Disney parks are offering a premium, skip-the-line upgrade with a whole new range of pricing: up to $449 per person in addition to park admission, Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday.

The Lightning Lane Premier Pass pilot program will begin next Wednesday at Disneyland Resort theme parks in Anaheim, California, and October 30 at Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, according to the company's website.

The new pass, the highest of the three Lightning Lane passes, will be the only one that allows holders to show up, enter shorter Lightning Lanes and ride without specifying arrival times.

Prices will be variable, ranging from $129 to $449 at Disney World parks, with the highest prices occurring on busy days, the company said.

According to the Disneyland website, the Premier Pass will cost $400 at Disneyland Resort parks through the end of the year and an estimated $300 to $400 in early 2025, depending on demand and special dates.

The passes will be available in “very limited” quantities, according to the park websites, with the option to purchase them for the Florida parks reserved only for those staying at select hotels.

The two existing Lightning Lane passes require holders to commit to estimated time slots for specific attractions. The first, the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, limits holders to three pre-selected listed experiences and, according to Disney, allows for an additional listed experience once the first three are redeemed. The other, the Lightning Lane Single Pass, is valid for an experience that is determined based on a shortlist at purchase.

According to Disney Parks, the new Pilot Premier Pass is limited to a list of Lightning Lane experiences and attractions that the passholder can only visit once per day.

The pass will only be available at Disney's domestic parks for now, although Disneyland Paris' Premier Access passes are similar. Tokyo Disney Resort Premier Access passes work like the Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Tickets for Disney World start at $119 for day admission and cost $104 for any of the Disneyland Resort parks, the park's websites say.

The Premier Pass pilot program is one of the Disney Parks' most expensive upgrades or ticket packages.

Disney VIP Private Tours cost $450 to $900 per hour in addition to park admission, with a minimum duration of seven hours and a maximum of 10 guests who can split the cost among themselves. Disneyland's Magic Key passes, which allow users to reserve included admission on most dates, cost up to $1,749 per year, but the highest-tier Inspire Key pass is sold out and available for renewal only, the resort said.

Disney's pilot upgrade shares some similarities with the Universal Express tickets offered at Universal Destinations & Experiences theme parks. However, they cost about half the price of the Disney upgrade and include park admission. On Wednesday, skip-the-line tickets at Universal Studios Hollywood were $199.

(NBC News and Universal Destinations & Experiences are divisions of Comcast NBCUniversal.)

According to fan site WDWMagic, Disney parks faced long wait times earlier this year – two hours or more for popular rides at Disneyworld parks.

Disney's new tier could have the effect of opening up new access to rides and attractions for those who can afford it, while sparing pass holders the long waits.

According to CNBC, the resorts' parent company, the Walt Disney Company, reported revenue of more than $23 billion in the third quarter of 2024, beating analysts' expectations.