This list ranks the best Lightning Lane Multi Passes at Magic Kingdom from both tiers, along with subjective strategy since there’s more to Walt Disney World’s new pre-arrival ride reservation service than simply making the top picks. Our guide explains how to approach LLMP to book as many attractions in MK as possible, maximizing time saved & minimizing time waiting in line. (Updated January 19, 2025.)
The biggest change for 2025 is that Magic Kingdom is no longer the #1 park for buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World. As discussed in our new Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World in 2025, there are a few reasons for this. First, tiering at Magic Kingdom has introduced a surprising amount of friction, especially with high-priority second-tier attractions that used to be easy to book.
Second, the unreliability of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (TBA) makes that unpredictable (more on strategy for this specific ride below). Even if you score a LLMP for TBA, you may not be using it. Finally, rolling refurbishments of tier 1 attractions–now with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed through 2026–makes the top tier sparse, which is also why the second tier is more competitive. Suffice to say, Magic Kingdom is still a good park for LLMP, but it’s now #2 instead of #1.
As for the new #1 as of 2025, the crown now goes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s the park with the highest average standby wait times, the #1 overall Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, and easier same-day availability for tier two attractions and ride reservation refills if you leverage the rolling 3 rule and put a little elbow grease into your refresh game.
For all of these reasons, we find ourselves having the best experience with Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and saving the most time. Just something to keep in mind if you’re debating where to buy LLMP. If you’re only going to do one park, make it DHS. If you’ll do two, Magic Kingdom is the easy second choice.
Magic Kingdom has 17 Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions and, of those, about a dozen can be worthwhile. Not only that, but if you play your cards right, utilizing savvy strategy for time slots and booking in order of these rankings, you should be able to score at least a half-dozen of those in a day. That’s a higher number than DHS, even if the quality isn’t comparable.
With that said, there are times when we view it as unnecessary to purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Magic Kingdom.
This includes the slower timeframes: shoulder season, low points in winter, or during the late summer and early fall off-season. But even those windows offer no guarantees. January and February are, across the board, busier than they ever used to be.
Even May, August, and September see spikes. Not only that, but spending more time standing in outdoor lines during the hottest months of the year is not ideal, for reasons that should be obvious. See Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2025 & 2026 for a rundown of times you will and won’t need LLMP.
The biggest at Magic Kingdom, specifically, is during Party Season–from mid-August through December on days when Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is held. If you’re doing Magic Kingdom on a date when the park is closing at 6 pm, as we recommend, you won’t need Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Conversely, if you’re doing Magic Kingdom on a day when the park closes at 10 pm or 11 pm during Party Season, even if it falls within our recommended dates where LLMP won’t be necessary in other parks, you absolutely should purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Pass at Magic Kingdom. This is probably the easiest way to ignore our suggestions as to the best & worst days of the week for each park.
Here’s what we recommend for getting the most mileage out of Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom…
Lightning Lane Multi Pass Strategy
One of the biggest misconceptions about Lightning Lane Multi Pass is that it’s exclusively pre-arrival ride reservations. To the contrary, there will almost certainly be more same-day drops of Lightning Lanes (what we refer to as ride reservation refills) throughout the day than before. Those were a feature of FastPass+ and again with Genie, so it’s safe to assume this will happen again. We’re going beyond that and betting on the volume of drops increasing for a number of reasons beyond the scope of this post.
Also notable is that tiers or groupings only apply to advance Lightning Lane Multi-Day selections. Once you’ve arrived and used your first selection–or if you make reservations in the first place on the day-of as opposed to in advance–you aren’t bound to the groupings. You can make any selections day-of without regard for the tiers–those only apply to your advance bookings.
In theory, this means that you could redeem a Lightning Lane at Magic Kingdom for Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (Group/Tier B) immediately upon entering the park and then select Peter Pan’s Flight from Group/Tier A. We’re optimistic that this strategy will work really well, especially at Magic Kingdom, which has historically been the best park for ride reservations, even dating back to the FastPass system.
This can be confusing, so it’s worth discussing what this means in practice. When making your Lightning Lane selections, let’s say you have the following options:
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Tier A) – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
- Haunted Mansion (Tier B) – 12 pm to 1 pm
- Pirates of the Caribbean (Tier B) – 4 pm to 5 pm
OR
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Tier A) – 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
- Haunted Mansion (Tier B) – 12 pm to 1 pm
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Tier B) – 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Even though Pirates of the Caribbean ranks higher than the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on the list below, you should–without a doubt–choose the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in the above scenario. That’s because it has a return time first thing in the morning, opening up the option to make another selection before 10:30 am at the latest.
