EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Rankings & Strategy
This list objectively ranks the EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi Passes from both tiers, plus strategy for zigging when they zag with Walt Disney World's new advance ride reservations. This guide ranks all 10 attractions that
This list objectively ranks the EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi Passes from both tiers, plus strategy for zigging when they zag with Walt Disney World’s new advance ride reservations. This guide ranks all 10 attractions that offer MultiPass in terms of time-saved, demand, etc., from best to worst.
As basic background, EPCOT is the third place park for Lightning Lane Multi Pass (LLMP) at Walt Disney World. It’s far, far behind both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom, while being only slightly ahead of Animal Kingdom. In fact, you could argue that it’s not behind DAK at all…and I wouldn’t debate the point.
Although EPCOT has improved big time in the last few years thanks to additions to the ride roster, that’s only reflected in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass lineup via Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. (As before, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is not part of this lineup–you need a Lightning Lane Single Pass for that.) There are a couple of reasons why the park is worse for LLMP than it was for the Genie+ service…
The first and biggest reason is the tiers. Like Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT has two tiers: Group A and Group B. Unlike those parks, EPCOT doesn’t have a single consistently worthwhile attraction in Group B. We don’t mean that these attractions are bad–they aren’t. Rather, that you won’t necessarily save time with these lower-tier Lightning Lanes. With even a modicum of strategy, you could experience any of these attractions with low or no waits.
It doesn’t help that Test Track is currently closed for reimagining until sometime in 2025, and that Luminous: The Symphony of Us is not part of the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass lineup. Under the prior FastPass+ system, both Test Track and the nighttime spectaculars (at the time) were top-tier selections. So there’s actually one fewer top-tier Lightning Lane, even though three new rides have opened at EPCOT since FastPass+ was retired!
As a general matter, EPCOT is great at absorbing crowds…it’s just light on headliner attractions that are part of LLMP. That’s the problem with Lightning Lane Multi-Pass on a day with 7/10 or below crowd levels–you won’t save enough time at the vast majority of eligible attractions to make the purchase worth the money unless you’re Park Hopping. On days with higher crowds, you may not be able to get a good 4th pick.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is also arguably not worth the time at EPCOT, as there’s a high probability that the line-skipping service will force you to criss-cross the park rather than doing things as you naturally arrive to them while navigating normally. Hopefully the pre-booking obviates this to some extent, but it cannot possibly be perfect since you can’t simultaneously select the three rides where it’s needed most.
Note that these rankings apply starting July 24, 2024 when Lightning Lane Multi Pass replaces Genie. Although it might seem premature to be ranking Lightning Lanes prior to that launching, there’s a lot we can infer based on current Lightning Lane priorities. Equally as important, LLMP is strikingly similar to the free FastPass+ system (minus the aforementioned differences and changes), which allowed guests to make ride reservations prior to their trip.
There are other obvious differences between Lightning Lane Multi Pass and FastPass: the former was free and LLMP will cost money, the booking windows for on-site and off-site guests differ as does the ability of international guests to make selections prior to arriving in the United States.
All of this makes it likely that demand will be lower for Lightning Lane Multi Pass than it was with FastPass+. This should mean that it’s slightly easier to book Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. Even if not, the below priorities should be accurate–but we’ll revisit this topic once we have a few months of actual data for Lightning Lane Multi Passes to adjust the rankings accordingly. For anyone traveling in the near future, these are our preliminary picks, which also should be very close to accurate for Walt Disney World trips in 2025 and beyond.
If you want to skip line-skipping entirely, consult our 1-Day EPCOT Itinerary, which covers how you can accomplish everything even if you’re staying off-site and don’t want to spend anything extra. That also offers great “zig when they zag” advice to flip the script on tackling World Showcase and the front half of the park.
For those staying on-site, the one thing we highly recommend is Early Entry, especially for guests staying at Crescent Lake or Skyliner Resorts. Check out our EPCOT Early Entry Itinerary from International Gateway. If you’re entering through the front, Early Entry or even rope drop isn’t nearly as easy–but you can still knock out Frozen Ever After with a short wait.
If you can’t swing getting up and out the door before park opening, Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at EPCOT is great for eligible guests. That’s usually on Monday nights and goes until 11 pm or midnight, depending upon normal hours. Almost all open attractions are walk-ons during Extended Evening Hours.
