Why we think Lightning Lane is wrong

[Minnie1222]

YUP still have some of those tickets. That is where the A, B, C, D, E tickets came from. When you hear a ride called an "E Ticket" ride it is because they are the best rides. The A ticket would be like the Carousel. They more money you had the more better tickets you could buy.

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I remember these booklets too. They were offered when I was a kid.

What I wrote in the post you quoted was a different payment system according to my older relatives. I'm not sure if this system pre-dated or occurred simultaneously with the tiered tickets, but they had to pay at each attraction (presumably with coins) in order to get in.

 

[HopperFan]

I remember these booklets too. They were offered when I was a kid.

What I wrote in the post you quoted was a different payment system according to my older relatives. I'm not sure if this system pre-dated or occurred simultaneously with the tiered tickets, but they had to pay at each attraction (presumably with coins) in order to get in.

That might have been Disneyland.

Now at Disney World you did pay at each attraction, with a ticket.

Disney World had a few ticket booths scattered through Magic Kingdom where you would buy more tickets. I'm thinking one each land. A few still there, although not obvious.

This Haunted Mansion is to the back right here, the building I am sitting at is now Memento Mori. That man and lady behind me are in line for tickets. The window in the building was a ticket booth.





Here it is now, window at left. That was a ticket booth.

 

[Minnie1222]

That might have been Disneyland.

Yes, most likely! Our family originated from California.

 

[MillauFr]

Disney creates the problem and sells the solution. Those who have the money to bypass the inconvenience are obviously ok with it, the rest of us have no choice.

I often wonder what a Disney without any ADR’s, DAS, lightning lanes, etc. would look like in terms of availability for all. Would standby lines be more manageable for most? Would standing in line for a table at a sit down when you’re actually hungry instead of when you planned it 60 days in advance be doable? Or would it be mass chaos instead of targeted chaos? We’ll never know because Disney needs to either charge more every year or lower what they give us for the dollar we spend, or both, to show increased revenue to their shareholders.

What would happen is they would jack up the main entrance prices much higher to keep the revenue equal to what they are generating now. The current system allows families with less income to afford to enter the parks.

 

[lowlight]

What would happen is they would jack up the main entrance prices much higher to keep the revenue equal to what they are generating now. The current system allows families with less income to afford to enter the parks.

Disney promised us, just two years ago, that the massive increase in ticket and AP prices would allow them to keep the overall revenue high, while limiting park attendance to make it more enjoyable for all. You don’t remember when they called the AP’s undesirable guests? Yeah, none of that happened.

 

[MillauFr]

Disney promised us, just two years ago, that the massive increase in ticket and AP prices would allow them to keep the overall revenue high, while limiting park attendance to make it more enjoyable for all. You don’t remember when they called the AP’s undesirable guests? Yeah, none of that happened.

Disneyland has been limiting annual pass holders. No more reservations available on the weekends for the entire month of February.

 

[lowlight]

Disneyland has been limiting annual pass holders. No more reservations available on the weekends for the entire month of February.

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That’s my point. They didn’t limit guest numbers in the parks for a more enjoyable experience for all, they continued the punishment of AP holders and the parks are as jam packed as ever. Then they offer ways to pay your way out of the insanity they created.

 

[MillauFr]

That’s my point. They didn’t limit guest numbers in the parks for a more enjoyable experience for all, they continued the punishment of AP holders and the parks are as jam packed as ever. Then they offer ways to pay your way out of the insanity they created.

I'm just shocked that with the massive price increases that demand is as high as it is. People are spending like drunken sailors.

 

[aalan]

This is not a bash on people who pay for lightning lane, but instead a criticism of how Disney is devaluing park tickets for profit.

Image waiting in line at a movie theater, DMV or grocery store, and then someone cuts in front of you? Other than disappointment, what happens? In short.. you have to wait longer which takes time from other things you would like to do.

When you buy a Disney ticket(s), it has a perceived value. For most people, most of value is derived from the amount of rides you can enjoy per day. A Lightning Lane is nothing more than a license to cut in front of everyone making others wait longer and taking time away from other things a ticket buyer would love to accomplish.

It's a devaluation of your tickets. We love Disney and they claim it is the "Happiest Place On Earth", but really is waiting in long lines all day while others cut in front truly the happiest place on earth?

All Disney cares about is profit now. They will squeeze every penny of of park visitors. We went every year for 20 years starting in 2001, haven’t been back in 5 years, since 2019. The value is not there.

 

[MermaidsMom]

The upper middle class and above are doing tremendously well right now financially. Turns out the economic conditions that make it suck to be middle class right now are the exact conditions it takes to make the rich much richer. Try to have a conversation about money with someone in that demographic and it’s like talking to an alien on a different planet when it comes to perspective.

Seriously tho,
It’s kind of hard to complain too much about vacation problems when so many can’t even go.

 

[Minnie1222]

All Disney cares about is profit now.

Disney has always been about profit, as it rightly should.

 

[Minnie1222]

I'm just shocked that with the massive price increases that demand is as high as it is. People are spending like drunken sailors.

This sadly means that the price is not high enough.

 

[greeneyedchick]

I think going forward for their new rides (since they know they need both a LL and a regular line unlike some of the older rides) it would help quite a bit if they just make completely separated lines that cannot even see each other at all until the merge point. Make them both themed and entertaining, and the anger/envy/etc between the guests will still be reduced even though they can still offer the LLs

It would help if they built new rides with larger capacities and built new rides without taking away old ones. Disney's real issue is they let too many people in the park and don't have enough capacity in their attractions to make the experience enjoyable or comfortable. The overcrowding is one of the main things that drove my family away.

