Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[Waters Back Side]

A lot of assumptions being made here on what the given availability will be for a G+ Tier 2 LL rides given the damn thing hasn't even rolled out yet.

If there is plenty of availability throughout the day then there is not a need to worry. Agreed. It's possible this is the case and wpuld make more sense in terms of controlling lines.

If you are paying for this service you have to be offered what they promise. If it's free that's different.

 

[Jrb1979]

Wouldn't that be alot of people considering crowds get worse as the day goes on though? Maybe that's part of Disneys idea of crowd flow/control. Influence people to come at a time they normally wouldn't.

This system is to make people spend more time in the park to spend money.

 

[GimpYancIent]

This system is to make people spend more time in the park to spend money.

This whole concept, call me crazy, but actually does not provide incentive for more time in the parks but rather skim some more money from the guests. Less pocket money to spend on other things while at the parks.

 

[GimpYancIent]

A lot of assumptions being made here on what the given availability will be for a G+ Tier 2 LL rides given the damn thing hasn't even rolled out yet.

All the assumptions and other stresses / issues/ concerns would go away if Disney management would get a clue and abort this whole thing.

 

[mightynine]

A lot of assumptions being made here on what the given availability will be for a G+ Tier 2 LL rides given the damn thing hasn't even rolled out yet.

It’s almost as if this is a discussion forum and we’re tossing around possibilities in the absence of actual information.

 

[doctornick]

So basically if you are not a fan of getting up early you are going to have a bad time, so much so that if you like getting up late Disney is probably not the place for you.Even the lightning passes have to be booked early. I would say we gave up on going late to the parks a long time ago as it was a huge decrease in value for tickets that cost so much. I think the plan is they want to lock people in to the parks before they have the ability to realize how crowded it is and how little people can do. I imagine Disney maybe wants to keep up the value of the VIP tours up since those people will pay through the nose to do vacations at their pace. In that way the lightning lane is aimed at extracting money from people worried they won't otherwise ride who could never afford vip and are already stretching to afford the parks
.

A bunch of people have mentioned getting up early as an issue and I’m not sure why. There will be plenty of availability of LL passes if you get to the park mid morning just like there was with old paper FP. Will there be less availability? Of course. Will you get less done going later? Absolutely. But it’s really no different than the experience from the old paper FP days (pre FP+). If you survived and enjoyed the parks with using paper FP going to the machines and getting your return time, this should work too.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

It’s almost as if this is a discussion forum and we’re tossing around possibilities in the absence of actual information.

Disney's mum because they're reeling from the negative press. Anymore official info at this stage will just be adding fuel to the fire.

 

[Jrb1979]

This whole concept, call me crazy, but actually does not provide incentive for more time in the parks but rather skim some more money from the guests. Less pocket money to spend on other things while at the parks.

It's a bit of both. With only being able to have 1 LL at a time odds are you will be in the parks longer then you used to. A lot of people will probably skip the afternoon resort time due to paying for it

 

[Waters Back Side]

A bunch of people have mentioned getting up early as an issue and I’m not sure why. There will be plenty of availability of LL passes if you get to the park mid morning just like there was with old paper FP. Will there be less availability? Of course. Will you get less done going later? Absolutely. But it’s really no different than the experience from the old paper FP days (pre FP+). If you survived and enjoyed the parks with using paper FP going to the machines and getting your return time, this should work too.

Can you guarantee that? Can I wait until my 2nd ride choice to book the intriguing former headliners like Frozen, Soarin, Smugglers Run and Mickey & Minnie Runway Railway? Can I choose Mission Space for 10 AM and then with no problem at 10:01 get Soarin and Frozen (two high demand former tier 1 rides)? Or can I wait and choose my first choice a bit later so I can arrive later in the day? Instead of having to wake up at 7 AM and choose the first available option and arrive at 9 am or not at all. During a busy or peak time period that's a valid concern. If they make it work where you can choose your top choice first for anytime problem is solved. If there will be ample availability all day ten you are correct...im worrying for no reason.

 

[Jrb1979]

Disney's mum because they're reeling from the negative press. Anymore info at this stage will just be adding fuel to the fire.

Am I the only one who likes this new system. Once Covid restrictions are dropped for the border I will book a trip to return to Disney. Being able to book my LL as I go is big deal for me.

 

[Waters Back Side]

Am I the only one who likes this new system. Once Covid restrictions are dropped for the border I will book a trip to return to Disney. Being able to book my LL as I go is big deal for me.

I like things about the system. But there are definite problems and cons with it that outweigh the good. And when your is being spent the problems and cons are legitimate concerns.

 

[Roy G. Dis]

Am I the only one who likes this new system. Once Covid restrictions are dropped for the border I will book a trip to return to Disney. Being able to book my LL as I go is big deal for me.

