Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Strange it was so quiet. You think all the school aged children of the world would have treated their mothers to a day at WDW on Mother's Day.

They would have had to sell all their plasma and bone marrow at the current prices to afford a ticket and a cupcake

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

The ILLs are so easy to get if staying at a resort and I love them. We scheduled them for when we wanted, worked out great.

I am sure it is all in the breakdown, but $20 for approx 3 mins of ride time sounds pretty crazy to me, at least when I've already paid WDW admission prices.
Twenty is today's price for Tron. Tron is okay, but not $20 awesome, IMO.

Curiously, 7DMT is at $11 today, and a 6:30pm ILL is available as of 1:15pm. IMO, it is time to swap it to G+.

FoP is $14 today and still available (5pm return time).

We have taken to (mostly) skipping 7DMT, FoP, and Rise. I've been on them, and they aren't worth the upcharge or 2hour wait.

G+ is slightly easier to stomach, because it = has some value all or most of the day. Though it depends on the crowd levels and price that day.

WDW is in a sorry state of operations though. The through-the roof pricing is just part of the problem. At the current pricing, park touring ought to be a breeze WITHOUT having to pay for G+. Paying $100+ to walk in the gate, AND making park reservations, AND having to wait 60+mins for 3/4 the attractions in the park is a bit absurd.

 

[WaltsTreasureChest]

I think it’s more…like the parks…that they have NOTHING in the pipeline

Are you telling me that you’re not excited to experience the water themed Moana walkway? Everyone is dying to go see that water!

 

[GhostHost1000]

"no park reservations needed" is also very telling... in more ways than one

 

[Jrb1979]

"no park reservations needed" is also very telling... in more ways than one

Not really as those tickets only let you into each park once. Your still technically reserving your park.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Not really as those tickets only let you into each park once. Your still technically reserving your park.

yes but how they advertise it with that special... as in "you don't have to worry about the stupid park reservations that are such a hassle... we appologize, just buy some tickets and come back soon....please... really.... please"

 

[monothingie]

I don't think you can really say that people have soured on Disney or Orlando in general until we're in good economic times and crowds are down.

I don't think this includes Central Florida. Now If Disney were the only game in Central Florida, then I would agree with you. But you don't hear a negative peep about USO, especially with EU. Maybe it's Disney sucking all the air out of their room with their current high profile controversies, but when your overall brand favorability has taken a documented hit from what it was pre-pandemic, I think it is a legitimate assessment that people have soured on Disney.

 

[monothingie]

Not really as those tickets only let you into each park once. Your still technically reserving your park.

Yes, but which park and when. If you have 7 days to use them with no predetermined information on where specifically you're going, a lot of the valuable information from Park Pass is lost.

 

[UNCgolf]

I don't think this includes Central Florida. Now If Disney were the only game in Central Florida, then I would agree with you. But you don't hear a negative peep about USO, especially with EU. Maybe it's Disney sucking all the air out of their room with their current high profile controversies, but when your overall brand favorability has taken a documented hit from what it was pre-pandemic, I think it is a legitimate assessment that people have soured on Disney.

Universal is just as dead as Disney right now -- Hagrid's only has a 45 minute wait and it's the longest in either park.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I wonder if there is something to be said with them not putting out new animated draws for kids right now. My 5 year old is prime Disney age and all she wants to watch is people play Mario since the Mario movie came out...

Could be - and even what they have had is only slowly coming in. Finally added a Moana meet and greet, got Encanto in a cavalcade, that's it right? Then the Moana walk through but that isn't open eyt

And the new rides, really only Remy is for the entire family. Younger kids aren't going to push the family to go see the latest thing they can't ride (Tron and Guardians)

I think it is a lot of things bundled together but clearly demand to go to the current WDW at the current pricing is down

 

[Jrb1979]

yes but how they advertise it with that special... as in "you don't have to worry about the stupid park reservations that are such a hassle... we appologize, just buy some tickets and come back soon....please... really.... please"

Soon the only people that have to worry about reservations are the unfavorables.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

In case you haven't noticed, we're heading into a really nasty macroeconomic period. I know at least it doesn't families in my circle who were contemplating trips who are postponing it now because of the current economy coupled with the high price of Disney. I don't think people have soured on Disney, but as you've pointed out before, when the economy sours, people look to where they can cut expenses. People won't give up their vacations, but they will travel to less expensive places than Disney for the foreseeable future. This could also explain why travel is still high, but Disney and/or Orlando in general is not. (I also know another reason people are skipping on Disney, but it's not related to Disney at all and rather the current state of things where Disney happens to be located...).

