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I Spent $131.68 for One Disney Skip the Line Pass and Immediately Regretted All My Lightning Lane Complaints


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Hi. I have to confess something, and sharing my truth with a group of Disney fans seems like the best thing to do in this case, so stick with me. I just got back from a short (and rainy — boo!!) trip to Disneyland Paris. Disneyland Paris is a charming park with enough classic Disney similarities to make it feel familiar and enough differences to make it special. I loved it! You give me a dragon (yes, there’s a dragon under the castle), and I give you a 5/5. It’s simple!

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Welcome to Disneyland Paris!

Now, like I said, this was a short trip. I wanted to get through as many rides as possible in a limited amount of time, so I opted to purchase Disney Premier Access. This is Disneyland Paris’ skip-the-line service, and it works a little differently than the skip-the-line service in Disney World. One of the biggest differences? The PRICE. Holy cow. I need to talk about it.

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There are two different ways to skip the line in Disneyland Paris. You can buy one pass that lets you skip the lines for some of the resort’s most popular attractions (Disney Premier Access Ultimate), or you can pay-per-ride, receiving a skip-the-line pass for one attraction, one time (Disney Premier Access One).

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©Disney

As I was planning my trip, I was enticed by the Ultimate Pass. I liked the fact that, unlike Disney World, there is NO allocated time slot to skip the line. I liked being able to skip multiple lines without having to make multiple purchases. I liked taking care of it in advance. What I didn’t like? The price. Now, the price varies depending on the date, but during my visit, I paid €130, which translates to $131.68. For ONE person. On ONE day.

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“it’s a small world” in Disneyland Paris

For comparison, Disney World’s skip-the-line service is priced a little differently. First of all, in Florida, they call it a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or a Lightning Lane Single Pass, and the names are pretty self-explanatory. The Single Pass is Disney’s pay-per-ride service, while the Multi Pass works for several rides in the park. You can also pay for Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which allows you to skip all the lines in ONE Disney World park once, and that ranges from $129 to $449 per person, per day.

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Lightning Lane

Disney World’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass pricing also changes depending on the date, but in general, the price ranges from about $18 per person, per day to $35 per person, per day. After hearing that I paid $131 for a similar perk, this doesn’t seem so bad, eh? Suddenly I regretted all my old complaints about the price of Disney World’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

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©Disney

Back in Disneyland Paris, I made the most of that pass, scanning into as many rides as possible. Often, though, the standby wait time wasn’t long to begin with, so my “express pass” didn’t feel so…express. If I were to go again or do it all over, I would probably opt for the pay-per-ride service instead, a.k.a. Disney Premier Access One. The wait times were often lower than what I expected (maybe I’m just used to Florida’s high wait times), so I didn’t really need that Ultimate pass. Oh well! You live and you learn. Or, you read this and learn from my mistakes.

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Orbitron in Disneyland Paris

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of express passes, I should point out that Universal Orlando’s skip-the-line service isn’t a bargain, either. While their version of an express pass is free with select Universal Resort stays, it costs between $119.99–$359.99 for the one-time-per-ride pass and $149.99–$359.99 for the unlimited rides pass. OUCH!

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©Universal

So, what’s the lesson here? If you want that V.I.P. line-skipping privilege, prepare to pay a premium. Sure, it’s no fun paying $30 per person to skip the lines in Magic Kingdom, but just be glad you’re not paying $90 per person like you could be at Universal Orlando. It’s all about perspective! (And yes, I remember the days when it was FREE to skip all these lines, but those days are long gone, people.)

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FastPass+ Kiosk that used to be in the park

The good news is that the trusty old standby line is still free no matter where you go! If you’re strategic about when you hit the parks and the order in which you prioritize your rides, you might not even need an express pass anyway. Oh, and we have a TON of handy tricks on how to make the most of your time in Disney World, so keep reading for more tips!

In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

5 Things Lightning Lane Experts Would Never, Ever Do in Disney World

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Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Have you ever been to Disneyland Paris? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!

The post I Spent 1.68 for One Disney Skip the Line Pass and Immediately Regretted All My Lightning Lane Complaints first appeared on the disney food blog.

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