Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
People are still complaining about this yet they will still stump up to pay.

Has anybody on this thread gone and cancelled their trips after yesterday’s news?

A friend of mine did yesterday. That is a total of five friends or family that have cancelled trips over a variety of bad Disney decisions. My wife and I talked about it last night and almost did so ourselves but the fact that I am a huge SW nut and am going nuts over experiencing GE at least once made us decide to continue on this one last time.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
I'm in interested on what the push back will be like when say Rise has missing effects, and a family of four has just paid $80 for Lightning Lane access. They get off, and then express that they aren't happy to have paid $80 and have missing effects. Obviously Disney doesn't guarantee show quality, but that still doesn't stop then subsequent guest recovery that will be needed.

tbat will just become the next ‘disney tricks to ride for free’ youtube video…. So eventually any GR will suck.
 

brettf22

Premium Member
Thinking about everything again this morning, this is an evolution (or some might say devolution) of FP, not a revolutionary thing, at least for most of us here. The "plan my day" part that is being touted as the greatest thing since slice bread ... probably won't really be used much by the veteran WDW traveler. So that leaves the whole Lightning Lane Passes.

How is this different from FP+? For WDW, essentially it removes the 30-60 day preplanning aspect, and adds cost (and boy, those are non-insignificant costs). For Disneyland, the evolution is even smaller.

With FP+:
- Pre-book 3 FP before you come (30-60 days out)
- These could be 1 Tier One pass, and 2 Tier Two passes
- Get a 4th after using those three
- This was all included with your ticket price

Now (especially for onsite folks) you have:
- Possibility to pre-book 3 passes before you enter the park (or immediately upon entering)
- These can be 2 Tier One passes and 1 Tier Two pass
- Get a fourth pass (only Tier Two) after you use the pre-booked Tier Two pass (or 90 minute after you make it).
- This cost to do this is unknown and variable, but at least around $25/person/day, but could be upwards of $45/person/day, or more.(Edit: for my family of 5, a 7 day trip, going all out on Genie+ and Tier One pass purchases, could be upwards of $1600 more for the week. Ugh.)

While I liked MaxPass, I'm not sure it will be as beneficial at WDW. Should be interesting to watch the regular attending folks to figure out the best strategies over the coming year.
 
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I think the point if they ARE listening to their audience

the collective audience has no self control…and haven’t since the WW2 generation went.

they are selling out eride nights with Halloween decorations at $150 a pop 10 weeks before the fall starts…

if you’re Disney…there’s almost no way to misinterpret that
These prices are crazy! 150$??? The problem is we live in a society in which people don't act. People accept everything without fighting. Therefore, I think we should complain and the should hear us
 

codersteve

New Member
I really wouldn’t be as mad about being priced out of the rides if there was still entertainment, but does anyone else remember that week PRE covid when Disney absolutely slaughtered entertainment in the parks? Basically every streetmosphere show was cut.
You have to wonder now what the ticket gets you. It gets you into the park and that's pretty much it. Well, there's the parades, but other than that...
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Thinking about everything again this morning, this is an evolution (or some might say devolution) of FP, not a revolutionary thing, at least for most of us here. The "plan my day" part that is being touted as the greatest thing since slice bread ... probably won't really be used much by the veteran WDW traveler. So that leaves the whole Lightning Lane Passes.

How is this different from FP+? For WDW, essentially it removes the 30-60 day preplanning aspect, and adds cost (and boy, those are non-insignificant costs). For Disneyland, the evolution is even smaller.

With FP+:
- Pre-book 3 FP before you come (30-60 days out)
- These could be 1 Tier One pass, and 2 Tier Two passes
- Get a 4th after using those three
- This was all included with your ticket price

Now (especially for onsite folks) you:
- Possibility to pre-book 3 passes before you enter the park (or immediately upon entering)
- These can be 2 Tier One passes and 1 Tier Two pass
- Get a fourth pass (only Tier Two) after you use the pre-booked Tier Two pass (or 90 minute after you make it).
- This cost to do this is unknown and variable, but at least around $25/person/day, but could be upwards of $45/person/day, or more.

