We visited Disneyland Resort to test the new Lightning Lane Premier Pass and we have some thoughts…
The Lightning Lane Premier Pass debuted on October 23rd, 2024 at Disneyland and we spent the whole day learning the ins and outs of the new skip-the-line service, coming to some pretty big conclusions.
We tested out the $400 (!!!) Lightning Lane Premier Pass on EVERY single eligible attraction that wasn’t broken down or closed for refurbishment. Was it worth it? Yes and no. But mostly “no” due to one major reason.
Let’s start with the positives. The pass works as advertised. Essentially Disney’s version of the Universal Express Pass, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass grants each person with a pass the ability to access every attraction with a Lightning Lane once per day at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
Unlike Lightning Lane Multi Pass, there aren’t that many restrictions with the Lightning Lane Premier Pass (although a few did pop up that we’ll mention later). You don’t have to make any reservations, aren’t limited to one attraction every two hours, and aren’t subjected to availability. If a ride has a Lightning Lane, you can ride it whenever you want the day you have the Lightning Lane Premier Pass. It’s that simple.
Speaking of simplicity, using the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is really easy. Once you purchase it via the Disneyland app, the pass will automatically populate on the homepage and even include suggested itineraries. To use the app, you can select “redeem” and bring up a scalable barcode or view available experiences and click the one you like to bring up the barcode. Then you scan your phone and enjoy the ride. It’s seriously only a two-step process: Hit “redeem” and scan.
The freedom to use Lightning Lanes without the restriction of reservation windows means that you can get in nearly, if not all, rides at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. If you’re a completionist, this pass does wonders.
Okay, so now on to the negatives. While we did feel less restricted, that doesn’t mean we could do whatever we wanted with the Premier Pass. For starters, this skip-the-line service only features attractions with Lightning Lanes. Want to skip the standby line for Disneyland’s uber-popular Peter Pan’s Flight? Too bad, there’s no Lightning Lane.
Another limitation was that it doesn’t grant any sort of virtual queue access. For example, at the moment Haunted Mansion is exclusively available to guests via a virtual queue. With no standby or Lightning Lane options, you either do the virtual queue or don’t ride. For $400 you’d think there was some way to insert yourself into a virtual queue without the threat of competition from other guests, but, alas, you have to do a whole separate process for virtual queues.
Alright, so you dropped $400 for the Lightning Lane Premier Pass and the ride you’re more excited to ride is Radiator Springs Racers over at California Adventure.
You then find out it’s broken or under refurbishment. That’s exactly what happened to us, as it was shut down for a good chunk of the day. This is just another reminder that no matter how much you pay or what privileges you have, you are always at the mercy of breakdowns and refurbishments. Remember, there are no refunds, even if your favorite ride is closed.
Another major downside is that once you scan that barcode to enter a Lightning Lane, that’s where your perks end. There’s no royal treatment or immediate front-of-the-line access. You join the same line people who paid $350+ less are using. In our experience, it really didn’t make that much of a difference since the majority of the Lightning Lanes took 5 minutes or less.
However, the Indiana Jones Adventure Lightning Lane had us wait 25 minutes and Lightning Lanes that were more popular could also take up time, especially on extra-busy days. If you’re paying that kind of money, it’s not unreasonable to think you should be able to skip already-established Lightning Lanes.
So we’ve weighed the pros and cons and came to a conclusion. The Lightning Lane Premier Pass does everything it promises. It probably also provides the most itinerary flexibility perhaps in the entire history of Disneyland.
With that said, the price isn’t justified no matter how it’s spun and this can only be viewed as a luxury item for those that can afford it. It didn’t seem like it was a popular add-on while we were using it and it’s unlikely it will be super popular as time progresses.
Mixing Lightning Lane Multi Pass with Lightning Lane Single Pass is over $300 cheaper per person. Sure, you won’t be able to ride absolutely everything like you would with the Lightning Lane Premier pass, but you can likely still experience your must-ride attractions. This alone makes Lightning Lane a gratuitous expense unless this is a once-in-a-lifetime Disneyland trip where you HAVE to ride everything.
While the price will fluctuate for the pass beginning in 2025, we think a fairer value would be somewhere in the $200 per person range. The pass is great, it’s just way too expensive.
Are we being too harsh on Lightning Lane Premier Pass? Are we not being harsh enough? Let us know what you think of Disney’s latest ticket add-on offering and continue to follow us here at AllEars for all the latest Disneyland tips, news, and more!
Can You Really Ride EVERYTHING with Disneyland’s NEW $400 Skip-the-Line Pass? We Found Out!
Do you plan on buying the Lightning Lane Premier Pass during your next Disneyland visit? Let us know in the comments!
You said “EVERY line” but that’s not true. It doesn’t let you skip ANY line! It gives you access to Lightning Lane lines (still lines) for some rides, and doesn’t do ANYTHING for most attractions.