Plan Ahead with Lightning Lane Entry at Walt Disney World Starting July 24

[bwr827]

Fully anticipating that while this thread is a hot thread with lots of discussion, I'm preparing myself to never purchasing a LLMP as I'm fully anticipating it being $$$. Fully prepared for it to be $200/person/day....but likely more.

Sadly Disney doesn't seem to give something to us in one hand these days without taking something away with the other.

Fully prepared to make friends with standby lines as I cannot justify what many parks charge for these types of passes and fully anticipating Disney is joining the $$$ game.

I think it will simply pick up the Genie + pricing, not suddenly be outrageous. The value is not there for a big increase.

 

[gharter]

View attachment 871010

thanks, I hadn't seen that, but that, sadly was what I expected.

 

[buzlite]

Love the changes!
The ability to prebook and prepay will allow us to budget easier and reduce decision fatigue. Rather than debating each morning if it’s worth it we’ll decide ahead of time.
We can sit around the table and pick our favorites rides ahead of time and not stress each morning whether we will get it. If we don’t get one we want we are prepared and can have a plan to deal with it.
I’d much rather pay upfront and enjoy my trip stress free rather than debate genie plus along side food, drink and merchandise decisions every single day.
I’ll probably spend an equivalent amount but feel more relaxed when I leave Disney at the end because it will already be paid off!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

A lot of people actually do give TA's their password for things like dining reservations already. It's the only way they can really book for their clients. Well, you can call dining in but you run the risk of the reservations you want being booked by the time they answer.

Interesting. I've always wanted to be the one in control, so never bothered.

How does that work with MDE pushing the two step authorization these days? Are people having to forward the 6 digit email code, too?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In that scenario, the vast majority of guests experienced long physical lines and long average wait times and there was no alternative. The entire experience became mediocre for everyone.

No not everyone. There are plenty of posters on the boards who have expressed that they LOVED it. Even my local to WDW Orlando DISer friends have often come back to express how much they enjoyed the parks during that time.

Yes there is the caveat that because it was during the pandemic, early on enough, that the number of guests was lower, BUT the main point a lot of people say is that the lines actually moved and their frustration level was lower.

I think some of your viewpoint could be because you're used to using a get ahead of the line option? But if you are a guest who has used Standby a lot it may be different. Over at Universal our only trip with Express Pass was in 2022, all the other days at Universal that we've done and that I have done growing up were Standby. Express Pass is awesome it truly is but my perspective is that I'm fully aware of how it is to be that Standby guest and I have never felt more frustrated than when I am that guest over at Disney. And FWIW all this talk about standby priority, people have short memories because it was painful with MaxPass over at DLR and my husband and I ended up feeling very much like the only way to have any semblance of an enjoyment out of DL was buy purchasing MP, we lasted 1 day without it and in 2019 with 6 parks days between two trips that was the only day we did without it, awful experience with how Disney prioritized FP/MP and I wrote about this back in 2019 on the boards...yes memories can be a bit short for some.

 

[Tbiafore]

You expect this new version of LLMP to be $200 per person starting on July 24? For 1 tier one and 2 tier two prebooks.


I've read so much info in the past few days. I'm not sure where I read it, but I am sure I read somewhere that there will not be a significant price difference in the short term. I read it in a USA today article and elsewhere. Plus they put out that photo listing MK at $27 and although there was language stating sample pricing only on the photo, I can't beleive they would use that photo and then price it at $200 per person per day.

Yes, I read that too. Its supposed to be in line price wise with Genie+ initially. However, that being said, I would not expect Disney to roll out something with a very high price point that is similar to something they already had, as they would be dealing with a big PR issue if they rolled this out at a high price.

Just like when they went to Genie+ from FastPass+. It was like $10 and they kept rising the prices. They come out within moderate expectations, then they start rising prices over time, trying to manage sticker shock. I expect the new LLMP to work the same way. Expect similar price initially, but it will continue to rise pretty quick and get up there. I wouldnt be surprised if its like $69 per person, per day within 18 month's time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes, I read that too. Its supposed to be in line price wise with Genie+ initially. However, that being said, I would not expect Disney to roll out something with a very high price point that is similar to something they already had, as they would be dealing with a big PR issue if they rolled this out at a high price.

Just like when they went to Genie+ from FastPass+. It was like $10 and they kept rising the prices. They come out within moderate expectations, then they start rising prices over time, trying to manage sticker shock. I expect the new LLMP to work the same way. Expect similar price initially, but it will continue to rise pretty quick and get up there. I wouldnt be surprised if its like $69 per person, per day within 18 month's time.

