Did Disney World finally fix Lightning Lane?

Summary

James from Guide to WDW reviews Disney's new Lightning Lane system, comparing it with the previous Genie Plus. He discusses the pros and cons from a guest perspective, noting improved booking for Disney Resort guests but criticizing complexity and disadvantages for offsite guests and international visitors. The summary highlights the system's impact on planning, flexibility, and the guest experience, with a focus on whether it's an upgrade or downgrade.

Takeaways

• 😀 The new Lightning Lane system replaces Genie Plus, offering a multi-pass and a single pass option for Disney World guests.
• 🎟️ Lightning Lane Multi-Pass allows access to multiple rides, while Lightning Lane Single Pass is for one ride at a time.
• 🔄 The new system is considered more complicated than Genie Plus due to its different rules and booking options based on guest status.
• 🏨 Disney Resort guests have a significant advantage with the ability to book Lightning Lanes up to 7 days ahead, compared to offsite guests who can only book 3 days ahead.
• 🌞 The removal of the 7:00 a.m. daily wakeup call to book Genie Plus is seen as an improvement, although some guests may still need to wake up early to secure popular rides.
• 📉 The new system has been criticized for its complexity and potential for guest confusion, especially with the different tiers and rules for Lightning Lanes.
• 🚫 International guests face significant disadvantages, as they cannot pre-book Lightning Lanes until they arrive in the U.S. or Canada.
• 📉 The removal of meet and greets and parades from the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is viewed as a downgrade from the previous Genie Plus system.
• 📈 For planners and those staying at Disney Resorts, the ability to pre-book and see prices ahead of time is a significant upgrade.
• 🔄 The flexibility of the Genie Plus system, which allowed same-day decisions and changes, is reduced with the Lightning Lane system, which requires more advance planning.
• 🤔 The overall reception of the Lightning Lane system is mixed, with some guests benefiting from the changes and others facing new challenges or disadvantages.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is the replacement of Genie Plus with the new Lightning Lane system at Disney World and an analysis of its pros and cons from a guest's perspective.

What are the two types of Lightning Lane passes introduced in the new system?

The two types of Lightning Lane passes introduced are Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, which gives access to multiple rides, and Lightning Lane Single Pass, which is for one ride at a time.

Why did the speaker mention 'James from guide to wdw'?

James from guide to wdw is the speaker himself, introducing his expertise in thinking about how to skip lines at Disney World and providing his analysis on the new Lightning Lane system.

What is the main criticism regarding the new naming of the Lightning Lane system?

The main criticism is that the new naming does not clearly convey the level of attraction or the number of rides included, which can lead to guest confusion.

How does the new Lightning Lane system improve upon the old Genie Plus system in terms of booking?

The new system improves by allowing guests to book Lightning Lanes 7 days ahead of check-in for Disney Resort guests and 3 days ahead for offsite guests, with park hopping included without needing a separate option.

What is the role of 'Keith, Disney's Chief Complexity Officer' in the context of this script?

In the script, 'Keith' is a fictional character used to represent the idea that Disney has made the new Lightning Lane system more complex with various rules and exceptions.

How does the new Lightning Lane system affect guests staying at Disney Resort hotels?

Disney Resort guests have a significant advantage with the new system, as they can book their Lightning Lanes further in advance, potentially securing the most sought-after rides earlier than offsite guests.

What is the issue with the new Lightning Lane system for international guests?

International guests face a significant disadvantage because they can only start booking their Lightning Lanes once they arrive in the US or Canada, which could be the day before or the same day as their park visit.

What is the impact of the new system on the flexibility of guests' plans?

The new system reduces flexibility as guests are required to choose and book their park visits in advance, and changes to these plans can incur additional costs or result in less desirable Lightning Lane availability.

Why does the speaker believe that Disney needs to simplify the Lightning Lane system?

The speaker believes that simplifying the Lightning Lane system would improve the guest experience, as the current complexity leads to confusion and dissatisfaction, especially since guests are now paying for what used to be a free perk.

What is the speaker's final verdict on the new Lightning Lane system?

The speaker concludes that the new Lightning Lane system is a downgrade overall due to its complexity and the disadvantages it presents to certain types of guests, despite some improvements in quality of life for daily users.

