Chi84
Premium Member
So what's the answer when you're at WDW today and want to make the best of your vacation?
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Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
Do what @Touchdown listed. Rope drop, be ok with waiting in 30-60 minute queues and lots of walking.
Question why you want to keep feeding the greed of management. Then go elsewhere. We are.
The system is broken. We saw it. Cast admit it.
Chi84
Premium Member
That may work for some, but it would entirely ruin the vacation for many others and those are the ones who are paying for Genie+. Not everyone is able to do a lot of walking and stand in 30 to 60 minute lines.
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
Then get DAS.
More fool them.
Chi84
Premium Member
Okay, but there are tens of thousands of people who still enjoy going to WDW. I'm one of them.
There are many others here who complain nonstop about WDW and the greed of management but continue to visit and even buy Genie+. The only difference between me and them is the complaining.
I know. Crazy huh.
Chi84
Premium Member
There are a lot of people with physical limitations that do not qualify as disabilities under the ADA. DAS should be reserved for those who really need it, not those who just have difficulties with lines.
Plus there are those with small kids or other reasons why they just don't want to wait in 30-60 minute lines. They are also buying Genie+.
Chi84
Premium Member
No, I wouldn't call them crazy at all. People have different ways of handling things and expressing themselves. If someone wants to beat themselves up for going on their frequent WDW vacations, more power to them. It doesn't affect me at all, but it just wouldn't be fun for me.
A good number of people have reached the tipping point where WDW is concerned, but others have not. It's not my place to judge either group.
Reminds me of an old saying - "A fool and their money are soon parted." If you complain about WDW management but yet willingly give Disney your money, you (in the royal sense) are part of the problem. A line in my signature sums it up nicely: YOU have the power - Vote with your wallet.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
No-one wants to feed the greed of management. That’s not why they pay for the service.
Some of us aren’t interested in other theme parks and so will continue to find ways to make our time at Disney better, even if we dislike what that entails.
Ok let’s talk about my day a week ago, Saturday, as it was honestly a pretty great day. DHS/MK.
5:15 Alarm, get dressed, breakfast in room (contemporary)
7:20 Leave Room, walk to bus stop
7:30 Bus arrives off to DHS, arrive walk to security
7:45 Go through security, line up at turnstile
8:15 Gates open, off to Rise, on first transport
8:28 Walk out of Rise, head to Slinky wait 20 min
8:50 Get off Slinky, head to Mickey, litterally walk into pre show
9:02 Walk out of Chinese Theatre, go to ToT ride it 3x (walk on, 10 min, 20 min)
9:50 RnRC still down, head back to TSMM wait 30 min, place mobile order for early lunch at Woodys also snag same day reservation at Ogas for 12:15
10:30 Get off TSMM watch the Army drummers, eat
11:00 Go to MFSR, walk on via SRL
11:10 Go to Star Tours wait 15 min
11:30 Just make it in to Frozen Show, enjoy
12:00 Leave show go to Ogas
12:40 Leave Ogas go to RnRC wait 50 min in SRL
1:40 Shopping on Sunset and Hollywood Blvd
2:00 Arrive at Bus stop
2:20 Bus departs for Contemporary
2:45 Arrive back at Contemporary, head back to room grab rain coat, walk to MK
3:15 Boat to FW
4:00 Hoop de Doo
Time gets lost here for a bit. Boat back to MK, before the fireworks I do CBJ, Philhar, Mermaid (20 min,) CoP, Peoplemover (10 min)
7:45 Head to hub for Enchantment
8:15 Enchantment
8:30 Squeeze out of hub, head to Pirates, walk on
8:50 Head to BTMRR wait 20 min
9:20 Walk to HM essentially walk in
9:40 Walk to Peter Pan due to mech failure wait 40 min, watch it pour from under a roof
10:20 in the much lighter rain walk to Pooh (5 min)
10:40 in a drizzle, walk across to SDMT wait 15 min
11:00 Get off just in time to sneak back into line as the clocks chime 11:00 wait 5 min
12:30 Bedtime
19 rides, 6 shows, one dinner show, 11.7 miles, 18.5 hours. I didn’t mention bathroom breaks but I took plenty of them too. You’ll notice a vast amount of my riding is clustered at the beginning and end of the day by design and necessity.
5:15 Alarm, get dressed, breakfast in room (contemporary)
7:20 Leave Room, walk to bus stop
7:30 Bus arrives off to DHS, arrive walk to security
7:45 Go through security, line up at turnstile
8:15 Gates open, off to Rise, on first transport
8:28 Walk out of Rise, head to Slinky wait 20 min
8:50 Get off Slinky, head to Mickey, litterally walk into pre show
9:02 Walk out of Chinese Theatre, go to ToT ride it 3x (walk on, 10 min, 20 min)
9:50 RnRC still down, head back to TSMM wait 30 min, place mobile order for early lunch at Woodys also snag same day reservation at Ogas for 12:15
10:30 Get off TSMM watch the Army drummers, eat
11:00 Go to MFSR, walk on via SRL
11:10 Go to Star Tours wait 15 min
11:30 Just make it in to Frozen Show, enjoy
12:00 Leave show go to Ogas
12:40 Leave Ogas go to RnRC wait 50 min in SRL
1:40 Shopping on Sunset and Hollywood Blvd
2:00 Arrive at Bus stop
2:20 Bus departs for Contemporary
2:45 Arrive back at Contemporary, head back to room grab rain coat, walk to MK
3:15 Boat to FW
4:00 Hoop de Doo
Time gets lost here for a bit. Boat back to MK, before the fireworks I do CBJ, Philhar, Mermaid (20 min,) CoP, Peoplemover (10 min)
7:45 Head to hub for Enchantment
8:15 Enchantment
8:30 Squeeze out of hub, head to Pirates, walk on
8:50 Head to BTMRR wait 20 min
9:20 Walk to HM essentially walk in
9:40 Walk to Peter Pan due to mech failure wait 40 min, watch it pour from under a roof
10:20 in the much lighter rain walk to Pooh (5 min)
10:40 in a drizzle, walk across to SDMT wait 15 min
11:00 Get off just in time to sneak back into line as the clocks chime 11:00 wait 5 min
12:30 Bedtime
19 rides, 6 shows, one dinner show, 11.7 miles, 18.5 hours. I didn’t mention bathroom breaks but I took plenty of them too. You’ll notice a vast amount of my riding is clustered at the beginning and end of the day by design and necessity.
