Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[peter11435]

That wasn't my experience with FP+. Maybe times didn't just cycle through as fast, I don't know. You were presented with multiple times, you could refresh, and then if you selected one of the times you always seem to be given that slot. It's like they were holding the times for you for a short amount of time. Playing with G+ A little bit and hearing others experience, it seems that a large percentage of the time if you click on attraction off of the tip board, you end up presented with a different time.

It happened regularly especially with high demand attractions and peak times. You notice it more with G+ because you’re not selecting from all available times. Everyone is competing for the same next available time.

 

[Cesar R M]

The problem with being GREEDY is, It's Never Enough.

Someone should photoshop Chapek there XD

 

[mikejs78]

It happened regularly especially with high demand attractions and peak times. You notice it more with G+ because you’re not selecting from available all times. Everyone is competing for the same next available time.

That may very well be the case, and I have no reason to doubt you. But it's a lot more noticable now, and the result is a more frustrating user experience. You are scrolling through looking for times, you think you find something good, you click on it and it's gone. And it happens a lot.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

You are scrolling through looking for times, you think you find something good, you click on it and it's gone. And it happens a lot.

Sounds like ADRs to me.

 

[vikescaper]

So, I played around with Genie+ on Sunday at Studios and Epcot. I thought that it had some value at Studios but was pretty much a waste at Epcot as wait times were short once I hopped over there (after 3 pm). I didn’t really follow the recommendations that it gave me other than checking wait times. Overall, I can probably see some benefit of this system when the parks are busy but this won’t be something I always buy.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Ok is there a way in “my genie day” or whatever to see the rest of my travel party for the day? All I can see is me now, the rest of my family is gone even though in “future plans” I can see everyone’s ticket each day.

 

[Purduevian]

10:30am on a Monday: ILL with standby waits

Ride	Price	Current Wait	Price per minute (lower is better value)
7D	$10	50	$0.20
Space	$7	20	$0.35
Frozen	$9	60	$0.15
Rat	$9	~45min if in VQ	$0.20
RotR	$15 (sold out)	105	$0.14
MMRR	$8	50	$0.16
Everest	$7	15	$0.47
FOP	$11	85	$0.13

 

[G00fyDad]

10:30am on a Monday: ILL with standby waits

Ride	Price	Current Wait	Price per minute (lower is better value)
7D	$10	50	$0.20
Space	$7	20	$0.35
Frozen	$9	60	$0.15
Rat	$9	~45min if in VQ	$0.20
RotR	$15 (sold out)	105	$0.14
MMRR	$8	50	$0.16
Everest	$7	15	$0.47
FOP	$11	85	$0.13

Ride	Price	Current Wait	Would I pay the ILL fee?
7D	$10	50	Yes
Space	$7	20	No
Frozen	$9	60	Yes
Rat	$9	~45min if in VQ	Yes
RotR	$15 (sold out)	105	YES
MMRR	$8	50	Yes
Everest	$7	15	No
FOP	$11	85	Yes

 

[matt9112]

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.

The comparison is to see what the norm is...the leader in this type of product...(paid skipping line) is not disney. If you never want to go to uni that is fine BUT the comparison is to show you what the gold standard of paid line skipping is. Disney is walking this wierd middle ground where it is far cheaper but has all these caveats. Ones easier to swallow when it was free. Express is alot of money but its also simple. Ride anything you want that has the que as many times as you want (unlimited) Disney's product isn't competing....thats the thing...the big elephant to me is that they are just monotizing something that used to be free and already exsists. There not charging me for some better product.

 

[Jeff4272]

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.

X 2 is if you get 1 night in a hotel, you get express pass included for 2 days, your arrival day AND your departure day

 

[LittleBuford]

The comparison is to see what the norm is...the leader in this type of product...(paid skipping line) is not disney. If you never want to go to uni that is fine BUT the comparison is to show you what the gold standard of paid line skipping is. Disney is walking this wierd middle ground where it is far cheaper but has all these caveats. Ones easier to swallow when it was free. Express is alot of money but its also simple. Ride anything you want that has the que as many times as you want (unlimited) Disney's product isn't competing....thats the thing...the big elephant to me is that they are just monotizing something that used to be free and already exsists. There not charging me for some better product.

I meant that the comparison only matters to a point and to certain people. If I'm after a particular product and willing to pay for, I don't gain much in practical terms by comparing it to the pricing of rival products that don't interest me. My comment was, in any case, directed more at the poster who was trying to demonstrate that Universal's system isn't a better value than Disney's. I actually think it is better value objectively speaking, but that doesn't make it better value once an individual's subjective tastes are factored in.

