Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[JAB]

To be fair, you went during one of the few remaining “slow” seasons. Easter and spring break ended right before your trip, and summer vacation is right around the corner. It’s that sweet spot in between two of the busiest times of year where very few are pulling their kids out of school.

That definitely could have been part of it. As I said, we were pleasantly surprised with the crowd levels during our trip given how crazy they've been recently even in January.

 

[Thepuma]

It would be nice if Genie+ told you after each reservation when you were eligible to make a new reservation.

For example: "You can make your next reservation at 2:07 PM or after you enter the Lightning Lane for Pirates of the Caribbean."

This is a good call.....theres is nowhere that really explains all the caveats...it just says "you are unable to make a new G+ at this time" or something like that.

I'm sure MOST people new to G+ think you have to have used up your G+ (that was due in 3 hours time at 3pm) before booking your next one. Nowhere does it explain about being able to get another one beforehand.

But I did have a slightly different message once last week..it said something like " You are only able to book your next G+ at 11.05am" or something like that...I only ever saw it once..and once only, so who knows ,maybe they will implement that some time...and it would make sense - it would guide people who are not so familiar with G+.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Maybe for you, but that's not true for everyone. I've never rope dropped and I don't plan to start -- I like having breakfast somewhere with a leisurely start to the day. With FP+ (and before) that was not an issue; I could still do the things I wanted to do. The current system is trying to force everyone to be a rope dropper.

I think if they kept this system in place long-term (which they apparently aren't going to do), it would end up making the experience worse for almost everyone, because even the people who like rope dropping would lose the advantage of it. It's no longer beneficial if most of the guests are showing up for rope drop.

The current system doesn’t force anyone to be a rope dropper, nor does it favors one group of guests over others (as FP+ did.). It allows all guests, on site, off property, long term stay, day tripper the exact same access to rides skipping. It is helping fix the FP issue of making sure everyone gets something they want. It’s really a “fairer” way of doing things, or at least equitable. Someone can choose to wake up early day of or not. It’s 100% a neutral system. Now we always stay on property and generally book at least week trips so it might not be best system for us. But it’s certainly fairer

 

[UNCgolf]

The current system doesn’t force anyone to be a rope dropper, nor does it favors one group of guests over others (as FP+ did.). It allows all guests, on site, off property, long term stay, day tripper the exact same access to rides skipping. It is helping fix the FP issue of making sure everyone gets something they want. It’s really a “fairer” way of doing things, or at least equitable. Someone can choose to wake up early day of or not. It’s 100% a neutral system. Now we always stay on property and generally book at least week trips so it might not be best system for us. But it’s certainly fairer

It obviously doesn't force you to be a rope dropper, but you need to be if you want to both A. get your money's worth and B. not miss out on attractions. It certainly incentivizes rope dropping in a way FP+ did not, and it's not even close to being equitable/neutral (neither was FP+, but that's not the point).

And for some people (like me) it's definitely worse than FP+ in terms of getting something I want.

 

[Thepuma]

This wasn’t my experience, for what it’s worth. With a bit of refreshing, I usually ended up with my top choices, even when making day-of selection.

I always found 30 days ahead I could get EVERY attraction booked other than FoP and SDMT- I don't think in all my years using FP+ that I was able to get any times for these 2. I ended up assuming that only Disney Resort Guests would be lucky enough to get them.

I really miss FP+

Edit....oh yes Slinky, that was rarely available.

 

[Thepuma]

The current system doesn’t force anyone to be a rope dropper, nor does it favors one group of guests over others (as FP+ did.). It allows all guests, on site, off property, long term stay, day tripper the exact same access to rides skipping. It is helping fix the FP issue of making sure everyone gets something they want. It’s really a “fairer” way of doing things, or at least equitable. Someone can choose to wake up early day of or not. It’s 100% a neutral system. Now we always stay on property and generally book at least week trips so it might not be best system for us. But it’s certainly fairer

Hmm.. not sure I 100% agree....with the current G+ system..if you dont get to the park till gone 11am, you'll probably only get 2 attractions using G+.

Bowl up at 11am(ish) and your first G+ probably won't be till 3pm..and by then, you'll do well to get anything decent before 7/8pm...obviously you'll get Barnstormer or Dumbo but nothing significant.

Id go as far to say the earlier you get to the park the better your G+ (and ILL) day will be.

