A Disneyland Resort Select Experiences Pass (also known as a Multiple Experiences Pass) allows a guest to choose one out of a select list of multiple attractions to experience by using the pass to bypass the regular standby queue. This is a valuable time-saving pass that cannot be bought. (In addition to Select Experiences Pass or Multiple Experiences Pass, you may hear these referred to by other guests as a Disneyland Multi Experience Pass or MEP: they are the same thing.) Keep reading for more information on how you might get one of these Select Experiences Passes and how to make the most of it at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
Update: When this article was written, this pass went by the name “Multiple Experiences Pass.” More recently, it has shown- up in the Disneyland app as “Select Experiences Pass” and with the complimentary designation of “experience redemption.” We have preserved the former name in some places in this article as you may still hear other guests refer to it that way. However, the official Disneyland name now seems to be Select Experiences Pass.
Presumably, this is to help differentiate it from the Lightning Lane Multi Pass (which is something different), but the pass itself has changed very little. So, with that out of the way, on with the guide…
This is a detailed article with examples we hope you will find helpful. We are covering the following:
- How to Get a Select Experiences Pass
- How To Make the Best of a Select Experiences Pass
- How to Use That Select Experiences Pass!
- Final Tips for Select Experiences Passes at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park
Select Experiences Pass at Disneyland: What Is It?
A Select Experiences Pass (aka Multiple Experiences Pass) at Disneyland Resort is a one-use virtual pass to access an attraction with minimal wait. With a Select Experiences Pass, you can scan into an attraction at the Lightning Lane entrance or at another priority access checkpoint and be on a ride shortly. You do not need to make an advance reservation to use a Select Experiences Pass, and you may use it at any time. A Select Experience Pass gives you a list of attractions to choose from. You get to decide when and where you use it! Sounds pretty great, right? So…
How To Get a Select Experiences Pass
First, you will need to have valid admission and be in either Disney California Adventure Park or Disneyland Park. Unlike any of the Lightning Lane Passes, a Select Experiences Pass is not something you can purchase. (However, having Lightning Lane Multi Pass makes it more likely you will get one… keep reading for more on that.)
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Select Experiences Passes Are Distributed at Disney’s Discretion
A Select Experiences Pass (aka Disneyland Multiple Experiences Pass) is something you are given when you have faced some kind of difficulty in experiencing an attraction.
For example, imagine you have been waiting in the queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for three hours. There have been multiple delays for maintenance issues, but you have finally reached the end of your wait! You are now experiencing the pre-show, and… the ride shuts down AGAIN. The maintenance cast members then conclude this will NOT be a quick fix. So, the cast members begin distributing multiple experiences passes to all guests in the pre-show area. They ask you to hold-out your mobile device and bring-up the bar code for your ticket. A cast member scans the screen and adds a Select Experiences Pass to your Disneyland app.
The hope is that you will be able to use this pass at Star Wars: Rise of The Resistance later that day without experiencing the same long wait. However, if the maintenance issues never do get resolved that day, you may choose to use it for another attraction instead. You can see the list of eligible attractions by selecting the pass itself. You may enter one of these attractions once through a Lightning Lane or other priority entrance (if there is no Lightning Lane) until park closing.
Perhaps, you are able to use it on Star Wars: Rise of Resistance when it re-opens later that evening. At that time, you bring up the pass on your mobile device. Then, you scan the pass at the Lightning Lane scanners to bypass the standby line. You now have a minimal wait before you are back at that pre-show.
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Select Experiences Passes and Lightning Lane Multi Pass
The above example is not the most common way to get a Select Experiences Pass, but it does happen. The most common situation in which you will be given a Select Experiences Pass at Disneyland occurs when you have made a reservation with a Lightning Lane Multi Pass and that attraction is not available during your reservation time. When this happens, your Lightning Lane reservation for a specific ride and time will transform into a Select Experiences Pass. For a full comparison of Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and Select Experiences Pass (aka Multiple Experiences Pass), see: Disneyland Multiple Experiences Pass vs. Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Not all Select Experiences Passes have the same list of eligible attractions. A Select Experiences Pass given as compensation for a canceled Lightning Lane reservation will have a list of eligible rides considered as desirable as the missed ride or less (including the missed attraction itself). Again, an example might be helpful.
A Common Scenario
For example, you have Lightning Lane Multi Pass for your visit to Disney California Adventure Park. You use the Lightning Lane Multi Pass to make a reservation for Goofy’s Sky School: your reservation says that you can return to ride between 3:00 and 4:00pm. Your reservation time arrives, but Goofy’s Sky School is not operating: it is down for unexpected maintenance. At this time, you should receive a notification from the Disneyland app that your 3-4:00pm Lightning Lane reservation for Goofy’s Sky School has transformed into a Select Experiences Pass.
