Standby Line, Virtual Queue, Genie, MultiPass, SinglePass, Premier Pass and Lightning Lane

It’s inevitable that you’ll have to wait in line if you visit Walt Disney World. Disney World offers several queue systems to enhance the experience for its visitors, and for first-time visitors, it can seem quite confusing. Feel free to check out our Tips and Tricks section for some good advice on minimizing your time in line.

Standby Queue

The standby queue is the traditional way to wait for an attraction. Visitors line up at the attraction and wait their turn. The wait time can vary depending on the attraction’s popularity and the time of day. The standby queue is available for most attractions, but some popular attractions may use other queue systems to better manage the crowds.

Virtual Queue

The virtual queue is a system that allows visitors to “stand in line” without being physically present. This system is used for some of the most popular attractions, such as TRON Lightcycle/Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Visitors must use the My Disney Experience app to join the virtual queue. There are usually two daily opportunities to join the queue: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. When it’s your turn, you’ll receive a notification in the app and can go to the attraction within a specified time frame. To get a spot in the queue, you have to be quick, very quick. They disappear within seconds. The first opportunity in the morning is usually at 7:00 AM. The second opportunity is usually at 1:00 PM and requires you to be inside the park.

Disney Genie

Disney Genie is a free service available in the My Disney Experience app that helps visitors plan their day in the park. Genie provides personalized recommendations based on your interests and preferences, helping you maximize your time by suggesting which attractions to visit and when.

Lightning Lane

Lightning Lane is the fast queue that allows visitors to skip the regular line for an attraction. To access Lightning Lane, you need to purchase a Multi Pass and/or Single Pass.

Multi Pass and Single Pass

Multi Pass and Single Pass were introduced in the summer of 2024, replacing what was known as Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane. Unlike the old Genie+, Multi Pass allows visitors to reserve multiple Lightning Lane times in advance for different attractions, providing greater flexibility and planning opportunities. Single Pass, on the other hand, grants access to Lightning Lane for a single attraction. These passes can be purchased through the My Disney Experience app. Single Pass and Multi Pass can be purchased independently of each other.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

With Multi Pass, visitors can reserve up to three Lightning Lane times in advance for different attractions in one park. This can be done seven days before arrival for visitors staying at a Disney hotel and three days in advance for others. Multi Pass can be purchased for a single day or for multiple days of your visit.

Based on availability, you choose the time you want to use Lightning Lane for each of the three attractions. Once you’ve purchased Multi Pass and made your reservations, you’ll have a one-hour window from the time you selected for each attraction. When this window opens, you can scan your ticket at the attraction’s Lightning Lane entrance and go straight in with minimal wait time. You are usually allowed to scan in five minutes before and fifteen minutes after your time window. Once you’ve used the first of your advance reservations, you can choose a new Lightning Lane, based on availability.

Disney World has also introduced a “Tier” system for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. The “Tier” system divides attractions into two levels (Tier 1 and Tier 2) to distribute demand and reduce wait times. When you purchase a Multi Pass, you can choose one attraction from Tier 1 and up to two attractions from Tier 2 per day in one park. This system helps ensure that more visitors have access to the most popular attractions. See below for an overview of which attractions belong to which level. Animal Kingdom currently does not have its attractions divided into tiers.

Multi Pass also includes digital downloads of selected attraction photos and videos taken with Disney PhotoPass.

Lightning Lane Single Pass

Single Pass is another paid service that provides access to Lightning Lane for a single attraction. Single Pass can only be purchased for the most popular attractions, which are not part of Multi Pass. Single Pass otherwise works the same way as Multi Pass, in that you choose a time and get a one-hour window from the time you selected. As with Multi Pass, you can purchase this either seven or three days in advance, depending on whether you are staying at a Disney hotel or not.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass

Premier Pass for Lightning Lane gives guests the opportunity to gain quick and easy access to Lightning Lane. The pass provides access to all attractions through Lightning Lane, once per attraction, without having to book a time in advance. However, the price for the Premier Pass is very high compared to the Multi Pass and Single Pass, ranging from USD 119 to USD 400 depending on the park and the day.

OVERVIEW OF ATTRACTIONS

MAGIC KINGDOM

Single Pass

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• TRON Lightcycle / Run

Multi Pass Tier 1

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Space Mountain
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Multi Pass Tier 2

• Other attractions

EPCOT

Single Pass

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Multi Pass Tier 1

• Frozen Ever After
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World

Multi Pass Tier 2

• Other attractions

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Single Pass

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Multi Pass Tier 1

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash

Multi Pass Tier 2

• Other attractions

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Single Pass

• Avatar Flight of Passage

No Tier 1 and 2 division