Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Jeff4272]

I just can't understand how paid Genie+ is more popular than free FP+. Did a lot of people actually not know about, or use, FP+?

It’s not. Only 33% of guests pay for genie+. All guests were eligible for FP+ (although all probably didn’t use it) but it was way more than genie+

 

[Vacationeer]

Part of the problem is that FP+ and G+ steered guest mentality into a heavy emphasis to do hard to ride (Peter Pan) high demand (7DMT) attractions as much as possible. There's Headliners and Diversions. People don't want to 'waste' their time on fillers when tickets and the trip are so expensive.

Maybe WDW should focus on enticing guests to enjoy the variety of offerings. With FP+ and G+ MK's long list of attractions had both systems working best. The other parks should add in whatever else they can. At AK: Animation Experience, Bird Show, Lion King, etc. EP: Music in America Pavilion, Harmonious area, character meets, Gran Fiesta, etc. HS: Indy, BatB, Fantasmic!, etc.

Have commercials showing a wide range of experiences (not just headliners) with the kids in the end saying "What are we doing tomorrow?" Challenge vloggers to show how unique each day can be.

WDW has alot to offer. Maybe they should be leading with that alongside the new sparkly rides.

 

[DCLcruiser]

It’s not. Only 33% of guests pay for genie+. All guests were eligible for FP+ (although all probably didn’t use it)

If less people are using G+, then there should be less people in LL lines. What is the problem? Why are they limiting access to G+?

 

[Jrb1979]

If it isn't then why are they limiting access to G+ now? If anything this will decrease their revenues. Before everyone could pay for G+, now only a select few. This new plan doesn't make any sense.

How do we know that?

We don't know for sure but from people have said that have used Genie+ it's very short waits compared to FP.

 

[Jeff4272]

They did this. Was ca

Part of the problem is that FP+ and G+ steered guest mentality into a heavy emphasis to do hard to ride (Peter Pan) high demand (7DMT) attractions as much as possible. There's Headliners and Diversions. People don't want to 'waste' their time on fillers when tickets and the trip are so expensive.

Maybe WDW should focus on enticing guests to enjoy the variety of offerings. With FP+ and G+ MK's long list of attractions had both systems working best. The other parks should add in whatever else they can. At AK: Animation Experience, Bird Show, Lion King, etc. EP: Music in America Pavilion, Harmonious area, character meets, Gran Fiesta, etc. HS: Indy, BatB, Fantasmic!, etc.

Have commercials showing a wide range of experiences (not just headliners) with the kids in the end saying "What are we doing tomorrow?" Challenge vloggers to show how unique each day can be.

WDW has alot to offer. Maybe they should be leading with that alongside the new sparkly rides.

They did this. Was called FP+ tiers.

 

[Jrb1979]

If less people are using G+, then there should be less people in LL lines. What is the problem? Why are they limiting access to G+?

According to @disneyglimpses they are selling more G+ then they thought. A lot of the extra money they are getting from G+ is going to guest recovery.

 

[Vacationeer]

They did this. Was ca

They did this. Was called FP+ tiers.

How is that FP Tiers?

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

So imo Disney should just admit they made a mistake and people are willing to pay for a skip the line system and people preferred FP+ ability so bring it back & spin it that you dont want to price out families

Again you’re missing the part of my reply is that they won’t do this…

 

[DCLcruiser]

MaxPass at DLR worked similarly to G+, right? I don't remember having any issues with it. How can G+ be so much worse?

 

[Jrb1979]

MaxPass at DLR worked similarly to G+, right? I don't remember having any issues with it. How can G+ be so much worse?

A big one is not enough capacity for it to work good. Another one is many use Genie+ mainly for top attractions. I can't count how many times I have heard people say they don't see the point using on attractions like Buzz Lightyear or Living with the Land.

 

[donsullivan]

MaxPass at DLR worked similarly to G+, right? I don't remember having any issues with it. How can G+ be so much worse?

In my experience they were essentially the same. G+ has a bunch of other stuff wrapped around it but the LL or FP usage experience is basically the same.

 

[Purduevian]

Lightning Lane+

I think they should have Unlimited Lightning Lane Passes for a 100 dollars a day. With the option of receiving a complimentary Lightning Lane+ with a Deluxe Resort room.

You are at least half if not a third of the price of an unlimited LL pass. There are also far too many deluxe rooms to give it out for free (universal only has 3 deluxe hotels, so they can do that)

Honest opinions please.........I know its been suggested..........But hear this out and let me know what the flaws are here for both guests and WDW the company.........

1) A return to paid FP+ system, priced where acceptance is at the same or a bit less as Genie+ (so 1/4 to 1/3 of people buy it that would have had FP+ for free prior)

2) Company gets their revenue (likely higher than Genie+ do to higher pricing)

3) planners get their benefits back

4) if priced at $100 pp, then sell "day of" FP+ for $25.........plenty of availability left since FP+ purchase rate is only 1/4 to 1/3 of original FP+ and company makes even more money and cost is much less so people dont feel taken advantage of

5) Standby lines should be shorter vs lower FP+ rates vs old system


Please no "Because the company wont admit they were wrong" answers because quite frankly, they already have admitted they were wrong.

Its a disaster and everyone knows it


Why wouldnt this work?

So $100 to prebook LL access on 3 attractions and $25 to book 3 LLs the day of? I could see it working, but it does up the complexity quite a bit. You also loose any resort benefit, there is still a slight one with ILL currently.

