There’s a rumor circulating {that a} new Lightning Lane line-skipping service is coming to Walt Disney World and/or Disneyland. Sure, one other one. This put up shares particulars of the app look, together with our in depth commentary about prospects for what the following paid FastPass may supply, and why we expect Disney’s twist on Specific Move is the almost definitely candidate (together with predicted pricing and eligibility).
Let’s begin with being very clear: that is purely a rumor based mostly on performance within the Disneyland app. It’s usually the case that options are examined–and are available to gentle in precisely this fashion–earlier than being totally rolled out for most of the people. It’s additionally usually the case that issues are toyed with that by no means see the sunshine of day.
Which means the approximate timeline for a Lightning Lane Premier Move announcement is as early as tomorrow or as late as by no means. We may know all the specifics by August 23, or this may very well be a distant reminiscence that’s lengthy forgotten by 2025. Accordingly, if you happen to solely need “official” information and never wild hypothesis, you may need to skip this put up and wait a number of days or even weeks.
We are also fairly assured that this isn’t a alternative for Lightning Lane Multi Move (LLMP) or Single Move (SP). Though there was some backlash in direction of these new techniques, that’s all the time the case with main adjustments at Walt Disney World and Disneyland that create new classes of winners and losers.
It’s our understanding that Disney is happy with the brand new system and it appears to be going nicely regardless of some hiccups. Even when that weren’t the case, one other main overhaul wouldn’t be attainable so quickly. It wouldn’t occur till 2026 or later. Regardless, there’s completely no purpose to imagine that’s what that is.
As for the substance of the rumor, ThemeParkIQ is reporting on social media that they noticed performance that Disney just lately pushed in an replace to the Disneyland app to incorporate a brand new “Lightning Lane Premier Move.” Disney has eliminated this already.
ThemeParkIQ additionally shared this: “It appears to be like like it is possible for you to to pre-purchase Lightning Lane prematurely and e book forward of time much like Walt Disney World. This will likely come at an added price.”
I don’t know what their foundation is for drawing this conclusion, nevertheless it’s value noting that this account is a good useful resource and sometimes spots adjustments within the Disneyland app earlier than they’re rolled out. I take advantage of their web site for perusing menu adjustments at Disneyland earlier than they’re formally introduced–however I do know they’ve a bunch of different options.
Right here’s the graphic that ThemeParkIQ shared from the app:
One other factor that’s value noting earlier than we dig into the commentary is that ‘Premier’ is already utilized in branding for all the worldwide parks. Curiously, what it means or presents differs in any respect of them.
Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris all have skip-the-line companies that which can be successfully bundles. Company should buy a set of points of interest–or all of them–for a set value. These are costlier, on common, than what the home parks cost for Lightning Lane Multi Move. Accordingly, Premier Move may very well be a bundle much like a type of.
In the meantime, Tokyo Disney Resort makes use of the title Premier Entry to refer to what’s often known as Lightning Lane Single Move within the home parks. The Japan parks additionally nonetheless supply free FastPass, albeit by a unique title–Precedence Move. Lastly, TDR now presents trip packages and ticket sorts that provide what’s primarily akin to Common’s Limitless Specific Move. (As a reminder, TDR is just not owned by Disney, so it kinda does its personal factor.)
To additional confuse issues, the Premier Move is a coast-to-coast Annual Move for Walt Disney World and Disneyland. It was as soon as bought to most of the people, however has solely been out there to Membership 33 members and Golden Oak residents (and maybe different VIPs?) since 2020. So who is aware of…possibly this can be a Lightning Lane for the turnstiles at each Walt Disney World and Disneyland?!
Turning to commentary, there are a few reasonable prospects for what Lightning Lane Premier Move may supply. The only and most easy clarification is that that is pre-arrival journey reservations coming to Disneyland. For many who aren’t conscious, when Genie+ was retired and changed by Lightning Lane Multi Move, it occurred in title solely at Disneyland Resort.
That is to say that the system was completely overhauled at Walt Disney World, with the introduction of a brand new system that appears strikingly much like FastPass+, however paid. (I’d argue that LLMP has extra in widespread with FP+ than it does Genie+, minus the entire cash factor. Minor element.) In contrast, it was a change in title solely at Disneyland. It was achieved for the sake of continuity between the coasts and since the Genie model had grow to be so poisonous.
In any case, this has created a bigger product hole between Walt Disney World and Disneyland. You thus is likely to be inclined to attract the cheap conclusion that Disney goes to fill that by providing pre-arrival Lightning Lanes at Disneyland. This makes some extent of sense. Because of totally different demographics, it is smart for Disneyland to stay (principally) to same-day bookings. However many planners favor advance picks, and this may very well be a product providing focused at these (on common) larger spenders. It is smart!
