The Lightning Lane system at Disney World can be a bit confusing. Considering that the system has changed at least three times in the past 10 years, it can be challenging to know the ins and outs. Luckily, we’ve studied Lightning Lane over and over like our jobs depend on it (which they kinda do).

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World or you’ve been there and you’ve found yourself questioning why things haven’t gone super smoothly, you might need some help grabbing the right Lightning Lanes. Booking the WRONG Lightning Lanes can affect your entire day in the park (think: extra walking, longer lines than expected, or not getting on the rides you really wanted). So next time, stop doing the following and swap them for the alternatives to be sure you get the RIGHT Lightning Lanes!

Don’t understand Lightning Lane Multi Pass? No worries! We’ll break it down for you. Understanding the basics of the system is the first step to booking the RIGHT Lightning Lanes.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is the skip-the-line service in Disney World. You purchase Multi Pass by the day and park, and then you can select rides and return times that you want during your vacation. You’ll use the My Disney Experience app to make your selections.

You can purchase and book Multi Pass ahead of your trip. If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel or select other hotel, you can book your Lightning Lanes 7 days in advance for the entirety of your trip. All other guests can book them 3 days in advance. 

There are two tiers of Lightning Lane Multi Pass rides. You can book up to three rides in advance: one ride from tier one and two rides from tier two, or all three from tier two. Once you enter the parks, the tiers go out the window. After you’ve used your first Lightning Lane, you can book a Multi Pass ride regardless of tier.

Once you’ve purchased one park per day and used at least one of your existing bookings, you can park hop to the other parks and continue to book Lightning Lanes. You have a one-hour window to use your Lightning Lane (plus a secret 119 minutes 😉). After you’ve used a Lightning Lane or after two hours have passed since you made your most recent selection, you can book another.

Alright, now that you understand how the system works, let’s dive into reasons you might be selecting the WRONG Lightning Lanes, and how to book the RIGHT ones!

Booking Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a tier 1 ride that many people like to book in advance because it’s one of the newest rides in Disney World. But this is a mistake.

Except on VERY busy days, you can get a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Lightning Lane pretty easily around 10 AM. Don’t waste your one tier 1 pre-booking on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure when you can get it after you’re in the park. Grab something far more difficult, like Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan’s Flight.

Not Booking Rides That Are Known To Go Down

Sometimes people will avoid booking rides that commonly go down due to technical difficulties or bad weather. But NOT booking those rides is the mistake.

If you are currently holding a Lightning Lane for a ride when it goes down, you may get an experience redemption. An experience redemption is like an anytime Lightning Lane for that ride or any Multi Pass ride. You’re never guaranteed to get an experience redemption ticket, but it’s certainly in your favor to book rides that commonly go down in the chance you DO get one.

Not Booking Lightning Lanes for Smaller Rides

Many people will believe they don’t need Lightning Lanes for some smaller rides like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, but actually, you might want to reconsider that.

Use your precious rope-dropping time to get on higher-priority rides instead of the smaller rides. Then, while you’re at the park, grab a Lightning Lane for the smaller rides that are easier to get while you’re there, because these can get busy throughout the day. We wouldn’t book Dumbo in advance, but we also wouldn’t skip booking it altogether if it’s a ride we really want to get on.

Not Taking Advantage of Your Early Entry Perk

If you are staying at a Disney World hotel and plan on using the Early Entry perk (getting into the parks 30 minutes before they open), then that should be considered when you’re booking your tier 1 Lightning Lane.

For example, if you’re going to EPCOT, enter through the International Gateway to get on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure during Early Entry. If you plan to do that, then instead of booking a Lightning Lane for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, grab Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Frozen Ever After.

If you want to use this technique (and we suggest doing so), you’ll want to find out which rides are open during Early Entry and which are not, to help you plan accordingly. For example, at Magic Kingdom, Peter Pan’s Flight is open during Early Entry, but Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is not.

Accepting a Return Time After 5 PM for Rides OTHER Than This One

The ONLY ride we would book a Lightning Lane for past 5 PM is Slinky Dog Dash. Don’t make the mistake of accepting a late booking for other rides if you’re booking in advance, or it’s still morning.

Oftentimes, you can get a better time by refreshing your screen or coming back to check a little later.

Not Booking a POPULAR Ride After Your First Scan In

If you’re booking a popular tier 1 ride right after your first scan in, you might be doing it wrong. Don’t miss out on the really popular rides’ Lightning Lanes by not booking them immediately when you’re able to.

These popular rides will be gone the longer you wait.

Not Being Flexible

A general rule of thumb for anyone booking Lightning Lanes: you gotta be flexible. Yes, having a plan is good. Be prepared with an idea of what you’re looking for. But in the end, you get what you get based on first-come, first-served.

Next time you’re booking Lightning Lanes for Disney World, give these suggestions a try! Hopefully, they can help you book the RIGHT Lightning Lanes and ensure a much more fun experience in the parks.

For more Disney tips and tricks, keep following DFB!

Everything You Need to Know About Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Disney World