Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Model3 McQueen]

Standby while free is not FP.

Yet

 

[Heelz2315]

On the other hand, Genie+ is not absolutely necessary if you know what you are doing

^^this!! If you know how to navigate the parks and what time to get there, you can still knock out a lot of attractions quickly and save the time and $. I've done it for years without any fast passes. The ONLY place I could see genie coming into play is in HS. I'd pay the $15 and get a fast pass to all the main attractions (less ROTR), and knock that park out before dinner.

 

[G00fyDad]

"I'm right!"
"No! I am right!"

 

[Touchdown]

There’s another solution, just don’t buy it. Show up for resort ERT, do slinky, TSMM, ToT and RnRC in during ERT and the first hour and accept you’re going to wait 30-60 min for MMRR and Rise. Are those rides worth those waits? I think they are, throw in Star Tours and Muppets you’ll still have done the park by noon.

 

[Jeff4272]

Can anyone clarify this? I am going to MK and doing standby only from park opening, 9am-noon so i want to book all my Genie+ rides for my park hop to Epcot after 2pm

7am - book Soarin for 2pm
9am - Epcot opens
11am - eligible to book my second Genie+ on ToT

When i go to book my second Genie+ at Epcot, will it still give me return times after 2pm like when i booked my first one or will it show next available times?

 

[DisneyCane]

^^this!! If you know how to navigate the parks and what time to get there, you can still knock out a lot of attractions quickly and save the time and $. I've done it for years without any fast passes. The ONLY place I could see genie coming into play is in HS. I'd pay the $15 and get a fast pass to all the main attractions (less ROTR), and knock that park out before dinner.

Before dinner? If you rope drop and don't want to do RotR you can knock everything out before lunch without spending $15 as long as it is a moderate crowd or less. Should be able to do ToT and RnRC in under an hour total. Then under 20 minute wait for ST. 45 minutes for TSMM. Under an hour for Smugglers Run and then the long line for SDD. It will be a late lunch but you should be able to knock it out by 1:30 PM at the latest. Even if it is busy you can do it all before dinner without paying (probably even including RotR).

 

[Jrb1979]

Vacuum or no vacuum, $225 an hour is still $225 an hour...........by the end of the day, we will have been on the same rides in almost the exact same park time, it's just that you will have paid and i didnt

Im not saying its not worth it to you, im saying its not worth it to me

i wave at all the people from the Bahamas when im on my second vacation from all the money i saved on my Disney vacation

It's great it's not worth it for you. Stop trying to get others to not buy it. You're best bet is to learn to live with the new system.

Wow. really classy

I don't like GP at parks.

 

[Jeff4272]

It's great it's not worth it for you. Stop trying to get others to not buy it. You're best bet is to learn to live with the new system.


I don't like GP at parks.

i live with it, i dont care if you pay for it.......thats your choice, i centainly wont to save 15-20 mins

 

[Jeff4272]

I'm glad you didn't. I once looked into it and was researching it but realized it wasn't a value proposition at all. In fact, the company wouldn't sell something they'd lose money on.

I also like the freedom to choose where I go on vacation. Otherwise it's a chore.

A friend of mine bought a 50 year DVC to Riviera before the hotel was built...

I don't understand it.

i bought 330 points (a 160 and a 170 contract) for $99 a point to BLT in 2018 and now its selling for $175........I am pretty happy with that! No market is returning that percentage over that same time frame and that doesnt include all of my trips!

 

[Heelz2315]

Before dinner? If you rope drop and don't want to do RotR you can knock everything out before lunch without spending $15 as long as it is a moderate crowd or less. Should be able to do ToT and RnRC in under an hour total. Then under 20 minute wait for ST. 45 minutes for TSMM. Under an hour for Smugglers Run and then the long line for SDD. It will be a late lunch but you should be able to knock it out by 1:30 PM at the latest. Even if it is busy you can do it all before dinner without paying (probably even including RotR).

I was referring to the MK. My post said the only park I could see it being benificial is HS. I've been going to these parks since 1977 at least once a year. I made it around before and during FP+, and hardly ever used them. If you play your cards right, you can do it. I've done it for years.

 

[flynnibus]

It's also possible the reason Slinky Dog is behaving so different from other attraction availability is Disney could be running A/B tests in how they handle an attraction. Literally different set of rules/behaviors in how they are handling LL vs another attraction to do evaluations of how things behave/outcomes.

Just food for thought...

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I don't know why some people are so hung up over the 7am booking time.

