Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass- Tips, Worth It?

Walt Disney World's paid skip-the-line system, called Lightning Lane Multi Pass, allows guests to pay to access shorter lines called Lightning Lanes. The skip the line service comes with over 40 attractions included but each theme park also has 1-2 rides that are available for a separate purchase. These Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass are not included in the general Multi Pass purchase and are limited to the newest and most popular attractions in each theme park.

Disney calls these Lightning Lane Single Pass and their price fluctuates depending on the day of the week, time of year, and how busy the parks are. Understanding Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass and how to navigate this extra access is a great way to experience some of the best rides in Walt Disney World.

I purchase Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World every visit and have good insight into the most recent cost, tips, and availability for these popular rides. Let's get into all the basics of Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass.

This article has been checked for accuracy for 2025 and updated with all currently available information.

What Is Lightning Lane Single Pass?

There are two different types of Lightning Lanes. The Lightning Lanes that are included with a Multi Pass purchase and the ones that are purchased separately called Lightning Lane Single Pass. Lightning Lane Single Pass are separate from the Lightning Lanes that are included with your Lightning Lane Multi Pass service.

You do not need to purchase the regular Multi Pass service to get access to the Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass. But if you want access to the regular Multi Pass Lightning Lanes then you need to purchase Genie+. These are two separate purchases. 

We visit Disney World frequently and have compiled some of the best Disney World Lightning Lane tips for making the most of this service. 

Walt Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass

Five attractions at Walt Disney World use Lightning Lane Single Pass. There is one attraction per park except for Magic Kingdom which has two. These are all a separate purchase from Multi Pass and not included in that cost.

Lightning Lane Single Pass- Magic Kingdom

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Lightning Lane Single Pass- EPCOT

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Lightning Lane Single Pass- Hollywood Studios

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Lightning Lane Single Pass- Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Pandora Flight of Passage

How to Use Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass

The only way to book a Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass is by using My Experience App. Guests who are staying at an on-site Walt Disney World hotel can book their first Lightning Lane starting at 7AM seven days before their visit. For guests staying at off-site hotels, they will have to wait until three days before booking their Lightning Lane. This means that on-site guests will have a headstart on Lightning Lanes.

You will be given a selection of times to choose from for your Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass selection. The times typically run in one-hour durations from park opening to closing. You get to pick the time you want but you won't be able to modify this time later so choose carefully and make sure it doesn't overlap with any existing plans.

Guests are limited to purchasing a maximum of two Lightning Lanes per day for two separate Lightning Lane attractions. This means that you cannot book the same Lightning Lane attraction twice in one day. For example, if you want to book a Rise of the Resistance and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train then that would be fine. But if you wanted to purchase two Lightning Lane reservations for Rise of the Resistance, you would not be able to since the rule limits it to one per guest, per day. The catch is you can only hold one Lightning Lane Single Pass at a time! So if you want to use Lightning Lane Single Pass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Rise of the Resistance, you need to redeem one reservation first before booking a second. 

However, if you want to ride any of these attractions more than once, there is a standby queue available for all of them with the exception of Guardians. This ride only offers a Disney World virtual queue option and no regular standby.

Disney World Lightning Lanes are nonrefundable. If you miss your arrival window, the terms state that you cannot get a refund. However, if something comes up like a delay on another attraction, dining reservation, etc. you can visit Guest Services and ask nicely if they can assign you a new time.

How to Book Disney World Lightning Lane

1. Log into My Experience App– all your tickets need to be linked to the app for everyone in your group before you book. Check to make sure they are all showing up (Disney links these automatically if you are staying on-site) before you book your first Lightning Lane.
2. Find the attraction you want to book- the easiest way to do this is to use the little magnifying glass button at the top of the app and search for the ride.
3. Book your Lightning Lane- once you can book, just select the time you prefer, and confirm the booking.

Walt Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass Price

The price of Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass fluctuates depending on the day which is often based on crowd levels. The lower the crowds at Walt Disney World, the lower the price for Lightning Lane. But the higher the crowds, the higher the price of Lightning Lane. This is unfortunate as you will want to use Lightning Lane the most on high-crowd level days.

Here is an example of the range of pricing per person we have seen so far so you can see what to expect:

• Rise of the Resistance: $15-$25 per person
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: $14-$17 per person
• Avatar Pandora Flight of Passage: $11-$17 per person
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: $10-$12 per person

Of course, if you're visiting during a peak travel week like Thanksgiving or Christmas week you can expect to pay the higher tier of pricing even if it's a weekday. The price is influenced most by crowd levels but this is an average of the trends we've seen in price since the Lightning Lane system replaced FastPass.

