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

[jelona]

I do feel bad for those right by the change over date. Especially for those who were denied DAS, and was turning to genie plus, and now another system to learn.

They also released it so short noticed, that if these people wanted to cancel their trip, they will not get the full refund due to it being less than 30 days.

 

[sadiecatie]

Didn't G+ also have photopass for the day? We always buy MM so never cared to know for sure.

Not at WDW.

I'm not sure when this started being included, but kind of - ride photos are included if you have G+. That wasn't the case for our visit in 2022, but was in October 2023.

 

[Nick6300]

As others pointed out earlier in this thread (or else in the other thread on this topic), Disney is still only offering free ride photos, not photographer ones, with the new system.

thanks for clarifying. I guess I will definitely lose the MM debate again!

 

[Tom_E_D]

I feel like this new system will hurt park hopping.

Under Genie+, if I plan on hopping to DHS in the evening and want to ride SDD, I can book it at 7am and choose or modify to an evening return time.

Under the new system, I would not be able to book anything at DHS until after I use my first LL at my daytime park. And by that time, SDD will be long gone

Under the new system, you could buy LLMP for Hollywood Studios and still book three rides for the evening. What you're apparently losing is the ability to use LLMP in your first park. (You can't book a fourth until you've used one of your first three and those are all at HS.) However, we'll have to see how it works when it opens. E.g., if you can modify a LL from one park to another, you may be able to modify your tier 2's to your first park. That's a hypothetical. It isn't clear if that can be done.

 

[georgina]

I feel like this new system will hurt park hopping.

Under Genie+, if I plan on hopping to DHS in the evening and want to ride SDD, I can book it at 7am and choose or modify to an evening return time.

Under the new system, I would not be able to book anything at DHS until after I use my first LL at my daytime park. And by that time, SDD will be long gone

It will definitely change my hopping strategy. The only park I consistently bought G+ for was DHS, with the easy evening stacking. Now it seems if I want to take advantage of the prebook 3 rides, I will have to go to DHS in the morning and hop to Epcot or AK instead.

 

[Tink-osophy]

I'm really not understanding the restriction for international guests - it is no different than the other items but just screws over the international guests. I'm stateside but I'd be super pissed if I was shelling out so much money and not able to use this 'benefit' when I'm paying for it.

Exactly!

Incredulous that Disney would create a system that so blatantly locks out international "Guests".

Whatever the speculation about possible reasons, I don't, for a moment, imagine that Disney couldn't/can't do better than this.

 

[nursejackie]

I'm really not understanding the restriction for international guests - it is no different than the other items but just screws over the international guests. I'm stateside but I'd be super pissed if I was shelling out so much money and not able to use this 'benefit' when I'm paying for it.

I am really pissed. I am spending over £10,000 with about 3/4 of that going to Disney for Moderate and Deluxe resorts for 13 nights, 14 day Disney tickets, food, beverages, merchandise, and it was going to be Genie+ and ILL but now.....

 

[g3pak]

i loved the stacking aspect of Genie plus. It was worth it alone, especially at HS. You could stack rides at the pool and have a leisure morning, then do everything you want that evening without dying of heat exhaustion.

Our family has changed our Disney strategy over the years. The one thing that has stayed consistent is that we stay until close every day. Our kids were children/early teens during paper FPs so we rope dropped every day and I was the FP runner. With FP+ we still rope dropped most mornings. Our kids were high school/college with G+ and not as eager to get up early. We learned how to stack in the evenings. Our younger one- high school at the time- would wake up with me at 7 am and grab something on G+ then go back to bed. We entered a park most mornings before 11 am, although our older one sometimes joined us an hour or two later, which was no problem since we grabbed spots starting after lunch. Now my kiddos are college and adult and my older one begins the vacation exhausted due to work. It appears to be an advantage to do the first multi-pass ride earlier in the day but my older one may not enter the park until lunch. Our trip also begins before the end of July, so we will be purchasing and booking the morning of the 24th along with the rest of the world.

 

[123SA]

But now you will basically be limited to 3 a day. The language says you *may* be able to book another one after you use your first pre-selection of the day, but the likelihood that anything good is left at that point is very low. Plus, it just occurred to me that it says you may be able to book an additional ONE pre-selection. Does anyone see somewhere where it says you can keep booking after that one?

From the DIsney Website FAQ Using Lightning Lane Passes


How long do I have to wait before I can select a new Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction?

Answer​

Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections can only be made one at a time. On the day of your park visit, once you redeem a selection, you can use the My Disney Experience app to check availability for another Lightning Lane Multi Pass experience—and add to your plans.



