Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Rankings & Time-Saving Strategy
This list ranks the objectively best Lightning Lane Multi Passes at Magic Kingdom from both tiers, along with subjective strategy since there’s more to Walt Disney World’s new pre-arrival ride reservation service than simply making
This list ranks the objectively best Lightning Lane Multi Passes at Magic Kingdom from both tiers, along with subjective strategy since there’s more to Walt Disney World’s new pre-arrival ride reservation service than simply making the top picks. Our guide explains how you should approach LLMP in order to book as many attractions in MK as possible, maximizing your time saved and minimizing time waiting in line.
As before, Magic Kingdom is far and away the best park for buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World. It isn’t really even close. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the second-best option, but it has fewer LLMP attractions and you’re less likely to get as many “good” ones that’ll actually save you time.
Magic Kingdom has 18 Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions and, of those, over a dozen can be worthwhile. Not only that, but if you play your cards right, utilizing savvy strategy for time slots and booking in order of these rankings, you should be able to score at least 8 of those in a day. There’s literally no way you can book that many good LLMPs in a day at DHS, in part because that would mean booking 100% of the quality ones. I’ve never been able to do that, not even on a slow day!
Of course, this assumes that you want to ‘pay to play’ and will use Lightning Lane Multi Pass rather than simply doing standby lines. In Magic Kingdom, that’s almost always our recommendation. In fact, Magic Kingdom is the one park where–with only limited exceptions–we advise buying LLMP.
Exceptions to this are during the off-season, such as shoulder season, low points in winter, or during the late summer and early fall off-season. But even those timeframes offer no guarantees. January and February are, across the board, busier than they ever used to be. Even May, August, and September see spikes. Not only that, but spending more time standing in outdoor lines during the hottest months of the year is not ideal, for reasons that should be obvious.
The biggest exception, though, is during Party Season–from mid-August through December on days when Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is held. If you’re doing Magic Kingdom on a date when the park is closing at 6 pm, as we recommend, you won’t need Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Basically, whenever crowd levels drop below 4/10, you don’t need to pay extra for Lightning Lane access. It still can be nice to have, but it’s hardly essential. Our recommended ‘crowds threshold’ for skipping LLMP in MK is more like 2/10. Even in moderate crowds, Lightning Lane Multi Pass can be a nice splurge that’ll save you a ton of time and be “worth it” in the grand scheme of things.
As for why our recommendation to buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom is more emphatic than any other park at Walt Disney World, it boils down to the ride roster, Lightning Lane capacity/availability, and alternatives (or lack thereof). Again, Magic Kingdom has the highest number of LLMP attractions at 18 (and that’s down from 23 attractions due to the loss of character meet & greets under the new system).
Many of those are also higher capacity attractions, so it should be fairly self-evident as to why Lightning Lane availability is better at Magic Kingdom. That’s despite higher demand–more people buy Lightning Lanes at Magic Kingdom than any other park at Walt Disney World. (And that is in spite of a higher price–it costs much more than Animal Kingdom, for example, but is also worth more!)
As for the lack of alternative options, the biggest one is that Early Entry isn’t particularly great at Magic Kingdom. This is something we’ve been over repeatedly, so I won’t rehash here. Suffice to say, Early Entry is excellent at the other three parks, but only okay at Magic Kingdom–unless it’s Party Season or you use ‘zig when they zag’ strategy. Staying late also doesn’t work as well, since crowds don’t clear out at Magic Kingdom in the same way as the other parks.
Here’s what we recommend for getting the most mileage out of Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom…
Lightning Lane Multi Pass Strategy
One of the biggest misconceptions about Lightning Lane Multi Pass is that it’s exclusively pre-arrival ride reservations. To the contrary, there will almost certainly be more same-day drops of Lightning Lanes (what we refer to as ride reservation refills) throughout the day than before. Those were a feature of FastPass+ and again with Genie, so it’s safe to assume this will happen again. We’re going beyond that and betting on the volume of drops increasing for a number of reasons beyond the scope of this post.
Also notable is that tiers or groupings only apply to advance Lightning Lane Multi-Day selections. Once you’ve arrived and used your first selection–or if you make reservations in the first place on the day-of as opposed to in advance–you aren’t bound to the groupings. You can make any selections day-of without regard for the tiers–those only apply to your advance bookings.
In theory, this means that you could redeem a Lightning Lane at Magic Kingdom for Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (Group/Tier B) immediately upon entering the park and then select Peter Pan’s Flight from Group/Tier A. We’re optimistic that this strategy will work really well, especially at Magic Kingdom, which has historically been the best park for ride reservations, even dating back to the FastPass system.
