Lightning Lane Premier Pass

[Doberge]

I think there is absolutely a chance this expands enough to have a very real feel on the average guest, whether it’s a standby only guest or a LLMP guest.

Maybe. There's a chance, yes, but I'm hopeful it does not change much. VIP tours don't really effect regular guests, and while more will do this program I doubt it'll be in numbers to be noticed by guests. I'd be surprised if there are more than a few hundred of these guests per park, so the only real risk is how these guests tour. Does everyone go to the same rides at the same time? Like, does everyone immediately go to Slinky at rope drop? If yes, that could be a problem but it's also a manageable one by changing LLMP buckets and reducing availability of time slots at certain times the data suggests too many are in LL.

Ultimately, it's a different bucket than LLMP so I'd expect to see price of LLPP increase if there's enough demand, more so than increasing number of LLPP sold per day.

As discussed I think LLMP (and before that, Genie+) is maybe more sensitive to price changes than many anticipated (because we've not seen those prices increase significantly). I think if there was enough demand for a product costing 10x as much then they'd likely be more aggressive with the lower tier LLMP.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

I really hope this fails miserably and they will lower the price and offer an unlimited option … then I would consider it and I’m sure many others would as well.

You just outlined exactly why they won’t do it LOL

 

[vikescaper]

Yikes….:

 

[GhostHost1000]

The solution to all of this:
build
more
attractions


Disney's plan:
Keep attractions and capacity limited enough where lines move slow and people feel like they have to buy LL, ILL or this

 

[wdwmagic]

Everything You Need to Know About Disney's New Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World​

Everything You Need to Know About Disney's New Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World

Everything You Need to Know About Disney's New Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[celluloid]

I know I will get slack for this, and it is not.me either way as I don't buy them, but this removes some of the value of individual LL because now there will be inventory with this.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Disgruntled Walt just got a bit more disgruntled.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It could be a way to juice occupancy rates at Deluxe hotels. That might make the most sense here.

Occupancy rates at deluxes have lagged for years

They overpriced them long ago. Will this make that better?

Fun story: once there was a beautiful hotel on bay lake…
They tripled the prices over 10+ years…occupancy fell to 50%…and then they gutted half for timeshares.

Bad management thinks price isn’t the problem.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Seriously, why are they continuing to cater ONLY to the super rich? They continue to fall on their face.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Let me break down for the peanut gallery.

SeaWorld Orlando:
Quick Queue Unlimited: 24.99-69.99+sales tax per person
Reserved Seating & Quick Queue® Unlimited: 29.99-79.99+sales tax per person
Reserved Seating + Quick Queue Unlimited PLUS: 39.99-99.99+sales tax per person
SeaWorld Orlando Front Line Fear: 59-129+sales tax per person
SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream Front Line Fear Extreme: 79-149+sales tax per person
Quick Queue Unlimited Plus (Aquatica): 39-59+sales tax per person (Can't find max pricing at time of posting)

Universal Orlando Single Park:
Express Pass (Single use): Universal Volcano Bay: 19.99-39.99+sales tax per person (Can't find max pricing at time of posting)
Express PLUS Pass: Universal Volcano Bay: 49.99-69.99 +sales tax per person (Can't find max pricing at time of posting)
Express Pass (Single use): Universal Studios Florida: 89.99-279.99 +sales tax per person
Express Unlimited Pass: Universal Studios Florida: 119.99-309.99 +sales tax per person
Express Pass (Single use): Universal Islands of Adventure: 94.99-289.99 +sales tax per person
Express Unlimited Pass: Universal Islands of Adventure: 124.99-319.99 +sales tax per person
HHN Express Pass: 160-260+sales tax per person
HHN Express Pass After 11pm: 80-150+sales tax per person (Low end based off being half the cost of a full night; 150 the max I've been offered)

Universal Orlando Two Park:
Express Pass after 4PM (Single Use; Premiere Annual Pass; Florida Resident): 789.99-979.99+sales tax per person
Express Pass after 4PM (Single Use; Premiere Annual Pass): 904.99-1094.99+sales tax per person
Express Pass 2 Parks (Single use): 104.99-299.99+sales tax per person
Express Unlimited Pass 2 Parks: 134.99-329.99+sales tax per person
Express Unlimited Pass 2 Parks (Hotel Benefit*): 386-1,024+6% Lodging/Occupancy Tax+Sales Tax ($55 per extra adult applies for more than 2 adult guests per room) per night
*Due to it being on a sperate contract, the Universal Grand Helios Hotel will not have express pass and Loews Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay will not have express at Epic Universe.

Walt Disney World Lighting Lane Premiere (Includes Photopass service and Attraction Photos for Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and other select hotels.)
Animal Kingdom: 129-199+sales tax per person
EPCOT: 169-249+sales tax per person
Hollywood Studios: 269-349+sales tax per person
Magic Kingdom: 329-449+sales tax per person

Peanut Gallery member here...

