Lightning Lane Testing

[SandyinMonterey]

Just back from WDW. We noticed Lightning Lane testing at several rides......Frozen, 7DMT, Buzz, & Winnie the Pooh. Those were the rides we've seen guests go to and use Lightning Lane when we were in line. My husband asked the CM and was told that select VIP guests were given Lightning Lane passes.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm curious how you could tell they were testing LL vs using DAS or Rider Swap? VIP Tours and Club33 have also been using those queues.

 

[rmclain73]

We have been using the LL since we arrived last Saturday. A member of our party has a DAS pass. I wouldn’t say they were testing just based on the number of other people we have seen in the line.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I'm curious how you could tell they were testing LL vs using DAS or Rider Swap? VIP Tours and Club33 have also been using those queues.

That is what the CM told us....testing with select VIP guests

 

[Marthasor]

By "select VIP guests", the CM was referring to DAS, Rider Switch, VIP tour guests, guest recovery, Club 33 and Golden Oak who have been using that line since WDW re-opened (and even before when it was called the FP+ line) whether it was called Lightning Lane or not. The tapstiles still work in those lines for those who have return times or expedited access.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

We actually saw some LL testers when we were there mis-end of September. So we knew it was coming after we left, and there seemed to be little to no issue

 

[wisblue]

We saw people going through the FP lanes in April.

Once in June we went through the FP lane for MMRR because we were given return passes when the ride broke down earlier just before we boarded.

As others have said, these are all special situations that occur every day. There is no need to test the lanes themselves.

 

[cgattis]

Maybe Disney loaded something onto the VIP’s MDE and they were testing scanning that at the entrance or something. I mean, that CM could been blowing smoke or it could just possibly have been true. It just crawls all over me when people report some experience and people jump all in with the “that couldn’t possibly have happened.”

 

[smallworldnh]

We were sent through Lightening Lane last week for our DAS returns.

 

[DL1WDW2]

But did Genie tell you to go to LL? That is the difference.
We must trust Genie to tell us where to go.

 

[Marthasor]

Maybe Disney loaded something onto the VIP’s MDE and they were testing scanning that at the entrance or something. I mean, that CM could been blowing smoke or it could just possibly have been true. It just crawls all over me when people report some experience and people jump all in with the “that couldn’t possibly have happened.”

OP first stated LL access was "given" to select VIP guests. Sounds like CM shorthand for all of the groups who have had access to that line, regardless of name (LL, FP+, expedited access) for years. All of those guests have expedited access to those attractions pre-loaded into their MDE accounts - how else do you think Mickey turns green when they tap?

 

[bsmcneil]

OP first stated LL access was "given" to select VIP guests. Sounds like CM shorthand for all of the groups who have had access to that line, regardless of name (LL, FP+, expedited access) for years. All of those guests have expedited access to those attractions pre-loaded into their MDE accounts - how else do you think Mickey turns green when they tap?

Exactly. A thing that definitely happens is Disney CMs use a particular language that loads into some people's minds with different meanings and assumptions along with them. For instance, the follow-up post from the OP adds in the word testing (coming from a CM) but that wasn't in the original as coming from the CM. So, people who are trying to point out that X has happened the whole time and likely isn't the Y that the OP has insinuated aren't trying to shut down people by saying "that couldn't have possibly happened" but to give more clarity to what's been happening the whole time and clarify something that clearly isn't fully communicated.

 

[cgattis]

OP first stated LL access was "given" to select VIP guests. Sounds like CM shorthand for all of the groups who have had access to that line, regardless of name (LL, FP+, expedited access) for years. All of those guests have expedited access to those attractions pre-loaded into their MDE accounts - how else do you think Mickey turns green when they tap?

No, the OP said they were told they were given “passes” not “access.”

