Disney’s UPDATED Paid Lightning Lane - How Does it Stack Up?

In this Mickey Views Special Report, Brayden examines the newly-announced Lightning Lane Multi Pass in-detail. Viewers are taken on a trip through the history of skip-the-line features at Walt Disney World from FASTPASS, FastPass Plus, Disney Genie, culminating in the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass feature. Brayden also details the effect of this service on stand-by wait times, the guest experience in Disney parks, and the financial motivation behind The Walt Disney Company's decision.
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00:00 Intro
00:46 FASTPASS
03:11 FastPass Plus
06:34 The Chapek Effect
11:42 Lightning Pass (Rumored)
14:26 Lightning Lane
16:21 Genie Plus
18:57 NEW SERVICE DETAILS
25:44 Int'l Guest Restriction
27:12 My Review of Multi Pass
35:25 Declining Attendance
36:52 Spreadsheet Executives
39:35 What I Would Do
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Directed By: Brayden
Thanks for Watching and Have a Magical Day!

[@MickeyViews]

CORRECTIONS: Once you've used ONE Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can book another. I said after three you can book another. Also, the Tier 1 graphic at 22:58 should say Hollywood Studios on the right column, not Animal Kingdom. Finally, at 39:36 I say we could rip out the Standby Line, when of course I mean RIP OUT THAT DANG SKIP-THE-LINE! Enjoy the video! 😁 ~Brayden

[@toddcribbs6844]

Listen I was born with disabilities having epileptic seizures they can keep their money

[@toddcribbs6844]

The problem is Bob Iger was wearing this before Bob chapek was the CEO and then got kicked to the side and Bob Iger still not doing his job and just tends to Coast on by

[@toddcribbs6844]

The problem is you have too many greedy Executives and shareholders that one that much more money think about that that is lazy

[@buster5661]

@@toddcribbs6844 short term gains = happy executives

[@TheMess9898]

CORRECTION: Once you’re in the park and you enjoy your first multi pass experience, you may be able to make an additional selection. You DON'T have to wait until you use all three prebooks first.

[@jusadude7162]

Imagine your grandma taking their grandkids to a park and having to deal with this. It’s terrible.

[@brodytamanini2713]

Buddy, it’s not that hard

[@thencsuman]

Actually it is pretty complicated for the average Joe. Ridiculous to think someone needs to study how the system works to use it. It's just retarded.

[@omnicognatesnr5947]

@@brodytamanini2713i have worked in IT for 40 years, including over a decade as a project manager. This is insanely difficult and complicated. I also don’t want to spend every second of my trip on my phone, because I’m not a teenager. Then of course there’s the cost. For a family of 4 it adds a considerable amount. So it’s complicated, expensive and destroys the magic.

[@luvbreeezy]

@@brodytamanini2713you’d be surprised how many old people can’t even take a photo on a iphone, they won’t know how to work this shit 😭 it’s easy for me but god bless them grandparents taking their grandkids to the parks

[@amykosikowski2647]

​@@luvbreeezyumm...why all the hate towards grandparents? Lol This grandma has no issue figuring out any system Disney wants to throw at us.

[@asklouie]

You make the best Disney videos because you're not afraid to call out the bullshit, unlike the shills. Also, I think that your demeanor and dress in your videos shows that you respect the audience because you have self-respect. Keep up the high-energy analysis.

[@mowerdan8133]

Brayden is definitely a class act.

[@samanthaball5980]

I could not agree more

[@lindaeggert5527]

💯

[@ATLSportsFan1795]

Truth

[@melissacreel4719]

This!!! Hardly anyone dresses nice anymore. It's great to see and it shows care went into EVERY aspect of this video. Great job all the way around as usual.

[@makavoxel]

Going to Disney used to be like entering another world that made your cares fall away. Now it does the exact opposite. I have no desire to enter the corporate greed world of NEO Disney. The rides are always breaking down, they barely clean the parks, they don't do maintenance and when they do a ride goes down for months and comes back more broken than it was and then it goes down again, they gladly nickle and dime guests to death. The biggest factor is the rides are old, tame and lame compared to other parks. If Disney no longer cares about giving guests value and a 'magical' experience, what good are they compared to other parks? It's really not worth it anymore.

[@scottstorck4676]

I totally agreed.

[@crgmonroe]

💯

[@KristySki]

I feel like Tiana's Bayou has been down more than it has been working since it opened up.

[@cinnamonsugar-qx6qd]

the parks are clean??? what do you mean the rides are old and lame just look at rise of the resistence? name one example of a ride breaking down for a long time and Down for MONTHS beside rock'n'rollar coaster? when I go there its still clean I agree the EXCs are more greedy then ever tho

[@kevinwilt3918]

That is what happens when a company decides their shareholders are more important than their customers. Stock price and profit are number one not the product that generates the profit. Disney is no longer a company in growth they're in managed decline no company has ever budget cut their way into profitability.

[@DisneyUpBoilerUp]

I can't even keep up with all the Genie BS anymore. I don't even want to go back. It's too confusing, and uncalled for. Disney now requires planning with military precision. More hassle than it's worth. 😞

[@spacedave2000]

And too expensive!!

[@Cpt_TightPants]

Go to Universal they have much better rides with much better way to plan and spend the day at the parks. The resorts are also nice too, I worked at 3 of the resorts as a lifeguard and every guest loves the hotels

[@The8BitNerd]

Well the honest truth is, that ever since Fastpass +, major trip planning was always required to maximize a visit.

[@DisneyUpBoilerUp]

@@The8BitNerd But at least they weren't changing the rules every few months.

[@CLIFFLIX]

Well said! +1

[@May54321]

1. It shouldn’t require a PHD in Event Planning to go to a theme park. 2. Nobody wants to frantically be on their phone all day on vacation. Nobody.

[@pauleckert4321]

This 💯 percent.

[@yunder.]

