Pirates is now on Genie+ | How bad is it?

[@r.c.1750]

Disney has generated a problem that did not exist. We enjoyed Pirates since the line always was speedy and always moving. LL is generating a bottle neck that it did not have before. Its a shame Disney did this.

[@Scooopity]

It’s not permanent, just until Haunted or Splash opens back up.

[@untexan]

Do you just go from video to video pretending to be someone mad about Disney?

[@ohplezz]

@@Scooopityjust like reservations were not permanent either..

[@CruisinBen]

@@ScooopityIt absolutely is permanent

[@SoCalAviation744]

@@CruisinBenyou don’t know that, you’re just assuming they’ll make it permanent based off the decision made with the reservation system

[@CruisinBen]

First, anytime they put an attraction on Genie+, they intentionally only allow a small amount of LL folks. As a result, folks think the line time is unchanged. But as we’ve seen with runaway railway, months later they pack that line once people stop paying attention. So it won’t be today or tomorrow, but come summertime it will be horrendous. We also still haven’t gotten an accurate metric on how bad the line will be yet because the first day it rained, and today is sweethearts night so there are less guests today. Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be the first day where we can get an clear read on how bad it will actually be with their current LL amount allowed. Regardless, shame on them. This isn’t about wait times for them, it’s about money. Thanks so much David!

[@jimgraham6407]

I think they are going to have to take down the exterior holiday decorations on HM just because the weather will take such a toll on the appearance of the decorations if they leave them up. Will be interesting to see...

[@roberthelm87]

my first thought 100 percent also. a whole years worth of weathering through the most sun bleaching part of the year. for nothing.

[@joshsortega]

I am glad they are using previously dead space to make a new queue next to Haunted Mansion. I wish they would have a plan for other dead space, i.e. Hollywood Backlot and the Launch Bay areas.

[@RakoonCD]

I always hoped for an epcot attraction to replace that area. Cough cough *new Journey*

[@DrewLonmyPillow]

Every Tuesday is made better by a classic FreshBaked recon video.

[@eticketdream]

I concur.

[@pandora576]

I love the videos when you talk about queue lengths and time. I'm interested in what you said about the mix in points for rides on Genie+ and whether Genie+ is a good deal for particular rides. Thanks for your videos!

[@ryanb.6881]

If there’s one thing to learn from this video it’s that Pirates is such an easy ride to load on. You can stack many people in those boats super quickly and they have a BUNCH of boats! Im glad that things are going smoothly so far!

[@piewacket1178]

I disagree that Genine + is a value. It's a money-grubbing move by Disney while trying to hide the actual costs of a day by parsing it out with these extra "features". I've always loved going to the parks. I was even willing to pay the exorbitant prices to say at on property hotels for a more immersive experience. Once the Haunted Mansion is done, I've one more trip left in me. I'll pay for the "extras" but only one last time. It's no longer as fun. I don't want to have to pay extra and, more importantly, I don't want to spend the day on my phone to justify the cost of the extras. And, yes, I know I can just do standby. But as Genie + grows, so do wait times. Since I would like to do more than 3 "e ticket" rides in the day, there isn't a hella lot of choice for the non- annual passholder, non-California resident.

[@zenmaster9195]

As much as I hate Genie+, I think value is subjective. Living out of town, and only being able to go when life gives me a window, maybe 1 time every other year. I live in AZ, so it is only an 8 hour drive. But since we can only do this short 1 time visit every so often, to maximize my time there, and fit as much as we can in, including parades, fireworks, blah blah blah, my time kind of has a monetary value at this point. Is my time worth $30 a day? Yeah, kinda. Did it always? Nope. Do I hate that it's come to this? 1,000%. It's super annoying, but whatever. Now Disney World...that's a different story. It is definitely worth it there. I went this last October, and we swept the parks of pretty much everything because of Genie+. I feel like it's a better value over there.