MP also started at $10, raised to $15 and then $20 or $30 by the time it was discontinued.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

The arrival window passing triggering the ability to book another is how FP+ worked, isn’t it?

Yes and no With FP+ you could not book your 4th ride until ALL of your first 3 FP+ rides were used or timed out, but after that, yes that is how it worked.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes and no With FP+ you could not book your 4th ride until ALL of your first 3 FP+ rides were used or timed out, but after that, yes that is how it worked.

I booked what attractions I knew we would be at least okay with riding for the pre-selections with FP+ but I like that there's an adjustment on having to use all three of your passes first with this hybrid system coming out. This *may* also help with a park hopper strategy since you can more quickly book for that other park. That may help spread out crowds a bit between the 4 parks, more on those who use their pre-selections for the morning and then park hop.

 

[tom1944]

Yes, I read that too. Its supposed to be in line price wise with Genie+ initially. However, that being said, I would not expect Disney to roll out something with a very high price point that is similar to something they already had, as they would be dealing with a big PR issue if they rolled this out at a high price.

Just like when they went to Genie+ from FastPass+. It was like $10 and they kept rising the prices. They come out within moderate expectations, then they start rising prices over time, trying to manage sticker shock. I expect the new LLMP to work the same way. Expect similar price initially, but it will continue to rise pretty quick and get up there. I wouldnt be surprised if its like $69 per person, per day within 18 month's time.

I think it is likely that they want a certain percentage of visitors to purchase it at every park and will base the price that results in the likelihood of that percentage of people buying it.

My hope is that they based that percentage on a number that provides the most efficient process to move the purchasers and the stand by visitors through the lines.

My fear is they don’t care about the stand by visitors and are willing to make their visits so subject to long lines that they will feel they have no choice but to purchase it no matter the cost

 

[jo-jo]

Are there thoughts of this being a day by day purchase or do you think there will be a multi day discount?

So we have planned 4 or 5 full days , meaning 6-8 hours, and 4 or 5 short day, 2-3 hours. Can we buy it for days 1,2. 4 , 6 and 8?

 

[tom1944]

Are there thoughts of this being a day by day purchase or do you think there will be a multi day discount?

So we have planned 4 or 5 full days , meaning 6-8 hours, and 4 or 5 short day, 2-3 hours. Can we buy it for days 1,2. 4 , 6 and 8?

I would expect you can purchase it by day

They might have a similar plan to tickets that the more days you buy the lower average price

 

[DisneyFive]

Are there thoughts of this being a day by day purchase or do you think there will be a multi day discount?

So we have planned 4 or 5 full days , meaning 6-8 hours, and 4 or 5 short day, 2-3 hours. Can we buy it for days 1,2. 4 , 6 and 8?

I would expect you can purchase it by day

They might have a similar plan to tickets that the more days you buy the lower average price

I was wondering about this for advance purchases as well. I would like to have the choice NOT to purchase it on an AK day, or maybe only one of my two EP days. Not sure that option would be available, or if it will be like G+ when you had to prepurchase for the entire duration?

 

[georgina]

I completely forgot that people prepurchased G+ for the entire trip. I only ever did one day at a time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Are there thoughts of this being a day by day purchase or do you think there will be a multi day discount?

So we have planned 4 or 5 full days , meaning 6-8 hours, and 4 or 5 short day, 2-3 hours. Can we buy it for days 1,2. 4 , 6 and 8?

I would expect you can purchase it by day

They might have a similar plan to tickets that the more days you buy the lower average price

I was wondering about this for advance purchases as well. I would like to have the choice NOT to purchase it on an AK day, or maybe only one of my two EP days. Not sure that option would be available, or if it will be like G+ when you had to prepurchase for the entire duration?

Neither MaxPass nor Genie+ were structured so that you got a price break the more days you purchased; it was either all your parks days pre-purchased or purchased day of per day.

Our first trip to DL was when they were increasing the MP from $10 to $15 and for a short time you got the $10 per day price IF you bought your tickets through Disney but again it was purchased for all the park days at once (in our case 3 park days). The only thing that was similar enough was when they introduced a multi-park Genie+ day of pass which gave you a price break for those who had park hoppers but it was not about additional days.

If they did do a price break based on the number of days you buy for it would be a departure from previous systems. Not saying they won't do that because it would be nice. I also don't know that they would structure it so you could move around like jo-jo was asking where you get a price break by number of days but you're choosing when you're using the pre-purchased passes when you have more park days than what you're wanting to pre-purchase for. That "flexibility" is already accomplished by allowing the guest to purchase day of even with it's downsides as they can save money that way.