If it requires hardcore pre-planning, it's no longer a vacation. No lightning lanes at the beach or swimming pool.

[@ducktails1695]

Or Universal....

[@BrewCityGillz]

😢 Starting off by going into detail with the history of fastpass / lightning lane was appropriate to remind us all how much more difficult Disney has made it for guests to have an enjoyable experience with each change. Yes, the new system has some pros but continuing to make it this difficult is a big drawback. Always appreciate the work of you Brayden and the Mickey Views team.

[@KristySki]

I miss the paper fast passes. I still feel like that was the best they've done thus far with "skip the line"

[@lisareckmeyer9745]

@@KristySki i remember the paper fast passes! They were easy to get and a very simple system to navigate. 😊

[@danm6475]

There must be a psychological effect on guests now where they start to dislike the rides because of all the grief Disney makes you go through just to get on in the first place. It has to create resentment for things you used to love. It all just becomes a strictly scheduled checklist that turns a vacation into a part time job. You aren’t living in the moment, you’re constantly planning and in the back of your mind you’re just thinking about how much money you are spending and soon you’ll be back at work with more bills waiting for you.

[@danm6475]

I’ve been going to the parks since the 80s and I can say there’s also a noticeable effect of the instant gratification from “skipping lines” diminishing the experience of the ride itself. I have many fond memories of waiting in lines with friends just hanging out and talking, and the anticipation of the ride, getting the vibe from the queues atmosphere, it’s a slow build to what you are about to experience and is all part of the overall story and makes you appreciate it more when you get on. But when you just skip past all of that in a frantic scheduled pace you don’t have time to really take it all in. I’m not saying constantly standing in lines in Florida heat is a blast, but I think we all need to appreciate the slower moments at the parks with our family and friends and really absorb the rides story.

[@bunberrier]

For your first visit, you almost need a consultant to understand how to get in.

[@omnicognatesnr5947]

Have you seen the crowds in the parks? Nobody cares. Or rather, people that are going for the first time don’t care. Us die-hard fans may do, but in that case Disney doesn’t care.

[@NickLujan]

I fully agree, it’s so sad that everything we like slowly gets taken away so a company can please its shareholders. I’ve heard a few people that LOVE Disney say that ours just not worth the trouble. It’s starting to feel like going to a really expensive mall.

[@iilikeitlikethatii]

Literally!!! I been saying this!

[@TravelwithDana19]

As a loyal, hard core Disney goer, majority of everyone feels the same way as you. I don’t know anyone who isn’t getting more turned off by Disney and the decisions they are making each time they announce something. It’s so incredibly sad.

[@CeLIfUbIaC420]

I was a Disney SNOB. We would go to WDW every fall. I would always pound the drum for them boasting about how much better they were than universal. I can not believe how far Disney has plummeted. You routinely run into rude cast, the rides break down constantly, the food quality has diminished while the price has skyrocketed, and now they want to strong-arm you into paying 15 bucks a person for new rides? I'm done with the mouse. It's no longer a fun experience, it's stressful. I really hope they get it turned around. It's a terrible feeling for your happy place to turn sour.

[@riondrius]

Rumor is Iger is looking for a new CEO. Look no further Bob this is the guy right here ! Imagine if we got a CEO that actually cared about the parks and the guest’s experience

[@tinag4262]

Thank you, Braden, for addressing the "loading ratio" issue. It is a HUGE part of the problem. I wish more was said about this!!! We were in a standby line that was hours long and realized (when we got close to the loading station) that the cast member had been holding back the standby line waiting for the COMPLETELY EMPTY lightning lane to produce guests to join the loading station. The loading area could have been filled several times over in the time that the cast member waited for a lightning laner to come along. It was infuriating. We have always been aware that Disney can, and does, manipulate the wait times for their attractions (to encourage the purchase of fast pass/lightning lane/genie plus and to control the guest experience ?) but wow! We had never seen such a blatant, ridiculous display of strategy. Disney made a very small handful of high-paying guests happy, but they created hundreds of resentful, tired, trapped guests that were unable to spend money/time on other means of revenue in the park.

[@polysillycon]

The joke of it is, the extra money for Genie+ is barely anything compared to the total cost of the ticket, like 15%. On a total spend basis, $120 for a ticket vs $140 with line skipping, LL should only let in 10 guests for every 8 regular line guests. Instead it’s 10 to 1 and it feels completely unfair to a non skipping guest.

[@tomcarmody2919]

100 percent correct. Last time I went on Tower of Terror, I counted the people being loaded. They consistently loaded 4 stand by people and 36 Lightning Lane people to each side.

[@bethocdunwitty6641]

It's like they're TRYING to piss customers off ACTUALLY TRANING them to expect less and less

[@billhimes826]

What ride was this? I hope it was a misunderstanding by the CM and not company policy. Using that logic, if no one buys lightning lane then the standby line would never move.

[@rtyughvbn12]

it is crazy how many people in the lightning lane get to go onto the ride before two or three standby guests get to go. I saw like a 30 to 2 ratio one day.

[@kentslocum]

The thing I hate about this system is that it's basically just a poorly-implemented version of the original Disneyland ticket books. 😢

[@janmartenlocher]

At this moment the regular base ticket prices should be cut into halfs or be even 10cents regarding all this up- pricings..

[@u.hinson6300]

Well said

[@clarebo]

Yes, the whole point of having a park ticket was to eliminate per ride costs. Now they are charging you to get into the park and also charging you to ride the rides.

[@lddcavalry]

And you get to pay twice.

[@yvonnemarie1955]

My family used the tickets books….it worked well.

[@susanweldon6657]

The biggest problem with all of these systems has been the number of people that are admitted before stand-by guests are allowed to enter. I have been standing in line with nobody even in the FP line and we just stood there because they were still counting how many people still needed to pass before they would allow one family in standby to enter. Complete lunacy!

