Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[FeelsSoGoodToBeBad]

While I was at the parks today, I was thinking that it would be nice if they would introduce something called Sidewalk+. With Sidewalk+, you would get a guaranteed 3 ft space around you so people can’t bump into you. I don’t know how they would enforce it but the idea sounded good in my head.

Sounds SO GOOD in theory. In reality, they would run out of space in the first 3.5 seconds but continue to sell it all freaking day.

 

[Lirael]

While I was at the parks today, I was thinking that it would be nice if they would introduce something called Sidewalk+. With Sidewalk+, you would get a guaranteed 3 ft space around you so people can’t bump into you. I don’t know how they would enforce it but the idea sounded good in my head.

Similar to G+, you buy it and they'll decide where or when you are allowed to get that 3ft of space. Furthermore, if the park is too crowded and there's no 3ft of space left anywhere except behind the trashcan, that's what you're getting and there's no refund.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Another solid move by Disney management today.

Guests can no longer purchase genie+ In advance if you are buying a single day ticket. Just another money making move at the expense of customers.

Place is a joke. They could care less about the people. They only care about the bottom line. But suckers continue to pay more to get less. Good luck!

It’s horrible. People keep being happy with the product that I don’t like and they keep buying and enjoying it and I don’t like it!

 

[TikibirdLand]

It’s horrible. People keep being happy with the product that I don’t like and they keep buying and enjoying it and I don’t like it!

Keep commenting like that and they'll charge extra for all the extra pixie dust you've been inhaling!

 

[Jeff4272]

It’s horrible. People keep being happy with the product that I don’t like and they keep buying and enjoying it and I don’t like it!

YOU are the sucker Chapek referred to on the earnings conf call

What's your breaking point?

What if park admission was $300 pp and Genie+ was $100 and ILL's were $50 ea......would you still go?

 

[Jeff4272]

It’s horrible. People keep being happy with the product that I don’t like and they keep buying and enjoying it and I don’t like it!

CNBC interviewer asked about online backlash among fans to pricing for vacation packages, and what was the primary cause of the increases. She offered Chapek a range of palatable options, from labor shortages to inflation.

Chapek didn’t take the cop-outs, instead bluntly stating that demand was the driver. He said that Disney’s theme parks are seeing unprecedented demand, and they have pricing power as a result.

We keep cutting offerings and charging more but the suckers keep coming

“domestic parks and resorts achieved all-time revenue and operating income record despite the Omicron surge.” He said that this stellar performance was achieved at lower attendance levels than 2019, coupled with decreases in costs due to reducing offerings which was due to carefully managing demand via the ticket and reservation systems.

 

[Purduevian]

If I only got one useful ride in from it I would complain for a refund every time.

Depending on your definition of "Useful" I don't think there has been a single day in any park where all the decent rides sold out within 2 hours of park opening. Minimum is 2 "good" LLs and a few not as good LLs even on the busiest days... assuming you know when and what to book.

 

[Waters Back Side]

Depending on your definition of "Useful" I don't think there has been a single day in any park where all the decent rides sold out within 2 hours of park opening. Minimum is 2 "good" LLs and a few not as good LLs even on the busiest days... assuming you know when and what to book.

Agree with this. Also, for me at least, the total time saved is what I measure the value I got out of Genie +. The ILL's really are worth it during busy weeks/days also. We saved a lot more time then any other trip.

 

[DCBaker]

New wording from Disney on Genie+ if you modify a ticket -

"If you modify a previously purchased ticket to add the Disney Genie+ service option, you also pay any applicable change in the ticket price."

 

[Chip Chipperson]

New wording from Disney on Genie+ if you modify a ticket -

"If you modify a previously purchased ticket to add the Disney Genie+ service option, you also pay any applicable change in the ticket price."

I'm not sure what that means. Are they trying to leave themselves room for the possibility that someone bought tickets for a specific day and then Disney later raised the price of admission so they want those lucky people to now pay $15/person PLUS the increased cost of the ticket??? Shady, if so.

 

[UNCgolf]

I'm not sure what that means. Are they trying to leave themselves room for the possibility that someone bought tickets for a specific day and then Disney later raised the price of admission so they want those lucky people to now pay $15/person PLUS the increased cost of the ticket??? Shady, if so.

That's exactly how I read it.

If you bought a ticket three months ago for $120 and the ticket is now $140, and you've decided you want to add Genie+ to the ticket, then you have to pay that $20 difference plus the Genie+ fee.

It sounds like they're trying to push everyone to buy Genie+ in advance, although I wonder if this also applies to adding Genie+ the day of. If so, that's incredibly anti-consumer.

