In our Guide 2 Disney Genie, we’ve shown you how to enroll in Disney Genie, purchase Genie+, use Genie to manage your day at Disney World, and use Genie+ to maximize your Lightning Lane usage in the parks. In our final entry, we’re going to show you everything about how to use the final piece of Disney’s paid FastPass replacement: Individual Lightning Lane selections, which let you pay to skip the line at Disney World and Disneyland’s most popular attractions. This guide will share how to buy them, when they go on sale, and which rides use Individual Lightning Lane.
Update 3-23-2023: With the opening of Tron Lightcycle Run, Disney has updated the lineup for Individual Lightning Lane attractions. We also have new information on Individual Lightning Lane pricing.
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ToggleWhat is Individual Lightning Lane?
The Lightning Lane is a shorter line for those who have reservations. Individual Lightning Lane is the term for a la carte Lightning Lane purchases, which are available at 2 of the most popular or newest attractions in each park. These are individual purchases that are not included with Genie+, which bundles the rest of the Lightning Lane attractions together for a flat rate. You can read an in-depth explanation of the differences between Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane here.
How much does Individual Lightning Lane cost?
Individual Lightning Lane pricing varies depending on the attraction and the day. The newer and more popular attractions will have a higher cost, and costs for every ride will go up on more crowded days.
At Disney World, the least expensive Individual Lightning Lane attraction is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which usually costs between $10-$12 per person. The most expensive Individual Lightning Lane ride is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which can cost as much as $25 per person. You can see a full breakdown of the price range in our Disney World Lightning Lane pricing guide.
At Disneyland, Rise of the Resistance costs $25, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway costs $15-$20 per person.
Do I need to purchase Genie+ to be able to buy Individual Lightning Lane reservations?
No. You do not need to purchase Genie+ or even enroll in Disney Genie in order to purchase Individual Lightning Lane reservations.
Which attractions have Individual Lightning Lane?
Magic Kingdom Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Tron Lightcycle Run
Epcot Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Hollywood Studios Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Animal Kingdom Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Disneyland Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
California Adventure Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
- Radiator Springs Racers
Which attractions used to have Individual Lightning Lane?
Space Mountain, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Hollywood Studios, Web Slingers, and Expedition Everest all used to have Individual Lightning Lane. Disney has shifted all of those attractions to Genie+, and they are not available with Individual Lightning Lane.
While Disney announced this move to be temporary, it seems like this is a permanent move. However, Disney reserves the right to change the Lightning Lane lineup at any point.
How to buy Individual Lightning Lane reservations
First, you’ll need the MyDisneyExperience app or Disneyland app and a Disney account. We shared how to download and login to your Disney account in the Genie setup guide. Once you have the most up to date version of the app, you’ll want to go to the Tip Board in the Disney Genie section. You can do this a few ways:
- On the home page, there’s a banner highlighting Disney Genie Service. You can press the “Summon Disney Genie” button to get started.
- Press the Plus button in the middle of the bottom menu bar to bring up a list of actions. Press the “View my Genie Day and Tip Board” to go to Genie within the app.
- Press the three lines (also known as a hamburger menu) on the bottom right of the menu bar. You should select “Tip Board” to access Disney Genie.
Even if you haven’t configured Disney Genie, you can still access the Tip Board to look at wait times and purchase Individual Lightning Lane reservations.
Select the park that you are going to by tapping “Change Park” next to the park icon at the top of the Tip Board. Next, scroll to the attraction you’re interested in purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane for.
Tap the “Individual Lightning Lane” box under the attraction you want to purchase. This box will display the earliest arrival window, as well as the current price per person. From there, you will confirm your party, select your arrival window from all the times available, and select your payment method, and confirm your purchase.
Once you have purchased your Lightning Lane reservation, you just need to arrive at the Lightning Lane entrance at the attraction during your selected window. As a reminder, Lightning Lane has a grace period of 5 minutes early and 15 minutes late. So if you got a 3:50-4:50 Lightning Lane reservation for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you can arrive between 3:45 and 5:05.
