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

[123SA]

I'm back from my trip 8/11-8/19. I haven't been keeping up with this thread. Not sure if this has been noted

On an MK day I had Pirates at 10:00am as my first LLMP. It was down, I got a multi experience. So now I had Space for the afternoon and HM for 12:00 and the anytime thing. When I tried to book Big Thunder as my 3rd LLMP, it didn't work. I could only book another Tier 2 ride. I went to GET to figure this out - -they really focused on explaining the multi pass. I finally asked them to please forward my feedback -- I didn't think it was fair that I was prevented from booking Big Thunder (Tier 1). If Pirates had been working, I would have been off the ride and Big Thunder would have been booked. I needed to explain that explicitly before they understood. They agreed. They wrote something up, but they couldn't actually book it for me. AS I was leaving, he called me back and suggested a work around -- he booked the tea cups immediately, and then marked it as used (we were in Adventureland - I didn't have to walk over to the tea cups). This allowed me to book Big Thunder



I need to spend some time thinking about LLMP. I think I spent a lot of time zig zagging to use LLMP that I didn't actually need. Prior to the trip, I was worried about not getting additional LLMP -- the only LLMP I wanted over 9 days that I couldn't get was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I wasn't willing to prioritize it and it was always gone by the time I was ready for it - but I didn't really need it anyway. I do not think that LLMP made stand by times longer. I was pleasantly surprised by the fast moving standby lines -- mostly that they kept moving. Somehow a 20 minute line that constantly moves is less annoying than a 10 minute line that stands still.

A big problem is the overinflation of wait times. Disney is not doing me a favor when they post 40 minutes as the wait time for a ride that is a walk on (Tower of Terror). You look at that wait time and make decisions -- I can't get in a 40 minute line because I have an ADR, or a rest room break, or I want to see the Indy show that starts in 30 minutes...so you walk away. The times were routinely overstated by 20 minutes or more ALL DAY long, every day.

 

[hes122]

Yes the grace period is still there and will allow you to tap in Green. If you miss the grace period it is up to the CM to allow you or deny you. Do you have a Dinning time that would make you late?

Dave

No, we just have to navigate flight schedules and getting to the hotel/park. I was able to push our LL time back some so we should be good now.

Thanks for confirming!

 

[Dave006]

On an MK day I had Pirates at 10:00am as my first LLMP. It was down, I got a multi experience. So now I had Space for the afternoon and HM for 12:00 and the anytime thing. When I tried to book Big Thunder as my 3rd LLMP, it didn't work. I could only book another Tier 2 ride.

The system was working correctly. Had you used your ME Pass that was issued to you because Pirates was down your Tiers would have been unlocked. The system is designed to only unlock the Tiers and LLMP Multi Park features after you tap in to your First LLMP selection. That's what the GET CM did for you by scheduling you a Tea Cups LLMP and then marking it used to unlock the Tiers restriction.

What did you end up using your ME Pass for?

Dave

 

[JackosinDIS]

Was the second CM also from the Guest Experience Team (GET) in a dark blue shirt?

Dave

Yes, both CMs were guest experience team.

ETA *it was an EarScouts YouTube video tried this

I had seen this video, when Eric couldn’t make it, so thought it would be no issue! But the first CM was adamant that it just wasn’t possible. I told them that we were park hopping and pointed out that the person joining later would not be able to use LLMP. She said that this was the way it was meant to work.

A couple of interesting things from the day:

1. Our TBA LLMP was replaced with a MEP before park open. This meant we were able to book another tier 1 (same park) before we arrived.
2. When LLMPs expire without being used, they stay on the My Day board and can’t be modified or cancelled. It’s a hot mess. However, one of the expired LLs was converted to an MEP when the rides were temporarily closed!

 

[adizzle819]

I don't know about AFTER the reservation time as we were print to do BEFORE but it wouldn't let me book a ride with a window 1 hour BEFORE my reservation, which was insane. HOWEVER, when I cancelled my ADR, I booked the MPLL and then re-booked the ADR and it let me and just now says I have "overlapping plans." It was definitely annoying because we felt like we worked so hard to get our ADRs and had to risk losing them in order to make the most out of MPLL. This could have been just for us though as we wanted to make sure we got 3 in early on. The lack of ride overlap was annoying too. It's not going to take me an hour to ride Haunted Mansion with MPLL, or at least it didn't with G+ and I couldn't get my times to overlap more than 5 minutes and with this new system there seems to be a lack of immediate availability. Usually we can get It's A Small World for example after scanning into Haunted Mansion and hop right over, but in watching Thrill Data for the days we are going, it looked like two Wednesdays before, for example It's A Small World was booking 1 hour out, but one Wednesday out for example it could be done immediately. The data doesn't seem as solid as it was with G+. Another example is I used to time, okay if we scan into Haunted Mansion by X time, we can get Thunder for x time and it solidly be within 10 minutes of the prior weeks. With this new system it's WAY more sporadic and differs by an hour+ from what happened the previous week and is hard to read.

