Magic Kingdom is packed full of attractions, and while it can feel overwhelming to do them all, you actually might not need to use a Lightning Lane selection on a few of them.
Magic Kingdom Crowds
With Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass system, guests can now skip the standby lines on many attractions, but at Magic Kingdom, this perk comes at a premium. The park has the highest price point for Lightning Lane, but it also boasts the largest selection of attractions eligible for the system. That said, not every ride is worth burning your Lightning Lane selection on, and we’re breaking down which ones are and aren’t.
Booking Fantasyland Attractions
One common mistake Disney adults make is booking Lightning Lanes for Fantasyland attractions that rarely see long waits. Rides like “it’s a small world,” the Mad Tea Party teacups, Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid, and even The Barnstormer often have minimal waits throughout the day, even during peak times.
Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid
Not Booking Tier 1 Attractions
When you preselect your 3 Lightning Lanes for Magic Kingdom, you can select 1 Tier 1 and 2 Tier 2 attractions. However, after you use your first Lightning Lane of the day, even if it is a Tier 2 attraction, you can book a Tier 1 attraction. If there are still Tier 1 attractions available, that should be what you grab next. These currently are Space Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Jungle Cruise.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure queue
Booking a Ride That You Will Rope Drop
If you want to rope drop a ride, especially during Early Entry, you can skip grabbing a Lightning Lane for it. For example, if your plan includes rope-dropping Space Mountain, you can likely skip securing a Lightning Lane for it unless you want to ride both tracks back-to-back. The only reason to do this is if you know you want to ride this attraction multiple times.
Space Mountain
There are Lightning Lanes That Sell Out Faster Than Others
When booking your Lightning Lanes, you’ll want to try to grab those that are likely not going to be available all day. The fastest Magic Kingdom attraction to sell out of Lightning Lanes on average is the newest attraction on the list: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. There are usually no Lightning Lanes left by 9:15 AM on average.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
While this next one is currently closed for refurbishment, it will reopen this spring — Big Thunder Mountain. When it was open, it was out of Lightning Lane reservations by 11:12 AM. When the attraction is back up and running, we expect the demand for this ride to increase, as many visitors will want to see what has changed.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
The next three quickest attractions to run out of Lightning Lanes were Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which ran out at 12:40, 12:49, and 1:30 PM, respectively. This data will help you make the tough decisions on what to preselect when it comes to your Lightning Lanes. This information, coupled with knowing what attractions your party wants to ride, will help make the decision easier.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
By focusing your Lightning Lane selections on these high-demand attractions, you can maximize your day in Magic Kingdom without wasting passes on rides that are already a short wait. Strategic planning gives you the experience of the park’s must-do rides efficiently while leaving plenty of time for snacks, castle shows, and spontaneous moments.
Lightning Lane at Peter Pan’s Flight
At Disney World, your time is money, and sometimes using a Lightning Lane on a ride is actually not going to save you time. Our team is in the parks every day, testing out different tips so we can share them with you. For more tips for Lightning Lane, snack hacks, and Disney news, be sure to follow us at DFB!
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