This can be confusing, so it’s worth discussing what this means in practice. When making your Lightning Lane selections, let’s say you have the following options:
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Tier A) – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
- Haunted Mansion (Tier B) – 12 pm to 1 pm
- Pirates of the Caribbean (Tier B) – 4 pm to 5 pm
OR
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Tier A) – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
- Haunted Mansion (Tier B) – 12 pm to 1 pm
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Tier B) – 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Even though Pirates of the Caribbean ranks higher than the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on the list below, you should–without a doubt–choose the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in the above scenario. That’s because it has a return time first thing in the morning, opening up the option to make another selection before 10:30 am at the latest.
At Magic Kingdom more than any other park, getting earlier return times with your Group B selections is imperative. You will absolutely be able to get worthwhile 4th Lightning Lane selections at Magic Kingdom before 10:30 am. Heck, you will be able to get worthwhile 5th, 6th, and 7th Lightning Lanes, for that matter.
Your biggest “enemy” when it comes to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom is not availability, it’s time. If you can’t make a 4th pick until the afternoon, you are giving yourself less runaway for 6-8 good Lightning Lanes in a day. It’s not about the 4th selection at that point–there will assuredly still be something good at noon. It’s laying the groundwork for picks 6-8. With the clock ticking, time is not on your side.
Frankly, I would start with my regular itinerary for Magic Kingdom and make my Lightning Lane Multi Pass picks based on that. If I were rope dropping Jungle Cruise, I’d make a pick for Pirates of the Caribbean from 9:30 am to 10:30 am (the example above is made up to illustrate the point–there will be PotC LL times in the early morning). If I were starting in Tomorrowland, I’d opt for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin around the same time. You get the idea–the goal is unlocking that 4th pick as early as possible to scoop up other Tier A selections.
Choose based on a combination of return times and walking distances given where you plan to be throughout the day. With the exception of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Lightning Lane availability should not be the issue in Magic Kingdom–so start with your schedule, and make picks accordingly.
Now, on with the Lightning Lane attractions rankings at Magic Kingdom, which I’ve more or less just admitted aren’t all that important…
Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rankings – Group A
1. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – This is the reimagined ride that replaces Splash Mountain, which was usually a top 3 Lightning Lane in Magic Kingdom, but never the #1 priority. The differences are two-fold. The first being that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure literally just opened and anything new or redone is popular. The new ride smell will eventually wear off, but probably not until sometime in 2025 (or on a temporary basis when it gets cold).
Second, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is suffering reliability woes and extensive daily downtime as a result. This is arguably the bigger issue (at least on some days), and exacerbates the aforementioned increased popularity with decreased daily capacity. As a result of these two factors, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is currently one of the most difficult Lightning Lanes, right up there with Slinky Dog Dash.
No other ride in Magic Kingdom regularly runs out of same-day Lightning Lanes before noon. By contrast, we expect Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to be fully booked up in advance, possibly before the 3-day window opens. This means there’s a good chance off-site guests pre-booking won’t have a shot at it.
As such, it’s imperative that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is your #1 pick going forward, for at least as long as the virtual queue exists–and probably well into 2025. Every other ride should be available with your same-day subsequent selections. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure won’t, unless you get lucky playing the refresh game and scoring a ride reservation refill.
2. Peter Pan’s Flight – Not a huge shock for those who booked FastPass+ or Genie+ reservations in the past! Peter Pan’s Flight is far and away the most popular of Magic Kingdom’s iconic Fantasyland dark rides, with wait times regularly exceeding 90 minutes. We’re expecting ample advance and same-day availability for Peter Pan’s Flight, probably well into the afternoon. Nevertheless, it’s a smart second selection. That’s especially true if you have small children who may not make it past 7 pm.
3. Jungle Cruise – Magic Kingdom has 5 top tier attractions instead of 4 because three of them–Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, and Big Thunder Mountain–have refurbishments/reimaginings through 2025, so there won’t be 5 available at any given time, anyway. In any case, Jungle Cruise has the third-longest average wait time in Magic Kingdom, behind only Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. (It would also be behind TRON Lightcycle Run and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but those don’t post wait times due to the virtual queue.)
4. Space Mountain – The first of two consecutive Magic Kingdom Mountain Range rides, it should be unsurprising to see Space Mountain crack the top 5. Space Mountain has seen even higher demand in the last year-plus, as its next-door neighbor–TRON Lightcycle Run–draws crowds to this side of the park. Same-day Lightning Lane Multi-Pass availability for Space Mountain should be pretty easy on most dates through afternoon.
5. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Another Magic Kingdom Mountain Range entry, so this one probably doesn’t need much explanation. Once its reimagining is announced, BTMRR could jump a spot as fans scramble to take farewell rides prior to its year-long closure.
Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rankings – Group B
1. Haunted Mansion – Since Hatbox Ghost debuted, Haunted Mansion now has one of the top 5 average wait times in Magic Kingdom. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is because Haunted Mansion also has perpetual Lightning Lane availability–until park closing on most days–so there’s really no sense of urgency here.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean – Similar story to Haunted Mansion with Pirates of the Caribbean. Standby waits have been long due to regular downtime, so you’re potentially bypassing a lengthy line when using the Lightning Lane for PotC. On the plus side, it seldom runs out of Lightning Lane availability, except during the busier seasons.
3. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – Lines can fluctuate dramatically for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, with waits some days exceeding 60 minutes and it being a near walk-on other days. If you’re visiting when it’s busier, scoring a reservation here will be important–especially since the overflow queue is outdoors and offers minimal shade. Fortunately, Buzz often has almost instant return times and it almost always has Lightning Lane availability right up until park closing.
4. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – The argument could be made that Winnie the Pooh’s Fantasyland dark ride should be in the top 3 from Tier B. Its average wait time puts it there and, subjectively, the wait in the standby line is excruciating. However, Lightning Lane availability is abundant, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is more skippable due to its quality (or lack thereof) than the attractions above it.
5. “it’s a small world” – This famous–or infamous, depending upon your perspective–Fantasyland boat ride has not had long wait times historically. Afternoons on busier days are the exception, when using the Lightning Lane entrance can bypass a ~45 minute standby wait, making this a potentially strong selection. Other days, it’ll save you no time at all.
6. Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid – If the standby line for the Little Mermaid dark ride spills out into the walkway, this can be a 45 to 60 minute wait–but that’s uncommon. Most of the time, this ‘people-eater’ attraction will have pretty short waits, though. It’s easy to grab a nearly-immediate return time, and the potential savings make it a recommended pick for afternoon.
7. Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Another iconic Magic Kingdom rite-of-passage attraction that’s a real wildcard. Lightning Lane can come in handy on busier days, but it’s often not necessary to skip standby.
8. Barnstormer – Same story. The kiddie coaster near Dumbo can have long waits on the busiest days of the year or even moderately crowded afternoons. It also has near-immediate Lightning Lane returns, making this a good situational or “as needed” selection.
9. Mad Tea Party – The iconic spinning teacup is fun, but averages wait times under 15 minutes. The Lightning Lane can be useful if you’re going on a busier day, but that’s about it.
10. Magic Carpets of Aladdin – This is like a knock-off county fair version of Dumbo. We don’t recommend doing it at all–we’d wait in a longer standby line for Astro Orbiter if truly needing our spinner fix.
11. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor – Using LLMP at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor on busier days might get you in one show earlier than you otherwise would’ve making this a potential ‘sleeper pick’ for the Lightning Lane.
12. Mickey’s PhilharMagic – Same deal here. During peak season, we’ve seen Mickey’s PhilharMagic fill-up, so a near-instant return time could work out as a favorable use of a mid-afternoon Lightning Lane Multi-Pass.
13. Tomorrowland Speedway – Unless vehicle exhaust-induced cognitive impairment and the loud putter of engines is your thing, you’ll want to be in and out of line as quickly as possible here. That also makes it a good sleeper pick for use of the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. Right now, that’s not necessary, but on a busier day, this could sneak into the top 10.
Ultimately, you should be able to knock out all attractions via Lightning Lane Multi-Pass on a good day in Magic Kingdom. Once again, your biggest enemy in doing this is time, rather than LLMP availability. Most of these attractions should have same-day selections well into the afternoon and evening. On that note, just because a Lightning Lane is available doesn’t mean you need it. You might come out ahead by using standby rather than backtracking in order to “save” time by using a LLMP.
Magic Kingdom is, without a doubt, the easiest and most stress-free park for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. With that said, it’s not always going to be perfectly easy. On a bad day, you might only be able to score 6 LLMPs from Tier B, and only 3 from Tier A. On an awful day, it might be the top 5 from Tier B and 2 from Tier A. So plan accordingly based on the crowds when you’ll be visiting, and also give yourself as many other advantages as possible–like Early Entry, rope drop, or Extended Evening Hours.
Regardless of when you’re visiting, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will save you more time at Magic Kingdom–and allow you to have a more leisurely day–than at any other Walt Disney World park. This is what makes buying it our recommendation for most people and on most days of the year. Even if it requires a bit of a splurge, cut the cost out of your Walt Disney World vacation budget somewhere else.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
How would you rank your ride priorities with Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Magic Kingdom? Surprised to see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at #1? If you’ve used past line-skipping services at Magic Kingdom, do you agree with our assessment that it’s really more about time than availability? Are you planning on buying LLMP or skipping it? Do you agree or disagree with our rankings? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
