How to Stand in Line.
The strategy behind this seemingly mindless activity.
There are a lot of ways to stand in line at Walt Disney World, and there are a lot of strategies that go along with this seemingly mindless activity. Nothing at Disney World can be super simple because of the demand of the attractions, so Disney has some systems in place. These are very important features, so make sure you really understand them before starting your adventure! It will enhance your trip and help you skip the lines, but it can be complicated to understand. Let’s explore the differences and ways to maximize this service. We will also discuss reasons to save money and skip skipping the lines!
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.
Use the Lightning Lane entrance at some of the most in-demand attractions, with up to two experiences per day. You can select your Lightning Lane Single Pass experience times at the time of purchase. Please note that you can purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for a given experience only once per day. If your admission includes Park Hopper , you can pre-plan your 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.
Use your Lightning Lane at select experiences during a specified return window, once per experience, per day. You can pre-plan up to three experiences at one Theme Park in advance, at time of purchase. At Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios, attractions are divided into two groups. You can pre-plan up to one experience from Group 1 and the remaining from Group 2. Once you have redeemed a selection, you can book a new one from any group, subject to availability. If your ticket includes Park Hopper, you can select experiences in any of the four Theme Parks after redeeming your first selection.
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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.
Days Prior
As a Disney Resory Hotel guest or guest of other eligible resorts, you can start purchasing and pre-planning your activities up to seven days before your check-in date, for the entire duration of your stay (up to 14 days). Eligible resorts include Disney Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green® Resort. These options will be available to book at 7am EST.
Days Prior
With date-based Disney Theme Park Tickets, you can start purchasing your Lightning Lanes up to three days before your ticket’s start date, for the duration of your ticket dates. With other forms of admission (non-dated tickets, Annual Passes, and Main Entrance Passes), you can purchase and begin pre-planning up to three days in advance, EACH DAY of your visit. Theme Park reservations required.
Day of Visit!
Standby queues available throughout the four Theme Parks at most attractions. Virtual Queues are available for select attractions, subject to availability. You have the option to purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass. If you have a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can select return times for additional experiences, one by one, after redeeming your first experience.
Magic Kingdom
Multi Passes at Magic Kingdom are divided into two groups. Guests may pre-plan one attraction from Group 1 and the remaining 2 from Group 2. You can also select all 3 of your passes from Group 2.
Multi Pass Tier 2
The Barnstormer
Buzz Lightyear
Dumbo
Haunted Mansion
"it's a small world"
Mad Tea Party
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's Philharmagic
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Purates of the Caribbean
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea
Multi Pass Tier 1
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan's Flight
Space Mountain
Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Single Pass
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
TRON Lightcycle/Run
EPCOT
Multi Passes at EPCOT are divided into two groups. Guests may pre-plan one attraction from Group 1 and the remaining 2 from Group 2. You can also select all 3 of your passes from Group 2.
Multi Pass Tier 2
Disney/Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Spaceship Earth
Multi Pass Tier 1
Frozen Ever After
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Soarin' Around the World
Single Pass
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Hollywood Studios
Multi Passes at Hollywood Studios are divided into two groups. Guests may pre-plan one attraction from Group 1 and the remaining 2 from Group 2. You can also select all 3 of your passes from Group 2.
Multi Pass Tier 2
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty and the Beast LIVE
Disney Jr. Play & Dance
Muppet Vision 3D
Frozen Sing Along
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
Star Tours
Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania
Multi Pass Tier 1
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Rock 'n' Rollercoaster
Slinky Dog Dash
Single Pass
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Animal Kingdom
Multi Passes at Animal Kingdom are not divided into two groups. Guests may pre-plan all three attractions from anything in the park except the Single Pass attraction, Avatar: Flight of Passage.
Multi Pass Tier
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
Feathered Friends in Flight
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo
It's Tough to be a Bug
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kali River Rapids
Na'vi River Journey
Single Pass
Avatar: Flight of Passage
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 rides participating in the virtual queue:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
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 1:00pm to join the queue again. (You DO have to be in the park in order to join the queue at 1:00pm).
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!
If your boarding group is called but the ride is shut down, you will receive a virtual queue access on the app to allow you to experience the attraction at any time that day!
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 Magic Kingdom EPCOT Hollywood Studios Animal Kingdom ? It depends...