At Magic Kingdom more than any other park, getting earlier return times with your Group B selections is imperative. You will absolutely be able to get worthwhile 4th Lightning Lane selections at Magic Kingdom before 10:30 am. Heck, you will be able to get worthwhile 5th, 6th, and 7th Lightning Lanes, for that matter.
Your biggest “enemy” when it comes to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom is not availability, it’s time. If you can’t make a 4th pick until the afternoon, you are giving yourself less runaway for 6-8 good Lightning Lanes in a day. It’s not about the 4th selection at that point–there will assuredly still be something good at noon. It’s laying the groundwork for picks 6-8. With the clock ticking, time is not on your side.
Frankly, I would start with my regular itinerary for Magic Kingdom and make my Lightning Lane Multi Pass picks based on that. If I were rope dropping Jungle Cruise, I’d make a pick for Pirates of the Caribbean from 9:30 am to 10:30 am (the example above is made up to illustrate the point–there will be PotC LL times in the early morning). If I were starting in Tomorrowland, I’d opt for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin around the same time. You get the idea–the goal is unlocking that 4th pick as early as possible to scoop up other Tier A selections.
Choose based on a combination of return times and walking distances given where you plan to be throughout the day. With the exception of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Lightning Lane availability should not be the issue in Magic Kingdom–so start with your schedule, and make picks accordingly.
Now, on with the Lightning Lane attractions rankings at Magic Kingdom, which I’ve more or less just admitted aren’t all that important…
Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rankings – Group A
1. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – This is the reimagined ride that replaces Splash Mountain, which was usually a top 3 Lightning Lane in Magic Kingdom, but never the #1 priority. The differences are two-fold. The first being that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure literally just opened and anything new or redone is popular. The new ride smell will eventually wear off, but probably not until sometime in 2025 (or on a temporary basis when it gets cold).
Second, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is suffering reliability woes and extensive daily downtime as a result. This is arguably the bigger issue (at least on some days), and exacerbates the aforementioned increased popularity with decreased daily capacity. As a result of these two factors, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is currently one of the most difficult Lightning Lanes, right up there with Slinky Dog Dash.
No other ride in Magic Kingdom regularly runs out of same-day Lightning Lanes before noon. By contrast, we expect Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to be fully booked up in advance, possibly before the 3-day window opens. This means there’s a good chance off-site guests pre-booking won’t have a shot at it.
As such, it’s imperative that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is your #1 pick going forward, for at least as long as the virtual queue exists–and probably well into 2025. Every other ride should be available with your same-day subsequent selections. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure won’t, unless you get lucky playing the refresh game and scoring a ride reservation refill.
2. Peter Pan’s Flight – Not a huge shock for those who booked FastPass+ or Genie+ reservations in the past! Peter Pan’s Flight is far and away the most popular of Magic Kingdom’s iconic Fantasyland dark rides, with wait times regularly exceeding 90 minutes. We’re expecting ample advance and same-day availability for Peter Pan’s Flight, probably well into the afternoon. Nevertheless, it’s a smart second selection. That’s especially true if you have small children who may not make it past 7 pm.
3. Space Mountain – This Magic Kingdom Mountain Range attraction rockets up the list for 2025. Space Mountain has seen higher demand in the last year-plus, as its next-door neighbor–TRON Lightcycle Run–draws crowds to this side of the park. And in fact, wait times for Space Mountain have increased now that TRON has switched to standby.
4. Jungle Cruise – Honestly, this does not belong in the top tier anymore. The only reason Jungle Cruise is here is because Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for a year, and Magic Kingdom wants to have two Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions. However, Jungle Cruise has the sixth-longest average wait time in Magic Kingdom thus far in 2025, barely ahead of Haunted Mansion. It’s also the only attraction on this list that is available to rope drop, meaning you can fairly easily beat the line here at park opening, even if you’re staying off-site.
Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi Pass Rankings – Group B
1. Haunted Mansion – Since Hatbox Ghost debuted, Haunted Mansion now has one of the top average wait times in Magic Kingdom. It is far and away the top tier 2 priority, as Haunted Mansion frequently runs out of LLMP availability in advance, especially on moderate or higher crowd days. The good news is that it often also has ride reservation refills and short standby waits at night.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean – Similar story to Haunted Mansion with Pirates of the Caribbean. Standby waits have been long due to regular downtime, so you’re potentially bypassing a lengthy line when using the Lightning Lane for PotC. It also can run out of Lightning Lane availability in advance during the busier seasons.
3. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Winnie the Pooh’s Fantasyland dark ride has a average wait time and, subjectively, the wait in the standby line is excruciating. This makes it a easy pick for a Lightning Lane, to the point that those with small children may want to bump this up to #2. It also usually has same-day refills, if you’re unable to book it in advance–or choose not to. (Quality-wise, both Haunted Mansion and PotC are superior attractions.)
4. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – Lines can fluctuate dramatically for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, with waits some days exceeding 60 minutes and it being a near walk-on other days. If you’re visiting when it’s busier, scoring a reservation here will be important–especially since the overflow queue is outdoors and offers minimal shade.
5. “it’s a small world” – This famous–or infamous, depending upon your perspective–Fantasyland boat ride has not had long wait times historically. Afternoons on busier days are the exception, when using the Lightning Lane entrance can bypass a ~45 minute standby wait, making this a potentially strong selection. Other days, it’ll save you no time at all.
6. Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid – If the standby line for the Little Mermaid dark ride spills out into the walkway, this can be a 45 to 60 minute wait–but that’s uncommon. Most of the time, this ‘people-eater’ attraction will have pretty short waits, though. It’s easy to grab a nearly-immediate return time, and the potential savings make it a recommended pick for afternoon.
7. Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Another iconic Magic Kingdom rite-of-passage attraction that’s a real wildcard. Lightning Lane can come in handy on busier days, but it’s often not necessary to skip standby.
8. Barnstormer – Same story. The kiddie coaster near Dumbo can have long waits on the busiest days of the year or even moderately crowded afternoons. It also has near-immediate Lightning Lane returns, making this a good situational or “as needed” selection.
9. Mad Tea Party – The iconic spinning teacup is fun, but averages wait times under 15 minutes. The Lightning Lane can be useful if you’re going on a busier day, but that’s about it.
10. Magic Carpets of Aladdin – This is like a knock-off county fair version of Dumbo. We don’t recommend doing it at all–we’d wait in a longer standby line for Astro Orbiter if truly needing our spinner fix.
11. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor – Using LLMP at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor on busier days might get you in one show earlier than you otherwise would’ve making this a potential ‘sleeper pick’ for the Lightning Lane.
12. Mickey’s PhilharMagic – Same deal here. During peak season, we’ve seen Mickey’s PhilharMagic fill-up, so a near-instant return time could work out as a favorable use of a mid-afternoon Lightning Lane Multi-Pass.
13. Tomorrowland Speedway – Unless vehicle exhaust-induced cognitive impairment and the loud putter of engines is your thing, you’ll want to be in and out of line as quickly as possible here. That also makes it a good sleeper pick for use of the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. Right now, that’s not necessary, but on a busier day, this could sneak into the top 10.
Ultimately, you should be able to knock out all attractions via Lightning Lane Multi-Pass on a good day in Magic Kingdom. Once again, your biggest enemy in doing this is time, rather than LLMP availability. Most of these attractions should have same-day selections well into the afternoon and evening. On that note, just because a Lightning Lane is available doesn’t mean you need it. You might come out ahead by using standby rather than backtracking in order to “save” time by using a LLMP.
Magic Kingdom is, without a doubt, the easiest and most stress-free park for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. With that said, it’s not always going to be perfectly easy. On a bad day, you might only be able to score 4 LLMPs from Tier B, and only 2 from Tier A. On an awful day, it might be the top 3 from Tier B and only 1 from Tier A. So plan accordingly based on the crowds when you’ll be visiting, and also give yourself as many other advantages as possible–like Early Entry, rope drop, or Extended Evening Hours.
Regardless of when you’re visiting, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will save you more time at Magic Kingdom–and allow you to have a more leisurely day–than at any other Walt Disney World park. This is what makes buying it our recommendation for most people and on most days of the year. Even if it requires a bit of a splurge, cut the cost out of your Walt Disney World vacation budget somewhere else.
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
How would you rank your ride priorities with Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Magic Kingdom? Surprised to see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at #1? If you’ve used past line-skipping services at Magic Kingdom, do you agree with our assessment that it’s really more about time than availability? Are you planning on buying LLMP or skipping it? Do you agree or disagree with our rankings? 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!
