Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[TalkingHead]

I'll never understand people that are obviously envious of people that have the means to fly first class...buy nice cars...stay at nice hotels...and get angry that they can't have the same exact experience for a fraction of the price. People it's not difficult to understand.

Ridiculously faulty analogy.

 

[aaronml]

I love that they are justifiably roasting Disney for needing an infographic / video to explain the complexity of the new system.

 

[gerarar]

They just installed/painted the Fastpass+ wording on Rat a couple months ago. Looks like they’re gonna have to redo that now….which tells a lot about the timing of this announcement..

 

[BPB101]

It’s likely boarding groups will be ended by then.

Sorry if this is a daft question, but why were boarding groups introduced in the first place? Surely the most efficient way to load a new ride is to let people queue.... those desperate will be prepared to wait, others won't.

Either I am missing something or the plan was always to go this way. As another UK visitor, I will happily pay to guarantee a go on RotR, rather than risk missing out due to the lottery involved. Can't say the same for every tier 1 ride through.

 

[James Alucobond]

PSSST!

(It's called classism. )

It is not classist for luxury brands and experiences to simply exist. Is your iPhone classist? Your Lululemon yoga pants? They’re simply more expensive items, generally due to perceived superior quality or brand recognition. Discussing whether or not Disney is worth it or should even be aiming for it given Walt’s founding vision is one thing, but it’s not inherently classist.

 

[wedenterprises]

The most complicated place on earth

edit: i don't hate it.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I think I was getting confused with the terminology.

All the most popular rides will have a Lightening Lane option (i.e. old FP line). The difference is you won't NEED Genie+ for the BG-only rides (Rise, Rat). Those can be standalone Lightening Lane rides for purchase at $X.

Yes, you won't need Genie+ for the two BG rides. To get on them you have two choices:

• Enter the free lottery
• Buy a LL$

Neither requires G+$.

So I can book a LL (old FP) through Genie+ (old MDE) for Peter Pan, but do I get to choose my return time?

Correct. If you're in the park at 9 AM and open up Genie and you purchased Genie+$, then when you scroll through available rides, you might see that PPF's next LL is at 10:15 AM. You don't get a choice of times. You just hit that LL button and you're now scheduled for PPF at 10:15-11:15 AM.

If you tap into the LL at 10:15, you will then be able to chose your next LL from G+$, which could be, e.g., Haunted Mansion at 12:30p or PotC at 11:20a.

And I don't get to make another selection until I use that Peter Pan return time (old old FP)?

Correct.

 

[Tjaden]

I hope all of the people who are swearing that they are done with WDW stick to what they are saying. That will just make it that much easier for the rest of us to utilize this new service and get on the major attractions without much waiting.

What if we're not attending due to the destruction of edutainment and don't really care about this? Disney needs a call center where they can take our complaints on why we're not visiting. Eh....they're probably too busy counting all their money from the massive crowds to listen to why I'm not attending.

 

[flynnibus]

Out of curiosity, what did MaxPass do to the standby lines at Disneyland?

The same as it was before... because Maxpass == Fastpass! Just with Digital access.

 

[donsullivan]

What if we're not attending due to the destruction of edutainment and don't really care about this? Disney needs a call center where they can take our complaints on why we're not visiting. Eh....they're probably too busy counting all their money from the massive crowds to listen to why I'm not attending.

Relentless negativity is useless to a business as it's not something they could (even if they wanted to) take action on. Some people just obsess on negativity about everything.

 

[wdwmagic]

Sorry if this is a daft question, but why were boarding groups introduced in the first place? Surely the most efficient way to load a new ride is to let people queue.... those desperate will be prepared to wait, others won't.

Either I am missing something or the plan was always to go this way. As another UK visitor, I will happily pay to guarantee a go on RotR, rather than risk missing out due to the lottery involved. Can't say the same for every tier 1 ride through.

Its a good question.

With Rise of the Resistance, they were concerned that a standby queue would overwhelm the park with the line extending far beyond the area. There was also the question of how long after park close it would take to clear the line, and what would happen with the frequent breakdowns and how they would handle the queue in that scenario. The boarding groups allow them to control those issues much more reliably.

