Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Ayla]

I won't know for sure until we visit. What I imagine and what happens could be 2 totally different things, lol. But I'm thinking that focusing on the hardest rides at ropedrop, pmEMH and 1st G+ selection we could try to do balance what's closer by with nearer time available. Also might have better flexibility with changing park days or using our hoppers as long as the nuisance park reservation system behaves.

You should listen to people who have experience using it. That's how you know for sure how you're thinking it will work and how it actually works are two totally different things.

 

[Darstarr]

I won't know for sure until we visit. What I imagine and what happens could be 2 totally different things, lol. But I'm thinking that focusing on the hardest rides at ropedrop, pmEMH and 1st G+ selection we could try to do balance what's closer by with nearer time available. Also might have better flexibility with changing park days or using our hoppers as long as the nuisance park reservation system behaves.

Just back from a long weekend. I love your optimism! But….I have lived the horribleness that is genie+ .
Make sure you come back here and let us know what you think.
This is what I think:

 

[pdude81]

I won't know for sure until we visit. What I imagine and what happens could be 2 totally different things, lol. But I'm thinking that focusing on the hardest rides at ropedrop, pmEMH and 1st G+ selection we could try to do balance what's closer by with nearer time available. Also might have better flexibility with changing park days or using our hoppers as long as the nuisance park reservation system behaves.

You should listen to people who have experience using it. That's how you know for sure how you're thinking it will work and how it actually works are two totally different things.

This was my experience with G+ more or less. 7am make your pick, then rope drop headliners that you didn't get in those extra magic minutes, then either collect passes for later in that park or another to hop to if there is nothing useful left in your chosen park. I find it to be more work and more money, but I'm also getting on more headliners in day 1-3 compared to FP+. It's not a great system, but it's what we got until or unless they build more rides.

 

[Vacationeer]

You should listen to people who have experience using it. That's how you know for sure how you're thinking it will work and how it actually works are two totally different things.

Not really because there's a hundred different ways people tour the parks. How and what makes a good trip varies greatly across visitors. We go often enough that missing a ride or two isn't going to ruin our day/trip and we enjoy a ton of stuff that's easy to accomplish. RotR BGs were loudly chided and we were pleasantly surprised how well that system worked.

 

[Vacationeer]

Just back from a long weekend. I love your optimism! But….I have lived the horribleness that is genie+ .
Make sure you come back here and let us know what you think.
This is what I think:

I will share our experience. It's grotesque, lol. But I'm gonna try to make the best of it and see if actually makes any improvement to our experience.

 

[Ayla]

Not really because there's a hundred different ways people tour the parks. How and what makes a good trip varies greatly across visitors. We go often enough that missing a ride or two isn't going to ruin our day/trip and we enjoy a ton of stuff that's easy to accomplish. RotR BGs were loudly chided and we were pleasantly surprised how well that system worked.

Good luck with that.

 

[Jeff4272]

There is just no sugar coating it, GENIE (-) is god awful............

I would be surprised if WDW doesn't tweak it to address customer satisfaction.......

 

[Purduevian]

3) better hope your Genie (-) selection doesn't overlap with your Topolinios reservation because you cant try and replace it without losing it (even if there was availability)

6) Genie (-) is the WORST for criss crossing parks....its 100x worse than FP+

7) don't discount all the time you will need to spend on your phone too.....you will have to refresh for 20-30 mins to get your second selection


There is not one single aspect of Genie(-) that is better than FP+, NOT ONE!!!!!!

Can't Argue with all the points, because Genie + does have some major issues... but
3)If you know the time of your dinner reservation, don't make a LL for the same time, its really not that hard. I also didn't make one for anytime during when I wanted to watch fireworks

6)It can be... but after I crossed the park once, I stopped looking for rides across the park and focused on close ones. After the 1 big mistake (splash to space), I felt like I was crossing very similar to FP+

7)DHS experiment time... Lets see how many pulls it takes to get something decent:
Pull 4: 5:45pm MMRR

It does not take 20-30minutes to get a new good selection, maybe 5-10 if you are looking for the top attractions and it's later in the day.

 

[pdude81]

Can't Argue with all the points, because Genie + does have some major issues... but
3)If you know the time of your dinner reservation, don't make a LL for the same time, its really not that hard. I also didn't make one for anytime during when I wanted to watch fireworks

6)It can be... but after I crossed the park once, I stopped looking for rides across the park and focused on close ones. After the 1 big mistake (splash to space), I felt like I was crossing very similar to FP+

7)DHS experiment time... Lets see how many pulls it takes to get something decent:
Pull 4: 5:45pm MMRR

It does not take 20-30minutes to get a new good selection, maybe 5-10pm if you are looking for the top attractions and it's later in the day.

If you have a receipt from a conflicting dinner reservation they'll let you in later. They even did this during FP+ time

 

[Mousebucks6]

All head of the line systems aside. The best tip for anyone is to get to the park at rope drop. Aside from being able to get on rides before the mobs arrive, the parks at rope drop is truly a different, and I think better, experience.

I think one of the biggest problems the 7 AM system causes is a growth in the number of rope droppers. You're already up at 7, may as well go to the parks now. Thus eliminating some of the benefit of rope dropping and making the crowds larger earlier.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Oh yea, criss crossing parks!! I never liked that and apparently worse with G +
This system will continue to evolve.
Who knows, "in response to guest demand" we may end up with a super expensive express pass system like Universal has..