[@tinag4262]

This happened to us as well. We were in a line for nearly 2 hours. When we got to the loading station, we were held back, for waiting for nonexistant LLer's to arrive at the loading station. The LL guests literally "walked on" the ride, while standby waited for hours. This is what made the standby line so stinkin' long. The cast member could have loaded that queue from the stand by line several times over in the time he waited for a fast passer to come along. It was infuriating. I've never heard/seen anyone address the loading ratio before until this video. It is a BIG part of the problem.

[@bethocdunwitty6641]

I saw a video where 200 genie people were being let in before standby

[@ducktails1695]

I can't imagine being a CM doing this and taking all the crap from guests because of it. It's gotta make being a CM not great and it's absolutely not right to yell and scream at a CM but I do understand the frustration of the guest in this case, however the CM is only doing what they were told. The guest however doesn't understand that and also that it's not the fault of the CM.

[@cristianchavarria5359]

This happened to me as well and it was the day I decided NEVER to visit Hollywood studios again

[@billhimes826]

What ride was this? That sounds absolutely maddening.

[@airdiggity]

I feel like i need to hire a lawyer to setup my fast pass.

[@HighTide_808]

Turn your flag back upright traitor.

[@kirbymurdstone4925]

"If you really really hate money" I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard this!

[@MrJcoupe96]

Brayden coming unhinged is my spirit animal, lol. He's the Disney people's You Tuber. I used to watch many other Disney You Tubers but I simply got tired of all the smoke they were blowing up my a$$ with never calling Disney out on their BS sales tactics. Simply because they get sponsored and special benefits/privileges from Disney and they don't want to lose them if they speak badly. I've pretty much stopped watching them all and only watch Brayden now. He speaks the dang truth, doesn't sugar coat anything and says what we're basically all thinking already in such a great and professional way. I can only hope that someone with pull in the company sees these videos and the way he explains everything, it's perfect. Keep doing what you do, man. You're killin' it!!

[@RoyalFizzbin]

I agree. I only listen to Brayden for Disney, and Alicia Stella (Theme Park Stop) for Universal.

[@jimmywing58]

Appreciate you hammering home the “this used to be free” every chance you get. Don’t stop.

[@cyndiebirkner704]

And they used these "free" perks as an excuse to raise park day ticket prices, and certainly haven't lowered prices despite fewer offerings.

[@toddw8396]

The paper Fastpass ticket system was the best…and, if you had a paper Fastpass for a ride and were able to “walk on,” or you decided to leave a park early, you could gift your paper tickets to someone coming into the parks. Fastpass+ was ok, it gave resort guests an advantage making staying on property a better value.

[@eric_in_florida]

We used to gift our FP tickets if we left early and it was fun to put a smile on someone's face!

[@muthergoose4084]

Yes to this! I still have a stack of them.

[@bethocdunwitty6641]

Oh how exciting that would be for people just coming in! Nice

[@toddw8396]

@@bethocdunwitty6641 It was fun to gift them: daughter and I had an afternoon return time for Everest, but were able to walk-on (twice) for a 5-10 min standby long before our ticket return time. We decided to hop to EPCOT and on the way out of AK, we decided to gift our afternoon Everest tickets to a party of two coming in. My daughter handed the tickets to a party of two and they jumped up a down like they had just won a major prize. By then, Everest wait times were up to 1-2 hours when they were arriving into park. We could have just thrown the tickets away, but this was way more fun.

[@toddw8396]

@@bethocdunwitty6641 It was fun to gift them: daughter and I had an afternoon return time for Everest, but were able to walk-on (twice) for a 5-10 min standby long before our ticket return time. We decided to hop to EPCOT and on the way out of AK, we decided to gift our afternoon Everest tickets to a party of two coming in. My daughter handed the tickets to a party of two and they jumped up a down like they had just won a major prize. By then, Everest wait times were up to 1-2 hours when they were arriving into park. We could have just thrown the tickets away, but this was way more fun.

[@denisep3306]

The one thing that nobody talks about is if you’re in a different time zone you have to wake up prior to seven. I live in central time zone, so therefore, I have to get up at six to make these bookings ahead. The people who live in California have to do this at 4am.

[@harrisintheflesh]

- Screen deserving people out of DAS - Change Lightning lane system - Make more cash Not sure I will be going back to the parks for a while...

[@omnicognatesnr5947]

You may not, but looking at the crowds, thousands will, so Disney don’t care. And there’s the problem 🥺

[@toddcribbs6844]

@@harrisintheflesh it's actually against the Ada and HIPAA law

[@CM-zl8iu]

@@toddcribbs6844it isn’t going against HIPPAA. What? Lol

[@sg9414]

Excellent review Brayden - I live 5 miles from Magic Kingdom and for the first time, didn't renew my annual pass. Everything is crazy expensive, too crowded, the magic is gone. At least with FP, I knew I could get on 3 rides in a visit. I'm not paying MORE for a 3 minute ride. Disney needs to stop milking the parks to make up for their poor movie revenue.

[@ericluchman3874]

Same. Live in WG…minutes away. Didn’t renew. Refuse to go.

[@James_Ford4815]

crazy to think few hundred dollars for 9 total minutes lol ... and yes i know ambiance of the park and all , but they're so packed these days that ambiance isn't the same anymore.

[@neccron9956]

If no one pays for this, then the lines would run at a reasonable rate.

[@bethocdunwitty6641]

I worked at Magic Kingdom Splash Mountain ride cue in 1995 and the standby would be 1.5 hours constantly. People are just used to instant gratification now. And in 1989 when I went with my family as a 13 year old I remember 40 minute Wait all over Adventureland. Even for the lame Swiss Family Tree. Fast Pass just got us used to a different experience from it's inception on.

[@rtyughvbn12]

everybody just gives in and pays

[@josephbrown9685]

@@bethocdunwitty6641Correct. People who didn’t visit WDW prior to Fastpass/Lightning Lane have no idea how it really was back then. They are only able to make assumptions.

