Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Saskdw]

I want to clarify the bolded ~ with this new system, you are only allowed to bypass an attraction once for the entirety of your ticket?? That can't possibly be correct.

It can only be used once per day on each ride.

 

[GoofGoof]

I want to clarify the bolded ~ with this new system, you are only allowed to bypass an attraction once for the entirety of your ticket?? That can't possibly be correct.

Once per day. If you purchase LLMP on a different day for the same park you can reserve the same ride or rides again.

 

[Ayla]

It can only be used once per day on each ride.

Yes, that is how I understood it, but the wording was throwing me off.

 

[Ayla]

Once per day. If you purchase LLMP on a different day for the same park you can reserve the same ride or rides again.

Thank you, that is what I thought.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

To only get one use, every last ride in the park would need to be out of slots for the entire day within two hours of park opening which was physically impossible. Even on days G+ completely sold out that didn't happen. To only get three uses the whole park would need to be out of availability within 4 hours of park open. Also never happened that I could find so if it did, it was EXTERMELY rare.

Mostly I agree, but that depends what = a use.

I could always get a pass for Philarmagic, but it was 100% useless. So sure, I could always 'use' a Philarmagic pass.

Remember back in the days of paper FP, if you pulled a pass for Pooh, you also got a 'bonus' pass for Philarmagic. That wasn't actually a FASTpass, it was an ad- to steer people into Philarmagic so there were fewer vacancies. That's still true today.

WDW should add Hall of Presidents to the lineup of available passes!

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I wonder if it’s a fastest fingers issue. By the time someone clicks through a legitimate option could be gone. If memory serves, FP+ held the times if they were showing up for you upon a refresh, but the tip board doesn’t?

This is what I want to know, and this thread doesn't have many first hand accounts. An aspect of G+ that was frustrating was the way times would jump around when choosing a pass time. You had to know to ignore the times offered until you got to the last screen just before confirming the time.

I wonder if the new version has a similar issue?

In this case, it sounds like the times offered on the tip board do not match what is actually available to book. People reported seeing say a 10am Buzz on the tip board, but they could not book it. Then when they refresh/go back to the tip board, it still says 10am Buzz is available.

Might be a temporary glitch, or just something we need to learn about the new system.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

It’s funny because at the end of every systems ‘life’ similar claims have been made. When FP+ went away for Genie+ there was a ton of concern they were stomping out the super user (same when paper left), which is ironic given the discussion in this thread. Also relevant: I think Genie+ is being looked back on with some serious rose coloured glasses, it was not as effortless to get the high numbers out of the system as some are portraying. If it was easy, it was probably being used where it wasn’t really needed. It took work and strategizing, and a solid plan going in in order to keep things efficient. It did not work well with every single type of day. I anticipate LLMP and LLSP will be the same.

As long as it’s a system where the guest has some control, and not one with defined outcomes and a la carte purchases, the educated guest always does better. We do better at the expense of guests who don’t properly understand how to for lack of a better word, exploit the systems given. But the systems have never by design given everybody that every headliner with ease kind of day.

It isn't just purely knowing how to use FP+/G+/MPLL, but also knowing or being willing/able to use the peripheral park hours, and maybe making a few sacrifices.

It also isn't just us learning the latest system, but also how Disney tweaks each system over time. Early FP+ and early G+ both lacked the ability to modify. When FP+ first started, the only way to modify a pass was to stand in line- 20minutes- for an in-park kiosk. And that was to get an 8pm FP for the Teacups. People lost more park time in the line to get the FP than they saved by using it.

 

[Epcot81Fan]

And when I talk to people who’ve returned, they are using “magic”.

Anecdote vs anecdote.

But, fewer people can afford the trip. And the extra costs for things like LL.

Just curious, did they find paying extra for a convoluted line skipping service and then individual charges for rides per person on top of daily tickets “magical”?

 

[bwr827]

Just curious, did they find paying extra for a convoluted line skipping service and then individual charges for rides per person on top of daily tickets “magical”?

When you used to enjoy WDW, did you find paying for tickets magical?

 

[GoofGoof]

When you used to enjoy WDW, did you find paying for tickets magical?

Probably a muggle….they just don’t understand magic

 

[TheMaxRebo]

 

[Epcot81Fan]

When you used to enjoy WDW, did you find paying for tickets magical?

Paying a single price and enjoying an entire day exploring as I wish, when I wish, at my pace, without needing to stare at my phone?

Absolutely magical.

 

[Chi84]

Paying a single price and enjoying an entire day exploring as I wish, when I wish, at my pace, without needing to stare at my phone?

Absolutely magical.

The world has changed. And not just Disney.

 

[mjspin]

...US/Canada Resort Guests, at least for the first few days of their vacation.

What part of the process is limited to US/Canadian guests? Is it just the payment stage and then booking is possible from elsewhere, or is all access blocked for overseas guests until they arrive?

It’s an edge case I know, but one of our family members is in US and I’m wondering if they could go through the purchase stage and we could then make our selections from here in UK ahead of our trip in just over a week.

 

[mjspin]

What part of the process is limited to US/Canadian guests? Is it just the payment stage and then booking is possible from elsewhere, or is all access blocked for overseas guests until they arrive?