Whether or not you receive the notification, you should still see your new Select Experiences pass, AND you should see that you are still eligible to make another Lightning Lane reservation for Goofy’s Sky School. The Select Experiences Pass will show a list of eligible attractions when you tap on it. These are attractions considered as desirable as Goofy’s Sky School or less. In other words, you will not be able to use this particular Select Experiences Pass for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! or any other “E-ticket” attraction.
Maybe, you decide to use your Disneyland Select Experiences Pass on Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue. You do not need to make an advance reservation to use this pass, and it does not matter that you already used your Lightning Lane Multi Pass allotment for Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue earlier that day.You simply pull-up the pass on your mobile device and scan-in at the Lighting Lane scanners outside the attraction. Later, you decide to make a Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservation for Goofy’s Sky School again.
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How To Make the Best of a Select Experiences Pass
So, you may receive a Select Experiences Pass if you experience significant trouble experiencing an attraction. The most likely way to receive a Select Experiences Pass is if your Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservation is disrupted by a ride breakdown. One of the best features of a Select Experiences Pass is that you do not need to make advance reservations to use the pass, and it is valid until park closing. Now what?
Open “My Day” in the Disneyland App
If you are given a Select Experiences Pass, it will show-up in your Disneyland app in the section “My Day”. If you have more than one Select Experiences Pass, they will show up as separate entries in “My Day”.
Not all of these Select Experiences Passes are the same! Depending on how you got them, each pass will have a different list of eligible rides!
Check the List of Eligible Rides
You may review the eligible rides by tapping on a specific Select Experiences Pass and then the blue highlighted phrase “Find out where you can go>”. Once you tap on that blue phrase, you should see a list of both eligible and ineligible attractions. You will notice that the eligible attractions are those generally considered to be as desirable or less desirable than the attraction you had trouble experiencing.
So, if your Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservation for Indiana Jones Adventure is canceled due to maintenance, you should end-up with a Select Experiences Pass for basically anything EXCEPT the attractions currently using Lightning Lane Single Pass (like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers) and Peter Pan’s Flight.
Think of it this way: Indiana Jones is Adventure is perennially one of the most popular rides at Disneyland Park. Because of its popularity, a Select Experiences Pass for missing this attraction will get you on almost any attraction at Disneyland Resort from Indiana Jones Adventure to “it’s a small world”. On the other hand, a Select Experiences Pass acquired while “it’s a small world” is closed will NOT get you on Indiana Jones Adventure. (We love “it’s a small world,” but the line to experience this classic attraction just does not reach the epic wait times of Indy’s ride.)
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Decide Where You Will Use Your Pass
Now that you have reviewed the list of eligible attractions, you can decide which one is worthy of your valuable Select Experiences Pass! Remember, you can only use your pass once! There are a few ways to approach this decision and make the most of your pass.
- Keep it simple. Select the attraction with the longest standby wait. Your pass will save you a lot of time in line when you do not need to wait in that standby queue!
- Ride your favorite again. Maybe you have already used your Lightning Lane Multi Pass to ride your favorite ride earlier that day, but you want to experience it again. (Remember, Lightning Lane Multi Pass only gets you Lightning Lane access to each attraction once per day.) With your Select Experiences Pass, you can ride your favorite attraction again with just a minimal wait!
- Experience a “sold out” attraction. Certain attractions regularly distribute all available Lightning Lane passes well before the parks close (Space Mountain, for example). Even if you are not able to make a Lightning Lane reservation for these attractions, you may still use your Select Experiences Pass on them. That’s a valuable pass!
- Go beyond Lightning Lanes. Some attractions available with a Multiple Experiences Pass are NOT available with Lightning Lane. A Select Experiences Pass is your only opportunity to “skip the line,” so you might want to take advantage of that!
- In the past, we have done this on Alice in Wonderland, Pixar Pal-A-Round, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters. You will need to check your own list of eligible attractions to see what is open to you.
A Select Experiences Pass Applies to Both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park
Note, as long as you have a Park Hopper (or Magic Key), you can use your pass at either park. It does not matter if you received your pass at Disneyland Park, you may still use it later at Disney California Adventure Park (and vice versa).
