Lightning Lane Premier Pass

[threvester]

I’m starting to really get the impression that people don’t really know what this is and aren’t caring to read into it even a little.

All over social media people are saying that this is going to make lightning lane worse. How? This is not creating a new tear of lightning lane users. The very small amount of people that are going to end up buying this would have been using multi pass and single pass anyway. This is not going to mean more people are using lightning lane. It’s the same people just using a different method.

This is very clearly just an alternative to a VIP tour that is aimed squarely at the people who want to skip the line perk but aren’t interested in everything else that comes with a VIP tour. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.

I don’t know why everybody is overcomplicating something that is going to be irrelevant to anyone but the small amount of people who were using it other than this is a fandom that has gotten addicted to being angry.

There’s plenty of stuff Disney is doing worth being angry about (like how they treat their CMs while opening these new revenue streams at the same time), and instead of focusing on that everyone’s piling onto this which is not even going to be a factor for 99% of us.

Everyone buying this service will be riding more attractions per day than those without. Thats how it results in more people in lightning lane at MK or HS anyway.

 

[DisneyCane]

This is what I don't understand. I mean, the tickets are good any time, vs a 7-hour VIP tour.

But let's say it's $280 per person per park. For 5 people and 2 parks that's $2,800, which is cheaper than the cheapest VIP tour. Why cannibalize VIP tours like that?

As I said in the prior discussion about this, never underestimate the appeal of payroll reduction to the bean counters. They see payroll as the largest controllable expense and do not analyze the whole picture for things like VIP tours.

 

[DisneyCane]

This could potentially increase LL and LLMP sales as Premier Pass is so expensive, it would be easier to justify spending much less per day on multi pass and lightning lanes.

That is marketing at its finest! It's like convincing people to save money by purchasing something on sale that they wouldn't have purchased at regular price. The consumer things they saved money but they spent money they wouldn't have otherwise.

 

[DisneyCane]

We fall into this category also, we aren’t willing to waste (for a lack of a better term) money just because we have a bunch sitting in the bank.

For us Disney has become an opportunity cost problem, we can afford all of it but we find it harder and harder to justify going to Disney rather than the alternatives, that are now very similarly priced. A week at WDW for $7k vs a weeklong Alaska cruise for $7k in a mini suite is a no brainer for us, and Disney loses that scenario. A week at WDW for $7k or a week in Europe for $10k is still a no brainer for us, again with Disney losing. They’ve become so expensive it’s hard to ignore the dozens of other more exciting options that are in many cases also a much easier trip to plan.

We still love the parks, they just don’t make financial sense anymore, at least not on a regular basis, the days of monthly DL trips (as APs) and the annual weekly trip to WDW (or 2) are now replaced with a trip or 2 to DL and a half week trip every year or 2 to WDW.

We can still afford it, we just can’t justify it.

As a Passholder that lives 3 hours away I'm in a somewhat similar boat. Even though we can afford it, I have refused to pay for any skip the line product and won't pay for this either because it takes away the entire value argument for an annual pass.

For any attraction that has been around for over 15 years, we have ridden them all over 100 times so we don't "need" to ride everything on every trip. However, what these LL products will do is either reduce the number of times per year we go (and therefore we will spend less on food/merch per year) because we don't get as much out of each trip or get us to drop our passes and stop going if it gets to the point that you need LL to have any reasonable wait times.

I get the market they are going after with this product but the price is insane. At the high end of the dynamic pricing you are paying like 3x the admission cost in addition to the admission cost just to lower wait times.

At the higher end of the price range, my wife and I can literally take a week long ski trip including a very nice hotel/condo rental, airfare and equipment rental for less per day than this would cost for the two of us.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Why create new capacity? That costs money.

Much better to invent new revenue streams off of the existing, under built parks.

That’s exactly what they are doing. Why give guests what they want when they can just charge more.

Until we stop paying and going, nothing will change with Bob at the helm

It’s also pretty funny they released another membership for DVC members to pay $99 for a few extra things they call “perks” after most members spent tens of thousands to join and pay thousands in fees every year as well.

Disney is really beginning to stick it to us fans more and more and have no idea what they are really doing in the long run to their most loyal guests and customers. It’s going to come back and bite them and we are I believe beginning to see some signs of that now that the post Covid surge has ended and the changes they’ve made.

How much longer until all those new attractions open and how much dirt is moving? Exactly. No rush if people pay more for the old stuff, it’s still magical right? Disregard the increased attraction downtimes.

 

[KDM31091]

That’s exactly what they are doing. Why give guests what they want when they can just charge more.

Until we stop paying and going, nothing will change with Bob at the helm

It’s also pretty funny they released another membership for DVC members to pay $99 for a few extra things they call “perks” after most members spent tens of thousands to join and pay thousands in fees every year as well.

