Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[matt9112]

Parks still aren't at full capacity and they are selling out. I'm thinking they aren't allocating much capacity to LL... The only question is why.

Balance....put too much in LL and than standby becomes a parking lot? Its a slippery slope to "advertise and or claim LL is required" plus its new all theorys aside there probably atill learning themselves.

 

[raymusiccity]

I'm thinking that on the busy days, families will be much better off spending money on the ILL purchases than on Genie+. At least then you're guaranteed rides on one of the headliner attractions instead of paying $15 per person for maybe only one or two of the next tier down.

Frustrating that Disney has their hand in your wallet either way !

 

[Patcheslee]

Bad optics if you can only get two good rides and it's sold out by mid afternoon too. If people are paying, they will want access.

Personally going to HS and haven't been since GE opened, I would expect to get RotR, MFSR, ST, ToT, RnRc, and a show minimum. SDD isn't a personal interest in our family. But that seems to be stretching things a bit still.

 

[nickys]

Personally going to HS and haven't been since GE opened, I would expect to get RotR, MFSR, ST, ToT, RnRc, and a show minimum. SDD isn't a personal interest in our family. But that seems to be stretching things a bit still.

RotR is an ILL ride, not Genie+

 

[Patcheslee]

RotR is an ILL ride, not Genie+

I know, which would mean spending more $ or standing in a long line, which would cut down on the possibility of having time for the others. With shows ending hours before park closing, options get more limited.

 

[pdude81]

I think the average person is going to consider this as paying $15 for fastpass, and have no expectation of getting on everything they want with ease. It sure wasn't easy before, especially for people who weren't staying on site. Those people now actually have a shot at getting on FoP if they want to pay the ransom where before there was no shot if they weren't refreshing at drop time.

And as for G+, when paying $140 for a day ticket, I don't think it's reasonable to assume that you're going to do any better than you would in FP+ time for only $15 more.

Now if this means that the upcharge isn't worth it to many, great. Don't pay for it and the standby lines will move a tiny bit faster that hour. I preferred the old system but I'll work this one as best I can to my advantage.

 

[brettf22]

While not directly connected to each other (especially WRT timing), I chuckled at the juxtaposition of these two tweets.

 

[Muffinpants]

I give it 3 more months and RoTR will be only ILL... The amount of money they can make is ALOT I dont see them passing it by.

 

[flynnibus]

While not directly connected to each other (especially WRT timing), I chuckled at the juxtaposition of these two tweets.

Yes, but this headline is pretty stupid.

Investment reaches lowest level since 2013? Did we forget the company was in basic hibernation and taking huge loans just to keep things liquid? Of course long term investment is going to be paused or reduced during a once in a lifetime pandemic affecting the entire nation.

This just in... water is wet and if you get thrown in a pool... you'll get wet.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I give it 3 more months and RoTR will be only ILL... The amount of money they can make is ALOT I dont see them passing it by.

I never say never with Disney, but I would bet this is never going to happen. Locking their biggest attraction solely behind a paywall will not fare well for them

 

[wdisney9000]

I paid a little over $300 for a one day ticket to Universal, including a one-park basic Express Pass, a few weeks ago. Disney prices are not all that bad compared to some other parks nearby. There are people in the area who are willing to spend that much per day and Disney just wants to get in on some of that money.

The difference is that USO will give you that Express Pass for free if you stay at their Deluxe resorts which are far less expensive than Disneys Deluxe resorts, which only give you an extra 30 minutes of park in the a.m, and at MK only half the park is open for that 30 min.

But what if you stay at one of USO moderate or value resorts and have to spend the $120+ on Express Pass? It's still a deal because there value and moderate resorts are still less expensive then WDW moderate/value so the cost is well worth it and is comparable to rack rate at a WDW Deluxe moderate

The average person willing to spend the money that Disney wants to "get in on" appreciates a good deal, not paying $750 for a Deluxe resort (and that price includes AP discount) and getting 30 minutes in Tomorrowland at 7 am as a "perk".

But their are plenty of rubes out there too. I think Disney knows this and will gladly take their one-time earnings from that family who won't visit again for 10 years, if ever.

 

[pdude81]

The difference is that USO will give you that Express Pass for free if you stay at their Deluxe resorts which are far less expensive than Disneys Deluxe resorts, which only give you an extra 30 minutes of park in the a.m, and at MK only half the park is open for that 30 min.

