Genie+ is useless and Lightning Lane Multi Cross has arrived at Walt Disney World. This put up covers some of the essential matters in regards to the new line-skipping service from a sensible perspective: pricing. Now we have the price of LLMP for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom for all dates between now and mid-August 2024. Plus, predictions for October by way of January 2025.
There are nonetheless a whole lot of questions on the entire Lightning Lane Multi Cross system, and we’ve been doing our greatest to reply these within the Information to Lightning Lane Multi Cross & Single Cross at Walt Disney World (which is able to get one other main replace later right now now that LLMP has launched). This complete system is complicated and convoluted, particularly for individuals who by no means used FastPass+. That solutions all the commonest ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
Quite a lot of main adjustments have been made to Lightning Lanes with Walt Disney World killing off Genie and rolling out Multi Cross. Amongst these is the retirement of the Multi-Park choice with legitimate Park Hopper tickets or Annual Passes. This has been a subject of confusion, with some friends mistakenly assuming they’d should buy LLMP twice in the event that they Park Hopped or that they’d should pay the distinction. Each are inaccurate.
Beneath the Lightning Lane Multi Cross system, there isn’t any extra cost for Park Hopping, and you do not want to pay for the Lightning Lane Multi-Cross a second time. Nonetheless, you have to use your first Lightning Lane earlier than making subsequent choices in numerous parks.
The rationale for that is that upfront pricing does differ. Which means with out this ‘faucet in’ requirement for the primary Lightning Lane, I might buy Lightning Lane Multi Cross for Animal Kingdom at $16, make my choices there at 7:00 am, after which modify all of them to Magic Kingdom at 7:01 am. It could be a loophole to save lots of $9 per individual, with out a lot value since availability remains to be fairly good at 7 am.
However you’ll be able to’t do this. If you happen to attempt to modify Lightning Lane Multi Cross choices from one park to a different earlier than utilizing any of them, you’ll have to pay the distinction. Thus closing that loophole. Nonetheless, should you use your Lightning Lane first (let’s say for Na’vi River Journey at 8:30 am), then you can begin making Magic Kingdom Lightning Lanes at that time with out paying something additional. Availability gained’t be pretty much as good and also you most likely gained’t get Tiana’s Bayou Journey, however that’s the tradeoff!
Hopefully that is sensible and clears up one of many greatest sources of confusion about Lightning Lane Multi Cross pricing. With that out of the way in which, right here’s a take a look at per-park pricing by way of August 14, 2024–courtesy of thrill-data.com:
For these maintaining rating at house, this is kind of equivalent pricing to Genie+ in comparable (anticipated) crowd ranges.
As a basic rule, Lightning Lane Multi Cross is dearer within the parks the place it’s extra helpful–and thus, in larger demand. You will get a way for this from our trip rankings and technique guides for every park:
Our expectation is that these mid-August 2024 costs will lengthen by way of the top of that month and thru not less than mid-September. Labor Day weekend could possibly be larger, nevertheless it actually shouldn’t be. That has by no means been a very well-liked vacation at Walt Disney World, and is more likely to be even slower this yr as a consequence of larger resort charges and blockouts. However I digress.
If you happen to’re questioning when Lightning Lane Multi-Cross will see larger costs, our expectation is that prices will enhance on the tail finish of September after which once more in mid-October for fall break. Even then, we’re taking a look at costs on par with the present prices. It’s potential that Lightning Lane Multi-Cross will break the $30 barrier for the primary time round Columbus Day, however Veterans Day might be extra doubtless.
Then comes Thanksgiving, which is more likely to see a return to $35 pricing. Maybe as soon as once more reaching the all-time excessive for Genie+ of $39. The massive query is whether or not Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve will eclipse the $40 barrier for the primary time ever. On the one hand, these dates have set new information every of the final two years and bought out many dates final yr despite that. Alternatively, Walt Disney World now has extra bandwidth within the system (that means extra Lightning Lane availability) and shopper spending is beginning to sluggish.
Personally, I feel the primary “hand” is more likely to win out, with the potential of Lightning Lane Multi Cross pricing as excessive as $49 beginning December 21, 2024 and persevering with by way of not less than New 12 months’s Eve–probably till January 6, 2025.
Even when LLMP doesn’t hit that top (perhaps $45 is extra reasonable–it’s extra according to previous enhance increments), I wouldn’t anticipate it to promote out as typically as final yr. Then once more, the power to lock-in 3 Lightning Lanes up-front may very well end result within the reverse–LLMP promoting out extra often. (It’s protected to say some friends didn’t get 3 worthwhile Lightning Lanes in the course of the week of New 12 months’s Eve final yr!)
Lightning Lane Multi Cross is a reasonably good proxy for Walt Disney World’s inner crowd forecasts. The upper anticipated attendance, the extra LLMP will value. Decrease crowds, cheaper LLMP. Disney isn’t excellent at this, and so they’ve been notably reactive in responding to developments, however they’re getting higher. (The explanations for this are coated in our 2024-2025 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendars, nevertheless it’s principally a easy matter of demand-driven pricing.)
Extra folks buy Lightning Lanes when crowds are larger. That is one thing we’ve seen time and time once more within the final two years. There’s a purpose that demand for Lightning Lanes is larger when costs are larger–it’s as a result of the date-based surcharge over the low or common seasons is comparatively insignificant within the grand scheme of issues.
This truly shouldn’t be a shock. For one factor, there’s a certain quantity of worth inelasticity on the subject of paid line-skipping. Most friends who don’t balk on the $35 worth level are also unlikely to be dissuaded from shopping for the service when it’s priced at $39. That’s particularly true of holiday makers who pay peak season costs to go to Walt Disney World–they’re much less more likely to be cost-sensitive (in the event that they had been, they’d select cheaper dates within the first place).
Normally, the extra friends see longer wait occasions, the extra doubtless they’re to wish to skip these standby strains. Worse wait occasions creates a better incentive for bypassing strains, that means larger uptake of Lightning Lane Multi Cross even when it prices extra. Demand for beating crowds will increase as attendance goes up, and as such, Lightning Lanes will all the time be hottest after they’re most costly.
For a similar purpose, there’s much less demand for Lightning Lanes in decrease crowds–making a vicious cycle in reverse. Fewer folks shopping for Lightning Lanes ends in a faster-moving standby line, and due to this fact, decrease wait occasions. Our expectation is that this all stays true underneath Lightning Lane Multi Cross, albeit to a lesser extent because it’s booked prematurely. Individuals could have much less perception into crowd ranges and FOMO/a need for certainty would possibly drive extra purchases because of this. It’ll be an attention-grabbing saga to observe–we’ll preserve you posted!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about motels on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things you have to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Lightning Lane Multi Cross pricing? If you happen to’re visiting in the course of the week of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New 12 months’s Eve, would you pay greater than $39 for the line-skipping service? Ideas on our perspective that demand for LLMPs will proceed to be highest on the busiest/most costly days? Some other concerns we didn’t keep in mind or particulars we missed/acquired flawed? Do you agree or disagree with my evaluation? 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!
