Disney World Increasing Lightning Lane Premier Go Once more

Walt Disney World has introduced the growth of Lightning Lane Premier Go, eradicating all resort restrictions on the top-tier line skipping service. This covers the eligibility adjustments for the upcharge choice at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Plus, our commentary about how it will impression recognition, wait occasions, and so on.

For starters, we need to reiterate as soon as once more that Lightning Lane Premier Go shouldn’t be Walt Disney World’s core line-skipping product providing. That’s not altering at present–or in all probability ever. Quite, Lightning Lane Premier Go (LLPP) is a 3rd tier of line-skipping along with Lightning Lane Multi-Go (LLMP) and Lightning Lane Single Go (LLSP).

There’s much more to the Lightning Lane Multi-Go and Single Go, all of which is past the scope of this submit. However in case you don’t already find out about these line-skipping providers, we’d encourage you to learn our Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World as a substitute of this submit. There’s a few 95% or larger likelihood that’s extra related in your planning functions than this one.

Earlier than you are concerned concerning the implications of Walt Disney World increasing Lightning Lane Premier Go repeatedly, the essential factor to know is that Lightning Lane Multi-Go and Single Go will live on all through 2025 and doubtless past. LLPP affords a definite, different line-skipping product providing for friends who don’t need to problem with LLMP or LLSP. Whereas Lightning Lane Premier Go options the identical journey rosters as the opposite Lightning Lane providers, it’s basically in another way.

I’m (over)emphasizing this as a result of we’ve seen a whole lot of fears from frequent Walt Disney World followers that the pilot program of Lightning Lane Premier Go is simply step one. They’re involved that the top result’s Lightning Lane Multi-Go being eradicated completely, and friends being “compelled” to buy LLPP. These fears are understandably rekindled every time Lightning Lane Premier Go is expanded, as a result of a logical conclusion is that the eventual subsequent step is eliminating LLMP and LLSP in favor of LLPP.

Actually, I’d love for that to occur. Not as a result of I’m a high-roller who has cash to burn–I’ve by no means purchased LLPP and by no means will–however due to the cascading results on standby traces. That’s additionally exactly why Walt Disney World won’t ever do it–as a result of it might imply a income stream drying up. You can’t power somebody with a $30 funds to spend $300. If that had been potential, Walt Disney World would additionally get rid of Worth and Reasonable Resorts and substitute them completely with Deluxe Resorts. However I digress.

Right here’s what Walt Disney World has formally introduced concerning the growth to Lightning Lane Premier Go…

Starting January 21, 2025, Walt Disney World will broaden the Lightning Lane Premier Go pilot to all friends. Company of Disney resort resorts and different choose third-party resorts (Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Inexperienced) can be eligible to buy as much as 7 days earlier than the primary day of their keep. Off-site friends can be eligible to buy as much as 3 days prematurely of their park go to.

The one change right here is the final sentence–that off-site friends will now be eligible to buy LLPP. That is the second growth of this system. When it launched, the one eligible friends had been these staying at Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villas/Disney Trip Membership properties. Then on November 22, Disney expanded the service to all on-site friends (plus the aforementioned third get together resorts).

Now, it expands for a closing time to all friends as of January 21, with the identical on-site vs. off-site timeline as Lightning Lane Multi-Go and Single Go.

This implies a few of the most costly resorts in Central Florida at the moment are eligible for Lightning Lane Premier Go, together with however not restricted to the 4 Seasons Orlando, JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Conrad Orlando, and extra.

These are actual world luxurious resorts the place many prosperous friends elect to remain over Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World. Usually, a few of these luxurious resorts which can be situated on-site are eligible for Disney perks (e.g. Early Entry).

This in all probability will transfer the needle on Lightning Lane Premier Go gross sales to some extent. Whereas there could be the temptation to suppose that friends opting to remain off-site to economize are much less probably to purchase LLPP, that’s not the complete story. Company staying on the 4 Seasons are statistically more likely to purchase LLPP than these staying at All Star Sports activities.

Level being, there’s a really big selection of lodging off-site, not simply cheaper ones. There are additionally large mansions which can be rented out as trip properties, and I’d assume the identical is true of these friends being extra probably to purchase Lightning Lane Premier Go. (If something, this transfer may cannibalize VIP tour gross sales as a result of a few of these off-site friends had been beforehand extra inclined to buy these.)

Even after the 2025 growth of Lightning Lane Premier Go, Walt Disney World’s official web site nonetheless emphasizes that they’re piloting the rollout of Lightning Lane Premier Go with “very restricted portions.” When the brand new tier of line-skipping first went stay, our greatest query was: simply how restricted could be very restricted?

Would Lightning Lane Premier Go be so restricted that it simply sells out each single day? Is that the explanation Walt Disney World began by limiting it to solely Deluxe Resort and DVC Villas? Is that this going to significant impression Lightning Lane availability for many who need to buy Multi-Go or Single Go? Will this imply extra capability is allotted away from standby traces and to Lightning Lanes?

These questions will as soon as once more be front-of-mind for a lot of Walt Disney World followers seeing this large growth of Lightning Lane Premier Go. Whereas they’re honest to ask, we’re not fearful. The caps and demand for LLPP are fairly low–and that’s a good factor for everybody else!

