Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[arich35]

If the foreign transaction fee really is your biggest problem, and the reason for not visiting WDW again, then look into a Caxton Fx Card.

You can get one that you load in US$ and use it just like a debit card.when you’re in the US. You load it online using your U.K. debit card and at that point you pay the transaction fee. But all those small transactions are done in US$ so no fees.

DH and I use those for day to day spending, and have a credit card on file at the resort for room charging.

Does a Disney Gift Card not work?

 

[dreday3]

The price of ticket to arrive “late in the afternoon “ for most people offers no value. Even for us as APs spending 1/3 of the day in the park just to avoid needing to spend $15 per person. Just so frustrating that Disney has done these Extra daily fees

Well, the entire 9 days we were there, I'm sure you could have gone the entire day without needing it. A lot of people were in the regular lines. You just have to be okay with standing in 30 or so minute waits.

 

[nickys]

Does a Disney Gift Card not work?

Not so much offsite.

Haven’t been to WDW since mobile ordering came in, I believe you can use a gift card for that. Not sure about Genie+ and ILL$ though.

The problem with gift cards are:

a) knowing how much to load onto it If it runs out tough luck buying Genie at midnight or even 7am.
b) having to actually go buy one using a credit card in the first place. So if I’m going to go and buy one using a card, I might as well just use the card instead.
c) it’s safer if I lose the Caxton card than if I lose a gift card. Once reported lost, no one could use the Caxton card b/c it’d be cancelled. Never having used a gift card I don’t know how you put a stop on it.

 

[James J]

I get the annoyance, for sure.

But we found the Caxton card so useful, it’s just like having a debit card with you. Especially when you’re out of the bubble and buying lunch and stuff. And if you store the number you could use it for mobile ordering too. I think it’s a MasterCard but not 100% sure about that.

It is indeed a Mastercard, and we also found it so useful. Not just for at WDW but also when I'm in South Carolina visiting family. Being able to top up whenever required makes life so much easier, and like you said it's just like having a debit card.

 

[Jeff4272]

I just checked the prices at Hard Rock. The lowest they have for the middle of the week (usually cheapest rates) is $419/night. I paid $70/night at a Comfort Inn less than 2.5 miles away. That's a difference of $349. Even adding in the $170 cost that I paid for an Express Pass, that would still be $179 higher per night to stay at the Hard Rock.

Plus, I'm pretty sure the included Express Passes are only good for the number of days a family is staying there. I was a family of one on my most recent trip.

Yes but if you had 5 it would be $170 x 5 = $850 and then $850 x 2 = $1,700 value because Express pass is good for check in and check out day.

so you pay $419 for over $1,700 of value

 

[sedati]

Ah yes, I miss the glory days of the seventies and eighties when the resorts were massively expensive when compared to local options and there were no perks whatsoever beyond proximity and transportation. (Best Western here we come)
We went in July and August and the lines for nearly all attractions were incredibly long, and they were incredibly long for everyone (and mostly horrid switchbacks in the blazing hot sun.)
At least for me fastpass was a wash. Yes we got on some E-tickets quick, but then waited hello-long for some D's. On top of that we just seemed to be walking far more- so much more.
If Genie+ is harder to scam then I'm all for it because my impression is that it has been rampant. From what I overheard in lines and what I've heard from others on their own trips, that's the real problem. The people I know who are complaining the most are the cheaters. I just wish they'd double the LL prices and cut the capacity by half. Or triple.

 

[Jeff4272]

Ah yes, I miss the glory days of the seventies and eighties when the resorts were massively expensive when compared to local options and there were no perks whatsoever beyond proximity and transportation. (Best Western here we come)
We went in July and August and the lines for nearly all attractions were incredibly long, and they were incredibly long for everyone (and mostly horrid switchbacks in the blazing hot sun.)
At least for me fastpass was a wash. Yes we got on some E-tickets quick, but then waited hello-long for some D's. On top of that we just seemed to be walking far more- so much more.
If Genie+ is harder to scam then I'm all for it because my impression is that it has been rampant. From what I overheard in lines and what I've heard from others on their own trips, that's the real problem. The people I know who are complaining the most are the cheaters. I just wish they'd double the LL prices and cut the capacity by half. Or triple.

