Paying to skip the line at Walt Disney World this weekend has become a game of chance, with Lightning Lane inventory for several headline attractions already gone across three parks.
Sellouts hit Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios yesterday, Friday, October 23, and for several rides, the shortage will continue through Sunday, October 25. Both individual Lightning Lane Single Pass purchases and the higher-priced Lightning Lane Premier Pass are affected, landing little more than a week before Disney raises the maximum prices of four Single Pass attractions on November 1.
The two biggest casualties are TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. Neither has any Single Pass availability on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Both carried a $22 price tag yesterday before selling out.
For anyone who didn’t book ahead, standby is the only way onto either ride until at least Monday, October 26. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance sold out yesterday, when its Single Pass was priced at $25, and is sold out again today. Sunday currently shows availability.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is running on a different pattern. Its Single Pass, which cost $14 yesterday, sold out Friday and is already gone for Sunday, leaving today, October 24, as the only day this weekend it can be bought. That makes it the only attraction covered here with Single Pass access open today, though Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is still available.
The Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which grants one Lightning Lane entry at each participating attraction in a single park, has not escaped the crunch. Both the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios versions are sold out for today. Yesterday, the Magic Kingdom Premier Pass was still on sale at $399 and the Hollywood Studios edition at $349. Both return on Sunday.
Taken together, today is the hardest day of the weekend to buy shorter waits, with TRON Lightcycle / Run, Cosmic Rewind, Rise of the Resistance, and both Premier Pass options all unavailable. The surge arrives with Halloween one week out, and the holiday season is about to begin.
Guests should check the My Disney Experience app before heading out, as availability shifts by attraction and by day. For TRON Lightcycle / Run and Cosmic Rewind, standby is the only route through Sunday, and arriving before park opening to tackle headliners early offers the best chance of avoiding peak waits.
Premier Pass hopefuls should aim for Sunday, while Seven Dwarfs Mine Train fans should act today. With prices climbing on November 1, anyone planning a later trip may want to secure Lightning Lane access as early as their booking window allows.
All pricing and sellouts correct at the time of publication.
Have you been caught out by a Lightning Lane sell-out at Disney World? Let us know in the comments.