[@pattiejune7596]

You are correct; we spent way less on merchandise than we had on previous vacations. It is very telling how quickly merchandise ends up at the outlets.

[@gamesforgamers6017]

Get rid of ALL “skip the line” garbage and just have normal lines. You could always go to Universal too instead.

[@ExpandingSound]

Potentially 50-100 LL guests per 1 standby. What does your ticket actually even pay for anymore? Getting through the door? It’s pure insanity. Might as well charge 100 dollars for a soda by this point.

[@ExpandingSound]

@user-li2yv5je5e if it happens at all it’s insane. They have millions of fans. The business practice shouldn’t be a social experiment to see how much people handle getting squeezed before turning on the product.

[@funkydino]

I have literally stood in line for Kilaminjaro Safari, maybe 3 or 4 people from the loading area and empty trucks sat there whilst a cast member stood there looking out for lightning lane people rather than let us through whilst the lightning lane queue had no guests in it.

[@TotaledThunder]

When's the actual breaking point for fans? Every single parks fan I've spoken to think genie+ was an abomination, yet none of them stopped going. I think the huge loss for disney is still years away from manifesting - first time families and casual park attendees who had to endure this terrible experience won't return anytime soon if ever.

[@notlegitkoolaid4911]

Ya they all hated genie plus and lighting lane. But then they’d all buy it in droves 🤦🏿‍♂️

[@donaldstevens932]

I've been out for two years with no plans to ever go back. We were regulars for 15yrs.

[@artcollier1949]

It appears the more days you purchase, the longer time you have to use all purchased days. With that in mind, start the clock with your first day, then book the remaining days counting backward from the last day. The gap between the first and last days is when you go to OTHER Orlando attractions. This should give you a greater lead time for booking and greater selection availability without having to pay the on property hotel price penalty. Ooops! How did Disney let that loophole get by them?

[@GeococcyxVelox]

@@donaldstevens932Used to go a lot 10-17 years ago. Last trip was 2 years ago too. They gotta pay me to return.

[@crgmonroe]

We stopped. I bet if you were some how able to poll long-time wdw fans, I bet you would fins a significant drop. Once Universal's expansion opens I think it will be more glaring.

[@patm95]

What most people aren’t mentioning is this is almost like bringing back the park reservation system as you have to choose your park ahead of time.

[@veronagentleman]

Agreed! and it's not fair to Park Hoppers as we cannot pre-book across multiple parks. At least with Genie Plus, the minute I wanted to book a second LL after the 2-hour cool down (and start stacking), I could switch to another park. And then to stack another LL 2 hours later, I could switch parks again if I wanted. I now feel like I am being shortchanged for buying my Park Hopper ticket. 😞

[@blond98]

All I want is a Fast Pass Kiosk with a simple return time ticket! No overpriced payment and no excessive planning. Why Disney why!

[@buster5661]

Because increased short term profit margins = higher paychecks for executives

[@blond98]

Oh, I know I was just expressing my disappointment!

[@buster5661]

@@blond98 I 100% agree

[@BonnieCribbs]

You're spot on, as always. This whole experiment has been a plus for Disney short term - they can say it's profitable easily because they're charging for software. Long term, I think they're REALLY missing the mark. Guests are not happy, they're having to pay more for a bad experience. They're giving guest fewer and fewer reasons to stay on property. The new resorts look like Hiltons and Fairfield Inn's rooms. ...so why not just stay there for much less. Disney lost it's guest focus. I'm still hopeful it will come back.

[@StadiumofLOLMAPS]

A lot of people miss old systems that reward savvy visitors. Problem with trying that today is that almost EVERYONE is that savvy now, and everyone knows the optimal way to do everything, so it removes all advantages.

[@monstermancollectibles]

Yeah I don’t think OG fast pass would work anymore. But you could def modernize it for today’s standards without making it a military grade planning operation where you spend even more money just to ride some damn rides.

[@Molbyone]

And when everyone is super…no one will be

[@lddcavalry]

The real problem is wait times are out of control and the only way to really deal with that is to create more capacity.

[@jedimasterbeta5241]

Disney is treating a 1 minute attraction like a full length movie and charging movie ticket prices. I guess Disney thinks since they can’t get people to buy tickets to their actual movies, then they have to come up with this nonsense.

[@gregkrech8393]

That's OK. Disney will finally feel the impact of price gouging with Epic Universe opens next year.

[@guyz7777]

They will make more money...with all the people going to epic....it means more tourists in central FL...allowing for Disney expansion...Disney an Universal work together more than you think...consumers are blind to the business

[@happyhauntzz]

This isn’t price gouging, lol

[@steavis6592]

As much as I would love to agree with this, I don't think it's the case. People continue to come to WDW even though resort guest count is probably down, so to counter that, they continue to raise prices. Price hikes next year have already been announced. Disney continues to shoot themselves by taking things away, then uses that to justify price increases. I just vented a little lol sorry.

[@gregkrech8393]

@@happyhauntzz and I think you believe that LOL

[@sssspider]

They might not feel it next year, or the year after that, or even five years from now. But eventually - and it will be sooner rather than later - they will have burned through all the remaining customer goodwill and they will suffer dearly for it. Remember, nothing ever happens… until it does.

[@johncole7533]

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: the best thing Disney could do is hire Brayden as a consultant. He has a better feel for us park goers than anyone in a leadership role in Parks & Experiences.

[@byrosiemayne]

We bought LL our last trip. An added $25-40 per person per day. I can tell you, I bought almost nothing from the shops as a result. They may be gaining money with the LL sales but losing on food and souvenir sales.

[@Michael-io3ik]

Genie+ was Iger's idea. It was just rolled out during Chapek's tenure.

