Walt Disney World’s massively expensive Lightning Lane Premiere Pass has sold out for the first time ever going into Thanksgiving week.
The costly line-skipping service sold out for November 25, the Monday before Thanksgiving, for both Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme parks. It allows guests to enter the lightning lane queue for each attraction in the park one time.
Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom in a storm – Photo Credit: Ron Bradley
READ: Disney World Single Day with Lightning Lane Premiere Costs $2,000 for Family-of-Four
Currently, only guests staying at Disney’s Deluxe Resorts or Disney’s Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels can purchase Lightning Lane Premiere Pass.
For November 25, Lightning Lane Premiere Pass costs $309 per person in Hollywood Studios and $379 for Magic Kingdom. The service is priced according to demand and varies day by day.
Monsters Laugh Floor Wait Times; Image by WDW Pro
That means a family of four attending the Magic Kingdom on November 25 with Premiere Pass would pay $1,516 for Lightning Lane access alone. This is on top of the admission price, which on that date comes to $189 per person for a one day ticket. That brings the total cost of the single day up to $2,272.
Of course, these guests would also be staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort. A stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for one night on November 25 costs another $1,500. That brings the total for our hypothetical family of four to $3,772 for one day in the Magic Kingdom Park.
Many question whether Lightning Lane Premiere Pass has value given Disney’s diminishing crowds of late.
At the Magic Kingdom today and I gotta ask…
Where are the lines?? lol
Peter Pan’s Flight posted 40 min, we waited 10 min
Did all of Tomorrowland in less than an hour
Am I missing something? pic.twitter.com/sbq8mJUg3K
— LMG Vids (@LMGVids) November 17, 2024
While holiday weeks typically see a surge in attendance, Disney saw record low crowds and wait times this summer for the Fourth of July. That’s typically one of Disney’s busiest weeks of the year.
READ: Walt Disney World Deserted For Fourth Of July Celebrations
In Magic Kingdom, Peter Pan’s Flight, an attraction that often sees wait times in excess of 70 minutes on a normal day, was only 50 minutes at 3 p.m. for the July 4th holiday. Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad saw a sparse 40 and 45 minutes respectively. Even Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, typically the longest standby wait in the park, was only sitting at an hour wait.
A photo of Frontierland from La Reina Creole YouTube
Disney was recently caught inflating wait times for attractions up to 300%, many believe to increase the value of paid Lightning Lane services.
Did a quick visit to all WDW parks yesterday & here are a few examples of inflated wait times thanks to upselling Lightning Lane. 🤨
Posted/Actual
•Flight of Passage 50/25
•Expedition Everest 25/15
•Tower of Terror 40/10
•Pirates 25/15
•The Haunted Mansion 40/30
1|3— Joshua L Harris (@JLHomni) September 13, 2024
READ: Disney Caught Inflating Walt Disney World Wait Times Up To 300% To Sell Lightning Lane
Its expected that Lightning Lane Premiere Pass will continue to sell out for at least a few more days over Thanksgiving week and again during Christmas and New Years.
Do you think there’s value in Disney’s Lightning Lane Premiere Pass? Do you think we’ll continue to see days where Disney’s Lightning Lane Premiere Pass is sold out?