Only problem is, they can and likely will double or triple the IA$ prices but they won’t cut the capacity.

 

[sedati]

Only problem is, they can and likely will double or triple the IA$ prices but they won’t cut the capacity.

But to some extent that makes sense. The longer the line you're skipping, the higher the value. Also (possibly) the higher the price, the fewer users.

 

[RoadiJeff]

You get Express Pass for the day of check-in and check-out, so a one night stay includes two days of Unlimited Express.

And who is going to get much benefit of an Express Pass on check-in day, which is normally 3-4pm that day? I certainly would not waste my time or the cost of a ticket to be there for only a few hours.

 

[lazyboy97o]

And who is going to get much benefit of an Express Pass on check-in day, which is normally 3-4pm that day? I certainly would not waste my time or the cost of a ticket to be there for only a few hours.

It is good the entire day, not just after check-in. You can show up first thing in the morning on your check-in day and get the Express Pass. They also work after you’ve checked out on your check-out day.

 

[Casper Gutman]

And who is going to get much benefit of an Express Pass on check-in day, which is normally 3-4pm that day? I certainly would not waste my time or the cost of a ticket to be there for only a few hours.

You can probably check in early, get the pass, and go into the park.

 

[RoadiJeff]

Yes but if you had 5 it would be $170 x 5 = $850 and then $850 x 2 = $1,700 value because Express pass is good for check in and check out day.

so you pay $419 for over $1,700 of value

I was at Universal for 2 days, with a 3 day gap in between. The $170 Express Pass cost was for a Sunday, the Thursday pass was $150. There was just one of me so I don't know where the "x 2" part comes from.

 

[RoadiJeff]

It is good the entire day, not just after check-in. You can show up first thing in the morning on your check-in day and get the Express Pass. They also work after you’ve checked out on your check-out day.

It sounds like a nice plan except my plane didn't even land in Orlando until 3:00pm that day. By the time I got my rental car and made it to the hotel it was after 5:00pm.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It sounds like a nice plan except my plane didn't even land in Orlando until 3:00pm that day. By the time I got my rental car and made it to the hotel it was after 5:00pm.

Doesn’t change what is offered.

 

[RoadiJeff]

Doesn’t change what is offered.

Maybe not but it doesn't benefit me one bit.

 

[LittleBuford]

The comparison between Universal and WDW is largely beside the point. Yes, Universal's pass sounds like a fabulous deal, and certainly better value for the consumer than Disney's new system. But it's only attractive as a meaningful alternative if you actually want to experience Universal. Not all of us do.

 

[drizgirl]

And who is going to get much benefit of an Express Pass on check-in day, which is normally 3-4pm that day? I certainly would not waste my time or the cost of a ticket to be there for only a few hours.

You can check in as early as 6 AM. We checked in at 6:30 and made early entry rope drop.

 

[drizgirl]

The comparison between Universal and WDW is largely beside the point. Yes, Universal's pass sounds like a fabulous deal, and certainly better value for the consumer than Disney's new system. But it's only attractive as a meaningful alternative if you actually want to experience Universal. Not all of us do.

A wise friend of mine described it this way. She loves Disney more. But lately she has more fun at Universal.

 

[LittleBuford]

A wise friend of mine described it this way. She loves Disney more. But lately she has more fun at Universal.

I'm genuinely pleased for her. I don't enjoy Universal, so all my eggs (and dollars!) are in Disney's basket.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

It seems to me that it's unrealistic to expect Disney to keep adding capacity until everyone who wants to go to WDW can comfortably fit in there. They'll settle on the capacity they want and the overflow will go to competitors like Universal. Complaining about specific experiences at WDW is one thing, but "add capacity" is a bottomless pit.

I don’t think they’re even “at capacity”.

They still have an annual pass program. Something that is used to fill in the “empty space”.

The day they have to turn away full price ticket holders is the day they need to add capacity.

We might feel Disney parks are too crowded and need more capacity, but I feel the company disagrees.