Do not Fall for FOMO with Lightning Lane Premier Go at Disney World

Lightning Lane Premier Go has began promoting out throughout off-peak dates at Walt Disney World, seemingly because of the removing of resort restrictions on its buy. This covers why you shouldn’t fall for FOMO with the costly upcharge line-skipping service at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, or (particularly) Animal Kingdom.

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. Moderately, 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). Even when LLPP sells out extra regularly, that received’t change.

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 learn about these line-skipping providers, we’d encourage you to learn our Information to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World as an alternative of this submit. There’s a few 95% or greater likelihood that’s extra related in your planning functions than this one.

Earlier than we get to why it is best to skip Lightning Lane Premier Go, let’s briefly focus on its promoting factors and who ought to purchase it.

The entire level of Lightning Lane Premier Go is to streamline issues. In contrast to LLMP or LLSP, Premier Go shouldn’t be convoluted or complicated–it’s all about eradicating the friction launched by different line-skipping choices. It’s a brilliantly devious determination on Disney’s half, and a basic story of an arsonist turned firefighter. You’ve virtually gotta hand it to Disney–they created this drawback and are actually promoting the answer at a good greater worth level.

The exact level of Lightning Lane Premier Go is simplifying the line-skipping expertise. The attract of LLPP shouldn’t be needing to learn or be taught something. There aren’t any hacks or methods to squeeze worth out of it. You purchase it to take away stress, cut back problems of planning, and so forth. The road-skipping system works precisely as anticipated. The first product providing is peace of thoughts.

There are lots of people out there for such a line-skipping service, and one of many prime complaints about Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World is that it entails an excessive amount of display time. The theoretical viewers for Lightning Lane Premier Go is very large in consequence.

Nevertheless, the precise viewers is massively restricted by prohibitive pricing. Lightning Lane Premier Go prices fluctuate by date and park, starting from $119 to $449 per individual. Unsurprisingly, the bottom costs are in the course of the low season and highest are peak vacation weeks. Listed below are the ranges for every park:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $119 to $199 per individual, plus tax
• EPCOT: $169 to $249 per individual, plus tax
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $269 to $349 per individual, plus tax
• Magic Kingdom: $329 to $449 per individual, plus tax

These costs are many orders of magnitude greater than Multi-Go, and consequently, the precise viewers for Lightning Lane Premier Go is exceedingly restricted. It’s my understanding that fewer than 1% of visitors have been buying LLPP on the overwhelming majority of days (no less than, earlier than it was opened as much as all visitors).

That quantity is greater when crowds are greater, particularly at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, however it’s nonetheless solely round 2% of all visitors (possibly below). Gross sales are lowest at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, demonstrating that possibly visitors have some sense in spite of everything.

Towards that backdrop, who can purchase Lightning Lane Premier Go? Anybody for whom cash is not any object. Company for whom time is their #1 useful resource, and are keen to spend no matter it takes to purchase themselves effectivity. Company who’re tremendously know-how averse, need zero backtracking, to take away all friction, and have the assets to not care about value. Events that need a VIP expertise, however both can’t make the maths work on a VIP tour or don’t need to be accompanied by a stranger.

The perfect instance might be folks staying on the 4 Seasons Orlando or one other off-site luxurious resort not as a splurge, however as a result of Disney-owned Deluxes aren’t ok. Ditto events who didn’t plan forward and are keen to purchase their method out of strains at any value. Company who wouldn’t be studying a weblog like this for money-saving suggestions & tips.

Actually, it is best to already know whether or not this can be a product for you or not based mostly merely and solely on the outline and worth factors. Failing all else, an excellent rule of thumb is that Lightning Lane Premier Go is for events within the prime 3% of family revenue or internet value. If LLPP is an effective match, extra energy to you! It’s not for us, however I don’t begrudge others for purchasing it–completely different folks understandably have completely different priorities, budgets, and so forth.

Who’s Lightning Lane Premier Go not proper for and who ought to skip it? Just about everybody else.

