Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[TQQQ]

Are you arguing that FP+ had lower GSAT’s than Genie+? That’s just not accurate. Genie+ gsats were/are abysmally low, far worse than FP+. That’s been reported all over the place.

No I am not arguing that......I agree with that.......

There is nobody in their right mind that would say paying more is better than paying nothing, the main source of the negative Genie+ gsat feedback

What I am saying is that Genie+ problems can be fixed way easier than FP+ problems can

If you allow pre booking the first ride plus buying 2 ILL's you would have 3 rides booked in advance, just like FP+ was except these will be the top tier rides, with your preferred return times and not the crappy 2 out of 3 rides you would get with FP+

What are the worst aspects of Genie+?
1) no pre booking
2) not being able to select return times
3) having to wake up every day before 7am
4) being on your phone too much

By allowing pre booking suggested above it solves all of these issues while keeping inventory available

FP+ let every resort guest book 3 rides in advance, taking away all of the good rides well in advance of the day guests booking at the 30 day window and never mind last minute day of guests, there was nothing left at all

By having to pay for Genie+, it greatly reduces those pre bookings vs FP+ when everyone got it for free

 

[TQQQ]

With FP+ there was attractions available but majority of the time things like Seven Dwarfs rarely were. There was also things like meet and greets, Philharmagic, Dumbo, and It's a Small World that were available but not worth doing.

Right....those crappy rides, which is fine when it's free.......Would you pay $39pp for your family of 6 to get on those rides you listed? No way Jose

This is what people are missing..........When it was free, you were ok with not getting the top picks and having 3 (or 4 if you were lucky) selections for C level rides

But if you have to pay $234 per day like I would for my family of 6 to get on 3 C levels rides?

you think GAST numbers are low now, wait until those come out.......Is Disney willing to jeopardize its Genie+ cash cow? I'd be careful if I were the one making this decision

I think they are in for a rude awakening if they institute a paid FP+.......I think Genie+ sales will go in the crapper.....there will be zero value in buying it for a lot of guests, both resort and day guests and my guess is it wont last 12 months

 

[JD80]

FP+ success was highly dependent on how many people were in your party. The less people you had the larger chance you had of landing more popular attractions weeks/days/hours/minutes prior to the FP time slot.

 

[TQQQ]

FP+ success was highly dependent on how many people were in your party. The less people you had the larger chance you had of landing more popular attractions weeks/days/hours/minutes prior to the FP time slot.

Right, which means it didnt work well because WDW is primarily a family destination, not a couples retreat destination

 

[JD80]

Right, which means it didnt work well because WDW is primarily a family destination, not a couples retreat destination

There were always be advantages in any system. That's how the world works.

 

[TQQQ]

There were always be advantages in any system. That's how the world works.

I guess?

 

[JD80]

I guess?

Even in a system where there is no line skipping method and just stand by there are advantages. The people who have more stamina and less (or no) kids get on more rides because they can take advantage of longer park hours, take less breaks, and have less people wanting to do different things.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I liked FP+. But I think it was flawed. Genie+ has proven that. Tom Brickers post today backs up the fact that FP+ was hated.



Tom Bricker. January 10, 2024

“I’m actually surprised to see so many negative comments about FastPass+ in the comments here. I remember when Genie+ was announced, I was the one telling everyone that FastPass+ was hated by a huge subset of WDW guests–and no one listened (or believed me) then. The thing is, it was popular with the planners–the people who read sites like this–and they overlooked its shortcomings.”

Hated by some, sure. But that's not the same as "universally hated." Plenty of people liked FP+. I enjoyed it, but would prefer the next iteration of G+ to he a hybrid of the 2 systems that maintains some level of perk for resort guests because paid FP+ with ILLs reducing inventory really isn't much better than G+ - it just shifts the issues from daily 7 AM wake-up calls and zig-zagging around the parks to likely getting fewer attractions for your money. I can't imagine ILLs going away without a major G+ price increase so this would just be a downgraded FP+ for a fee.