[@lamartya.4042]

I can't agree with you more

[@xCaLLMeGHeTTo]

You have no idea what you're talking about lol. Genie+ is an incredible deal for the family that can only do a Disneyland trip every few years or so. You're telling me you wouldn't pay for Genie+ if you went to one of the China parks? To Tokyo? Don't let yourself be so blind with hatred that you start to lose sense.

[@doctordunc]

Something like it has existed for quite a long time though hasn't it? As someone who lives thousands of miles away, I wouldn't come if there wasn't something like Geni+ (or Max Pass that was there before) because of the risk I might travel thousands of miles and spend thousands of pounds to spend 3 days queuing.

[@GreyM900]

@@xCaLLMeGHeTTobut it’s also not incredible. I’d rather have the free fast passes that any family could enjoy then Disney being greedy.

[@paulcorso]

Believe me David, this is not just for you, this is the exact kind of nerd content I live for.

[@gertyglockenschpitle7711]

I don't like Genie+ but i REALLY don't like sitting still and watching them wave 50 people through the LL. Makes me angry every time

[@HeyItsTim]

Even without the lightning lane being added, it seems like theres more people on the planet post Covid. That line was never that long where it weapped all the way towards HM.

[@andrewdorville1689]

I suspect its too early to see what the LL will really be like at POTC, however 20 mins in Standby seems great and not worth buying Genie+. I was on vacation at Disneyland when Genie+/LL rolled out. I did just about every ride in the park and never purchased Genie+. It can be done and I was glad to save the money and not be on my phone. It was a good vacation :)

[@tonymoisan4227]

Way to go David!! You operations posts are fantastic. I enjoy the mix of vibe and operations posts. You are one of the very few in the industry that does this kind of work.

[@porkins74]

Hopefully we'll get an updated Google Earth over Disneyland in a few months so we can check out the HM queue.

[@kentslocum]

The trees will make it difficult to check on the progress of Magnolia Park, unless some are removed.

[@clintkelson5829]

I enjoyed your commentary Dave, made me laugh as you questioned it that it’s a “me thing” but that’s why we all watch. The comment about switch backs and them keeping people under cover being thoughtful was great.

[@adv.withjerryandadrianna]

Personally I find this to be very interesting all the little details you point out in how the queue moves especially living on the opposite coast of Disneyland so can't wait to see more recon videos for ride queues

[@tracethomas7946]

Thank you, David, for my daily moment of Disneyland. I look forward to it every day, both as a moment of calm as well as looking forward to seeing changes that each day brings. Kudos and cheers!

[@tkravens2592]

I wonder if it was busier at pirates due to the rain and outdoor attractions being closed along with mansion being down?

[@shellyschooler]

I enjoy all the recon and appreciate you braving the rain to do so.

[@adidas4275]

as someone who visits the parks 2-3 times a year we love Genie+, but it everytime and are grateful that it exists. We are able to go for 2 days 2-3 times a year and get on every ride we want throughout the day with the help of Genie+ and no need to comeback or stay for 3-4 days to do both parks. I know for regulars who can do 5-10 or more times a year it is not ideal but from someone who lives a couple hours away we get far more value out of our trips with it

[@davidbreakspear8776]

I don't understand why anyone would want to go to the same park or attraction more than once a year, unless there had been an update or something new to try. Annual passes are to blame for a lot of the excessive queue times, the same people making multiple visits when there is nothing new to see makes it more difficult for those one time only guests to get to do just a fraction of the attractions in the parks.

[@GreyM900]

@@davidbreakspear8776I mean cause it’s fun? If you got the money and you wanna go you go.

[@LeftCoastDrones]

@@davidbreakspear8776 1) If Disney didn't love the money that comes from annual pass holders, they wouldn't do it. 2) Annual pass holders go multiple times a year, buy tons of merch, go to the parks specifically for new food and buy tons of drinks. 3) Lots of people love to go to Disneyland even if it's the same, but it's always changing.

[@maisler1]

I’m making sure to leave a like and a comment because the line recon videos are great. And I’m sure most of the fresher baked community loves it as well

[@peterwhatmore2448]

That’s some dedication in that weather! ☔️🌧️

[@Leon-rh1pk]

I will hope they take down the decorations. To have them out in the elements will cause damage. To have the mansion as its base self during renovations will be a nice ambiance to admire.

