Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

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djlaosc

Well-Known Member
esskay said:
Utterly bonkers decision making going on in management on this one. All it's done is made sure internationals spend their first week over at Uni. Great way to speed up the inevetable drain of people over to their main competitor that wasn't supposed to start until next year.
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All you would have to do now is, instead of mixing the other parks in between Disney parks while staying onsite for WDW the whole time, you now book your first week at Cabana Bay/Aventura/Endless Summer
  • 1 day USF/IOA (park-hopping)
  • 1 day IOA/USF (park-hopping)
  • 1 day Volcano Bay
  • 1 day SeaWorld
  • 1 day Discovery Cove
  • 1 day Busch Gardens
  • 1 day shopping (mall, CityWalk, Disney Springs, Target, Outlets, wherever...) or another activity, for example ICON Park.
Then move down to WDW for the remaining 2 weeks of your 3 week holiday.

Still get to cover everything you originally planned while staying on-site for 3 weeks, and you get to stay at a cheaper hotel, and be able to book the LLs you want when they are available. All you will be missing out on is using you free dining snack credits for breakfast, or possibly a late meal when you returned back to your hotel from the above places, which you can pay for using the money you've saved by staying at Cabana Bay/Aventura/Endless Summer. You're not even going to miss out on your free refillable mug if you were staying for 3 weeks, as they now only last for 2 weeks, and not length of stay - lucky that Cabana Bay has a refillable mug that you can buy...
 
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Saskdw

Well-Known Member
Disstevefan1 said:
Only the first week?

Once EPIC opens, USF/IOA/EPIC and Universal’s Volcano Bay will need more than one week.
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We likely won't go to Epic next year because we don't want to deal with the huge crowds and chaos. But once they get all the bugs worked out it will be our vacation destination of choice. Disney is making the choice too easy honestly. They are in deep trouble and sinking quick. They've never had to deal with real competition before until now.
 
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Liloandstitch3

Member
Can someone please clarify something since I’ve seen mixed reports on this. If you’re an annual passholder but are staying on property, will you be able to book your lightning lanes 7 days before your first day of resort stay or just 3? Surely it’s written on the Disney site as 7, but I’ve seen people posting 3 (which doesn’t make sense to me)
 
JAB

JAB

Well-Known Member
Finally trying to get up to speed on all of this.

When G+ was announced, I didn't like it because the planner in me liked the certainty of FP+ pre-selections; I didn't like the idea of not knowing if or when I'd be able to get a LL with G+. Once I actually used it, though, and saw that there was plenty of availability, I ended up liking it. Once I knew how to prioritize LLs, there was never an issue getting LL for the rides we wanted. FP+ was usually 3 and out, but the day-of availability of G+ meant we easily got 5+ LL in a day. And making selections day-of allowed for more flexibility, especially when park hopping. LL-MP™ goes back to having to lock in to at least one park every day, so now I find myself not really wanting to go back to pre-selections.

I had touring with G+ down to a science, but like I said when G+ was announced - it is what it is, and I'll figure out the most efficient way to plan with what I'm given. From what I've seen so far, the strategy right now seems to mostly be the old FP+ strategy with a few tweaks here and there, so that makes the switch a bit easier.

Planning scenarios are already running rampant through my head. Things like...

If my pre-selections are:
  1. 10:30 AM
  2. 11:30 AM
  3. 5:00 PM
If I use #1 and select #4 for 1:00 PM, then use #2 and select #5 for 2:00 PM, will I be able to use #4 and select #6, then use #5 and select #7 even though #3 hasn't been used yet? From what I've read it just seems to be a rolling max of 3, and once you use any LL, you can pick a new one, so the answer would seem be yes as I understand it, but I'm not sure.

One question I still haven't seen addressed at all is whether day-of selections will also return to selectable times, or will they stay "first available" like G+.

