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

[spewey]

Thrill Data calls drops "lightning lane popup releases." They are posted on this webpage: https://www.thrill-data.com/lightning-lane/wdw/popup

But are all these pre-planned and coordinated by Disney? We all know LL spots become available during the day - but isn't this just perhaps a combination of people modifying or cancelling their selections, thereby "releasing" spots, and maybe Disney keeping an eye on harder to track use, like (in the past) DAS capacity, then deciding to add LL capacity at certain rides at certain times?

 

[Tom_E_D]

But are all these pre-planned and coordinated by Disney? We all know LL spots become available during the day - but isn't this just perhaps a combination of people modifying or cancelling their selections, thereby "releasing" spots, and maybe Disney keeping an eye on harder to track use, like (in the past) DAS capacity, then deciding to add LL capacity at certain rides at certain times?

But that's what drops are. Disney adding LL capacity at certain rides at certain times.

I don't think these are merely people releasing spots at coincidentally the same time most days. I suspect Thrill Data is noticing they remain available for a while, which means a bunch got released at once. I think these are the times Disney releases more LLs when operations are going smoothly for the rides in question.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Historically this has not happened. There are still genie+ drop times available NOW. I challenge you to find what they are. Again, I've only ever seen them public-facing in one thread on wdw magic forums, and that was just for a few rides at each park. They are a closely-held secret amongst Disney insiders and their friends.

I’ve only been once with genie plus and had a long trip so never paid much attention to drop times for that but I’ve come across them on the boards time to time. But I remember FP+ drop times being posted all over the Dis. In trip reports and on the FP thread. Especially for FOP.

It is true that unless you know to look for drop times you won’t even know it’s a thing. That’s why those on these boards have an advantage.

I googled Genie plus drop times and this came up:

https://www.thrill-data.com/lightning-lane/wdw/popup

 

[DisneyFive]

But are all these pre-planned and coordinated by Disney? We all know LL spots become available during the day - but isn't this just perhaps a combination of people modifying or cancelling their selections, thereby "releasing" spots, and maybe Disney keeping an eye on harder to track use, like (in the past) DAS capacity, then deciding to add LL capacity at certain rides at certain times?

Yes, these are preplanned and done regularly daily by Disney

 

[Mamabun]

Hey, ill say it.... I am not a fan of this. I was book8ng a trip for nov 29 to dec 8 and just cancelled my plans for it. Theres a lot I want to see about how it works before I plan to revisit the parks. Right now heres a big hang up im stuck on:

So you can plan 7 days out (if staying on disnprop etc), so 7 days ahead i pick my 3 rides. Now, I cant plan anuthing else for 7 days until i use my first pass. Meanwhile, all the people who can begin booking 7 days out a day after me, i.e. 6 daysbout for me. So heres an example. Lets say my 1st park will be Hollywood,so 7 days out I book tower, rockn, and runaway rail. Ok. Now my next park im going to on day 2 is MK. By the time I get to MK, now 7 addtl days away, everything i wanna do will be taken.

Every day there are people who are beginning their booking for 7 days out. So a day after you make your first 3 choices, there will be 7 days wotlrth of people all booking things for the parks you are doing on your 2nd, 3rd, 4th day of your trip etc. This to me makes this system worth buying for your 1st day only, if at all.

Hey I could be way off here but logistically this looks like a monster negative impact. Normally, by rope dropping and using genie plus/ill, I can finish all rides except for shows by 2pm the latest anywhere except at MK where there are a lot of rides I wont do like barnstormer, race track cars, orbiter. Those would take a little longer till about 4 or 5.

Anyway, cant wait to read up on here and watch yputibe recaps after the 1st week.

So it took me a minute to realize what you’re saying, but it seems like you think you can only make your 3 LLMP’s for your first day and then you can’t make anymore for the rest of your trip until you use one? That”s not how it works. You can make 3 for every day of your trip 7 days before your first day. So let’s say your days of your trip are September 8-14. On September 1, you can make 21 LLMPs (3 for the 8th, 3 for the 9th,…., all the way to 3 for the 14th). Then, on each park day you can make another one for that day every time you use one.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

these are preplanned and done regularly daily by Disney

I wonder "IF" folks modifying prior to those have any influence on the "Thrill Data" charts?

 

[123SA]

Can someone check me on this:

Bookings open on July 24
anyone with a resort stay on July 24 or starting a resort stay beginning any of these days July 25 - 31 can book start booking on this day (I'm only concerned about resort stay) Do I have this right? July 30 or July 31? (I'm not sure if it's 31-7 = 24, or If I'm counting 24 = 1, 25 =2....which would mean 30 = 7)

A person with a 14 day stay starting on Jul 31 can book through Aug 13th

So this means on July 24th, we should be able to see pricing through Aug 13th.

IS that right?


Now, variable pricing question: Do we know if Disney intends to keep the price the same for a particular date? For example, on July 24th the price listed for Aug 10th at MK is $27. (This is just an example). Will the price be $27 for those completing their purchase on Jul 24th, Aug 1, and Aug 10th?