[@pyrho1]

Pretty soon the lightning lane queue will be longer than the stand by

[@kellydooling]

great test/analysis! thanks for keeping us all posted on these changes issues at dl. btw, the lighting is amazing in your video due to the rain and overcast sky. 😄

[@kementari]

Please come back and check this out again next week, on a day when the weather is good! We were there on Monday too (sorry if I surprised you at the entrance, I was just so excited!) and the effect of the rain was so noticeable. I would bet anything that it’s a different (maybe not better or worse, but more representative) story on a sunny day. Especially on a ride like Pirates where there’s already a wet step down and loading challenges for anyone unsteady (mobility issues, little kids, elders) the addition of rain feels like it would really change the dynamic.

[@donrumpsickle1992]

I’m going later this year, hope the standby queue hasn’t been completely tanked by then

[@adam_franklin]

Can you do a follow up on a nicer day? I'm curious if the crowd levels were low.

[@Daniel2131-z4h]

I would not be surprised if Lighting Lane in Pirates of The Caribbean stays permanent like at Disney World Version .

[@kittykaleidoscope434]

You said it all @FreshBaked! "Depending on what kind of guest you are.It's not for me"! 😆

[@tjpowers88]

18:21 I still like the Blue Bayou, such a good restaurant to have a meal at. Make a reservation early in the afternoon and come back for dinner.

[@artlisticlove]

I was here this day, thanks for all the help upcoming to my trip! Subscribing!

[@zombie8124]

Even though Disney has said that genie+ on pirates was going to be temporary, if it is this successful then I think it stays forever. Pirates has the benefit of having two loading zones that send two boats at a time. Rides like Indy that has two loading zones don’t send both vehicles at once but rather switch back and forth. This slows down the pace and for pirates they don’t suffer from that. Pirates also has as large boats to handle a lot of guests at once. This also speeds up the process of cycling guests quickly. Finally pirates also has a large amount of boats flowing on the ride to handle large amounts of guests, again to cycle the guests quickly. All of these attributes makes pirates one of the most efficient rides without lightning lane. When you add lightning lane to the mix, where another ride might suffer drone lightning lane, pirates can handle it smoothly. This means that when lightning lane is small they don’t have to stop the queue from continuing to move which is huge. When the lightning lane is large the stop the queue and cycle through most of the lightning lane guests quickly and then reopen regular queue fast. Like you said not all lightning lane queues are equal and for pirates I feel they have a winner for this.

[@JeanetteBarnard-st9uy]

Thanks for looking into the things that can happen with Genie +. Hope you have a great day

[@michaelmadsen1222]

I feel like they are wasting a lot of that "interior" queue (the area after you go under the bridge). That is making the standby queue stick out more than it needs to. They should be able to figure out a better configuration so standby can take up more of that "interior" section.

[@Riverwhomper]

David please try and see if the lightning lane scanner is bolted to the ground and hard wired or is it a free standing battery apperated. If it's bolted it would suggest that lightning lane is permanent and will not be removed ever. Thanks.

[@guinealove.986]

I think it’s likely to destroy standby on a busy day. That being said, I kind of understand why they did it. But I hope they undo it once a haunted mansion is back open. If they don’t undo it, that will be shitty of Disney.

[@disneymagicfanatic]

I'll admit, these are much better results than I expected! I thought it was going to be a logistics nightmare like it was when they tried to add Fastpass to Pirates years ago (at least, that's what I remember...maybe I'm misremembering that particular experiment?). I'm glad I was wrong! :) Thanks for the coverage and analysis. It's always helpful and enjoyable!

[@3drage]

And Disney adds another high pitched voice repeating the same phrase over and over again calling people friends. So much magic.

[@debbie4285]

I wish Disney would just hike the ticket price by $20 and get rid of Genie +. It was nice right after the pandemic when everything was just standby. It seemed like everything went so much faster.