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Decide When You Will Use Your Pass
Select Experiences Passes are valid from the time you receive them up until the time the parks close that same day. You do NOT need to make an advance reservation, so you may use your pass at any time. This is one of the best features of the Select Experiences Pass at Disneyland Resort. Use it when your Lightning Lane Multi Passes run out. Save it until a time the parks get really jammed. Hold onto it until your favorite ride finally starts running again. Or, just pull it out spontaneously when you see something you want to ride. It is up to you!
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How to Use That Select Experiences Pass!
Okay, you have chosen when and where to use your Select Experiences Pass. The rest is easy!
Open Your Select Experiences Pass in the Disneyland App
Go to “My Day” and tap your Select Experiences Pass. If you have more than one Select Experiences Passes, select the most strategic one for the attraction you are about to experience. What does that mean? Well…
Remember not all Select Experiences Passes have the same list of eligible attractions. You will want to use the “lowest” pass valid for a particular attraction. So, if you are riding a “low tier” attraction, like Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! make sure you are using the pass you got from missing Goofy’s Sky School and not the one you got from missing Toy Story Midway Mania! You may want to save that Toy Story Midway Mania! pass for a “high tier” attraction!
Approach the Lightning Lane Scanner OR a Cast Member
Now that you have chosen your Select Experiences Pass, open it in the app and approach the Lightning Lane scanner at your chosen attraction.
If you have selected an attraction that does not offer Lightning Lane, you will want to find a cast member at the attraction’s entrance instead. That cast member will be able to scan your pass by hand and direct you to your priority entrance.
Scan Your Disneyland Select Experiences Pass
Scan your Select Experiences Pass.
Note: if you are in a linked group, you may also choose to scan the passes of your linked group members from just one device. Make sure you scan for only the number of group members who will be experiencing that attraction at that time. If your group of five all received a Select Experiences Pass, but only two people want to use it on the Incredicoaster, scan just those two people’s passes at the Incredicoaster Lightning Lane scanners. The other three group members will still have their passes to use later for an attraction of their choice.
Proceed to Your Attraction!
You now get to experience your chosen attraction with minimal wait. Great job! The Select Experiences Pass you just scanned should disappear from your Disneyland app shortly. It is a one-use pass, but we bet you used it well!
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FAQS for Select Experiences Passes at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park
Is a Select Experiences Pass at Disneyland the same as a Multi Experience Pass, Multiple Experiences Pass or Experience Redemption?
Yes, these are former names, alternative names or unofficial names used by other guests.
Is a Select Experiences Pass (or Multiple Experiences Pass) the same as a Lightning Lane Multi Pass?
No. See this article: Disney Multiple Experiences Pass vs. Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Do I need a Lightning Lane Multi Pass in order to get a Select Experiences Pass?
No, but your chances of getting one or more Select Experiences Passes are much higher if you have the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service.
Can I purchase a Select Experiences Pass?
No, Select Experiences Passes are granted at Disney’s discretion and cannot be bought. You can, however, purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass or Premier Pass.
When will I get a Select Experiences Pass?
Select Experiences Passes are granted at Disney’s discretion.
The most common scenario for receiving a Select Experiences Pass occurs when you have a Lightning Lane reservation booked and your selected ride goes down during the reservation window. Typically, we receive the pass immediately if our ride has closed and the reservation window has opened: we do not need to wait for the end of our reservation window in order for the pass to change to a Select Experiences Pass.
Sometimes there is some delay or the pass does not switch automatically (especially for a ride that reopens shortly after). If you are stuck holding a pass for a closed attraction, we suggest speaking to a cast member at that attraction.
You may also receive a Select Experiences Pass if you are in the queue for a ride that closes: however, there is some variation to how far along you need to be in the queue and how long the ride needs to be down to make you eligible for a Select Experiences Pass. We outline both of these scenarios in more detail earlier in this post.
And finally, guest services may grant Select Experiences Passes in case-by-case situations.
Does my whole group need to use our Select Experiences Pass on the same attraction?
No. If multiple people are granted Select Experiences Passes, each person may choose how to use their pass. When approaching the entrance for an attraction, scan only the passes for the people actually entering that attraction.
For example: your group of five receives Select Experiences Passes when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is closed during your 3:00pm to 4:00pm Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservation. It reopens later that same evening, but only three members of your group want to get wet after dark. Those three members head to the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Lightning Lane queue and scan just their three Select Experiences Passes. The other two go get a churro and then walk over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and use their Select Experiences Passes.
The Select Experiences Passes do not need to be used at the same attraction or at the same time.
When do Disneyland Resort Select Experiences Passes expire?
Typically, a Select Experiences Pass expires at the end of the operating day (i.e. when the parks close). Remember, you can use a Select Experiences Pass at either Disneyland Resort park as long as you have valid admission for that park.
