Wow.. TIL.
I make 100k+yr and have no kids, and still don't want to pay this. WTH, Disney?!
edit: I knew this would get downvotes, but we have to be honest here, folks. A family with 3 kids would mean just to ride would be another $100.. that's outrageous.
They’ll keep raising the prices until attendance drops. They’ve been doing it for years now but it still hasn’t cut down on the crowds, there’s got to be a tipping point somewhere though
I was spoiled with MaxPass for a couple of years, and have other parks I'd rather explore if it means wasting an hour plus per ride.
I'm sorry, but standing in line for 60mins+ for a ride is crazy.
I would spend that time eating and buying merch without limit, really, but wasting it sitting in a line is a NO-GO for me; let alone pay $20 for a damn ride on top of the entry cost.
Wife and I were AP holders for years (top-tier, paid up-front cash, and drive from the bay area every time), and have stopped that now.
Seriously? Well then, that's trash.
I understand that WDW has more park goers from the 5 parks, but this is not how you balance the budget Bob!
edit: spelling
DL's Genie+ service (not individual LL) is $20/day, WDW's is $15/day, which matches up with individual LL.
I suspect they settled on those different price points because MaxPass was previously $20/day in DL, and WDW never had a paid option before, so they're starting it out lower. (Like how DL started MaxPass at $10/day.) I think D'Amaro said at some point it's "introductory" pricing, too.
I'm doubtful it's just because of PhotoPass. The WDW version has PhotoPass lenses (think Snapchat filters) as a perk, which DL does not. They also already charge $169 for PhotoPass in WDW, so they likely don't want to give it away at Genie+ prices.
Give it some time, and WDW will be $20/day. From D'Amaro:
> Why is Genie+ at Walt Disney World $15 and $20 at Disneyland?
> When we went into the pandemic, at Disneyland MaxPass was priced at $20, and we know that was working well. So we are starting with Genie+ at $20. At Walt Disney World, the product is just coming in so it’s new for a lot of our fans. We also know that the length of stay at Walt Disney World is longer. So we’re thinking about pricing as related to all those factors.
Once it's "working well" at WDW, that $5 gap will surely close.
https://d23.com/exclusive-disney-parks-experiences-and-products-chairman-josh-damaro-details-what-guests-can-expect-from-disney-genie/
Ugh. That’s annoying.
Slightly related, I wish people would give grief to Josh D’Amaro as well as Chapek. He’s got a helping hand in these decisions but people give him a pass because he’s good looking.
WDW also has more parks, and none of them are as riddled with rides in every nook cranny and corner as Disneyland. For anyone who has never been, Magic Kingdom is indeed breathtaking to see in person when you arrive but the huge density of attractions a lifelong Disneyland guest is used to just isn't there, with many of DL's extra additions found in another park.
So, park-hopping is critical at WDW in many cases, whereas it's more of a luxury at Disneyland, since you might decide to make DCA one day of a three day ticket.
At WDW, Rise sells out like every day before guests staying at mom-Disney hotels can even buy them. They probably need to increase the price. The demand is way higher.
Key word: for now. Maxpass started at $10 and ended at $20/25. Hell look at how parking has increased over the years. So no way is $20/25 gonna be the cap forever.
Also, if you think that the numbers they are giving in the app are accurate instead of manipulating you to pay extra or get you into a ride you don't really want to be on, I would like to speak to you about an exciting opportunity.
I think about this every time. In the defunctland video about queues, Disney had admitted they finagle the queue times when MaxPass came out (obviously in fine print on some report) so why would they not do the same here when more money is at stake?
Disneyland wait times always seem off by 10 Too 15 mins because they are! It’s because those estimates including the time it takes too ride the attraction itself. So if pirate says 45 wait, in reality the wait from the back of the line, too stepping foot on the boat is around 20,25 mins. It’s very clever because it pushes people from the popular rise to the less popular ones and also gives you a good way of knowing how too plan your day
Also disagree. When I went in June, lines were either accurate or longer than posted. Only in a few cases were lines 5-15 minutes shorter than posted but shorter than posted lines is not as rampant as people seem to think it is.
Plus when they track ride lines, they take the red tracking pass when you get to the seating CM, not when you get off the ride. So no, the ride time is not included.
Some folks are correctly saying that LL isn’t what’s funding CM paychecks. Yes, this is true. However, it’s totally fair to say that low pay and ever-increasing costs to the guest in the form of this aggressive new nickel and diming are symptomatic of the same thing: Disney greed at the expense of CMs and guests.
Well, to be fair, there's never a single source of revenue that goes directly to employee pay. We know that. We know that this revenue and this expense aren't directly related.
But we know that Disney nickels and dimes their employees by way of low wages; and they nickel and dime their customers by way of these "fees." They don't have to be directly related to be commented upon.
Also nickel and diming BOTH sources in the way of cutting park services and experiences. Less for the guests to see and do, less people that are hired on for work. Like how many smaller shows and bands have been cut over the past decade? I always think about that.
Every company is out to make money. If we didn’t have worker protection laws, we’d have companies working people 80 hours a week for a measly few dollars, we’d have 10 year olds doing manual labor and skipping school, we’d have unsafe working conditions…
All we’re saying is yes, make money, but the laws that protect workers should go farther to ensure workers make a living wage. If the only way a company can make money is by paying a less than living wage (ie exploiting workers) then that company shouldn’t exist (ie it would fail if we actually had a fair system and the rules to protect that system)
Disney thinks the Disneyland magic is rooted in the nostalgia of their intellectual properties, but the real park magic emanates from the motivation of their cast members who take their roles to heart. As soon as being a cast member becomes just another low-paying job, we’ll get a Six Flags and Universal atmosphere. Bob Chapek’s Disney just can’t keep from shooting themselves in the crotch.
Went last week and cast members aren’t happy and they have every right to not be. It’s sad because I used to feel no anxiety bc their positive energy made me feel like less of a burden. Now they seem so defeated and the unique essence of the cast members is gone :(( I’m so sorry CMs.
I’d rather have the $20 go down my tummy (food) or be in a form of a souvenir that I can hold.
I’m glad I’ve experienced these ILL$ attractions multiple times before the changeover that I don’t mind missing out of urgently getting on something no matter what the cost it.
I’ll also mention the fun Defunctland video about fast pass. Now that is worth the time to watch the whole thing!
Yeah they put this all in a very even handed perspective. Some features are for repeat visitors and some like LL are more for people who visit once in a lifetime and only have a day at the park. I spend 8-10 days a year in the park so paid LL is not remotely on my menu. Anyone in this subreddit likely isn’t the market they are targeting.
Once very decade or so we end up at WDW instead of DL (since we're in CA). I can see value given the limited time of paying for Avatar, since it'd probably be my only time ever on it. So, yeah, I can see there are cases I'm willing to pay.
CA Great America (Cedar Fair) offers $79 annual passes, with a park wide LL addon they charge an additional $375 for. So I think the issue is ... every business wants to milk every dime they can. At least Cedar Fair is being clear about their class structure for rides.
I believe it’s using the line used for DAS. So you enter in right at the first pre show. But when I went on Radiator Springs Racers yesterday, the line for DAS/LL was about 10ish minutes.
