Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Sirwalterraleigh]

With absolutely no data to back it up, I object to the idea that it's 10k requests in a 10 second window.

I think you’re rejecting everything here because you trust Disney…

…I don’t believe you’ve worked for them?

 

[UNCgolf]

With absolutely no data to back it up, I object to the idea that it's 10k requests in a 10 second window.

I think you can get a relative estimate. Reports have suggested the boarding groups are generally around 100 people. How many do they give out in the morning? We know there are people who try to get them in the morning and miss out, so it's definitely more than the number of people who actually get one.

If there are 70 groups given out in the morning, then roughly 7000 people received one, and some higher number than that tried and failed.

Of course, some of those people are getting them for their whole family, so the total number of requests might be lower. But you're still looking at several thousand requests in roughly 10 seconds no matter how you parse it.

 

[DCLcruiser]

But in the 90s, there were a ton of really good rides with short waits because the capacity was so much higher compared to attendance. I barely had to wait at all in EPCOT in 1995, and Haunted Mansion (just as one example) used to have 15 minute waits (or less).

It's much worse now than it used to be. Instead of just having long lines at a few headliners, there are long lines all over the place. And even the long lines at headliners were relative -- they were generally shorter than the lines rides get today.

That's due to a large increase in attendance and a lack of corresponding increase in capacity.

The Doom Buggys break down regularly. Multiple times during the ride. Maybe it's a maintenance issue.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think you can get a relative estimate. Reports have suggested the boarding groups are generally around 100 people. How many do they give out in the morning? We know there are people who try to get them in the morning and miss out, so it's definitely more than the number of people who actually get one.

If there are 70 groups given out in the morning, then roughly 7000 people received one, and some higher number than that tried and failed.

The morning boarding group is a frustrating waste of time…the afternoon is people frozen in time in the park for 15 minutes

if that’s the “future”…then the complaints are just starting

 

[UNCgolf]

The Doombuggies break down regularly. Multiple times during the ride. Maybe it's a maintenance issue.

Could be, if it was isolated to just Haunted Mansion and not numerous rides around the parks.

 

[JohnD]

The Doom Buggys break down regularly. Multiple times during the ride. Maybe it's a maintenance issue.

They don't break down "multiple times during the ride". They're stopped to allow handicapped guests to board.

 

[disneygeek90]

The morning boarding group is a frustrating waste of time…the afternoon is people frozen in time in the park for 15 minutes

if that’s the “future”…then the complaints are just starting

Now you can stand frozen while looking at your phone, then back at the ROTR entrance, wondering if it's worth $25/person to ride for a group of 6!

 

[DCLcruiser]

They don't break down "multiple times during the ride". They're stopped to allow handicapped guests to board.

The ride stops multiple times and we are asked to wait in our seats. The annoucement blames it on spirits. So you are saying the entire ride stops to load people on/off?

 

[UNCgolf]

The ride stops multiple times and we are asked to wait in our seats. The annoucement blames it on spirits. So you are saying the entire ride stops to load people on/off?

It's an omnimover; it's not possible to only stop part of the ride.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It's an omnimover; it's not possible to only stop part of the ride.

#ItsAllConnected

 

[flynnibus]

25% of what? There has never been a time when the attraction capacity was at a level that the parks weren't crowded. Never.

False. Demand patterns were FAR more varied in the past and the parks weren't saturated all the time. Problem is now, they filled in those periods with more attendance, lifted the peaks, and reduced capacity while doing it.

Besides, the number itself is irrelevant, it is the concept that counts to show that just 'adding attractions' alone isn't what needs to be measured. And your response only furthers the point... if by your logic the parks were never with sufficient capacity to make waits manageable... and we know capacity is significantly down now vs even 15yrs ago... obviously they are WAY behind now. Congrats, you proved yourself more capacity is needed.

Fastpass happened because people in the 1990s were complaining the lines were too long.

Fastpass happened because Disney realized they an score 2:1 if they shift demand to reduce time in queue and free up consumers.

But again - that doesn't change the other facts and is more spitballing by you vs facing the whole picture.

