Earlier this week, Walt Disney World dropped the bombshell that Lightning Lane Multi Pass is replacing Genie+ at Walt Disney World. This news was announced via press release and official website updates, along with additional supplementary information given to websites like this one. Consequently and unsurprisingly, there have been a lot of questions–even from seasoned Walt Disney World veterans.
That announcement post has over 200 comments, many of which are diehard Walt Disney World fans venting and/or grieving. Understandably. One of the most controversial and outrage-inducing aspects of the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass system was Walt Disney World indicating that international guests, categorically, would not be able to make pre-arrival selections until arriving into the United States.
That policy wrinkle wasn’t mentioned in the official announcement or website, but it was in supplementary information–and Cast Members confirmed it to international guests via chat and elsewhere. This meant that, even if international guests would be staying on-site, they would not have an on-site advantage. Well, at least not until arrival in the United States. I’d hazard a guess that around 100 of the 200+ comments on our post pertained to this rule. Well, we have an update to this that’ll please many of our friends in the Great White North.
We spoke with a Walt Disney World representative on the afternoon of June 28, 2024, who confirmed to us that Canadian guests may continue to use the My Disney Experience app after the launch of pre-arrival purchasing and planning for Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, just as they do today for Genie, Advance Dining Reservations, and everything else.
This means that Canadian guests who are staying on-site at Walt Disney World will be able to reserve Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance for their entire stay (up to 14 days). Off-site guests from Canada will be able to plan up to 3 days in advance. All of this while in Canada–no need to drive into a border town in the United States as some readers indicated that they were debating doing!
Please note that this update applies only to guests in Canada and no other countries. We inquired about visitors from the European Union and United Kingdom–two other big demos for Walt Disney World (and readers of this blog)–and the company indicated that there are no updates for other markets at this time.
Also please note that this is not speculation or the result of interacting with a chatbot, frontline Cast Member, etc. We spoke with a Walt Disney World spokesperson, who officially confirmed all of the above. (With that said, the previous categorical ‘rule’ excluding international guests was official, too.)
The bottom line is that, for all intents and purposes, guests from Canada will be treated the same as guests from the United States when it comes to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass policies and booking windows. The domestic rules apply to the United States and Canada, whereas the international ones apply to everyone else.
At least, for now. We don’t want to give readers in Europe, Asia, Australia, etc. false hope–as this policy change for guests in Canada might very well have been a miscommunication all along. However, it’s also possible that this is occurring due to guest feedback and the tremendous amount of backlash Walt Disney World has been receiving.
Accordingly, it could be a calculated decision, with the company making changes so as to not lose business from its largest international market. To that point, we have suggestions for other international guests towards the bottom of this post for providing your feedback and (hopefully) spurring further policy changes to Lightning Lane Single and Multi Pass.
As previously mentioned, we’re continuing to update and expand our Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Walt Disney World FAQ based on questions you ask and answers we’re able to obtain from the company. (That’s a mix of official policies and our speculative answers based on past precedent and expectations–it should be obvious which is which based on wording.)
With all of the news out of the way, here’s the updated answer to the FAQ question pertaining to international guests purchasing Lightning Lane passes…
When can non-Canadian international guests purchase Lightning Lanes?
They can purchase Lightning Lane passes and make selections upon arrival into the United States.
As for the why of this, it’s probably not because Walt Disney World hates international guests. Although it might seem that way on this one particular issue, Walt Disney World actually loves guests from outside the United States. They’re more of a captive audience, have higher per guest spending metrics, and typically do longer stays. This is why we routinely refer to British guests as Walt Disney World’s “whales” (non-derogatory).
It’s our understanding that this relates to regulatory issues and laws outside of the United States (particularly in Europe), and it’s easier for Walt Disney World to ‘opt out’ of those by not offering the app than it is complying with a variety of local laws. In doing more digging, it’s also my understanding that this was a known issue and there was a solution–building a web-based version of the Lightning Lane Multi Pass booking engine–but Disney opted against doing that for whatever reason.
That’s probably an unsatisfying explanation, but it’s likely the reason why. Make no mistake, we are not justifying this decision by Walt Disney World. If I were an international guest–a so-called whale that Disney purports to value–I would be livid. Absolutely irate.
I still think international guests will be able to work around this. Using U.S. based Authorized Disney Vacation Planners is one option. Another possibility is calling Walt Disney World and attempting to have a Cast Member make your selections. (Honestly, this might be the best route, as higher labor costs might force Disney’s hand to create a web-based version.)
Another conceivable option is using a combination and VPNs, GPS spoofers, and other technology to side-step the rule. It’s not like Walt Disney World will care if you do this, since they’re only restricting access to avoid regulatory compliance, themselves. Or if you vote with your wallet and take your business to Universal because you don’t feel valued by Disney, I don’t think anyone would blame you.
There’s still a lot of time between now and July 24, and this has already proven to be the most controversial policy of the Lightning Lane passes (and for good reason!). I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more updates or makeshift solutions from Walt Disney World in the coming weeks.
For those non-Canadian international guests who are still excluded from the pre-arrival Lightning Lane advantage by this policy, you can respectfully express your opinions as to how will impact your vacations or business with Walt Disney World by email [email protected].
This is far superior to complaining in comments, social media, forums, etc. (Although Disney sees all of that, too.) Rather than starting petitions, which are largely ineffectual, share feedback in guest satisfaction surveys, bring it up if you speak with managers or others in park leadership, or even contact Guest Relations.
You will absolutely get a standard form response to your email, so don’t expect otherwise. However, Walt Disney World leadership will also see the volume of the complaints and how it could negatively impact the bottom line or guest satisfaction among a lucrative audience. That could be outcome-determinative in getting this policy changed for more than just Canadian guests.
Just as Genie+ evolved over its first year-plus based on guest use and demand dynamics, so too can you expect Lightning Lane MultiPass and Single Pass to change throughout the rest of this year and into 2025–meaning that everything above is subject to change. In other words, the “rules” and how Lightning Lanes work will continue to evolve and we will update our recommendations accordingly.
We’ll continue to keep you posted, as more changes are likely on the horizon. We’ll also continue updating this FAQ as we learn more and we receive more reader questions. For now, this should answer most of the questions that readers have been asking about Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World. There have been a lot of questions, so if we didn’t address yours, we apologize. Please post in the comments below and we’ll answer more as they’re asked!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Please to see Walt Disney World walking back its policy on Lightning Lane purchases for guests in Canada? Disappointed that it hasn’t yet happened for Europe, Asia, Australia, etc? Hopeful that if enough international guests speak up, more changes will come? Have any questions we didn’t answer with the above FAQ? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