I don't think you can really say that people have soured on Disney or Orlando in general until we're in good economic times and crowds are down.

I just think a lot of us who wax on this economic discussion have more or less “coalesced” around an almost shocking level of agreement of what Disney is and is not doing right in the last year or so…

Would that have happened 5 years ago?
No way. This is definitely “systemic”

 

[monothingie]

Universal is just as dead as Disney right now -- Hagrid's only has a 45 minute wait and it's the longest in either park.

As I said before, May is a weird month attendance wise. A random Monday Afternoon in May may not be the best gauge for basing conditions.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

As I said before, May is a weird month attendance wise. A random Monday Afternoon in May may not be the best gauge for basing conditions.

It is a weird month…

But a lot has changed in 20 years. They use to have 5/6 slow months a year - of which may was one…
But they Also didn’t have people pay $300 a day for magic kingdom in October and packing themselves like sardines on Main Street looking up at 7:30 for a 9:15 fireworks show…

Todays ticket announcement looks like more evidence of troubles.

$53 a day was one for FL?

I can only say that a one day was $49.50 in the late 90’s and $52.00 around 2000

 

[monothingie]

It is a weird month…

But a lot has changed in 20 years. They use to have 5/6 slow months a year - of which may was one…
But they Also didn’t have people pay $300 a day for magic kingdom in October and packing themselves like sardines on Main Street looking up at 7:30 for a 9:15 fireworks show…

Todays ticket announcement looks like more evidence of troubles.

$53 a day was one for FL?

I can only say that a one day was $49.50 in the late 90’s and $52.00 around 2000

I would be even more concerned that the AP's which we were told were going to sell out, never did.

At best, that's deceptive advertising. At worst it means that their once most loyal category of guests have moved on for (pick your reason).

Semi-related question...Did the DLR AP's (Magic Keys) sell out when they brought them back again?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I would be even more concerned that the AP's which we were told were going to sell out, never did.

At best, that's deceptive advertising. At worst it means that their once most loyal category of guests have moved on for (pick your reason).

Semi-related question...Did the DLR AP's (Magic Keys) sell out when they brought them back again?

Most did, and fairly quickly, though I believe the Inspired Key (the highest level) is still available

 

[Jrb1979]

I would be even more concerned that the AP's which we were told were going to sell out, never did.

At best, that's deceptive advertising. At worst it means that their once most loyal category of guests have moved on for (pick your reason).

Semi-related question...Did the DLR AP's (Magic Keys) sell out when they brought them back again?

IMO they had hoped it would sell out. I know the economy is a bit part of it but I do think a lot have also moved on. IMO people are realizing Iger isn't what he seems.

 

[Chi84]

IMO they had hoped it would sell out. I know the economy is a bit part of it but I do think a lot have also moved on. IMO people are realizing Iger isn't what he seems.

I imagine the vast majority of people who are deciding on whether or not to vacation at WDW have no idea of who Iger is.

 

[jannerUK]

I know this may be hard to answer but my jaw has dropped at reading this thread. Could this mean that we could see similar length of rides, the inability to but Genie + and get on Tron & GotG based on this for latter two weeks in August? What are the betting chances we might hit gold here?

 

[monothingie]

Most did, and fairly quickly, though I believe the Inspired Key (the highest level) is still available

DLR has alway been a more of a local park and subject to overcrowding, so it's not surprising that with the exception of the most expensive pass, everything else sold out.

IMO they had hoped it would sell out. I know the economy is a bit part of it but I do think a lot have also moved on. IMO people are realizing Iger isn't what he seems.

AP Holders at WDW whether they are local, DVC, our out-of-state, fill in attendance gaps. I also think that because typically DVC and out of state AP holders spend more time at WDW, they are more sensitive to pricing, versus a shorter length stay at DLR.