Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I was just putting it our there for the Universe to hear me. Help me out a bit. Even we are starting to be priced out a bit.
At least we are getting to the point where when we look at what we spent (Disney is always the most expensive trip we take, even over cruises or an all-inclusive in the Caribbean), we decided if we are spending that much, let's experience something completely new to us. Thus, Lima.

No…I totally get it. We all let out fandom show in different ways.

You love the trip and make it clear. Some absence does make the heart grow fonder.

I’m there too much…so I gripe more than average.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

As I was living on LI at the time, although nowhere near ground zero, it will always be too soon for me.

I did clean up in zone 4 (northwest quadrant) after my illustrious Disney tenure ended…years later.

Tell me about it.

I did pick 9/13 because there was a concerted push…with a vacated park you only ever saw in those days…to reopen.

Mr Eisner and that vole Pressler Were getting calls from Pennsylvania Avenue.

Perception always trumps reality.

And I say this on a day when Wall Street should NOT be open…as it was on that day.

 

[Ayla]

My sister and her family go every two years with our mom. I joined in 2019 and 2021. The 2021 trip was a nightmare, between the crowds, lack of shows, no FastPass or other option yet, and worse heat than we're used to there, even for summer. Next trip is this July. I cut down on the number of days I'm going and hopeful the crowds stay low and Genie+ and LL help the experience. Thankfully, my sister is on top of the organizing of that part!

If you don't like heat, July isn't really the best time to visit central FL.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If you don't like heat, it never really is the best time to visit central FL.

FTFY

 

[Ayla]

FTFY

Hey, it's pretty darn nice in late Feb/March compared to home.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Hey, it's pretty darn nice in late Feb/March compared to home.

I’ve been when it’s easily been low 90’s…that’s never great there

 

[Ayla]

I’ve been when it’s easily been low 90’s…that’s never great there

It's the humidity that kills ya. I'll take 90's in Feb.

 

[Purduevian]

2. Those that tell tales of “all those fastpasses” that tried to use it like old and spent a lot of time getting throwaway ones and going on their phones

The only throwaway FP/LL I can think of are Philharmagic, Muppets, Frozen, BatB, and the bird show.

For example, the last 3 times I went to WDW, I was able to pull an instant teacups LL/FP after tapping in at Pooh. Some people would view teacups as a "throw away", but I get to ride 2 rides in 10 minutes and only delay looking for the next one by like 10 minutes, LL/FP well spent.

 

[RoadiJeff]

My sister and her family go every two years with our mom. I joined in 2019 and 2021. The 2021 trip was a nightmare, between the crowds, lack of shows, no FastPass or other option yet, and worse heat than we're used to there, even for summer. Next trip is this July. I cut down on the number of days I'm going and hopeful the crowds stay low and Genie+ and LL help the experience. Thankfully, my sister is on top of the organizing of that part!

Wow, I did a solo WDW trip in 2021 and my experience was just the opposite of yours. I'd read on the forums that people were staying away due to various COVID restrictions and I decided it might be a good time to go and avoid the crowds. I was right. It reminded me of the good old days.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The only throwaway FP/LL I can think of are Philharmagic, Muppets, Frozen, BatB, and the bird show.

For example, the last 3 times I went to WDW, I was able to pull an instant teacups LL/FP after tapping in at Pooh. Some people would view teacups as a "throw away", but I get to ride 2 rides in 10 minutes and only delay looking for the next one by like 10 minutes, LL/FP well spent.

By “throw away”….I mean things that have near immediate return times or waits consistently under 30 minutes.

I don’t know how else to quantify minimal demand in the 2015 context

 

[Purduevian]

By “throw away”….I mean things that have near immediate return times or waits consistently under 30 minutes.

I don’t know how else to quantify minimal demand in the 2015 context

How is that a throwaway though? If I got a 5 minute wait at teacups instead of 30? I still saved 25 minutes in my day.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

How is that a throwaway though? If I got a 5 minute wait at teacups instead of 30? I still saved 25 minutes in my day.

Do you remember plus?

The prebooks flooded the queues…often with unused ghost bookings. That’s why it failed.

I can post the defunctland video again if you want?

The result was no walkons…there were few queues with less than a 15 cause they wait for fastpass at all times.

Again…minimal demand.

 

[Purduevian]

Do you remember plus?

The prebooks flooded the queues…often with unused ghost bookings. That’s why it failed.

I can post the defunctland video again if you want?

The result was no walkons…there were few queues with less than a 15 cause they wait for fastpass at all times.

Again…minimal demand.

Yeah, I did the same thing with FP+ as G+... I admit I was/am "friends with the FP+/G+ monster". I am just still confused what a throwaway FP or LL is and why it is a bad thing?

 

[monothingie]

What do they know? They're tourists!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah, I did the same thing with FP+ as G+... I admit I was/am "friends with the FP+/G+ monster". I am just still confused what a throwaway FP or LL is and why it is a bad thing?

I’m not saying don’t use them….
They just had much less value in the system. They save you 10 minutes…not the hour plus that fastpass…1.0…was mathematically Designed to do.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What do they know? They're tourists!

…I see what you did there

 

[QueenFanUSA]

Not surprising…little bit of a summer travel bump.

But it ain’t crowded…still

It was crowded almost all of last year. What happened to this year? Was last year crowded because of pent up demand ? It's alarming how slow it's been the last couple of months.

 

[mikejs78]

It was crowded almost all of last year. What happened to this year? Was last year crowded because of pent up demand ? It's alarming how slow it's been the last couple of months.

Pent up demand last year + slowing economy / inflation this year.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It was crowded almost all of last year. What happened to this year? Was last year crowded because of pent up demand ? It's alarming how slow it's been the last couple of months.

1. Delayed travel
2. Some money backlogged due to pent up demand
3. Another year of inflation
4. Market down
5. Wages lost most of the Covid gains

And what was the other thing?

Oh yeah…DISNEY has jacked prices for a decade and that doesn’t work when spending slows down

 

[TheMaxRebo]

what's been said, plus people who are on every 2 or 3 years cycles hit "their" year last year so now are waiting

Plus not a ton new if you went last year - really just Tron (which is a nice addition but not something you plan a special / extra trip for

I also think people just learned there are other places to go besides Disney during the pandemic - not throwing shade or anything but it just got people out of their rhythm and patterns and got them questioning if they should try other new things