 

[cslafferty]

10:30am on a Monday: ILL with standby waits

Ride	Price	Current Wait	Price per minute (lower is better value)
7D	$10	50	$0.20
Space	$7	20	$0.35
Frozen	$9	60	$0.15
Rat	$9	~45min if in VQ	$0.20
RotR	$15 (sold out)	105	$0.14
MMRR	$8	50	$0.16
Everest	$7	15	$0.47
FOP	$11	85	$0.13

Are these posted wait times or ACTUAL wait times. Many bloggers have been testing the posted wait times and most are actually much shorter than posted.

 

[HauntedPirate]

So with reports of actual wait times being shorter than posted wait times, do we know if red cards are being used again? If they are, that’s good, and the discrepancy between actual and posted wait time just needs some tweaking. If not, well, then the somewhat-obvious conclusion that many will draw is wait times are being manipulated, intentionally or not, and consumers are thus being “encouraged” to purchase an ILL. I’m honestly trying to give some benefit of the doubt here, but that is becoming more and more difficult to do with each money-making effort that Di$ney unveils.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Honestly, I think being nice and having a positive attitude works wonders at Disney. It’s also good for one’s mental health.

I was going to reply way earlier in this thread to your post about guest recovery...but then resisted...

Suffice it to say my most recent experience with guest recovery was less than magical. In short, they shafted me.

WDW had a deposit from me that dated back to 2019; and bumped in 2020. CM's kept telling me to trust WDW's recovery team, but they never even called me.

I initially booked a Bounceback offer with free dining and club level at Gran Destino.

More or less, WDW's 'offer' was for me pay rack rate for a non club level room, no dining or anything else for over $200 more than I was originally going to pay. (= a loss of value of about $500/day) Oh, and not only that, but...I called WDW multiple times, waiting an hour on hold each time, and the CM's kept telling me to trust that the recover team would call me around the 30 day mark.

At the 30 day mark, there was almost no rooms available at any WDW hotel.

Now if I had just gone ahead and booked a room reservation on my own, two months out, I could have gotten a room for 20% off 2021 rates at most of the hotels (that were open), but I trusted WDW would actually call me- as they said they would do. (Though the 20% prices were nowhere near as good as the offer I had previously booked.)

When I got to the 30 day mark, I called them, because I would have lost my deposit. The deposit that WDW had for TWO years, and it was supposed to be for CL room, which they could not honor!

On top of that, well the CM's I spoke to that last week were just not even remotely friendly, nice, or apologetic. I did my time working in customer service, so I am very generally VERY polite and appreciative when I call. WDW's customer service with me was just atrocious. (I know I'm a stranger posting on the internet....)

For the first time ever in my life, I am struggling with the idea of returning to WDW.

 

[Purduevian]

Are these posted wait times or ACTUAL wait times. Many bloggers have been testing the posted wait times and most are actually much shorter than posted.

Post wait times. I'm sure Touring Plans could post more accurate $/min values, but I was just going based on MDE, which I guess most guests would use.

 

[jpinkc]

If Disney disagreed they wouldn’t have panicked and rushed to add TRON and Ratatouille.

God if those are rush jobs Disney is doomed

 

[lazyboy97o]

So with reports of actual wait times being shorter than posted wait times, do we know if red cards are being used again? If they are, that’s good, and the discrepancy between actual and posted wait time just needs some tweaking. If not, well, then the somewhat-obvious conclusion that many will draw is wait times are being manipulated, intentionally or not, and consumers are thus being “encouraged” to purchase an ILL. I’m honestly trying to give some benefit of the doubt here, but that is becoming more and more difficult to do with each money-making effort that Di$ney unveils.

The red cards were replaced by a variety of sensors and counters that are typically located overhead. The systems can see how many people are in a queue and how long it is taking for MagicBands to get through.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

The red cards were replaced by a variety of sensors and counters that are typically located overhead. The systems can see how many people are in a queue and how long it is taking for MagicBands to get through.

Then there's no reason for the inflated waits we've been seeing reported.

 

[jpinkc]

Are these posted wait times or ACTUAL wait times. Many bloggers have been testing the posted wait times and most are actually much shorter than posted.

Again you arent seeing a BUSY park day. Until we start seeing 8,9,10 crowd levels its a bit of a joke to test this. Yes it needs to be done and Thank God they didnt start it during the Holiday rushes, but until its going under those loads, which in Summer it will be for days, thats when we will see at least to me if its worth it or not. I am still scared to death this Genie+ nonsense is going to implode the first time we get to a High Crowd day, and I dont want to ruin my wife's birthday with it over Thanksgiving.

 

[Touchdown]

Then there's no reason for the inflated waits we've been seeing reported.

I can think of 4 really good reasons:
1. Push Genie+ sales
2. Have people avoid rides and go to a shop instead
3. Slow down DAS users so they don’t “steal too much” LL spots from Genie+
4. People who do get in line are thrilled when it’s shorter