As of as we speak, October 30, 2024, Walt Disney World has rolled out the brand new Lightning Lane Premier Go, which is a 3rd tier of paid FastPass. This submit covers one of the crucial necessary subjects concerning the new line-skipping service from a sensible perspective: pricing. We have now prices of LLPP for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom for dates between now and late November 2024. Plus, predictions for Thanksgiving via January 2025.
As intimated above, 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). It doesn’t, and won’t, substitute both present choice. There are nonetheless some questions on the entire Lightning Lane Premier Go system, and we’ve been doing our greatest to reply these within the Information to Lightning Lane Premier Go at Walt Disney World. That may get one other replace within the subsequent few days if we be taught any new particulars about Lightning Lane Premier Go. Most likely.
Possibly not, although. The entire level of Lightning Lane Premier Go is to streamline issues. Not like LLMP or LLSP, Premier Go is just not 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 must make an animated film about it. Maybe they may get Kurt Russell and Billy Baldwin to voice characters.
Anyway, that is price mentioning as a result of another websites plan on doing complete field-testing of Lightning Lane Premier Go. We won’t be doing that as a result of, frankly, I don’t actually see the purpose. For one factor, the audience for LLPP is exceedingly restricted–I’d estimate it to be round 1% to three% of all friends on common days when bloggers, vloggers, and influencers aren’t shopping for it to check.
As such, the viewers for such posts amongst planners is equally restricted. The actual market, I assume, will likely be disgruntled followers who rage-read articles or watch movies about how costly it’s…however that’s not likely telling us something we don’t already know. Every day costs are actually the one direct component of curiosity, and it doesn’t take area testing to search out these out.
In any other case, the exact level of Lightning Lane Premier Go is simplifying the line-skipping expertise. Assuming it really works as anticipated (and I assume that could be a semi-bold assumption given Disney IT’s monitor document), the attract of LLPP is just not needing to learn or be taught something. There are not any hacks or methods to squeeze worth out of it. You purchase it, if in any respect, to take away stress, planning, and so forth. Level being: don’t overthink it.
You in all probability already know if this can be a product for you or if it isn’t based mostly merely and solely on the outline and worth factors. Whether it is, extra energy to you! As somebody who relishes leveraging hacks and savvy technique to “beat the system,” it’s not for me, and that’s superb–to every their very own. As an alternative, our focus with Lightning Lane Premier Go will likely be oblique and are available by way of extra Lightning Lane Multi-Go and standby testing to see the way it impacts these strains.
Truthfully, I’m not anticipating it to maneuver the needle a lot, if in any respect. The primary purpose is that 1-3% uptake prediction, a lot of which is able to come from the pool of friends who already buy LLMP. Consequently, my expectation is that LLPP may have a negligible affect on the visitor expertise for everybody else. However, that’s a guess at this level, and my guesses have been incorrect loads of occasions earlier than, which is exactly why we take a look at issues. However I digress.
Right here’s a take a look at the primary 21 days of information for Lightning Lane Premier Go park-by-park costs:
Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Premier Go Pricing
- 10/30/2024 – $329
- 10/31/2024 – $329
- 11/01/2024 – $379
- 11/02/2024 – $359
- 11/03/2024 – $379
- 11/04/2024 – $399
- 11/05/2024 – $359
- 11/06/2024 – $379
- 11/07/2024 – $379
- 11/08/2024 – $359
- 11/09/2024 – $379
- 11/10/2024 – $379
- 11/11/2024 – $359
- 11/12/2024 – $379
- 11/13/2024 – $379
- 11/14/2024 – $359
- 11/15/2024 – $379
- 11/16/2024 – $399
- 11/17/2024 – $379
- 11/18/2024 – $379
- 11/19/2024 – $379
- 11/20/2024 – $359
Lightning Lane Premier Go pricing at Magic Kingdom is most attention-grabbing to me. I’ve bolded the height costs within the subsequent 21 days. Frankly, these don’t make a ton of sense to me. It stands to purpose that LLPP would value essentially the most on the busiest days. November 4 is a Monday, which is the busiest day of the week at Magic Kingdom. So superficially, that is smart.
However that isn’t a busy week! It’s between Halloween and Christmas, sufficiently forward of Veterans Day weekend, and on a day when Walt Disney World uncared for to increase park hours from the 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. baseline. That Thursday and the next Monday have 11 pm closings, with Saturday having a uncommon midnight closing. Pricing LLPP at $399 makes extra sense any of these days!
