*Confirmed* G+ Changes to Advanced Lightning Lane

[kimwoje]

Wow! My post was simply to indicate why I personally found the G+ system overcomplicated and not easy to navigate as someone who goes to WDW infrequently. People have many different ways of vacationing. With crazy schedules and limited time off, we can’t just hop into WDW whenever we feel like it. We save up to do a big trip every 1 or 2 years. And then plan like crazy to get the most accomplished to justify the cost. This last trip just became too stressful to fully enjoy myself (my family had a blast, LOL). I don’t think I am the only one that feels that way based on Disney’s acknowledgement of this type of criticism and statement that changes are coming, hence the title of this thread.

4. Why did you call then? Aren't photos available for like a month or more after??? You could have called in the evening or after your vacation.

The photos were lost in a void somewhere. They spent 3 hours figuring out where the photos were even located, as they were not attached to my MDE account at all.

 

[Monykalyn]

That's kinda a weird part of Disney though. In general VQs aren't the most common thing out there for theme parks and it does require a phone with the MDE app to enroll in VQ.

When Universal uses VQ there are big kiosks everywhere with QR codes to get into the VQ. You can set the Universal app to notify you when time is close or even when wait times drop below a a specified time. At least people are aware of the VQ and procedure this way

That might be a combination of infrequent AP holders who may or may not live in or near Disney and the ever changing rules surrounding reservations rules

To add to this-why should the highest tier AP have ANY blockout/reservation dates at all? This is the ONLY AP available to me as out of state, non DVC guest. It is ridiculous. Especially as walkups no longer have this restriction! My middle kid is doing a DCP this semester so we are going in March, and son has wanted (and we've planned) for a disney trip for his graduation in May. Husband is thinking we should get AP's (and we will prob hit F&W this fall if we get AP) but I am actually resisting due to reservation/restrictions. *also trying to talk son into cruise where he can bring friends-cheaper than Disney lol

Yes any trip you take requires some research, no other theme park vacation requires a PHD to plan and figure out how to visit.

And generally-once that research is done you aren't glued to phone all day to 'update' the plan. Always do research on ports/excursions for cruises or other land vacations-but once plans are (mostly) set can relax.

too stressful to fully enjoy myself (my family had a blast, LOL)

Yeah this seems to be the issue-so much pressure to make sure everyone is having fun the Master Planner doesn't have time to relax (and yes I KNOW that can be different for different people but this IS an issue for many). Glad they did find those photos!!

 

[Minnie1222]

For guests who are not familiar with WDW Incredipasses (aka the highest tier AP), there are no block-out dates for these passes. Zero. However, you still need to make a park reservation if and only if you want to attend a certain park on a certain date at a certain time.

Instead of stressing over the restrictions and searching the calendar for Good-to-Go days so you can avoid making the reservation, I find it easier just to make a reservation for all the days you plan to visit. It only takes a few seconds. You can cancel or modify at anytime.

I agree the park reservation needs to go ASAP. Right now it's just a useless ceremonial gesture.

 

[DL1WDW2]

The new system will not allow AP IncrediPass make reservations for all the days if it is a Good to Go Day on the Calendar … I can not click on it to reserve it no matter what I plan . There is nothing to reserve or modify.
In the updated system it is recognized automatically as a Good to Go except for Saturdays and Sundays .
And I agree it is confusing and a useless announcement or ceremonial gesture .

 

[New Mouse]

For guests who are not familiar with WDW Incredipasses (aka the highest tier AP), there are no block-out dates for these passes. Zero. However, you still need to make a park reservation if and only if you want to attend a certain park on a certain date at a certain time.

Aka there are blackout dates

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Aka there are blackout dates

Yeah there are de facto blockout dates so long as park reservations exist for the highest tier APs, hence the whole lawsuit hence Disney responding (and they did respond in a few ways). We don't need to rehash that whole argument again.

 

[Minnie1222]

Block out dates imply that guests can't enter the parks no matter how hard they try. Incredipass holders can visit the parks at any time as long as they make a reservation on certain dates. It's entirely their fault to be shut out due to their refusal to make a reservation.

 

[New Mouse]

Block out dates imply that guests can't enter the parks no matter how hard they try. Incredipass holders can visit the parks at any time as long as they make a reservation on certain dates. It's entirely their fault to be shut out due to their refusal to make a reservation.

How do your propose they make a reservation when they are "sold out"?

 

[Minnie1222]

How do your propose they make a reservation when they are "sold out"?

I agree it was competitive for MK and HS when guest limitation was strictly enforced. Thankfully, that time is long gone and there are no similar capacity issues right now.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

I temper all rumors with Disney's shocking level of IT capabilities (and we ll know what that is)

 

[starlite_]

Block out dates imply that guests can't enter the parks no matter how hard they try. Incredipass holders can visit the parks at any time as long as they make a reservation on certain dates. It's entirely their fault to be shut out due to their refusal to make a reservation.