Is Lightning Lane Worth It?

You can ride attractions without purchasing Lightning Lane access by using either the regular standby or virtual queue. But what if you don't succeed in getting a virtual queue? What if the standby line is 65 minutes or more? This is when considering the purchase of Lightning Lane becomes especially important.

For Guardians, you can access this ride for free by getting access to the virtual queue. Guests have two opportunities to join the virtual queue: at 7AM and 1PM. If you want to experience Guardians, you should try the Virtual Queue before purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass for either ride. But what if you don't get a spot in the virtual queue? Then your only other option to experience these rides is by purchasing Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Since this ride is impressive, this is a purchase that's absolutely worth it. Keep in mind that the line for Virtual Queue the line itself can get long, especially during peak times of year which is another consideration for Lightning Lane. The Virtual Queue is essentially the standby line for this ride and during crowded times of the year, these lines can reach over an hour easily.

As for the other rides, if you can get on these with a lower wait time then it removes the necessity for Lightning Lane. But this is a bit tricky since everyone else has the same thought in mind! More details on how to do this below.

If you are limited on time, the convenience of Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass is a huge perk. You can schedule your return time so it fits easily into your day with the knowledge you will be able to access the ride with minimal wait. If you are planning just one day at Walt Disney World, I would say Lightning Lane is essential to make sure you don't miss out on any of these best rides. 

I have purchased Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass multiple times just because my family loves the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction. Even if we succeeded at a virtual queue, we always wanted to ride it again, leading me to purchase a Lightning Lane. If you love a ride enough, the price becomes worth it!

For some families, especially if you have a large group, the cost of Lightning Lane can add up quickly and this is when you may want to try to avoid purchasing this quick ride access and instead try to get on the rides with no cost.

Do Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass Sell Out?

Yes, there are only a limited amount of Lightning Lane Single Pass reservations for each attraction. Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass will sell out by afternoon on most days, even earlier for busy times of the year. This is why it's such a huge advantage for Walt Disney World hotel on-site guests to be able to book their Lightning Lanes seven days in advance before off-site guests. They essentially get first dibs on these reservations. However, it's not uncommon to see the rides still have availability for purchase on the day of too. Not all guests take advantage of advance booking these rides. 

Consistently, the averages show that the number one Lightning Lane that sells out first is Avatar- Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, many guests may decide to skip the overall Lightning Lane Multi Pass purchase for Animal Kingdom (which we often recommend!) since there are not as many big-ticket attractions. This allows them to put that money towards booking Flight of Passage instead. While there are other popular rides in Animal Kingdom, there's nothing on par with the popularity of Flight of Passage meaning the line for this ride stays long most of the day. 

Second, we have Rise of the Resistance which is no surprise since the demand for this ride has been built over many years due to its amazing technical advancements but also the long length of time this ride ONLY offered virtual queues. In some ways, this increased a long-lasting FOMO (fear of missing out) for many guests. Most first-time visitors to Walt Disney World know they can't miss that killer Star Wars ride! And believe me, it's worth that hype. 

As for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, this is a popular and extremely well-done ride that appeals to everyone in the family. The popularity of these rides stays consistent. Since rope-dropping Seven Dwarfs Mine Train can be done fairly easily (more below!) this takes some of the demand off purchasing Lightning Lane. It is also the oldest ride out of the group so many repeat guests have likely already ridden it which lowers some demand. 

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is another of the newest and most popular rides at Walt Disney World. Located in EPCOT this attraction features the first ever reverse launch on a Disney coaster while it also rotates to a full 360 degrees as guests help the Guardians of the Galaxy in a full space pursuit. This is one of the best rides that Walt Disney World has ever done and is a must-see experience. The attraction also features popular songs from the Guardians films that change with every ride! See the full Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind song list for everything you need to know. 

Guardians is only available via virtual queue or by purchasing a Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass. There is currently no general standby line available for this ride. The best method for riding Guardians is to try for a virtual queue. Guests have two chances to ride Guardians per day at 7AM and 1PM. This is your only method of riding Guardians for FREE with no additional cost.

Read our BEST tips on how to get a Guardians virtual queue boarding group in our guide.