Nonetheless, I’m skeptical of this chance. For one factor, I believe providing two substantively-identical merchandise however with totally different names would create shopper confusion. You would argue that this has already occurred by advantage of Lightning Lane Multi Move being totally different on the 2 coasts. However introducing one more product that does the identical factor would solely additional muddy the waters and complicate issues.
Then there’s the truth that that is within the Disneyland app. If this have been in My Disney Expertise (and solely MDX) my tackle it is likely to be totally different. However every part I’ve heard over time means that Disneyland was a “reluctant” participant in the entire Genie debacle, and it was an initiative pushed from on excessive for each coasts. That Disneyland needed to stay with MaxPass, nevertheless it wasn’t their name.
Even within the absence of such rumors, you’re most likely conscious that Disneyland is the extra laid again resort. Disneyland is just not practically as eager on pushing upcharges or making issues sophisticated for visitors. The California parks have gotten worse about this since 2021, however nonetheless nothing like Walt Disney World. So it’s tough for me to think about a Disneyland-exclusive initiative that makes journey reservations much more advanced than at Walt Disney World. It’s simply not occurring.
There’s additionally the matter of incentives. What profit is there to Disney in creating a brand new pre-arrival system for Disneyland after which, presumably, promoting it for the very same value as Lightning Lane Multi Move? That’s presumably what would occur if this have been Walt Disney World’s model of LLMP by a unique title.
So now instantly Disneyland has two techniques to juggle, priced at or about the identical quantity that trigger better shopper confusion. And for what? Does anybody realistically imagine that this might enhance gross sales to sufficient of a level for it to offset the added prices? It wouldn’t.
There may be not an enormous untapped market of visitors who’re on the sidelines, skipping Lightning Lane Multi Move at Disneyland as a result of it doesn’t have a pre-arrival part. (Past all the above, the identical day system works significantly better at Disneyland.) The marketplace for this product merely doesn’t exist at scale enough to justify its prices. I’m fairly assured it isn’t occurring.
Which brings us to the second chance for Lightning Lane Premier Move: that it’s extra like Disney’s model of Common’s Specific Move.
For these unfamiliar with it, Common’s Specific Move is accessible as a ticket add-on or with choose lodge stays. You should buy two forms of Specific Move, common or limitless. The common model lets you skip the road as soon as per eligible attraction in both park. Common Specific Limitless presents line-skipping privileges, because the title suggests, a limiteless variety of instances per attraction.
In contrast to Lightning Lanes, visitors utilizing Specific Move at Common will not be required to make journey reservations–which means there aren’t any set return instances. You merely go as much as the attraction, scan your move, and use your Specific Move entitlement. There’s nothing to order or problem with in an app. It’s a very “dumb” system–and I imply that in one of the simplest ways attainable. Specific Move includes zero know-how and display time. It’s utterly hassle-free.
Common’s Specific Move can be far more costly when not included with a lodge keep. The out-of-pocket price of normal Specific Move begins at $89.99 per particular person plus tax and may prime out at $290, with the common being nicely north of $100. Limitless Common Specific Move ranges from $120 to $320, with the common close to $200.
My guess is that if Disney is introducing one more line-skipping product, it’s primarily this–a “competitor” to Common’s Specific Move. There can be enough product differentiation between Lightning Lane Multi Move and this, and it could really be viable. It most likely additionally wouldn’t simply be at Disneyland.
Earlier than anybody even thinks about going there, Lightning Lane Premier Move wouldn’t be included in choose resort stays as its counterpart is at Common Orlando. C’mon! They don’t even give away Lightning Lane Multi Move to on-site visitors…why on earth would they provide away the upper finish product?!
With that stated, it could not shock me within the least if there is a lodge part to this. By that, I imply that it’s solely out there for choose visitors to buy within the first place. This could really make a number of sense, as it could considerably restrict the visitor pool for a product that may in any other case be very fashionable–even at an especially excessive value. It could additionally operate as a “perk” of kinds, incentivizing higher-end lodge stays amongst “whales” who may in any other case keep in off-site luxurious lodging.
This isn’t a vastly daring prediction. Walt Disney World already did this beneath the previous FastPass+ system, permitting Membership Stage visitors to buy a ‘theme park additional’ bundle that primarily consisted of three additional FastPass+ picks for $50 per particular person, per day. That began in 2018 and ran by the closure of the parks in 2020. I assumed that was loopy on the time–an insane price for a system that would simply be ‘gamed’ with just a bit effort.