Exactly. A thing that definitely happens is Disney CMs use a particular language that loads into some people's minds with different meanings and assumptions along with them. For instance, the follow-up post from the OP adds in the word testing (coming from a CM) but that wasn't in the original as coming from the CM. So, people who are trying to point out that X has happened the whole time and likely isn't the Y that the OP has insinuated aren't trying to shut down people by saying "that couldn't have possibly happened" but to give more clarity to what's been happening the whole time and clarify something that clearly isn't fully communicated.

But yes, some of the posters ARE explicitly saying that there’s no need for testing, so directly implying that what this person witnessed is NOT what they think they understood. Some folks may be offering alternate explanations, but maybe some of them should be clearer that there COULD be other explanations or the OP COULD in fact have heard what they think they heard. They could in fact BE wrong, but they might NOT be….that’s all I’m saying.

 

[Marthasor]

No, the OP said they were told they were given “passes” not “access.”


But yes, some of the posters ARE explicitly saying that there’s no need for testing, so directly implying that what this person witnessed is NOT what they think they understood. Some folks may be offering alternate explanations, but maybe some of them should be clearer that there COULD be other explanations or the OP COULD in fact have heard what they think they heard. They could in fact BE wrong, but they might NOT be….that’s all I’m saying.

Please explain the difference? I've used this line for years regardless of what it is called - just used it last week as did countless other guests for a variety of reasons. Everything is linked in my MDE as a "pass" or "access" to the ride. What the OP witnessed were people walking through the Lightning Lane line and going through the tapstiles. Nothing new to see here excepts for guests who don't understand that many people already utilize that line. Except for the CM who is scanning people in, no other CM is going to know what group the guest who tapped into the ride belongs to. Please note OP leads with, "We noticed Lightning Lane testing at several rides," and ends with, "My husband asked the CM and was told that select VIP guests were given Lightning Lane passes." The testing was the OP's assumption, not the CM's explanation.

 

[DebbieB]

On this week’s DIS Unplugged Podcast, Deni said she attended a Media Event with Disney, and they were given Test access.

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...ney-world-oct-19-weve-got-all-of-the-details/

 

[rmclain73]

On this week’s DIS Unplugged Podcast, Deni said she attended a Media Event with Disney, and they were given Test access.

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...ney-world-oct-19-weve-got-all-of-the-details/

Media was given test access to use the app, not test it in line in the park. Same with CM’s during training.

 

[Marthasor]

On this week’s DIS Unplugged Podcast, Deni said she attended a Media Event with Disney, and they were given Test access.

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...ney-world-oct-19-weve-got-all-of-the-details/

Please point to where she said she tested LL lines - all this article says is they tested the app.

 

[DisneyOma]

We actually saw some LL testers when we were there mis-end of September. So we knew it was coming after we left, and there seemed to be little to no issue

How could you tell they were LL testers? Did they have some identifying item on them?

 

[DebbieB]

Media was given test access to use the app, not test it in line in the park. Same with CM’s during training.

I misunderstood, since she lives in the area, I thought she used it in the park.

 

[bsmcneil]

No, the OP said they were told they were given “passes” not “access.”


But yes, some of the posters ARE explicitly saying that there’s no need for testing, so directly implying that what this person witnessed is NOT what they think they understood. Some folks may be offering alternate explanations, but maybe some of them should be clearer that there COULD be other explanations or the OP COULD in fact have heard what they think they heard. They could in fact BE wrong, but they might NOT be….that’s all I’m saying.

I saw someone say there's no need to test the lanes. That's true - the lanes are physical things that have been walked/strolled/chaired through millions of times. I don't think anyone said theres no need to test the program and that's part of the confusion. Lightning Lane refers to a physical space, which is what had been the FP/FP+ line. It's a term used in conjunction with Genie+ and ILLS, and those are programs that are new and likely have experienced some testing (there were users on this board that spoke about that before leaving the board). But, that's not the same as the people who already have access to that physical line through DAS, Club 33, etc.

"OP COULD in fact have heard what they think they heard" - the OP did change what they heard, so usually that's a sign that something didn't add up.