Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[UNCgolf]

But ILL vs G+ is not an either/or proposition. If you would purchase G+ on empty days, it might make sense to purchase G+ and ILL on crowded days. Conversely, if you wouldn’t purchase anything on empty days, it might make sense to purchase only ILLs on crowded days. Unless you have some sort of hard budget that can only accommodate either G+ or ILL, attendance shouldn’t really impact the former IMO.

I agree, but I was really thinking about families -- the numbers add up quickly there. If you're talking about spending $75 a day for you, your partner, and your three kids for Genie+, it might be a hard sell if you're only going to be able to use it for a couple of secondary rides. When you factor in purchasing two ILLs for everyone which would could add another $125+ to the day, it's a lot easier to forego that $75 as not worth it.

 

[Jrb1979]

20 LL to 1 Standby? Did you miss the huge debate around whether or not the alleged FP+ ratio of 80:20 (aka 4:1) was real?

Right now apparently it's 9 to 1

 

[bubbles1812]

This makes it sound like Genie+ is going to be a complete waste of money on busy days. You'd be better off just spending that $15 on a ILL and getting a guaranteed ride on a headliner instead of paying for Genie+ and maybe only getting one or two rides out of it.

I’m not entirely sure what the crowds were like on Wednesday but we were at MK all day. We used Genie+ eight times: Buzz, Pooh, Peter Pan, Mansion, Big Thunder, Splash, Jingle Cruise, Pirates (not in that order). Had purchased LL for Mine Train and Space.

If you know what you’re doing/how crowds tend to move/how attractions tend to fill/what things typically have shorter waits than what it says… you can still have a good day.

We did 21 attractions in total with the assist of early park open for resort guests. (Full disclosure, I do count Tiki Room and Country Bears in there, we slipped them in as we had time)

 

[Patcheslee]

I’m not entirely sure what the crowds were like on Wednesday but we were at MK all day. We used Genie+ eight times: Buzz, Pooh, Peter Pan, Mansion, Big Thunder, Splash, Jingle Cruise, Pirates (not in that order). Had purchased LL for Mine Train and Space.

If you know what you’re doing/how crowds tend to move/how attractions tend to fill/what things typically have shorter waits than what it says… you can still have a good day.

We did 21 attractions in total with the assist of early park open for resort guests. (Full disclosure, I do count Tiki Room and Country Bears in there, we slipped them in as we had time)

MK was a 3

 

[jpchambana]

Right now apparently it's 9 to 1

Source? If it was 9:1, we would already be seeing substantially higher standby waits. We aren't.

 

[Touchdown]

Source? If it was 9:1, we would already be seeing substantially higher standby waits. We aren't.

Last week I saw JC doing that (due to handicap loading causing the LL line to overflow) and temporarily at Rise and Mickey after coming back from being 101 until the LL emptied but the only place I saw that consistently without a reason (recent breakdown, handicap loading) was Frozen. That was not the case anywhere else.

 

[jpchambana]

Last week I saw JC doing that (due to handicap loading causing the LL line to overflow) and temporarily at Rise and Mickey after coming back from being 101 until the LL emptied but the only place I saw that consistently without a reason (recent breakdown, handicap loading) was Frozen. That was not the case anywhere else.

JC's wait times have been a little strange. Often the highest / second highest in the park. I wonder if theyre running less boats due to staffing cos it never used to be that popular. I can also believe it with Frozen - that ride has horrible loading/capacity.

 

[bubbles1812]

JC's wait times have been a little strange. Often the highest / second highest in the park. I wonder if theyre running less boats due to staffing cos it never used to be that popular. I can also believe it with Frozen - that ride has horrible loading/capacity.

I have always found JC’s wait times to be a total mystery. I mean I enjoy the ride, don’t get me wrong, but the 70-80 minute wait times… that ride is not worth that wait to me. The jokes aren’t that good

 

[Rich Brownn]

I have always found JC’s wait times to be a total mystery. I mean I enjoy the ride, don’t get me wrong, but the 70-80 minute wait times… that ride is not worth that wait to me. The jokes aren’t that good

Thats cause you didn't have me as a skipper Seriously, loading can vary greatly depending on how fast people enter and exit the boats. All you need is 3 slow people to back up two boats, amazing as it may sound. Load/Unload is awkward for older folks. (You can always check to see if boats have backed up - if so they are running full with slow loads)

 

[RoadiJeff]

I get the point you are trying to make, but staying at a comfort inn isn’t any where in the same level as staying on property at either resorts moderates or higher.

Staying at a comfort inn Vs the values is a much better comparison. And the comfort inn is better with so few perks.

I agree that the two are not on the same level. However, I was replying to someone who suggested that if I had stayed at the Hard Rock I could have gotten a free Express Pass instead of paying for it like I did when I stayed at a Comfort Inn. I'll take the $70/night Comfort Inn and paying for an Express Pass any day vs Hard Rock's prices.

 

[RoadiJeff]

JC's wait times have been a little strange. Often the highest / second highest in the park. I wonder if theyre running less boats due to staffing cos it never used to be that popular. I can also believe it with Frozen - that ride has horrible loading/capacity.

Possibly more interest in JC right now due to the movie.

 

[Patcheslee]

So far we've only seen Mon-Thurs & Fri-Sun prices. If they keep it with that split, and people plan to purchase ILLs they can plan whichever parks have the ILL they want for a weekday. I wouldn't pay $14 for FoP on a weekend, but maybe the $11 on a weekday.