While I liked MaxPass, I'm not sure it will be as beneficial at WDW. Should be interesting to watch the regular attending folks to figure out the best strategies over the coming year.
Not to mention that the "tiering" is much more forgiving under this system than under FP+. Under FP+, everything good was Tier 1. Now, very little is Tier 1. The vast majority will be available in the base product.
 

jmp85

Well-Known Member
Just a little humor- add your additions if you please (sign into genie to make sure your add-ons are not chargeable)

Lumiere:


Ma chere Mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride
and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight.
Genie:
Please log onto your Genie plus account and pay $15.00 if you wish to continue
Lumiere:
And now we invite you to relax, let us pull up your
chair as the dining room proudly presents -
your dinner!
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
Chair- $25.00. Stand-$23.99
Lumiere:
Be our guest! Be our guest!
Put our service to the test
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie
And we'll provide the rest
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
Napkin- $43.99, Use your sleave-$29.99, No napkin-$13.99
Lumiere:
Soup du jour’
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted to pay $59.99.
Lumiere:
Hot hors d'oeuvres
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted to pay $59.99.
Lumiere:
Why, we only live to serve
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted to pay $99.99.
Lumiere:
Try the grey stuff
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted to pay $99.99.
Chip:
It's delicious
Genie:
Thank You! Log into your Gene plus account and pay $24.99 and find out how this will lead to substantial commercial opportunities for us!
Lumiere:
Don't believe me? Ask the dishes
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
China plate- $43.99, Paper plate-$29.99, Use your hands -$19.99
Lumiere:
They can sing, they can dance
After all, Miss, this is France
And a dinner here is never second best
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
Singing and dance experience- $79.99, France encounter $25k, France via Epcot encounter $14k, second best service, all-inclusive-$999.99. (Please see upgrade for real butter-$23.99)
Lumiere:
Go on, unfold your menu
Take a glance and then you'll
Be our guest
Oui, our guest
Be our guest!
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
Menu- $69.99, Verbal Menu- $59.99 (add $9.99 for each repeated item) Paper menu- $49.99, Take a guess to order something $29.99
Lumiere and Chorus:
Beef ragout, Genie: log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted to pay $159.99.
Cheese soufflé Genie: log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted to pay $159.99.
Pie and pudding "en flambe" Genie: log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted to pay $159.99. (add additional $29.99 for any flame experience’s)
Lumiere:
We'll prepare and serve with flair
A culinary cabaret!
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
Chef does the cooking- $399.00, Line cook, experienced-$329.99, Random guest from park does the cooking-$299.99, You cook it yourself $298.99.
Lumiere:
You're alone
And you're scared
But the banquet's all prepared
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
Someone to sit with you-$499.99, someone to comfort you-499.99.
Lumiere:
No one's gloomy or complaining
While the flatware's entertaining
We tell jokes! I do tricks
With my fellow candlesticks
Genie:
log onto your Genie plus account where you will be prompted and pay the following choices:
Equity silverware-$1999.99, Plasticware $1799.99, eat with your fingers $599.00.
Equity Jokes and tricks-$1999.99, No jokes and tricks- $999.00. (Please add $299.99 per each candlestick and $199.99 if you care to have them lighted)
Chorus:
And it's all in perfect taste
That you can bet-Genie $299.99 per bet
Come on and lift your glass-Genie: $299 for glass, $199 for plastic, $99.99 to use your hands.

You've won your own free pass-Genie-Sign into Virtual Q at 0530am limited spots, so be fast. Or select the paid option for $99.99
To be out guest
Lumiere:
If you're stressed-Genie: $299 for comforting, $399.00 for you to walk out.
It's fine dining we suggest -Genie:$1299.99 for fine dining, $1099.99 sit-down, $999.99 Quick service, go to Mickey Ds $899.99

Tonight you'll prop your feet up
But for now, let's eat up
Be our guest!
Be our guest!
Be our guest!
Please, be our guest!