Those extra hours also offer access to a third virtual queue entry time for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Frankly, if I could do either Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours, I would opt for those–and not purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. It is not the end-all, be-all of saving time waiting in lines at EPCOT.
To that end, we (once again) recommend checking out Best Time-Saving Strategies for Walt Disney World, which is the result of extensive ‘testing’ to determine the best and worst ways to beat the crowds. One big thing to note is that all of the headliners at EPCOT are very spread out. When using Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, you might need to do a lot of backtracking, which means the time saved not waiting in line can be more than offset about the extra time spent walking around the parks.
Before we get going, the EPCOT ride rankings below presume basic knowledge about the Lightning Lane Multi Pass system, including advance booking windows and the Tiers or Groupings at EPCOT. If you are not familiar with this service or are already feeling lost, start by seeing our Guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass & Single Pass at Walt Disney World for all of the foundational need-to-know info about this replacement for free FastPass+. This whole system is confusing and convoluted, so you might have a question or two-dozen. That answers all of the most common ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
With all of that out of the way, let’s start by talking Lightning Lane MultiPass tips & tricks. It’s important to be aware that the objective ride rankings don’t tell the whole story. Subjective strategy is as important–perhaps more so depending upon which attractions have availability throughout your day. Although the examples below are from EPCOT, the advice applies equally to DHS and 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 EPCOT for Living with the Land (Grouping/Tier B) immediately upon entering the park and then select Soarin’ Around the World from Grouping/Tier A. In practice, we’re optimistic that this strategy will not only work well, but will be savvy from a steps and backtracking perspective. (Ideally, we’d like to see that same approach work for scoring Frozen Ever After as a second pick, but we’re less confident in doing that.)
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:
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (Tier A) – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
- Mission: Space (Tier B) – 1 pm to 2 pm
- Spaceship Earth (Tier B) – 4 pm to 5 pm
OR
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (Tier A) – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
- Mission: Space (Tier B) – 1 pm to 2 pm
- Living with the Land (Tier B) – 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Even though Spaceship Earth ranks one spot higher than Living with the Land on the list below, you should–without a doubt–choose Living with the Land 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. And maybe I’m just overly optimistic, but I’m hopeful Soarin’ will have near immediate returns at that hour because it doesn’t belong in Group A in the first place–meaning you can just walk across the Land pavilion and redeem that one right away in a perfect world.
I’m highly confident that there would be a worthwhile 4th pick Lightning Lane at EPCOT before 10:30 am. I am far less confident, in fact, downright skeptical, that would be true at 1 pm. (Maybe if you were willing to play the refresh game, but still–the odds are not in your favor.) EPCOT doesn’t have many good Lightning Lane rides, so there’s going to be a mad dash to scoop up remaining same-day Group A availability. Group B is mostly bottom of the barrel, so getting more than one Group A ride is pretty much a must in order for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass to be “worth it” at EPCOT.
Now, on with the Lightning Lane attractions rankings at EPCOT…
EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rankings – Group A
1. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – With Test Track closed until 2025, this is now not just the #1 Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at EPCOT–it’s also the #2 selection in all of Walt Disney World, behind only Slinky Dog Dash. This is the newest ride in EPCOT via LLMP, it has the highest average wait time, and the most demand for line-skipping.
Given all of that, there’s a very good chance that pre-arrival availability for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be gone at or even before the 7-day mark. If you’re staying off-site, you’ll likely be reliant upon ride reservation refills or cancellations. With that said, if you’re staying at a Crescent Lake or Skyliner Resort, you might instead opt for doing this during Early Entry. Comparatively speaking, it’s easier.
2. Frozen Ever After – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is the clear #1 Lightning Lane at EPCOT, and Frozen Ever After is likewise the clear #2. When it comes to average wait times, there actually isn’t that much difference between the two. The gap is much larger when it comes to Lightning Lane availability, though.
Due to the gap between #1-2 and #3, there’s also a reasonable chance that Lightning Lane Multi-Passes for Frozen Ever After will also be fully booked at or even before the 7-day mark. It really depends on crowd levels and pricing. Honestly, I wouldn’t buy LLMP if I couldn’t get one of these two picks. (Just one of many circumstances that would make me inclined to pass on the paid FastPass service.)
