Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
If you take both rides in a vacuum, Frozen Ever After is without question the better attraction. However, thematic fit has to factor in at some point. Frozen Ever After isn't such a good attraction that it makes up for the fact that it's 100% in the wrong location.

I disagree. I think Maelstrom is better in a vacuum, despite not being especially good. The troll scene alone pushes it past Frozen Ever After because it makes the backwards section actually work. It's nonsensical in FEA.

FEA has better technology for the AAs, but as an actual ride, it's one of the most poorly designed at WDW.
 

Casper Gutman

Well-Known Member
I disagree. I think Maelstrom is better in a vacuum, despite not being especially good. The troll scene alone pushes it past Frozen Ever After because it makes the backwards section actually work. It's nonsensical in FEA.

FEA has better technology for the AAs, but as an actual ride, it's one of the most poorly designed at WDW.
Maelstrom also has actual scenes, and the Troll scene in particular was great, more atmospheric and complete then anything in the AA-sprinkled void of Frozen. It also had the opening in the rock wall, a nice visual feature. It was short but enjoyable while it lasted.

If you combined the AAs from Frozen and the atmosphere from River Journey you'd have the makings of the first third of a great ride.
 

ImperfectPixie

Well-Known Member
Maelstrom also has actual scenes, and the Troll scene in particular was great, more atmospheric and complete then anything in the AA-sprinkled void of Frozen. It also had the opening in the rock wall, a nice visual feature. It was short but enjoyable while it lasted.

If you combined the AAs from Frozen and the atmosphere from River Journey you'd have the makings of the first third of a great ride.
"Void" is a pretty apt description...one of the wonderful things about the slower Disney attractions is all the little details. Frozen is missing that. It's been a while since I rode it, but I remember being disappointed that the only scene with Arendelle (however you spell it) was a small area that the boat passes under.
 

James Alucobond

Well-Known Member
... but I remember being disappointed that the only scene with Arendelle (however you spell it) was a small area that the boat passes under.
The thing you pass under is Elsa's ice palace, which you subsequently enter. Arendelle shows up in the "distance" during the snowflake fireworks at the end and as the wisteria-covered facade behind Anna and Elsa singing together just after that. It's also the queue. Basically, you leave Arendelle for the ice palace and then return.
 

ImperfectPixie

Well-Known Member
The thing you pass under is Elsa's ice palace, which you subsequently enter. Arendelle shows up in the "distance" during the snowflake fireworks at the end and as the wisteria-covered facade behind Anna and Elsa singing together just after that. It's also the queue. Basically, you leave Arendelle for the ice palace and then return.
The small scene I'm talking about is at the very end of the ride.

Yes, I get that all that about leaving Arendelle and then returning...but it was very underwhelming and I had been hoping for something with the same kind of wow factor passing over London in Peter Pan's Flight evokes. I'll have to pay closer attention to the queue next time we ride...it was PACKED when we rode it, so really getting to take everything in just wasn't possible.
 

Castle Cake Apologist

Well-Known Member
The small scene I'm talking about is at the very end of the ride.

Yes, I get that all that about leaving Arendelle and then returning...but it was very underwhelming and I had been hoping for something with the same kind of wow factor passing over London in Peter Pan's Flight evokes. I'll have to pay closer attention to the queue next time we ride...it was PACKED when we rode it, so really getting to take everything in just wasn't possible.

The queue is honestly better than the ride.
 

Andrew M

Well-Known Member
To anyone who's been recently, are the lines still about 40-50% shorter than the posted wait time? Or are they fairly accurate now?

I'm hoping Genie+ is available for my trip in 2 weeks, but trying to plan like it won't be.
 

Trauma

Well-Known Member
To anyone who's been recently, are the lines still about 40-50% shorter than the posted wait time? Or are they fairly accurate now?

I'm hoping Genie+ is available for my trip in 2 weeks, but trying to plan like it won't be.
When I look at touring plans it’s all over the place. Some times are fairly accurate but others are of by 20+ minutes.

If I was going to make a Genie+ decision on what to book once the park is open, I would check Touring plans first.
 

Andrew M

Well-Known Member
When I look at touring plans it’s all over the place. Some times are fairly accurate but others are of by 20+ minutes.

If I was going to make a Genie+ decision on what to book once the park is open, I would check Touring plans first.

Thanks. How does Touring Plans figure it out? Do they have their own algorithms or just actually have people in the park?
 

mikejs78

Premium Member
Thanks. How does Touring Plans figure it out? Do they have their own algorithms or just actually have people in the park?

Both. Plus they take input from subscibers as to actual wait versus posted wait in real time to inform the algorithms
Obviously their predictions aren't exact but I've found them in the past to be very good. I haven't been post-Covid, but in two trips (2018 and 2019) I only had one instance where their prediction was wildly off.
 

pdude81

Well-Known Member
Obviously their predictions aren't exact but I've found them in the past to be very good. I haven't been post-Covid, but in two trips (2018 and 2019) I only had one instance where their prediction was wildly off.
I'd say the TP predictions are harder to trust post covid, but they are usually more accurate than the posted wait times. Sometimes there is a surge of people and some with DAS to a particular area/attraction and things get out of whack. As more things open I think it'll become more accurate, but the crowds day to day are even impossible to know. Who would have thought on 10/1 you could get on 8 or 9 rides without issue?
 

Sorcerer Mickey

Well-Known Member
To anyone who's been recently, are the lines still about 40-50% shorter than the posted wait time? Or are they fairly accurate now?

I'm hoping Genie+ is available for my trip in 2 weeks, but trying to plan like it won't be.

I was there two weeks ago and wait times were inflated by roughly 30%. I'll be there again this weekend and will report back.
 

Fido Chuckwagon

Well-Known Member
Obviously their predictions aren't exact but I've found them in the past to be very good. I haven't been post-Covid, but in two trips (2018 and 2019) I only had one instance where their prediction was wildly off.
I was there July 9 - 19th and the lines app was +- 5 minutes on every single ride we rode with the exception of one that had some kind of mechanical breakdown. Way better then the disney app.
 

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