This is the best thing I've ever seen. Please email this to Guest Relations at Disney.
 

Communicora

Premium Member
I will wait and see what the details are then. It seems like a good sign that people liked MaxPass, even though my first thought is that this sounds like a lot of planning in the morning and I don’t like the “no ride is guaranteed, criss-crossing back and forth across the park with small children and elderly grandparents to get to an available ride” aspect. As I’ve said though, these are smaller issues than I was expecting. I’m more bothered by the general principle than any specific aspect of the plan itself, which is a surprise.
I think people are really overestimating the time they will be spending in the morning. If you choose to, you can log on and try for a boarding group, pick your first lightning lane ride and/or the two you want to pay for. You aren't selecting a day's worth of passes.
 

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
I think they need an expert in public relations to know the opinions of Disney Fans. Maybe, it is better to improve merchandising instead of pricing FP+. However,this would be a clever action taking into the account the audience . Right now, they are ignoring us

They honestly don’t care - I know that sucks to hear, but it’s the truth.

A big investment and infrastructure change like this has already had various scenarios discussed before announcement. Disney knew this would be loud for a bit, and they know mostly everyone will get over it, as they always do.

The few who decide to be done with Disney will make no difference and have already been seen as a calculated and worthwhile loss.

I think it sucks extra hard for many who quite haven’t accepted what Disney is, but Disney has been this way a long time now, dating back to the Eisner era.

I do feel for regular resort guests, who always stay on property and found value in that before. I personally never could stomach those prices, nor had any desire to plan my days so far in advance.

What perks did resort guests get before FastPass+?
 

tanc

Premium Member
For new readers, this is basically the best summary of Genie+


This sums it up: It's a planning tool for guests that uses algorithms to tell them what and when they should do things based on what they like. As far as fast passes before, people were able to get 3 fast passes for free to schedule 60 day outs in advance...now you have to pay an additional $15 a day for one fast pass at a time that you only get to schedule the day of now, but then you have to pay even more money if you want a fast pass for the most popular rides

 

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Waters Back Side

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine did yesterday. That is a total of five friends or family that have cancelled trips over a variety of bad Disney decisions. My wife and I talked about it last night and almost did so ourselves but the fact that I am a huge SW nut and am going nuts over experiencing GE at least once made us decide to continue on this one last time.

I will not cancel but WDW will lose money from me in other sectors. A dining plan of any kind for my family of 5 is not happening. Park hopper will not happen. A day in Disney Springs to buy some souvenirs is not happening. Any after hours events or tours are never gonna happen..especially when they made it in which some of the rides included in those events/tours are more expensive then buying a lightning lane pass for them. I will look for ways to save money to make it work. It I ever go off peak maybe vice versa..i will not need Genie+ or to buy the better rides. So instead I'll do a dining package or park hopper etc.
 
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Missing20K

Well-Known Member
You guys are hilarious.

This is a $15 per day price increase. That's it. It's not more sinister than that. You're acting like they decided to rip out Splash Mountain and replace it wi...

Wait...
Unless I wanna ride an E that has no BG/VQ left and only $LL remaining. Then it’s a $4-$24 increase pp/ride.

But ya, it’s a simple $15 per day increase. On a trip most spend some hundreds pp/day.

$15/$500 = $0.03. It’s not even nickel/dime. It’s turning over the couch cushions for pennies.

The price of something is one thing. The unabashed and transparent search for the customers loose change is another.
 

matt9112

Well-Known Member
Well at least it appears you can get the reservation from the park you're leaving as opposed to having to make it all the way over to the ride in the park you're going to like in the legacy FP days. That should up the chances, especially if you can reserve before park hopping time, and do one or two more standby at the park you're in.

Its going to depend on the take rate. If those 15 dollar bits have a high take rate this is just fp+ 2.0 if they dont sell well i could see you being able to pick sort of whatever you want. However at this price point i assume most vacationers will antie up. Thus how much better will availability be? I suppose your removing the AP pool and that will lighten the load. It will also depend on if i can even wait in line or is that going to bot be possible.
 

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