It’s an edge case I know, but one of our family members is in US and I’m wondering if they could go through the purchase stage and we could then make our selections from here in UK ahead of our trip in just over a week.

Answering my own question! I assume based on the ability of international DVC guests to pay over phone and then book on the app, same would be true if payment made in the app by someone in US. In other words, it’s the payment they required a guest to be in US.

 

[GoofGoof]

Paying a single price and enjoying an entire day exploring as I wish, when I wish, at my pace, without needing to stare at my phone?

Absolutely magical.

The world has changed. And not just Disney.

It certainly has. Some things for the better and some not so much.

I actually got to enjoy WDW as it was pre-FP back in August 2021 just before Genie+ launched. No FP for anything so everyone just waited standby. I don‘t think we waited in line for anything more than 20 mins but it was a really, really low crowd time since the Southern schools were back, International visitors were still not fully back, Covid was still around including indoor masks and the 50th celebration was launching in a little over a month. We also utilized rope drop pretty much every day over 10 days and did the rides with big lines first. That is not my typical plan, but since it was still low crowd Covid times everything closed early so we did a lot less at night.

I don’t mind paying for a line skip product if it works and is easy to use. I don’t know of any park in the US that offers a free skip the line service. I was not a fan of the 7am wake up for genie+ and lack of planning ahead so this new product seems better for what I want. I need to use it first before passing full judgement.

 

[DCBaker]

Now that the way to reserve LL's has changed, is there a website like Thrill Data that is tracking what is left days out? We go to MK on day 2 of our arrival, and are only going for three nights. So, I am curious if we will even stand a chance to get on Tron and Tiana, if others can buy out all of the LL's up to 14 days earlier (those with longer trips).

Was just hoping that there may be somewhere tracking over the next few days when things are selling out for the future days. Thrill Data seems to mostly show the day of?

Seems Thrill Data has added what you were looking for:

 

[ToTBellHop]

We just booked LLs for our 8-nighter starting 8/4 and got everything we wanted. Even TBA on 8/5. So we are pleased. The interface was easy and fast. Had them all booked by 7:10 am. Plus we could pay with our Disney Visa Rewards Card!

 

[Disstevefan1]

When you used to enjoy WDW, did you find paying for tickets magical?

If you go way back to the A through E ticket thing, the entrance ticket was really inexpensive so it was no big deal.

Then they got rid of the A through E ticket thing and you paid one price and just got in queues for any attraction you wish at any time you wish. That seemed to work ok and there was a perceived value and back then many attractions HAD TWO QUEUES open all the time, it was fun to try to guess the shorter one and everyone said “go in the left one” because the thought was folks were used to always go to the right. It didn’t matter really, running two queues made the wait times low.

Then the changes started happening. We noticed the attractions that used to have two queues, just get in either queue at any time, one of the queues were changed to a FastPass queue.

At first only some if the attractions has a fastpass queue that slowed down what’s now known as the standby queue. Then eventually all attractions, even ones that had a single queue prior to FastPass, has FastPass added to them.

Being a Disneyparks fan we just put up with it and while we had the paper Fastpass it was fun to go to the end of the now very long standby lines Thanks to Fastpass, to give folks your paper Fastpasses and give out some magic, why not? Fastpasses were FREE then.

More changes. No more paper, well no more running to the machines to try to get a Fastpass before they ran out, yes that started to happen.

More changes tiered selections, 60 and 30 day windows, yup some missed out of the good attractions, no matter, it WAS FREE.

Fast forward to today. The gate prices continue to go up, and just getting in means nothing, you must now purchase LL, and work the system to get your money’s worth, you are not free to get into any LL line at any time, you must work the system and be sure to get to your attractions on your return time if you want to get what you paid for.

Yes FastPass also had return times, but if you missed your time, no big deal, it WAS FREE so you had the freedom to skip it AND you skipping helped both the Fastpass and the standby lines at that attraction.

Ah, the good old days….

 

[KDM31091]

It certainly has. Some things for the better and some not so much.

I actually got to enjoy WDW as it was pre-FP back in August 2021 just before Genie+ launched. No FP for anything so everyone just waited standby. I don‘t think we waited in line for anything more than 20 mins but it was a really, really low crowd time since the Southern schools were back, International visitors were still not fully back, Covid was still around including indoor masks and the 50th celebration was launching in a little over a month. We also utilized rope drop pretty much every day over 10 days and did the rides with big lines first. That is not my typical plan, but since it was still low crowd Covid times everything closed early so we did a lot less at night.

I don’t mind paying for a line skip product if it works and is easy to use. I don’t know of any park in the US that offers a free skip the line service. I was not a fan of the 7am wake up for genie+ and lack of planning ahead so this new product seems better for what I want. I need to use it first before passing full judgement.

As much as crowds were indeed lower, the COVID era standby only was so much smoother. Lines moved quickly as they were not constantly stopping for FP/Genie/Lightning etc. I understand exceptions for DAS, but I wish we could just have standby only.

Disney rides were generally designed to be extremely efficient and FP/Genie/whatever messes up a lot of the efficiency and makes the experience worse in the long run, IMO.