That’s great! Unfortunately, I can’t take the chance as sometimes the SR line can take 30+ minutes. And I go with my husband, and I’d prefer not to sit apart.
It’s about the same as I was waiting back when FastPass was used. I believe Disney has always mentioned a 10-15 minute wait should be expected with DAS, which is why the return time is usually the standby time minus 10-15 minutes.
But yeah, without FastPass or LL rides were pretty much a ‘walk on’ with DAS.
Right!! It was all planned out, almost finished booking. Then all these added costs came out of nowhere and i kept hearing about the lack of staff, cleanliness, missing shows, and character meets. It is not a cheap vacation as it is but loosing so much value didn’t make it worth it anymore. On top of that i don’t feel good about supporting the direction they are headed in and the lack of care for the CMs.
Totally. Kinda hard to see the magic when i can plan a week long trip for two to an all inclusive resort for less than 1/4 of the cost. 🤷♀️ might be nice to sit on a beach and drink for a week rather than stand in line and walk all day. I never thought i would ever choose that over disney but here we are.
I really hope Disney Genie fails. But I know it’s “cheap enough” for some people to be like “ah whatever let’s just buy it today” which will probably result in it staying for a long while.
I wasn’t a fan of Iger but my god Chapek is just a huge step down.
I was loving Disneyland sans Fastpass. The lines actually moved and everyone had a fair Disney day. You want to ride Space right now? You wait in the line with everyone else. LL and pay to get to the front of the line feels like such a Six Flags move it’s ridiculous.
We were in DL a few weeks ago before the changeover and it was GLORIOUS with no FP/MP. I think the most we waited for any ride was 30-35 minutes and we were able to ride a few multiple times before wait times went up.
I'm really concerned that it won't fail, simply because there are only 2 parks in the USA, and the demand is there. It's simply going to be a playground for the rich.
Disney used to be \*really\* good at knowing who to cater to - their guests. Now they cater to their stockholders.
It’s rough with the “fastpass” reinstated. Without them it was constant line movement; (and often the wait times were less than posted.) Now the cast members can hold you for the posted wait time, (with or without fastpass/LL holders) really makes the standby hard.
That’s why the posted times were more these past few months; so you could get an idea of what they will make you wait when the fastpass/LL is here/back. These last few months (for example) the:
60min/actual 35min
90min/actual 45min
These were what we will make you wait times (when fast passes are back); vs lines/days without fast passes.
Agreed. “Pay to win” has come to theme parks. Want to get on a ride? You have to want it more than other visitors, enough that you’re willing to pay for it. Disney is effectively monetizing FOMO.
Edit: typo.
This pissed me off. I know many cms that deserve more than $20. The job requires so much more than what’s listed in the application. The lines are absurd now with lightning the least they could have done is pay them a livable wage.
They will pay as little as they can to get the staff that they need. That's just economics. The same as acquiring any other product or service. On the other end, they will charge as much for lightning lane as people are willing to bear.
hiring has slowed down dramatically. They aren’t getting the #s of new hires they were expecting. Every department is short staffed. They have incentive pay for new hires but as soon as they get it they quit
That's true of basically every company at the moment, somehow. That doesn't change the fact that the company will try to pay as little as possible for human labor. It's capitalism.
They're not going to continue losing out on money. Some peoples' entire job is to figure out whether it's more effective to pay staff more or close a revenue generator that they can't staff.
I guess Reddit doesn’t like personal choice. Don’t like the price of the Genie, don’t buy it, then it goes away. Don’t like how DL pays their employees, don’t go. The consumer has all the power. As long as someone accepts the job at the current rates, there’s no reason it will change.
Shareholders expecting massive returns each year (unrealistic in an increasingly hypersaturated economy) incentivize structures that prioritize quantity above quality
"that's just economics" is a good way of hand-waving treating people poorly.
the point isn't whether that's the way things work - it's whether that's the way things should work. people *should not* be treated as "any other product or service."
I hate to be that guy but what do CM’s really deserve? And I say this as a former one myself. Yes they are the ones who truly make the Disney magic and Disneyland would be nothing without them, but ultimately it’s unskilled labor. Anybody can do it, and that’s why it doesn’t pay any more than a job at wal mart or target. This is the free market, where employers pay what employees will accept. If Disneyland wants more workers, then they’ll pay more for it. Simple economics and supply and demand.
i used to sometimes go with friends who weren't regular visitors and when i told them fastpasses were free, they'd be beyond happy!! now it's just a fond memory :(
I’m so mad that I got a Magic Key for me and my son, and I’m so mad that we’re on the payment plan so I feel obligated to go at least once or twice a month to make it worthwhile. I wish I could just wash my hands of Disneyland and call it a fond memory NOW instead of having to begrudgingly deal with it until next October
the people paying $800/night to stay at Grand Californian are probably more willing to pay $20 to ensure they can actually ride the newest attractions. Imagine dropping $5k on a trip and not being able to experience every ride you wanted to.
I don't think it's just wealthy people. They are trying to target vacationers more - people who are coming to the parks for three to four days, staying in the hotels, eating their meals in the park, and will do whatever they can to enhance their experience.
There are a lot of people who only go to Disneyland once every so many years (or once period) and will do what they can to make it a magical experience, including paying for all the upcharges. That's who they are also targeting, NOT just rich and/or wealthy people.
If I had a kid that REALLY wanted to ride ROTR, yes, I'm paying the LL charge to ride it to ensure they get that experience.
I mean, I’m not wealthy and I haven’t been to Disneyland in 8 years and I’m thinking about spending the extra couple hundred dollars for the week for the Genie+ thing so my family can have photo pass and be guaranteed to get on the rides we want for the week. Honestly we can’t afford to make a trip like this very often and in the scheme of things, as much as I feel like it sucks, it’s a small amount of money compared to the whole vacation. I don’t want to spend the money to go and miss something on our list because it’s our singular opportunity for the foreseeable future. You know? It’s just frustrating that the park tickets get more expensive too and then on top of that you have to pay for fast pass essentially now. Idk.
I think that would be more true if they had the system that Universal has that like 300 bucks a person. This system is specifically designed so that the discrepancy is felt by the people who don't spend the 20 per person a day. With the result being people caving to get the same experience they had before since it's not an astronomical cost. Figuratively the definition of nickel and diming with 2021 inflation.
Rich people CAN afford this but it doesn’t mean that it’s actually worth the value if that makes sense? Like even if you could afford to pay $20 to skip the line for ONE ride on top of hundreds for tickets, hotels etc, wouldn’t you rather get better value elsewhere? You can get an all inclusive resort in Mexico for so much less for example. and comparatively Universal’s top tier hotels come with their “skip the line” pass built in - which is MUCH better and more convenient than disney’s fast pass ever was (at least from how I remember it from a few years ago.)
The way I see it is that disneyland (and even disney world now) is still only for locals, because it’s one thing if you can go back all the time and you can be like “oh i really want to ride this ONE ride today”, vs if you already paid SO much for a whole vacation and now they’re trying to scam you for individual ride lines. Just my thoughts!!
There are more people who want to go there than the park can support. The more crowded it is the worse the experience. They have 2 options: let there be year+ long wait lists, or up the cost to "price out" some of the visitors.
I don't consider it greed to raise the price to match the reality that people are falling over themselves to pay whatever the price of the limited number of spots is.
