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

[ford family]

I know not everyone will agree (which is fine, people can have different opinions) but I do think overall, this system is a little more fair.

It seems like the guest priority level is:
- on site
- off site
- APs

And I know that APs may hate this, but realistically in most cases (not all, of course) someone with an AP has the ability to visit the park more frequently. Previous versions of the system rewarded those with insider knowledge, who visited frequently. The new system gives folks who are having their "once in a lifetime" experience more of a fighting chance.

I say this as a childless Millennial who visits every 2-4 years: frequent visitors like me can afford to "miss out" on a particular ride because we know we'll be back. It's more inconvenient than devastating.

Other folks will certainly feel differently, and that's fine. Not trying to minimize anyone's frustration or personal experience with the new system.

Mostly interested to see how the new system gets tweaked with same-day drops over the next few months.

On the guest priority levels you missed out the lowest level of all, foreigners!
We can't do anything until we touch American soil, no advance reservations allowed at all.
What are the chances of getting on to the popular rides on the day? Not good!

WDW reasoning for this discrimination? They won't say but there are mutterings about international payment problems.
But there are no international payment problems when they want us to pay our DVC annual dues or pay our bill at the Boardwalk at the end of our holiday.
If you are required to treat us like second or third class citizens at least explain why. You could pretend to care!

ford family

 

[WxKristin]

If you are staying on property, getting started at 7 am to book your rides isn't a huge priority except for maybe the first day of trip. I booked Saturday (27th) for our trip Aug 3-10 around 9 am CT. I was able to get all 3 rides at HS/MK/AK for Aug 6-8 before noon except for Tiana's (which was at 1:50 pm). Looking at the Thrill data availability trends for those days, it would have been maybe a half hour earlier for each ride if I woke up at 6 am CT to do the bookings.

3 days out is probably a completely different story.

Now if they would just move to VQ to the night before, I could actually sleep in.

 

[WxKristin]

On the guest priority levels you missed out the lowest level of all, foreigners!
We can't do anything until we touch American soil, no advance reservations allowed at all.
What are the chances of getting on to the popular rides on the day? Not good!

WDW reasoning for this discrimination? They won't say but there are mutterings about international payment problems.
But there are no international payment problems when they want us to pay our DVC annual dues or pay our bill at the Boardwalk at the end of our holiday.
If you are required to treat us like second or third class citizens at least explain why. You could pretend to care!

ford family

I've read that if you own DVC internationally, DVC member services can do the advance booking for you. Of course, that could be hit/miss depending on the cast member you talk with. Sorry this is so frustrating!

 

[FallsChurchDad]

We booked 7+3 to 7+6 days out and I'm (unpleasantly) surprised that "Modify" doesn't seem to work very well. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong?

Here is what I've been trying to do - I feel like I must be missing something. For stuff in the future (not day-of), to see available times, I click on what I want to change (let's say Haunted Mansion, 10-11 am), then I click on "Modify Selection." Then it shows me better times than what I have (e.g. 9:40 am) - great! I click on, "Change to This Time." But now it gives me a new window with a much later time (like 12:15 pm), and a message - "Modify Time - Please note your arrival window has changed."

I don't like that time, so I go back and repeat this process. Once again, it shows me the same, better time that I saw previously (9:40 am) - great! I pick that better time again. Once again, it gives me a new window with the much later time (12:15 pm), and the same message - "Modify Time - Please note your arrival window has changed."

Note that I don't have any earlier time that would create an overlap. Why can't I get that earlier time? What am I doing wrong?

I am worried that this will also happen on the day-of. When we can see earlier times available, will we actually be able to get those times?

 

[Jellybean9]

On the guest priority levels you missed out the lowest level of all, foreigners!
We can't do anything until we touch American soil, no advance reservations allowed at all.
What are the chances of getting on to the popular rides on the day? Not good!

WDW reasoning for this discrimination? They won't say but there are mutterings about international payment problems.
But there are no international payment problems when they want us to pay our DVC annual dues or pay our bill at the Boardwalk at the end of our holiday.
If you are required to treat us like second or third class citizens at least explain why. You could pretend to care!

ford family

Everyone keeps saying you can just turn off location services and change your location to United States and then you can book.

 

[accm]

We booked 7+3 to 7+6 days out and I'm (unpleasantly) surprised that "Modify" doesn't seem to work very well. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong?

Here is what I've been trying to do - I feel like I must be missing something. For stuff in the future (not day-of), to see available times, I click on what I want to change (let's say Haunted Mansion, 10-11 am), then I click on "Modify Selection." Then it shows me better times than what I have (e.g. 9:40 am) - great! I click on, "Change to This Time." But now it gives me a new window with a much later time (like 12:15 pm), and a message - "Modify Time - Please note your arrival window has changed."

I don't like that time, so I go back and repeat this process. Once again, it shows me the same, better time that I saw previously (9:40 am) - great! I pick that better time again. Once again, it gives me a new window with the much later time (12:15 pm), and the same message - "Modify Time - Please note your arrival window has changed."