In no ambiguous phrases, Lightning Lane Premier Go is not an excellent splurge. If buying it’s going to come on the expense of one thing–something–else throughout your journey, it is best to completely spend the cash on that different factor. I don’t even have to know what that different factor is until it’s, like, dozens and dozens of rice krispie treats or bottled water. If the phrase “worth” is in your vocabulary, LLPP shouldn’t be.

A part of the issue, and cause Lightning Lane Premier Go has now offered out within the winter on reasonably (or under) crowded days, is as a result of it’s perceived as a greater worth. The highest tier line skipping service has been accessible at its lowest worth factors for a lot of dates to date in 2025, which makes it extra approachable. But it surely’s value declaring that the identical is true for Lightning Lane Multi-Go, so LLPP remains to be 8 to 10 instances dearer than that.

It’s additionally value declaring that there’s plentiful availability for Lightning Lane Multi-Go and Single Go proper now–and every time crowds are sufficiently low to justify Walt Disney World promoting LLPP at its lowest charges.

In case you’re making experience reservations through LLMP and LLSP no less than 5 days prematurely exterior of peak season, it is best to be capable of safe all of the High 10 Finest & Most Tough Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World. Even inside 3 days, you possibly can normally do pretty effectively in case you spend a little bit of time refreshing and adjusting your reservations.

Upon arrival, in case you’re following our High 10 Ideas & Tips for Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World in 2025, it is best to be capable of use your subsequent picks for many, if not all, of the opposite worthwhile Lightning Lanes. Once more, that is in the course of the low-to-moderate crowd days when LLPP is at its least-expensive costs. If we’re speaking about 9/10 or 10/10 crowd days when LLPP prices essentially the most, it’s a unique story.

However, we’ve discovered that some planners are nonetheless on the fence about Lightning Lane Premier Go. That is seemingly resulting from FOMO and FUD–two of my favourite “facronyms.” We’ve ranted at size concerning the WDW FOMO Machine.

In a nutshell, it’s straightforward to fall into the FOMO/FUD traps, and drop an additional $5,000 or extra on extras and upcharges to “assure” a terrific journey to Walt Disney World. You don’t need to miss out on one thing that’s “important” to a terrific trip, so that you err on the aspect of warning and purchase a bunch of upcharges that don’t really assure that in any respect.

With that in thoughts, listed below are the worthwhile experience reservations that you simply’re guaranteeing with the improve from LLMP/LLSP to LLPP:

• Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• EPCOT: Frozen Ever After
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster, Alien Swirling Saucers, and possibly Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Animal Kingdom: Nothing.

Every part else ought to’ve been bookable pre-trip or through subsequent picks.

That is assuming a modicum of refreshing with Lightning Lane Multi-Go, and not having your face buried in your cellphone all day. In case you spend extra time taking part in the refresh recreation throughout your go to, you possibly can pretty simply safe all or a lot of the above–with Frozen Ever After being the largest exception.

Both method, you’re paying considerably extra for every of those experience reservations than even the most costly Lightning Lane Single Go. The pricing premium for Lightning Lane Premier Go over LLMP+LLSP when pared down to simply the worthwhile points of interest quantities to over $75 per attraction.

We’ve beforehand made/belabored the purpose that Lightning Lane Premier Go at Animal Kingdom is just for individuals who hate cash. That Multi-Go barely is smart there for a lot of the yr, however no less than is value it round peak season dates.

I’ll take {that a} step additional right now: if given the choice to decide on Lightning Lane Premier Go or Multi-Go plus Single Go at Animal Kingdom with out having to pay for both, I’d decide Lightning Lane Multi-Go/Single Go.

The explanation for that’s easy: Multi-Go contains Park Hopping at no extra cost, whereas Premier Go doesn’t embrace Park Hopping, interval. In my opinion, LLMP is most advantageous at Animal Kingdom when paired with hopping to a different park within the afternoon. So I might quite roll the cube (it’s not likely a lot of a bet) on subsequent picks at DAK than be “assured” DINOSAUR plus a handful of pointless Lightning Lanes that provide solely illusory worth.