Outlines

00:00

🎢 Transition from Genie Plus to Lightning Lane

James from guide to wdw discusses the replacement of Genie Plus with Lightning Lane, a new system at Disney World. He highlights the changes from the old system, such as the introduction of Lightning Lane multi-pass and single pass, and the impact these changes might have on guests. James mentions the confusion over the new naming conventions and the potential for guest confusion. He also points out improvements such as the simplification of the booking process and the integration of park hopping but criticizes the increased complexity and the disadvantage for offsite guests and international visitors.

05:01

🏰 Critique of Lightning Lane's Complexity and Booking Restrictions

This paragraph delves into the intricacies of the new Lightning Lane system, emphasizing its complexity and the potential for guest frustration. James outlines the booking process differences between Disney Resort guests and offsite guests, the tier system for attractions, and the complications arising from split stays. He argues that while the system offers some quality of life improvements, the overall complexity and the inability for international guests to pre-book Lightning Lanes are significant drawbacks.

10:03

🌞 The Pros and Cons of Booking Windows and Head Start

James discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the new booking windows for Lightning Lane. He explains how Disney Resort guests can book their entire trip's worth of Lightning Lanes in advance, which is a significant upgrade from the previous system. However, he also points out the downsides, such as the necessity for offsite guests to wake up early to secure popular rides and the disadvantage this puts international guests at, who cannot pre-book until they arrive in the US or Canada.

15:04

📉 Loss of Flexibility and Impact on Different Guest Types

In this paragraph, James addresses the loss of flexibility that comes with the new Lightning Lane system, comparing it to the previous Genie Plus system. He explains how the new system requires guests to commit to their park choices and Lightning Lane selections in advance, which may not suit spontaneous or last-minute trip planners. James also discusses how the system affects different types of guests, from annual passholders to international visitors, and how it may not be as accommodating to those with less predictable schedules or who value the ability to change plans easily.

20:06

🎉 Benefits for Planners and the Downside of Limited Ride Availability

James highlights the benefits of the Lightning Lane system for guests who enjoy planning their trips in detail. He notes the ability to pre-book multiple rides and see prices ahead of time as significant improvements. However, he also discusses the downside of limited same-day ride availability, which can restrict the overall number of Lightning Lanes guests can secure. He mentions the removal of certain attractions from the Lightning Lane options and the potential impact this has on guest experience.

🤔 Weighing the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass as an Upgrade or Downgrade

In the final paragraph, James summarizes his thoughts on the Lightning Lane system, identifying it as an upgrade or downgrade depending on the guest's perspective. He points out that while some guests, particularly those staying at Disney Resorts, may benefit from the new system, others, such as offsite guests and international visitors, may experience a downgrade in their experience. James calls for Disney to simplify the Lightning Lane system to improve the overall guest experience and expresses his preference for a system that treats all guests equally.

Keywords

💡Genie Plus

Genie Plus was a feature within the Disney World app that allowed guests to book individual Lightning Lane access to select attractions and shows. It was part of the broader theme of the video discussing the evolution of Disney's line-skipping systems. The script mentions guests' dissatisfaction with Genie Plus, leading to its replacement by the new Lightning Lane system.

💡Lightning Lane

Lightning Lane is a system introduced by Disney to manage wait times for popular attractions. The term is central to the video, as it is the subject of the changes being discussed. The script differentiates between 'Lightning Lane Multi-Pass' and 'Lightning Lane Single Pass,' indicating different levels of access for guests.

💡Multi-Pass

Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is a new feature allowing guests to access multiple rides with a single purchase, as opposed to the previous system where each ride required individual booking. The script discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this system, particularly for guests staying at Disney Resorts versus off-site.

💡Single Pass

Lightning Lane Single Pass is another feature where guests can book access to one ride at a time. The script mentions that this pass is for the most popular rides and is only available with a Multi-Pass, indicating a tiered system of access.

💡Park Hopper

Park Hopper is a ticket option that allows guests to visit more than one Disney park in a single day. The script notes that the new Lightning Lane system integrates with the Park Hopper feature, making the booking process more streamlined for guests with this ticket type.