 

[georgina]

Personally - I never liked Genie+ because I can’t do a full day in the parks so afternoon stacking wasn’t a good option for me…I do plan on taking advantage of LLMP and am willing to pay more than G+ because it works much better for me and how I like to ‘do Disney’…

That's exactly why I liked G+, because with stacking you could enter a park in the afternoon with multiple rides already booked. Really only used it for DHS - start with Slinky dog at 7 AM, at 11:00 book MMRR, at 1:00 book Tot, which can generally be modified to whatever time I arrive, after ride Tot book MFSR or TSMM, etc. It was great for partial days. I did not find G+ worth it for Epcot or AK, and would not use this new system either.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

A person with a 14 day stay starting on Jul 31 can book through Aug 13th

I believe - Yes

So this means on July 24th, we should be able to see pricing through Aug 13th

You will see pricing for the 24th
Theoretically you should see pricing 7 days prior to your arrival date

anyone with a resort stay on July 24

Not sure if that has been specifically addressed.
I'm waiting to see if those with arrivals on the 24th are able to 'prebook' 7 days prior (17th?)

 

[Mouse Tracker]

Do we know if Disney intends to keep the price the same for a particular date

NOPE

 

[DisneyFive]

I wonder "IF" folks modifying prior to those have any influence on the "Thrill Data" charts?

Yeah prebooking will certainly change the look of those availability heat maps on Thrill Data. It will be interesting to see when the new drop times will be for attractions, and how availability overall will be impacted. Once we know, we can plan and strategize accordingly.

 

[spewey]

Yes, these are preplanned and done regularly daily by Disney

Alright - good to know. Learn something new every day.

Well, some days

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Thrill Data calls drops "lightning lane popup releases." They are posted on this webpage: https://www.thrill-data.com/lightning-lane/wdw/popup

Thank you! It looks like they don’t collect (or don’t share) the info for DHS, which is probably where we will need it most…though if all the Tier 1 MK LLs are “gone” by morning of (or by the time we redeem first LLs), those drops will start to be more important.

 

[Dave006]

Not sure if that has been specifically addressed.
I'm waiting to see if those with arrivals on the 24th are able to 'prebook' 7 days prior (17th?)

No pre-booking before July 24th. The system will not coexist with Genie+.

Guests will use Genie+ through End of Day on July 23rd. There have been some rumors that the system will update at midnight but nothing has been confirmed.

Dave

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Thank you! It looks like they don’t collect (or don’t share) the info for DHS, which is probably where we will need it most…though if all the Tier 1 MK LLs are “gone” by morning of (or by the time we redeem first LLs), those drops will start to be more important.

That's not why that's happening. It looks like it's an automated tool that is looking at their 7 day heat maps and guessing as to when drops were made based on that. If you look at the heat maps yourself you can see why it's having a harder time with DHS right now (it's having a hard time with a lot right now because crowds are so low that the data is noisy). Squinting at the heat map for SDD though it looks like it matches the times I posted upthread.

 

[DisneyFive]

Thank you! It looks like they don’t collect (or don’t share) the info for DHS, which is probably where we will need it most…though if all the Tier 1 MK LLs are “gone” by morning of (or by the time we redeem first LLs), those drops will start to be more important.

You can get an idea by looking at the heat maps for a given attraction. For instance, Slinky Dog Dash below look to have two drops, one around 1:15p, and the other around 3:45pm

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I wonder "IF" folks modifying prior to those have any influence on the "Thrill Data" charts?

I was actually going to type something about modifying. The adjustment in allowing people to modify their selections (outside of ILL) would have an impact on availability that would not be about a drop by Disney. I'm sure Disney is still doing drops but it's also something that because of how Genie+ worked with just having the next time available lends itself to people constantly modifying to push out that time which would make a time "pop" up for someone else looking at that moment. Some people may hold off on booking a selection but I found that to be the case with DISers who knew that an attraction would be available later on. If you're unfamiliar with how long an attraction stays available you are more likely to book that for the time available which is early in the day at first for a lot of attractions and then if you know you can modify that time in the app to later you'll do that.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

modify that time in the app to later you'll do that.

And Vice Versa

 

[babydoll65]

Can someone check me on this:

Bookings open on July 24
anyone with a resort stay on July 24 or starting a resort stay beginning any of these days July 25 - 31 can book start booking on this day (I'm only concerned about resort stay) Do I have this right? July 30 or July 31? (I'm not sure if it's 31-7 = 24, or If I'm counting 24 = 1, 25 =2....which would mean 30 = 7)

A person with a 14 day stay starting on Jul 31 can book through Aug 13th

So this means on July 24th, we should be able to see pricing through Aug 13th.

IS that right?


Now, variable pricing question: Do we know if Disney intends to keep the price the same for a particular date? For example, on July 24th the price listed for Aug 10th at MK is $27. (This is just an example). Will the price be $27 for those completing their purchase on Jul 24th, Aug 1, and Aug 10th?

A person with a 14 days stay can book starting 7 days prior if there staying on-site for the length of their ticket. If they only have a 7 day ticket they can only book 7 days of their trip based on the date they start their ticket at. I'm going in November with my first 4 days staying off-site I have a 14 day ticket I can only book starting 3 days of the start of my ticket but once I do I can book the entire length of the ticket. Hope that makes sense

 

[123SA]

I think I asked too many questions at once.

On July 24th, I think prices will be available for someone to see up until August 13. Do you agree?

My reasoning is:
if you have a 14 day resort stay planned with a check in date of July 31 (check out date Aug 13) , you can start booking on July 24th. Therefore, pricing for July 24th - August 13th should be available on July 24th.

I don't know if everyone will be able to see these prices in MDE, but I expect that someone will post it.