I do have an issue with point 5 though. I think at $25 for day of access, there will basically be just as many users on it the day of vs G+.

 

[natatomic]

Id love to know how many visits to Disney he has made with his family lately...I bet its close to zero

Here’s the thing…maybe he HAS made a trip to Disney recently. It truly wouldn’t make a difference, and this is why:

I was on the opening team of the new Star Tours. One of our first days of operation for guests, some executive (who was the female VP at the time? I don’t remember her name, just that it was a lady) came to ride and check out the attraction.

We were open for guests, BUT some things were still unfinished. For example, our glasses collection bin wasn’t the “official” one yet - just some temporary garbage receptacle on wheels (although, to be fair, we never DID get a themed glasses collection bin that didn’t look like a garbage can on wheels, unless it’s changed since I left). Management was SO horrified at the thought of this exec seeing it, they forbid the glasses collector from being in the exit hallway when she exited the ride. Were they concerned about regular guests seeing it? Ha! Of course not!

I know this is a small example, but this is what middle management does - they know there are issues with aspects of their area, but they will bend over backwards to make sure that higher ups are oblivious to them, all while not batting an eye that millions of paying guests deal with them every day.

So anyway, unless an exec goes through great lengths to visit the parks incognito, middle management will NEVER allow them to see the bad parts of the operations. Which only perpetuates the problems, because then there’s no pressure from the higher ups to fix anything, since they don’t have first hand knowledge of what needs to be fixed. Higher-ups only know of the issues reported to them second hand, which may or may not be downplayed or minimized. At least until all those little “issues” start adding up and affecting the bottom line,

 

[Joel]

MaxPass at DLR worked similarly to G+, right? I don't remember having any issues with it. How can G+ be so much worse?

It's not that Genie+ is so much worse than MaxPass. It still works fine at Disneyland. The problem is that DL and WDW are fundamentally different in a number of ways, and G+ is not the universal solution that Disney wanted it to be.

 

[pdude81]

How is it bad to say only those who pay a lot can skip lines? That's how every theme park that isn't Disney works.

Disney has been all about upcharges and isn't shy about it. Look at all the dessert packages/parties to get reserved seating, look at premium parking, club access hotel rooms, dvc, etc.

When I'm in line in those parks and see someone skip the line I understand they paid a lot of money for that purpose.

Disney park goers need to stop the idea that everyone needs to skip lines. The more people that skip lines, the worse it is for both the standby guests and line skippers.

It's best when something like this is priced at a level where most do not get it. Everyone wins vs this pseudo "line skipping" glued to your phone planning Genie + 15 dollar thing.

If Disney wants to be viewed the same as every other theme park, I'd say that's very bad.

The upcharges are all for special events, seating, or exclusives that people can get on top of the base experience. They don't have a major impact on the base park experience for other guests. I don't love all the nickel and diming there, but that's fair game because the Plaza Garden viewing Dessert party doesn't stop you from staking out a great spot in the hub to watch fireworks. After hours doesn't stop you from getting on rides during the day.

These are add ons that never existed as a free service. Changing from free ride skips to reasonably priced ride skips to shutting out most families ahead of a recession would continue to everybody off, and it doesn't even solve all the issues with the current system.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I noticed extremely long lines at guest service locations this past trip.

which is part of the disaster. You pay $ for something that is supposed to make your day easier. It doesn't.

when it doesn't work, and you are already frustrated....

You get the added slap in the face of having to wait in a long line for some resolution.

At that point, a $15 refund won't fix the problem of so much lost vacation time.

 

[pdude81]

MaxPass at DLR worked similarly to G+, right? I don't remember having any issues with it. How can G+ be so much worse?

A huge percentage of people at DLR were locals on AP who didn't need to buy it since they visited frequently. Also a different mindset out west. They won't necessarily pay for something they can get for free, even if waiting in line is necessary. At WDW we pay for anything to save 15 minutes of our lives. Maybe that's why they get nighttime parades, special events, and cooler popcorn buckets.

 

[pdude81]

How is that FP Tiers?

When there were only lines, the headliners had long lines and you could pretty much walk on Small World or the Carousel if you wanted to. For Fastpass people really only cares about headliners for their first selections. FP+ Tiers made it so that you could only skip one headliner(ish) ride but still got pushed out to some of the C ticket attractions to help manage the parks and check out things you might not otherwise. The didn't need to advertise their lesser rides on TV as that doesn't sell vacations, especially when they could tell you where to go by giving you free line skips to rides that didn't use to have lines.

My feeling is that this is even more useful to the company with Genie+ since they can shuffle bodies easily in real time, but the implementation was terrible.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

how so? do you really think families want to wait hours on basically every "top tier" ride? rope dropping is truly not an option for many guests customers especially those with children and those who enjoy character meals breakfast....

Hotel breakfast starts at 7am.
AK opens to onsite customers at 7am, and offsite customers at 7:30am


Part of the problem with G+ and the 7am timing is that it impacts every customer's ability to eat any food at all in the morning, not just character breakfasts.

Anything that = hard to get coffee/tea in the AM is not wise.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Standby Lines are longer now than they were with fastpass.

I don't disagree. It's also not unreasonable (perhaps @lentesta can chime in here) to say that some attractions may be operating at a lower capacity. Disney has definitely played that game before.

Another likely factor is that staffing shortages have forced more people to rides as opposed to other things like shopping or dining.