💡Virtual Queue

Virtual Queue is a separate line management system used for certain high-demand attractions, which the script mentions as being distinct from the Lightning Lane system. The complexity of having multiple line-skipping systems is part of the critique presented in the video.

💡Disney Resort Guest

A Disney Resort Guest refers to someone staying at a Disney-owned hotel. The script discusses how the new Lightning Lane system provides advantages to these guests, such as earlier booking windows, which is a point of contention in the video.

💡Off-site Guest

An off-site guest is someone who is not staying at a Disney-owned hotel. The script contrasts the experiences of off-site guests with those staying at Disney Resorts, particularly in terms of access to the new Lightning Lane system and the potential disadvantages they face.

💡International Guests

International guests are those traveling to Disney World from outside the U.S. or Canada. The script highlights a significant issue for this group, as they are unable to pre-book Lightning Lane access until they arrive in the U.S., placing them at a disadvantage.

💡Flexibility

Flexibility in this context refers to the ability of guests to change their plans easily, such as choosing which park to visit on a given day. The script argues that the new Lightning Lane system reduces flexibility compared to the previous Genie Plus system.

💡Planners

Planners are guests who meticulously organize their Disney visits in advance. The script suggests that the new Lightning Lane system is a boon for planners, as it allows for pre-booking and visibility of ride availability and pricing.

Highlights

Introduction of the new Lightning Lane system replacing Genie Plus.

James from guide to WDW discusses the intricacies of Disney World's line-skipping systems.

The new Lightning Lane system offers a multi-pass and single pass option.

Opinions on the new system vary widely, from 'worst thing ever' to 'awesome'.

The new naming for the Lightning Lane system is considered an improvement but still confusing.

Lightning Lane multipass provides access to many rides, while single pass is for one ride at a time.

The new system is more complicated than Genie Plus, with more rules and exceptions.

Disney Resort guests have a significant advantage with the ability to book further in advance.

Off-site guests and certain ticket holders face restrictions on booking Lightning Lanes.

The new system removes the need to wake up at 7:00 a.m. every day to book rides.

Planners can now pre-book and see prices for Lightning Lanes ahead of time.

The system reduces flexibility compared to Genie Plus, affecting last-minute trips and spontaneity.

The new system may lock guests into visiting specific parks, reducing the ability to change plans.

Some attractions have been removed from the Lightning Lane multipass, affecting availability.

The impact of the new system varies based on guest type, with some benefiting and others at a disadvantage.

International guests face significant challenges due to restrictions on pre-booking Lightning Lanes.

The new Lightning Lane system is seen as a step in the wrong direction due to its complexity and inequality.

