Lightning Lane Changes Explained
Lightning Lane Changes Explained
On July 24, 2024, Disney Genie+ will be known as Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Individual Lightning Lane Access will be known as Lightning Lane Single Pass. More importantly, Walt Disney World Resort Guests will be able to make their selections in advance of their stay.
(Updated 10/16/24) NEW! Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be offered beginning October 23, 2024 for Guests of the Disneyland Resort and October 30, 2024. This new program will be available for select Guests of the Walt Disney World Resort. Click here for details.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Lightning Lane Multi Pass can be bought as an in-app purchase for any individual day or days of your visit. All Guests are eligible to purchase this add-on at 7:00 AM Eastern three days before their park visit on a day-by-day basis. Guest staying at Disney Resort hotels, Shades of Green Resort, and Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels can purchase seven days in advance of their resort check-in day and can include all the days of their visit (up to 14 days) in one transaction.
Pricing will be date-specific and will be listed in the My Disney Experience app. You can select your attractions and arrival windows prior to purchasing, so you can make informed decisions before you pay. If the pricing schedule is similar to that of Disney Genie+, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will cost most on busier theme park days.
Once you have selected your dates, you will be able to select times to visit your first three attractions per day. Guests who remember the old-school FastPass+ system may recall being restricted to one selection from Group One and two selections from Group Two for these pre-planned attractions. This “Chinese menu” approach will once again be in effect for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests who do not select a Group One attraction may choose three attractions from Group Two instead.
Guests with the Park Hopper option will notice they can only pre-plan for attractions in one park per day, so be sure to select the first theme park of each Park Hopping day when making your purchase.
Once you have redeemed your first Lightning Lane selection and entered the attraction, you can make a new Lightning Lane reservation for another attraction that same day. There is no restriction for Group One versus Group Two attractions at that point. You may repeat this process throughout the day, so you’ll continually have a Lightning Lane attraction time to look forward to. Guests with the Park Hopper option will be able to select attractions for other parks after redeeming their first reservation.
Lightning Lane Single Pass
Lightning Lane Single Pass can also be bought as an in-app purchase. The attractions included at this level are the most in-demand at each park. All Guests are eligible to purchase this add-on at 7:00 AM Eastern three days before the date of a park visit. Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels, Shades of Green Resort, and Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels can purchase seven days in advance. You may purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass experiences per day.
This video provides a great synopsis of the overall program while the video just below it explains more about the time frame.
Need Help? We’ve Got You Covered
Clients who book their Walt Disney World Resort vacations with Passes and Ports will have access to our planning expertise so you won’t be alone when it’s time for you to navigate your way through this pre-planning process. Message us, and we will be happy to get you started on your path to adventure!
Virgin Voyages Specialty Restaurants Are Truly Something Special
Virgin Voyages Specialty Restaurants Are Truly Something Special
Virgin Voyages takes the concept of cruise ship “signature dining” and turns it on its head by making all specialty restaurants included in your cruise fare — no additional fees or gratuities required!
Food is arguably one of the most important aspects of any vacation. It’s hard to have a great cruise if you don’t enjoy your dining experiences. Virgin Voyages took this to heart when designing their offerings. There are no buffets and no large dining halls with assigned seating and times. Michelin-starred chefs worked to create the menus, so the food is definitely on the upscale side. However, classic American fare is easily found as well. And when you need a midnight snack, you can visit the 24/7 diner or The Pizza Place, which keeps late-night hours. (I’ll discuss those options in a separate post.)
Virgin Voyages offers the following dining venues across their entire fleet. First, let’s talk about the six restaurants that accept reservations. I highly recommend booking these as early as possible for best availability!
Extra Virgin — Irresistibly Italian
Extra Virgin is a must-do for fans of antipasti, freshly made pasta, and tableside Affogato. What’s not to love?!?
View a sample portion of the menu.
Gunbae – Lively Korean BBQ
Gunbae is a great first-night dining choice if you’d like to get to know a few of your fellow cruisers right away. This restaurant offers communal seating, with circular tables ranging from 6-8 guests. The evening begins with a fun (and loud!) Korean drinking game that includes a complimentary shot of soju. If you aren’t familiar with Korean food, bring your sense of adventure. You’ll most likely find something you’ll enjoy, but picky eaters may be best served elsewhere. Food allergies can be accommodated despite the shared cooking surface. Your server will make the allergy-safe menu items first and then prepare the other items.
View a sample portion of the menu here.
Pink Agave — Upscale Mexican
This restaurant is a far cry from your average Tex-Mex chain. With small, medium, and large plates to choose from — along with a huge selection of tequila and mezcal — there’s something for everyone to enjoy. I highly recommend all of the small plates as well as the ribeye steak. Beware: you may decide to share a small plate with your table companions, but the portion sizes are not conducive to that. Make sure everyone orders their own!
View a sample portion of the menu here.
Razzle Dazzle — New American Cuisine
Razzle Dazzle is one of two restaurants that offer reservations for both brunch and dinner. If you only have enough time for one visit during your sailing, I’d recommend brunch, especially if you’d like to try the bottomless Yasss Queen champagne cocktail! Here are some of my favorite brunch selections.
View a sample portion of the brunch menu here.
Moving on to dinner, the selections are vegetarian and vegan-forward, but carnivores still have plenty to choose from. Don’t miss out on the creative cocktails!
View a sample portion of the dinner menu here.
The Test Kitchen — Cooking Lab and Restaurant
This restaurant probably deserves its own blog post, but I’ll try to keep things brief. The Test Kitchen concept is inspired by Escoffier’s Ma Cuisine and features unique interpretations of one specific ingredient per course. In fact, that one ingredient is the only thing you will see listed on the menu. Each sailing offers each of the two main menus at least once per voyage.
Here is the “A” menu, often referred to as the “mushroom menu.” There are also allergy-friendly and vegetarian-friendly menu items, so don’t worry if you can’t have one of the courses. The alternatives are also quite photogenic and tasty!
Here is the “B” menu, often referred to as the “corn menu.” Again, don’t hesitate to let your server know if you have any food restrictions so they can bring you an alternate selection.
The Wake — Steak and Seafood
Finally, The Wake is the other restaurant that offers both brunch and dinner menus. Virgin Voyages marketing department describes this as a modern twist on the classic chophouses of the mid-20th century. I enjoy both brunch and dinner equally, so I highly recommend making the time to try both meals during your voyage.
Dinner entrées are just as impressive as brunch. Here is a sampling.
View a sample portion of the dinner menu here.
A Step Above the Rest
Having sailed with several other cruise lines, I found Virgin Voyages to be head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to full-service dining. The meals that are included in the cruise fare are comparable to specialty-dining restaurants on other lines. These carry a surcharge of $25–$175 per person, making Virgin Voyages a great value for the money in comparison.