 

[James Alucobond]

It sounds like they're trying to push everyone to buy Genie+ in advance, although I wonder if this also applies to adding Genie+ the day of. If so, that's incredibly anti-consumer.

Taken together with the earlier statement in this thread that you can no longer pre-purchase Genie+ in conjunction with a single-day ticket, that means you’ll always be paying the difference in that case.

 

[UNCgolf]

Taken in conjunction with the earlier statement in this thread that you can no longer pre-purchase Genie+ in conjunction with a single-day ticket, that means you’ll always be paying the difference in that case.

Yep, exactly. It sounds like they want to force everyone to either purchase Genie+ in advance or lose the ability to take advantage of any discounts on tickets.

If they succeed in getting most people to purchase it, that will also likely make Genie+ less useful overall. Well, that or make standby lines unbearable because they shift almost all capacity to Genie+, although Genie+ would still be less useful even then if the vast majority of guests have it.

I wonder how it will work for multi-day tickets. I assume you'll still be able to purchase Genie+ day of for those without suddenly having to pay the difference between your multi-day ticket and a single day ticket, but maybe not. If they really want to make everyone purchase in advance, then they'll either shut off day of purchases altogether or make everyone pay the full difference in ticket price regardless of any other status.

 

[flynnibus]

I'm not sure what that means. Are they trying to leave themselves room for the possibility that someone bought tickets for a specific day and then Disney later raised the price of admission so they want those lucky people to now pay $15/person PLUS the increased cost of the ticket??? Shady, if so.

Possibility? It's already happened.. ticket prices last week. When people are going back and adding genie+ IN ADVANCE to a prior purchase they basically are saying we need to redo your ticket.. at the new price.

 

[flynnibus]

I wonder how it will work for multi-day tickets. I assume you'll still be able to purchase Genie+ day of for those without suddenly having to pay the difference between your multi-day ticket and a single day ticket, but maybe not. If they really want to make everyone purchase in advance, then they'll either shut off day of purchases altogether or make everyone pay the full difference in ticket price regardless of any other status.

I think you're overthinking it... this sounds like 'we can't modify tickets purchased in the old model' - they simply re-ticket, at the new price.

 

[dreday3]

Possibility? It's already happened.. ticket prices last week. When people are going back and adding genie+ IN ADVANCE to a prior purchase they basically are saying we need to redo your ticket.. at the new price.

Not defending, but they also do this if you book a package, try to alter by switching a day or two. If you originally booked with a discount, you lose it if you change anything.

 

[aaronml]

That's exactly how I read it.

If you bought a ticket three months ago for $120 and the ticket is now $140, and you've decided you want to add Genie+ to the ticket, then you have to pay that $20 difference plus the Genie+ fee.

It sounds like they're trying to push everyone to buy Genie+ in advance, although I wonder if this also applies to adding Genie+ the day of. If so, that's incredibly anti-consumer.

Wasn’t this always the case though? Generally a ticket upgrade allows you to credit the value of your current ticket towards the purchase of a new ticket. My understanding is/was that the “new ticket” price is based on what the price is now, not what it was when you bought the old ticket.

 

[UNCgolf]

Wasn’t this always the case though? Generally a ticket upgrade allows you to credit the value of your current ticket towards the purchase of a new ticket. My understanding is/was that the “new ticket” price is based on what the price is now, not what it was when you bought the old ticket.

I don't think that makes sense for Genie+. Haven't people been able to purchase it while they were in the parks up until now?

If so, this change to making it part of your ticket akin to a park hopper feels like a blatant cash grab. But maybe it always operated like that; I don't know.

 

[aaronml]

I don't think that makes sense for Genie+. Haven't people been able to purchase it while they were in the parks up until now?

If so, this change to making it part of your ticket akin to a park hopper feels like a blatant cash grab. But maybe it always operated like that; I don't know.

When you purchase it on the day of your visit, you aren’t actually modifying your ticket at all. You are purchasing the standalone Genie+ service for the day, as opposed to having Genie+ as a ticket add-on (like Park Hopper).

This change (if it is a change) only impacts cases where you are upgrading an existing ticket in order to add the Genie+ add-on to it.

 

[UNCgolf]

When you purchase it on the day of your visit, you aren’t actually modifying your ticket at all. You are purchasing the standalone Genie+ service for the day, as opposed to having Genie+ as a ticket add-on (like Park Hopper).

This change (if it is a change) only impacts cases where you are upgrading an existing ticket in order to add the Genie+ add-on to it.

That's my whole point, though.

If it's also being sold as a standalone service for the day, then making it part of your ticket and forcing you to later repurchase a ticket if you didn't add it is nothing more than a cash grab. There's no reason to package it with the ticket at all.