I honestly never found criss-crossing the parks to be an issue with FP+. I'm sure it could be an issue for people who aren't familiar with the layout of the parks (or who underestimate how much walking is really involved), but being able to schedule the times in advance allowed my wife and I to make it so that we just did one loop around the park. Maybe we'd hit something in the middle on the way out if we missed it the first time.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think one of the biggest problems the 7 AM system causes is a growth in the number of rope droppers. You're already up at 7, may as well go to the parks now. Thus eliminating some of the benefit of rope dropping and making the crowds larger earlier.

I think this will be a huge issue going forward.

I've never been a rope dropper because there was no real benefit for me (as someone who only cares about riding specific attractions and always had FP for them), and I like having a good breakfast. However, if I visit WDW while the current Genie system is in place -- I don't think I will because it feels antithetical to everything I enjoyed about WDW, but for the sake of argument -- I will likely rope drop because I'll have to be up early regardless if I want to ride anything without waiting in a long line. May as well go ahead to the parks in that case.

This may be what Disney wants, though. I think they would love to have most everyone there when the parks first open, and then they can shut everything down at 7 or 8 and argue that everyone had plenty of time in the parks. I don't think they're interested in keeping parks open until midnight again.

 

[Mousebucks6]

I think this will be a huge issue going forward.

I've never been a rope dropper because there was no real benefit for me (as someone who only cares about riding specific attractions and always had FP for them). However, if I visit WDW while the current Genie system is in place -- I don't think I will because it feels antithetical to everything I enjoyed about WDW, but for the sake of argument -- I will likely rope drop because I'll have to be up early regardless if I want to ride anything without waiting in a long line. May as well go ahead to the parks in that case.

What I'm curious about is if it's an intended or unintended consequence. Earlier entry, longer waits, and maybe people stick around the parks longer and spend more.

 

[UNCgolf]

What I'm curious about is if it's an intended or unintended consequence. Earlier entry, longer waits, and maybe people stick around the parks longer and spend more.

I actually added a paragraph about that while you were quoting. I think it's intended -- there's no reason they need to set the Genie+ time at 7 AM otherwise. They could just as easily do it at, say, 9:30 PM the day before, which would probably be easier for 75+% of guests.

 

[Patcheslee]

I think one of the biggest problems the 7 AM system causes is a growth in the number of rope droppers. You're already up at 7, may as well go to the parks now. Thus eliminating some of the benefit of rope dropping and making the crowds larger earlier.

The one thing they might see more often from me is eating an actual breakfast in the morning and doing laundry while waiting for everyone else in my family to get up. Also wonder if the restaurants are more popular since we're already awake.

 

[Jeff4272]

Can't Argue with all the points, because Genie + does have some major issues... but
3)If you know the time of your dinner reservation, don't make a LL for the same time, its really not that hard. I also didn't make one for anytime during when I wanted to watch fireworks

6)It can be... but after I crossed the park once, I stopped looking for rides across the park and focused on close ones. After the 1 big mistake (splash to space), I felt like I was crossing very similar to FP+

7)DHS experiment time... Lets see how many pulls it takes to get something decent:
Pull 4: 5:45pm MMRR

It does not take 20-30minutes to get a new good selection, maybe 5-10 if you are looking for the top attractions and it's later in the day.

The only problem is, you cant choose your return time.......

My last trip (Thanksgiving week) , we had Topolinos for 6:30 and my SDD 7am pull was for 7pm.........

and you cant edit that....../.and we wanted to be done with the parks by dinner time, not have to go back for another ride or 2

 

[Purduevian]

The only problem is, you cant choose your return time.......

My last trip (Thanksgiving week) , we had Topolinos for 6:30 and my SDD 7am pull was for 7pm.........

and you cant edit that....../.and we wanted to be done with the parks by dinner time, not have to go back for another ride or 2

Why did you accept a 7pm SDD? Either do a quick refresh or pick another ride... Just like in the old FP+ system I believe you were able to overlap ADR and line skip, but its on you to avoid it. If you were 5 minutes late 60 days out, SDD very easily could only have 6-8pm reservations available.

 

[Jeff4272]

Why did you accept a 7pm SDD? Either do a quick refresh or pick another ride... Just like in the old FP+ system I believe you were able to overlap ADR and line skip, but its on you to avoid it. If you were 5 minutes late 60 days out, SDD very easily could only have 6-8pm reservations available.

accept 7pm? it was sold out in 20 seconds.....You cant ACCEPT or DENY

you get what they give you.......refresh and it was gone........

have you ever used Genie? Doesnt seem like it

 

[Purduevian]

accept 7pm? it was sold out in 20 seconds.....You cant ACCEPT or DENY

you get what they give you.......refresh and it was gone........

have you ever used Genie? Doesnt seem like it

I mean, you can cancel and rebook a new ride that has a time that fits your schedule? Again or you can cancel and refresh a few times to see if a proper time option for the ride pops up. No one forced you to book the 7pm SDD. Just like 60 day out FP+ if the ride doesn't have a time that fits your schedule, book something else.

 

[Jeff4272]

Seriously? Do you how it works? SDD was sold out before I hit enter. I had to take it or not ride it without waiting 3 hours.