Disney's Lightning Lane Is Now MORE Expensive - Here’s Why

Walt Disney World’s Disney Genie has entered its first weekend with a higher price tag for some individual Lightning Lane attraction selections.

On October 19, Disney Genie officially launched on the My Disney Experience app, along with Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane access, the new paid iteration of what was previously the FastPass/FastPass+ service.

It’s a new service that has left Disney fans divided. Both FastPass/FastPass+ at Walt Disney World Resort and FASTPASS/MaxPass at Disneyland Resort are now officially retired, and instead, Disney Genie+ (with Lightning Lanes, the new FastPass queues) is taking its place — a paid service.

Now, Guests are seeing an example of the dynamic pricing structure for individual Lightning Lane selections announced by Disney.

Disney Genie+ costs $15 per Guest, per day, at Walt Disney World Resort and that $15 doesn’t change at any point. The new digital service includes a variety of attractions, with select other attractions costing an additional fee.

When it comes to pricing for those additional individual Lightning Lane selections, Disney explains the fluid pricing and that prices change depending on the date:

Prices will vary by date, attraction and park. For example, the Lightning Lane entrance to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be $9 per person on October 19 and $11 per person on October 23. As another example, on both those dates, Lightning Lane entrance to Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain will be $7 per person, while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be $15 per person. Throughout the year, prices may be lower on some days and higher on other days. This option may be purchased at up to 2 different attractions each day.

And as of October 22, most individual Lightning Lane attraction selections at Walt Disney World are priced higher as we head into the weekend than they were on the launch day of Disney Genie. These dynamic prices have been previously revealed to be based on demand and time of year, just like Guests see with theme park ticket prices.

Here’s a list of the prices this morning compared to what they were earlier in the week:

Magic Kingdom

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: $12 from $10
• Space Mountain: $9 from $7

EPCOT

• Frozen Ever After $11 from $9
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure $11 from $8

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: $15 (remains the same price)
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway: $10 from $8

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage: $14 from $11
• Expedition Everest: $7 (remains the same price)

Individual Lightning Lane prices will fluctuate continuously based on theme park attendance and demand, but it’s interesting to see that the cost of Lightning Lane access for two of the most popular attractions, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Expedition Everest, remain the same this weekend.

If you’re looking to plan a Disney World vacation soon for the 50th anniversary celebration and have a week-long trip planned, maybe the strategy is to look to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes during the days when the prices are lower (such as some weekdays, for example) and get the Disney Genie+ service for the flat $15 on the weekend since the cost of Disney Genie+ will not change.

We’ve already learned that Guests have to pay tax on top of their Disney Genie+/Lightning Lane purchases, as well as the service itself suffering some issues following its launch. From sold-out attractions like Rise of the Resistance to app failures on their phones, and standby wait times being less than Lightning Lanes, Guests have been quick to share their opinions on Disney Genie on social media.

Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lanes are available for attractions at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with Lightning Lane signage replacing the old FastPass lines and kiosks.

What do you think of Disney’s dynamic pricing for individual Lightning Lane purchases? Let us know in the comments.