I used to be flawed. (Effectively, not completely–it was loopy to purchase one thing you may get free of charge with a modicum of effort.) Membership Stage visitors beloved it–the bonus FastPass+ have been insanely in style. Simply ask a journey agent. Many had purchasers who in any other case wouldn’t have booked Membership Stage within the first place achieve this simply to have entry to the bonus FastPass+ picks. Which means that their precise price wasn’t $50 per particular person, per day–it was that plus the nightly improve to Membership Stage over cheaper lodging they’d’ve booked within the different!
If we’ve realized something since ~2018-2020, it’s that there’s an insatiable marketplace for unique Disney choices. If such a “perk” on prime of a freebie was $50 then, it may simply be triple or extra that value now. No matter you suppose is the “value it” value for such a line-skipping product, the precise price will nearly definitely be increased. Such a service would simply have a 8x multiplier on the price of Lightning Lane Multi Move. Perhaps even 10x or extra.
The underside line is that there’s a much bigger marketplace for a ‘problem free’ Specific Move-esque different to Lightning Lane Multi Move and the visitors prepared to buy it will most likely pay greater than you suppose it’s value. Should you already scoff at paying for FastPasses that was once free, you aren’t the audience. And that’s not a worth judgment–I’m not, both!
Nonetheless, there’s additionally an inside need to strike extra of a steadiness between standby visitors and Lightning Lane customers. Insurance policies and techniques that really feel fairer to the vast majority of visitors and don’t benefit or drawback anybody an excessive amount of. From what we’ve heard, Disney has been attempting to string the needle with all the queueing and capability adjustments over the previous few months. It’s an unenviable activity and no-win proposition that’s resulted in a superb quantity of backlash, however that’s the intent.
If my guesses about Lightning Lane Premier Move are right, this attainable system could seem at odds with that. In spite of everything, that is pay to play taken to the intense, aimed on the most prosperous of visitors. However that is exactly why I believe this product providing will probably be restricted to Membership Stage visitors (or possibly Deluxe/Villa visitors if ahead occupancy projections actually are as tough as I’ve heard). I’d be completely shocked if somebody staying on the All Stars or off-site is ready to buy this.
Which may additionally clarify why it’s showing within the Disneyland app first. On condition that there are solely three inns there and so they’re all pretty costly, it is likely to be simpler to check Lightning Lane Premier Move at Disneyland first earlier than rolling it out at Walt Disney World.
Or, it’s attainable that it’ll be rolled out concurrently and it simply wasn’t noticed in MDX. I can’t think about Disneyland desires to be the check floor for this–and it additionally is likely to be higher to tear the band assist off all of sudden as an alternative of letting a brand new system that can revive “Disney solely cares in regards to the wealthy!” headlines have two information cycles.
Finally, that’s a rundown of what has been rumored up to now, prospects as to what it may very well be, and what I believe Lightning Lane Premier Move really is. A few extra shot-in-the-dark guesses I’d supply are that it’ll have beginning costs over double these of Specific Move at Common (I’d be stunned to see this price lower than $200 per particular person) and that there is not going to be an ‘limitless’ possibility (which means it’ll be one line-skipping entitlement per attraction). Once more, full guesses on all of this–I’ve zero inside data.
I additionally suspect Disney received’t need to disturb that ‘delicate steadiness’ in queue capability allocation by providing Lightning Lane Premier Move at a limiteless stage (even when they may simply promote it for $1,000 per particular person, per day). Maybe extra importantly, they received’t need to cannibalize VIP tour gross sales. The objective will to be slot this in between current product choices, not compete with them.
Lastly, I may additionally see this not coming to fruition in any respect. That Disney is toying with the concept however will get chilly ft, fearing a detrimental PR cycle and backlash. There have been rumors of such a system for years, and so they’ve by no means fairly occurred because of this or that. I may see this falling by but once more, particularly given all the current detrimental headlines and a focus Disney has garnered. It’d make sense to kick the can down the highway but once more, wanting for a extra opportune time. Or possibly they suppose that point is now, and the vibe is optimistic post-D23? I don’t actually know…however I’d by no means wager in opposition to Disney’s urge for food for extra income!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the rumored Lightning Lane Premier Move? Will this really come to fruition, or is it one other check that’ll result in nothing? Predictions as to what LLPP will entail? Will it merely be Disneyland’s model of pre-booking or will or not it’s Disney’s model of Specific Move? Guesses as to what it’ll price or who will probably be eligible to buy? Underneath what, if any, situations would you purchase Lightning Lane Premier Move? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or issues? 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!
