People who used Disney’s new $400 skip-the-line service have revealed whether the expensive new pass is really worth it.
When Disney announced it would be launching the program, called Lightning Lane Premier Pass, in October, the news was immediately met with immense criticism from fans due to its sky-high price tag.
The service allows attendees at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, to enter a special line that has a much shorter wait time for most attractions, but to do so, you have to shell out hundreds of dollars.
Now, guests who tried it have spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about whether or not the huge cost was worth it, and broken down the pros and cons.
The price of the service depends on which of the four Disney World parks you are going to (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot or Animal Kingdom) and changes every day, depending on demand and how busy it is.
Magic Kingdom is the most expensive, ranging from $329 to $449 plus tax, while Animal Kingdom is the least expensive, ranging from $129 to $199.
At Disneyland, it has a fixed cost of $400 per day until the end of 2024, which covers both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, but starting next year “prices will vary depending on the date and demand within a range of $300 to $400” , according to their website. .
AJ Wolfe, who directs the popular Disney Food BlogHe recently explained to DailyMail.com that he had members of his team test the new LL PP service at all Disney World parks, as well as Disneyland.
People who used Disney’s new $400 skip-the-line service have revealed whether the expensive new pass is really worth it (file image)
And to determine whether it was really worth it or not, they documented how many trips they were able to take and how long they ended up waiting.
“Each cast member successfully rode every ride in the park, with the exception of rides that were out of service for renovations,” he shared.
One of their reporters, named Quincy, paid $329 plus tax to use the service at Magic Kingdom and rode a total of 22 attractions in six hours.
Another, named Craig, shelled out more than $269 plus tax at Hollywood Studios, where he rode all nine attractions in just over four hours.
One Disney Food Blog employee named Myranda purchased the LLPP for Epcot for $169 plus tax and was able to complete the park’s 10 attractions in six hours, while another, named Angie, rode all seven attractions at Animal Kingdom over four hours for $129. further. tax.
At Disneyland, one of AJ’s employees purchased the $400 LLPP and cleared the first park in about six hours.
After heading to the second one, they were able to tour all the attractions in about four hours, totaling 24 attractions in one day.
So do you think it was worth it? Well, AJ said it really depends on the type of experience you’re hoping to achieve at the park.
AJ Wolfe (pictured), who runs the popular Disney food blog, recently explained to DailyMail.com that he had members of his team test out the new Lightning Lane Premiere Pass at each park.
He explained that if you plan to spend several days at Disney World and are not in a hurry, it’s not really something you need.
However, if you are trying to do all the attractions in a short period of time, it might be something to consider.
‘It depends entirely on your circumstances. “If you have a week-long trip to Disney World…then no, it’s not worth it,” he shared.
“You can pay absolutely less (Disney’s cheapest Lightning Lane service) and get on all the rides with shorter waits, or you can just jump in line in the regular lines at no additional cost, and ride everything over the course of those seven days .
“But if you only have one day at Disney World and want to ride everything in one park…then, yeah, it might be worth it.”
He explained that, sky-high price tag aside, there are many pros and cons to consider when it comes to Disney’s LLPP.
As for perks, he noted that “all rides are included,” unlike Disney’s cheaper alternative, called the Lighting Lane Multi Pass, which doesn’t include fan-favorite attractions like TRON or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic. Rewind.
Additionally, he said it doesn’t require “additional planning” like the Lighting Lane Multi Pass does.
As for the cons, he stated that “you can only reserve one park per day,” which is not good for those looking to hop from park to park.
AJ said that if you plan to spend several days at Disney World and are not in a hurry, it is not really something you need (file image)
“If you plan to park hop, you’ll need to purchase the Lightning Lane Multi Pass for your next park if you want to use Lightning Lanes,” AJ explained.
He also noted that you can only skip the line at each attraction once a day, adding that as of now, you can only purchase it if you’re staying at one of Disney World’s deluxe resorts.
“The expensive upgrade is definitely bothering many Disney guests, but it’s important to remember that Disney has always offered luxury-level options at a luxury-level price,” he concluded.
‘Just because the Grand Floridian exists doesn’t mean everyone who visits Disney World stays there, and that same mentality applies to the Premier Pass.
‘It’s right for some and not right for others, but there are still plenty of options for different budgets and travel styles.
‘In general, it is important to have a variety of options for people. Having the Premier Pass available is not a substitute for multiple pass or single pass options, or simply riding attractions for the cost of park admission and nothing more.
‘At the end of the day, you don’t need to buy Premier Pass. There are many other ways to ride Disney attractions for less money or completely free.’