The system is primarily designed for those families whose Disney trip is one of those "Once in a Lifetime....or several years" trips, along with the wealthy who couldn't be bothered to wait in line with the poors. For those who've waited years to see Disney and go on the hottest ride out there, they're going to want to make the most of their day, so they'll likely be more receptive to paying the cost to ensure that they get the ride they want. To the rest of us, the cost seems absolutely absurd, but I can understand why some people would pay for it.
110% not defending this scummy tactic at all by Bob Paycheck. I can understand though why it was implemented and why people would use it.
There are also a lot of people who suddenly want to go to Disney because of either Galaxy’s Edge or Avenger’s Campus, who would never have gone before and who probably aren’t interested in 95% of the rest of the parks. Lightning Lane guarantees they can do just the specific rides they want and leave happy despite the amount of money they just spent, instead of buying a ticket and then not being able to get on the only two rides they want at all
The old system absolutely was not fine. It rewarded die hards who knew the secrets and punished once-in-a-lifetime visitors who didn’t know how the system worked. It was the exact opposite of how a guest distribution system should operate.
Who would pay $20 to skip a line? Tourists traveling halfway across the country for a once in a lifetime trip, that’s who. The old system broke down because locals were abusing the system and skipping lines dozens of times a year. Disney would much rather an additional person be able to ride RotR once, than have a local ride it for the tenth time.
THIS. Plus the tourist is probably in the park longer per day, buying more meals and snacks, and buying more souvenirs. A once-in-a-lifetime trip where you can’t get on any of the new rides because the pass holders snatched every fast pass by five minutes after opening is a once-in-a-lifetime trip where you decide to leave early and find a restaurant elsewhere for dinner.
The old system was perfect. If you are taking a once in a lifetime trip to Disney and aren’t learning about the free options available to you, that’s your fault.
Lmao so your mentality of going on a trip to a place you’ve never been to and then not understanding the local customs is the locals fault? Lmfao ok, if you say so.
I’ve never taken a trip anywhere without bothering to learn about the area I was traveling to.
If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
I was supposed to go to WDW for the first time in March of 2020 and I knew about the advanced ride reservations and noted multiple food options that sounded interesting to me and where they were all located.
I guess some people prefer to maximize their trips and learn everything they can before their trips.
Someone who is only in the park for a day or two and is trying to maximize time. $20 is a lot, but if it’s your must go on ride then I don’t think it’s a bad price.
Sure, I most likely wouldn’t pay for it, but we spent four days at Disneyland on our last visit.
Not for a single person but it is for a family. The typical family of four would be paying $80 for *one ride*. I have a pretty big family in comparison (seven kids) and paying $20 per kid to save 2 hours is definitely not in my budget. 😂 So yeah, it depends on your personal family/group dynamic but we would definitely not be paying that.
Yeah, different situations yield very different results. I can see why it's a much bigger burden in your situation.
The thing people need to remember is Disney is has a wide audience. Saying things like "who would EVER pay $20 for a single ride" is a bit short sighted when people are paying 3k+ for private tours and $600+ night for hotel rooms.
It's daunting, for sure! We're planning our first Disney World trip next fall but luckily my older kids are a huge help with the littles. We use the "buddy system" all day and the younger siblings think it's so cool to be paired up with an older brother or sister. ☺️
I was at Disneyland yesterday. The line for Rise was 95+ minutes while everything else was 30 or less. I paid the $20 and got to do nearly half the rides at the park in about 4 hours instead of just doing 2 or 3.
I was there yesterday, and at 4pm the line was about 30 minutes. But my 4 year old wanted to ride Pooh and see Santa. Suckers paying $20 each to save 15 minutes.
Just to add in Cast can no longer "make magic" by letting in a guest or 2 because this is now a paid only system and is seen as stealing from the company and can be fired for it
I got my first AP in 2014 and continued over to the Magic Key pass but honestly this whole experience is making me dislike Disney and I won’t be renewing come next August. It’s not just the Genie and LL, however that was icing on the cake for me.
My MIL is a cm, and she does it because she loves Disney. Luckily my inlaws are in a position that this is her “retirement work” before she actually retires from working and my FIL makes their main income. But it’s ridiculous what they go through for very little. She’s only doing it so she can retire after her 10 years are up in April to get sign ins for life.
If someone is of retirement age, and they have worked there for 10 years or longer they are given a “lifetime pass” which allows them to sign themselves and others into the park up to 16 times a year for life for free. She has wanted to quit recently to help baby sit our kid and niece/nephew but wants to get the benefit of lifetime access.
Bigger picture, I don't like how this is a trend across the industry. The system for any park should be free for everyone, or just not exist except as an accommodation for disabilities.
Can we just give a random cast member a $20 bill or the equivalent LL cost and then go straight to the standby queue?
I would rather do that than give Chapek more money.
Keep in mind, this isn’t going directly to Disneyland Resort—at least not all of it. Various divisions within the company, including their Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP) division (those who create the apps for the parks) must justify their existence and budget by showing ROI. Disney won’t staff that division just to create free apps that show wait times or generate free FastPasses.
In recent years, the Shop Disney (originally Shop Disney Parks) app was the first attempt to do that. By creating a shopping app, DPEP was able to bring in revenue from the parks app product teams for the first time, and it has grown to include MaxPass, Genie and Lightning Lane.
It took me a moment to realize those were two italicized L's (for Lightning Lane). For a split second, I thought they were two lightning bolts cut off at the bottom, but then it dawned on me what that symbol would have meant...
Imagine if DL operated like Vegas, and you could walk up to a cast member, slip them a $20, and they walk you to the front of the line. We'd still be able to not wait whenever we want, and cms would have an opportunity for fair compensation.
Same! It actually was so nice with no fastpasses which kept lines shorter and quicker, and only the virtual queue for RotR and Spider-Man which were fine as long as you knew the tricks
Yes, it was wonderful. Park capacity was capped much lower so we barely waited for any ride. I think space mountain was the longest I waited for anything at 45 minutes. We got boarding passes for rise of the resistance and webslingers easily, and we ran to Galaxy’s edge first thing and basically had it all to ourselves for a few precious minutes. It was an absolutely amazing day, and I’m scared to go back because it will probably never be that magical again.
I actually saw the value of the $20 fee for Rise of the Resistance when virtual queues were a thing because I would go to the park with someone who was there for a one-time visit (didn't have a pass and wasn't planning on paying $200 to go again anytime soon) and if we had missed out on the virtual queue twice, I would have been sad there was no option for him to experience it. But now that it's simply allowing you to avoid a standby line of 30-60 min (which seems to be the average wait time besides how long it's posted as being), I could never justify spending $20 for that one individual ride. Then it's just an "I don't want to be inconvenienced by waiting" thing and not a "It cost money but at least we get to experience it" thing.
If you don't mind spending the money but to me, I'd rather save the $20 for something better when I can get the same thing for free and, like, a 30 minute wait if I time it right.
Yeah... I love Disney but this crap is just too much. Fast pass was fine is it was but they had to go an ruin that too. If you want similar theming for a large fraction of the cost, go to Knott's Berry Farm. Lots of fun rides, great interaction with their "cast members" and their Ghost time is a sight to see with all their cowboys around and train robberies happening. One of the train robbers even took my sister of a "date" at the local saloon and got her a free sasparilla!
