Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Lirael]

In all honestly, pre-planning fast passes 60 days before we arrived was more "complicated" to me. Not that I minded it, but a lot more thinking involved...

Genie + is more of a matter of deciding if you want it that day and being annoyed at paying for it. Once you make the decision to buy, I didn't find it complicated. Pretty straightforward in fact. Now you may not like the times presented to you , but the process of choosing the time wasn't hard for us.

It might not be harder, but let's see how happy people are when you go on an actually crowded day and you pay upfront and find you can't pick the rides you want at all

 

[Waters Back Side]

It might not be harder, but let's see how happy people are when you go on an actually crowded day and you pay upfront and find you can't pick the rides you want at all

One consideration I have which is actually a positive is that I am going to Epcot 2 full days and HS a full day and a half day. I could drop reservations for Epcot and add it for HS and vice versa the night before with no booked FP's 60 days out that ill lose out on. Assuming they have the park capacity but I have not seen a situation yet where they did not. And then buy Genie + for that day.

 

[WildRide]

What's the consensus on buying Genie+? Seems like it's a better value at MK and HS than the rest of the parks based on how busy those parks are typically.

 

[Touchdown]

I don’t think you need it, so long as you do EE.

At MK do SDMT, then PPF, Frontier Mtns, PotC and HM in the first 2.5 hours. Midday, wait 30 min for Space.

At AK do FoP, then NRJ, Safari, Kali, Dino in the first 2.5 hours. Wait <20 min for EE midday.

At DHS do SDD, then TSMM, ToT, RRnRC in the first 2.5 hours. Wait 30-60 min for Mickey and Rise midday. Even better go at night, the place is dead with <30 min waits after 5 most nights.

 

[jpinkc]

I think it all depends on how busy the park is. I still am concerned the week of Thanksgiving with expected crowd levels this thing is gonna melt down. Mobile order or Genie, maybe both. I really am concerned how this whole thing will impact those of us going in that week as that will be the first major strain on the whole system.

 

[bruin086]

I would probably buy genie+ in advance of my stay for every day if there was a discounted price. If there's no discount, I will definitely not buy in advance and I'll just decide each day whether I need it or not. Will prob buy for MK and HS but not AK or EP

 

[bruin086]

Anyone know how family rider swap works for LL and ILL?

 

[nickys]

Anyone know how family rider swap works for LL and ILL?

Everyone who is riding needs an ILL or LL pass. Then it works as before, with the recent change that only one person gets to re-ride. CM will scan bands of 2nd ride group who wait whilst 1st ride group go through.

So if Mom, Dad and DD(7) are riding, then Dad can ride with DD and then Mom can ride with DD.

But if Mom, Dad, DD(7) and DS(9) are riding then only one child can ride twice.

 

[Jrb1979]

I don’t think you need it, so long as you do EE.

At MK do SDMT, then PPF, Frontier Mtns, PotC and HM in the first 2.5 hours. Midday, wait 30 min for Space.

At AK do FoP, then NRJ, Safari, Kali, Dino in the first 2.5 hours. Wait <20 min for EE midday.

At DHS do SDD, then TSMM, ToT, RRnRC in the first 2.5 hours. Wait 30-60 min for Mickey and Rise midday. Even better go at night, the place is dead with <30 min waits after 5 most nights.

30 minutes is too long a wait for me. I'm surprised so many are ok with such long waits.

 

[Touchdown]

30 minutes is too long a wait for me. I'm surprised so many are ok with such long waits.

1-3 times a day when I’ve done most everything else it’s ok. But one of those waits is going to be used up for the firework show.

 

[DisneyCane]

After being at Epcot and AK the last two days with somewhat light crowds, I'd say the only standby line that Genie+ and ILL has completely messed up is Frozen.

The other standby lines weren't terrible and kept moving for the most part.

It did make me a little upset at Disney for the cash grab when at the point in the FoP queue where you can see the people coming from the LL and just counting $11 in my head for each person that passed through. It adds up quick.

With all that revenue, at least the water effect should work properly for every seat.

 

[Patcheslee]

SDD LL out at 7:10. After a few refreshes displayed a time after 6pm. Refresh again back to no availability. 8:12am no availability and 10 refreshes didn't help. 8:42am no availability refresh twice get 6:55pm, 3rd refresh gone. Will it make it to park opening?

 

[dirtnap101]

SDD LL out at 7:10. After a few refreshes displayed a time after 6pm. Refresh again back to no availability. 8:12am no availability and 10 refreshes didn't help. 8:42am no availability refresh twice get 6:55pm, 3rd refresh gone. Will it make it to park opening?