Note that I don't have any earlier time that would create an overlap. Why can't I get that earlier time? What am I doing wrong?

I am worried that this will also happen on the day-of. When we can see earlier times available, will we actually be able to get those times?

I've been having this issue too, and after trying multiple times with multiple rides, that it's a glitch with the app.

 

[Disneydawg74]

On the guest priority levels you missed out the lowest level of all, foreigners!
We can't do anything until we touch American soil, no advance reservations allowed at all.
What are the chances of getting on to the popular rides on the day? Not good!

WDW reasoning for this discrimination? They won't say but there are mutterings about international payment problems.
But there are no international payment problems when they want us to pay our DVC annual dues or pay our bill at the Boardwalk at the end of our holiday.
If you are required to treat us like second or third class citizens at least explain why. You could pretend to care!

ford family

I understand your frustration. WDW has historically offered better “deals” to international guests (free dining in the past offered only to UK for example). Do you feel the same way about that?

 

[Tbiafore]

I have been noticing, even on a few FB groups that it seems like people that are using the new system, are getting rides that are later in the day (I know there are exceptions), but what this does is makes it so you dont get to do much beyond those initial 3.
That doesnt account for larger parties which makes it even harder to adjust times and/or get additional rides after you grab your first 3 rides.

Very tough to justify the cost for just three rides, especially when the lower tier rides typically dont have that much of a wait anyways.

If things dont change, I dont see me paying for this service. I would just rather rope drop and save the money.

 

[ford family]

I understand your frustration. WDW has historically offered better “deals” to international guests (free dining in the past offered only to UK for example). Do you feel the same way about that?

Couldn't say, we are DVC so those "deals" you mention wouldn't apply to us, but I'm sure they were structured so the "free" element was amply compensated elsewhere!

ford family

 

[Marypoppins14]

I have been noticing, even on a few FB groups that it seems like people that are using the new system, are getting rides that are later in the day (I know there are exceptions), but what this does is makes it so you dont get to do much beyond those initial 3.
That doesnt account for larger parties which makes it even harder to adjust times and/or get additional rides after you grab your first 3 rides.

Very tough to justify the cost for just three rides, especially when the lower tier rides typically dont have that much of a wait anyways.

If things dont change, I dont see me paying for this service. I would just rather rope drop and save the money.

I echo your sentiments.

We will not purchase MP for EP or AK. Prefer to use EE for AK for FoP (we will probably skip Navi), Safari, Everest, Dino, etc before the park officially opens. Probably will not purchase SP for FoP. We will pay attention to standby lines and go with the flow for the rest of the day, seeing shows, enjoying the animals and entertainment, having meals in air conditioning. May hop on a bus to AKL for a mid-day break - want to see some new babies!

Frozen and Remy are not must do's for us, so we will use wake up for the 7 am GoG VQ, and then use EEH to attempt the extra VQ for GoG (and purchase SP for that one ride), another go with the flow type of day, arriving whenever our first VQ group is called for GoG. Can ride the rat and frozen (if we feel like it) during EEH.

Will skip SP at MK, get MP for that park. VG Tron and watch standby times for 7DMT.

May purchase SP for RoR, and then use EE at HS, and may purchase MP for that park, if early times are available.

If early times are not available for HS /MK, will not purchase MP. Not worth it. Will use EE and effective touring plans instead.

 

[spewey]

I have been noticing, even on a few FB groups that it seems like people that are using the new system, are getting rides that are later in the day (I know there are exceptions), but what this does is makes it so you dont get to do much beyond those initial 3.
That doesnt account for larger parties which makes it even harder to adjust times and/or get additional rides after you grab your first 3 rides.

Very tough to justify the cost for just three rides, especially when the lower tier rides typically dont have that much of a wait anyways.

If things dont change, I dont see me paying for this service. I would just rather rope drop and save the money.

I posted my thoughts on this earlier. Right now, reports are LLs are true walk-ons - very few people in them. Which means Disney is currently limiting the number of spots they release. So, for what rides you DO get, it's a great value.

But if this holds, it also means you won't get many other LLs after your initial three, especially popular ones. So this effectively becomes, unlike Genie+, pay for the convenience of choosing in advance three truly skip the line experiences, but not much more. Then people have to decide if that's worth the $$$.

Once this becomes known (again, unless Disney adjusts and increases LL capacity) I suspect sales will go down. Which, ironically, will make LLMPs more valuable, as that means more spots available for those that do buy.

Back and forth until it settles.

 

[Liquidice]

On the guest priority levels you missed out the lowest level of all, foreigners!
We can't do anything until we touch American soil, no advance reservations allowed at all.
What are the chances of getting on to the popular rides on the day? Not good!