But what if you stay at one of USO moderate or value resorts and have to spend the $120+ on Express Pass? It's still a deal because there value and moderate resorts are still less expensive then WDW moderate/value so the cost is well worth it and is comparable to rack rate at a WDW Deluxe moderate

The average person willing to spend the money that Disney wants to "get in on" appreciates a good deal, not paying $750 for a Deluxe resort (and that price includes AP discount) and getting 30 minutes in Tomorrowland at 7 am as a "perk".

But their are plenty of rubes out there too. I think Disney knows this and will gladly take their one-time earnings from that family who won't visit again for 10 years, if ever.

There's also EEMH for deluxe. Only at 2 parks but that's 4 more hours a week of exclusive time with lower lines.

 

[Purduevian]

3:30 on a Monday. People should be at a minimum on their 4th for MK, DHS, and AK. 3rd for EPCOT
G+:
JC Sold Out
TT Sold Out
MFSR Sold out
RnRC Sold Out
SDD Sold Out


ILL:
7D Sold out (90 min wait)
Space Mountain $7 available now (60 min wait)
Frozen $9 8:55pm (90 minute wait)
RAT: Sold out
MMRR $8 8:20PM (60 minute wait)
ROTR Sold Out (135 minute wait)
FOP Sold out (80 minute wait)
EE $7 Available now (20 minute wait)

 

[drizgirl]

While not directly connected to each other (especially WRT timing), I chuckled at the juxtaposition of these two tweets.

And they still need to reduce food portion sizes.

 

[Jrb1979]

Yes, but this headline is pretty stupid.

Investment reaches lowest level since 2013? Did we forget the company was in basic hibernation and taking huge loans just to keep things liquid? Of course long term investment is going to be paused or reduced during a once in a lifetime pandemic affecting the entire nation.

This just in... water is wet and if you get thrown in a pool... you'll get wet.

Hasn't stopped other companies from investing in their parks. Most regional parks are back to investing into their parks like before Covid. Even the competitor up the street is back to working on their 3rd park. Somehow Disney gets a pass. As well as continue to cut, cut, cut.

 

[Patcheslee]

And they still need to reduce food portion sizes.

Think that comes down to noticing more people sharing meals. 2018 DD10 and I would share a QS breakfast platter with maybe an additional side. And do the same with splitting lunch, dinner was the big meal.
Now though, I'd be purchasing 2 platters with no extra side for myself and a now 13yo.

 

[flynnibus]

Hasn't stopped other companies from investing in their parks. Most regional parks are back to investing into their parks like before Covid.

Uhh... the cited report is about the past, not going forward. You can be back to 5x your prior rate, but if you are looking at a time period that is 9months of NOT doing it... it's still down.

Even the competitor up the street is back to working on their 3rd park. Somehow Disney gets a pass. As well as continue to cut, cut, cut.

It's not a pass - it's a dismissal of a stupid citation that doesn't mean what it's intended to project.

Or one can look another way... spending for just a fraction of the year is at the level Disney used to spend through an entire year. Either way... comparing Pandemic investing to other periods as if they were equal is dumb.

 

[drizgirl]

Hasn't stopped other companies from investing in their parks. Most regional parks are back to investing into their parks like before Covid. Even the competitor up the street is back to working on their 3rd park. Somehow Disney gets a pass. As well as continue to cut, cut, cut.

With so many people making excuses for them, why wouldn't they?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Hasn't stopped other companies from investing in their parks. Most regional parks are back to investing into their parks like before Covid. Even the competitor up the street is back to working on their 3rd park. Somehow Disney gets a pass. As well as continue to cut, cut, cut.

Disney is still pumping billions in their parks.

What exactly is the amount of money these other parks are spending?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Yes, but this headline is pretty stupid.

Investment reaches lowest level since 2013? Did we forget the company was in basic hibernation and taking huge loans just to keep things liquid? Of course long term investment is going to be paused or reduced during a once in a lifetime pandemic affecting the entire nation.

This just in... water is wet and if you get thrown in a pool... you'll get wet.

Indeed.

The pandemic is not over.

And let me elaborate... the pandemic is not over.

International travel only just restarted. Labor shortages are continuing. Supply chain has slowed down. Cost of energy (and mostly everything else) is rising.

And many states and countries are heading into another COVID wave.

Last quarter was the first time since the first lock down that Disney had all their parks open for the entirety of the quarter.

The expectation that Disney would immediately commit to pre-pandemic levels of capex is staggeringly naive.