HS is definitely not a park to start the day in and hop somewhere else if you want to ride RotR and SDD using ILL and G+, respectively, because even at 7am both will likely be offering times well into the afternoon.

 

[Waters Back Side]

SDD LL out at 7:10. After a few refreshes displayed a time after 6pm. Refresh again back to no availability. 8:12am no availability and 10 refreshes didn't help. 8:42am no availability refresh twice get 6:55pm, 3rd refresh gone. Will it make it to park opening?

At this point it is only a matter of time they make it an Individual Attraction Purchase. And move MMRR to Genie +.

 

[Patcheslee]

HS is definitely not a park to start the day in and hop somewhere else if you want to ride RotR and SDD using ILL and G+, respectively, because even at 7am both will likely be offering times well into the afternoon.

Wonder if hopping to HS would work well. If someone chooses SDD on an EP day earliest will automatically be 2pm. Not sure if come EP opening if you'd then be able to start picking EP attractions though.
Also noticed ToT is offering return times and listed as "temporarily closed" we know it's down for extensive work, but others may not know that. Or they are taking advantage of the closure knowing it will convert to an any attraction pass, and use on SDD.

 

[Huey Louie and the News]

Offsite Genie+, ILL and Early Entry questions for our upcoming trip 11/25-12/2: Thanks in advance for any help/advice!

1: Our party will be staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek so we will not be able to do the Early Entry, although I've read the parks will still let offiste guests scan their tickets and move into the parks before 9AM (or park opening time) and get coffees, shop, etc but will restrict any riding or passing through Early Entry checkpoints...has anyone tested or heard if you can start making your Genie+ or ILL selections if your ticket has been scanned early? Say at 8:45 - 8:50 AM or will the system strictly not let you make any selections until 9AM officially?

2: We won't be starting most mornings at HS but plan to hop there in the evenings...I'm looking at making RotR ILL selections for our party at 9AM sharp (or a couple minutes earlier if it let's me) for the evenings (the first available times at 9AM look to be around 7:15 - 7:30 PM)....am I able to make these as soon as HS opens or as soon as our initial park opens? If we start mornings at AK and the park opens at 8AM can we start then (same goes for Epcot...do we have to wait until 11AM)?

3: Attraction selection times - are ILL the only rides we can select a specific time? I assume the regular Genie+ selections book you for the time available shown on the app.

 

[dirtnap101]

Wonder if hopping to HS would work well. If someone chooses SDD on an EP day earliest will automatically be 2pm. Not sure if come EP opening if you'd then be able to start picking EP attractions though.
Also noticed ToT is offering return times and listed as "temporarily closed" we know it's down for extensive work, but others may not know that. Or they are taking advantage of the closure knowing it will convert to an any attraction pass, and use on SDD.

Yeah, hopping to HS would probably work well, but I'd prefer to spend the morning before it in any park but EP due to the later opening. Rope dropping AK or MK would probably be my choice in the morning then hop to HS.

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

SDD LL out at 7:10. After a few refreshes displayed a time after 6pm. Refresh again back to no availability. 8:12am no availability and 10 refreshes didn't help. 8:42am no availability refresh twice get 6:55pm, 3rd refresh gone. Will it make it to park opening?

Nope.
What's the crowd level like this week compared to last few weeks? I know previously Slinky was not running out until closer to 1030-11. Seems like earliest return on a lot of attractions is much later in day recently then first weeks of genie+.

 

[dirtnap101]

Nope.
What's the crowd level like this week compared to last few weeks? I know previously Slinky was not running out until closer to 1030-11. Seems like earliest return on a lot of attractions is much later in day recently then first weeks of genie+.

HS today is rated a 5, but the actual almost always ends up being lower. The last few days have turned out to be 2, 3, 3.

I think it's possible we are seeing not so much a higher crowd effect but a snowball effect as more people realize G+ exists, and as more people buy it, and as more people start reading and seeing which rides go quickest. "Hey, you have to get SDD at 7am!" I think maybe at the moment it's kinda the same crowd levels, but more people are hip to the G+/ILL scene in general.

 

[Ripken10]

HS today is rated a 5, but the actual almost always ends up being lower. The last few days have turned out to be 2, 3, 3.

I think it's possible we are seeing not so much a higher crowd effect but a snowball effect as more people realize G+ exists, and as more people buy it, and as more people start reading and seeing which rides go quickest. "Hey, you have to get SDD at 7am!" I think maybe at the moment it's kinda the same crowd levels, but more people are hip to the G+/ILL scene in general.

I had a friend (regular visitor) just in WDW. She said end of October was slower, but then the last two days of her trip it got considerably more crowded. Her last two days she said it was as crowded as she can remember it being for this time of year.