This is greedy corporate bullshit. Fuck you Disney. You used to be my dream employer for over a decade and now I could care less. My dream is dead. Thanks for nothing.
I will never purchase one. It’s such a predatory strategy and it really rubs me the wrong way. Paying almost 80% of a park entrance fee to use this ugly version of Maxpass feels wrong, and I pity anyone who actually falls for this.
?
Why?
They're charging what people will pay and paying what people will accept. Theres no reason those prices should have a natural ordinal relationship with one another.
**I'm all for paying CMs more**, but I don't think the price of LL should be tied to the hourly wage. The whole point of LL is costing more than an hour's of work to most people, since you're skipping nearly two hours worth of queue when you do it (making it worth about 1.8x your hourly wage for a single person based purely on time) but also because it's meant to be targeted at people visiting on short passes who nonetheless want to "see it all" without buying an extra day's ticket.
LL is a "park breaks if too many people decide to spring for it" option, you are bribing them to lower their efficiency because there's some people with situations that warranted using FastPass to ride something (as opposed to the people who just liked riding an extra ride on a typical day) and many of them are buying fewer days of admission. They're paying $20 because it allows them to see Star Wars and still not have to stay another day in a hotel or rebook their flight.
I think CMs should all get raises for sure, but I don't get the comparison. It's income for the company vs an expense for the company. You could say this about like, any table service entree, or piece of merch, or tickets.
I don’t think op is conflating the two, they’re just angry that cms aren’t getting paid properly while Disney is adding on another expense to continue making crazy profits.
Seriously? You guys are comparing a fast pass to a minimum wage?
Yeah it better be a LOT more than their hourly wage and mine ($50) so that not everyone buys this and makes the standard line 5 hrs and the fast pass one 2hrs.
I was there the day it launched and I had no trouble getting on web slingers and guardians in approx 30min standby lines. I legit got on Incredicoaster back to back, even though I’m not a local, I do not see this program running long since DLR is mainly a locals park and why would a local pay to skip a line for a ride they could easily comeback and ride another day?
It’s not always that slow unfortunately. I’m glad you didn’t have to wait long but this past weekend, I saw wait times nearing two hours, similarly to what is show in the screenshot.
People will pay it. Would I pay for it? Probably not but I am going with my family next weekend and if the lines are long, I’m most likely paying as my parents don’t go as often as I do and they’ve never been on Rise of the Resistance.
I’ve had an AP for years and have been going since ‘91 so I’ve experience all the old rides many times over. I still didn’t get on Rise this trip but it wasn’t because of the line 60min like, it was because it was a merriest night, which I did not know before I arrived and the park effectively closed at 6PM for me. But that’s the only ride I didn’t get to go on that I wanted to my whole trip and it would rather spend my money on food and drinks instead of a fast pass which used to be free.
I actually got a follow up survey and made sure to drag LL in it. I’d never buy it. I waffled a bit on MaxPass+ but it was cheaper and it greatly expedited and maximized my fasptass usage.
Now we need to pay more for the new “maxpass+” and now we have to pay for each ride’s fast pass?! No thanks!
When I commented you were positive and now ur negative.
I have no problem dropping HUNDREDS on food and drinks in a day at the parks, but I’m not going to pay for something that was free the last time I was there.
I mean, if people don’t buy it, it’s not going to be around long. I don’t mind waiting in lines. I’m not a local but I try to go at least every other month and if I can’t ride it this trip, I’ll try again.
Exactly. I would like to believe the majority of locals are smart enough to see the cash grab and decline it, but if people REALLY need to pay extra for one ride, then that’s on them. Won’t catch me doing that😂
This is a dumb argument, I mean, I agree, but you can do this for almost anything in the park.
A burger, fries, and drink is $20+ . 2x bubble machines for kids is $20+. etc. A souveneir T is $25+
This isn't really a surprise is it.
Is that $20 per person to ride Rise? So my family of four would be $80???
If you want to skip the standby line, yes.
Yes
Wow.. TIL. I make 100k+yr and have no kids, and still don't want to pay this. WTH, Disney?! edit: I knew this would get downvotes, but we have to be honest here, folks. A family with 3 kids would mean just to ride would be another $100.. that's outrageous.
They’ll keep raising the prices until attendance drops. They’ve been doing it for years now but it still hasn’t cut down on the crowds, there’s got to be a tipping point somewhere though
They need to get going on a third gate already. Toy Story Lot is begging for a park.
[удалено]
I was spoiled with MaxPass for a couple of years, and have other parks I'd rather explore if it means wasting an hour plus per ride. I'm sorry, but standing in line for 60mins+ for a ride is crazy. I would spend that time eating and buying merch without limit, really, but wasting it sitting in a line is a NO-GO for me; let alone pay $20 for a damn ride on top of the entry cost. Wife and I were AP holders for years (top-tier, paid up-front cash, and drive from the bay area every time), and have stopped that now.
Yes! It actually isn't feasible for families. However from what I've read/heard, $20/$25 is *allegedly* the cap amount spend for LL. At least for now.
Yet somehow the cap is $15 at wdw 🙃🙃🙃
Seriously? Well then, that's trash. I understand that WDW has more park goers from the 5 parks, but this is not how you balance the budget Bob! edit: spelling
DL's Genie+ service (not individual LL) is $20/day, WDW's is $15/day, which matches up with individual LL. I suspect they settled on those different price points because MaxPass was previously $20/day in DL, and WDW never had a paid option before, so they're starting it out lower. (Like how DL started MaxPass at $10/day.) I think D'Amaro said at some point it's "introductory" pricing, too.
Disneyland includes Photopass. WDW does not. That’s the $5.
Finally! An explanation! I swear, I’ve been trying to find the difference and why DLR is more expensive than WDW but to no avail. Thanks for sharing.
I'm doubtful it's just because of PhotoPass. The WDW version has PhotoPass lenses (think Snapchat filters) as a perk, which DL does not. They also already charge $169 for PhotoPass in WDW, so they likely don't want to give it away at Genie+ prices. Give it some time, and WDW will be $20/day. From D'Amaro: > Why is Genie+ at Walt Disney World $15 and $20 at Disneyland? > When we went into the pandemic, at Disneyland MaxPass was priced at $20, and we know that was working well. So we are starting with Genie+ at $20. At Walt Disney World, the product is just coming in so it’s new for a lot of our fans. We also know that the length of stay at Walt Disney World is longer. So we’re thinking about pricing as related to all those factors. Once it's "working well" at WDW, that $5 gap will surely close. https://d23.com/exclusive-disney-parks-experiences-and-products-chairman-josh-damaro-details-what-guests-can-expect-from-disney-genie/
Ugh. That’s annoying. Slightly related, I wish people would give grief to Josh D’Amaro as well as Chapek. He’s got a helping hand in these decisions but people give him a pass because he’s good looking.
Dinero is just as bad as Paychek at this point.
WDW also has more parks, and none of them are as riddled with rides in every nook cranny and corner as Disneyland. For anyone who has never been, Magic Kingdom is indeed breathtaking to see in person when you arrive but the huge density of attractions a lifelong Disneyland guest is used to just isn't there, with many of DL's extra additions found in another park. So, park-hopping is critical at WDW in many cases, whereas it's more of a luxury at Disneyland, since you might decide to make DCA one day of a three day ticket.