Can I get more than one Select Experiences Pass?
Yes. You can hold more than one Select Experiences Pass at a time. You can even get more than one Select Experiences Pass from the same ride being closed.
For example: you receive a Select Experiences Pass when Space Mountain is closed for your 9:00am Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservation. You then rebook Space Mountain with your Lightning Lane Multi Pass for 11:15am. If Space Mountain is still closed when 11:15am rolls around, you will get another Select Experiences Pass.
If I use my Select Experiences Pass on a certain attraction, can I still use Lightning Lane for that same attraction later?
Usually yes, but in one particular case, no. We have saved the longest and most involved answer for last, so stick with us, and let’s examine the scenarios.
If your Lightning Lane reservation turns into a Select Experiences Pass before you are able to use it, you are still able to book the original attraction again.
In the example from the previous question, you booked a Lightning Lane Multi pass reservation for Space Mountain for 9:00am, and the ride was closed during your reservation window. You never scanned into the Lightning Lane with your original Space Mountain reservation. When your Space Mountain Lightning Lane reservation for 9:00am turns into a Select Experiences Pass, you now immediately have another chance to book Space Mountain with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. In the example above, you rebooked for 11:15am, but you can rebook anytime reservations are available.
Even though Lightning Lane Multi Pass works only once per day per attraction, a Lightning Lane reservation transforming into a Select Experiences Pass does not count as your once per day.
If you use a Select Experiences Pass on a particular attraction, you are still eligible to book that attraction using Lightning Lane.
Let’s look at that Space Mountain scenario again. You booked Space Mountain with your Lightning Lane Multi Pass for 9:00am. Space Mountain is closed all morning, and your 9:00am Lightning Lane reservation turned into a Select Experiences Pass as did your 11:15am reservation. You use your Lightning Lane Multi Pass one more time to rebook Space Mountain for 1:00pm. Space Mountain opens again at 12:45pm, so not only do you use your 1:00pm Lightning Lane reservation, but you have the option of getting right back on two more times with your two Select Experiences Pass. You can also use those passes for a select list of other rides. Really!
HOWEVER, there is one scenario where you cannot book another Lightning Lane reservation with your Lightning Lane Multi Pass. If you got your Select Experiences Pass due to a ride breakdown while you are in the Lightning Lane (i.e. you already scanned your Lightning Lane Multi Pass and entered the queue before being granted a Select Experiences Pass) you will not be able to book another Lightning Lane for that particular attraction.
Let’s look at an example. You book a Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure with a return window of 10:00am to 11:00am. You arrive at the Lightning Lane queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at 10:10am and scan your Lightning Lane pass to enter that queue. Just before you reach the loading area, the ride shuts down for what cast members determine will be a long time. These cast members direct you to open the Disneyland app and they add a Select Experiences Pass that you can use on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and a long list of other attractions.
You can use this pass to return to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure anytime it is running again, or you can use it on another attraction. Regardless of which attraction you use this pass to access, you cannot book another Tiana’s Bayou Adventure reservation using your Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Because you already scanned–in with that initial reservation, you have used-up your reservation allotment for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for that day. The Select Experiences Pass is meant to compensate you for that.
Remember, not all passes are the same, so use the right one for the right attraction!
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Thanks for reading this post on using Select Experiences Passes at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park
We hope you have found this post useful. We mentioned Lightning Lanes many time in this article, for a guide to the options for that paid line-skipping service, look here. For advice on other ways to save time at Disneyland Resort, see our Disneyland Virtual Queue Guide and our Disneyland Mobile Ordering Guide. And, for straightforward Disneyland planning advice, we recommend subscribing to our free newsletter below. Once you subscribe, we will send you our step-by-step guide to planning your visit to Disneyland Resort. Planning a visit to Disney does not need to be overwhelming!
Some final tips on Select Experiences Passes at Disneyland Resort
Now, this was a long post. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed after reading about this far, we want to offer three final pieces of advice. Stick with us, we hope these will lower your stress.
First, we want to remind you that you can always bookmark this post and come back to it later, particularly while you are at Disneyland Resort. What might seem overwhelming now will probably make a lot more sense when you are using the Disneyland app in the parks.
Second, using a Select Experiences Pass or using one well is not necessary for a good day at Disneyland Resort. We hope this article presented the information in a straightforward way and helps you make the most of your time, but if this is just stressing you out: forget about it! Really.
Finally, when in doubt, ask a cast member for help. We think Disneyland cast members are phenomenal!