[@Metal_Head_Mark]

Aren't the guests who go during the week predominantly magic key holders? And I don't think Magic keyholders biy Genie+ as much as single day ticket purchasers. Maybe you should try this during the weekend when there's more single day ticket holders who are more apt to buying Genie+. Just a thought.

[@GTNover]

The only problem is the cost if LL is too little per person. It should be $99 per person. This will make very few people purchase it, likely families visiting from out of state who need to pack all the rides in a few days. It won't add much to standby because not as many people will get it, which will also make LL lines close to walk ons instead of just faster lines.

[@HeyItsTim]

Thats a good point. Make it more expensive, and less desirable.

[@GTNover]

@HeyItsTim The idea is just the standard of the industry. That's how Express pass works for Universal, and the same for Knotts, Six Flags, Cedar Point, etc. It works really well because the price makes it less disreable for most people, but the ones willing to pay get a massive reward. The way it works now is most people buy it and it just becomes an added ticket price.

[@HeyItsTim]

Yes. Last time I went on the SoCal 3 ticket special deal and I bought the G+ because it made sense.

[@winterhotfoot1958]

It isn't a price raise that's needed, but a purchase cap and the reduction of the LL returns allocated per hour that will allow. Genie+ *can* sell out already, but at the moment the number of people allowed to purchase it is just too high. A price raise alone won't allow them to reduce the LL return times allocated, since they will have to allocate enough to cover the potential sales. Less Genie+ usage from just a high price point would reduce average wait times, but would still allow for the surges that make the LL queue long and bring the Standby queue to a standstill. They broke FastPass+ in Florida because they just kept adding more FastPass+ slots until the FP+ queues stopped meeting the "under 15 minute wait time, usually around 5 minutes" design the system was built for. When they introduced Genie+ it was based on Florida's system with the expectation that each user would get an average of 3 return times per day and it was priced low to encourage more revenue. There were complaints that it was unusable by many purchasers due to all of the selections being gone before noon, so they repeated the Fastpass+ mistake and just cranked up the number of LL returns per hour. This flood of LL returns is what is making the lines longer, not simply the number of people buying into the system, but they can't reduce the number of return times per hour without capping the number of people who are allowed to buy into the system, no matter what the price is. Cut the max number sold down to 1/3, cut the number of LL return times per hour down to 1/3 and triple the price of the service to make up for it. I'm pretty sure you only need to cut the LL returns in half, but if you only double the Genie+ cost, there will be far too many people willing to buy it than the cap and there will be a lot of demands that they sell more of it and that will bring back the same problems.

[@GTNover]

@winterhotfoot1958 A price raise will control the number of people who buy it. Make it $1,000 and no one buys it. Make it $30 and everyone buys it. And then there is a sweet spot (and the industry has already figured out this is around $100) that the correct number of people buy. If you've taken economics, you know that setting limits on products or items is far less effective than raising its price. This is largely because when it remains cheap, it goes to the wrong people. When it's $30 locals are willing to pay to skip the line for rides they've ridden hundreds of times, taking a genie+ away from an out of state guest. If it were the $100 standard the local wouldn't find it worth it, but the out of state guest would. I think everyone's seen the FastPass video and understands the amount of rides has an effect. But obviously the number of people who can join does as well, and going from a free FastPass to a $100 LL pass will drastically limit the # of people. There's proof better than videos because we have real life examples at other parks.

[@vickiwittmeyer4438]

I Give You ALOT OF CREDIT DOING THIS IN THAT RAIN!!!!!!!! THANK YOU ......

[@ainsleyperry5192]

FreshBaked. David, Thank you for going above and beyond for us all. On a wet day like this the rest of us are in the pub. At the start of the Pirate's ride where have all the fireflies gone and will they ever come back? Cheers, Chris Perry.

[@joederrico]

Thank you for doing this. I actually enjoyed the walk through and timed it out.

[@marcmooney9293]

I always chuckle watching everyone with slickers and umbrellas..lol not hating but I live in Washington state so if it rains while I'm there I'm still walking around in shorts and a t shirt. At the most short and hoodie. I had a blast one day in the rain there once! Thanks for the pirates update!