Disney is really beginning to stick it to us fans more and more and have no idea what they are really doing in the long run to their most loyal guests and customers. It’s going to come back and bite them and we are I believe beginning to see some signs of that now that the post Covid surge has ended and the changes they’ve made.

How much longer until all those new attractions open and how much dirt is moving? Exactly. No rush if people pay more for the old stuff, it’s still magical right? Disregard the increased attraction downtimes.

Exactly. They really don’t seem to care about long time fans, annual pass holders, locals, etc. all the moves they’ve made lately cater solely to that mysterious family from Colorado that comes for 10 days once in a lifetime. Which is fine, on a business level I get it, but you’re also alienating your core customers with constant up charges and new systems like this that make it harder to just go enjoy the park on a whim.

 

[John park hopper]

I really believe Disney wants to get rid of the long time fan who remembers when. The one and done guest has no long term memory and thus Disney can continue to have the never ending price increases.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I really believe Disney wants to get rid of the long time fan who remembers when. The one and done guest has no long term memory and thus Disney can continue to have the never ending price increases.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

A narrative that’s been repeated throughout this thread is that this is a product of convenience not a product of value, and it’s for people who can afford it without issue. While that’s likely true, it also implies that ability to afford something means guests are unconcerned with value and are not discerning when it comes to purchase decisions. I simply don’t think that’s accurate at all.

There was already a product out there for people who are not price sensitive and want to do the parks effortlessly AND with minimal restrictions, the VIP tours. This seemingly fits more as a stretch purchase for guests for whom a VIP tour may have been out of the question. Because of that, I think it’s relevant to point out what a poor value it is when the cost per valuable LL admit can be closer to the $40-50 per ride price point. I do think it’s unwise to consider purchasing this if you balk at the price, as the parks that we know today can be done fairly easily without this financial outlay, but I don’t think it’s accurate to speak of this product like the guests who purchase it are going to be throwing all value judgment out of the window simply because they have money.

 

[Andrew C]

That’s exactly what they are doing. Why give guests what they want when they can just charge more.

Until we stop paying and going, nothing will change with Bob at the helm

It’s also pretty funny they released another membership for DVC members to pay $99 for a few extra things they call “perks” after most members spent tens of thousands to join and pay thousands in fees every year as well.

Disney is really beginning to stick it to us fans more and more and have no idea what they are really doing in the long run to their most loyal guests and customers. It’s going to come back and bite them and we are I believe beginning to see some signs of that now that the post Covid surge has ended and the changes they’ve made.

How much longer until all those new attractions open and how much dirt is moving? Exactly. No rush if people pay more for the old stuff, it’s still magical right? Disregard the increased attraction downtimes.

Stop crying! I have been told none of these types of changes impact the experience for the average guest. It’s options! Options make it all better.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

I forgot to add to my last post, given that it’s such a poor value product right now when you consider how unnecessary it is to access the attractions (I think it’s biggest selling feature is being effortless and unscheduled), I don’t think it’s being overly dramatic to wonder what changes are coming down the road to uhhh ‘encourage’ people to consider this purchase. I think it’s fair to wonder just how strongly they’re going to lean into this being a pilot rollout.

You want Universal? That’s eliminating the more affordable option entirely.

 

[JD80]

A narrative that’s been repeated throughout this thread is that this is a product of convenience not a product of value, and it’s for people who can afford it without issue. While that’s likely true, it also implies that ability to afford something means guests are unconcerned with value and are not discerning when it comes to purchase decisions. I simply don’t think that’s accurate at all.

There was already a product out there for people who are not price sensitive and want to do the parks effortlessly AND with minimal restrictions, the VIP tours. This seemingly fits more as a stretch purchase for guests for whom a VIP tour may have been out of the question. Because of that, I think it’s relevant to point out what a poor value it is when the cost per valuable LL admit can be closer to the $40-50 per ride price point. I do think it’s unwise to consider purchasing this if you balk at the price, as the parks that we know today can be done fairly easily without this financial outlay, but I don’t think it’s accurate to speak of this product like the guests who purchase it are going to be throwing all value judgment out of the window simply because they have money.

I don't think anyone is implying that just because you can afford something that they are not personally determining it's value proposition. For me, what I'm saying is that people who can afford it determine value differently than people going to WDW on a smaller budget.

Convience and time becomes more valuable the more you can afford them. If I work hard I can probably get the same value, or close to it, with a $25 LLMP compared to aa $350 LLPP. However, if an extra $325 is not a financial burden to me I may consider all the time managing 3 LL tracks, modifying times and refreshing things to be worth that.

