Lightning Lane Premier Pass Starts Selling Out for Christmas Week 2024

Dec 16, 2024 in "Disney Genie"

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Lightning Lane Premier Pass logo

Posted: Monday December 16, 2024 9:50am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Premier Pass has officially sold out for December 22, 2024, marking the first date during the busy Christmas holiday week to reach capacity.

Following the high demand during Thanksgiving week, this sell-out signals the start of what is expected to be another high-demand period for this new Disney World add-on.

Thanksgiving Week Trends

Thanksgiving week provided the first glimpse of the Lightning Lane Premier Pass's popularity after going on sale in October. All four parks sold out for November 25, the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, with Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios seeing multiple sold-out dates across the week.

Magic Kingdom was the most sought-after park, with Premier Passes selling out for five consecutive days from November 23 to November 28. Hollywood Studios also saw strong demand, with four sell-out dates over the same period. Despite what many consider to be high-pricing for Lightning Lane Premier, these trends underscored the appeal of skipping standby lines for headlining attractions during some of the busiest days of the year.

What to Expect for Christmas Week

The sell-out of Magic Kingdom on December 22 (priced at $429) suggests that the Christmas week could follow a similar pattern to Thanksgiving. Historically, the Christmas and New Year's holidays bring the heaviest crowds of the year to Walt Disney World. Popular parks like Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are likely to experience additional sell-out dates for the Lightning Lane Premier Pass in the coming weeks.

Guests planning to visit Disney World during Christmas week should take note of the following:

Plan Early: Guests can purchase the Premier Pass up to seven days before their resort stay. Availability is limited, so purchasing as soon as possible is recommended.
Monitor Sell-Out Trends: With December 22 already sold out, other dates—particularly December 24 through December 31—are likely to sell out soon.
Consider Alternative Options: If Premier Passes are unavailable, guests can use Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single, which may still be available.

Why the Premier Pass Is in Demand

The Lightning Lane Premier Pass offers unmatched flexibility compared to other Lightning Lane options. Guests can skip standby lines and enjoy one-time access to all available Lightning Lane attractions in a single park for one day, with no need to schedule arrival windows. The pass also includes Disney PhotoPass perks, making it an attractive option for those looking to capture holiday memories.

Looking Ahead

As Christmas week approaches, sell-out dates for the Premier Pass are likely to accelerate, especially for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Guests visiting Walt Disney World during this time are encouraged to act quickly if they plan to purchase the pass for their trip.

Discuss on the Forums

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Sirwalterraleigh3 days ago

Very convenient timing for this announcement …if you trust coincidence

Slowjack3 days ago

Ah, okay. I figured Disney hadn't said anything official, but I thought maybe someone from inside might have leaked something. I mean, it's hard to even know what to think of the passes selling out without any idea of how many there are. I'd like to think the number is small enough to not have a significant effect on stand-by wait times, but that may be wishful thinking on my part. Or, the number may be small now but may expand over time.

JD803 days ago

I have a plan, but it requires someone who wants to light a lot of money on fire. Book a bunch of 10+ day trips, and then on your 7+10 day buy all the LLPP you can until they sell out and you have all of them. Then we can find out how many there are per day.

Jrb19793 days ago

That and if they kept it to only 10% and got rid of LLMP standby would have constant movement.

Laketravis3 days ago

And 10% of that at an average of $350 a pop is $620M a year with an almost 100% profit margin. Just for one park. That would be hard for the bean counters to resist.

TheMaxRebo3 days ago

we have no idea other than Disney saying "very limited quantities" MK has average attendance of 48,500 (in 2023). 1% of that would be 485 - my guess would be somewhere around there but we have no idea

nickys3 days ago

Disney haven’t released any data on this.

Slowjack3 days ago

I apologize if this has been asked before, but I haven't been following this daily and couldn't find this with a search: do we have any idea approximately how many premier passes Disney makes available each day? Like per park, do we think it is dozens? Hundreds? More?

WorldExplorer4 days ago

The lines are still there and usable with DAS or a tour guide. As far as I know, stuff like Carousel of Progress or the Riverboat just flat out physically doesn't have a line at all.

Purduevian4 days ago

Characters don't have LLs anymore (including Belle)

WorldExplorer4 days ago

Another stipulation is that you don't get access to character LLs. That includes Enchanted Tales with Belle even though I would think that qualifies as a show more than a character meet.

TheMaxRebo4 days ago

True, that is more accurate. LLPP gets you access to all the LL that exist in the specific park you got LLPP be they designated as LLMP or LLSP but doesn't skip lines for rides that do not have any LL

HauntedPirate4 days ago

For me, personally, riding Guardians isn't on my radar anymore. The forced rotation messes up my equilibrium more and more now, and nothing about the ride is worth it. So others can have my spot on what I considered a very "meh" ride even after my first ride (which didn't cause me to feel sick, the effect the ride has on me has gotten worse over the past few years. But I can ride other coasters without a problem). I've been visiting since 1977. There isn't a single damn thing that I would pay to ride. :) We did LLMP one time, involving a very unique set of circumstances. I can't say "never again", because I don't know what the future holds whenever I do return (no current plans to visit WDW again for at least 4-5 years), but the likelihood of us purchasing any LL product is very, very small.

Purduevian4 days ago

There are also a very small around of rides not included in LLPP (They are not on LLSP or LLMP either). COP, Astro Orbitor, People mover, Riverboat, Train, Main street vehicles, and the Wildlife express train are the ones that come to mind... Typically those don't really have a wait (people mover can creep up a little bit and Astro Orbitor can be long), but if there is a line, LLPP does not allow you to skip it