[@baronessboomer3865]

Is this a nightmare algebra/calculus final exam? Universal is gonna be laughing all the way to the bank! 😎

[@mh23hm]

As a floridian and someone who never stays on site, I hate it. Everything will be booked days in advance and I get punished for spur of the moment trips to the park. Higher cost for a worse experience.

[@buster5661]

It looks like they want locals to avoid the rides and spend money at restaurants

[@cristianchavarria5359]

I remember being in Toy Story Midway Mania being stopped by a cast member for 15 minutes, with no one on the LL line just waiting for more LL people to arrive. That was the day I said to myself that I was NEVER going back to Hollywood studios

[@mikequarles9786]

Just how complicated can Disney make a vacation? Damn, I miss the Eisner years

[@Mike__B]

I remember the most complicated thing Disney used to have is figuring out which ride to grab a FP for at rope drop and what ride to start with.

[@buster5661]

Eisner could come back, if there was enough demand

[@jaredfamily123]

It’s not that complicated

[@Mike__B]

@@buster5661 That's not how board rooms of corporation work, they aren't a democracy.

[@jtlegionnaire6310]

@@Mike__B my favorite era. Completely phone free experience up until 2017ish, unless you were checking wait times on your phone.

[@chuckoneill2023]

I am so done with the mouse. We just spent 10 days in Hawaii (Not Aulani): Luaus, tours, time on the beach, Volcano National Park. Including airfare, it was all less than WDW even in the "value" hotels. A couple of years ago, we went on an Alaskan cruise (not Disney). Cruises are pretty much all inclusive, and this was also less than going to WDW. If you plan a "destination" cruise, I would definitely avoid Disney -- or any premium line. The trip is about the ports, not the ship.

[@rogerk6180]

Disney world is by far the most expensive form of mainstream vacationing available nowdays. All to stand in line all day in scorching heat and pay extortionate amounts for mediocre food lol.

[@jenniferrundle6870]

​@@rogerk6180Well that sounds like you are eating at the burger joints and going in summer. It is not scorching hot in the 4 months we travel down there and we find fantastic restaurants with high quality food...

[@jenniferrundle6870]

We spent a week in Hawaii also this year-unlesss you fly economy and stay in a hostel I'm not sure how you accomplished that😂 Hawaii's food and resorts are exorbitant-if you don't low-budget (All Stars Resort and Cosmic Rays) it. 🫤

[@chuckoneill2023]

@@jenniferrundle6870 Disney tickets plus lightning lane over $400 daily for a couple. Resorts $1000 per night, maybe $300 at the low end. Food three meals $150 -$250 daily. You can definitely get a nice vacation in Hawaii for much less than that. We did it by doing the NCL cruise, which included all our meals, plus discounts on excursions. We had a pre-cruise stay in Honolulu at a moderate level hotel -- it wasn't right on the beach, but it wasn't far.

[@rawkfist-ih6nk]

@chuckoneill2023 I’m upset with a lot Disney is doing but you can stay on property for not that much. All stars are enjoyable and usually under $160 per night. We have a family of 4 going in September (3 tickets bc we have 1 under 3) and for 7 days with the free dining deal is $3450 at all star movies and that’s upgrading to the full dining package. You can stay pretty cheap if you don’t pay for the extras. But it’s when Disney makes the extras almost mandatory that I expect people that want to hit every ride to be dissatisfied. We have 2 kids so we take it easy. But prices next year are even higher so we likely won’t go for a long time after this. And even that depends on how much crap they pull by then

[@pamelarekarpyrce6302]

I no longer call WDW the world’s happiest place - I have been lucky enough to visit WDW almost yearly for over 30 years. I enjoyed planning my basic approach to one of the parks, guessing where to avoid big crowds and ride my favorite rides when other guests were elsewhere. That just isn’t possible anymore. The costs have become exorbitant. I stress while hoping my phone battery doesn’t die as I keep checking ride wait times and which rides are down. I think you are on point Brayden, I wish Disney would solicit your insights. You have a great depth of understanding. I miss the days when staying at the Polynesian was reserved for a special trip - it’s now out of reach. The cost of the luxury hotels is insane! Couple the room cost, park tickets and now booking rides let alone food, travel and souvenirs makes a visit to WDW the cost of a used car! I hope Disney execs get back to the business of being the happiest place on earth.

[@mickeysmyspiritanimal223]

@pamelarekarpyrce6302 Indeed!😉 Motto: “Disneyland -The Happiest Place on Earth.” “Walt Disney World - The Most Magical Place on Earth.”

[@firstlast1732]

I recently came back from Disney after a five year hiatus and I was so disappointed this is not the same company this is not the same Disney it might as well be rebranded it’s so sad my childhood memories have been changed forever it’s a dirty filthy park with anything magical gone except for the magic of how they make your money disappear and they rob you of your happiness

[@metallicnole4514]

I recently went to disney after a 20+ year hiatus and had a great time. I guess I had the advantage of being away from so long that I didn't go through all these changes to complain about. I learned how to use genie plus and had no issues getting on the rides I wanted. And because it's so much cheaper than universal's express, I'm more likely to buy it each time. But I understand that my experience is not everyone else's

[@brodytamanini2713]

What did you not enjoy about it. It is literally the exact same. Park from like 50 years ago, but with some new additions. When you go there, you don’t really think about money. Just have a good time. I generally don’t know why people can have fun anymore. It’s literally the same park.

[@asheburypress882]

The last two commenters must not mind filthy bathrooms, trash can that are not regularly emptied, understaffed concessions, and burning money. I haven’t been back because going to Paris is cheaper than going to Disney, but friends that have been there recently only commented on how dirty it was in the parks.

[@metallicnole4514]

@@asheburypress882 I did not have such an experience on my visit. It's too bad your friends did.

[@brodytamanini2713]

@@asheburypress882 I just went it’s not that dirty. Yes there is some things but that’s for every park. Out of the four they do range but for the most part there all clean. You have to look out of your way

[@patrickcutter6811]

Stacey and “must do Disney” on your resort tv in the background was peak Disney. Miss those days.

