
Before Covid, going on a Walt Disney World Resort vacation seemed so much simpler. Disney World had a number of conveniences in place that helped guests simplify their experience, and sadly, most of those are now gone.
When you exited the plane, you went downstairs at MCO and jumped on Disney’s Magical Express. You didn’t need to worry about your luggage because you knew it would magically end up in your room.
Then, you would head to your favorite Disney World theme park, where you knew you already had fast passes for your three favorite rides and that later in the day, you’d be able to book another ride.
But sadly, all that has gone away. No matter how much Disney fans complain, the Magical Express is not returning.
The old fast pass system has been replaced by the Disney Genie Plus Lightning Lane passes, which you pay for daily to access.
Perhaps the most irritating part is that a Disney vacation has lost some simplicity. Whenever you walk around a Disney World park, you will see guests strapped to their phones, trying to find their next Lightning Lane.
The way we’ve all just accepted that this is a normal part of being on a Disney vacation is insane to me. https://t.co/OvrdqaWMKh
— Chris Wakefield (@wakefieldreport) May 10, 2024
Disney guests have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to complain about the most irritating part of getting a Disney Genie Lighting Lane pass: waking up at 7 while on vacation to ensure you get the individual Lightning Lane pass you want for the day.
One guest wrote:
The way we’ve all just accepted that this is a normal part of being on a Disney vacation is insane to me.
Despite guests’ complaints, they really don’t have any other choice. If you want to ride, say, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you can get there at rope drop and still wait 30 minutes or wait 90 minutes at some point during the ride.
Your only other option is to purchase an individual Lightning Lane pass for an additional fee and skip the line.
It’s either this or lose your entire vacation waiting for 4 hours for an extremely popular ride. I’ve had to wait about 45-60 minutes in line after my boarding group was called too. When FOP opened my family & I waited for 5 hours for it & missed a lot of DAK.
— 💖 Fairy Gothmother 🟧 (@arsenic_delight) May 10, 2024
Most guests who took to X to complain about the Disney Genie Service were upset by the entire process: the lack of sleep on vacation, the price, and the uncertainty of getting on your favorite Disney ride.
Disney still does offer early theme park entry for guests staying at a Disney World Resort, but that time has been cut from one hour to 30 minutes, so most guests can only get on one or two rides, assuming they arrive precisely when the park opens.
However, at most parks, only certain rides are available during the early theme park entry times. For example, at Magic Kingdom, only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open.
I worked for the mouse for FIVE years and in those five years I watched prices on EVERYTHING more than double, I saw the fast passes go away for a PAID system. It feels so jaded to go now. I feel so bad for people that can only go once and can’t even experience half of it 🙁
— Keuppy (@Keuppy1) May 11, 2024
Guests have complained about Disney Genie Lightning Lane and early entry park hours since they first appeared in 2021. Disney promised that they would be addressing the issues this year, but so far, nothing has come of it.
So, despite guests’ complaints and anger, they will still have to use the My Disney Experience app at 7 to make their lightning lane selection.
No matter how “insane” guests think it is, Disney has left us no other choice—at least for now.
What would you like to see instead of the current Lightning Lane system?
This post ‘This Is Insane’ Guests Are Begging for a Change to the Most Irritating Part of a Disney World Vacation appeared first on Inside the Magic.