There's no time that's going to be perfect for everyone. Would I prefer to book at 10pm the night before? Sure. Would there also be people asleep at that time, or doing evening hours who don't like the time? Yes.

I imagine most people are up at 7am while at WDW in order to get started and maximize their day. Why would Disney set a booking time differently in order to cater to a small minority who wants to sleep in?

 

[LittleBuford]

So from what I'm gathering, they're using a rolling availability method, like they used to do for the original paper FPs and MaxPass at Disneyland yes?

FP+ also had rolling availability (though not in the Magic Kingdom, from what I understand).

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Vacuum or no vacuum, $225 an hour is still $225 an hour...........by the end of the day, we will have been on the same rides in almost the exact same park time, it's just that you will have paid and i didnt

Im not saying its not worth it to you, im saying its not worth it to me

i wave at all the people from the Bahamas when im on my second vacation from all the money i saved on my Disney vacation

The bolded here is completely justifiable. What value you see for the cost is a completely personal and subjective analysis.

Its the italic statement that negates your argument. Because at the end of the day, a person using strictly standby lines is NOT going to have been on the same rides in the same park time. While you are waiting in line for an hour for SDD, someone with LL has a spot set for that with little to no wait time later in the day. So during your hour wait, they are doing rides with walk on to little wait times. Now, you can make the choice to skip SDD, or any ride that has an unreasonable wait time, and just hit rides where the standby time is comparable to the Genie+ or LL wait period. That's your decision and again, subjectively that's all based on personal choice. BUT that personal choice means you are NOT getting on the same rides, or the same number of rides, during the same time period as someone using Genie+ and LL to its full effect.

 

[Jeff4272]

I don't know why some people are so hung up over the 7am booking time.

There's no time that's going to be perfect for everyone. Would I prefer to book at 10pm the night before? Sure. Would there also be people asleep at that time, or doing evening hours who don't like the time? Yes.

I imagine most people are up at 7am while at WDW in order to get started and maximize their day. Why would Disney set a booking time differently in order to cater to a small minority who wants to sleep in?

Why wouldnt they just make it the night before to appeal to a larger audience? Doesnt change how the 7am people do anything

 

[Jeff4272]

The bolded here is completely justifiable. What value you see for the cost is a completely personal and subjective analysis.

Its the italic statement that negates your argument. Because at the end of the day, a person using strictly standby lines is NOT going to have been on the same rides in the same park time. While you are waiting in line for an hour for SDD, someone with LL has a spot set for that with little to no wait time later in the day. So during your hour wait, they are doing rides with walk on to little wait times. Now, you can make the choice to skip SDD, or any ride that has an unreasonable wait time, and just hit rides where the standby time is comparable to the Genie+ or LL wait period. That's your decision and again, subjectively that's all based on personal choice. BUT that personal choice means you are NOT getting on the same rides, or the same number of rides, during the same time period as someone using Genie+ and LL to its full effect.

Read Tom and Sarah Brickers "test" of MK yesterday....1 did with, 1 did without.......might change your mind

 

[UNCgolf]

I imagine most people are up at 7am while at WDW in order to get started and maximize their day. Why would Disney set a booking time differently in order to cater to a small minority who wants to sleep in?

While I agree with the overall point that any time is going to be annoying for some people and there's no perfect time, I don't think it's a small minority that's not up at 7 AM. If most people at Disney were up at 7 AM every day then rope drop would be slammed and not beneficial.

 

[Purduevian]

Why wouldnt they just make it the night before to appeal to a larger audience? Doesnt change how the 7am people do anything

Why not make it 1 hour before official park open? 7am for a 10am EPCOT day is just a pain in the butt. I just did it for RAT and wasn't happy about it. (pre G+)

 

[Waters Back Side]

I don't know why some people are so hung up over the 7am booking time.

There's no time that's going to be perfect for everyone. Would I prefer to book at 10pm the night before? Sure. Would there also be people asleep at that time, or doing evening hours who don't like the time? Yes.

I imagine most people are up at 7am while at WDW in order to get started and maximize their day. Why would Disney set a booking time differently in order to cater to a small minority who wants to sleep in?

I think you would be surprised how many people would like to sleep in. Not sleep half the day away but until 830 or 9. The rope drop crowd is indicative of that.

If we get to the park by 11 we have 8 hours at AK, and more at the other 3. If Genie + works out well for those who like to get the park early and also arrive late then the $15 is worth it. But having to wake up early for the ILL bookings like Rise or to book your Genie + LL for SDD will be necessary from all indications to jump on right away or within the first 30 minutes (7 to 730am).