I don't know if I like it or not yet but I am not going to try to design worst case scenarios in my head about how it'll work and use that as my justification for why I have decided to hate it. It all depends on how the system and ride availability end up working out.

As for being able to immediately gratify myself with an upcharged Tier 1 LL I will say that I can see myself liking that flexibility. 40,000 people at the park can't all be satisfied at the same time and anyone one thinks otherwise is fooling themselves.

 

[Jrb1979]

Can you guarantee that? Can I wait until my 2nd ride choice to book the intriguing former headliners like Frozen, Soarin, Smugglers Run and Mickey & Minnie Runway Railway? Can I choose Mission Space for 10 AM and then with no problem at 10:01 get Soarin and Frozen (two high demand former tier 1 rides)? Or can I wait and choose my first choice a bit later so I can arrive later in the day? Instead of having to wake up at 7 AM and choose the first available option and arrive at 9 am or not at all. During a busy or peak time period that's a valid concern. If they make it work where you can choose your top choice first for anytime problem is solved. If there will be ample availability all day ten you are correct...im worrying for no reason.

The way it sounds you can only pick the first available time for the ride you want. If you want top tier rides that are included in Genie+ I have a feeling it's going to be available in intervals. For example when you log in at 7am your options for times will be for first thing in the morning.

 

[cslafferty]

A bunch of people have mentioned getting up early as an issue and I’m not sure why. There will be plenty of availability of LL passes if you get to the park mid morning just like there was with old paper FP. Will there be less availability? Of course. Will you get less done going later? Absolutely. But it’s really no different than the experience from the old paper FP days (pre FP+). If you survived and enjoyed the parks with using paper FP going to the machines and getting your return time, this should work too.

I remember breaking my neck to get to the parks at rope drop, running to the FP kiosks with hundreds of other, standing in the long kiosk line, only to find out all the FPs are gone for the day. I wouldn’t count on “plenty availability” for the rides you really need a FP for.

 

[Waters Back Side]

The way it sounds you can only pick the first available time for the ride you want. If you want top tier rides that are included in Genie+ I have a feeling it's going to be available in intervals. For example when you log in at 7am your options for times will be for first thing in the morning.

That's EXACTLY what I'm worried about. It sounds like that because that's the case. Its confirmed. We know it already. Genie + rides are always first/next available. If they limit the availability to certain time slot windows then I could be fine. I do not know. And yeah, I probably should not worry until we see it all play out. But it is something to keep in the back of your head.l as a concern.

If I can get those good choices for 11am or noon comfortably I'm a happy camper. If its 8 or 9am or nothing because all the other slots booked real quick at 7am when everyone made their choices some people (the late park people) will not be happy.

 

[Jrb1979]

That's EXACTLY what I'm worried about. It sounds like that because that's the case. Its confirmed. We know it already. Genie + rides are always first/next available. If they limit the availability to certain time slot windows then I could be fine. I do not know. And yeah, I probably should not worry until we see it all play out. But it is something to keep in the back of your head.l as a concern.

If I can get those good choices for 11am or noon comfortably I'm a happy camper. If its 8 or 9am or nothing because all the other slots booked real quick at 7am when everyone made their choices some people (the late park people) will not be happy.

I'm not sure you will be able to. You get what you get. Or you can stroll into the parks at the time you used to and get whats left.

 

[Chi84]

A bunch of people have mentioned getting up early as an issue and I’m not sure why. There will be plenty of availability of LL passes if you get to the park mid morning just like there was with old paper FP. Will there be less availability? Of course. Will you get less done going later? Absolutely. But it’s really no different than the experience from the old paper FP days (pre FP+). If you survived and enjoyed the parks with using paper FP going to the machines and getting your return time, this should work too.

That’s why preferred FP+. This won’t work as well for us and we’ll have to pay for it. Trying to keep an open mind until we actually experience it, though.

 

[Waters Back Side]

I'm not sure you will be able to. You get what you get. Or you can stroll into the parks at the time you used to and get whats left.

That's not an acceptable answer if you are paying for rides now. Sorry. It also is the complete opposite of what they are trying to convince you the Genie app will do.

 

[Disney Analyst]

How often did legacy Fastpass sell out on a normal day?

I don’t recall having issues securing a fastpass back in 2013… sure now that it’s paid there is a higher expectation.

I’d suspect there will not be as many people playing the game, simply as it’s no longer free, so I can’t imagine there will be an inventory issue.

 

[runnsally]

Pros/cons aside, bottom line is that the new system will add about $900 to a weeks’s vacation for a family of four assuming daily genie+ and adding four additional LL tier 1 rides at $30 a pop.

Edit: I’m sure this is by design - enough to make it worth it for WDW, but not enough to deter the majority of folks.