Equally attention-grabbing is that LLPP pricing at Magic Kingdom doesn’t seem to take Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Get together into consideration. It could possibly be argued that the service ought to value extra on these days as a result of there are fewer hours, so LLPP permits friends to get extra carried out. Lots of issues may be argued, however that doesn’t make them good arguments. The alternative is definitely true right here: line-skipping companies (all of them) are far much less obligatory and helpful as a result of decrease crowd ranges on these dates. I don’t even do Lightning Lane Multi-Go testing on MNSSHP or MVMCP days anymore as a result of it’s pointless. The outcomes are the identical (I get rather a lot carried out!) each single time.
EPCOT Lightning Lane Premier Go Pricing
- 10/30/2024 – $169
- 10/31/2024 – $169
- 11/01/2024 – $189
- 11/02/2024 – $189
- 11/03/2024 – $209
- 11/04/2024 – $229
- 11/05/2024 – $189
- 11/06/2024 – $229
- 11/07/2024 – $209
- 11/08/2024 – $189
- 11/09/2024 – $209
- 11/10/2024 – $209
- 11/11/2024 – $189
- 11/12/2024 – $229
- 11/13/2024 – $209
- 11/14/2024 – $189
- 11/15/2024 – $209
- 11/16/2024 – $229
- 11/17/2024 – $169
- 11/18/2024 – $169
- 11/19/2024 – $169
- 11/20/2024 – $209
All the bolded peak costs (for now) of Lightning Lane Premier Go at EPCOT are on completely different days of the week. None of them are in shut proximity to the Veterans Day (or every other) vacation weekend. Presently, there’s no purpose to count on these dates to be significantly busy. It’s not mirrored in Disney’s hours, and solely considered one of these dates see the best LLMP pricing at EPCOT. It’s additionally not mirrored in any observable externalities we see that might affect crowds.
I really feel like there’s a riddle right here to be unwrapped, however I’m too dumb to determine it out. That, or Walt Disney World threw darts at a wall to set pricing for Lightning Lane Premier Go. Maybe a “why not each?” kinda state of affairs.
Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Premier Go Pricing
- 10/30/2024 – $269
- 10/31/2024 – $269
- 11/01/2024 – $289
- 11/02/2024 – $289
- 11/03/2024 – $309
- 11/04/2024 – $329
- 11/05/2024 – $289
- 11/06/2024 – $329
- 11/07/2024 – $309
- 11/08/2024 – $289
- 11/09/2024 – $309
- 11/10/2024 – $309
- 11/11/2024 – $289
- 11/12/2024 – $309
- 11/13/2024 – $269
- 11/14/2024 – $289
- 11/15/2024 – $309
- 11/16/2024 – $309
- 11/17/2024 – $309
- 11/18/2024 – $269
- 11/19/2024 – $309
- 11/20/2024 – $289
For these protecting rating at dwelling, November 4 is the one date to have present peak pricing on the 3 parks that matter. I nonetheless don’t suppose there’s any purpose to imagine that date will likely be atypically busy relative to the opposite days on this checklist. (Earlier than anybody factors to the runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, remember the fact that race members usually arrive early and do the parks previous to the races, not keep late and do them after. That’s the final rule.)
It’s potential they’re basing these costs on Deluxe Resort occupancy, which may clarify the departure from park hours, anticipated crowds, and LLMP/LLSP pricing. Larger occupancy on the high tier resorts doesn’t essentially lead to any of these issues, because it could possibly be occurring for different causes (specifically conventions or group occasions) and is a small pool of friends.
Extra possible, they’re simply testing a wide range of worth factors earlier than the actual peak season rolls round. Up to now, it’s been considerably of a idiot’s errand to strive studying something into Lightning Lane/Genie+ costs. There was a time when Walt Disney World was months behind in adjusting dynamic pricing to account for attendance development modifications with weekdays vs. weekends. So in case you’re making an attempt to learn the fig leaves and glean perception into crowds or no matter else, I’d advise towards that.
Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Premier Go Pricing
- 10/30/2024 – $129
- 10/31/2024 – $129
- 11/01/2024 – $139
- 11/02/2024 – $159
- 11/03/2024 – $139
- 11/04/2024 – $159
- 11/05/2024 – $129
- 11/06/2024 – $159
- 11/07/2024 – $139
- 11/08/2024 – $159
- 11/09/2024 – $159
- 11/10/2024 – $139
- 11/11/2024 – $159
- 11/12/2024 – $129
- 11/13/2024 – $129
- 11/14/2024 – $139
- 11/15/2024 – $159
- 11/16/2024 – $159
- 11/17/2024 – $129
- 11/18/2024 – $159
- 11/19/2024 – $129
- 11/20/2024 – $129
It doesn’t make sense to purchase Lightning Lane Premier Go at Animal Kingdom within the first place, so I’m not going to strive making sense of the pricing. There’s a purpose that it’s priced to this point beneath the opposite parks, and that purpose is that this can be a superfluous product that shouldn’t exist at Animal Kingdom. Lightning Lane Premier Go is the equal of a paid FastLane on the freeway at 2 a.m. when there are not any different vehicles on the street.
As a reminder, there isn’t any Park Hopper choice for Lightning Lane Premier Go at Walt Disney World. That is not like LLPP at Disneyland, and in addition not like Lightning Lane Multi-Go at Walt Disney World. Lightning Lane Premier Go at Walt Disney World is just legitimate on the theme park for which you buy it.
At launch, Lightning Lane Premier Go is offered to buy solely by friends staying at Deluxe Resorts or Deluxe Villa Resorts (Disney Trip Membership Resorts). Lightning Lane Premier Go could also be bought as much as seven days upfront of their keep.
Lightning Lane Premier Go offers Walt Disney World friends one-time entry to every out there Lightning Lane entrance in a single theme park for the day. The decrease attraction depend together with decrease crowds and Lightning Lane Multi-Go being extra helpful (and never having tiers) is exactly why LLPP is pointless at Animal Kingdom.
Should you’re questioning when is the “finest” time to purchase Lightning Lane Premier Go, the reply is the intersection of upper costs and greater crowds. Which means not November 4 because it virtually actually gained’t verify each bins, however in all probability November 25-27, the weeks of Christmas and New Yr’s, Presidents’ Day, peak of Spring Break, and so forth.
The flip aspect of that’s that the “worst” time to purchase Lightning Lane Premier Go is when the costs are lowest. Don’t take a look at these costs within the $100s and $200s and suppose you’re getting a discount–cease to ask why Walt Disney World priced LLPP at that time to start with. Personally, I wouldn’t purchase Premier Go at these costs as a result of it’s not sufficiently helpful…and I wouldn’t purchase on the $300 and $400 worth factors as a result of it’s too costly.
This parallels Lightning Lane Multi-Go, so it shouldn’t be a shock to Walt Disney World regulars. As a common rule, the extra friends see longer wait occasions, the extra possible they’re to wish to skip these standby strains. Worse wait occasions creates the next incentive for bypassing strains, that means greater uptake of Lightning Lanes even when it prices extra. Demand for beating crowds will increase as attendance goes up, and as such, Lightning Lanes will at all times be hottest after they’re costliest. It follows that there’s much less demand for Lightning Lanes in decrease crowds, even with decrease costs.
When it comes to once we can count on to see peak season pricing, the primary take a look at will come on Monday, November 25, 2024. I imply, I assume technically it may come earlier (the Saturday and Sunday beforehand), however that would be the first really busy day of Thanksgiving week. Crowds for that vacation week virtually at all times peak previous to Thursday, so we’d count on the best costs to happen on November 25-27. These will virtually assuredly be greater than November 4 costs, because the parks will definitely be busier.
After that, costs ought to plummet on the Saturday or Sunday that comply with Black Friday, except Walt Disney World is simply too reactionary. Then we are able to count on to see the all-time excessive costs to be reached beginning December 21, 2024 and persevering with via no less than New Yr’s Eve–probably till January 6, 2025. Walt Disney World has already introduced the height costs:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $199 per individual, plus tax
- EPCOT: $249 per individual, plus tax
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $349 per individual, plus tax
- Magic Kingdom: $449 per individual, plus tax
On condition that November 4, a random day between Halloween and Christmas seasons that gained’t be that busy, is already comparatively near these peaks, my private expectation is to see the above costs for all dates from December 21, 2024 via January 6, 2025. Truthfully, I wouldn’t even be shocked if Thanksgiving week hits these costs. It’ll be an attention-grabbing saga to observe–we’ll hold you posted to a point, however don’t count on practically as many posts about Lightning Lane Premier Go as Multi-Go. Frankly, this pursuits me rather a lot much less and isn’t related to 99% of readers.
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 Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular 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, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot it is advisable know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on Lightning Lane Premier Go? Shocked by the date-by-date costs? Ideas on Walt Disney World’s “reply” to Common’s Specific Go? Predictions as to how profitable this line-skipping service will likely be? Beneath 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 attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!