I can't tell if you think this is good pricing or bad...
How do you apply this apples to apples?
Single Use 1 park (worst case). Universal: $289.99. Vs. WDW: $449.
But...in order to open up the window to pay for WDW, you need to stay at a Deluxe Resort.
Can't compare apples to apples.
Staying at a Universal Deluxe Resort (sans Grand Helios at least for the time being) gives you the Unlimited Express for the length of your stay (not one day).
So, it's $55/day for Unlimited at Universal (extra per adult) vs. $449/day for a single use at WDW.

Epic Universe is a different animal due to it being a new park. Eventually I have a feeling Epic will be included in Express and you may see Grand Helios brought into the mix (even if Express for Epic is only available at Grand Helios years down the line).

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

This is going to anger a lot of people though.

Anything well, even when it’s better for them. They can’t let go of the days of free Fast Pass because they don’t seem to remember all the issues that came with that too, especially in it’s final years.

Universal’s system is proven to work, and it could work at Disney if they actually did it with a price point that works for that resort.

Free or cheap skip the line in this day and age is just the wrong move. Disney is the only one who does it and I don’t think it’s coincidental that as a result, they’re the only ones that have these sort of visible problems with their skip the line system.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

Occupancy rates at deluxes have lagged for years

They overpriced them long ago. Will this make that better?

Fun story: once there was a beautiful hotel on bay lake…
They tripled the prices over 10+ years…occupancy fell to 50%…and then they gutted half for timeshares.

Bad management thinks price isn’t the problem.

What, you don’t think the solution for overpriced and underbooked deluxe resorts is to tack on a spend of a few thousand more?

 

[GhostHost1000]

Everything You Need to Know About Disney's New Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World​

Everything You Need to Know About Disney's New Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World

Everything You Need to Know About Disney's New Lightning Lane Premier Pass at Walt Disney World

www.wdwmagic.com

good summary - I went ahead and added this link to my original post to make it easier for people to find

 

[JD80]

if there's a way for Disney to screw things up with this and effect the guest experience.... they will

Doubtful. Only way to screw it up is to make it cheaper and you know they won't do that.

 

[ChrisM]

Fully expecting to be pelted with rocks and garbage, but this is exactly the product I've been hoping they would offer.

I would have absolutely purchased this on my previous family trips and am mildly annoyed it wasn't available for my trip last December as it would have worked perfectly for my family and freed me up from the mad planning and LL scheming.

I've been able to max out the Genie+/LL schemes (across its multiple iterations) to make an extremely smooth trip for my gang - but it all comes at a personal cost. At first it can be kind of fun, as it sort of has a gamification "win/lose" aspect to it. But after a while it just becomes exhausting (as I'm sure you all well know), coupled with the possibility of disappointing your family if you screw it up.

And yes, the VIP tours have always been there as a premium option. But affordability or not aside, I simply have zero interest in sharing my vacation with a guide at a theme park. I don't need someone to guide me through the parks, I can probably recite 90% of the lore and background information, and no one in my family wants backstage access to anything.

I can understand the consternation this causes to many, but I'm a big fan of more options.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Seriously, why are they continuing to cater ONLY to the super rich? They continue to fall on their face.

This is coming in response to something that has been asked for by a certain segment of guests for many years now. They’re catering to a specific audience because that specific audience is who has been asking for it.

This is not designed for everyone nor do they intend for everyone to use it. It is very clear that they want this to be given to and used by a very small pool of people. And if that is what happens, it will have no noticeable impact on everyone else. It is simply going to be taking people who would already be using lightning lane and moving them over into a different lightning lane category. It’s not creating new lightning lane users.

It’s not perfect and it’s not exactly what I think they should be doing, but this is not something that is going to end up mattering to 99% of the people visiting the parks every day.

 

[JD80]

This isn’t a slippery slope, Disney per their own words is calling this a pilot rollout to the deluxe resorts.

So what. Even if it was available to everyone, at those price points the audience is still small and likely buying LLMP/SP

 

[GhostHost1000]

Doubtful. Only way to screw it up is to make it cheaper and you know they won't do that.

oh ye of little faith lol. They won't drop the price of this, but it could affect what they do with LL/ILL for us average folks down the road and this is just the start

 

[JD80]

oh ye of little faith lol. They won't drop the price of this, but it could affect what they do with LL/ILL for us average folks down the road and this is just the start

I don't see how other than higher price points which are coming regardless.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

So what. Even if it was available to everyone, at those price points the audience is still small and likely buying LLMP/SP

Agree to disagree.

None of us have the capacity numbers Disney is privy to to be able to declare this can never become intrusive enough on the average guest experience to negativity impact it. I think they are walking a fine line with selling the excess capacity here, and something will have to give if they push it too far (which will be very tempting if there’s demand at this price point), whether that’s functionality of LLMP or efficiency of standby/length of LLs.

It’s not as if LLMP/SP availability is wide open under the current system.