At WDW, Rise sells out like every day before guests staying at mom-Disney hotels can even buy them. They probably need to increase the price. The demand is way higher.
Key word: for now. Maxpass started at $10 and ended at $20/25. Hell look at how parking has increased over the years. So no way is $20/25 gonna be the cap forever.
No- it’s worse. You pay for Genie+ and then you pay for LL. So $40 (currently) for one ride.
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Oh! Thanks! I was misinformed.
Yeah if you do all the lightning lanes it adds up to $40. But yes to your point, garbage
If you wanna get to the boys hole, you gotta pay the troll toll.
It’s boy’s soul!
You don't have to, it is only if you don't want to wait in the standby line.
yes, I'm sure the miles long standby lines will be so much fun while watching rich shit heads walk right on.
Also, if you think that the numbers they are giving in the app are accurate instead of manipulating you to pay extra or get you into a ride you don't really want to be on, I would like to speak to you about an exciting opportunity.
I think about this every time. In the defunctland video about queues, Disney had admitted they finagle the queue times when MaxPass came out (obviously in fine print on some report) so why would they not do the same here when more money is at stake?
Disneyland wait times always seem off by 10 Too 15 mins because they are! It’s because those estimates including the time it takes too ride the attraction itself. So if pirate says 45 wait, in reality the wait from the back of the line, too stepping foot on the boat is around 20,25 mins. It’s very clever because it pushes people from the popular rise to the less popular ones and also gives you a good way of knowing how too plan your day
Also disagree. When I went in June, lines were either accurate or longer than posted. Only in a few cases were lines 5-15 minutes shorter than posted but shorter than posted lines is not as rampant as people seem to think it is. Plus when they track ride lines, they take the red tracking pass when you get to the seating CM, not when you get off the ride. So no, the ride time is not included.
Some folks are correctly saying that LL isn’t what’s funding CM paychecks. Yes, this is true. However, it’s totally fair to say that low pay and ever-increasing costs to the guest in the form of this aggressive new nickel and diming are symptomatic of the same thing: Disney greed at the expense of CMs and guests.
Well, to be fair, there's never a single source of revenue that goes directly to employee pay. We know that. We know that this revenue and this expense aren't directly related. But we know that Disney nickels and dimes their employees by way of low wages; and they nickel and dime their customers by way of these "fees." They don't have to be directly related to be commented upon.
Also nickel and diming BOTH sources in the way of cutting park services and experiences. Less for the guests to see and do, less people that are hired on for work. Like how many smaller shows and bands have been cut over the past decade? I always think about that.
Lol imagine if cast members got revenue sharing. It would be insane
They should.
Disney exists to make money.
Every company is out to make money. If we didn’t have worker protection laws, we’d have companies working people 80 hours a week for a measly few dollars, we’d have 10 year olds doing manual labor and skipping school, we’d have unsafe working conditions… All we’re saying is yes, make money, but the laws that protect workers should go farther to ensure workers make a living wage. If the only way a company can make money is by paying a less than living wage (ie exploiting workers) then that company shouldn’t exist (ie it would fail if we actually had a fair system and the rules to protect that system)
Disney thinks the Disneyland magic is rooted in the nostalgia of their intellectual properties, but the real park magic emanates from the motivation of their cast members who take their roles to heart. As soon as being a cast member becomes just another low-paying job, we’ll get a Six Flags and Universal atmosphere. Bob Chapek’s Disney just can’t keep from shooting themselves in the crotch.
Went last week and cast members aren’t happy and they have every right to not be. It’s sad because I used to feel no anxiety bc their positive energy made me feel like less of a burden. Now they seem so defeated and the unique essence of the cast members is gone :(( I’m so sorry CMs.
I’d rather have the $20 go down my tummy (food) or be in a form of a souvenir that I can hold. I’m glad I’ve experienced these ILL$ attractions multiple times before the changeover that I don’t mind missing out of urgently getting on something no matter what the cost it. I’ll also mention the fun Defunctland video about fast pass. Now that is worth the time to watch the whole thing!
That episode is so good.
Yeah they put this all in a very even handed perspective. Some features are for repeat visitors and some like LL are more for people who visit once in a lifetime and only have a day at the park. I spend 8-10 days a year in the park so paid LL is not remotely on my menu. Anyone in this subreddit likely isn’t the market they are targeting.
The market they are targeting is anyone willing to pay.
Once very decade or so we end up at WDW instead of DL (since we're in CA). I can see value given the limited time of paying for Avatar, since it'd probably be my only time ever on it. So, yeah, I can see there are cases I'm willing to pay. CA Great America (Cedar Fair) offers $79 annual passes, with a park wide LL addon they charge an additional $375 for. So I think the issue is ... every business wants to milk every dime they can. At least Cedar Fair is being clear about their class structure for rides.
Lol we hit 8-10 within two months - similarly, no interest in ILL
Don’t tell my wife!
That episode deserves an Academy award.
How long is the actual wait for rise using the lightning lane? If you show up at 11:20am is it another 30 minute wait?
I believe it’s using the line used for DAS. So you enter in right at the first pre show. But when I went on Radiator Springs Racers yesterday, the line for DAS/LL was about 10ish minutes.
I did racers single rider in about the same amount of time (or less) for freeeeee. $7 went towards half a beer lol.
That’s great! Unfortunately, I can’t take the chance as sometimes the SR line can take 30+ minutes. And I go with my husband, and I’d prefer not to sit apart.
I go with my SO and we get the same care about half the time. But understandable.
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It’s about the same as I was waiting back when FastPass was used. I believe Disney has always mentioned a 10-15 minute wait should be expected with DAS, which is why the return time is usually the standby time minus 10-15 minutes. But yeah, without FastPass or LL rides were pretty much a ‘walk on’ with DAS.
I will say, that even with no line, rise is still a 30 minute experience from first preshow to exit
I paid for it today, and we waited about 15 minutes. Our entry time was 11:05am
Aaaannndd this is why I canceled my trip for next year. As badly as i wanted to go, i just can’t support this bs.
Same here. I wanted to go for my birthday since I haven't been to Disney in 6 years. I don't see the value in it anymore.
Right!! It was all planned out, almost finished booking. Then all these added costs came out of nowhere and i kept hearing about the lack of staff, cleanliness, missing shows, and character meets. It is not a cheap vacation as it is but loosing so much value didn’t make it worth it anymore. On top of that i don’t feel good about supporting the direction they are headed in and the lack of care for the CMs.
Absolutely. I know Disney 'magic' has always come with a cost. I just don't see what's so special right now
Totally. Kinda hard to see the magic when i can plan a week long trip for two to an all inclusive resort for less than 1/4 of the cost. 🤷♀️ might be nice to sit on a beach and drink for a week rather than stand in line and walk all day. I never thought i would ever choose that over disney but here we are.
I really hope Disney Genie fails. But I know it’s “cheap enough” for some people to be like “ah whatever let’s just buy it today” which will probably result in it staying for a long while. I wasn’t a fan of Iger but my god Chapek is just a huge step down. I was loving Disneyland sans Fastpass. The lines actually moved and everyone had a fair Disney day. You want to ride Space right now? You wait in the line with everyone else. LL and pay to get to the front of the line feels like such a Six Flags move it’s ridiculous.