Transcripts

hey Bobby what's up not much bestie I'm

just calling to let you know that I

decided to get rid of Genie plus that's

great and you're fixing what guests

don't like about it

right

right

right hi I'm James from guide to wdw and

because my brain is broken in a very

specific way I spend way too much of my

free time thinking about how to skip the

lines at Disney World so when Disney

announced that they were replacing Genie

plus an individual lightning Lane with

lightning Lane multi-pass in single pass

my mind has been occupied with nothing

else sorry precious memories of my

children growing up there's no room for

you in here I have booking Windows to

figure out I just released two videos

explaining everything that's new with

new lightning Lane and answering your

questions like the rules and the facts

of how it works but now it's time to

answer the biggest question of all are

these changes any good I've seen

opinions on this out there ranging from

this is the worst thing ever to saying

it's awesome Carly weissel who is a

genuinely great and delightful theme

park journalist said it's a step in the

right direction but is it though my

family started guide to wdw.com in 1999

and since then we've seen the pros and

cons of each of Disney's line skipping

systems I can already tell where New

lightning Lane is much improved and

where it's way way worse so in this

video I'm breaking down everything about

lightning Lane multipass and single pass

from the guest perspective Ive and

telling you if it's better or worse

because for a certain type of guests

this is a huge upgrade but for many

people this is either going to be a

lateral move or objectively much worse

let's dive in starting with the name so

the new naming is better than the old

naming Ginny plus never made sense as

branding unless your greatest wish was

to wake up at 7:00 a.m. and then miss

out on Slinky Dog Dash because your

hotel's internet connection was too slow

it's cleaner that everything's just

called lightning Lane now and the names

do make a bit more sense lightning Lane

multipass gives you access to many rides

lightning Lane single pass is one ride

at a time but the naming is not good

they don't convey anything about the

level of attraction that you're getting

as Brian from parkl tweeted it's

understandable if someone thinks that

they could buy just a single pass to get

on any of the rides that are available

with multipass like oh I really want to

go on Tiana can't I just buy a single

pass for that no that's only available

with multipass lightning Lane single

pass is just for the biggest and most

popular rides plus there's no good way

to shorthand it no one is going to say

that ride is available with lightning

Lane multipass TM they'll say things

like oh Space Mountain is a multi-pass

ride Tron is a single pass ride oh like

single Rider no not single rider that's

different than single pass it might seem

nitpicky but guess confusion was a huge

issue with Genie plus and the new naming

will not help with that if Disney is

insistent on having two different levels

of lightning Lane rides the name should

communicate these distinctions more

clearly to someone who's going to the

parks for the first time how about this

Disney you should have a name for the

regular rides that you buy in a bundle

and a name for the super premium rides

that you can buy only allak cart like

how about Fastpass and Fast Pass Plus

just saying the naming is an upgrade

over Genie plus but it's still bad two

complexity one of the biggest knocks

against Genie plus was how complicated

it was there were too many different

names and rules to just easily grasped I

can't believe it's possible but Disney

figured out a way to make lightning Lane

even more complicated you can blame

Keith he's Disney's Chief complexity

officer his job is to make sure that

nothing is just simple at Disney his

accomplishments include park pass

reservations TPM Park hopping and the

virtual queue but his greatest

achievement yet might be lightning Lane

multipass before I get into the

questionable decisions Disney made here

I do want to acknowledge where things

are improved and friendlier to the guest

Disney removed the multiple Park option

and park hopping is just baked in if you

have a park hopper ticket everything

becomes available at the same time so at

7: a.m. you can book both single pass

and multi-pass for the day in one

transaction also the rules of getting

new lightning Lanes is the easiest to

explain of Disney systems yet you can

always have three lightning Lane slots

available to you once you use one you

can refill that empty slot with an

available ride those are three big

improvements but now let's let Keith

cook when you book depends on if you're

a Disney Resort guest or not 7 days

ahead of checkin for official Disney

Resorts and 3 days ahead of your first

Park day for offsite guest you can book

your full vacation once sitting if

you're staying at a Disney Resort or if

you're staying offsite and have a ticket

that doesn't need a reservation if

you're staying offsite and your ticket

needs reservations like a military

discount ticket you can still book 3

days ahead of time but you can only book

one day at a time if you're an annual

passholder and staying off site you can

also only book one day at a time but no

matter what make sure you have a park

pass reservation or it's a good to go

day otherwise you can only get lightning

Lanes past 2: p.m. unless it's Magic

Kingdom on the weekends for lightning

Lane multipass attractions are broken up

into tiers but only in three out of the

four Parks you can book one ride from

Tier 1 and two rides from tier 2 or

three rides from tier two if you don't

want any tier one rides oh and tiers

don't apply for suay lightning Lane

reservations and don't even get me

started with split stays which Disney

itself describes as quote very

confusable end quote it doesn't need to

be this complicated the levels of

exceptions if then no but is just

exhausting the upgrades I mentioned

earlier are all quality of life

improvements for sure once you're using

the system but this complexity is all

upfront you need to go through a

flowchart just to figure out if you're

able to buy the thing also like I said

earlier the naming doesn't convey that

there are actually two different

lightning length systems with different

rules that don't actually interact with

each other and this is all in addition

to the rules surrounding virtual Q which

based on the comments that I get a lot

of people don't realize is a completely

separate line system Disney desperately

needs to streamline and simplify the

guest experience and boy they did not do

that with multipass big downgrade okay

so far I've been pretty down on the new

system let's find a ray of sunshine by

getting more sleep three waking up at

7:00 a.m. one of the biggest complaints

that people had about Genie plus was

that you had to wake up every single day

of your vacation at 7:00 a.m. to have a

chance to get the hardest to get rides

fortunately multipass and single pass

fixes that for most guests you'll still

have to wake up before 7: a.m. but only

for one day ahead of your vacation if

you're staying at a Disney Resort or if

you staying offsite and buy a ticket

that doesn't need reservations you can

book your entire Trip's worth of

lightning Lanes in one sitting if you're

staying offsite and have a ticket that

needs reservations you can still book 3

days ahead of time but you can only book

one day at a time so you're still waking

up at 7:00 a.m. multiple days just

shifted 3 days earlier which is actually

worse because 3 days ahead of time is

just an awkward amount of time to think

of and plan quick what are you doing in

3 days I barely know what day today is

plus the whole point of waking up right

at 7:00 a.m. was to get the hardest to

get reservations like Slinky Dog or

Ratatouille if you're staying off site

you're already a disadvantage for that

that brings me to my next point but

being able to book multiple days ahead

of your trip is an upgrade it doesn't

complete completely remove the 7: a.m.

