After spending a day at an unusually crowded Magic Kingdom, with nearly two-hour waits for rides like Haunted Mansion, the idea of skipping lines crossed our minds more than once. So, when we heard that Disney World would be offering a Lightning Lane Premier Pass starting October 30, 2024, we got excited.

Then we read the details. And saw the price. Now, we’re even more excited.

There’s been a lot of chatter on social media about the Premier Pass. We get it. Disney World is pricing out everyone. A price tag that could go over $400 is pretty insane. But the new pass only allows a limited number of guests staying at the deluxe resorts and villas to skip the line once for the rides accepting Lightning Lane. We’re talking about a very small number of people getting a very limited perk for a very large amount of money without having a big impact on wait times for us plebs in standby. It’s not like these big spenders wouldn’t be buying the Lightning Lane Multi Pass if the Premier Pass wasn’t offered. Standby riders would still be stuck waiting for them, anyway. The big difference here is that Premier Pass users don’t have to schedule time windows. They can go whenever they want (once per ride per day).

Several thoughts popped into our minds:

First, this will allow Disney to collect more money without raising ticket prices for everyone. If Disney World is going to raise prices, we’d rather see it raised for the wealthiest guests staying at the most deluxe resorts and villas, not by charging guests for perks that used to be free or by general price increases that affect us all. We definitely prefer this to price hikes on park tickets, parking, food, merch, and resort stays. If this new pass brings in enough revenue to allow Disney to provide a better experience for guests and to pay their hardworking cast members a better wage, we’re all for it.

Second, it will definitely price out a lot of people. The regular Lightning Lane is already expensive enough, but this will cost between $129 to $449. We won’t be getting this pass unless we win the lottery. But this pass is not for us. It’s for people who can drop hundies without batting an eye. We’re sure there will be more than a few guests who will have to save up just to enjoy this perk, and it’s nice that they will have that option if they value a skip-the-line experience more than their $400 + the cost of a deluxe resort.

Third, the Premier Pass reminds us of the Universal Express Pass. This pass offered at Universal Studios Orlando allows guests to skip lines one time per participating rides per day. It’s also very expensive. So Disney is just offering their guests a similar option. Universal also has an Universal Express Unlimited Pass that allows unlimited line skips, which Disney doesn’t offer, so it could always be worse!

Overall, we’re happy with the new pass. Even if we’ll never enjoy it, on balance we think it’s a good thing for Disney and their guests willing to shell out the money.

Here’s the list of hotels that will have access to the new Lightning Lane Premier Pass:

Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort (eligibility applies to Disney Vacation Club Cabins only)
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Other Eligible Hotels

• Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
• Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
• Shades of Green Resort

Would you consider shelling out the money for this perk? Let us know!