 

[DCLcruiser]

It's an omnimover; it's not possible to only stop part of the ride.

I don't recall SE having the same frequency of stops.

 

[JohnD]

The ride stops multiple times and we are asked to wait in our seats. The annoucement blames it on spirits. So you are saying the entire ride stops to load people on/off?

Yes. Ever noticed the control panel when you board? For the able bodied it doesn't stop but it does for handicapped, especially those who have to transfer from a wheelchair. I think it's an ADA thing.

 

[mightynine]

The ride stops multiple times and we are asked to wait in our seats. The annoucement blames it on spirits. So you are saying the entire ride stops to load people on/off?

Yup. I remember years ago - maybe here - someone posted a patent application from Disney to have a omnimover vehicle "detach" off the chain into a separate loading area for this purpose, and just slow the ride down a little (which can happen anyway during loading/unloading even for those who are slow to grab a buggy) so that it could join back up and avoid the whole stopping the ride part. Don't know if anything was ever done with that.

Stopping the ride is the only way someone can exit their wheelchair/scooter/whatever to get onto the Doom Buggy without rushing them.

 

[willtravel]

I think the Disney Co. has taken the magic out of WDW for me.

 

[G00fyDad]

Okay, there are posts coming in at "lightening" speed and it is hard to find the information I am looking for (if it exists yet) but here goes....
I know they will be doing dynamic pricing for LL and it can range from $?-$24. What do you expect the month of November to look like price-wise for this LL silliness? (I know it is just a guess at this point but I thought I'd ask.)

 

[UNCgolf]

I don't recall SE having the same frequency of stops.

Spaceship Earth usually isn't as busy as Haunted Mansion -- but it also could have something to do with the ride vehicles/loading area. I don't specifically remember right now, but it's possible that it's easier to load people onto an SE vehicle than a Doom Buggy.

 

[mightynine]

Okay, there are posts coming in at "lightening" speed and it is hard to find the information I am looking for (if it exists yet) but here goes....
I know they will be doing dynamic pricing for LL and it can range from $?-$24. What do you expect the month of November to look like for this LL silliness? (I know it is just a guess at this point but I thought I'd ask.)

Surge pricing will be highly dependent on crowds/demand. If it's slow, the price will be low to encourage people to use it. If it's busy, it'll probably be high in an attempt to control the amount of people entering the line.

I would imagine we're going to need a couple of months with the new system in place before anyone could possibly guessimate, and even then, the x factor will be who knows if there's an expectation those headliners might have a certain amount they have to generate each quarter.

Though I guess I should add, based on the current information on the Genie page, it says the price for IAS is dependent on day, park and attraction, but not time, so who knows how the pricing structure will eventually end up. I keep saying surge pricing, but we're really talking variable pricing but perhaps not moment to moment.

 

[JohnD]

Spaceship Earth usually isn't as busy as Haunted Mansion -- but it also could have something to do with the ride vehicles/loading area. I don't specifically remember right now, but it's possible that it's easier to load people onto an SE vehicle than a Doom Buggy.

In SSE, handicapped load from the exit and it seems like there is more room as the vehicle goes around you in a circle going clockwise, so you can get out of your wheelchair and find a spot to load as it circles around you. In HM, you also load in the exit but it's straight line going right to left, so it has to stop for someone to board.

 

[flynnibus]

With absolutely no data to back it up, I object to the idea that it's 10k requests in a 10 second window.

Here's the facts
The attraction has a capacity of roughly 1,500/hr. So to give out 5hrs worth of slots would be at least 7500 spots. When they gave out the full day's capacity, that would be roughly 18,000 slots for a 12hr day
- Not everyone who tries, gets them - so we know there are more requests then slots...
- Routinely, Half the day's capacity is allocated in under 10 seconds - They used to do the full day at once. The sellout still happened in roughly the same amount of time. So again, we know there are far more requests in the window availability is open then the '1:1 fit'

If successfully you give out 7500+ slots in 9 seconds... do you not see where the spit ball comes from?

And even while people are booking as groups - each of those party members must be verified and fitted. So one request in, multiple transactions behind.

What else would you like to estimate today?