Lightning Lane Premier Pass

[Splash4eva]

Yet we’re in a cycle of elaborate drawn out replacements with almost no net gain in capacity…

Must be a hell of a coincidence, huh?

Its at a point where its almost done intentional. I find it hard to imagine a company this big and “successful” be that stupid when it comes to the obvious…

 

[Chi84]

Ive “reported” recently from people i know who were just there ones who have been before and another who hasnt. They both said lines were long and far from walk ons and non existent. All during Thanksgiving week Tuesday prior to the following Wednesday. These are people who were in parks majority of day who are experienced. So people can post whatever pics they want and post whatever average wait times they want. I will go with personal friends and family who literally just came back and spent every day in the parks.

Thanksgiving has always been one of the busiest times though. At least as long as I can remember.

 

[Splash4eva]

Thanksgiving has always been one of the busiest times though. At least as long as I can remember.

Agreed but we had people saying it was slow… and also the days after Thanksgiving weekend were dead and they were not crowds lightened up somewhat but far from dead even the Tuesday before.

 

[Chi84]

Agreed but we had people saying it was slow… and also the days after Thanksgiving weekend were dead and they were not crowds lightened up somewhat but far from dead even the Tuesday before.

Well, there are people saying the parks are empty. People say all kinds of strange stuff.

 

[Splash4eva]

Well, there are people saying the parks are empty. People say all kinds of strange stuff.

Im well aware and honestly. It truly doesnt matter one way or another to me but i will trust people i personally know who have gone for decades & others who are there over internet any day of week…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Agreed but we had people saying it was slow… and also the days after Thanksgiving weekend were dead and they were not crowds lightened up somewhat but far from dead even the Tuesday before.

Thanksgiving week has kinda become the new “hell week”…my suspicion being it was deemed “better” between October, jersey week, and the “mobbed” holiday time

But like all things…it’s just a shift that moves minor pieces around

Is your point it’s “really crowded”?

Believe whoever you want…it’s not…I’ll trust my own eyes as I’m there at multiple points throughout the years and the crowds are ALWAYS less than what they should be for a given timeframe. Since the plague (which you apparently decided
To really have gotten some “info”on…by the way)…

20017-19 was awful…it wasn’t imagined…it was…
Since 2022 and restrictions lifted…it’s been in a slump.

Believe or don’t believe whatever you want

People just kinda “want it” to be packed. But it is not even close. Why? Who knows…it’s counter intuitive but many things Disney travelers do and say are…never gonna be fully explained…

What is reality is this: they have the same ride - more or less - capacity and and less distraction and entertainment levels than they had in the year 2000…so it’s not adequate because travel across the board has risen…as it has since the surrender in Tokyo bay…that’s the western world.

So people with the “mobbed” stuffed either don’t want to admit or don’t know how to measure it…

What we get is a more impatient public looking at wait times on an app…which are highly suspect at multiple points every day…and believe they are at a happening spot.
It’s not empty…the gates would be locked if it ever was close because it needs volume to make a nickel…so no danger of closure…but the system has been manipulated to hell through a variety of both intentional and unintentional consequences of decisions.

 

[Chi84]

People just kinda “want it” to be packed.

What “people” want the parks to be packed?

 

[Dranth]

Premier passes is another example of trying to create a specific crowd (the rich and privileged), forcing people/families to spend beyond their budget to “keep up with the Jones’” or risk losing the full park experience.
DL and DW were created for family. Not profit margin growth. It is sad but a reality.
Our children will never learn patience if we keep giving in to the need for instantaneous satisfaction.

I get where you are going and don't entirely disagree, but I do want to push back a little.

Disney isn't forcing anyone to buy anything. If people buy PP because they think they need to, that is on them. It is in no way needed to experience the parks in full.

Also, people mention the parks were created for families and while that is certainly true, Walt took the public company route which forever tied the company to investors and not the fans/guests. There was no way he could have seen where this would lead but in no way could Disney get away with not playing the growth and margin games as soon as Wall Street started to care about those.

 

[Dranth]

What “people” want the parks to be packed?

Not me, and I honestly think anyone who wants it more crowded is crazy.

The less people the better the experience, at least to a point.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Premier passes is another example of trying to create a specific crowd (the rich and privileged), forcing people/families to spend beyond their budget to “keep up with the Jones’” or risk losing the full park experience.
DL and DW were created for family. Not profit margin growth. It is sad but a reality.
Our children will never learn patience if we keep giving in to the need for instantaneous satisfaction.

1000%

I get where you are going and don't entirely disagree, but I do want to push back a little.

Disney isn't forcing anyone to buy anything. If people buy PP because they think they need to, that is on them. It is in no way needed to experience the parks in full.

Also, people mention the parks were created for families and while that is certainly true, Walt took the public company route which forever tied the company to investors and not the fans/guests. There was no way he could have seen where this would lead but in no way could Disney get away with not playing the growth and margin games as soon as Wall Street started to care about those.

For about the 1000th time…this point doesn’t really matter beyond the abstract

The “nobody is forcing anyone” is cute…but fails because they will modify all of the operation to chase “free money” if it’s condoned. You will get hit by strays on some level at some point

The long game matters

It doesn’t matter what you or a grandma from Milwaukee thinks it is…we’re not individuals…the places aren’t run or designed to operate that way. It wasn’t like that in 1971…sure as hell isn’t under this collection nitwits now.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not me, and I honestly think anyone who wants it more crowded is crazy.

The less people the better the experience, at least to a point.

It feeds the growing psychosis

“Look at me in this special…LUXURY place…I’ve really made it, haven’t I?!?

It’s the BEST…all these people want the magic ”

 

[Jrb1979]

Not me, and I honestly think anyone who wants it more crowded is crazy.

The less people the better the experience, at least to a point.