Thanks so much for the detailed answer....that is crazy about the before windows....I'm getting a bit concerned about making these MPLL in a couple of weeks. Some of the ADRs can easily be cancelled and rebooked, but others can't be and it's a shame they can't overlap. If you're paying for the MPLL anyway, why does Disney care if you aren't able to make your return time window? Oh well, I'm sure as soon as we all figure out how to use this, it will change again

 

[123SA]

The system was working correctly. Had you used your ME Pass that was issued to you because Pirates was down your Tiers would have been unlocked. The system is designed to only unlock the Tiers and LLMP Multi Park features after you tap in to your First LLMP selection. That's what the GET CM did for you by scheduling you a Tea Cups LLMP and then marking it used to unlock the Tiers restriction.

What did you end up using your ME Pass for?

Dave

Haunted Mansion around 7pm

 

[elvispursley]

Can someone explain the MEP again…I know TBA frequently goes down. If I get the a MEP, am I able to book another tier 1 and still ride TBA? I know read what happens or what to do pages and pages ago but can find the info!

 

[tx911]

Can someone explain the MEP again…I know TBA frequently goes down. If I get the a MEP, am I able to book another tier 1 and still ride TBA? I know read what happens or what to do pages and pages ago but can find the info!

My understanding is that the MEP doesn’t count against your rolling allotment of three lightning lanes, so if you get one, you can immediately book another lightning lane, even though you haven’t tapped into anything.

 

[brockash]

My Experience from today 8/21 at the MK.
3 MPLLs booked 7 days in advance were Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Carpets (910am return).
1 SPLL for Mine Train
At 7am VQ Group 10 for Tiana
Not going to ride Space Mountain or Tron today

Arrived at park entrance for EE at 750am.
830am-850am: EE started rode Peter Pan first
Carpets down got an MEPLL, book immediately again, got another MEPLL. booked MPLL for Carpets
850am-920am: waited for park to open rode Mansion first.
Was able to move my Jungle Cruise LL and Pirates LL return time to earlier
920am-945am: Tiana still down, rode Big Thunder Mountain.
945am-10am: Tiana opened, used VQ
10am-11am: Jungle Cruise LL first, booked MPLL for Winnie the Pooh, Pirates MPLL second, booked Small World MPLL, Magic Carpets MPLL, booked Barnstormer MPLL.
11am: Lunch at Crystal Palace.
1230pm-330pm: used Small World MPLL (they accepted a 30 minute late return), booked MPLL for Mermaid, used MPLL for Mermaid, booked MPLL for Dumbo, used MPLL Barnstormer, booked MPLL for Buzz, used MPLL for Pooh, booked MPLL for Speedway, used SPLL for Mine Train, used MPLL for Speedway, booked MPLL for Tiana (fiddle faddle 430pm return), used MPLL for Buzz, booked MPLL for Thunder Mountain (fiddle faddle 5pm return)
330pm-6pm: rainstorm, watched Carousel of Progress, shopped, snacked, Tiana down, and used Big Thunder MPLL
6pm-currently: Dinner at BOG.

Wow, thanks for the details. Sounds like you had a really successful day. - And so smart to think about booking another Carpets right away

 

[gottalovepluto]

Can someone explain the MEP again…I know TBA frequently goes down. If I get the a MEP, am I able to book another tier 1 and still ride TBA? I know read what happens or what to do pages and pages ago but can find the info!

Literally covered 3 posts up

 

[elvispursley]

Literally covered 3 posts up

I was specifically asking about TBA.

 

[brockash]

Can someone explain the MEP again…I know TBA frequently goes down. If I get the a MEP, am I able to book another tier 1 and still ride TBA? I know read what happens or what to do pages and pages ago but can find the info!

Sort of, except the post right above that seems to contradict it. - JackosinDis explained that when TBA was down, they received a MEP before the park even opened and was able to book another Tier 1 pass again before even entering the park. The post above that (Dave006) stated that if you receive a MEP, you would need to use that pass for something before you would be allowed to book another Tier 1 ride (either scan that one or another one of your passes), but it seems in JacksosinDis's case that didn't hold true.