If you do not succeed at getting a boarding group for Guardians through the virtual queue then the only other method is to purchase a Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is one of my favorite attractions at ALL of the Disney Parks so I highly recommend you purchase a Lightning Lane if you do not get a boarding group. Or perhaps ride once with the virtual queue and ride again with Lightning Lane! During my last visit to Walt Disney World, we found ourselves wanting more time at EPCOT just because of how great this rollercoaster is.

Lightning Lane times will start to sell out for Guardians by noon so make sure to book your time as early as possible! On busier days, these times will begin to sell out even earlier.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a family-friendly swaying coaster ride located in Magic Kingdom. Guests will race through the diamond mine from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the ride combines a nice element of dark rides and short thrills. Aside from the new TRON, this is easily the MOST popular ride at Magic Kingdom. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is available via standby or Lightning Lane Single Pass.

While purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass is the most convenient way to experience this attraction, there are a few strategies to getting on this attraction with a shorter wait time which is a great way to save money.

Early Entry Rope Drop

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is available during Early Entry at Magic Kingdom. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World hotel can access the theme parks thirty minutes prior to the official park opening and select rides will be available. For Magic Kingdom, Early Entry offers attractions in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland which includes Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This is the best way to ride this attraction without purchasing Lightning Lane but to have a decent shot at experiencing this ride with a short wait, you need to be in line for Magic Kingdom at least an hour prior to the official park opening.

This means that if Magic Kingdom opens at 8AM, you should plan on being lined up at 6:45AM. Even though Early Entry would officially start at 730AM, cast members will start letting guests in as early as 45 minutes prior to Early Entry. Most guests who are prioritizing riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will line up at the rope drop located just to the right of Cinderella's Castle that blocks off Fantasyland. If you are at the front of this pack of people, you will be able to ride with a fairly short wait. This is the most popular method of riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train without purchasing Lightning Lane!

If you arrive and you are at the very back of this crowd of people, you may still be looking at a 45-minute wait or more, in that case, you may want to try our second method and come back at night.

Before Park Closing

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will hit some of the lowest wait times before park closing. This is also a popular time of day for Walt Disney World to inflate ride times so it's best to ignore the time on the app and instead judge the wait by walking by the attraction. If the line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is contained in the queue and NOT filtering out into the walkway by Fantasyland, then you likely have less than an hour's wait, perhaps even as short as 30 to 45 minutes.

I recommend saving Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for the very last ride of the night. As long as you are physically in line before park closing, even if it's just five minutes before park closes, you will be able to ride. This way the time spent in line isn't taking away from valuable park time and this is the time of the day you will often see the shortest line as many guests begin to clear out at this time of the day.

Both of these strategies can help guests ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with a shorter wait and avoid purchasing Lightning Lane. But if you prefer convenience over waking up early to be front of the line at Early Entry or staying late to park closing, then purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass for this ride may be worth it!

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has been called one of the best rides that Disney has ever done. This high-tech attraction features a combination of family-friendly thrill and dark ride elements bringing guests face to face with a life-size AT-AT, the interior of a Star Destroyer, and a full scene of realistic Stormtroopers. This ride is an absolute must for a Star Wars fan! Even for guests who aren't avid Star Wars fans, the technology and length of this ride will blow you away. Rise of the Resistance is located in Disney's Hollywood Studios and is available via standby or Lightning Lane Single Pass.

While purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Passis the most convenient way to experience this attraction, there are a few strategies to getting on this attraction with a shorter wait time which is a great way to save money.

Early Entry Rope Drop

Rise of the Resistance is available during Early Entry at Hollywood Studios. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World hotel can access the theme parks thirty minutes prior to the official park opening and select rides will be available. For Hollywood Studios, Early Entry includes nearly all the rides available at the park including the most popular attractions like Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash.

I always recommend guests looking to rope drop Early Entry should be in line at least an hour prior to the official park opening. This means if Hollywood Studios opens at 8AM, you should plan on being lined up by at least 7AM as cast members may start letting Early Entry guests in as early as 7AM for a 730AM Early Entry start time. Guests wanting to rope drop Rise of the Resistance will be blocked off by a rope not far from the front of the park. It is a long walk back to Rise of the Resistance and a bit of a hustle in your step will ensure you get on the ride first. You want to get to the park early enough to be at the front of the crowd!

Before Park Closing

Rise of the Resistance will start to have lower wait times before park closing. This is also a popular time of day for Walt Disney World to inflate ride times so it's best to ignore the time on the app and instead judge the wait by walking by the attraction. If you cannot see much of the queue outside of Rise of the Resistance, meaning that most of the line is contained on the inside of the attraction, you are likely looking at a wait of less than 45 minutes. Maybe even as short as 30 minutes!