Chi84
Premium Member
I just wish people here would realize that not everyone is as bitter about Disney as they are. Those who are disgusted with it vote with their wallet and no longer visit, and I understand that.
But my family has decided that - for now - WDW still provides a great vacation. I don’t expect others to agree, but it’s disrespectful to be labeled gullible and foolish for making the decisions that work best for us.
When enough people have reached the tipping point and no longer enjoy WDW it will change. In the meantime, it would be nice if people remembered that we’re talking about discretionary spending at a very expensive vacation venue. People’s choices here are not life-altering.
SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
Disney is able to charge so much because they have a product that people enjoy and love.
They still offer something other places don’t.
Disney realized they had a product that people really loved, and since they’re a public ally traded company trying to capitalize on that enjoyment to the fullest extent.
I can complain about management decisions, yet still enjoy the parks where those poor management decisions take place.
Adding Genie doesn’t make the Hall of Presidents, Moroccan pavilion, Wilderness Lodge, Pirates of the Caribbean, and fireworks on Main Street disappear. It increases their barriers, but it’s still possible to enjoy them.
People travel all over the world to get to Disney parks. That’s a huge barrier. Comparatively, a series of bad management decisions, while a big barrier in culmination, are still relatively small.
When I flew to Shanghai on the first ever commercial direct flight from Atlanta, one of the flight attendants asked what our purpose of travel was. We just told her we just wanted to visit Shanghai as tourists and visit Shanghai Disneyland. She was fine with the Shanghai part, but the Disneyland part raised a few eyebrows. She rather noted in a snarky manner, that going to Shanghai is a long way to go to Disney, insinuating why in the world would you go to Shanghai when there’s a Disney accessible via a flight 18-times shorter? Which I found highly amusing.
I also went to Hong Kong and Tokyo thereafter, and the barrier of entry to visit those parks were higher than if Disney tripled or quadrupled their prices.
I have no plans on returning to Shanghai or Hong Kong anytime soon, even though they were great experiences, and visiting the surrounding regions was absolutely incredible.
I’m trying to go back to Japan in 2024 which would include a few days at Disneyland, but regardless, moral of the story, don’t underestimate the draw of Disney Parks.
I’ve been to Disneyland Paris, 3, soon to be 4 times and have recommended it to several people who have since gone, but I don’t really believe Paris is a substitute resort for WDW, Anaheim, or Tokyo. It has the most beautiful castle park, by a significant margin, but still lacks the depth that the other big three resorts have.
To trim a rant down, if I’m looking for a substitute Disney product, I don’t believe there’s really any in the world. Sure, I can go on other non-Disney vacations, and I do, but those fill a different desire. If I’m wanting a Disney park experience, the only thing I can do is go to a Disney park.
I really hate the sentiment that “you need to stick it to management and not go” because that effectively outlines those who go as bumbling idiots who just give-in to blatant greed, but that ignores why we went in the first place. At no point, was Disney charity, it may have been two, three, or more magnitudes more affordable, but it still requires a commitment. People go to Disney because they enjoy it.
The only park that I’ve personally been to that matches Disney on a relatively consistent basis is Islands of Adventure. I’m trying to visit the great European parks of Europa, Phantasialand, Efteling, and others in the not so distant future, but as of yet, I haven’t found a worthy substitute.
If there’s no valid substitute for Disney, then you can spend your commitment and time elsewhere by doing something entirely different, like going to Boston, or skiing, for example.
But that’s like wanting a steak so you go to a steakhouse, then they only have Sea bass. Sea bass is delicious, by all means. Wonderful fish, but it’s not the steak that you wanted. A ski trip can be perfect fun and deliver plenty of enjoyment, but if you’re wanting to go on a Disney vacation, you can only really go to Disney.
Disney is able to charge so much for the (US) parks because they know for various reasons enough people will still fork out.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
This!
Tha Realest
Well-Known Member
I don’t condone the abuse of DAS. But surely the lengthy wait times exacerbated by the G+/ILL push the experience into untenable territory from a medical standpoint for some. Case in point: went years ago with my father in law. Cancer survivor, but tough guy. He probably couldn’t be on his feet for an hour+ in a line. We went during FP+ days thankfully but don’t see how some of these experiences now (even with a mix of G+ and ILL) would be tenable for him were he still with us. He did have handicap placard for his car but never used it,’probably could have sought out DAS but never did so.
Im shocked! I would have never known such a thing. Is there any other incredible tidbits of life you can pass long?