Premier Lightning Lane Or Not?

[TheBigErn]

We are 4 adults and will be in AK on October 16. We are staying at AKL. We will be going to MNSSHP that same day (October 16). We only plan on hitting the "big rides" and perhaps a few others as time allows. Is premier lightning needed/worth it?

 

[Dave006]

We are 4 adults and will be in AK on October 16. We are staying at AKL. We will be going to MNSSHP that same day (October 16). We only plan on hitting the "big rides" and perhaps a few others as time allows. Is premier lightning needed/worth it?

Would you want the LLPP for AK or MK, and do you have Park Hopper tickets to be able to enter MK before the MNSSHP tickets allow at 4 PM? Your LLPP is not valid during the party.

For reference the LLPP will be $400+ per person, per day, per park. Is that what you are actually considering?

Dave

 

[TheBigErn]

Would you want the LLPP for AK or MK, and do you have Park Hopper tickets to be able to enter MK before the MNSSHP tickets allow at 4 PM? Your LLPP is not valid during the party.

For reference the LLPP will be $400+ per person, per day, per park. Is that what you are actually considering?

Dave

No. We plan on entering MK for MNSSHP only.

 

[Dave006]

No. We plan on entering MK for MNSSHP only.

Then you will not need to purchase a LLPP since it will not be valid during the MNSSHP party.

Dave

 

[TheBigErn]

Then you will not need to purchase a LLPP since it will not be valid during the MNSSHP party.

Dave

Why not? Please explain.

 

[abdgeek]

We are 4 adults and will be in AK on October 16. We are staying at AKL. We will be going to MNSSHP that same day (October 16). We only plan on hitting the "big rides" and perhaps a few others as time allows. Is premier lightning needed/worth it?

Whether or not LLPP is worth it for AKL will depend on how long you want to be in the park before going to MNSSHP. If your big rides include Everest and the two Avatar rides, you should expect to stand in line for at least 30 minutes a ride (depending on when you ride them). Everest has a single rider line, but it isn’t always open and your group will be separated. Something to consider is how long you want to spend in AKL before going to MNSSHP. Will you take a break between the two or go straight from one to the other? If speed is most important, then LLPP is worth it. If you’re ok spending 4-6 hours in AKL, then getting LLMP and buying a LL for Avatar may be more cost effective. While you can enter MNSSHP as early as 4pm, you will be standing in long ride lines until the party starts at 7pm. I did MNSSHP last October and entered the park around 4:30pm. I was surprised that I was only able to ride two rides before the party started. Also, don’t underestimate how tired you may be from visiting another park before the party. I’ve done that in the past and have since learned to take a resort day on party night so that I can fully enjoy the party.

 

[Dave006]

Why not? Please explain.

Any of the Lightning Lane options are only valid during normal park hours. LL queues are not used during any special hard ticket event like MNSSHP. If you enter at 4PM on your MNSSHP ticket your $400+ LLPP per person for MK would only be valid until 7 PM.

Finally it is not clear if you are able to purchase a LLPP for a park that you don't have a valid park ticket. I am not aware of any reports of Guests accomplishing this only using a Party After Hours ticket.

Dave

 

[scrappinginontario]

We are 4 adults and will be in AK on October 16. We are staying at AKL. We will be going to MNSSHP that same day (October 16). We only plan on hitting the "big rides" and perhaps a few others as time allows. Is premier lightning needed/worth it?

Approx $1,600 is a lot of money to save time waiting in a few lines:
- Flight if Passage
- Everest
- Dinosaur (if it’s open - waiting for closing date to be announced)
- Kilimanjaro Safari
- Navi
- possibly others?

Basically you’re paying around $300 per ride to save a few minutes.

Since you asked, ‘Is it worth it’? It’s a big NO for me!!!

 

[AngusIsMySpiritAnimal]

Many ppl argue that with a sound early entry plan even LLMP is not necessary at AK. You might be able to get by just with LLSP for FoP. Wait time for Navi was 10 min for instance early this am. We usually buy LLMP for AK only because it's the cheapest way to pick up a full day's worth of LLs across the parks when we park hop. But for half a day, early entry might accomplish your goals.

 

[AngusIsMySpiritAnimal]

Definitely agree! We also went last year first week of October...and apart from the untenable heat, we were surprised how crowded it was. We also rode, two, maybe three rides, and no E-tickets. We also always take a rest or resort day if we have a late night party or event planned. Even still, when we did HS After Hours a couple of months ago we only made it till about 10.30 PM ... even a "rest" day at Disney can sap alot of energy!

 

[DWillowBay]

Definitely NOT worth spending money for any type of LL in AK. There are only a few rides/ shows, all of which we easily do in a day without LL. We just did this in May and had NO trouble at all riding Dinosaur, Everest, Navi, Safari, etc. We did this on our 1st day ...plane landed at 7:20am, went to hotel, bussed to AK, got there around 9:45. Point is, we did all this and did not rope drop. Ate dinner at our hotel that night.

 

[HeiHei2018]

LLPP is definitely not worth it at AK. If you want to save time in line, I would recommend LLSP for FOP. If you value rest time at hotel more than money, you could do LLMP, but the value of that is borderline with so few attractions.

 

[Minnie1222]

Premier passes at AK are usually under $150 each. If $600 is not important to you, then your group will have a great time*.

*You'll still have a great time regardless, it just takes longer to reach and you'll be more tired.