Lightning Lane Premier Pass

[John park hopper]

Disney's philosophy ----"A fool and his/her money are soon parted " They prove this every day

 

[Chi84]

Disney's philosophy ----"A fool and his/her money are soon parted " They prove this every day

Posters here act like it’s their money other people are spending at Disney

 

[Splash4eva]

Thanksgiving week has kinda become the new “hell week”…my suspicion being it was deemed “better” between October, jersey week, and the “mobbed” holiday time

But like all things…it’s just a shift that moves minor pieces around

Is your point it’s “really crowded”?

Believe whoever you want…it’s not…I’ll trust my own eyes as I’m there at multiple points throughout the years and the crowds are ALWAYS less than what they should be for a given timeframe. Since the plague (which you apparently decided
To really have gotten some “info”on…by the way)…

20017-19 was awful…it wasn’t imagined…it was…
Since 2022 and restrictions lifted…it’s been in a slump.

Believe or don’t believe whatever you want

People just kinda “want it” to be packed. But it is not even close. Why? Who knows…it’s counter intuitive but many things Disney travelers do and say are…never gonna be fully explained…

What is reality is this: they have the same ride - more or less - capacity and and less distraction and entertainment levels than they had in the year 2000…so it’s not adequate because travel across the board has risen…as it has since the surrender in Tokyo bay…that’s the western world.

So people with the “mobbed” stuffed either don’t want to admit or don’t know how to measure it…

What we get is a more impatient public looking at wait times on an app…which are highly suspect at multiple points every day…and believe they are at a happening spot.
It’s not empty…the gates would be locked if it ever was close because it needs volume to make a nickel…so no danger of closure…but the system has been manipulated to hell through a variety of both intentional and unintentional consequences of decisions.

Again listen i respect alot of what you say. We agree alot and we disagree at times. I will go with people who visit same time during the year and are no pixie dusters at all. Did they say it was most crowded ever. Definitely not. Not even close but they also said the parks were far from empty. And nothing walk ons with rides basically running 45-75 minute waits for your rides with some higher. Not packed agreed but far from empty and disney struggling like some would like to say. Again i get Thanksgiving week is hell week. I would know. I would go every year and would see the difference from before and after. Does Disney have an issue 100%. Are they going under and making drastic changes anytne soon. Nope not a chance. Imo. They are bridging the gap to the next big “expansion” and hoping for the best. Fact is tho. Epic from all reports did not crush them like some (including myself) had hoped for to push the real panic button and truly expand and innovate the parks in a way never seen before at a pace never seen before. It didnt happen and here we are

 

[Splash4eva]

Premier passes is another example of trying to create a specific crowd (the rich and privileged), forcing people/families to spend beyond their budget to “keep up with the Jones’” or risk losing the full park experience.
DL and DW were created for family. Not profit margin growth. It is sad but a reality.
Our children will never learn patience if we keep giving in to the need for instantaneous satisfaction.

I truly dont think Premier is for people to go deeper in debt. Its for people who have money or have disposable income and simple are willing to waste/spend it on a trip to make it that much more enjoyable. Lets face it. Anyone crazy enough to go during Christmas week and who can afford it would be foolish not to buy this. Heck ive been countless times and if i ever decided to go Christmas/new Years (never happening) lol. I would 100% pay and not have to deal with any line or planning at all. Why would anyone be that stubborn who can afford it?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I truly dont think Premier is for people to go deeper in debt. Its for people who have money or have disposable income and simple are willing to waste/spend it on a trip to make it that much more enjoyable. Lets face it. Anyone crazy enough to go during Christmas week and who can afford it would be foolish not to buy this. Heck ive been countless times and if i ever decided to go Christmas/new Years (never happening) lol. I would 100% pay and not have to deal with any line or planning at all. Why would anyone be that stubborn who can afford it?

When’s the last time you were there during Christmas week?

 

[Splash4eva]

When’s the last time you were there during Christmas week?

Christmas? Never. Couldn't pay me enough. My annual trip would be around Thanksgiving. Week of and either getting there prior or staying into following week What im saying is. If i did choose to go during Christmas (never) i would only do it if i sucked up paying for the upcharges

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Christmas? Never. Couldn't pay me enough. My annual trip would be around Thanksgiving. Week of and either getting there prior or staying into following week What im saying is. If i did choose to go during Christmas (never) i would only do it if i sucked up paying for the upcharges

So I must be doing it wrong like 2 out of every 3-4 years, huh?

Crowds are solid…but hours are longer…so it isn’t oppressive. Kinda fun as the demand has fallen…

So why would it suck other times?
(Hint: the hours and the stupid extra tickets that shutdown parks and bottleneck the whole day across the other parks)

 

[Splash4eva]

So I must be doing it wrong like 2 out of every 3-4 years, huh?