wakeup call because virtual Q is still

around but it is better four Resort

guests with the old system all guests

were on equal footing for the most part

Resort guests had very little advantages

they could purchase individual lightning

Lanes at 7:00 a.m. instead of Park

opening and that was it that completely

changes with lightning Lane multipass

and single pass thanks to that Head

Start for booking Resort guests now have

a huge Advantage for the hardest to get

lightning lanes and because you can buy

the length of your stay the longer your

stay is the bigger your advantage is at

the end of your trip we're not exactly

sure how this will specifically shake

out but I bet it will be pretty similar

to FastPass Plus where most of the rides

were available to most guests but rides

like flight of Passage and S Doors Mine

Train would sell out more than 60 days

ahead of time with FastPass Plus to get

on the biggest rides you either had to

be a resort guest booking as early as

possible or get really lucky booking a

cancellation later now the scale of this

is going to be different because it's

not a free perk but I really wouldn't be

surprised to see if Slinky Dog or Tiana

would basically require a Disney resort

reservation to be able to book and even

if you have a resort reservation the

most in demand multipass rides could

very well be sold out a week or more

ahead of time I don't have an issue with

Disney giving their Resort guest perks

but I wish it wasn't a head start like

this I think the whole system would be

improved if the booking rules applied

the same to everyone but multipass was

just included as a resort part perk and

offside guests had to purchase it it

would solve the flowchart issue plus

provide a really attractive perk for all

guests going to Disney Resorts not just

the ones clued in enough to know about

the 7-Day versus 3-day booking window

getting to skip the lines for free is

something that any guest can understand

the value of intuitively versus getting

to book reservations earlier and in this

scenario guest staying offsite would

have the same chance to get the hard to

get rides instead of now having to pay

the same price to be put at a

disadvantage but that's not how it works

now so if you're staying at a Disney

Resort this is a big upgrade for

everyone else it's a downgrade but we'll

see how much of a downgrade actually I

lied there are certain Disney Resort

guests where this is a huge downgrade

and that is for international guests

I've harped on this in my last couple of

videos and I'll keep harping on this

because I think this is one of the worst

decisions that Disney has made in recent

memory currently in order to pre-book

lightning Lanes you need to physically

be inside the us or Canada if you're

outside of those countries you basically

have to wait until you get to Orlando to

start booking which for most guests will

either be the day before they go into

the parks or the same day which puts

them way behind us and Canadian guests

so it doesn't matter if you're staying

coner level at a deluxe Resort you still

can't book ahead of your arrival to the

US now I've gotten some comments about

this defending Disney saying oh they're

working to fix this or it's because of

ta taxes or different app store rules in

different countries so what do you

expect them to do I expect them to

figure it out before they roll out a

whole new system I've seen so many

comments from International guests who

are Furious and rightly so many of these

guests have booked their very lengthy

very expensive vacations many many

months ago I got one comment from

someone who booked a year and a half ago

and suddenly right before their trip

Disney is changing the whole lightning

Lane system in a way that makes it much

worse for inter interal guests without

any clue when or if it's going to be

fixed and Disney could find ways to make

this work like giveaway just for

international guest to buy multi-pass

vouchers or a ticket add-on through your

Resort or your travel agent So when you

buy lightning Lane you're just using up

one of your vouchers instead of making a

credit card payment circumventing the

whole app purchase issue even if Disney

fixes it today it's still really bad

that the decision makers ever thought

that this was an acceptable way to ship

a new product that they couldn't predict

that guests who go to the greatest

lengths and many who spend the most

amount of money would see this

restriction and feel that Disney doesn't

want their business anymore it's not

just bad for international guests it's

bad for Disney as those guests would be

among the most likely to buy the new

lightning Lane system for every day of

their extended trips nobody forced

Disney to change lightning Lane right

now there's a lot about this role that

feels rushed in a way that doesn't

consider the guest experience like how

they didn't wait to roll this out during