 

[Purduevian]

Care to share? Were/are you a day guest or resort guest? Did you book FP+ at 30 days? What time would you go to the parks?

I'll share my FP+ experience from July 4th week 2019. We were onsite guests (Swan I think), a couple with no kids, went from Rope drop to closing for MK, EPCOT, and DHS. Our AK day was a little different as we arrived about an hour after park opening and left ~2 or 3pm as we were driving to southern Florida that day.
I do not remember what my pre-books were, but I believe tiering was in place at everywhere except MK.

I mentioned earlier that you and I tour very differently, so I know this kind of day was not possible for you.

I do think the majority of people are waiting longer in lines due to fastpass... but I assure you I am not on my trips. I was in Disney actually exactly a year ago (so July 4th week) and managed to get the following fastpasses in 1 day each in the park.

MK (16): Splash, Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Pan, Pooh (x2), 7 dwarfs, Meet Tiana and Rapunzel, Meet Ariel, Under the Sea, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Buzz (x2), Meet Mickey & Minnie (they were meeting together) and Meet Tinkerbell.
--We also had time to watch the parade, meet Donald and Goofy, go on jungle cruise, Aladdin, pirates, Philharmagic, Small world, COP, and watch the fireworks

EPCOT (7): Soarin, Test Track, Frozen (x2), Nemo, The Land, Spaceship Earth. Also got a late night FP for Illuminations
--This was all in about 3.5 hours as we spent the entire afternoon and evening in World Showcase

DHS (9): Slinky, TSMM (x2), RnRC, ToT, ST (x3), and F!
-We also watched Frozen, Indy, BatB, Muppets, Star Wars show, Walked through Launch Bay, Met Olaf, road Alien, and had a sit down dinner at Prime time. This was before GE and MMRR opened.

AK(8): Navi River (x2), Fop (x2), Kilimanjaro, Everest (x3)
--We also watched Nemo and FotLK, did gorilla falls and the jungle trek. We also left that day around 3 because we were driving to a beach that night.

I rode everything I wanted, saw every show I wanted, sat and relaxed for all of my meals (even sat for breakfast in the parks each day), met every character I wanted to, and never waited more than 20 minutes (small world was my longest line of the whole trip). I can guarantee with the elimination of FP+ I would NOT be able to say the same thing. Sure standby waits would drop some if FP+ was eliminated... but I almost never stand in a standby line outside of shows (which FP does NOT save you time for) and Rope Dropping (where standby lines are short anyway).

 

[TQQQ]

I'll share my FP+ experience from July 4th week 2019. We were onsite guests (Swan I think), a couple with no kids, went from Rope drop to closing for MK, EPCOT, and DHS. Our AK day was a little different as we arrived about an hour after park opening and left ~2 or 3pm as we were driving to southern Florida that day.
I do not remember what my pre-books were, but I believe tiering was in place at everywhere except MK.

I mentioned earlier that you and I tour very differently, so I know this kind of day was not possible for you.

Right....thats my point......only really worked well if you are a resort guest that pre booked your rides for rope drop, which is probably less than 10% of the people that go to the parks so for the vast majority of people it didnt work

 

[Disstevefan1]

Hated by some, sure. But that's not the same as "universally hated." Plenty of people liked FP+. I enjoyed it, but would prefer the next iteration of G+ to he a hybrid of the 2 systems that maintains some level of perk for resort guests because paid FP+ with ILLs reducing inventory really isn't much better than G+ - it just shifts the issues from daily 7 AM wake-up calls and zig-zagging around the parks to likely getting fewer attractions for your money. I can't imagine ILLs going away without a major G+ price increase so this would just be a downgraded FP+ for a fee.

Hate is a strong word (although I guess I hate Genie+).

Anyway, for FP+ I think there were folks who mastered it and loved it and others who didn't master it and didn't love it, BUT IT WAS FREE so there was low or no expectations.

Now with the paid system, we pay to learn to try to master the system and there is A REAL EXPECTATION because we payed for it, and as with PF+ system there will be folks who master it and those who wont.