When do Individual Lightning Lane purchases start?
At Disney World: Resort guests can start purchasing Individual Lightning Lane reservations at 7 am each day. All other guests can purchase starting at park opening, which varies day to day and park to park.
At Disneyland: Guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lane reservations once they have entered the theme park.
Note: you will need valid admission and a park reservation before you can make an Individual Lightning Lane purchase.
How many Individual Lightning Lane purchases can I make?
Guests are limited to two Individual Lighting Lane purchases per person per day. You cannot buy an Individual Lightning Lane for the same attraction twice in one day.
Unlike Genie+ Lightning Lane, there is no time limit between making Individual Lightning Lane purchases. You can purchase both of your Individual Lightning Lane as soon as they become available.
Do I have to purchase the next available time slot?
This is one of the differences between how Lightning Lane works at Disneyland and Disney World.
At Disney World: You can select from all available time slots when you purchase an Individual Lightning Lane.
At Disneyland: You have to purchase the next available time slot when buying an Individual Lightning Lane.
Does Individual Lightning Lane support Park Hopping?
Yes. You can purchase Individual Lightning Lane reservations in two different parks. You will need a park hopper ticket to do this.
Can my Individual Lightning Lane purchases overlap with Genie+ Lightning Lane?
Yes. They are two separate systems, so Individual Lightning Lane won’t interfere with Genie+ Lightning Lane. It’s all explained in-depth in our Genie+ Lightning Lane guide.
What happens if the ride I purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for breaks down?
If the ride you have an Individual Lightning Lane purchase for breaks down during your window, your arrival window will be extended until park closing. If the ride does not open back up for the rest of the day, you should be automatically refunded. If you cannot use your Lightning Lane reservation because you left the park, talk to guest relations. They should offer you a refund. This is the only way to get a refund for Individual Lightning Lane, in case of technical difficulties.
Can I cancel or modify my Individual Lightning Lane purchase?
No. Once you purchase your Individual Lightning Lane reservation, you cannot change it to a different time or a different attraction. There is no way to cancel it and receive a refund. If you have an emergency that prevents you from using your Lightning Lane reservation, we would recommend talking with Guest Relations and politely asking what they can do.
That concludes our Guide 2 Disney Genie. Let me know if you have any more questions about Lightning Lane, Disney Genie, or anything else related to Disney World in the comments! You can find all of our Disney Genie guides listed below.
The Guide 2 Disney Genie - Everything You Need to Know about Disney Genie
Genie+ and Lightning Lane, Explained
Disney Genie Guide Part 1: Your Guide 2 understanding Disney's new FastPass replacement.
How to sign up for Genie+ | Guide 2 Disney Genie
Disney Genie Guide Part 4: Here's how you can spend money to get access to the Lightning Lane
How to Maximize Genie+ Lightning Lane Reservations | Guide 2 Disney Genie
Disney Genie Guide Part 5: The ultimate Guide 2 Genie+ Lightning Lane
Genie+ Price Decrease? Disney World introduces per-park pricing
Find out everything you need to know about big changes coming to Genie+ at Walt Disney World.
Advanced Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Reservations coming to Disney World
Disney World will be overhauling the Genie+ system in 2024.
Can Genie+ sell out?
Do you have to worry about Genie+ selling out at Disney World or Disneyland? A little bit.
UPDATED: On-ride photos to be included in Genie+ at Disney World
Disney World is adding a new perk to Genie+
Genie+ Now Allows Lightning Lane Modifications (Updated)
Disney World and Disneyland will implement a much-requested feature for Genie+.
Genie+ at Disney World vs Disneyland — Seven Differences
A comparison of all the ways Genie+ is different at Disneyland and Disney World.
The Guide 2 Disney Genie
Everything you need to know about Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane.
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James Grosch
James is a lifelong Disney Parks fan. While at the parks, he loves finding new details, learning more about Disney World history, and taking pictures. His favorite WDW attractions include Rise of the Resistance, Spaceship Earth, and Tower of Terror.
James is a filmmaker and writer based in Atlanta, GA.