the slow season like late August or

September but the most ill-considered

decision was to announce this without

way for international guests to pre-book

it's a really bad look and the biggest

possible downgrade okay I feel myself

getting pulled into the negativity

Vortex so let's talk some sugar about

how great new lightning Lane is for

planners if you're a planner this is

probably the biggest possible upgrade

with Genie plus it was a mystery which

rides you could get plus you didn't even

know how much it would cost until the

same day now not only can you see the

price ahead of time you can pre-book

three multi-pass rides and two single

pass rides per day so if you have the

budget you can guarantee up to five big

rides per day plus you can see which

rides are available for multipass before

you make the purchase and you can select

from any of the available time slots

rather than the soonest available time

so if you're the type of person who puts

their whole trip into a spreadsheet

you're going to love this just like you

probably love F Pass Plus if you visit

Disney World once a year or less

frequently it feels reassuring to be

able to know that you have your biggest

must do rides guaranteed with a short

weight before you even head to Florida

big upgrade to planning but there's a

flip side to that number seven

flexibility say what you will about

Genie plus and we have but its biggest

strength was flexibility it worked well

for guests with last minute trips and

who value spontaneity because everything

was same day you could decide the

morning of if you were going to purchase

Genie Plus or not and if you had a

parkhopper ticket that didn't need

reservations you could choose which Park

you were visiting that day based on

which lightning lanes were available or

just how you were feeling you could put

things early in the day or you could

stack Genie slots in the afternoon

lightning Lane multipass removes a lot

of that flexibility now it's much better

for last minute trips than FastPass Plus

was FastPass Plus had a ridiculous 30 to

60-day reservation window I once to

decided to go to Disney World about a

month ahead of time which isn't exactly

spur of the moment but I couldn't get

any of the biggest fast passes because I

didn't plan my trip early enough the

7-Day reservation window is much better

for this and I think that's a reasonable

amount of time but if you want to use

lightning Lane you're going to have to

pick which Parks you want to visit on

each day and that choice is

non-refundable you can change your mind

about which Park you want to visit but

you'll have to pay the price difference

if you want to change to a more

expensive Park if you change to a less

expensive Park you don't get the

difference refunded so if you buy Magic

Kingdom or Hollywood Studios you won't

want to change to one of the cheaper

parks and waste that money plus unless

you're 7 days out if you change which

Park you're going to go to you're going

to have a harder time getting good

lightning Lane slots and anyway if you

score a Slinky Dog lightning Lane

there's no chance you're going to want

to change which Park you're visiting

anyway another way that the system is

less flexible is that it really

incentivizes you to book your lightning

Lanes early in the day because you can

make new lightning Lane reservations as

soon as you use your first reservation

stacking lightning Lanes in the

afternoon is much less effective because

of the attraction TI if you want the

most value with lightning Lane multipass

you better know which Park you're

visiting on each morning one of the

things that guests hated most over the

past few years was the park pass

reservation system because you had to

choose which Park you would visit first

each day modifications were possible but

this whole system added a lot of

friction if you needed to change your

plans for any reason so people were

really exced Ed when Disney announced

that they were getting R reservations

for date based tickets which are what

most people buy well Lightning L

multipass is basically a new way to get

people to lock in which Park they're

visiting first yes Disney brought back

Park reservations and figured out a way

to get you to pay for them good job

Keith flexibility is a big downgrade

number of rides you can get Disney says

on its official website that most guests

can expect to get two to three lightning

lanes per day on average with Genie plus

so for the average guest lightning Lane

multipass is an upgrade since it

guarantees three rides at the minimum

now if you're someone watching gu to wdw

videos you are getting way more

lightning lanes per day anyway yes Genie

plus stacking is now much less desirable

but I'm certain that this system is

going to have its own Advanced

Techniques that will allow you to

maximize the number of rides you can get

on I'm already working on a multi-pass

master class that will lay out all those

