understanding of the Lightning Lane Pass System. This is a very important feature, so make sure you really understand it before starting your adventure! It will enhance your trip and help you skip the lines, but it can be complicated if you do not properly understand. Let’s explore the differences and ways to maximize this service.
Disney Genie
Disney Genie is a complimentary service accessed with the MyDisneyExperience App. This was designed to provide an itinerary in real time as you navigate the parks. It’s claim to fame is to help you maximize wait times, dining, and entertainment show times.
Disney technology uses real time updates to track park activity and make suggestions to maximize your day. You do not have to follow any of these plans, but it is there if you want some tips on your park day.
On the app, you can click “Get Started Now” to customize your preferences on dining, attractions, and entertainment, and Disney Genie will use the Tip Board to suggest a course of action throughout the day. It will even help you stay up to date on character experiences. You do not have to select preferences, but I recommend it so it is not wasting your time directing you to attractions that do not interest you.
You will see wait times as well as Genie+ time slots, and you can even move your favorite attractions to a “favorites” list so you can keep an eye on the things you want to experience most.
Purchase your Lightning Lane Single Pass experience as soon as you enter the theme park. These are only available for Radiator Springs Racers at California Adventure and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland Park. After purchase, you will be assigned a return time. You can purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for a given experience only once per day. If your admission includes Park Hopper, you can purchase Lightning Lane Single Passes for experiences in two different Theme Parks. Additionally, you have the option to purchase Lightning Lane Single Passes with or without purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Park Reservations are required before purchase.
Some attractions utilize the Lightning Lane queue, and you can purchase a pass to allow you to that queue to skip the lines. You will be given a specified return window, once per experience, per day. You can purchase, then choose your first selection starting at 7am EST. Once you have redeemed a selection, you can book a new one, subject to availability. If your ticket includes Park Hopper, you can select experiences in any of the Theme Parks after redeeming your first selection. You can also modify your selections throughout the day, and there is a tip board to suggest next attractions. You can use Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass on the same day.
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When can I purchase?
Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass each can be purchased in advance, as early as 7am (EST) depending on eligibility. The first selection will be made upon entering the theme park and scanning in.
Lightning Lanes
“Lightning Lane” means a separate queue from the Standby queue for an attraction. These lines are often much shorter because guests pay to use them.
All lightning lanes have to be purchased in the app. This cannot be done in a web browser. Prices change per day, and you cannot see the pricing until the day of booking.
One of three things have to happen in order to select your next lightning lane:
- You scan into the queue for the ride for which you currently hold a lightning lane.
- Two hours passes by since the last time you selected a lightning lane.
- You cancel your current lightning lane and replace it with a new one.
NOTE: The app will let you know the exact minute you can book another lightning lane!
You may purchase lightning lanes for each attraction once per day. You cannot purchase a lightning lane for the same ride more than once per day.
Make sure if you overlap lightning lanes that you still have time to get from one to another before it expires.
Each theme park has specific rides that are part of the Lightning Lane Single Pass, meaning you buy access to that ride by itself, separate from the other rides.
These are always the most popular rides, and Disney does this to make sure people have a chance to experience the rides that have the longest wait times. It does come at a cost, but for some, it is worth it to avoid spending hours in a queue for a new or insanely popular ride. Prices vary per day based on the park and the attraction, so be sure to check the app for daily pricing.
The current individual lightning lanes are:
- California Adventure: Radiator Springs Racers
- Disneyland Park: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
These can be purchased with or without the purchase of Lightning Lane Single Pass and also must be purchased on the app.
You can only do each attraction one time per day.
If a guest has Park Hopper, they may select passes for either of the theme parks after the first is redeemed.
Throughout the day, once a selection has been redeemed, a new one can be booked (subject to availability).
You can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass with your ticket purchase.
When you scan into the parks, you can select your first lightning lane. You cannot choose your lightning lane time, but you can select it then edit it to get a later time.
I usually select one that I know is going to sell out quickly first.
To maximize the Lightning Lane Pass service, book your next ride AS SOON as you complete scanning for your current one. If it has a short wait…don’t get a pass for it.
Know the map, and try to choose something close.
When choosing your next attraction, it is a balance of when the soonest arrival window is, where the ride is located, and what you are interested in riding. Fill in the waiting time with a short wait attraction or snack.
California Adventure
Lightning Lane Passes are available for the following attractions:
Multi Pass
Goofy's Sky School
Grizzly River Run
Guardians of the Galaxy
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
Single Pass
Radiator Springs Racers
Disneyland Park
Lightning Lane Passes are available for the following attractions:
Multi Pass
Autopia
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Haunted Mansion (Excluding Holiday)
Indiana Jones Adventure
"it's a small world"
Matterhorn Bobsleds
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Pirates of the Caribbean
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
Space Mountain
Star Tours
Single Pass
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Virtual Queue
As Disney opens new rides, they will set up what is called a virtual queue. When a virtual queue is in place, the standby line will not be available.
You have to use the MyDisneyExperience App to enter the virtual queue for the experience.
Currently, there are two attractionss participating in the virtual queue:
- World of Color-ONE
- Haunted Mansion Holiday
My advice is to set up notifications from the MyDisneyExperience App so you know when it is time to jump into the ride for the virtual queue experiences.
Only one member of your party needs to select the boarding group for the virtual queue at a time, so make sure everyone is linked in the app before trying to join. (If more than one member of your party tried to join the queue, it could kick you out of the system missing your chance to join the queue).
The morning of your park day, you need to be ready right at 7:00am to join the virtual queue (You do not have to be in the park to join).
My advice is to have someone watching the seconds on the world clock and someone else joining the boarding group.
When the clock strikes, Click: Check availability then Enroll your group. You should receive a boarding group with a time to return to the queue. When they call your boarding group (you will receive a notification), go to the experience and show the cast member your boarding group. You will then be allowed to join the queue.
NOTE: If you miss the 7:00am virtual queue, you will have another opportunity right at 12:00pm to join the queue again.
I find that most of the time, you will be able to join the virtual queue at one of these times.
Do not be late for your boarding group! These rides are extremely popular, and you will not be guaranteed to board late!
Tips and Strategies
Rider Swap
Your party can rider swap any ride, as long as the ride offers this service. Most of the rides do. If you have a lightning lane, as long as all riders have the lighting lane or individual lightning lane, rider swap will apply. Make sure to find a cast member at the beginning of the ride to scan you in for rider swap. They will essentially give you a free lightning lane for the rider staying with the kids, then they will allow one person to ride with the waiting rider, so one of you will get to ride twice!
Scanning in for Lightning Lane
Cast members will generally let you scan in for your lightning lane 5-10 minutes before or after your set arrival window. This comes in handy when you are on a mission to experience as much as possible in a short window!
Splitting up your Group
You can split up your group where some of you get the lightning lane and others do not. As long as no one tries to get two lightning lanes at the same time, some people can get lightning lane for one ride while others do a different lightning lane. Simply select the riders that want to ride together when booking the lightning lane, and do not select the riders who have other ideas!
Maximizing all these Services at Once
To make the most of Lightning Lanes, if you do not mind spending the money, purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass simultaneously with your Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections. On your next selection, look for one later in the day, and select it. The next one cannot be booked until 2 hours after park open, so 2 hours later, book your next one. Then, continue this strategy throughout the day and keep selecting popular rides and riding short wait time rides while you wait for your next window. You should be able to do a majority of the rides easily this way with limited to no wait times!
Should I get Lightning Lanes for California Adventure Disneyland Park ? It depends...