3. Soarin’ Around the World – Once the longest wait time in EPCOT, Soarin’ Around the World has become less popular in recent years and had another theater added to help absorb crowds. Frankly, Soarin’ doesn’t belong in Group A, and the only reason it’s there is because Test Track is closed for reimagining until 2025. Once that reopens, Soarin’ will become the #1 pick in Group B.
N/A. Test Track – Previously the #2 pick, our expectation is that Test Track 3.0 will become the #1 Lightning Lane Multi Pass once the attraction opens if it’s good. Maybe even if it isn’t. The ‘new ride smell’ is always a powerful pull, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After will “split the #1 selections,” so to speak. Meaning that families with small children who are too short for Test Track will choose either the Rat Ride or Frozen Ever After, diluting the popularity of each as a first selection.
Meanwhile, Test Track is the only high-profile thrill ride, so it’s prioritized by almost all guests wanting that type of attraction. Obviously none of this is relevant now, but if you’re already planning ahead for later in 2025, Test Track should be viewed as the default #1 for at least a couple of years once it returned.
EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rankings – Group B
1. Mission: Space – Line-skipping for every single Group B attraction is only necessary in high crowds. With moderate or lower crowds, Mission: Space will have a short wait and Lightning Lane Multi-Pass won’t be necessary. In fact, it could be counterproductive if you have to backtrack to use the Lightning Lane. On busier days, having a Lightning Lane time reserved could save you 30-60 minutes here.
2. Spaceship Earth – The “EPCOT Golf Ball” beckons guests as they enter the park, and as a result, Spaceship Earth almost always has a much longer wait time in the first half of the day, and a short wait in afternoon and evening. Because of this, if I were someone who wanted to minimize steps, I’d consider booking a Lightning Lane here around park opening and follow that up with Soarin’ and something else in the front of the park. Spaceship Earth can also be a good Lightning Lane selection when crowds are high.
3. Living with the Land – This is another one where timing can make a world of difference, as Living with the Land often sees long lines between the lunch rush and mid-afternoon. If you have a strategic reason to do it then–perhaps minimizing steps by doing this after Spaceship Earth and Soarin, making this a good “something else” selection. Living with the Land is also a worthwhile LLMP during the holiday season, when the Merry & Bright overlay keeps it popular at night.
4. Journey Into Imagination – Approximately 300 days of the year, you’ll wait 10 minutes or less to ride Journey into Imagination with Figment. About 40 days per year, it’ll be a 15 minute or shorter wait. It’s those other 25 days, when the wait time exceeds 30 minutes, when Lightning Lane will come in handy here. Regardless, this should be easy as a subsequent selection. I would hope that you’re not stuck picking this 4th, and can instead score it 5th or later (or, ideally, not at all!).
5. The Seas with Nemo & Friends – We have yet to see a day when this attraction has run out of Lightning Lane reservations. That’s because they are almost never useful. Except maybe during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Spring Break, this isn’t going to save you any time.
6. Stage Shows – At EPCOT, this means Turtle Talk with Crush and the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival. Lightning Lanes are not useful for these. The only reason they exist is to provide the illusion of time-savings; in reality, these Lightning Lanes are more beneficial to Disney than they are to guests. Everyone should use standby lines for these shows.
Ultimately, you should be able to knock out several attractions using Lightning Lane Multi Pass on normal days in EPCOT. However, the big unanswered question is whether the average guest–or even the average power user, for that matter–will be able to get ride reservations for both Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After.
From our perspective, that’s make-or-break as to whether Lightning Lane Multi Pass is worth it at EPCOT. If you cannot score paid FastPasses for both of those headliners, it’s difficult to see Lightning Lane Multi Pass as being worth the money–except on very crowded days.
On an average day, the time-savings at one of those headliners plus (maybe) Soarin’ Around the World and a few Tier 2 attractions just won’t be worth it. And that’s doubly true once you factor in the likely backtracking that’ll be necessary to redeem the Lightning Lanes. As before, there’s a good possibility that you’ll be able to accomplish pretty much just as much via Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours as via Lightning Lanes.
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 using Lightning Lane MultiPass in EPCOT? Surprised by any of the rankings in our top 5, that Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure takes the #1 spot, or is this all pretty obvious? Are you planning on buying LLMP or skipping it? Will you use it on an EPCOT-only day, or exclusively when Park Hopping? 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!