Obviously LL-MP™ won't have the same levels of day-of availability as G+, but, given that, unlike FP+, LL-MP™ will be paid, with no re-rides, and you only have to wait until you use 1 instead of all 3, it's certain that day-of availability will be better than FP+; however, It remains to be seen whether that availability will actually be useful or not, and we'll only know once it's been in use for a bit and @lentesta gives us all the data.


Welp, back to re-doing my planning strategy...

1719434590826.png
 
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S

Saskdw

Well-Known Member
djlaosc said:
All you would have to do now is, instead of mixing the other parks in between Disney parks while staying onsite for WDW the whole time, you now book your first week at Cabana Bay/Aventura/Endless Summer
  • 1 day USF/IOA (park-hopping)
  • 1 day IOA/USF (park-hopping)
  • 1 day Volcano Bay
  • 1 day SeaWorld
  • 1 day Discovery Cove
  • 1 day Busch Gardens
  • 1 day shopping (mall, CityWalk, Disney Springs, Target, Outlets, wherever...) or another activity, for example ICON Park.
Then move down to WDW for the remaining 2 weeks of your 3 week holiday.

Still get to cover everything you originally planned while staying on-site for 3 weeks, and you get to stay at a cheaper hotel, and be able to book the LLs you want when they are available. All you will be missing out on is using you free dining snack credits for breakfast, or possibly a late meal when you returned back to your hotel from the above places, which you can pay for using the money you've saved by staying at Cabana Bay/Aventura/Endless Summer. You're not even going to miss out on your free refillable mug if you were staying for 3 weeks, as they now only last for 2 weeks, and not length of stay - lucky that Cabana Bay has a refillable mug that you can buy...
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Why?
Why find a work around and support Disney when they've made such a ridiculous decision? Don't go to WDW at all is the only way they will learn.
 
Disstevefan1

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
djlaosc said:
All you would have to do now is, instead of mixing the other parks in between Disney parks while staying onsite for WDW the whole time, you now book your first week at Cabana Bay/Aventura/Endless Summer
  • 1 day USF/IOA (park-hopping)
  • 1 day IOA/USF (park-hopping)
  • 1 day Volcano Bay
  • 1 day SeaWorld
  • 1 day Discovery Cove
  • 1 day Busch Gardens
  • 1 day shopping (mall, CityWalk, Disney Springs, Target, Outlets, wherever...) or another activity, for example ICON Park.
Then move down to WDW for the remaining 2 weeks of your 3 week holiday.

Still get to cover everything you originally planned while staying on-site for 3 weeks, and you get to stay at a cheaper hotel, and be able to book the LLs you want when they are available. All you will be missing out on is using you free dining snack credits for breakfast, or possibly a late meal when you returned back to your hotel from the above places, which you can pay for using the money you've saved by staying at Cabana Bay/Aventura/Endless Summer. You're not even going to miss out on your free refillable mug if you were staying for 3 weeks, as they now only last for 2 weeks, and not length of stay - lucky that Cabana Bay has a refillable mug that you can buy...
Click to expand...
You left out EPIC!! that's at least 2 days, maybe 3
 
ConfettiCupcake

ConfettiCupcake

Well-Known Member
It’s baffling that they would do something like this with the international guests that directly impacts on-site guests who have what I’d guess is lengthier stays on average than the average US guest, when they are supposedly having trouble with occupancy at the resorts in general.

They’re clearly trying to entice more people onsite with their deals as of late as well as this new booking window advantage. This is such a confusing direction they’re taking, and even if their hands are tied legally or practically because of IT, it’s still surprise they wouldn’t have some sort of work around.
 
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Fido Chuckwagon

Well-Known Member
JD80 said:
You can get a second headliner as soon as you use any of your LL. So if you are gunning for a second T1 attraction, then book a LL for when you plan to enter the park. Assuming availability you could get your second one at 9AM which is at least 2 hours earlier than G+.
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All of the headliners will be gone before park open. Nobody is getting a second tier 1 attraction unless they are pounding the app using the refresh feature, or purchase something like standby skipper to use a bot to do it for them.
 