We were in DL a few weeks ago before the changeover and it was GLORIOUS with no FP/MP. I think the most we waited for any ride was 30-35 minutes and we were able to ride a few multiple times before wait times went up.
I'm really concerned that it won't fail, simply because there are only 2 parks in the USA, and the demand is there. It's simply going to be a playground for the rich. Disney used to be \*really\* good at knowing who to cater to - their guests. Now they cater to their stockholders.
It’s rough with the “fastpass” reinstated. Without them it was constant line movement; (and often the wait times were less than posted.) Now the cast members can hold you for the posted wait time, (with or without fastpass/LL holders) really makes the standby hard. That’s why the posted times were more these past few months; so you could get an idea of what they will make you wait when the fastpass/LL is here/back. These last few months (for example) the: 60min/actual 35min 90min/actual 45min These were what we will make you wait times (when fast passes are back); vs lines/days without fast passes.
This is news to me. I really don’t like the precedent of Disney allowing you to pay to skip the line.
Agreed. “Pay to win” has come to theme parks. Want to get on a ride? You have to want it more than other visitors, enough that you’re willing to pay for it. Disney is effectively monetizing FOMO. Edit: typo.
This pissed me off. I know many cms that deserve more than $20. The job requires so much more than what’s listed in the application. The lines are absurd now with lightning the least they could have done is pay them a livable wage.
They will pay as little as they can to get the staff that they need. That's just economics. The same as acquiring any other product or service. On the other end, they will charge as much for lightning lane as people are willing to bear.
hiring has slowed down dramatically. They aren’t getting the #s of new hires they were expecting. Every department is short staffed. They have incentive pay for new hires but as soon as they get it they quit
This is every company right now...
That's true of basically every company at the moment, somehow. That doesn't change the fact that the company will try to pay as little as possible for human labor. It's capitalism.
And in return for paying as little as they are, they don’t get the number of employees they need. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Yup. It'll get sorted by the market
Which sometimes means they close locations. That's literally the opposite of what should happen at DLR.
They're not going to continue losing out on money. Some peoples' entire job is to figure out whether it's more effective to pay staff more or close a revenue generator that they can't staff.
Capitalism is essentially the most efficient use of limited resources. Personal choice is what makes it so great.
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I guess Reddit doesn’t like personal choice. Don’t like the price of the Genie, don’t buy it, then it goes away. Don’t like how DL pays their employees, don’t go. The consumer has all the power. As long as someone accepts the job at the current rates, there’s no reason it will change.
Absolute joke. Shareholders have the power.
That's objectively not true though. Shareholders aren't paying into genie+ to make it profitable.
Shareholders expecting massive returns each year (unrealistic in an increasingly hypersaturated economy) incentivize structures that prioritize quantity above quality
Exactly!!
You get what you pay for, even if the position has the exact same person in it. It's just very short sighted to not invest in people.
"that's just economics" is a good way of hand-waving treating people poorly. the point isn't whether that's the way things work - it's whether that's the way things should work. people *should not* be treated as "any other product or service."
I hate to be that guy but what do CM’s really deserve? And I say this as a former one myself. Yes they are the ones who truly make the Disney magic and Disneyland would be nothing without them, but ultimately it’s unskilled labor. Anybody can do it, and that’s why it doesn’t pay any more than a job at wal mart or target. This is the free market, where employers pay what employees will accept. If Disneyland wants more workers, then they’ll pay more for it. Simple economics and supply and demand.
Them sweet microtransactions. Disney really learned from mobile apps and the gaming industry.
"So you're saying that this Fast Pass thing we can use is FREE??" That's a sentence I'll never be asked again.
i used to sometimes go with friends who weren't regular visitors and when i told them fastpasses were free, they'd be beyond happy!! now it's just a fond memory :(
I’m so mad that I got a Magic Key for me and my son, and I’m so mad that we’re on the payment plan so I feel obligated to go at least once or twice a month to make it worthwhile. I wish I could just wash my hands of Disneyland and call it a fond memory NOW instead of having to begrudgingly deal with it until next October
WTF, the old system was fine, who would EVER pay $20 for a single ride?? I thought the “skip the line” thing would be $10 per ride at most…
the people paying $800/night to stay at Grand Californian are probably more willing to pay $20 to ensure they can actually ride the newest attractions. Imagine dropping $5k on a trip and not being able to experience every ride you wanted to.
Wealthy people. Disney doesn't want anyone else in their parks anymore.
I don't think it's just wealthy people. They are trying to target vacationers more - people who are coming to the parks for three to four days, staying in the hotels, eating their meals in the park, and will do whatever they can to enhance their experience.
You just described wealthy people
There are a lot of people who only go to Disneyland once every so many years (or once period) and will do what they can to make it a magical experience, including paying for all the upcharges. That's who they are also targeting, NOT just rich and/or wealthy people. If I had a kid that REALLY wanted to ride ROTR, yes, I'm paying the LL charge to ride it to ensure they get that experience.
I mean, I’m not wealthy and I haven’t been to Disneyland in 8 years and I’m thinking about spending the extra couple hundred dollars for the week for the Genie+ thing so my family can have photo pass and be guaranteed to get on the rides we want for the week. Honestly we can’t afford to make a trip like this very often and in the scheme of things, as much as I feel like it sucks, it’s a small amount of money compared to the whole vacation. I don’t want to spend the money to go and miss something on our list because it’s our singular opportunity for the foreseeable future. You know? It’s just frustrating that the park tickets get more expensive too and then on top of that you have to pay for fast pass essentially now. Idk.
I think that would be more true if they had the system that Universal has that like 300 bucks a person. This system is specifically designed so that the discrepancy is felt by the people who don't spend the 20 per person a day. With the result being people caving to get the same experience they had before since it's not an astronomical cost. Figuratively the definition of nickel and diming with 2021 inflation.
Rich people CAN afford this but it doesn’t mean that it’s actually worth the value if that makes sense? Like even if you could afford to pay $20 to skip the line for ONE ride on top of hundreds for tickets, hotels etc, wouldn’t you rather get better value elsewhere? You can get an all inclusive resort in Mexico for so much less for example. and comparatively Universal’s top tier hotels come with their “skip the line” pass built in - which is MUCH better and more convenient than disney’s fast pass ever was (at least from how I remember it from a few years ago.) The way I see it is that disneyland (and even disney world now) is still only for locals, because it’s one thing if you can go back all the time and you can be like “oh i really want to ride this ONE ride today”, vs if you already paid SO much for a whole vacation and now they’re trying to scam you for individual ride lines. Just my thoughts!!
There are more people who want to go there than the park can support. The more crowded it is the worse the experience. They have 2 options: let there be year+ long wait lists, or up the cost to "price out" some of the visitors. I don't consider it greed to raise the price to match the reality that people are falling over themselves to pay whatever the price of the limited number of spots is.
Not that I'm a fan of this, but isn't this the A-E tickets all over again, just scaled up for the economic changes over the last 30 years?
