Diehard Disneyland fans are disenchanted with park bosses after they killed a perk on Monday that allowed early entry for on-site hotel guests.
Hotel guests had long enjoyed the Lightning Lane 30-minute head start before gates officially open at the Anaheim, California amusement park, the Daily Mail reported.
The short window was a huge draw for fans who enjoyed free reign of the park before long lines set in. It was widely seen as a major incentive for guests to book stays at pricey on-site hotels instead of more affordable options elsewhere.
Outrage set in after Disney revoked the fan-favorite perk, sending “Disney Adults” reeling online.
“Makes no sense to stay on property then, It’s THE perk. And it was already worse after being cut to 30 mins,” wrote one Disney-goer on Reddit.
“This really kneecaps the appeal of the on-site hotels. You’re not in the bubble and there are hotels closer to Disneyland than Disneyland Hotel,” said another fan, “I have no idea why you wouldn’t stay somewhere nicer down the street for less money,” they added.
Instead of early entry, Disney is providing hotel guests with one Lightning Lane entry to a Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction if they stay at one of their three hotels: the Disneyland Hotel, The Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Pixar Place Hotel.
Disneyland rolled out its Lightning Lane service in July 2024, which is a paid perk that allows guests to skip the conventional line and stand on a separate shorter line to access rides and attractions throughout the park.
“One single lightning lane per stay is wild. That’s almost worse than offering no LL’s per stay,” another comment read.
“I don’t comprehend this. If someone has the money to stay on-site – chances are they are also buying lightning lane,” said another.
For other Disney lovers this is a slap in the face on the back of recent increases to ticket prices across the board.
The Walt Disney Company hiked prices in Oct. 2025, with significant jumps in prices for both the day pass and annual pass. The Inspire Key, its top-tier annual pass, rose by $150 to $1,899 and the Believe Key, the second-highest-tier pass, increased $100 to $1,474. The top-tier day pass jumped $18, bringing the total to $224 per adult.
The Lightning Lane Multi Pass also increased by 6.25% to $34, when bought in advance.
“This will sound dramatic but Disneyland was kind of the last truly magical place for me. Disney World has really lost the magic for me these last few years with higher costs and less perks and more nickel and diming things but I felt like Land was still stuck (in a good way) in time where experiences mattered. This feels like a bandaid got ripped off and gave me a new cut at the same time,” said another disheartened fan.
“This is a laughable replacement for EM and feels like a slap. One pass, not even a pass that covers all the rides, mind you, for the entire stay?? Who on earth decided that was fair? I’m so tired of Disney being ungrateful to their loyal fan base and taking away more and more. This may be our last trip. We are done with World and I feel like Land is done with us,” they said.
Disney has said the hikes are in response to rising labor costs and ongoing park expansions. Officials said Disney cast member wages have more than doubled since 2015, while the cheapest ticket has risen only $5 in that same period.
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