Are Buzz Lightyear and Star Tours worth using Lightning Lanes on?

[Minnie1986]

Hello All!

I have an upcoming trip, and am starting to tinker with how I'd like to prioritize my Lightning Lanes. Thus far, my plan is to snag a Space Mountain LL as soon as I scan in; and modify it to the time that I actually want to ride. While I'm in Tomorrowland, I'd like to do Buzz and Star Tours; but am not sure if they're worth using LLs for (I see that they are both currently a LL option). Do there lines tend to move fairly steadily; or should I just snag those two back to back, and avoid the standy by lines?

 

[CaptinEO]

Hello All!

I have an upcoming trip, and am starting to tinker with how I'd like to prioritize my Lightning Lanes. Thus far, my plan is to snag a Space Mountain LL as soon as I scan in; and modify it to the time that I actually want to ride. While I'm in Tomorrowland, I'd like to do Buzz and Star Tours; but am not sure if they're worth using LLs for (I see that they are both currently a LL option). Do there lines tend to move fairly steadily; or should I just snag those two back to back, and avoid the standy by lines?

You can only get a new lightning lane when you

1) Scan in to the ride
or
2) Wait 90 minutes after making it

For this reason when you are there you want to use it ASAP and not modify it for a later time.

Star Tours is typically 5-10 minute waits most times of the day.

Buzz in the afternoons can get 30 minutes or so but in the mornings and evening is typically a walk on.

I'd suggest if going in the morning getting a LL for Space for right then, right when you scan in to the line get another LL for Indy and now youre set for the 2 biggest waits in the park.

Your 3rd LL should be Mickey and Minnie. 4th I'd say a tie between Haunted Mansion and Tiana, whatever you chose get the other one as your 5th.

 

[Minnie1986]

You can only get a new lightning lane when you

1) Scan in to the ride
or
2) Wait 90 minutes after making it

For this reason when you are there you want to use it ASAP and not modify it for a later time.

Star Tours is typically 5-10 minute waits most times of the day.

Buzz in the afternoons can get 30 minutes or so but in the mornings and evening is typically a walk on.

I'd suggest if going in the morning getting a LL for Space for right then, right when you scan in to the line get another LL for Indy and now youre set for the 2 biggest waits in the park.

Your 3rd LL should be Mickey and Minnie. 4th I'd say a tie between Haunted Mansion and Tiana, whatever you chose get the other one as your 5th.

Did they change the two hour rule to 90 minutes now? And is stacking not an option at Disneyland?

If you don't mind a follow up question; which would you give higher priority in terms of booking between Matterhorn and Big Thunder (in terms of which would book up the fastest, so I should get that one first)?

 

[mickEblu]

Did they change the two hour rule to 90 minutes now? And is stacking not an option at Disneyland?

If you don't mind a follow up question; which would you give higher priority in terms of booking between Matterhorn and Big Thunder (in terms of which would book up the fastest, so I should get that one first)?

Matterhorn for sure! In terms of priority it’s right behind Space Mountain and Indy. With that said I’m not even a huge fan of using LL on Indy. The bang for your buck isn’t there as you only skip the outdoor portion (and it’s a pleasant queue anyway). Especially if you can manage to do standby at like 45 min or under. So if Indy’s return time is two + hours out I’m just not sure it’s worth locking up your LL for two hours. Depends how important it is to you, what time you re getting to the park and how busy it is.

Big Thunder is usually available for LL until at least the late afternoon/ early evening.

 

[chadwpalm]

Did they change the two hour rule to 90 minutes now? And is stacking not an option at Disneyland?

No. The website clearly states 2 hours and that's what it was when I went last November.

If you don't mind a follow up question; which would you give higher priority in terms of booking between Matterhorn and Big Thunder (in terms of which would book up the fastest, so I should get that one first)?

You can stack (as indicated in the screenshot above). An example would be if the current time is 9am and you booked Space Mountain for 2pm. After 2 hours pass (11:00am) you can book another pass and still be holding onto the Space Mountain one.

Depending on how busy the day is, most attractions don't sell out of Lightning Lanes until the mid-afternoon, but I like to keep my eye on them anyway just in case. Attractions like Space Mountain and Indiana Jones tend to go the quickest. Matterhorn and BTMRR go a little longer but will eventually sell out by late afternoon or early evening. Again, depends on how busy the day is.

My favorite time to book a Lightning Lane is when the return time is now, but the standby wait is 10 minutes or more. As soon as you scan in you can book another LL and you've bypassed the standby. This happens a lot on Small World and Buzz, especially in the evenings.

 

[PiratesMansion]

It can be helpful in the middle of the day, but neither of those attractions are big LL priorities for most people, nor are the rides at all as popular as they were a decade ago. Now they seem to mostly function as overflow capacity more than anything else. You can certainly use LLs for them in the afternoon and save some time, but Buzz and Star Tours will have LLs available late into the day. There's no real urgency to book slots for them as a result.

Both attractions are also fairly easy to ride in the first/last two hours the park is open without LL (I like to dart into Buzz's line right after the fireworks, since everyone staying in the park is routed into Tomorrowland anyway and few people are using LLs at that moment-by the time I'm off the ride, the post-fireworks craziness has typically ended).

 

[DLR92]

I would skip Buzz. But that just IMO.

 

[Misted Compass]

Only if they're immediately available and you're not in a rush to get the next LL. If it's post-fireworks there's really no point since they typically have everyone use the LL queue for Buzz that late in the day.