Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[MickeyLuv'r]

It might be a generational thing. I don't mind being on my phone to reduce my wait times, and to maximize how many attractions I can experience. Hell, I will LL Figment and the line is 5 min or less.

I don't mind it enough that I am willing to do it, but I much prefer the ease of using Express Pass.

One aspect I dislike is the 1 hour use window. If dinner runs long or something, it can be a pain trying to get to ride before the grace period expires. It isn't our fault if we were seated half an hour late, but we pay the price. It isn't always possible to modify a pass if they are all gone.

 

[Jrb1979]

One thing I disliked was not being able to book/stack in advance. That being said, we arrived one day in the afternoon and still got a lot of rides (through refreshing). DL doesn't have nearly as many rides eligible for Genie though so I have to imagine they just have fewer people using the system?

I remember reading lots of FP+ complaints here. Pretty much everyone I know thought it was just fine.

My family hated FP+. Mainly due to having to schedule out my day. We have enough of a schedule at home and its the last thing I want to do on vacation. It's a big reason we enjoy Universal more. Very little planning involved

I have never understood why so many of you like the spreadsheet planning.

 

[Pretzels-in-Germany]

what I don't get for today no one pre-booked...why does it seem like less availability today vs genie+. Is it really because of the no meet and greets? Or 2 hour wait to book a new one?

Don't forget every vlogger is out there today and the novelty of a new system for regular park guests probably has the usage rate way higher today than Genie has been in months.

 

[JD80]

Don't forget every vlogger is out there today and the novelty of a new system for regular park guests probably has the usage rate way higher today than Genie has been in months.

Interesting point, but I don't think they are a large enough population to have an impact on 20-30k guests. I may be wrong.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

My family hated FP+. Mainly due to having to schedule out my day. We have enough of a schedule at home and its the last thing I want to do on vacation. It's a big reason we enjoy Universal more. Very little planning involved

I have never understood why so many of you like the spreadsheet planning.

I’d 100% take a ride when you want over a scheduled times system at Disney, but since that’s not likely to come to Disney for a price less than a VIP guide I personally prefer the pre-booked schedule of times of your own choosing over the next available time assigned like Genie did. With Genie, if you could predictably modify your time out to something useful for you without keeping a sharp eye on it, it probably didn’t really need a LL anyways.

To me the spreadsheet style touring is the lesser of two evils.

 

[DCLcruiser]

I don't mind it enough that I will do it, but I much prefer the ease of using Express Pass.

One aspect I dislike is the 1 hour use window. If dinner runs long or something, it can be a pain trying to get to ride before the grace period expires. It isn't our fault if we were seated half an hour late, but we pay the price. It isn't always possible to modify a pass if they are all gone.

Agreed, but this has been a problem since 1999, and at least now you don't have to run around to get another FP.

 

[DCLcruiser]

My family hated FP+. Mainly due to having to schedule out my day. We have enough of a schedule at home and its the last thing I want to do on vacation. It's a big reason we enjoy Universal more. Very little planning involved

I have never understood why so many of you like the spreadsheet planning.

You would hate my European vacation spreadsheets, down to 15 minute intervals. But...we see everything, in an efficient order, taking into consideration open/close times, proximity, importance (to us), etc. This makes the trip more relaxing as I spent months planning it, instead of running around a foreign city trying to figure things out.

 

[JIMMYEDDIE]

Did FP+ have low satisfaction results? This is honestly the first I'm hearing of this. I know there were some complains about the 60 day booking window.

I think most of those changes were quite minor and had to do with park hopping rules, prices, pricing structure, pre buying, ect. The core functionality of G+ didn't really change from day one

Yes, GSAT was low with FP+ (worse now b $ and less inventory)

Pricing, modifying, park hopping and plenty more

 

[nickys]

Yes, GSAT was low with FP+ (worse now b $ and less inventory)

Pricing, modifying, park hopping and plenty more

There can’t have been complaints about FP+ pricing.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

My family hated FP+. Mainly due to having to schedule out my day. We have enough of a schedule at home and its the last thing I want to do on vacation. It's a big reason we enjoy Universal more. Very little planning involved

I have never understood why so many of you like the spreadsheet planning.

Definitely something "off" for me but I love spreadsheet planning. And not just for Disney - any event, trip, whatever - get to break out a new spreadsheet makes me happy

 

[DCLcruiser]

There can’t have been complaints about FP+ pricing.

No, it would have just been the ticket prices in general. No one is ever happy.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I’m not the first to say this - get rid of all express lines. Imagine that - one line into the attraction which continually moves. Yeah, they will be a significant loss of revenue but guests may be happier and happier guests may spend more. Eh… but what do I know.