I wasn't the OP, but it is confusing.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I was specifically asking about TBA.

They literally got an MEP for TBA and booked another Tier 1…

 

[gottalovepluto]

Sort of, except the post right above that seems to contradict it. - JackosinDis explained that when TBA was down, they received a MEP before the park even opened and was able to book another Tier 1 pass again before even entering the park. The post above that (Dave006) stated that if you receive a MEP, you would need to use that pass for something before you would be allowed to book another Tier 1 ride (either scan that one or another one of your passes), but it seems in JacksosinDis's case that didn't hold true.

I wasn't the OP, but it is confusing.

TBA becoming a MEP didn’t unlock them. They had a Tier 1 slot open for booking because they lost their Tier 1.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Sort of, except the post right above that seems to contradict it. - JackosinDis explained that when TBA was down, they received a MEP before the park even opened and was able to book another Tier 1 pass again before even entering the park. The post above that (Dave006) stated that if you receive a MEP, you would need to use that pass for something before you would be allowed to book another Tier 1 ride (either scan that one or another one of your passes), but it seems in JacksosinDis's case that didn't hold true.

I wasn't the OP, but it is confusing.

The difference is due to the ride for which the MEP was issued. Until you have unlocked the tier and park restrictions, you can have one Tier 1 and two Tier 2s (or three Tier 2s if you prefer). MEPs do not count toward that number.

In one case, the MEP was issued for Tiana's, a Tier 1. When it was issued, the poster was left with two Tier 2s and the MEP. He/she could then book another Tier 1 since he/she did not already have one. (The MEP does not count.) The Tier 1 he/she could book could even be Tiana's again, if available. Even if Tiana's was not available, the MEP could be used to ride Tiana's when it came back up.

In the other case, the MEP was issued for Pirates, a Tier 2 ride. The poster then had the MEP, a Tier 1 (Space Mt.) and a Tier 2 (HM). He/she could replace Pirates, but only with a Tier 2 since the tier and park restrictions had not been unlocked and he/she already had a Tier 1 (Space Mt.). The MEP could have been used for any eligible ride immediately to unlock the tier and park restrictions, but instead the poster got a CM to unlock the restrictions by having him/her take a phantom ride on Teacups.

I agree that it would be better if the Pirates LLMP converting to an MEP would have unlocked the tier and park restrictions if you had tapped into the park, but that is apparently not how it works.

 

[DLRExpert]

My advance booking advice after doing this a few times.
- Have the three MPLL attractions known before the window booking day.
- Choose at least one (but two is better), early return time attractions that you can use as soon as you arrive.
- If the overlap times shown are an issue. Just move all of the LLs on your list to a later time then adjust each one after to the earlier time that you want. Just be aware of that 5 minute time limit as it will eventually time out.
- DO NOT choose first time available. Use the alotted 5 minute time to find the times that best fit your park arrival. It is harder to modify later to the return times that you want.

 

[wisblue]

I’m sure this is addressed somewhere in these 200 pages, but can you now modify times for one of the single LL attractions (subject to availability of course) . You could not do this in the original Genie+ system.

 

[Sunelis]

I’m sure this is addressed somewhere in these 200 pages, but can you now modify times for one of the single LL attractions (subject to availability of course) . You could not do this in the original Genie+ system.

Yes you can

 

[DLRExpert]

I’m sure this is addressed somewhere in these 200 pages, but can you now modify times for one of the single LL attractions (subject to availability of course) . You could not do this in the original Genie+ system.

yes

 

[Mambo Junkie]

I had a few issues this morning but mostly my own doing. I should (in my opinion) have modified during the five minutes. I went ahead and just got what I could get and went back in later to try to modify. I guess I was fortunate to get Tiana because right now it’s showing only one time available for the day I want and the amount of people I need passes for. The time I got is not a good time but the time that it does give me that I can modify to overlaps. Therefore, I am not able to modify. Do other times come up during different times of the day where I can keep trying to modify? I really need to move it up a little bit as it interferes with my plans . I do not have any dining reservations so that’s not an issue. It’s one other lightning lane that I want to hang onto and do not wish to change the time because it fits with our touring plan but the other one I’m very flexible on and can pick that up anytime I feel like it , it’s just that it’s giving me the first available time and it’s an overlap and it’s no way I can move that.