 

[yensid67]

I wonder...could Disney require some type of proof or records that prove a guests disability? At the least a Doctor's LETTER(not note) that explains why they need DAS?
If it meant weeding out those who WILL abuse it, I would be for it! I would have no problem obtaining a Dr's Letter as proof!

 

[flynnibus]

I said "on a macro level." Certain decisions may help some people here and hurt others there, but overall, if the same capacity is divided amongst the same number of guests, you're not going to be able to drastically improve the overall experience by telling guests when the capacity can be booked.

Arguing 'capacity is fixed' is not the same thing as 'Genie+ guests will get to use the LL the same number of times, on average.' -- Even with fixed capacity, ride counts are not averaged out over the population for many reasons.

everyone will ride an average number of rides of average popularity

No - because again... it's not just a system that includes 'capacity' and 'attendance'.

 

[James Alucobond]

Its a good question.

With Rise of the Resistance, they were concerned that a standby queue would overwhelm the park with the line extending far beyond the area. There was also the question of how long after park close it would take to clear the line, and what would happen with the frequent breakdowns and how they would handle the queue in that scenario. The boarding groups allow them to control those issues much more reliably.

I can’t help but feel it was in many ways a reaction to the negative press they got when Frozen Ever After first launched.

 

[flynnibus]

I wonder...could Disney require some type of proof or records that prove a guests disability?

No - because in the US the disabled are not required to prove their need for public accommodations under the ADA. That's all that needs to be said.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

It is not classist for luxury brands and experiences to simply exist. Is your iPhone classist? Your Lululemon yoga pants? They’re simply more expensive items, generally due to perceived superior quality or brand recognition. Discussing whether or not Disney is worth it or should even be aiming for it given Walt’s founding vision is one thing, but it’s not inherently classist.

If you think WDW is luxury, I've got a bridge to sell you.

 

[britain]

Yes, you won't need Genie+ for the two BG rides. To get on them you have two choices:

• Enter the free lottery
• Buy a LL$

Neither requires G+$.



Correct. If you're in the park at 9 AM and open up Genie and you purchased Genie+$, then when you scroll through available rides, you might see that PPF's next LL is at 10:15 AM. You don't get a choice of times. You just hit that LL button and you're now scheduled for PPF at 10:15-11:15 AM.

If you tap into the LL at 10:15, you will then be able to chose your next LL from G+$, which could be, e.g., Haunted Mansion at 12:30p or PotC at 11:20a.




Correct.

But where will the purchase of the paid lightning lane for Rise take place? Surely not a kiosk! It’s going to happen in an app. Are you saying it’s going to happen in regular “complimentary“ genie? I’m pretty darn sure it will happen in genie+.

 

[DisneyDodo]

This! Because availability goes hand in hand with when and what you book at 7 AM. Try waiting 2 hours and see if you get the same ride you wanted to book at 7 AM. Or try to purchase FOP at 9 AM instead of 7 AM...They might be sold out.

If a ride is sold out at 9am, it means a whole bunch of Genie+ users have tied their hands for a long time and will not be competing with you for LL passes for other rides.

It also means there is not nearly enough capacity for all Genie+ users to ride that ride using LL who want to, and some will be left out. As long as LL capacity stays constant, that cannot possibly be remedied.

 

[wdwmagic]

This will almost definitely be part of Genie+. It will be interesting to see how they handle nighttime entertainment. IMO, FP+ handled that poorly, and DLR FP handled it well by separating it from attraction FPs.

That said, nighttime entertainment will be more impacted by this at DLR than WDW. Most shows at WDW don’t really require an FP in order to get a good view (e.g. Epcot where anywhere around the lagoon is good).

At DLR, both Fantasmic and WoC have historically required either an FP or dining package in order to get a good view. If that remains the case, but FP/LL is only available via Genie+, it essentially means that you’ll have to pay-up for a good view.

Agreed. And in terms of meet and greets, I'm thinking of the potential for premium M&G experiences at Town Square Theater, Adventurers Outpost etc. Seems a no-brainer from Disney's side.

 

[po1998]

I hope all of the people who are swearing that they are done with WDW stick to what they are saying. That will just make it that much easier for the rest of us to utilize this new service and get on the major attractions without much waiting.

Back again? Last night’s trolling wasn’t enough?