I wouldn't mind that but there is a portion of the guest population that absolutely wants a "skip the line" ability and won't wait on lines

Anecdotally but I have friends who back with FP+ would just have those (which they would book what they could get the night before) and use those and not ride anything else unless it was a virtual walk on. They just wouldn't wait in any line and we're totally fine not getting on things

Obviously revenue is a reason but basically every theme park has some form is skip the line as at least a portion of the guests want it and are willing to pay for it

 

[mysto]

So a ticket for MK is now $169 (depending on the day) but if you want the same access you had in 2019 with FP+ you also need LLMP ($29), an ILL for Seven Dwarfs ($11), and an ILL for Tron ($20).

$229 just to get the same experience you got for $129 in 2019, they've nearly doubled the price in less than 5 years, this management team is absolute garbage.

I'm curious how this math looks to a local with an AP? I've been thinking about it and it's pretty hard to even frame the question as that group has so many different motivations and use patterns.

I think for some, once the pass is paid for, using it in 2019 was free. Now $60 per day in your example. That's an infinite percentage increase.

 

[Purduevian]

Yes, GSAT was low with FP+ (worse now b $ and less inventory)

Pricing, modifying, park hopping and plenty more

I had no idea GSAT was low. If we are ignoring price, to me personally it seems like FP+>G+>LLMP>Legacy FP>Standby only. Although we will see how LLMP works once I actually use it.

Found the 9 changes to G+ article.
1. When you can buy
2. Park hopping rules
3. A notification of the 120 min rule (no actual change to the rule just a graphic)
4. Changes in prices
5. Modification enabled
6. Free photopass on rides addition
7. Park specific pricing
8. Sell out rules
9. I guess they are counting rides being added/eliminated?

With the exception of park hopping rules and being able to modify. Nothing actually changed with G+ once you bought it.

Disney Genie+ Has Changed 9 Times — But We're Still Waiting on ONE Big Update | the disney food blog

Genie+ has changed a LOT but there's one change we're still waiting on!

www.disneyfoodblog.com

 

[networkpro]

I think that they actually know what they are doing and people are complaining now that they cant obligate Disney to dedicate more of the planned hourly capacity to Lightning Lane Multi-pass which would recreate the DAS overuse issue all over again for participating attractions.

 

[JD80]

Definitely something "off" for me but I love spreadsheet planning. And not just for Disney - any event, trip, whatever - get to break out a new spreadsheet makes me happy

You should make a blog or podcast about it or something.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Yes, GSAT was low with FP+ (worse now b $ and less inventory)

Pricing, modifying, park hopping and plenty more

If Guest Satisfaction scores for FP+ were low, just imagine how low they were for G+ to make WDW go back to something so similar to FP+.

 

[JIMMYEDDIE]

If Guest Satisfaction scores for FP+ were low, just imagine how low they were for G+ to make WDW go back to something so similar to FP+.

The only better part of this is eliminating the 7am wake up. Everything else is worse than genie+. That was the biggest complaint

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

My family hated FP+. Mainly due to having to schedule out my day. We have enough of a schedule at home and its the last thing I want to do on vacation. It's a big reason we enjoy Universal more. Very little planning involved

I have never understood why so many of you like the spreadsheet planning.

I never found it to be overwhelming or restrictive.

Since dining is generally booked in advance as well, I always knew which park I'd be in each day. Booking Fastpasses for the day wasn't an issue.

It's not like I was forced into a rigid schedule for the most part. You can always move or skip a booking if need be. Having to be at a certain attraction between 1 and 2, or whatever, didn't feel like being tied to some sort of tight schedule.

The only exception was I could only get a late return time for Slinky Dog due to timing, and I felt tied to the Studios park well past the time I was done.

 

[Vacationeer]

I don't mind it enough that I am willing to do it, but I much prefer the ease of using Express Pass.

One aspect I dislike is the 1 hour use window. If dinner runs long or something, it can be a pain trying to get to ride before the grace period expires. It isn't our fault if we were seated half an hour late, but we pay the price. It isn't always possible to modify a pass if they are all gone.

I remember having issues with FP+ and dining. There wasn’t really a set protocol.

After G+ came out, CMs began advising to make ADR priority and bring receipt to get an allowance on LL window.

It’s also advisable to screenshot the LL window, just in case it evaporates lol. Take that and the ADR receipt to the LL CM and they‘ll give grace to expired time slot (as long as it is reasonable, not hours later).