[@steveralston8837]

And for those who don't know... they screwed up the way the queues work intentionally so that lines are so long that you HAVE TO GET THIS. Just to wait in what used to be standby wait times. Guessing that meeting originally went like this: "How are wait times today?" "30 minute average per ride, boss." "That's too short. Is there a way we can charge them to wait 30 minutes... but otherwise it will be 2 hours?"

[@roberthorn9754]

So much for a leisurely vacation - Shane on all of those greedy management

[@vitalitymirth]

We used to visit WDW every year from 1997 to 2020, sometimes twice a year. Haven’t been there in four years.

[@scotts6955]

Same. Our last visit was the week before LL started.

[@Dave711701]

I miss the days when Disney operated the rides the way they were designed and intended for. Everybody got on the rides in adequate time and it was fair for everyone with absolutely zero confusion and extra charges - imagine that!!

[@mmorri24]

Dude,this is all insane! Dont regret my loyalty to Universal all these years one bit. Skip the nonsense. Doesnt sound like a vacation at all to me. If I want to wake up at 6:30 and do work, ill just stay home.

[@Mike__B]

Your first mistake is having any loyalty at all. That's the problem with Disney guests, too much loyalty that they don't even realize the water is boiling.

[@mmorri24]

@@Mike__B well i agree with your point, but ive never felt like Universal has deliberately tried to shake money out of my pocket and have me spend more just to have a good day at the parks, and i wake up when i want to.

[@notlegitkoolaid4911]

@@mmorri24I love universal but when epic opens we can’t just blindly support them. Cause they’re going to end up like Disney soon like when it comes to prices, express prices, admission options. Hopefully they don’t but we will have to see

[@TheMess9898]

@@mmorri24They are and they do

[@StrikanNYC]

@@mmorri24 Universal's express pass is very expensive - isn't that trying to get you to spend money?

[@DigabelPlanet]

Hard pill to swallow for Disney fans: you are the problem. You're not the problem because you love Disney, instead you are the problem because you are to far gone. The truth is that if Disney guests ever organized to boycott the parks for even one business quarter, Disney would make SWEEPING changes to draw you back in. Unfortunately, that will never happen because the current Disney guest is akin to someone choosing to stay in an abusive relationship.

[@chrishamby86]

Glad to have you back again!

[@JMM7171]

Love the old clips from the old planning dvds they used to send you. I watched them sooooo many times. Lol. In addition to travel channels shows.

[@NeonGhostin]

Right!!! And afterwards they became a souvenir of your experience.

[@pdmayton]

My last trip to DW was in 2018. I quit going because it got too complicated. Now theyve made 3x more complicated. Been to Universal every year since 2019. No chance our family will ever go back to Disney. Yall Disney people can have it.

[@srb2834]

This is a perfect example showing that Disney has too many executives and just how useless they are. This super costly development of how many “systems” for fast pass now? When it would be so easy to just charge $250-$500 per person to use the express lane, I mean “lightning lane”, making it about 40% ish the cost of a vip tour and be done with it. They would still easily sell 1000 of those a day, and solve a number of issues. While still adding about $100m in yearly revenue

[@StrikanNYC]

Disney will not do that, as an Express Pass type product would mean nobody would do the VIP tours. Unlike Universal where the VIP tour actually cuts all lines, the Disney VIP tour just gets you to the end of the LL entrance, so you still have to wait in line. The Disney VIP tour is basically Express Pass plus a guide to hold your stuff while you ride.

[@PaulM-jl5lw]

Brayden, you are among the most prepared and critical thinkers in this genre. You correctly point out that this is a short term gain with massive long-term damage to the parks’ reputation. People will go elsewhere.

[@skitterlad]

Most Cast members in City Hall could not answer the questions or find the website page that that had all the rules. Most of the rules are well hidden on their website and very hard to locate. If a broken ride ends up being fixed just before park closing, then you lose that reservation for the next day. Most ride have broken elements. Fountains on magic carpet ride, outside speakers not working haunted mansion, vulture broken Everest, volcano Mexico pavilion , small world exit sign and lots of paint dirty, dinosaur exit photo pass screens, the list goes on

[@plipnodragon]

Brayden for Disney CEO

[@tenorsparkes]

100% correct. This change is little more than a name change in the same "pay more for less" playbook they've been running since 2020/2021. Clearly their goal is to transition guests to buying an overpriced ticket, and also pay to ride each attraction as an additional fee.

[@BrooksHolt]

How many more spots are left for nails in the coffin at this point? Somehow they seem to keep finding more… Every year it makes it harder and harder to keep my AP active at this point

[@aldrichchan5693]

I don't think they want ap holders that much. I think their ideal guest are those who are fine spluring in the parks. So far demand is still outpacing supply.

[@toddgabweg]

Miss Fastpass… Fastpass+ was still fine, but now I have zero desire to ever return to Disney (I’m sure Disney could care less that me and my family rather spend our money on a cruise).

[@The8BitNerd]

You don’t need Lightning Lane to get a good visit. I went two weeks ago and was able to do all I wanted in the 4 parks without having to pay a penny for Lightning Lane. You just have to make sure you take advantage of park opening and catch the usually long lines while they’re low. Especially in Epcot and Animal Kingdom since they have a low amount of rides.

[@megan7792]

I think cruises may be the only way I can get my Disney fix as a disabled person!

[@Thejamescall]

@@The8BitNerdWrong. We are locals and go a few times a week. We have never seen a standby less than 45 minutes in Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios

[@deletedaccountdnd]

Who’s shocked that Disney is launching something without addressing all of the possible scenarios/issues first? This company is such a mess it’s beyond frustrating.

[@veronagentleman]

It's like the Genie Plus rollout all over again. How many upgrades did they need to address scenarios ("modify LL" option, anyone?)?