The audience for LLPP is exceedingly restricted. It’s my understanding that fewer than 1% of friends have been buying Lightning Lane Premier Go on the overwhelming majority of days. That quantity is larger when crowds are larger, particularly at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, however it’s nonetheless solely round 2% of all friends (possibly below).

There’s certain to be fan frustration that the corporate is getting grasping and easily desires to promote extra Premier Go. That’s in all probability true, however maybe not in the best way you suppose. Now that Christmas and New Yr’s Eve has handed, costs and demand for LLPP have undoubtedly dropped precipitously.

Lightning Lane Premier Go did promote out for essentially the most dates between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and a pair at EPCOT. Nevertheless, that’s the busiest week of all the 12 months. The one really busy week on the horizon the place Lightning Lane promote outs are conceivable is Easter–possibly a pair dates at Magic Kingdom round Winter Break and early Spring Break. Earlier than and after that, it’s unlikely.

This isn’t about rising Lightning Lane Premier Go on the expense of everybody else–it’s about opening LLPP to extra friends and retaining utilization at 1%. If demand had been robust and Walt Disney World wished to promote extra Lightning Lane Premier Go, they may merely…promote extra? In spite of everything, they’re those who set the caps, so if it had been really a provide scarcity, they may create extra out of skinny air. This can be a demand shortfall, therefore an try at remedying it by increasing the pilot program to all friends.

For our half, we’ve noticed completely no impression in any way on Lightning Lane utilization because of Premier Go. I did in depth testing of Multi-Go and standby traces in November and December, together with one of many busier vacation weekends of the 12 months. There was no drawback in any way. Traces had been a lot better than final 12 months, regardless of Lightning Lane Premier Go having launched (after which expanded) throughout these timeframes.

Once more, we’ve defined this in Right here’s Why Standby Traces and Lightning Lanes Are Shifting Sooner at Walt Disney World and have mentioned it elsewhere. That’s actually price studying if you wish to perceive the rising disconnect between ‘appears like’ crowds and wait occasions. Suffice to say, Lightning Lane Premier Go has not triggered any issues in any way.

Clearly, Lightning Lane Premier Go isn’t the explanation traces are transferring quicker, both. There are a number of contributing components, with the DAS adjustments and, to a lesser extent, change from Genie+ to Lightning Lane Multi-Go having essentially the most important impression. It ought to go with out saying that there are controversies, downsides, and unlucky realities to the above. However the enchancment to the circulate of traces–standby and Lightning Lanes–in addition to decrease wait occasions can be simple.

As for the impression of the growth of Lightning Lane Premier Go on traces, it ought to proceed to be nonexistent. For no matter it’s price, I’d keep this place even when Walt Disney World tripled the provision of Lightning Lane Premier Go.

It’s because, as soon as once more, it’s largely a requirement situation. Extra friends staying on the 4 Seasons Orlando and the opposite aforementioned luxurious resorts will buy Premier Go, positive. However it nonetheless gained’t be a statistically-significant quantity–not sufficient to have an effect on standby line wait occasions or Lightning Lane utilization.

Even with out any caps, my guess is that Lightning Lane Premier Go wouldn’t actually transfer the needle on these issues. For one factor, it’s secure to imagine that almost all of LLPP friends are already utilizing some type of line-skipping–that means that they’re both upgrading from Multi-Go or downgrading from VIP excursions. So this actually solely incrementally adjustments their frequency.

For an additional factor, natural demand is proscribed by the excessive value of Lightning Lane Premier Go. Aside from a handful of the busiest days of the 12 months, Premier Go has not been promoting out as-is even when accessible in “very restricted portions” to the friends most inclined to buy it just because the worth is simply too excessive.

There are potential “fixes” to make LLPP extra engaging, reminiscent of an infinite model, providing various floating re-rides, introducing a Park Hopper choice, or making it considerably inexpensive. Nevertheless, all of them include downsides which have unintended penalties that might harm Disney’s backside line, reminiscent of cannibalizing VIP tour gross sales, reducing income, making the service difficult and complicated, or decreasing common length-of-stay for high-rolling friends.

In the end, if Lightning Lane Premier Go is usually not promoting out when made accessible in “very restricted portions” then it clearly additionally gained’t promote out in very excessive portions. There may be not an enormous untapped pool of friends who need to purchase this product providing however can not.

That is additionally exactly why LLPP won’t ever substitute Lightning Lane Multi-Go or Single Go. Though it might not look like it at occasions, most friends are cost-sensitive. That is exactly why the decrease tier resorts are extra well-liked than the upper tier ones, Cosmic Ray’s is busier than Monsieur Paul, and so on.

The entire complaints about Disney solely wanting wealthy friends–whereas feeling legitimate–ignore this sensible actuality and limitation. Walt Disney World can not cater solely to the rich, as a result of there merely are usually not sufficient such friends to even come near sustaining the parks and resorts. The recognition, or lack thereof, of Lightning Lane Premier Go ought to reinforce this conclusion.

Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study resorts on our Walt Disney World Resorts Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every little thing you want to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you consider Lightning Lane Premier Go? Ideas on Walt Disney World increasing the highest tier of paid FastPass to all friends? Predictions as to how profitable this line-skipping service can be? Underneath what, if any, situations would you purchase Lightning Lane Premier Go? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!