 

[MillauFr]

All Disney cares about is profit now. They will squeeze every penny of of park visitors. We went every year for 20 years starting in 2001, haven’t been back in 5 years, since 2019. The value is not there.

They aren't squeezing hard enough in California. Massive crowds are overwhelming the parks. I'm just shocked my co-workers from Seattle would go there and not bat an eye about getting VIP tour guides to skip the lines.

 

[reddog21]

This sadly means that the price is not high enough.

Bingo!!!!

 

[scrappinginontario]

This sadly means that the price is not high enough.

Bingo!!!!

Yes, or, people are in vacation mode and fear of missing out so spending money unnecessarily then literally paying the price later.

I will start with we visit in August so our experience is different as crowds tend to be lower than other times of the year but we find we don't 'need' LLMP to have a great day! Lines are manageable for the most part and for those that get really long we try to go to those attractions at either rope drop or park close.

 

[disneyseniors]

Disney creates the problem and sells the solution. Those who have the money to bypass the inconvenience are obviously ok with it, the rest of us have no choice.

I often wonder what a Disney without any ADR’s, DAS, lightning lanes, etc. would look like in terms of availability for all. Would standby lines be more manageable for most? Would standing in line for a table at a sit down when you’re actually hungry instead of when you planned it 60 days in advance be doable? Or would it be mass chaos instead of targeted chaos? We’ll never know because Disney needs to either charge more every year or lower what they give us for the dollar we spend, or both, to show increased revenue to their shareholders.

I can tell you about our experiences in that Disney without adrs, das, etc. We went to WDW in the 70's and everyone stood in line. No line cutting if you pay. The lines moved just fine. Everyone moved at the same pace, and even though we must have waited sometime, I don't remember it being much of an issue. We all were equal and the lines moved without problem. When we got hungry, we went to the restaurant of our choice. Sometimes you had to wait a little while, but so did others. I realize that Disney wasn't as crowded as it is now and maybe that affects what it is today.
I just know it was a simpler time when you walked around and got on a ride that you wanted to do, while waiting in line with everyone else, and then stopped to eat where you wanted without reservations. If a restaurant had reservations, I seem to remember Sci Fi Diner taking reservations, then you decided if you wanted to wait.
It's sad that this can't be that way anymore, and apparently this is the new reality. It's one that we have decided not to participate in, and go to other places now such as Universal. It's so refreshing to just wander around and ride when you want and eat when you want, just like Disney used to be.

 

[MPD]

I can remember waiting literal HOURS in line for most everything in the 70's and 80's before there were any skip the line options. We all waited (and waited, and waited, and waited) and it was not fun! I was thrilled when FP started and have pretty much rolled with the changes since then. I certainly wouldn't go as often if Disney went back to the "old days" - my enjoyment increased exponentially with the introduction of FP. I don't love the cost (who does?) but recognize that it will continue to go up.

As for the Universal model, we've been twice. We stayed in the Royal Pacific so we had Express Pass - which was indeed nice. But, for my family, Universal doesn't hold a candle to Disney. The Harry Potter areas are great but the rest of the place is just sort of meh. We will go again after the initial Epic insanity has subsided, but Universal is a maybe 1 in 5 Florida trips for us. I'll pay more for the Disney experience since it suits us so well.

 

[parasail_of_congress]

This is not a bash on people who pay for lightning lane, but instead a criticism of how Disney is devaluing park tickets for profit.

Image waiting in line at a movie theater, DMV or grocery store, and then someone cuts in front of you? Other than disappointment, what happens? In short.. you have to wait longer which takes time from other things you would like to do.

When you buy a Disney ticket(s), it has a perceived value. For most people, most of value is derived from the amount of rides you can enjoy per day. A Lightning Lane is nothing more than a license to cut in front of everyone making others wait longer and taking time away from other things a ticket buyer would love to accomplish.

It's a devaluation of your tickets. We love Disney and they claim it is the "Happiest Place On Earth", but really is waiting in long lines all day while others cut in front truly the happiest place on earth?

In the examples you gave, you mention someone cutting in front of you that you presume has equal access to the lines. But that's not what happens at WDW. A better analogy would be someone with a VIP pass at a movie theater or maybe someone with a bulk/rush order at a grocery store. I can't think of too many examples across society where there's not some sort of tiered setup of queueing - it's just that businesses handle them differently (and many times sometimes invisibly).

Your ticket doesn't lose value because someone else buys a more premium ticket. If that were the case, you could say that your concert ticket loses value because you aren't in the front row. You chose to buy the ticket you have, and presumably you understand the pros and cons of buying a lower-priced ticket versus a higher-priced one.

 

[Minnie1222]

It's sad that this can't be that way anymore, and apparently this is the new reality. It's one that we have decided not to participate in, and go to other places now such as Universal. It's so refreshing to just wander around and ride when you want and eat when you want, just like Disney used to be.

You can walk up to Finnegan's and Mythos and get seated immediately? Really?

The only way you can wander around and ride when you want (except Hagrid's) is to have the unlimited Express Pass. Of course it's refreshing, you can cut the line whenever you want and as many times as you need.