My interpretation is that you can keep making them day of subject to availability and one time per ride

 

[JackosinDIS]

https://wdwnt.com/2024/06/advance-lightning-lane-not-international-guests/

 

[jelona]

Our family has changed our Disney strategy over the years. The one thing that has stayed consistent is that we stay until close every day. Our kids were children/early teens during paper FPs so we rope dropped every day and I was the FP runner. With FP+ we still rope dropped most mornings. Our kids were high school/college with G+ and not as eager to get up early. We learned how to stack in the evenings. Our younger one- high school at the time- would wake up with me at 7 am and grab something on G+ then go back to bed. We entered a park most mornings before 11 am, although our older one sometimes joined us an hour or two later, which was no problem since we grabbed spots starting after lunch. Now my kiddos are college and adult and my older one begins the vacation exhausted due to work. It appears to be an advantage to do the first multi-pass ride earlier in the day but my older one may not enter the park until lunch. Our trip also begins before the end of July, so we will be purchasing and booking the morning of the 24th along with the rest of the world.

I'm so sorry you're in the 24th boat like me. Genie+ was wonderful for us and worked out great. I have little ones... but they are not early risers. I am though! So I never minded being the only one up at 7am doing the genie plus for everyone. It worked out perfectly! I would wake up, book my top ride priority, and then have the morning to myself. My kids are 4 & 10, but would rather stay till close than me drag them for rope drop. We also never leave the parks and come back. I always feel like that wastes time... I'm a "Lets get our money's worth and stay here all day! we can sleep at home!" type person.

 

[Icarus846]

https://wdwnt.com/2024/06/advance-lightning-lane-not-international-guests/

The response from cast members on the website, “don’t worry, international guests will be able to make LL selections when they arrive in the US” is such a slap in the face and insult to our intelligence..

 

[tgropp]

Exactly!

Incredulous that Disney would create a system that so blatantly locks out international "Guests".

Whatever the speculation about possible reasons, I don't, for a moment, imagine that Disney couldn't/can't do better than this.

The days of Disney doing better left the day Bob Iger came in control. It’s been a train wreck ever since

 

[Tink-osophy]

The response from cast members on the website, “don’t worry, international guests will be able to make LL selections when they arrive in the US” is such a slap in the face and insult to our intelligence..

That just makes it even worse!

 

[rmclain73]

The response from cast members on the website, “don’t worry, international guests will be able to make LL selections when they arrive in the US” is such a slap in the face and insult to our intelligence..

A lot of interesting changes from Disney for sure. I know it was being abused, but a lot of DAS users who actually needed the service and are now being turned away also feel the same slap. Disney needs to do better.

 

[JackosinDIS]

The response from cast members on the website, “don’t worry, international guests will be able to make LL selections when they arrive in the US” is such a slap in the face and insult to our intelligence..

It’s absolutely wrong! Response on Facebook page from Disney is:

Due to reasons out of our control, there are certain Website/ App features unavailable to our international guests including this new Lighting Lane Multi-Pass/Single Pass update. We understand how disappointing that can be, so I do apologize for the inconvenience. You will have access to the Pre-Planning Features once you are in the USA

 

[GPC0321]

Thank goodness! I have not been impressed with the current system.

 

[kdka421]

One of the other negatives I haven't seen a lot of discussion on yet is that -- assuming you want to use the LL system -- you will now purchase your LLs up to 7-14 days out from your actual park days, but you will be out that money if plans change for any reason last minute. If someone gets sick, if you wake up to a cold or rainy day and decide to stay in, etc.
Obviously this didn't happen with a free FP+ system, and as we know, with the current Genie+ system you can decide the morning of before you purchase it. If you expect to need flexibility, and don't want to risk losing the $, you're going to be stuck with whatever LLs are left the day of when you finalize your plans.

I am not sure if this has been answered, but on a related note I wonder if the system will have flexibility if you change park dates. For example we're planning a 10 day trip with 7 park days. Can we purchase the LL pass for one day, but then change it to another date if our touring plans change? Based on what we've been told that seems unlikely, which stinks.

 

[saraheliz]

They also released it so short noticed, that if these people wanted to cancel their trip, they will not get the full refund due to it being less than 30 days.

Ding ding ding. We are over 30 days still but not much.
I'm reserving judgement on the actual system since I ultimately was able to use both old FP+ and Genie + effectively and we will make the best of it (although keeping what used to be tier 1 attractions as individual purchase really devalues the now-tier 1 attractions)....
but if it gets significantly more expensive and I find out a couple of weeks prior to my trip? I'm going to be really upset.
We budgeted for Genie+ every day, but if I find out at the end of July that they've jacked the cost up significantly that will be a real problem. You have to give people more notice if you're going to do that.
It's not like I'm going to tell my three kids who are counting down to this trip "sorry, kids, not going" but I also can't afford a huge increase and have no interest in long standby lines in August heat.
THAT is the most frustrating part for me (and I'd be upset if I was international, too). Announce it for 2025 with a price increase? Sure. Plenty of time to cancel/rebook/change plans/reassess. But if July 24th arrives and the cost is significantly higher per person starting immediately? Not ok.

 

[nlenguyen]

I wonder what changed since FP+. International Guests would most likely be then same day guests and what availability will there be the same day?