[@jonahlevy674]

Guy at 25:47 delivering absolutely one of the greatest "fresh baked!"'s ever heard.

[@hapa442100]

I’m just amazed at the amount of people there on a work/school Monday 😮

[@Joel-hx8zi]

No weather stops fresh-baked

[@ashleyholcomb7875]

They should turn Peter Pan, Rise and Radiator Springs Racers into a virtual queue option and get rid of ILL

[@jamiecameron-harley5001]

Love your line analysis! Always helpful.

[@ItsameBS]

Let’s see the difference during Spring Break.

[@bwheeler03]

Was at the park on Saturday, so right before LL. Rode Pirates twice, and both times the line just didn't stop. Went right through. Man I wish that if Disney wanted more money, thta ticket prices would just increase by $15 and Genie plus would disappear 😂😂😂

[@vikidominguez3108]

Before they officially, even temporarily while mansion is down, they used this ride as an option for when your LL gets cancelled due to a ride closure. I’ve used this option on Pirates, just to use it or lose it. Yes I used it even if the stand by said 15 mins. Because by then, I’m exhausted and this is my last ride before I go. I’ve used the new LL on Friday, to gauge how long it would take. LL was basically just the left side. Load times looks the same. Left lane( front boat) right lane ( back boat). LL was about 5-8 mins and stand by was around 15-20 mins. At the time of day I went. Will be interesting to see how this goes in the summer. I come to the park alone, so an occasional splurge on LL for the day, is doable for me.

[@parkerpowers2841]

Thanks for doing this recon. I promise this video was not just for you😂 great video. Fresh Baked!!

[@leighims]

Thanks for doing the comparison wait times. Very interesting.

[@isntyournamebacon]

Pirates was easily my fave ride as a kid. Back in the mid 80's to early 90's. I had to ride on it several times each trip. Showed up one time right at open like the day after xmas or the 4th of july. we went to pirates first and It was just me and my dad and these two BIG guys. Not talking fat. These guys where BIG like... sumo wrestler big. The cast member loading us was like... "pssst come here... wana try something fun?" He told us to ride once with the big guys at the front. Then go back around and ride with them at the back. Only 4 people on the ride. Big doods where game. They got drenched! BAHAHAH. Good times.! :D When the ride would go over the hill to the drops it made the boat ... not unbalanced, but less balanced then it normally would front to back. and when it hit the bottom it would hit different. I dont know exactly this was 30+years ago and i was like ...9. I just know the guys got wet and had a great time. The person watching the Cameras was laughing. She knew whats up. :D You know when your on a regular roller coaster and your in the front and you kinda ... hang waiting for the back cars to go over. Or if your at the back and you get pulled? It was like that.

[@isntyournamebacon]

I remember having been on the ride so many times as a kid i did some odd things some times. Like looking back to see what it looked like. They set the rides up with the expectation you will look where they want you to look. Looking back you can see stuff like walkways next to the water and big EXIT signs. Good to know in earthquake prone CA that you could get out. I remember worrying about that as a kid. Thinking if the power went out, the water would drain to the lowest point and ya would have to swim out. LOL

[@Cockerham]

To me it is so painful to watch that FastPass/Standby mixing point. I never want to see 20 or even 40 people cruise past me in line. It breaks a social contract.

[@WindowtotheMagic]

Isn’t a contract between two or more parties? If you want the contract but those in the lightning lane don’t… then there is no contract to break.

[@Cockerham]

@@WindowtotheMagic yes! But social contracts are a bit different. Social contracts typically involve citizens agreeing to follow the rules of government in exchange for protection. The agreement can also involve citizens consenting to give up some of their freedoms in exchange for protection of their remaining rights. The social contract in Disneyland is agreeing to stand in line and wait your turn for a ride, instead of pushing, jumping ropes, go backward up the exits and cutting in line to ride first.

