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Credit: Brittany DiCologero, Inside the Magic Walt Disney World has a serious problem with its Lightning Lane system. The new Lightning Lane has only been around for a few weeks now, but guests have complained about Lightning Lane passes being gone, especially for those who cannot book in advance.
Disney World replaced the Disney Genie Plus system with the new Lightning Lane system a few months ago, but guests really want the old fast pass system back.
The fast pass system allowed guests to book up to three attractions in advance, and most importantly, it was free. But like most free things at Walt Disney World, see Magical Express and Magic Bands; it went away with Covid and the Bob Chapek era.
Despite the protests from Disney fans, the paid Lightning Lane pass system isn’t going anywhere. According to leaked documents from The Walt Disney Company data breach, Disney made almost $1 billion from guests purchasing Disney Genie Plus Lightning Lane passes last year at the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort.
However, even though the paid system isn’t going away, Disney is considering a drastic change to the Lightning Lane pass system that will increase the price even more. According to reports, Disney is considering a Universal Studios Express Pass program at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
The Universal Studios Express Pass allows guests to use a single pass once per day for each ride. It also doesn’t require guests to return during a specific window; they can use it at any point during the day for each ride.
The Express Pass system has some advantages over Disney’s Lightning Lane system. Because guests can use it at any point during the day, it offers more freedom and reduces park bouncing, jumping from one side of the theme park to the other, which guests complain about.
Another advantage is that guests don’t need an app to plan their day. It will take guests off their phones and allow them to be present in the moment.
Despite the good, there are also decided disadvantages to the Universal Express Pass. The biggest is cost.
At peak times, the Universal Express Pass can cost up to $1300 a day for a family of four with the multi-park option, as opposed to $150 for Lightning Lane passes on peak days at Disney World. The added cost of individual Lightning Lane rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is also included.
There is also the issue of bottlenecking at Express Pass lines. The Express Pass lines can back up for more popular rides, making the wait nearly as long as the stand-by line.
Like the Lightning Lane system, this system separates those who can afford to skip the line from those who can’t, making the theme park experience less democratic.
These are just rumors about changes at Walt Disney World, and The Walt Disney Company has yet to announce these changes. But it’s clear that Disney fans don’t like it, and it will cost significantly more.
What do you think of Disney World switching to an Express Pass system like Universal Orlando Resort?