Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Casper Gutman]

Perhaps, but only for certain segments of the population.

I went to Universal Orlando once, for 3 days, and I have absolutely no desire to ever go back.

As a handicapped person, who can ride 99.5% of the attractions at WDW, I felt as if Universal was telling me at every turn that I shouldn't have set foot in their parks - and I know many others in my situation who feel the same way.

I travel with someone confined to a wheelchair and have had the completely opposite experience. Uni staff and the parks in general were far more accommodating then WDW, where the crowds made navigation difficult, cast was harried, and procedures were often unclear. We stay at Uni now in large part because of how easily a person in a wheelchair can navigate it, thanks largely to the transportation system, compact but not stuffed layout, and great cast.

 

[homerdance]

They’re good rides. I wouldn’t go so far as saying excellent. For the amount they spent on each they should have higher capacities and better set pieces.

So if they would have spent 1/2 as much you would like the ride better?

Either way it has almost nothing to do with the new GP$+ ll.

 

[Kamikaze]

Well, they are letting Europeans in now.

Edit to add: we were in a pandemic when they originally announced the openings. Pretty sure it is a sign that future bookings aren’t hitting their desired demand.

Correct, but that has little to do with Genie+.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

My family is just not fooling with this mess... we will do standby only, as it is the only coherent current offering.
Lines down the street? Fine.

 

[Casper Gutman]

People here seem to be making a big mistake in assuming the Disney brand is static or that the parks are a passive recipient of the stamp of that brand. The parks were once a key element of the brand, with renowned service (“the Disney way”), state of the art technology, impeccable if sometimes excessive and even tacky theming and art design, constant immersion, a relentlessly optimistic corporate-futurist philosophy, etc. WDW has lost almost all of that, and that directly effects the brand. In fact, Uni is surpassing WDW in many of those categories.

If we ignore all of those waning elements that once gave the term “Disney” depth and resonance, what are we left with? A list of IPs? Mickey, bereft of meaning, slathered on the wall of the Creation Shop? Even if the brand is only filmic IPs, WDW falters, since the (excellent) Marvel ride is down the street and Star Wars Land is struggling to bring relevance to a sequel trilogy rapidly fading from popular memory, a land that stubbornly refuses to engage with the Star Wars people love.

The brand can’t just be paintings of Pooh or endless variations of Let It Go, but that’s what it has become. That weak glue won’t bind consumer loyalty to WDW forever.

 

[Casper Gutman]

So I take it you don’t disagree with me that they are excellent rides.

MMRR is absolutely excellent. It’s in the wrong place, but it’s wonderful. RotR is very good but feels underpopulated and is not worth anywhere near the trouble or time it takes to ride. It’s the third best ride in MGM.

And SWL is underbuilt and feels that way when you’re in it.

 

[mikejs78]

Well, they are letting Europeans in now.

Edit to add: we were in a pandemic when they originally announced the openings. Pretty sure it is a sign that future bookings aren’t hitting their desired demand.

They were announced. Then Delta hit. Then people started cancelling. Keep in mind that at the beginning of the summer everyone was optimistic that this was over.

 

[mikejs78]

I only said 2017 bc that’s when Disney opened Avatar. Since 2010, when Uni got in gear, they have opened at least 5.

Uni's also had its share of clunkers during that time period.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

So if they would have spent 1/2 as much you would like the ride better?

Either way it has almost nothing to do with the new GP$+ ll.

You don’t see how Disney’s inefficiency negatively impacts the guest experience?

Uni's also had its share of clunkers during that time period.

Granted. But they’re expanding very quickly and are building a huge park.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Genie will fail because there are simply too many variables that go into deciding what to ride for the average family. To put it into economic terms (because that is what this is, economics), there is too much consequential knowledge for any program to efficiently allocate scarce resources with alternative uses. Disney is run by a bunch of economically illiterate buffoons who think they can efficiently control everyone. They don’t realize that people don’t like being told what to do and that they don’t know what’s best for everyone else. Let guests make their own decisions.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Uni's also had its share of clunkers during that time period.

Yup. But those clunkers don’t feature 3 hour waits or force you to get up at 7 and aren’t the first new attraction in a park in a decade. And if one ride is a clunker, wait a year, Uni will build a better one. And won’t spend billions designing complex systems to force you to ride the clunker.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

Genie will fail because there are simply too many variables that go into deciding what to ride for the average family. To put it into economic terms (because that is what this is, economics), there is too much consequential knowledge for any program to efficiently allocate scarce resources with alternative uses. Disney is run by a bunch of economically illiterate buffoons who think they can efficiently control everyone. They don’t realize that people don’t like being told what to do and that they don’t know what’s best for everyone else. Let guests make their own decisions.

Financially, it will not fail. It's hard to fail when the old price was "included with your ticket."

 

[James Alucobond]

Yup. But those clunkers don’t feature 3 hour waits or force you to get up at 7 and aren’t the first new attraction in a park in a decade. And if one ride is a clunker, wait a year, Uni will build a better one. And won’t spend billions designing complex systems to force you to ride the clunker.

Uh, Rise is a clunker now?

 

[Casper Gutman]

Uh, Rise is a clunker now?

Didn’t say that, did I? Was thinking in more general terms - or Rat, if you wanted specifics.

 

[James Alucobond]

Didn’t say that, did I? Was thinking in more general terms - or Rat, if you wanted specifics.

I mean, I assumed you were talking about the only virtual queue system we’ve ever experienced since you mentioned the ride being the impetus for developing said queuing system. As for Ratatouille, also not sure how that qualifies as a clunker, but whatever floats your boat (or sinks it, as it were), I suppose.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I mean, I assumed you were talking about the only virtual queue system we’ve ever experienced since you mentioned the ride being the impetus for developing said queuing system. As for Ratatouille, also not sure how that qualifies as a clunker, but whatever floats your boat (or sinks it, as it were), I suppose.

Rat will open with a VQ.

 

[James Alucobond]

Yes, but you said they spent billions on the system for the attraction, so I assumed you meant the attraction for which it was first conceived. We have no idea if they originally even planned to use VQ for Ratatouille had things gone as initially envisioned.

 

[arich35]

Financially, it will not fail. It's hard to fail when the old price was "included with your ticket."

Considering all the man hours and IT that goes into it, I am sure it could fail.

 

[homerdance]

Correct, but that has little to do with Genie+.

I would say it has more to do with genie$+ than it does with covid. The parks will be miserable unless you pay up for the extras.

 

[homerdance]

They were announced. Then Delta hit. Then people started cancelling. Keep in mind that at the beginning of the summer everyone was optimistic that this was over.

Unless they sat on the opening date for three weeks the delta variant was raging in Florida before they announced the opening dates.