[@SoCalSeaChaser]

It’s obvious the lighting lane slowed it down prior to your 3rd line. But the problem was cast member that stepped in, (sorry to describe her like this) after the heavier cast member lady left. The new cast member lady was letting in only 2 or 3 people from the stand by lane in, compared to 25 to 30 people in from the lighting lane, causing the back up. That was probably 90 people from the lighting lane versus 6 or 9 from the stand by. The other lady did a better job at cycling people in from the stand by and lighting lane, keeping both lanes flowing. Disney needs to recognize that heavier lady for doing an awesome job of cycling guest in and keeping both lanes moving.

[@winterhotfoot1958]

According to reports, they've carried over the old FastPass ratios for guests, which starts at 4 LL:1 Standby (or all Standby once the LL queue is cleared) and jumps up to 10:1 when the LL queue gets too long, ramping up to 100:1 when it gets really bad. The 40 LL in the first trip in the video was likely followed by 10 Standby guests, but the bit you're talking about was running at the 10:1 mix ratio. It's possible that each CM was specifically directed to run a different ratio, so it's hard to be sure it was a matter of whether they were doing a better or worse job or if management was testing the effect the ratios had on live queues. Pirates, being one of the highest throughput rides in the parks can recover quickly from queue build-up, but if they give Genie+ too many LL queue slots per hour (assuming they are all selected) they risk having Pirates interfere with non-queue guest traffic near-permanently from one or both queues extending too far and not being reduced fast enough. They need to test and practice with managing the queues now when there's less visitors so that it doesn't become a massive problem April through August when the pre-LL queues already tended to get in the way.

[@SoCalSeaChaser]

That makes sense and hopefully they do find that happy medium as this is a fun family ride where the line moves quickly. During this past Halloween time my daughter and I rode Pirates twice during our visit, with wait times of 40 and 50 minutes. I can’t imagine what Pirates stand by will be when Disney gets into their peak season while using LL for Pirates, I’m guessing at least an average wait time of 2+ hours for stand by once people get word the Mansion is closed. Hopefully by the time the Mansion reopens along with other attractions, Genie + sales will dwindle from Pirates and they remove it, which I’m sure if that does happen, it won’t happen till mid January 2025. Looking forward to his future videos this year to see what happens.

[@sierradelgado2571]

I’m so excited! We go at the end of March, have almost all the money saved, just need to buy tickets! Is LL worth it? We are debating on it

[@SilverStarGazer]

I’ve always thought the wait time began at the point of the wait time sign, not the end (or beginning more accurately) of the line 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@doctordunc]

That looked fine. Of course, more people might want to use a lightning lane when stand-by is longer, so you might find a bigger impact when it's 40/50 minutes than when it's 20, but the hope might be that it doesn't get there that often, if there's a steady stream of lightning lane and standby. 3pm on a busy holiday would be the time to check, I guess.

[@Jaisonawsome]

too bad they couldn't shoehorn in an LL entrance to the right of the main doors next to the gumbo spot, opening up more stand-by queue space in the main courtyard not to mention the super long single switchback to left side of the building that's just sitting completely unused now, that is all such a waste, meanwhile the standby is going to be constantly decimating the Fantasmic viewing area's the whole day instead of being more contained inside the queue proper, losing that side of the building real estate is pretty bad for traffic all around, poor execution if you ask me... but that's been the spirit of Disney's every move since coming out of lockdowns

[@lamartya.4042]

15:50.... David, No you are not doing this just for you! If anything for those of us who regularly talk to ourselves, you are making us feel better about ourselves. Also it is informative for us to know what to expect...... One other thing though. You need to do this again next week or so, when the cast members have a better idea on how to mix the two lines.... and also do this when it's not raining. If I don't miss my guess, yes the crowds might be coming to Pirates to get out of the rain, even if they have to stand/wait in the rain, as the attraction is out of the rain, where the other popular attractions (Thunder Mountain, Matterhorn, etc) are in the rain in addition to waiting in the rain. Thanks David for braving the elements for us, and this report, and talking to us instead of yourself! I will leave my comments about the HM walls and the Railroad for your next appropriate video.