For guests it's better with less people in the parks. Packed parks don't bother me as my family is used to that visiting other parks. A 90 minute to 2 hour wait is normal.

In theory, having 2019 crowd levels means Disney can beat quarterly revenue numbers organically instead of raising LL prices and ticket prices super high to make up for smaller crowds

 

[Chi84]

It feeds the growing psychosis

“Look at me in this special…LUXURY place…I’ve really made it, haven’t I?!?

It’s the BEST…all these people want the magic ”

I don’t know anyone who thinks this way.

 

[Dranth]

1000%

For about the 1000th time…this point doesn’t really matter beyond the abstract

The “nobody is forcing anyone” is cute…but fails because they will modify all of the operation to chase “free money” if it’s condoned. You will get hit by strays on some level at some point

The long game matters

It doesn’t matter what you or a grandma from Milwaukee thinks it is…we’re not individuals…the places aren’t run or designed to operate that way. It wasn’t like that in 1971…sure as hell isn’t under this collection nitwits now.

I think LL of any variety is largely a waste of money, and I get your argument that people buying these things is incentivizing the company to do more of this kind of stuff so therefore it isn't great for guests overall, but how is someone not responsible for their own purchases? Pinning personal, optional, discretionary purchases on a company just seems like an excuse to me.

It feeds the growing psychosis

“Look at me in this special…LUXURY place…I’ve really made it, haven’t I?!?

It’s the BEST…all these people want the magic ”

Not sure I follow. Crowded = bad is a pretty straight forward opinion. It has nothing to do with luxury nor have I ever felt special because a place was less crowded. What I did feel was more comfortable and who would have guessed, but I enjoy feeling comfortable more than the alternative.

Anyway, we both know they are going to hit a limit on price increases (and already have in some areas) before they will have to adjust and switch to genuine expansion to drive growth and I am all for it. Meanwhile, I enjoy less people being there over the alternative of current Disney but crowded.

 

[Dranth]

For guests it's better with less people in the parks. Packed parks don't bother me as my family is used to that visiting other parks. A 90 minute to 2 hour wait is normal.

Wouldn't it be fair to say that packed parks don't bother you or your family as much because, as you have pointed out, you pay for the line skips? Not that you never wait in those lines, but many times you aren't dealing with one of the worst parts of a packed park.

 

[Jrb1979]

Wouldn't it be fair to say that packed parks don't bother you or your family as much because, as you have pointed out, you pay for the line skips? Not that you never wait in those lines, but many times you aren't dealing with one of the worst parts of a packed park.

While we do pay for line skips most times at parks we have never been to. But for the parks we visit regularly we rarely buy it. At my home park waits can easily be 90 minutes to 2 hours and we wait in them. Same with Cedar Point, same with Disney and Universal.

 

[Dranth]

While we do pay for line skips most times at parks we have never been to. But for the parks we visit regularly we rarely buy it. At my home park waits can easily be 90 minutes to 2 hours and we wait in them. Same with Cedar Point, same with Disney and Universal.

Apologies up front if I am misunderstanding, but even in this same thread you implied that you purchase them often, even at places you have been to before...

I have no issue with the Premier pass as it's similar to what other parks do. We use them at other parks all the time.

The one I do have a problem is the Multi pass. These skip the line systems work best when they are limited.

I pay that much at most other parks for their skip the line pass. I will definitely pay that much for flexibility cause I hate having a schedule on vacation.

You can say the same thing for every other park out there. We visit 5-6 other parks each year and pay for their skip the line pass. Regardless if we have been on the ride before or not, it's well worth it for short waits and being able to enjoy other parts of the parks.

 

[Jrb1979]

Apologies up front if I am misunderstanding, but even in this same thread you implied that you purchase them often, even at places you have been to before...

Yes I do buy them often but I also visit close to 7-8 different parks a year. I will buy the pass on my first day but the rest I use standby.
Last time at Universal I bought Express pass on the first day but the last 4 days used standby

 

[Touchdown]

Yes I do buy them often but I also visit close to 7-8 different parks a year. I will buy the pass on my first day but the rest I use standby.
Last time at Universal I bought Express pass on the first day but the last 4 days used standby

Next time stay at a Universal hotel and get that included in the price of your room and live like a king. My favorite resort perk anywhere.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not sure I follow. Crowded = bad is a pretty straight forward opinion. It has nothing to do with luxury nor have I ever felt special because a place was less crowded. What I did feel was more comfortable and who would have guessed, but I enjoy feeling comfortable more than the alternative.

It’s counter intuitive…for sure

Listen..I’m mostly awful at everything I try…but one of the exceptions is I can read trends with people. There’s a sickness/obsession with crowded parks since the middle of the last decade. I’m thinking there’s a 1:1 correlation with the rise of the Disney adult movement.

Almost as though it’s a badge of honor…fueled by these idiot vloggers hanging around Orlando crashing first night of everything.

Everything is always great…everything is always crowded. Life is GOOD. Click click click

If I could make sense of consumer behavior in the swamp…it probably would be worth a buck

I love me an Empty park…but they’re just gonna make us bleed by gutting the value more in response…so it’s not a positive really

Anyway, we both know they are going to hit a limit on price increases (and already have in some areas) before they will have to adjust and switch to genuine expansion to drive growth and I am all for it. Meanwhile, I enjoy less people being there over the alternative of current Disney but crowded.

It would be good for all fans - all of us - if new leadership comes in and they don’t pursue this path of “letting economics decide”

Even evil Michael knew that you cannot hit the price ceilings…and it’s Already happening

Why? Because they’ve so foolishly mishandled the collapse of cable and now P&E has to carry the freight. And it’s a public stock that cannot deliver return for investors…
These are not good realities for park fans. Assuming things will always “just be” sounds a lot like sears of kodak