 

[TimeTrip]

Last week I saw JC doing that (due to handicap loading causing the LL line to overflow) and temporarily at Rise and Mickey after coming back from being 101 until the LL emptied but the only place I saw that consistently without a reason (recent breakdown, handicap loading) was Frozen. That was not the case anywhere else.

There's a difference between selling at 9:1 versus accepting 9:1 at the ride itself due to unexpected closures. Doesn't explain frozen though.

I can't imagine they would push past the alleged 80:20 for availability in a day though. Well I hope they wouldn't. Raise the price on crowded days instead ;-).

 

[Jrb1979]

There's a difference between selling at 9:1 versus accepting 9:1 at the ride itself due to unexpected closures. Doesn't explain frozen though.

I can't imagine they would push past the alleged 80:20 for availability in a day though. Well I hope they wouldn't. Raise the price on crowded days instead ;-).

I personally hope they do. As someone who plans to use Genie+ when I go I am hoping they up availability. I don't understand the fascination with making standby tolerable. When FP+ was around standby lines crawled so why the change now?

 

[Touchdown]

I personally hope they do. As someone who plans to use Genie+ when I go I am hoping they up availability. I don't understand the fascination with making standby tolerable. When FP+ was around standby lines crawled so why the change now?

Because Fastpass was free, the optics of charging an increased cost and making it miserable for the poor is a horrible look.

Also, if you make everyone buy Genie+ then the LL just become standby lines, G+ does not increase ride capacity.

Disney is trying to find the sweet spot where they make maximum profit without affecting consumer happiness (with or without G+) to a degree they choose not to come back.

 

[jpchambana]

I personally hope they do. As someone who plans to use Genie+ when I go I am hoping they up availability. I don't understand the fascination with making standby tolerable. When FP+ was around standby lines crawled so why the change now?

This just comes across to me as really.... mean? I've had express pass before at Universal and never once wished that standby was unbearable. Others have mentioned that Disney has to toe a fine line here; if standby becomes unbearable, word on the street will be that it's not worth going unless you pay extra on top of the already expensive tickets. That's a bad look.

 

[Horizons '83]

Question for those that have added Genie + to an existing reservation. I decided to give it a go and try it. When I went to add it to my January trip, it gave me the option, I checked the box and checked out, however it didn't charge me anything. Will they charge me the day of the first use, or did I just get lucky? (which I am seriously doubting).

 

[DorysDitty]

I wish people would start talking about Genie+ and especially ILL in context of real world family size. If it was just me, solo on a trip, sure…I MIGHT pay $10-$15 not to stand in a long line alone for a ride or two. BUT - multiply that by a family of four and it’s just crazy to me! $40-$60 for a three minute ride that we’ve ridden multiple times in our three years as AP? No thanks. I can’t see us ever purchasing Genie+, so Disney’s out that money for me AND they’ve lost a family that went down 4-6 times a year. I think it will eventually hurt them. Disney needs smiling pictures of my Disneybounding family on FB to encourage others to go on those once in a lifetime trips. When the “Disney people” stop
going and stop spouting advice and tips, it discourages others. That’s just my $0.02.

 

[Chi84]

I wish people would start talking about Genie+ and especially ILL in context of real world family size. If it was just me, solo on a trip, sure…I MIGHT pay $10-$15 not to stand in a long line alone for a ride or two. BUT - multiply that by a family of four and it’s just crazy to me! $40-$60 for a three minute ride that we’ve ridden multiple times in our three years as AP? No thanks. I can’t see us ever purchasing Genie+, so Disney’s out that money for me AND they’ve lost a family that went down 4-6 times a year. I think it will eventually hurt them. Disney needs smiling pictures of my Disneybounding family on FB to encourage others to go on those once in a lifetime trips. When the “Disney people” stop
going and stop spouting advice and tips, it discourages others. That’s just my $0.02.

Sad to hear you won't be going back. Much of the reason for these boards (if not the entire reason) is for people to give advice and tips about Disney.

We preferred FP+, but since that's gone we tried Genie+ and found some value in it, so we'll probably get it for our family trip this April. Until enough people agree with you, it's not going to have much impact on Disney as a company. And if and when it does, they just may decide to call it a day and get out of the parks business altogether. My advice is for people to do what's right for them without worrying about trying to "fix" Disney for the future. It's not likely to happen.

 

[dreday3]

I wish people would start talking about Genie+ and especially ILL in context of real world family size. If it was just me, solo on a trip, sure…I MIGHT pay $10-$15 not to stand in a long line alone for a ride or two. BUT - multiply that by a family of four and it’s just crazy to me! $40-$60 for a three minute ride that we’ve ridden multiple times in our three years as AP? No thanks. I can’t see us ever purchasing Genie+, so Disney’s out that money for me AND they’ve lost a family that went down 4-6 times a year. I think it will eventually hurt them. Disney needs smiling pictures of my Disneybounding family on FB to encourage others to go on those once in a lifetime trips. When the “Disney people” stop
going and stop spouting advice and tips, it discourages others. That’s just my $0.02.

We talked about our experience with Genie + an ILL for our "real-world family size" - the two of us.
Hopefully that helped others that travel like us.
We are Disney-people and Genie + will not deter us from going. First, because we found we liked it, second because we can choose to buy it as we go and not for every day and third we don't have to use it all if we don't want to.

Your smiling family (which I'm sure would be nice to see) would have no bearing on our decision making and vice-versa.