Disney is now the bookie, Disney makes money either way.

 

[TQQQ]

Hated by some, sure. But that's not the same as "universally hated." Plenty of people liked FP+. I enjoyed it, but would prefer the next iteration of G+ to he a hybrid of the 2 systems that maintains some level of perk for resort guests because paid FP+ with ILLs reducing inventory really isn't much better than G+ - it just shifts the issues from daily 7 AM wake-up calls and zig-zagging around the parks to likely getting fewer attractions for your money. I can't imagine ILLs going away without a major G+ price increase so this would just be a downgraded FP+ for a fee.

There is no way ILL's go away....They will not give up a revenue source

 

[TQQQ]

Hate is a strong word (although I guess I hate Genie+).

Anyway, for FP+ I think there were folks who mastered it and loved it and others who didn't master it and didn't love it, BUT IT WAS FREE so there was low or no expectations.

Now with the paid system, we pay to learn to try to master the system and there is A REAL EXPECTATION because we payed for it and as with PF+ system there will be folks who master it and those who wont.

Disney is now the bookie, Disney makes money either way.

Agree..........Was fine when it was free and I got Small world, Buzz and Pirates....Problem is, when you have to pay for FP+ and you only get 1 Ter1 ride, I think it will be a MAJOR flop if that is indeed the model they adopt....I'm not paying $39pp to get Small world, Buzz and Pirates.

 

[nickys]

Right....thats my point......only really worked well if you are a resort guest that pre booked your rides for rope drop, which is probably less than 10% of the people that go to the parks so for the vast majority of people it didnt work

OK, let me give you my experience of New Year’s Day 2017 when my son and I rode FEA, SSE and LwtL starting at 2pm (after a WS tour), hopped to MK and rode Pirates, HM and BTMR, all before the fireworks.

 

[TQQQ]

Hate is a strong word (although I guess I hate Genie+).

Anyway, for FP+ I think there were folks who mastered it and loved it and others who didn't master it and didn't love it, BUT IT WAS FREE so there was low or no expectations.

Now with the paid system, we pay to learn to try to master the system and there is A REAL EXPECTATION because we payed for it, and as with PF+ system there will be folks who master it and those who wont.

Disney is now the bookie, Disney makes money either way.

What do you hate about Genie+? Because I hate:

1. no pre booking
2. not being able to select return times
3. having to wake up every day before 7am
4. being on your phone too much

Anything else I am missing other than you have to pay for it?

 

[TQQQ]

OK, let me give you my experience of New Year’s Day 2017 when my son and I rode FEA, SSE and LwtL starting at 2pm (after a WS tour), hopped to MK and rode Pirates, HM and BTMR, all before the fireworks.

Would you pay $39pp to rides those? I certainly wouldnt....If I am paying, I want the headliners, not the C rides

 

[TQQQ]

What do you hate about Genie+? Because I hate:

1. no pre booking
2. not being able to select return times
3. having to wake up every day before 7am
4. being on your phone too much

Anything else I am missing other than you have to pay for it?

? Disstevefan 1.........I think all those issues are easily solved if you allow pre booking of your first ride only, plus buying 2 ILLs per day

 

[Disstevefan1]

What do you hate about Genie+? Because I hate:

1. no pre booking
2. not being able to select return times
3. having to wake up every day before 7am
4. being on your phone too much

Anything else I am missing other than you have to pay for it?

T r O p H y

 

[Purduevian]

What do you hate about Genie+? Because I hate:

1. no pre booking
2. not being able to select return times
3. having to wake up every day before 7am
4. being on your phone too much

Anything else I am missing other than you have to pay for it?

Add in no re-rides please.

 

[TQQQ]

Add in no re-rides please.

Agree.....They should add re rides, even if they restrict it to only after a certain time of the day like 3pm (for eg if you ride once before 3pm, you cannot ride again until after 3pm)

But point being is they make 1 simple change, it solves 3-4 of the problems that people have with Genie+......the 3-4 main problems people have with Genie+