 

[Minnie1222]

I was wondering about this for advance purchases as well. I would like to have the choice NOT to purchase it on an AK day, or maybe only one of my two EP days. Not sure that option would be available, or if it will be like G+ when you had to prepurchase for the entire duration?

Ideally, we should have the option to select only the day(s) we want.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Are there thoughts of this being a day by day purchase or do you think there will be a multi day discount?

So we have planned 4 or 5 full days , meaning 6-8 hours, and 4 or 5 short day, 2-3 hours. Can we buy it for days 1,2. 4 , 6 and 8?

You will be purchasing one day at a time. When you complete the first day purchase (which doesn't have to be your first day at the parks), you'll have an option to purchase another one, and so forth. So, it certainly looks like you can purchase just days 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8. It may or may not show up as five separate purchases on your credit card. (I suspect it will.) Since you'll be purchasing one day at a time, a multi-day discount is doubtful, but you never know.

 

[japanese maple]

You will be purchasing one day at a time. When you complete the first day purchase (which doesn't have to be your first day at the parks), you'll have an option to purchase another one, and so forth. So, it certainly looks like you can purchase just days 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8. It may or may not show up as five separate purchases on your credit card. (I suspect it will.) Since you'll be purchasing one day at a time, a multi-day discount is doubtful, but you never know.

View attachment 872128

I truly hope that's not the case. If we are able to book 7 days in advance for whole trip, we should be able to select how many days we want at once instead of buying one day, picking three rides, buying the next day, picking three rides. That will be tedious for longer trips.

 

[DisneyFive]

No not everyone. There are plenty of posters on the boards who have expressed that they LOVED it. Even my local to WDW Orlando DISer friends have often come back to express how much they enjoyed the parks during that time.

Yes there is the caveat that because it was during the pandemic, early on enough, that the number of guests was lower, BUT the main point a lot of people say is that the lines actually moved and their frustration level was lower.

I think some of your viewpoint could be because you're used to using a get ahead of the line option? But if you are a guest who has used Standby a lot it may be different. Over at Universal our only trip with Express Pass was in 2022, all the other days at Universal that we've done and that I have done growing up were Standby. Express Pass is awesome it truly is but my perspective is that I'm fully aware of how it is to be that Standby guest and I have never felt more frustrated than when I am that guest over at Disney. And FWIW all this talk about standby priority, people have short memories because it was painful with MaxPass over at DLR and my husband and I ended up feeling very much like the only way to have any semblance of an enjoyment out of DL was buy purchasing MP, we lasted 1 day without it and in 2019 with 6 parks days between two trips that was the only day we did without it, awful experience with how Disney prioritized FP/MP and I wrote about this back in 2019 on the boards...yes memories can be a bit short for some.

Great post!

Yeah that is a big caveat. Parks were held at artificially low attendance for quite some time as we were exiting the covid era, so what many of those folks experienced was not a true "standby only" experience. We were there for 8 nights late July/Early August 2021, just two months before G+ was introduced. The parks were back to typical July/August crowd levels, 6's and 7's out of 10. That's what I base my comments on. I can't imagine what it would be like "standby only" during peak times like holidays with 9-10 crowd levels. The lines did move faster during our stay, but they were looooooong. As an example in places like Frontierland it wasn't unusual for the lines for BTMRR or Splash to fill the normal queue then snake, literally, all the way past Splash Mountain all the way to the old shooting gallery by Liberty Square. ...and this was without any social distancing, folks were back to back. It physically clogged the parks.

You are correct that my viewpoint is based on years of always having a "skip the line" system in place. That is a good point. I have always used what systems were available to me. I think this is where the real difference is. I really struggle to see why folks refuse to use the systems that keep them from standing in lines. The systems work, and based on our experience, create a far better park experience. But, there will always be those folks that just don't want to use a "skip the line" system, so that's something I need to acknowledge. Fair enough. It's like the 'ol saying "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink."

Looking at your DL experience. Why did you end up purchasing MP? ...because you knew you were going to get a better experience with MP than doing standby only?

Looking way back... WDW introduced Fastpass in 1999 because the #1 consistent complaint from guests was... waiting in lines. Prior to Fastpass the parks were Standby only. Once introduced, guest enjoyment was greatly improved because they weren't standing in lines so much and park attendance rose throughout the 2000's.

 

[Tom_E_D]

I truly hope that's not the case. If we are able to book 7 days in advance for whole trip, we should be able to select how many days we want at once instead of buying one day, picking three rides, buying the next day, picking three rides. That will be tedious for longer trips.

It may be tedious, but it seems to be the way the screenshot in my prior post says it will work.