What's with folks refusing to take responsibility for their choices on this thread?

 

[starlite_]

The photos were lost in a void somewhere. They spent 3 hours figuring out where the photos were even located, as they were not attached to my MDE account at all.

It was still your choice to call them that morning when you had the BBB reservation. I understand the need to solve issues right-this-instant but I meant that Disney does not delete photos for at least a month (at least DLR does, and from what I remember WDW had a similar timeframe). Your photos were somewhere, even if that somewhere was not your MDE account. You could have waited to solve it that evening or after vacation. Still, this is the only issue from your list that was partially on Disney.

For what is worth I am glad your family had a good time, even if i came at the cost of you having a good time too.

 

[rmclain73]

The only blurb we got from Disney about being able to pre-book came in May of last year. This is what they said then, "We have heard from guests that they would like ways to plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit, and we want you to know we are working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024". I think the key words here are "working on" and "may". That is very non committal verbiage, and sounds like a line thrown out by the PR team. Since then it has been radio silence. Not even an official release saying this is still in the works or coming. Much like all the posts in the thread, everything else has been all rumor and speculation. Solid chance we see no changes in 2024.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I wouldn't be surprised if Disney started announcing some stuff very soon after that incredible Universal video dropped yesterday.

 

[ChipnDale79]

What's with folks refusing to take responsibility for their choices on this thread?

whats with folks refusing to understand everyone's situation is different in this thread?

 

[Minnie1222]

What's with folks refusing to take responsibility for their choices on this thread?

Exactly! Even when park capacity was severely capped, you could still get in if you gave it some thought. I'm a low planner when it comes to Disney and still got in. To me, that era had ended sometime in Spring 2022. There's no reason to be blocked out from a park now.

 

[starlite_]

whats with folks refusing to understand everyone's situation is different in this thread?

No one is claiming otherwise. But making choices that are detrimental to the enjoyment of any vacation is a bad choice imo. And folks like to blame that on lots of things, "Genie+ has XXX limitation", "I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to reserve an ADR", " I was on my phone all the time". These are all choices made by guests. No one is forcing anyone to do ADRs, no one is forcing anyone to hold up in the bathroom of hotels with multiple devices for 30+ min to reserve LLs, no one is forcing anyone to even buy Genie+ or to try to use every "trick" available to get one more ride or to get X ride at the exact time they want and spending 10 min refreshing the app to do so. These are all choices.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I think these boards drive people to be over planners and go overboard on planning, having to learn every trick with G+, being obsessed with having to do the most rides, wanting the perfect room, wanting a picture perfect vacation, etc. It really sucks you in and did for my first onsite trip.

 

[HokieRaven5]

I think these boards drive people to be over planners and go overboard on planning, having to learn every trick with G+, being obsessed with having to do the most rides, wanting the perfect room, wanting a picture perfect vacation, etc. It really sucks you in and did for my first onsite trip.

Yep, the forums/blogs/vlogs do more to overcomplicate the system. But it sells for them and gets them their “G+ 101 Tips and Tricks” clicks

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think these boards drive people to be over planners and go overboard on planning, having to learn every trick with G+, being obsessed with having to do the most rides, wanting the perfect room, wanting a picture perfect vacation, etc. It really sucks you in and did for my first onsite trip.

I agree with you which is why sometimes it's difficult for people to see the other side. When you're knee deep in tons of knowledge you forget how it would be for people who don't a have a clue what any of us are talking about and are approaching Disney newly and confronted with a large learning curve that can largely be seen from the general public as unnecessary to even exist.

The only caveat I would put it is in relation to your having to do the most rides. I don't think that has much to do with this Board unless you're talking about people who went on as many rides as they could just because they could. For the majority of theme park goers getting their monies worth is the most important. To many that's going to be able to ride the attractions they want. It's been a complaint for years about the number of rides a person could go on so it's not new. But it is a normal part of going to a theme park. It comes back to posters here needing to adjust that perspective regarding their own trips and frequency of them. When you know you'll be back and quickly thereafter you often approach the trip differently.

We'll be going to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea in October. Of course I'll want to ride as many rides as I possibly can and I'm having to learn a whole new system for this park between lotteries and Premier Pass. But then there's the added component of high rejection of U.S. CCs and more. Anyhow because we'll not likely to ever be going back to Disneyland there you better believe I'm going to try my best to have the best few days there and it would be disappointing to only go on a handful of rides. It's our "once in a lifetime" trip to that park. Sometimes people need reminding of how that can be for people.