Lightning Lane Premier Go locks you right into a full day of line-skipping at Animal Kingdom, which isn’t needed ever–however particularly not with LLPP. So both you experience points of interest repeatedly (with out Lightning Lanes, because of the no re-ride rule) or head to a different park (additionally with out Lightning Lanes, because of Premier Go not providing Park Hopping). Both method, it’s not a quasi-VIP expertise and laborious for me to see the worth of LLPP over LLMP/SP in virtually all eventualities at DAK.

Beginning the day at DAK with Multi-Go, I’m fairly positive I might seize a few worthwhile Lightning Lanes at EPCOT within the afternoon and night–maybe all of them. At minimal, that may relieve the burden (and backtracking) of making an attempt to attain subsequent picks through Multi-Go on my devoted EPCOT day. (For what it’s value, I usually wouldn’t purchase LLMP at EPCOT, interval, and am solely doing so right here for this thought train.)

As somebody who visits a number of parks most days at Walt Disney World and thinks complaints about display time with Lightning Lane Multi-Go are overblown, I’d in all probability take LLMP more often than not over Premier Go, even when each have been priced identically. However I notice most visitors should not me and LLPP does have circumstantial worth over LLMP+SP. I simply don’t assume it presents wherever close to commensurate worth to its value.

Finally, that is all a long-winded method of reiterating precisely what we’ve mentioned earlier than about Lightning Lane Premier Go, simply in additional, ahem, assertive phrases. Once more, Lightning Lane Premier Go does supply worth to some visitors–these for whom cash is not any object, grandparents not wanting to make use of telephones or backtrack in any respect and having a lot of disposable revenue, and so forth. I’m not arguing that. In case you’re a type of demos, extra energy to you. However it is best to already know that somehow.

There are a variety of different people who find themselves on the fence, debating which splurges are definitely worth the cash at Walt Disney World or having FOMO/FUD about line-skipping. In case you’re in a type of camps and are considering whether or not it’s value it to buy Lightning Lane Premier Go at its lowest worth factors, I can virtually guarantee you that it isn’t.

It’s not like we’re merely cheapskates all the time trying to do WDW on a dime. We’re completely keen to pay premium costs for premium merchandise and experiences (therefore being Disney followers within the first place). For a prolonged record of advisable upcharges, see Finest Bang-for-Buck Splurges at Walt Disney World. It’s simply that Lightning Lane Premier Go isn’t on that record, or wherever even near it.

In case you’re on the lookout for a line-skipping adjoining providing that is on that record, try After Hours at Magic Kingdom and After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In our view, each of these are subjectively superior to Lightning Lane Premier Go regardless of being considerably cheaper. If somebody gave me the selection between tickets to After Hours or LLPP, I’m taking these tickets with out hesitation. That’s true even when I’m in one of many demographics for whom Premier Go does have some deserves.

In fact, there are methods to perform a ton with out After Hours or Lightning Lanes, interval. There’s a lot you possibly can accomplish with savvy technique, Early Entry, Prolonged Night Hours (if eligible), rope drop, staying late, and so forth. See our Finest Time-Saving Methods for Walt Disney World, which covers the best approaches for beating lengthy strains in every park.

We’re reiterating all of this as a result of we’ve realized that Lightning Lanes have the largest ‘FOMO/FUD issue’ at Walt Disney World, with planners on the fence being extra inclined to purchase them as a security internet. It is smart on condition that rides are the entire cause most households go to Walt Disney World within the first place, and worries about prohibitively lengthy strains should not irrational! However that doesn’t make shopping for Lightning Lane Premier Go the rational response. Even with the aforementioned exceptions, Lightning Lane Premier Go doesn’t make sense ~98% of the time.

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YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you concentrate on Lightning Lane Premier Go? Is the top-tier of paid FastPass “value it” to your occasion? Are you on the fence about LLPP? Does the FOMO/FUD issue within the unknown of Multi-Go subsequent picks make a distinction to you? Do you worth the intangibles of LLPP–no display time, backtracking, and so forth? Below what, if any, eventualities would you purchase Lightning Lane Premier Go? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!