While sometimes rope dropping for non resort guests is almost pointless there were times last week, for instance when a park opened early 7.30am that many resort guests were not up that early to take advantage of a 7am rope drop, so it meant general guests rope dropping at 7.30 could get really short wait times for big rides...we did it with FoP..it was a day with a 7.30am start and we got to the rope at 7.20am....they dropped the rope a few minutes early and you could see scores or resort guests just turning up at the gate, while the early non-resort guests just strode off to the ride queue...we were off the ride at 7.50am and straight on the Safari before getting 4 goes in a row on Everest due to the queue being 5 minutes with most guests in the queue for Avatar as they turned up late...late being 8am in this instance.

 

[Thepuma]

It obviously doesn't force you to be a rope dropper, but you need to be if you want to both A. get your money's worth and B. not miss out on attractions. It certainly incentivizes rope dropping in a way FP+ did not, and it's not even close to being equitable/neutral (neither was FP+, but that's not the point).

And for some people (like me) it's definitely worse than FP+ in terms of getting something I want.

For us rope dropping is invaluable...even as non-resort guests. For me it meant id get a half decent G+ for about half hour after the park opened and id rope drop the biggest ride in the park at a time when the wait time was low and then immediately have a G+ for when we got off the ride. Id often book an ILL for the same time too so by 1/1.5 hour after park opening we had always done 3 or 4 of the biggest rides, so could then chalk off the lesser rides with G+ while everyone was queuing for the big rides.

Didn't always work to plan 100% but did more often than not.

With FP+ I often only had to have a Plan A ....with G+ I have to have a plan B,C,D and E...and all decided on the fly in seconds before things started to really change and end up with rubbish G+ options

 

[Thepuma]

FP+ = Wake up at 7AM 30-60 days before the trip to pick 3 FP/day. Except your first day, was the last day of another person's trip and you couldn't get a FP to the #1 ride at each park. Then spend every day up until your trip adjusting your FP selections. Then continue changing passes during your trip, and pick another one after your initial three/day.

Genie+ = Wake up at 7AM the day of, pick the best FP available. Make changes during the day, and pick more as they are available to you.

It's basically the same, except here everyone gets the same chance day of and you don't have to pre-plan your entire day months in advance.

Maybe I need to experience it in person, but I don't see the big deal. Rope drop #1, pick the best available LL after. ILL the ride you can't live without.

Except if you have a future G+ but notice a decent one suddenly appear, by the time you've faffed about cancelling your current G+ and then rechecking the tip board, that G+ has gone, along with the one you just cancelled.

 

[Jeff4272]

The current system doesn’t force anyone to be a rope dropper, nor does it favors one group of guests over others (as FP+ did.). It allows all guests, on site, off property, long term stay, day tripper the exact same access to rides skipping. It is helping fix the FP issue of making sure everyone gets something they want. It’s really a “fairer” way of doing things, or at least equitable. Someone can choose to wake up early day of or not. It’s 100% a neutral system. Now we always stay on property and generally book at least week trips so it might not be best system for us. But it’s certainly fairer

So why stay onsite now? You can stay at nicer hotels for half the price.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

It obviously doesn't force you to be a rope dropper, but you need to be if you want to both A. get your money's worth and B. not miss out on attractions. It certainly incentivizes rope dropping in a way FP+ did not, and it's not even close to being equitable/neutral (neither was FP+, but that's not the point).

And for some people (like me) it's definitely worse than FP+ in terms of getting something I want.

How is it not neutral or equitable? Everyone every single day has the same chance at using genie plus. Everyone is equal. There is no preference for AP holders, guests at the contemporary, guests at AoA or off site guests. You could be there just for the day or it’s the last day of a 2 week trip. Everyone walking into the park tomorrow has the same opportunities. Now if you don’t want to utilize the system most effectively, that’s not the system favoring one group over another. It’s your choice. Again FP was better for on property guests who have long stays. For me it was better. But this under genie everyone is equal, even if for you and me subjectively we aren’t as better off.

 

[Thepuma]

Hotel bookings will 100% go down. There’s no incentive to stay at all. Zero

We never stay at Disney Resorts but there is one clever benefit for Disney...Its being able to book ILL before non-resort guests. This alone was the only real issue each day to my plans...not know by park opening what time (if any) I could get a LL for...it made park hoping difficult because you'd book your G+ at 7am only to find the ILL you can get is 7pm, when you'd planned to park hop away from that park at 2pm.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

So why stay onsite now? You can stay at nicer hotels for half the price.