Crowds are solid…but hours are longer…so it isn’t oppressive. Kinda fun as the demand has fallen…

So why would it suck other times?
(Hint: the hours and the stupid extra tickets that shutdown parks and bottleneck the whole day across the other parks)

Would not disagree. I heard this year had a MVMCP on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I dont recall there being one that night. Usually next one was the Sunday. The crowds & wait times may be “Artificial” but either way they are existent for whatever reason and when you are there its all that matters. How long you are stuck waiting and when can i book my next LL

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Would not disagree. I heard this year had a MVMCP on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I dont recall there being one that night. Usually next one was the Sunday. The crowds & wait times may be “Artificial” but either way they are existent for whatever reason and when you are there its all that matters. How long you are stuck waiting and when can i book my next LL

Lines can be healthy for the soul

As are walking by and going to half empty open availability restaurants…but I’m “classical trained”

 

[lentesta]

I wouldn't go that far, it still hasn't been a full year since they did a "numbers science" thing on a category of park users which stopped the overflowing FP+ lanes and made the standby lanes move again. This is from personal observation this year before this change in April for a week then afterwards in August, September, October, November, and December this year for a week to 14 days each trip. I believe that @lentesta 's "number science" things show similar trends but based on more data collection than my observations. I'll keep it as generic as that as to not stir the ant nest.

Yeah, there have been 3 things since mid-2024 that have reduced standby waits:

• The DAS rules changes (the single largest factor)
• Disney changing the LL-to-standby guest ratios to favor standby a bit more
• I’m pretty sure Disney is trying to make the posted wait time be closer to actual waits. For some rides it looks like ~50% of actual waits are above the posted and 50% are less.

 

[Jrb1979]

Again listen i respect alot of what you say. We agree alot and we disagree at times. I will go with people who visit same time during the year and are no pixie dusters at all. Did they say it was most crowded ever. Definitely not. Not even close but they also said the parks were far from empty. And nothing walk ons with rides basically running 45-75 minute waits for your rides with some higher. Not packed agreed but far from empty and disney struggling like some would like to say. Again i get Thanksgiving week is hell week. I would know. I would go every year and would see the difference from before and after. Does Disney have an issue 100%. Are they going under and making drastic changes anytne soon. Nope not a chance. Imo. They are bridging the gap to the next big “expansion” and hoping for the best. Fact is tho. Epic from all reports did not crush them like some (including myself) had hoped for to push the real panic button and truly expand and innovate the parks in a way never seen before at a pace never seen before. It didnt happen and here we are

Bolded is the big difference now. 45-75 minute waits are not long at all. Especially when compared to 2019 attendance levels.

 

[Chi84]

Bolded is the big difference now. 45-75 minute waits are not long at all. Especially when compared to 2019 attendance levels.

I can’t imagine people willing to spend that much time in lines, especially with the cost of a day at WDW.

 

[Jrb1979]

I can’t imagine people willing to spend that much time in lines, especially with the cost of a day at WDW.

They have in the past. Even back 5-6 years ago. With limited availability in terms of return times and Premier pass selling out, there is lots who wait in those lines.

For I can't imagine buying park tickets and only riding the 3 attractions I got LLs for and leaving.

 

[Chi84]

They have in the past. Even back 5-6 years ago. With limited availability in terms of return times and Premier pass selling out, there is lots who wait in those lines.

For I can't imagine buying park tickets and only riding the 3 attractions I got LLs for and leaving.

It’s not the number of attractions but all the other things to do in the parks instead of waiting in lines.

Some people don’t mind lines and others say they enjoy them. Clearly premier and multi-pass hold no attraction for them. It’s actually a good thing because then there’s less demand for the LLs.

 

[Splash4eva]

Bolded is the big difference now. 45-75 minute waits are not long at all. Especially when compared to 2019 attendance levels.

Comparing to the “highs” is not fair at all. I was there that Thanksgiving week. Absolute nightmare a couple days. That was right before Covid but my point is this. Hour waits are not empty parks and walk on and also not highs.

 

[Jrb1979]

Comparing to the “highs” is not fair at all. I was there that Thanksgiving week. Absolute nightmare a couple days. That was right before Covid but my point is this. Hour waits are not empty parks and walk on and also not highs.

You're right they aren't empty but they are far from super crowded either.
It definitely is fair to compare them, again Parks need crowds to be sustainable. The only reason it's working at Disney is due to them raising prices to offset the lower attendance. It's not by design.

 

[Splash4eva]

You're right they aren't empty but they are far from super crowded either.
It definitely is fair to compare them, again Parks need crowds to be sustainable. The only reason it's working at Disney is due to them raising prices to offset the lower attendance. It's not by design.

Noone is denying that and as i been on record saying. Im not defending them at all. I think Iger has been given a pass and stock has been awful during this major bull run. No clue he is still there but for whatever reason they feel the plan is “working” and running the play book until
It finally breaks…

 

[Chi84]

Noone is denying that and as i been on record saying. Im not defending them at all. I think Iger has been given a pass and stock has been awful during this major bull run. No clue he is still there but for whatever reason they feel the plan is “working” and running the play book until
It finally breaks…

I hope no one is holding their breath

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don’t know what park is consistently rocking 40-75 minute waits? But I know there isn’t one in lake buena vista

 

[Chi84]

I don’t know what park is consistently rocking 40-75 minute waits? But I know there isn’t one in lake buena vista

Isn’t that due to changes in DAS usage and the LL to standby ratio?