[@jennamahaffy9553]

I need a Puddles of Disneyland channel lol😂 thank you David for the puddles😅

[@chericrabbypelley]

Construction sucks, but is *usually* worth it in the end. If i were someone who gets to go only once a year or so, I'd wait until this autumn or hit up Florida. I will go regardless though 😅

[@jasonwilliams5164]

Two points (both of which Dave made but the average casual viewer may not sit through 33 minutes to hear) - (1) Disney is still “calibrating.” Regardless of potential ‘corporate skewing’, Disney has some of the best decision science professionals working for them, and they will figure this out. (2) Dave’s “experiment” was conducted on a rainy day. SoCal residents don’t like rain, Pirates is a good 15min excuse to get out of the rain - plus Haunted Mansion (another good 10+ min excuse to get out of the elements) is closed - makes this a less than an ‘objective experiment.’ More to come on future “Fresh Baked” videos, which I will gladly watch 😊

[@kentslocum]

I think the reason why Pirates is so busy is because both Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain are down next door. 😢

[@alextirrellRI]

It's funny, because I think I've only been on Pirates once there (in 2019) and seem to remember absolutely roasting in that queue for a long time for some reason. When I entered the queue it was short, just under the bridge but I remember weaving through that lower section and moving very slowly. I don't know it went down while I was waiting, or if they had a buildup of boats or something?

[@zenmaster9195]

I bet they at least take exterior Haunted Mansion decorations down for the year. I feel like it would be kind of a weird thing to have holiday up in, for example June. Not that the ride is open, it's just weird. And that's not really their style to have mismatched decor out in the park. They won't even let Darth Vadar step foot in Batu because of a storyline conflict, so I can't imagine they'll keep the outside of Haunted Mansion holiday up. They aren't ones to sacrifice appearance for the sake of saving time in the future. If it was me in charge, I'd say take the outside down. Idk, that's my opinion.

[@ohplezz]

They are not taking them down.

[@zenmaster9195]

@@ohplezz BTW...They took it all down.

[@deedeewilliamson4162]

Pirates is a great choice in the rain

[@teresacarosella7624]

I went on Tuesday the 23rd. I did not use genie+. The app listed a 30 minute wait. I was boarding my boat in 22 minutes. I did not use genie + all day and my longest wait was rise and mickey and Minnie's railroad, and rise was only 50 minutes so I would say try to avoid genie+ if you can

[@philipsamuelsen7904]

Dave, I'm an engineer so I nerd out on all your really time analysis. 😀

[@solarwhale]

Obviously we need a larger sample size and preferably a weekend with more tours and things. But I think this experiment shows that higher capacity rides do much better with LL.

[@saraharrop1093]

With Pirates now having LL, would this become a rope drop ride for you? I watched your rope drop video and you did Space, Matterhorn, Thunder, Indie then Haunted mansion. Obviously Haunted is down for a while now, so would you recommend to do Pirates after Thunder now? Or maybe after Indie?

[@lcflngn]

As now non-AP out of towners (and very long time expert FP finaglers!) we have used quite a lot of Genie+ since it started. This is interesting though. Might not bother to use up an LL on Pirates, doesn’t seem worth it so far. Rather hold’em for other rides. What’s 5 minutes? Wait til night, walk on standby as per usual. But looking forward to more recon as time goes on. Altogether fascinating David! You’re not the only one interested in the details, by far 😉 Meantime stay warm & dry, ❤️ to you & all your fam.

[@juliocortes03]

I wonder what the difference would be on a regular sunny day. Will do you another video on a sunny day?

[@mikelbusby6473]

Pirates line could be long, but always moved quickly. By removing one lane for genie +, they have definitely drafted a problem they didn’t have before. What were they thinking? I get that money is important to be able to run the park, but now it just seems greedy and makes almost a class system of those who can afford genie+ and those with large families who cannot. Walt never thought it was about the money, but quality entertainment for families. Too bad

[@dromero234]

Is this LL permanent for PIRATES since Mansion and Splash are Genie+ and under refurbishment? This ride never needs a LL as the queue has always been quick.