WDW reasoning for this discrimination? They won't say but there are mutterings about international payment problems.
But there are no international payment problems when they want us to pay our DVC annual dues or pay our bill at the Boardwalk at the end of our holiday.
If you are required to treat us like second or third class citizens at least explain why. You could pretend to care!

ford family

According to DVC Fan, International DVC Guests can purchase LLMP through Member Services and then you can choose your rides via MDE.

https://dvcfan.com/general-dvc/inte...tning-lane-passes-before-arriving-in-the-usa/

I definitely understand the frustration - but if you're coming in from overseas and not DVC but staying onsite for lets say 14 days - you can still book all of your LLMP for days 2-14 ahead of schedule, while APs are stuck at best booking day by day on a rolling 3-day ahead of schedule basis, which defeats the purpose behind LLMP and being able to book ahead of schedule.

 

[adizzle819]

I was looking at the thrill data stuff for future lightning lane passes, and I hope I'm reading this wrong and someone who is currently booking for next week can clarify what they are seeing. I was looking at Pirates for 8/6 (8 days from now) and is the earliest return time really after noon already when you book at 7am? That seems crazy to me

 

[Neener16]

I understand your frustration. WDW has historically offered better “deals” to international guests (free dining in the past offered only to UK for example). Do you feel the same way about that?

I am not an International guest, but I have read this argument before. The reply has been there are various deals offered for other people throughout the year; Disney + subscribers, Disney Visa just to name 2. I don’t blame them for being pissed. You are paying a lot of money to visit Disney and are given zero perks for staying onsite. If Disney could explain what’s behind this, it would be helpful.

 

[seelyt2]

Guest passes are different than comp tickets (Chip and Dale). Her comp tickets can be assigned to people and they worked at 7 days out. CM's also have main gate pass with guest passes- those are the one's I am talking about.

You should be fine.

Thank you! Good to know since she just accepted a part-time job so I'm sure that guest passes are in our future at some point. Again, thank you!

 

[Dave006]

On the guest priority levels you missed out the lowest level of all, foreigners!
We can't do anything until we touch American soil, no advance reservations allowed at all. What are the chances of getting on to the popular rides on the day? Not good!

@ford family

There are ways for International guests to make early use of the new Lightning Lanes pre-arrival purchases. The changes are simple and just utilize the basic features of MDE and your Smartphone. There have been a few posts earlier in this thread documenting these simple changes. Here are the updates from @andrewilley

Go into the MDE Home Screen: Select The Hamburger Screen Icon bottom right of screen ( 3 Horizontal lines stacked up ) > Profile> Account Settings, scroll down and change your Country of Residence to "USA" and save you updated.

Then the app will assume you are in America if Location Services are turned off, even if you are really in the UK for example. Clearly Americans are considered more trustworthy than us Brits.

In your Smartphone settings: Turn off Location Services for the MDE app or just toggle Location Services off. Now just restart MDE and see how your experience is with the new version of Lightning Lanes.

Please give this simple process a test and let us know if it gets you passed any issues or limitations for International Guests that are impacting your family.

If you are required to treat us like second or third class citizens at least explain why. You could pretend to care!

We still don't have an official answer but so far we have heard about Data Privacy rules like General Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR) and the number of small International transactions over short periods of time that may appear as fraud transactions.

Dave

 

[LSUfan4444]

I can't go through 146 pages and can't seem to see this confirmed anywhere else but am I correct to assume that if we book a two night stay we can book out LL's at 7 am seven days in advance of our arrival day and at that time can still book for the two nights we are guests and the day we checkout? So, a two night stay means we can book as resort guests for three days, correct?

 

[Sunelis]

I can't go through 146 pages and can't seem to see this confirmed anywhere else but am I correct to assume that if we book a two night stay we can book out LL's at 7 am seven days in advance of our arrival day and at that time can still book for the two nights we are guests and the day we checkout? So, a two night stay means we can book as resort guests for three days, correct?

Yes you are still considered a resort guess on your check out day so you could book for that last day.

 

[CoasterGT24]

I was looking at the thrill data stuff for future lightning lane passes, and I hope I'm reading this wrong and someone who is currently booking for next week can clarify what they are seeing. I was looking at Pirates for 8/6 (8 days from now) and is the earliest return time really after noon already when you book at 7am? That seems crazy to meView attachment 881073

That's the correct interpretation as of now. Other guests have already been booking that date for close to a week now. Whether Disney will drop more early times as the date gets closer remains to be seen.

 

[disney-inspired]

This wasn't any different than it was in FP+ era.

On-site had 60 days in advance, off-site and off-site APs had 30 days in advance.

They are just replicating a previous system but with much lower amount of days you can pre-book. A lot of people complained about 60 days in advance with trying to figure out what ride you'd want and back then ADRs started at 180 days in advance.

Does anyone remember if good neighbor hotels were treated as onsite or offsite for old fastpass+ or Genie+?

I'm seeing what they consider 'onsite' now is legit only Disney Resorts, Swan & Dolphin and SOG.