C

Chip Chipperson

Well-Known Member
Liloandstitch3 said:
Can someone please clarify something since I’ve seen mixed reports on this. If you’re an annual passholder but are staying on property, will you be able to book your lightning lanes 7 days before your first day of resort stay or just 3? Surely it’s written on the Disney site as 7, but I’ve seen people posting 3 (which doesn’t make sense to me)
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If staying on-property then you get 7 days in advance for the length of your stay.
 
JAB

JAB

Well-Known Member
Fido Chuckwagon said:
Just like Fastpass+.
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It's actually slightly different than FP+. With FP+, you had to use all 3 pre-selections before you could select a FP for another park. With LL-MP™, you'll only have to use 1 before you can pick a LL in another park.

From the FAQ on the Disney site...

"Once you redeem a selection on the day of your park visit, you can use the My Disney Experience app to choose another multi pass experience in any Walt Disney World theme park (subject to availability), as long as you have a valid ticket with the Park Hopper option or an Annual Pass."
 
F

Fido Chuckwagon

Well-Known Member
newf709 said:
They (we) will if we can't ever prebook a Tier 1 attraction because we don't arrive on US soil until a day before our first park visit.
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I’m convinced that the average international visitor wanders into the park without any real idea of how to use the LL system. Maybe they purchase genie+ and try to muddle through it, having no real idea how to work the 2 hour countdown rule, stacking, etc. Do they get a headliner **now**? They probably don’t realize they should be making their selections right at 7. The type of people who post on this forum are not the “average” international visitor.
 
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Saskdw

Well-Known Member
This is a quote from another forum:


" For what's its worth I'm a Partner at a law firm with offices in the UK and I specialise in Privacy law, there is nothing in the GDPR that would mean they cant offer this to people in Europe. I work with clients in Canada less often, but the overlap is enough to suggest that same would be true, especially since the more recent legal changes there. Unless they are being advised horribly, or are incredibly risk averse, this isn't (or shouldn't be) a privacy law reason.

They are already subject to all relevant European privacy laws on account of their extra territorial scope unless they can argue they do not offer their services for sale at all to people located in the EU and that they do not monitor or profile those people (who still has MDE location tracking set to always...).

If they do use a company structure to avoid that reach (which I have to say would be my recommendation) there is nothing to stop them offering the passes through the same local company entities (which again would already be subject to and having to comply with these laws) and taking advantage of the same structure.

If it is a privacy law reason, (ie they think they need better contracts, policies or procedures first to meet those obligations) it's something they should be able to change in the short to medium term. Heck, I'll do it for them at no cost if it sorts this out (how often do you hear a lawyer say that :D)

Least fun post I'll ever make, but it's not often I have anything useful work wise to add to the conversations on here! "
 
ConfettiCupcake

ConfettiCupcake

Well-Known Member
Fido Chuckwagon said:
I’m convinced that the average international visitor wanders into the park without any real idea of how to use the LL system. Maybe they purchase genie+ and try to muddle through it, having no real idea how to work the 2 hour countdown rule, stacking, etc. Do they get a headliner **now**? They probably don’t realize they should be making their selections right at 7. The type of people who post on this forum are not the “average” international visitor.
Click to expand...

I can’t see why the average international visitor would be any more clueless than the average American visitor. Take that to mean what you will lol.
 
F

Fido Chuckwagon

Well-Known Member
donsullivan said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but since you could only purchase G+ on the day of your visit, you were already there, so there was no issue. This seems only to impact the issue of advance purchase, and as has been said multiple times, there is likely some new regulatory barrier that they have no control over.
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Back when Genie+ first came out, they offered length of ticket purchases. In addition, I remember there being an option to purchase this as part of a UK package that was even discounted. So unless something has changed since then, the regulatory framework answer doesn’t quite ring true.
 

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