[@beachyag6463]

The thumbnail 😂

[@sirbossk]

A rainy Monday in January doesn't seem like the best conditions to really get a sense of how bad this will be. We'll have to watch how this does on weekends and during the Summer. Really shitty move of them to do this if you ask me, and I lament the encroachment of Lightning Lane on one of the last E-tickets spared from it. Thanks for the recon though.

[@deedeewilliamson4162]

The only reason I find myself frustrated with genie plus value is I remember when it was called fast pass and free. 😢

[@eticketdream]

It makes me sad to see too. You know Disney really needs some kind of task group where they hire you David. No one and I mean no one can give them the info you could. I just love this show I want to know all the things!!! Love to you and the family

[@devinnwilliams715]

I have a 5 year old. Genie+ is def worth it and the only way to go. He can’t stand in lines longer then 30 min

[@SailorDisco]

Don’t stop doing queue investigations. You’re not the only who is interested!

[@Dolcevita_bakes]

So Dave I don’t know if you’ll see this or not but what happens now to this disabled people people with the DAS pass they used to go to the exit. That’s where you would get on if you were walking with a cane or if you were in a scooter or if you’re in a wheelchair I always went off that way through the exit so we didn’t have to zigzag our way into through the queue. It’s a lot easier for disabled people just to walk up to the exit as long as you have a return pass, so what happens now do they force people were disable to now walk through the lightning Lane.?

[@PhilDonaldson]

So cool how people recognize you and yell out the name the way you say it. 👍🏾

[@lindamemo5224]

Did you read the ktla article on Disneyland forward plans up for votes in March and May.

[@PhoenixVic21]

3:02 thank you for your dedication! There is always a choice. But you love Disneyland even on a rainy day ❤ 5:31 interesting! I'm really curious to see that space come together, hopefully keeping all the trees, for what used to be the fountain and how that will affect the train station. 9:09 posted 20, went up to 30, but got to the boat in 26...not bad honestly 15:48 it is not just you, Dave. I love watching you analyze the cue for rides!

[@zzz6valvoline]

Queue theory is really interesting. Have you ever looked at it from a transportation engineering perspective?

[@2ndRodeo_Keziah]

For me POTC is a ride that I will try to do each time. But it is not one I would HAVE to do; aka I would not pay extra. It’s not a new ride. I’ve done it SO many times. And it’s always easy to do at certain times of the day/night, for those in the know. For the period when HM and Tiana’s Adv are closed, I guess it makes sense. But I think they’ll eventually figure out that it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Hopefully! 🤞 😂

[@Whynotenjoyyourself]

I kinda think they will need to take the mansion decorations down, If not they will just get faded and look rough like that one neighbor who leaves the christmas decorations up year round? Cant wait we will be in the park in a few weeks!!! well just for the weekend. Hope the rain lets up???? Keep up the great videos, JEFF

[@newworldastrology1102]

Great thumbnail!

[@pamelaoldham1298]

Always entertaining.

[@eddieg6436]

…..Seattle weather at Disneyland…..HILARIOUS!!! 😂😂😂

[@derrikwright2712]

Do you think they're going to take it back off LL when Haunted Mansion comes back and Tiana opens?

[@robertjones1729]

Aloha Dave..well I hope they remember to remove the Gingerbread house at least...that could be a mess..

[@marcuscheng2507]

The line seems to move fast. Why would they make it a Lightning Lane?

[@Todolegoman]

Great video. Felt like I was there

[@Chantilly_Lace]

As much as I like this as a test, I think the biggest issue may not be the time it takes to get on the ride so much as the way it affects bottlenecking in the area. The bridge and waterfront near pirates are usually super congested and bottlenecked. This has essentually taken the line out of the courtyard and into already congested area. It made no sense seeing all that empty space in the courtyard when half the bridge was eaten up. I'm not the biggest fan of genie+ but thos would have been far more acceptable if they only used the final switchback to the ramp out of the courtyard and used the rest of the space for stand-by to pull it off the bridge.