tips in one place once I can see the

system in action so be sure to get

subscribed so you don't miss it but this

is definitely an upgrade for the average

guest whoops did I say definitely not so

fast me from the past this is James from

the future and yeah I got this wrong

lightning Lane multipass has been

operational over the past few days and

same day attraction availability so far

has been how should I put it not good

rides that used to be available late

into the day with Genie plus like Toy

Story Mania and Haunted Mansion are now

selling out much earlier in the day or

practically have no same day

availability at all yes multipass has a

higher floor with three guaranteed rides

but the same day availability being so

sparse lowers the ceiling on the number

of lightning Lanes you can get in a day

it's still a bit of a developing story

as more data comes in and as Disney

adjusts when they release additional

lightning Lane slots but I have to

change this to a downgrade for now and

part of this availability issue has to

do with a really weird decision Disney

made the attraction lineup Disney made

the strange move of removing a lot of

attractions from lightning Lane

multipass this includes the Festival of

fantasy parade Enchanted tales with bell

the animation experience in every single

meet and greet those meet and greets

were a great get for Genie plus as it

saved you a lot of time in a very boring

slow moving line why Disney removed them

is beyond me since they already have the

lines in the signage built it really

wouldn't surprise me if these came back

but this is for sure a downgrade which

which brings me to my final thoughts is

lining Lane multipass an upgrade or a

downgrade it all depends on what type of

guest you are because there are some

winners and some losers with the system

I brought up that Carly weell tweet at

the beginning not to drag her for being

wrong or anything but to illustrate a

point Carly is very knowledgeable about

these systems and visiting from the West

Coast I know from personal experience

that 7:00 a.m. wakeup call is brutal

with jet lag so for someone like her

this this is a step in the right

direction this is a big upgrade if

you're a planner staying at a Disney

Resort with the budget for lightning

Lane every day you're the biggest winner

here you get to book everything ahead of

your trip and have the biggest chance on

getting on the best rides if you're

staying offsite and have a date-based

ticket you win some you lose some it'll

be nice not having to wake up at 7:00

a.m. every day but you might have a

harder time getting a lightning Lane for

the rides where it will make the biggest

difference if you have little kids you

also lose because meet and greets were

dropped and having less flexibility most

likely will be the hardest for you

sometimes it's just impossible to get

out the door when you were hoping to

with little kids if you're an annual

passholder staying off site if you're a

local or if you're an international

guest you're the Biggest Loser of all

just when it comes to the system I still

love you and I think this fundamentally

exposes the whole problem with the

lightning Lan system as it exists right

now all of these winners and losers are

people who are paying extra into the

system on top top of a very expensive

theme park ticket so you can pay up to

$40 per person a day and still lose if

you're staying at a good neighbor hotel

or if you decide ah we'd rather take it

easy this morning at the resort too bad

a week ago you got a Remy reservation so

suck it up kiddos I know you're tired

but we're going on the rat ride with

FastPass Plus the complexity and Resort

guests being at a big Advantage was a

bit forgivable when it was an included

perk now you're all paying for the

business class upgrade but it turns out

they oversold the number of seats so you

may end up and Coach anyway and no

matter what you have to assemble the

chair yourself even if they're never

going to make it free again Disney

desperately needs to simplify lightning

Lane yes this complexity is good for

people like me who make videos

explaining how it works but it's bad for

almost anyone else and because this new

version is probably the most complicated

yet there's no way this is anything

other than a downgrade in my book a step

in the wrong direction even though it's

technically good for me me I'd

personally rather The Experience be

better for everyone one set of rules for

all guests paying for this upgrade would

be a good start let me know what you

think do you prefer lightning Lane

multipass Genie Plus or are you like me

and still Clinging On to your paper fast

pass tickets and if you have any

questions about the new lightning Lane

system let me know and check out this

video here where I answer over 20 of

your biggest questions about lightning

Lane multipass this has been James from

guide to wdw thanks for watching and

I'll see you real soon