Our Real Disney Lightning Lane Experience: Wins, Fails, Park Hopping & What I’d Do Differently
Disney’s Animal Kingdom entrance during the holidays at Walt Disney World
We just got back from our Disney trip, and I wanted to share our real Lightning Lane experience — the wins, the fails, the lessons learned, and what I would absolutely do differently next time.
We used Lightning Lane at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT, and we park hopped to EPCOT two different days, so I’m going to break down exactly how that worked for us.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by Lightning Lanes, booking windows, and how park hopping fits into all of this… you’re not alone. It’s a lot.
So here’s how it really went.
The Mistake I Almost Made (And Why Your Hotel Matters)
I’ll be honest — I messed up.
With everything going on before the trip (life, work, packing, all the things), I accidentally booked our Lightning Lanes a week out from our first park day instead of our arrival day.
Thankfully, this didn’t end up hurting us, and we were still able to book:
Magic Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
EPCOT (Cosmic Rewind)
But this is where it’s really important to pay attention…
If you are staying on Disney property, you can book Lightning Lanes 7 days out.
If you are staying off property, you only get 3 days out.
That difference matters. A lot.
If we had been off property and missed that window, it could have completely changed what we were able to book.
Takeaway:
Put your booking window on your calendar. Set alarms. Do not trust your memory. Disney does not play. 😅
Magic Kingdom – A Huge Win
Magic Kingdom was, hands down, our biggest Lightning Lane success.
We went in expecting to only get our first three picks and then be stuck in long standby lines the rest of the day.
Instead… it was amazing.
Rope Drop Strategy
We rope dropped:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Then jumped to Peter Pan before the park officially opened
From there, we were able to get Lightning Lanes for everything else we wanted to ride all day. It was smooth, efficient, and made the day so much more enjoyable.
We chose not to ride TRON. We’ve ridden it before, and for this trip, it just wasn’t a must-do. Skipping it was a good call and freed us up to enjoy more of the park without stress.
What About Premier Pass?
Premier Pass could be great for a park like Magic Kingdom if it’s in your budget, because there’s so much to do there. But it is very pricey, and for many families, it just doesn’t make sense financially.
Animal Kingdom – No Lightning Lane (And Why)
We did not purchase Lightning Lane for Animal Kingdom because I truly didn’t think we needed it.
Our plan:
Rope drop Dinosaur (which ended up delayed)
Go to Expedition Everest
Get in line for Flight of Passage before park open
Grab breakfast
Go back to Dinosaur
Expedition Everest Lightning Lane and standby entrance at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
When we returned, the wait was about 20 minutes, which really isn’t bad at all.
So overall, I still don’t think Lightning Lane is necessary for Animal Kingdom in many cases.
However…
What I didn’t think about is that we were park hopping to EPCOT that day.
Which means I absolutely could have used that Lightning Lane purchase for EPCOT instead. That’s something I will 100% be more intentional about next time.
Hollywood Studios – Busy, Delays & Pin Trading Tuesday
Hollywood Studios was very busy the day we were there.
The top three attractions were delayed, and we never saw Rise of the Resistance open that day.
We were there on a Tuesday, which we later learned is a big day for pin trading. We saw a large number of pin traders meeting up at Hollywood Studios and again when we jumped over to EPCOT.
I can’t say for sure that it impacted ride wait times, but it absolutely impacted crowd levels. It was noticeably busy.
What We Did Get at Hollywood Studios
Even with the delays and crowds, we were still able to get:
Slinky Dog Dash
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Toy Story Midway Mania
And this is important…
On our second EPCOT day, we booked Lightning Lanes for EPCOT while we were still at Hollywood Studios.
This is where strategy really comes into play.
EPCOT – Two Different Park Hop Days
We park hopped to EPCOT two different days.
The second day, we stacked Lightning Lanes for EPCOT while still in Hollywood Studios, and it worked really well for us.
We used Lightning Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which was absolutely worth it. If that ride is a priority for you, Lightning Lane can save you a lot of time and frustration.
Lightning Lane Tips From Our Trip
A few things I want you to know:
You can book your next Lightning Lane after you tap in to your current one.
Use the Modify button. Seriously.
Sometimes you’ll see better times
Sometimes rides pop up that weren’t available
People cancel constantly. Refreshing is key.
Premier Pass – The Honest Take
Yes, it exists.
Yes, it’s expensive.
And no, it does not park hop.
You can only use it in one park, so if you’re planning to hop, that’s a big thing to consider.
For parks like Magic Kingdom, it can make sense if it’s within budget. For many families, it’s just not practical.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we had a really good Lightning Lane experience.
We had:
Big wins
A few missed opportunities
Lessons learned
And a lot of fun
Disney is complicated. The systems change. The rules change. And it’s very easy to feel like you’re doing something wrong when you’re really just missing a strategy detail.
That’s why I share real experiences like this — so you can learn from what worked, what didn’t, and hopefully avoid some stress on your own trip.
Because the goal is memories… not managing apps in line for a pretzel. 😉
If you’d like help planning your Disney trip, Lightning Lane strategy, or park hopping days, reach out to us at Let’s Make Memories Travel — we’d love to help you make the most of your vacation.
Want a Step-by-Step Breakdown of Lightning Lane?
If you’re new to Lightning Lane or want a full explanation of how it works, we walk through everything in detail in our YouTube video here:
👉 Watch our Lightning Lane guide on YouTube