[@deletedaccountdnd]

@@veronagentleman changing one system so many times just shows you don’t know what you’re doing, especially when the original was not broken. How can they be so out of touch?

[@user-lordelrond]

I have been going to WDW since 1979. It's gone downhill! All the extra charges, increases in park passes. ridiculous food prices & reductions in food quality are not an incentive. I am a DVC member (1992) & I am grateful for that. I have not been to the parks since 2018. Not worth it. I much more enjoy resort-hopping & going to Disney Springs. Disney is not making much money off of me. Good job showing how another "improved" system is just another rip-off!!! Thanks!

[@CarouselOfHesitancy]

Brayden is firing on all cylinders lately. He's definitely on point with these takes. And he's coming at it as a true fan who wants to see the parks product great again. Keep up the great workn

[@ronwebster1114]

Make it free again. You must be in the park to use. Kiosks in multiple areas that you can get fast pass to various rides. You can only get 1 or 2 passes at a time. Keep it at as simple as possible

[@buster5661]

Simple as possible would be nice But current management seems to only care about raising margins in the short term which usually indicates when a CEO or other leadership is about to change companies and is trying to make their markings look good before they leave to make themselves look good and get a higher salary when they transfer to another company

[@sirtfs]

I hope Universal is watching, that will be where people will go.

[@dandicristina1389]

They will go when epic universe opens Disney is lame and expensive

[@oblivieon1567]

You are 100% right Brayden, LL needs to be the price of a ticket or more otherwise it just doesn't work. I can't believe Disney hasn't figured it out yet. They need to get rid of all virtual queues, LL and just have one expensive product.

[@ryanwiersema7251]

Loved the "If you hate money." Really hate the dumbing down of Disney that is happening at the executive level. The Disney Difference is now the Disney Disaster. Really appreciate the video and good to see one from you again!

[@AMagicProduction]

What happened to your Epic Universe videos? You had the best footage from the park, miss them

[@lddcavalry]

Your final comments are right on I wish you were running the parks . Unfortunately Disney no longer has anyone with a clue on how to please customers.

[@mariahsart]

Oh wow you are right! I not only have to wake up at 7am before my trip but still during my trip for the Virtual Ques! They really don't like to make the planner's lives easier.

[@happyhauntzz]

I mean you still had to do that with the old fastpass system.

[@mariahsart]

@@happyhauntzz Yeah, but I mean like, there isn't really any improvements with this update. I at least thought I could sleep in on my trip haha

[@The8BitNerd]

To be fair, it’s always been that if you want to get to the parks at opening to get the lines when they are lower, you still have to wake up at 7 or so anyways. Especially if you have early access.

[@mariahsart]

@@The8BitNerd you have a point I suppose~

[@Thejamescall]

@@happyhauntzz no you didn't

[@andy72]

We just went to Universal and Disney for the first time. Our family of 4 hated Disney and loved Universal. The number of extra charges Disney had was unreal, but felt necessary to not be completely miserable waiting in 60 minute queues for every ride. We will never be back to Disney.

[@markanderson5207]

!!!!!Disney making a huge mistake!!!!! International guest won’t be able to utilise the 7 day on site benefit as you can’t use the system outside the US!!! There are thousands upon thousands of uk guests in uproar about this and to be honest will just make their minds up about staying with Disney at all. Universal Is calling!

[@StrikanNYC]

It would be a legal and admin nightmare to set up all the local tax and compliance work for people to do this in each country. Only about 15% of WDW guests are international, so it just does not make sense for them to do this. I would not be surprised if they make it work in the UK soon, but they are not going to do much more.

[@akydo7070]

Brayden Did You Get a Chance To See Jenny Nicholson's Video On the galactic cruiser last month, she did 4 hour video breaking everything down, wow she wasnt lying when she called it a galactic Failure , it was doomed from the beginning, it shouldn't have never been opened

[@livingabundantlyalways]

We're so focused on trying to get a ride that we lose the magic of the park. I think the execs want crowds down, or if anything don't care about how many guests there are. If they upcharge on the rides - the thing everybody's there for - they make a bundle of money. So they win either way; it doesn't matter if crowds are high or crowds are low. In the 80s at its pinnacle when it was new we came a couple of times and everyone stood in the same lines. It was great. Even though there was a wait, it was bearable everyone waited together. It made the immersion experience awesome, as everyone had time to soak in the details around them. Now it's unfair to the guest. All about the bottom dollar. If guests would refuse to be taken for their worth and not pay for the "add-ons", which is what you're paying for in the first place to go to the park, Disney would have to change how they're doing things and the magic would return.

[@thencsuman]

Our family is not buying a single add-on when we go in January. We've decided we're going to relax and have an actually fun vacation. No stressing about looking at the phone all the time and just enjoying the park with the scenes, characters and ambiance. Hopefully being back that early 90's magic.

[@agon1963]

I would plan my entire vacation around rope drops, fast passes, park hopping, and planning meals with my DDP package. It was easy; I felt like I was a valued guest; I was less stressed when I arrived, and I felt I was getting my money's worth.

[@rizz917]

Your videos should be considered a national treasure.

[@jefffffff6784]

live in FL and have had an AP since 2015, once my pass expires in september I’m going to universal.. Their top tier pass including express pass after 4 pm and still being less than the sorcerer pass. Disney just doesn’t care about the person who just wants to come ride the ride once in a while

[@Mike__B]

Last trip to Disneyland was 2 years ago, the park wasn't like summer crowds or anything either but Lightning Lane made every ride that used it unbearably long wait times for standby. 5 to 10 LL going for every 1 standby, that means 83 to 91% of the rides capacity was reserved for LL payers, and that is nothing I want any part of ever again. You never saw FP gunk up lines like LL does all day long. Remember way back when Disney said the average person only gets 3 fast passes... the average LL person is getting considerably more and that effect is very obvious. And Disney's response when you complain about it? "Maybe next time you should purchase Genie plus to help save some time" Go FY Disney.