There is a huge financial gap between this new product and VIP. One hour of VIP is worth 1 or 2 LLPP. I think this product is a decent in-between for people who want to spend on extra convience.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I think Disney is calling this a test?

In WDW you can only purchase it when staying in select deluxe resorts?

I think its fine Disney is offering this even though it was not made for me.

As for it effecting the existing LL system, in my opinion, the system is already bad and broken, this will make no difference.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

I don't think anyone is implying that just because you can afford something that they are not personally determining it's value proposition. For me, what I'm saying is that people who can afford it determine value differently than people going to WDW on a smaller budget.

Convience and time becomes more valuable the more you can afford them. If I work hard I can probably get the same value, or close to it, with a $25 LLMP compared to aa $350 LLPP. However, if an extra $325 is not a financial burden to me I may consider all the time managing 3 LL tracks, modifying times and refreshing things to be worth that.

There is a huge financial gap between this new product and VIP. One hour of VIP is worth 1 or 2 LLPP. I think this product is a decent in-between for people who want to spend on extra convience.

We are fairly price insensitive to the rack rates at the deluxe resorts to a degree. We pay em if we have to cause we find value in the experience. I understand the concept of splurging on more expensive options, which is why I think it’s incorrect to speak of this product like its intended to be purely a purchase of convenience from guests who have such deep pockets they will not be discerning at all or ever consider the value of what they’re purchasing. I think this is further driven home by the way there already is the VIP tours for the guests who have money is no object kind of deep pockets. I don’t think this is a product for all but the most introverted money is no object kind of guests.

I just think it’s unlikely there is a large segment of guests who (1) wouldn’t consider paying for a less restrictive VIP tour, (2) but can unflinchingly afford an extra thousand or so tacked on to their day using a family of 4, and (3) who are so overwhelmed by the idea of touring the parks that they will find value in the hefty premium to drop the schedule.

I think there’s a chance is the beginning of further change and a phasing out of the ‘cheap’ price point of LLMP and LLSP.

 

[lentesta]

Respectfully, y'all aren't looking at this the right way.

Disney has a product - Lightning Lane Single&Mult Pass - for families who want to spend an extra $200-$300 per day to skip the lines.

And Disney has a product - VIP Tours - for families who want to spend an extra $3,500 - $6,500 per day to skip the lines.

But what about the families in the middle, who want to spend $1,200 to $1,800 per day to skip the lines? WHAT ABOUT THEM????

Lightning Lane Premier Pass fills that gap in the product/market space.

It's all about meeting unmet needs.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Respectfully, y'all aren't looking at this the right way.

Disney has a product - Lightning Lane Single&Mult Pass - for families who want to spend an extra $200-$300 per day to skip the lines.

And Disney has a product - VIP Tours - for families who want to spend an extra $3,500 - $6,500 per day to skip the lines.

But what about the families in the middle, who want to spend $1,200 to $1,800 per day to skip the lines? WHAT ABOUT THEM????

Lightning Lane Premier Pass fills that gap in the product/market space.

It's all about meeting unmet needs MAKING MORE MONEY!

FIFY

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

My grumpiness over this can be summarized in short by - guests as a whole are never going to win as they get better and more targeted when it comes to selling the ‘extra’ capacity. Some will always love the new products, but I think doing this is a net negative for the guest experience.

My feelings are similar when it comes to the heavy reliance on hard ticket events. Over time it has eroded the base experience, despite the way some people adore the events.

 

[Disstevefan1]

My grumpiness over this can be summarized in short by - guests as a whole are never going to win as they get better and more targeted when it comes to selling the ‘extra’ capacity. Some will always love the new products, but I think doing this is a net negative for the guest experience.

My feelings are similar when it comes to the heavy reliance on hard ticket events. Over time it has eroded the base experience, despite the way some people adore the events.

The way I "Disney rationalize" the hard ticket events is I can get on an attraction I cant otherwise AND there is a party.

Just a way to justify it in my mind.

In my heart I KNOW there is no real value there.

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

The way I "Disney rationalize" the hard ticket events is I can get on an attraction I cant otherwise AND there is a party.

Just a way to justify it in my mind.

In my heart I KNOW there is no real value there.

I think theres value, but I think the value found in the parties and especially in the unthemed after hours events is directly because they’ve found a way to sell off what used to be part of the base experience. I find this to be similar. To really be a valuable product they’ve got to further erode the base experience.

 

[Kingoglow]

I don't really get why anyone is defending this. I get that it won't really affect many people. I wouldn't buy this if it were half the price. But it's just yet another symptom of the rot within the company.

I don't get why people care about this one way or another.

Do you care about VIP tours? If not then you shouldn't care about this.