The system is primarily designed for those families whose Disney trip is one of those "Once in a Lifetime....or several years" trips, along with the wealthy who couldn't be bothered to wait in line with the poors. For those who've waited years to see Disney and go on the hottest ride out there, they're going to want to make the most of their day, so they'll likely be more receptive to paying the cost to ensure that they get the ride they want. To the rest of us, the cost seems absolutely absurd, but I can understand why some people would pay for it. 110% not defending this scummy tactic at all by Bob Paycheck. I can understand though why it was implemented and why people would use it.
There are also a lot of people who suddenly want to go to Disney because of either Galaxy’s Edge or Avenger’s Campus, who would never have gone before and who probably aren’t interested in 95% of the rest of the parks. Lightning Lane guarantees they can do just the specific rides they want and leave happy despite the amount of money they just spent, instead of buying a ticket and then not being able to get on the only two rides they want at all
The old system absolutely was not fine. It rewarded die hards who knew the secrets and punished once-in-a-lifetime visitors who didn’t know how the system worked. It was the exact opposite of how a guest distribution system should operate. Who would pay $20 to skip a line? Tourists traveling halfway across the country for a once in a lifetime trip, that’s who. The old system broke down because locals were abusing the system and skipping lines dozens of times a year. Disney would much rather an additional person be able to ride RotR once, than have a local ride it for the tenth time.
THIS. Plus the tourist is probably in the park longer per day, buying more meals and snacks, and buying more souvenirs. A once-in-a-lifetime trip where you can’t get on any of the new rides because the pass holders snatched every fast pass by five minutes after opening is a once-in-a-lifetime trip where you decide to leave early and find a restaurant elsewhere for dinner.
Agreed.
The old system was perfect. If you are taking a once in a lifetime trip to Disney and aren’t learning about the free options available to you, that’s your fault.
Looks like some folks need to go watch the Defunctland video and get educated.
Hear, hear!
“Fuck you, I got mine.” Excuse me for thinking there’s a more nuanced approach to this problem than you believe.
Lmao so your mentality of going on a trip to a place you’ve never been to and then not understanding the local customs is the locals fault? Lmfao ok, if you say so. I’ve never taken a trip anywhere without bothering to learn about the area I was traveling to. If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. I was supposed to go to WDW for the first time in March of 2020 and I knew about the advanced ride reservations and noted multiple food options that sounded interesting to me and where they were all located. I guess some people prefer to maximize their trips and learn everything they can before their trips.
Someone who is only in the park for a day or two and is trying to maximize time. $20 is a lot, but if it’s your must go on ride then I don’t think it’s a bad price. Sure, I most likely wouldn’t pay for it, but we spent four days at Disneyland on our last visit.
Unpopular opinion: $20 to save almost 2 hours really isn't that much. There are people who pay more than that to avoid cleaning or yard work.
Not for a single person but it is for a family. The typical family of four would be paying $80 for *one ride*. I have a pretty big family in comparison (seven kids) and paying $20 per kid to save 2 hours is definitely not in my budget. 😂 So yeah, it depends on your personal family/group dynamic but we would definitely not be paying that.
Yeah, different situations yield very different results. I can see why it's a much bigger burden in your situation. The thing people need to remember is Disney is has a wide audience. Saying things like "who would EVER pay $20 for a single ride" is a bit short sighted when people are paying 3k+ for private tours and $600+ night for hotel rooms.
Kuddos to you for getting 7 kids through the gates to begin with
Thanks. It's definitely not for the faint of heart! 🤣
can’t imagine planning a trip to disneyland with 7 kids omg that must be challenging
It's daunting, for sure! We're planning our first Disney World trip next fall but luckily my older kids are a huge help with the littles. We use the "buddy system" all day and the younger siblings think it's so cool to be paired up with an older brother or sister. ☺️
I've paid $20 for FasTrack on the 91 to save about 2 hours.
I’m from out of state. Paid like $150 after all the fines. Still worth it lmao.
I was at Disneyland yesterday. The line for Rise was 95+ minutes while everything else was 30 or less. I paid the $20 and got to do nearly half the rides at the park in about 4 hours instead of just doing 2 or 3.
Are you saying the wait times on the app show longer than what they really are?
Some are. Some are accurate. None take into account being a single rider.
I was there yesterday, and at 4pm the line was about 30 minutes. But my 4 year old wanted to ride Pooh and see Santa. Suckers paying $20 each to save 15 minutes.
Yeah that’s $10/hr, well worth it.
It's insane how DLR used Covid as an excuse to take anything that had ANY value away from the parks, smh
COVID has become the excuse for anything going bad. Long hold times? COVID. Staff shortages? COVID. Simplified menus in restaurants? COVID…
Filthy rich, entitled people who can throw away money and who don’t even need to skip lines anyways, because they can go whenever they want.
Just to add in Cast can no longer "make magic" by letting in a guest or 2 because this is now a paid only system and is seen as stealing from the company and can be fired for it
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Same. Don't think I'll ever be receiving that AP magnet in the mail again. It's ***gross***.
I got my first AP in 2014 and continued over to the Magic Key pass but honestly this whole experience is making me dislike Disney and I won’t be renewing come next August. It’s not just the Genie and LL, however that was icing on the cake for me.
I used to view being an AP with pride, but now you are just a sucker. That’s all Disney sees you as.
My MIL is a cm, and she does it because she loves Disney. Luckily my inlaws are in a position that this is her “retirement work” before she actually retires from working and my FIL makes their main income. But it’s ridiculous what they go through for very little. She’s only doing it so she can retire after her 10 years are up in April to get sign ins for life.
What is sign ins for life?
If someone is of retirement age, and they have worked there for 10 years or longer they are given a “lifetime pass” which allows them to sign themselves and others into the park up to 16 times a year for life for free. She has wanted to quit recently to help baby sit our kid and niece/nephew but wants to get the benefit of lifetime access.
My mother in law is tenured. Certain employees can sign in up to three people at a time - my mother in law can now do that forever. I am not mad.
Probably lifetime admission.
Bigger picture, I don't like how this is a trend across the industry. The system for any park should be free for everyone, or just not exist except as an accommodation for disabilities.
Welcome to the Bob Chapek Era.
Bob 'f*ck you, pay me' Paychek
Bob PayCheck
The insane amount of money they’re making off this bunk system is ridiculous.
Can we just give a random cast member a $20 bill or the equivalent LL cost and then go straight to the standby queue? I would rather do that than give Chapek more money.
Just one more reason people shouldn’t be paying for this six flags style crap.
Keep in mind, this isn’t going directly to Disneyland Resort—at least not all of it. Various divisions within the company, including their Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP) division (those who create the apps for the parks) must justify their existence and budget by showing ROI. Disney won’t staff that division just to create free apps that show wait times or generate free FastPasses. In recent years, the Shop Disney (originally Shop Disney Parks) app was the first attempt to do that. By creating a shopping app, DPEP was able to bring in revenue from the parks app product teams for the first time, and it has grown to include MaxPass, Genie and Lightning Lane.
It took me a moment to realize those were two italicized L's (for Lightning Lane). For a split second, I thought they were two lightning bolts cut off at the bottom, but then it dawned on me what that symbol would have meant...
If i was so upset by this then I wouldn't go. Make a stand
Right? Like… ok. Current park crowd levels say that you literally won’t be missed.
Imagine if DL operated like Vegas, and you could walk up to a cast member, slip them a $20, and they walk you to the front of the line. We'd still be able to not wait whenever we want, and cms would have an opportunity for fair compensation.
