Lightning Lane app comparison
Standby vs Standby Skipper
Standby and Standby Skipper are different companies with similar names. Both book Walt Disney World Lightning Lane Multi Pass return times after you buy Multi Pass and connect through Friends & Family.
The biggest difference is what happens after a booking. Standby can move a pass to an earlier return time, including passes you booked yourself, starting up to seven days before your park day. Standby Skipper’s FAQ says it does not modify booked Lightning Lanes and takes searches only on the day of your visit.
Updated October 21, 2026. Features and prices can change.
Standby and Standby Skipper compared
| Feature | Standby | Standby Skipper |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Lightning Lane Multi Pass booking assistant in an iPhone app, with live wait times included. | Mobile Lightning Lane Multi Pass booking app. |
| Lightning Lane booking | After you hold Multi Pass, Booking Assist watches eligible Walt Disney World rides and books available return times, or looks for an earlier time. | Standby Skipper books eligible Multi Pass return times after you buy Multi Pass and link your party. |
| Earlier times for passes the app booked | Yes. Choose Earliest and Standby keeps moving the pass to an earlier return time until its window is 30 minutes away. | No. Its FAQ says it does not modify booked Lightning Lanes. |
| Earlier times for passes you booked yourself | Yes. Standby imports your My Disney Experience passes. Turn on Watch Earlier and it looks for earlier times, starting up to seven days before your park day. | No. Its FAQ directs you to My Disney Experience to change a booked time. |
| Single Pass | No. Multi Pass only. | No. Its FAQ says it supports Multi Pass only. |
| Cancel a booked Lightning Lane | Cancel a Standby-created reservation in the app. Removing an imported card does not cancel its Disney reservation. | In-app reservation cancellation not independently verified. Canceling a search is different. |
| Parks covered for booking | Eligible Multi Pass attractions at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. | Walt Disney World Lightning Lane Multi Pass. |
| How you connect | Friends & Family linking in the Standby iOS app. You do not give Standby your Disney password. | Friends & Family style connection through their app. |
| Platform | iPhone app, plus Booking Assist on the web with a Standby account. Booking Assist is sold as Day, Week, or Annual coverage. | Mobile apps, including listings on the App Store and Google Play. |
| Wait times | Live waits, wait-threshold alerts, reopening alerts, and Live Activities in the same park-day app. Access depends on your pass. | Focuses on Lightning Lane booking. |
| Price | $19.99 for 1 day, $39.99 for 7 days, or $99.99 a year. Wait-time alerts have separate passes. | $25 for 1 day or $45 for 7 days, plus free searches for eight lower-demand attractions. |
Looking for a Standby Skipper alternative?
If you want earlier return times, not just a first booking, Standby Booking Assist books eligible Multi Pass return times and keeps moving them earlier. It also includes live wait times and alerts for 20+ parks. It costs $19.99 for a day or $39.99 for seven days, against Standby Skipper’s published $25 a day or $45 for seven days. Standby Skipper also runs on Android; the Standby app is for iPhone.
Common questions
Is Standby the same as Standby Skipper?
No. They are separate apps from different companies. Standby is a park-day app with Booking Assist, wait times, and alerts. Standby Skipper is a dedicated Lightning Lane booking app.
Can Standby Skipper get earlier return times?
Its FAQ says it does not modify booked Lightning Lanes; you change a booked time in My Disney Experience. Standby can move a booked pass earlier, including one you booked yourself.
Which is cheaper, Standby or Standby Skipper?
Standby Booking Assist is $19.99 for a day or $39.99 for seven days. Standby Skipper lists $25 for a day or $45 for seven days, plus free searches for eight lower-demand attractions. Prices checked October 21, 2026.
Can either app book before my park day?
Neither makes your initial 7:00 AM selections; you make those in My Disney Experience. Standby Skipper takes searches only on the day of your visit. Standby can start moving passes you already hold earlier up to seven days before your park day, while new searches wait for the park day.
Sources and comparison limits
Disney, Wait Magic, Standby Skipper, and LaneSkip guidance and prices checked October 21, 2026. This is Standby’s comparison of published features, not a hands-on test of the other apps. We have not verified whether any competitor can cancel a booked Disney reservation inside its product. Stopping a search is different from canceling a reservation.