[@bethocdunwitty6641]

I watched videos of millenials demonstrating how t get FP after FP all day long. Maximizing the FREE SYSTEM

[@Mike__B]

@@bethocdunwitty6641 yet all that maximizing of the system and 83+% of the ride capacity didn't go to fastpass holders because the limit to how many were available for any particular time was considerably lower. Disney simply has allowed more LL people into a particular time slot then FP ever did because they now make money off it and feel a need to please those guests.

[@itsHeatherKay]

Lots of channels covered this topic, but I was waiting for yours Braedyn, because I knew you would make it as clear as possible! ❤

[@JWDBuildingFun]

This is like going back to the pay per ride system that they had back when the parks first opened. When amusement parks used to charge you for ride tickets but you got in for free or a very very small fee.

[@TapCat]

My wife and I have really enjoyed flying to Orlando and visiting Disney World but our last trip was a noticeable downgrade and that was at the very start of the Genie + era. It looks like the prices and complexity of these initiatives have only gone up and it's really killing my enthusiasm for going back.

[@ArtfullyGifted]

I used Fast Pass Plus 7 years ago and I never waited longer than 20 minutes for any ride. I rode pretty much everything.

[@josiemiller4610]

Excellent historical review of the fastpass/skip the line "features" at Disney. I've been looking forward to your video since the announcement was made about ANOTHER change. Thanks for all you do!!

[@AlexCollazo1970]

Instead of “Have a Magical Day”! is “Have A Confusing Expensive Time Sucker”. Why can’t they learn from Universal.?

[@mariahsart]

Not excited about them going back to almost the old system, and just making you pay for it.

[@kristenpenner5802]

“have a great vacation at the cost of a regular ticket”. Brilliant!

[@moutaim]

In my humble opinion the best option should be the same day, first come first served. Meaning I soon as you scan your magicband to enter the park, you'll be able to make the 3 first selections.

[@garonmoore6962]

You deserve a spot on the board. Great analysis.

[@30rackshawty]

Walt is rolling in his grave knowing WDW created a cast system in its parks: the haves vs the have nots.

[@pcdave1783]

I’m pretty upset that the beloved Robin Williams character was caught in the crossfire of this mess, now when people hear the word genie and see that character they’re mainly going to be reminded of this flawed system they had rather than one of the best Disney characters of all time :(

[@richardgiguere3720]

Always appreciate your insightful perspective on these changes. Keep up the great work!

[@richardnasluchacz3227]

The reduction in quality in the parks has been extremely noticeable. Simple things like no longer being able to get bread service with a salad at a sit down restaurant, longer lines to get into parking and park entrances due to less staffing, smaller portions, inability to get condiments that used to be self serve without going to a quick service counter and specifically asking for them, and less cleaning of bathrooms and emptying of trash cans. And on top of this it costs much more for food, tickets, parking, and service, with more restrictive rules, and you have to pay a lot more extra for things that were free before. They have also made it more difficult for disabled guests, making the DAS program more restrictive, making ride access more uncomfortable for the rest of the disabled guests who don’t fit the narrow definition of DAS eligible, reducing the amount of handicap parking by not adding handicap spots when they double the size of a parking structure (Pixar Pals has no handicap spots, and Disneyland tried to make up for it by placing a temporary sign for handicap only vehicle near spots that don’t meet State requirements for handicap access), telling patrons they should rent a scooter from them if they can’t comfortably stand in lines (yes, that’s what I was told), or failing to protect disabled guests from rude guests (I was shoved in the dark by a quest who was upset that I was let in line in front of him, even though I had waited just as long for my return time), and from non-handicap identified vehicles parking in handicap spots (common occurrence, never any consequences). Not to mention the extensive down times of rides and attractions due to reduced maintenance. And it’s not like my Disney stock is doing well, so these changes are not reflected in the bottom line either.

[@asheburypress882]

We sold our stock, too. None of this leads me to believe that the long term outlook exudes stability, and they have created an environment where the lows can go even lower. We made our money, and got out.

[@xzy89c]

Your handicap complaints will not find sympathy. I was tired of the abuse of the old system and sense of entitlement.

[@richardnasluchacz3227]

@@xzy89c Disneyland sent me a boilerplate email apologizing and “promising“ to share with the appropriate internal persons when I had a complaint. Yeah, nothing happened. Big surprise.

[@michaelclemens7215]

Lucky to have visited 20+ times and had some fantastic trips however since Covid been to Florida 3 times and haven’t once stepped inside the Disney Parks as it has completely lost appeal due to the price and reduction in service- it’s just not worth it

[@MattCarragher-zx2iv]

Always keeping it real bud. You do a great job at keeping us disney fans informed in our busy lives. Thanks!

[@rowminetwo9438]

Always love your detailed explanations - thank you!

[@DocsGreetingCards]

I liked the paper fast passes. Sure you had to walk a lot, but everyone was on an equal playing field. first come first served.

[@hadeees]

I think it's still better because you can plan ahead again. I want to know there are a few things my entire group can do together.

[@catalyst6313]

Don't fall for the shell game scam. 😉

[@KnobbyKnows9]

I agree, especially with larger groups, planning is necessary

[@samjack7872]

Been waiting for this video, great work as always!

[@JBarrett41]

I’m an annual pass holder but still loved planning my day. It was nice to just go to the park and not look at my phone and I could do everything with my Magic Band. The Kiosks were great and though it was hard to book one or two rides, I didn’t mind waiting in Standby. Now, I pay money, and I’m expected to pay more money for the top tier rides, and the prices change daily. It’s all so frustrating, but I get it. I just miss the paper fast passes and the FastPass Plus systems bc I felt I was getting more and I wasn’t constantly staring at my phone to plan the day.

[@ifightfortheusers]

So to sum it up.. as always, an 8 hour Disney trip is actually 1 hour because the other 7 are on your phone