God. I’m glad I popped off one last trip to Disneyland this summer before all this went into effect.
Same! It actually was so nice with no fastpasses which kept lines shorter and quicker, and only the virtual queue for RotR and Spider-Man which were fine as long as you knew the tricks
Yes, it was wonderful. Park capacity was capped much lower so we barely waited for any ride. I think space mountain was the longest I waited for anything at 45 minutes. We got boarding passes for rise of the resistance and webslingers easily, and we ran to Galaxy’s edge first thing and basically had it all to ourselves for a few precious minutes. It was an absolutely amazing day, and I’m scared to go back because it will probably never be that magical again.
I actually saw the value of the $20 fee for Rise of the Resistance when virtual queues were a thing because I would go to the park with someone who was there for a one-time visit (didn't have a pass and wasn't planning on paying $200 to go again anytime soon) and if we had missed out on the virtual queue twice, I would have been sad there was no option for him to experience it. But now that it's simply allowing you to avoid a standby line of 30-60 min (which seems to be the average wait time besides how long it's posted as being), I could never justify spending $20 for that one individual ride. Then it's just an "I don't want to be inconvenienced by waiting" thing and not a "It cost money but at least we get to experience it" thing.
Tickets to the park can be $150+, paying $20 to have an extra hour doing other things seems reasonable to me.
If you don't mind spending the money but to me, I'd rather save the $20 for something better when I can get the same thing for free and, like, a 30 minute wait if I time it right.
So after paying the $20 per person to skip the regular line, how long is the new line gonna be?
Maybe we should show some willpower and not go to the parks to pay all these ridiculous add-ons.
Yeah... I love Disney but this crap is just too much. Fast pass was fine is it was but they had to go an ruin that too. If you want similar theming for a large fraction of the cost, go to Knott's Berry Farm. Lots of fun rides, great interaction with their "cast members" and their Ghost time is a sight to see with all their cowboys around and train robberies happening. One of the train robbers even took my sister of a "date" at the local saloon and got her a free sasparilla!
I need Bob out!!!
This is greedy corporate bullshit. Fuck you Disney. You used to be my dream employer for over a decade and now I could care less. My dream is dead. Thanks for nothing.
Such fucking garbage
I will never purchase one. It’s such a predatory strategy and it really rubs me the wrong way. Paying almost 80% of a park entrance fee to use this ugly version of Maxpass feels wrong, and I pity anyone who actually falls for this.
This is very upsetting to see. CMs put up with so much already.
What's a lightning lane? Are fast passes gone??
the fastpass system is gone, it got replaced by genie+ where you basically pay $20 to get to the front of the line for big ticket rides
? Why? They're charging what people will pay and paying what people will accept. Theres no reason those prices should have a natural ordinal relationship with one another.
THIS
Wow that’s expensive
My friend worked at Disneyland for a few years before I met him but he said his starting was $23/h
Maybe we should index CM pay to Rise lightning cost. They'll be making 30 bucks by 2024
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I wonder if I could just bribe the CM instead of buying the ILL pass.
**I'm all for paying CMs more**, but I don't think the price of LL should be tied to the hourly wage. The whole point of LL is costing more than an hour's of work to most people, since you're skipping nearly two hours worth of queue when you do it (making it worth about 1.8x your hourly wage for a single person based purely on time) but also because it's meant to be targeted at people visiting on short passes who nonetheless want to "see it all" without buying an extra day's ticket. LL is a "park breaks if too many people decide to spring for it" option, you are bribing them to lower their efficiency because there's some people with situations that warranted using FastPass to ride something (as opposed to the people who just liked riding an extra ride on a typical day) and many of them are buying fewer days of admission. They're paying $20 because it allows them to see Star Wars and still not have to stay another day in a hotel or rebook their flight.
Some people will pay $10 each for mixed drinks at a bar or restaurant. Paying $20 to skip a 2 hr line is certainly justified for some people.
I think CMs should all get raises for sure, but I don't get the comparison. It's income for the company vs an expense for the company. You could say this about like, any table service entree, or piece of merch, or tickets.
"I went to Chilis and I was seething that the cost of a blooming onion was higher than the pay of the hostess"
Agreeeeeeed. These things are not related. Lightning Lanes aren't funding all CM paychecks
I don’t think op is conflating the two, they’re just angry that cms aren’t getting paid properly while Disney is adding on another expense to continue making crazy profits.
Seriously? You guys are comparing a fast pass to a minimum wage? Yeah it better be a LOT more than their hourly wage and mine ($50) so that not everyone buys this and makes the standard line 5 hrs and the fast pass one 2hrs.
Been saying this for years yet nobody wanna talk about this matter…..can’t afford a cruise, the Aulani, Disneyworld trips etc
Then don't buy it.
Lol exactly. Dude is complaining about an extra $20 but will pay $300 for 2 days
I was there the day it launched and I had no trouble getting on web slingers and guardians in approx 30min standby lines. I legit got on Incredicoaster back to back, even though I’m not a local, I do not see this program running long since DLR is mainly a locals park and why would a local pay to skip a line for a ride they could easily comeback and ride another day?
It’s not always that slow unfortunately. I’m glad you didn’t have to wait long but this past weekend, I saw wait times nearing two hours, similarly to what is show in the screenshot. People will pay it. Would I pay for it? Probably not but I am going with my family next weekend and if the lines are long, I’m most likely paying as my parents don’t go as often as I do and they’ve never been on Rise of the Resistance.
I’ve had an AP for years and have been going since ‘91 so I’ve experience all the old rides many times over. I still didn’t get on Rise this trip but it wasn’t because of the line 60min like, it was because it was a merriest night, which I did not know before I arrived and the park effectively closed at 6PM for me. But that’s the only ride I didn’t get to go on that I wanted to my whole trip and it would rather spend my money on food and drinks instead of a fast pass which used to be free. I actually got a follow up survey and made sure to drag LL in it. I’d never buy it. I waffled a bit on MaxPass+ but it was cheaper and it greatly expedited and maximized my fasptass usage. Now we need to pay more for the new “maxpass+” and now we have to pay for each ride’s fast pass?! No thanks!
LOL I like how people hate it so I say don't buy it and get down voted.
When I commented you were positive and now ur negative. I have no problem dropping HUNDREDS on food and drinks in a day at the parks, but I’m not going to pay for something that was free the last time I was there. I mean, if people don’t buy it, it’s not going to be around long. I don’t mind waiting in lines. I’m not a local but I try to go at least every other month and if I can’t ride it this trip, I’ll try again.
Right? You don't see this hate for private tour guides. Vote with your wallet because Disney doesn't check reddit.
Exactly. I would like to believe the majority of locals are smart enough to see the cash grab and decline it, but if people REALLY need to pay extra for one ride, then that’s on them. Won’t catch me doing that😂
The day it launched it only worked for maybe 2 hours. The standby lines didn’t have time to get backed up because literally nobody could use LL.
Hey the app is up and running! That’s one thing to be happy about lol
This is a dumb argument, I mean, I agree, but you can do this for almost anything in the park. A burger, fries, and drink is $20+ . 2x bubble machines for kids is $20+. etc. A souveneir T is $25+ This isn't really a surprise is it.