Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[TheMaxRebo]

My wife and I were at WDW that same week. We had the 4-park, 4-day ticket special and we used Genie+ in each park. I didn't notice any major problems with it. I was able to get BG #1 on TRON and Guardians on consecutive days using my apparent magic touch, which delayed my tries with Genie+ at precisely 7:00am, but I was still able to use it later.

Edit: It was my first time using Genie+ and I learned a few things as the week progressed, such as editing my scheduled arrival time to try and stack things together in the afternoon. Also, I learned that Genie+ can only be used once per day on the same ride.

The weeks before we arrived at WDW I read some Disney related websites on strategies for Genie+, which rides become unavailable first, the several ways I can select another LL when I still have one waiting, and more. I'll probably be better at it the next time we visit but after 9 days we had to return to the real world.

Obviously the technical issues like seen today mess everything up but overall we have always had a lot of success with G+, gotten a ton of use out of it and found it works better, day of, than FP+

Definitely elements of it I don't like (including having to pay for it) but it can be very efficient

 

[drizgirl]

Wait, what? So, we're supposed to speak with a Disney Experience Team to waste even more time in the parks when we experienced so much of a burden to get one ride. That makes total sense!

No, I would never do that. I would send an email to Guest Relations now that you are home.

 

[mysto]

A D.E.T. CM could have worked some magic to give you an additional G+ reservation to compensate for the difficulty that you had that morning. But if you didn’t to spend precious park time waiting to speak to someone, I totally understand. Unfortunately, that's pretty much the only method available to guests when things go sideways.

They need to add Guest Relations capacity!
They need a Guest Relations "pay to skip the line" scheme! So you can get a refund for the attraction skip the line scheme.

Under the current regime, there's an awful lot of pressure on people and machines alike during that first second at 7 am. No wonder so many (people and machines) are throwing up their hands in surrender.

There is a new hire that is holding the system together. He/she went out drinking Saturday night and overslept. Once that critical newly hired person got up they sent out the system down notice. This is actually an inspired performance after a bender like that.

 

[Eric Graham]

They need to add Guest Relations capacity!
They need a Guest Relations "pay to skip the line" scheme! So you can get a refund for the attraction skip the line scheme.

Under the current regime, there's an awful lot of pressure on people and machines alike during that first second at 7 am. No wonder so many (people and machines) are throwing up their hands in surrender.

There is a new hire that is holding the system together. He/she went out drinking Saturday night and overslept. Once that critical newly hired person got up they sent out the system down notice. This is actually an inspired performance after a bender like that.

Oh well. I'm sure other companies would enjoy taking our money, and treating us better. I guess we will return when/if they fix their problems. Didn't think riding a ride at Disney had became so exhaustive as writing a term paper in college....

 

[Eric Graham]

BTW we never had a single problem with the fastpass system with many a year experiencing it. Unlike this mess!

 

[Tha Realest]

You know things are bad when even the usual suspects haven’t roused themselves to tell you all how you’re wrong, unreasonable, and being nitpicky.

 

[aladdin2007]

I wonder how many credit card chargebacks are going to be filed against them...People just aren't going to keep putting up with this. Yet the execs hide in their burrows and D'Amaro keeps praising it and Cast has to take the brunt with no support. Something needs to get changed.

 

[jpeden]

I wonder how many credit card chargebacks are going to be filed against them...People just aren't going to keep putting up with this. Yet the execs hide in their burrows and D'Amaro keeps praising it. Something needs to get changed.

One trip I had a ILL purchase on our last day for Rise. Of course it went down - the only way I could get a refund was threatening a chargeback.

 

[Tha Realest]

One trip I had a ILL purchase on our last day for Rise. Of course it went down - the only way I could get a refund was threatening a chargeback.

“You’re the magic - go ahead and call Visa.”

 

[GhostHost1000]

Just think…if Disney could get their act together, especially technically, they wouldn’t need as many guest relations staff and blue tents

 

[tanc]

Currently got a LL for tron and it's down. Hope I get a refund, this is ridiculous. It also kinda sucks because my virtual queue would have let me ride it twice. Figures.

 

[Figments Friend]

Stop feeding the beast just go about your day w/o G+! You’ll be fine. Looks like the only park without sub 30 min waits for good rides is DHS.

This.

I have never once used G+.
If you have visited the Parks over the years, and know what you are doing, you don’t need it.
Ever.

Stop wasting your mind and your money folks.
Just be smart and research in advance, and learn from observation.
You can experience anything the Parks offer regardless of ‘wait times’ if you know when to go and when to get in line.

Tell Bob to go pound sand!



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[Chi84]

This.

I have never once used G+.
If you are a regular, and know what you are doing, you don’t need it.
Ever.

Stop wasting your mind and your money folks.
Just be smart and research in advance, and learn from observation.
You can experience anything the Parks offer regardless of ‘wait times’ if you know when to go and when to get in line.

Tell Bob to go pound sand!



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I don’t think it’s for everyone.

 

[drizgirl]

Stop feeding the beast just go about your day w/o G+! You’ll be fine. Looks like the only park without sub 30 min waits for good rides is DHS.

Honest question. How often do you visit the parks? It's a completely different calculus for someone who goes often versus someone who goes once every couple of years.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Fireworks are at 8 pm. You have 2.5 hours after the show for rides. I can usually do BTMRR, Pirates, HM, Pan, SDMT in 1.5 hours after fireworks, that extra hour should allow you to do 2-3 more rides. Pre fireworks is time to do Philhar, CBJ, Tiki, Peoplemover, or the train. It’s not hard.

It’s Columbus Day week during party season. I waited 35 minutes for the freaking Ariel ride on Saturday night at 8:50 pm.

 

[RoadiJeff]

Maybe, I'm just imagining things:

WARNING: A Huge Problem With Genie+ Might Affect Your Upcoming Disney World Trip | the disney food blog

The My Disney Experience app has been having some issues lately. Be prepared for this snag on your next trip!

www.disneyfoodblog.com

As the article in that link said, "This experience is happening for multiple guests, but it seems to be inconsistent from user to user."

I mentioned in my previous reply that we didn't experience any major problems with Genie+ the same week you said you were there. I also said that at precisely 7am I was focused on getting a low number boarding group for TRON or Guardians. Perhaps the Genie+ bottleneck died down from that initial 7am panic when I went to get a reservation several minutes later.

On a slightly different note, did you guys go to the MNSSHP any night that week? We went the evening of the 24th and it was great.

 

[Stevie Amsterdam]

I wonder how many credit card chargebacks are going to be filed against them...People just aren't going to keep putting up with this. Yet the execs hide in their burrows and D'Amaro keeps praising it and Cast has to take the brunt with no support. Something needs to get changed.

But what is there to charge back? Guests didn't purchase guaranteed access to rides, did they?

 

[Touchdown]

Honest question. How often do you visit the parks? It's a completely different calculus for someone who goes often versus someone who goes once every couple of years.

I go a lot but have never lost my commando tendencies. I try and usually succeed in riding every ride I want to. I just ride the big rides in the first and last 2-3 hours of the day. I’m not one to say “next time.” The only really popular ride I have as a once a trip ride instead of once a day is JC. I do park hop in the middle of the day, and while I’m focused on riding everything I enjoy at my morning park, my evening park I’m there for a meal and the night show, any ride I do is a bonus. While I ride a fair amount in the evening I’m much more opportunistic and don’t focus on hitting everything (unless it’s a party or evening EMH.) You really don’t need G+.

 

[JD80]

You don't need G+ to hit everything but you do need time to hit everything. G+ allows you to hit everything and not need all day to do that.

 

[monothingie]

Unprecedented Demand!