Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
100% endorse this.

So many weird things happened today that it just feels like it isn't sustainable. Let's see what happens over the next few days.

It's very interesting the differences between WDW and Disneyland.

While some of the most popular attractions have pretty late return times right now, the only sold out attraction between both parks is Guardian's Tower in DCA.

Genie+ on our visit worked so well, and we got so much done, and many many rerides over 4 days.

WDW's lightning lane system seems horrid in comparison.
 

Fido Chuckwagon

Well-Known Member
It strongly resembles FP+, with the notable exceptions of the LLSP attractions. Beyond the addition of more options to book - like the meet and greets, I personally would be surprised to see major changes to it. JMO.
Removing the character meet and greets is a real head scratcher. That’s a lot of capacity they just took out of the system, especially in MK.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
SSE being past 8 pm at 11:30 am seems really terrible. This is. A low crowd day. Availability didn’t go this fast under fastpass day of, I don’t get it.
Regarding the 3 - you're assuming perfect usage for everyone. It easier to get more LLs per person now which is why you're seeing them get booked. There may be a higher adoption rate because it's the first day. Who knows.
Every blogger, YouTuber, lifestyler, and power user on the planet was there today.
 
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CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
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.
Standby lines would move faster but there would be more people in them. You wouldn't increase the number of attractions the average guest gets to experience in a given day because you've done nothing to change capacity.

If anything, you've made the existing capacity less efficient because skip-the-line programs with limited availability encourage people to visit lesser-demanded attractions that might otherwise run partially empty.
 

ConfettiCupcake

Well-Known Member
Maybe that could make an impact at a party at one park, but across all 4 parks at WDW on what is otherwise a low crowd day at a time when WDW is seeing extremely low summer crowds?

I too am skeptical the Disney influencers are to blame for the same day availability today. Surely their presence plus the crowds during a fairly slow time of year shouldn’t be worse than the crowds in general at a busier time.

I wasn’t watching AK, but anything worthwhile (and some things not so worthwhile) seemed to sell out very quickly across the other 3 parks. To me that seems more of a system inventory issue, not a concentration of influencers. We shall see.
 

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
What’s the DAS factor in that timeline? Aren’t the recent changes to that program expected to change capacity?


This video shows exactly why this doesn't work.

They haven't added any new capacity since FP+ existed once you take out the top tier paid LLs

I don't see how availability gets much better from here.

How's that saying go. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is what?
 

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Original Poster
I too am skeptical the Disney influencers are to blame for the same day availability today. Surely their presence plus the crowds during a fairly slow time of year shouldn’t be worse than the crowds in general at a busier time.

I wasn’t watching AK, but anything worthwhile (and some things not so worthwhile) seemed to sell out very quickly across the other 3 parks. To me that seems more of a system inventory issue, not a concentration of influencers. We shall see.
I think people massively overestimate how many social media people are at the parks, there are nowhere near enough of them to impact LL availability.
 

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
I too am skeptical the Disney influencers are to blame for the same day availability today. Surely their presence plus the crowds during a fairly slow time of year shouldn’t be worse than the crowds in general at a busier time.

I wasn’t watching AK, but anything worthwhile (and some things not so worthwhile) seemed to sell out very quickly across the other 3 parks. To me that seems more of a system inventory issue, not a concentration of influencers. We shall see.
If that's the case, how can they change that. Adding more availability isn't going to solve anything. What will happen is many will get upset that they paid for short waits and ended up with longer waits like in the FP+ days.
 

ConfettiCupcake

Well-Known Member
I think people massively overestimate how many social media people are at the parks, there are nowhere near enough of them to impact LL availability.

This is what I was thinking as well.

If that's the case, how can they change that. Adding more availability isn't going to solve anything. What will happen is many will get upset that they paid for short waits and ended up with longer waits like in the FP+ days.

I don’t think they can change much. I’m just trying to hold onto a slight bit of optimism here lol. People are convinced this is just first day jitters, but I’m not sure how we could have significant first day jitters when their capacity is what it’s been forever, and they know exactly how many LL they’ve been giving out per hour before today.

I’d love for them to pull something magical out of somewhere and create an undeniably better system, but that really would take some magic.
 

bwr827

Well-Known Member
If that's the case, how can they change that. Adding more availability isn't going to solve anything. What will happen is many will get upset that they paid for short waits and ended up with longer waits like in the FP+ days.
They could remove the overlap so people can’t hold three LL for the same time slot.

They can add more stuff — characters, new parade, other entertainment.

And longer term, hopefully a bunch more attractions!
 

TheMaxRebo

Well-Known Member
I knew day of availability might be tough for booking good ones for you 4th, 5th, etc, but I am a bit surprised by how much things are being taken in the future already

Just looked for two days from now and 7DMT and FoP already gone along with Tiana's, Haunted Mansion, Slinky Dog, and Toy Story Mania
 

easyrowrdw

Well-Known Member
Exactly this. The ride capacity today is exactly the same as it was yesterday with Genie+. If that system had plenty of capacity then so will this. The only way there’s an issue is if more people buy it, but if everyone thinks it sucks and is unhappy with it then we shouldn’t see that happen.
It’s the same per ride but it is less overall, as they removed a number of attractions.
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
Correct - which is better than people buying, then not seeing it, and complaining to guests services

If this really hampers sales (total $) then they will either have to add capacity or increase the price
But the thing is, if there is limited availability- especially relatively early on the day - it is because plenty of people already have bought LLMP and booked rides. So Disney is probably totally cool with that even if some people balk at buying it day of.
 

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