Sometimes I won’t stay on site. My last trip I stayed over at Bonnet Creek. But when I stay on site now it’s for the same reasons I have always stayed on site. I want to sit on my balcony and watch the fireworks from my room at the contemporary. I want to walk back to my room as opposed to having to go out to my car or wait for an Uber. I want to walk out front and take bus to AK. The rooms are basically places to sleep. I am not going to Orlando and Disney to hang out at the four seasons.

Though to be fair I absolutely love marriot world resort. When we drive down for trips now we will frequently stay a couple days early at marriot world before we start our park days. But once we start our true Disney vacation we will continue to be on property.

 

[Ayla]

I find your entire post hard to believe

Yeah, me too, and I was there at the same time.

 

[Ayla]

To be fair, you went during one of the few remaining “slow” seasons. Easter and spring break ended right before your trip, and summer vacation is right around the corner. It’s that sweet spot in between two of the busiest times of year where very few are pulling their kids out of school.

It wasn't slow.

 

[Thepuma]

I find your entire post hard to believe

I've been in Orlando the last 11 days (just got back to the UK today) and I do actually believe him. We had some REALLY good days with G+ (others not so good) There were some really quiet(ish) days and/or things just worked out well/planned well with G+ and ILL. One one day we went to 3 Disney parks and we added up the rides and done 20 in the day - 2 of those were ILL of course, but it was one of them days when everything clicked right.

I would be about to go on our last ride in one park and as we clicked the magic bands to go in I would get a G+ for the next park in say 30 minutes times..and by the time we got to that next park we got straight on the G+ we'd booked and immediately booked another.

So depending on the day, I do believe, if you planned well and got some good fortune, you could have a cracking day.

Mothers day was quite a good day at Universal and IOA...I was dreading going on a Sunday and didn't even know American Mothers day was that Sunday...but we got into the park and rope dropped Hagrids in 10 minutes..Velocicoaster 3 times in an hour and hopped to Universal by 11am!!....I assumed it was quiet because people were out with mums celebrating.

 

[UNCgolf]

How is it not neutral or equitable? Everyone every single day has the same chance at using genie plus. Everyone is equal. There is no preference for AP holders, guests at the contemporary, guests at AoA or off site guests. You could be there just for the day or it’s the last day of a 2 week trip. Everyone walking into the park tomorrow has the same opportunities. Now if you don’t want to utilize the system most effectively, that’s not the system favoring one group over another. It’s your choice. Again FP was better for on property guests who have long stays. For me it was better. But this under genie everyone is equal, even if for you and me subjectively we aren’t as better off.

Well not really -- you have to be up at 7 AM, which is part of the reason it's not really equitable. It would be more equitable (although I still don't think it would be completely equitable for various reasons) if you could only book Genie+ during park operating hours.

 

[DCLcruiser]

This wasn’t my experience, for what it’s worth. With a bit of refreshing, I usually ended up with my top choices, even when making day-of selection.

FoP? I don't think I ever saw it when trying 30 days+. Always picked Na'vi and rope dropped it.

 

[Jeff4272]

Sometimes I won’t stay on site. My last trip I stayed over at Bonnet Creek. But when I stay on site now it’s for the same reasons I have always stayed on site. I want to sit on my balcony and watch the fireworks from my room at the contemporary. I want to walk back to my room as opposed to having to go out to my car or wait for an Uber. I want to walk out front and take bus to AK. The rooms are basically places to sleep. I am not going to Orlando and Disney to hang out at the four seasons.

Though to be fair I absolutely love marriot world resort. When we drive down for trips now we will frequently stay a couple days early at marriot world before we start our park days. But once we start our true Disney vacation we will continue to be on property.

What I meant was that the main benefit of staying on property are all gone. Most people dont pay 2x-3x-4x hotel rates and get zero perks or benefits.

 

[Thepuma]

FoP? I don't think I ever saw it when trying 30 days+. Always picked Na'vi and rope dropped it.

Exactly what we used to do at AK...Navi for 15 minutes after park opening and rope drop FOP (making sure it wasn't AK magic hours that day)

Then head to Safari and then rattle a few Everest off while the queue was walk on while there were hundreds of people in the now 2 hours FoP queue.

 

[LittleBuford]

FoP? I don't think I ever saw it when trying 30 days+. Always picked Na'vi and rope dropped it.

I generally avoid Animal Kingdom (I don’t like zoos), but the one day I rode it, I was able to get a day-of FP for FoP by refreshing. I should note, however, that I knew when new FastPasses were going to be released and so had a distinct advantage over most guests.