The downside of saving Rise of the Resistance prior to the park closing is this ride is notorious for breaking down. If the ride breaks down at the end of the day, they might just close it for the day which means you will miss out on the experience. So while riding at the end of the day can avoid a long wait time, it's not the method I recommend since you run the risk of missing out on this fantastic attraction.

As always, if you prefer convenience over waking up early to be front of the line at Early Entry or staying late to park closing but risking shutdowns for Rise, then purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass for this ride may be worth it!

Avatar Flight of Passage

Avatar Flight of Passage was for years the most popular attraction at Walt Disney World with its initial ride opening making news headlines as guests waited for hours to experience it. Avatar Flight of Passage is located in Pandora- The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom. This ride is still incredibly popular and is easily the most in-demand ride at Animal Kingdom. And with good reason! Flight of Passage simulates the experience of riding a mountain banshee from the Avatar films for a breathtaking 3D flight over the landscape of Pandora. The technology of this ride is extremely impressive, this is not your average 3D experience. Avatar Flight of Passage is available via standby or Lightning Lane Single Pass.

While purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass is the most convenient way to experience this attraction, there are a few strategies to getting on this attraction with a shorter wait time which is a great way to save money.

Early Entry Rope Drop

Avatar Flight of Passage is available during Early Entry at Animal Kingdom. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World hotel can access the theme parks thirty minutes prior to the official park opening and select rides will be available. For Animal Kingdom, Early Entry includes all of Pandora, Expedition Everest, and the attractions in the DINOSAUR area. Most guests head straight to Flight of Passage during Early Entry!

I always recommend guests looking to rope drop Early Entry should be in line at least an hour prior to the official park opening. This means if Animal Kingdom opens at 8AM, you should plan on being lined up by at least 7AM as cast members may start letting Early Entry guests in as early as 7AM for a 730AM Early Entry start time.

Rope drop at Animal Kingdom is always challenging since the park itself is so big. You have a long walk to get from the entrance to Pandora. In some ways, this can actually be an advantage if you have a bit of hustle to your walking pace. But remember, no running allowed! Since nearly every person at Animal Kingdom will be heading straight to Pandora, you will only have a short wait for Flight of Passage if you arrive early enough to be at the front of the crowds! If you arrive too late, then you are looking at a long, long wait and should come back later.

Before Park Closing

Flight of Passage will start to have lower wait times before park closing. This is also a popular time of day for Walt Disney World to inflate ride times so it's best to ignore the time on the app. Unfortunately, there's no way to eyeball the queue for Flight of Passage like other popular Lightning Lane rides since most of the queue is indoors. However, many guests treat Animal Kingdom like a half-day park with ride times beginning to drop as the afternoon goes on meaning the time before park opening may see much lower wait times than the morning.

I have had a lot of success with jumping in line for Flight of Passage just a few minutes before park closing, especially helpful since Animal Kingdom often has such short park hours, and waiting less than 30 minutes. This ride will always be the most busy at park opening which is why if you are not at the front of that Early Entry crowd, you should save this ride for later.

As always, if you prefer convenience over waking up early to be front of the line at Early Entry or staying late, then purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass for this ride may be worth it!

How Does DAS Work for Lightning Lane Single Pass?

For guests with disabilities, many wonder if the Disney World DAS pass works on Lightning Lane Single Pass. The Walt Disney World disability pass is a program that provides accommodations for guests who have difficulty tolerating long waits in conventional queues. This service works by providing guests with a return time for rides that is equal to the current standby time.

It works just the same for the attractions that offer a regular standby line as it does for the rest of the attractions in the parks. For example, if Seven Dwarfs Mine Train currently has a 65-minute wait, then the DAS user will be issued a return equal to that current wait time.

However, DAS works a bit differently for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind since it does not have a standby line and offers Virtual Queue instead. DAS users can only ride by securing a Virtual Queue or purchasing a Lightning Lane, just like everyone else in the park. However, since the line for the Virtual Queue can get extremely long (often comparable to the length of a standby line at times) then DAS users can enter the Lightning Lane instead. To get access to the Lightning Lane if you have a Virtual Queue boarding group, simply ask one of the cast members stationed outside the attraction and they will issue you a Lightning Lane pass to enter once they verify your boarding group and DAS membership on the app. 

Ultimately, purchasing Disney World Lightning Lane Single Pass is the best method for the most convenient park touring but you can also ride all these attractions for FREE with a bit of planning.

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