With Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind set to open later this week, we still have a few unanswered questions. One of the biggest unanswered questions is: how much will Lightning Lane cost for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? We don’t have the answer yet, but we could be on the verge of new pricing for the Genie+ offerings, including Individual Lightning Lane.
To start, let’s take a look at the most expensive Individual Lightning Lane attraction at Walt Disney World – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Rise of the Resistance has been the hot ticket ride since it debuted back in December 2019. From nearly constantly changing Boarding Group Virtual Queue rules in the early weeks to claiming the top spot in paid skip-the-line access, Rise of the Resistance has been the high water mark for Walt Disney World in recent years…and for good reason.
Rise of the Resistance is an ambitious, lengthy experience that has historically been extremely difficult to ride thanks to near-instant sell-outs of virtual queue Boarding Groups. More recently, the standby queue was open and the ride is now easier to ride for those willing to wait, but for guests who have more money than time, Rise of the Resistance remains a top priority each morning when Individual Lightning Lane purchases open up.
So, Rise of the Resistance is Disney World’s most expensive line to skip at $15, but can Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind push that ceiling higher? If you would’ve asked us a couple of weeks ago, we would’ve predicted a $15 price point, but Disney has signaled that demand for the Genie+ system is higher than what they’re comfortable making supply for.
Recently, Disney World announced that the Disney Genie+ service will now be “based on availability” and, therefore, could sell out on any given day. This reversal in policy is likely due to the high demand that the service faces and the poor ride availability that guests are encountering with Disney’s skip-the-line service.
With Disney looking to limit the supply of Disney Genie+, it’s also possible that they could charge more for Individual Lightning Lane access to their most popular rides. Back when the Disney Genie+ service first launched in October 2021 we identified some opportunities for Disney to change Individual Lightning Lane prices based on guest demand. Now, more than 6 months after the service launched, we think that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind could be the attraction to push past the $15 price point. That said, Disney may keep the $15 ceiling for the summer until another Individual Lightning Lane shakeup comes in August.
Keep in mind that guests will also be able to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for free by using a virtual queue.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!