Earlier this week, Walt Disney World dropped the bombshell that Lightning Lane Multi Move is changing Genie+ at Walt Disney World. This information was introduced through press launch and official web site updates, together with further supplementary info given to web sites like this one. Consequently and unsurprisingly, there have been a lot of questions–even from seasoned Walt Disney World veterans.
Our announcement already has over 200 feedback, lots of that are diehard Walt Disney World followers venting and/or grieving. Understandably. Probably the most controversial and outrage-inducing features of the brand new Lightning Lane Multi Move and Single Move system is Walt Disney World indicating that worldwide friends, categorically, wouldn’t be capable of make pre-arrival choices till arriving into the US.
That coverage wrinkle wasn’t talked about within the official announcement or web site, however it was in supplementary info–and Forged Members confirmed it to worldwide friends through chat and elsewhere. This meant that, even when worldwide friends can be staying on-site, they might not have an on-site benefit. Nicely, not less than not till arrival in the US. I’d hazard a guess that round 100 of the 200+ feedback on our put up pertained to this rule. Nicely, now we have an replace to this that’ll please lots of our associates within the Nice White North.
We spoke with a Walt Disney World consultant on the afternoon of June 28, 2024, who confirmed to us that Canadian friends could proceed to make use of the My Disney Expertise app after the launch of pre-arrival buying and planning for Lightning Lane Multi Move and Single Move, simply as they do right now for Genie, Advance Eating Reservations, and the whole lot else.
Which means Canadian friends who’re staying on-site at Walt Disney World will be capable of reserve Lightning Lane passes as much as 7 days prematurely for his or her total keep (as much as 14 days). Off-site friends from Canada will be capable of plan as much as 3 days prematurely. All of this whereas in Canada–no must drive right into a border city in the US as some readers indicated that they had been debating doing!
Please observe that this replace applies solely to Canadian friends and no different international locations. We inquired about guests from the European Union and United Kingdom–two different massive demos for Walt Disney World (and readers of this weblog)–and the corporate indicated that there aren’t any updates for different markets presently.
Additionally please observe that this isn’t hypothesis or the results of interacting with a chatbot, frontline Forged Member, and so forth. We spoke with a Walt Disney World spokesperson, who formally confirmed the entire above. (With that stated, the earlier categorical ‘rule’ excluding worldwide friends was official, too.)
The underside line is that, for all intents and functions, friends from Canada will likely be handled the identical as friends from the US relating to Lightning Lane Multi Move and Single Move insurance policies and reserving home windows. The home guidelines apply to the US and Canada, whereas the worldwide ones apply to everybody else.
As beforehand talked about, we’re persevering with to replace and increase our Lightning Lane Multi-Move at Walt Disney World FAQ primarily based on questions you ask and solutions we’re capable of get hold of from the corporate. (That’s a mixture of official insurance policies and our speculative solutions primarily based on previous precedent and expectations–it must be apparent which is which primarily based on wording.)
Lastly, right here’s the up to date reply to the FAQ query…
When can non-Canadian worldwide friends buy Lightning Lanes?
They will buy Lightning Lane passes and make choices upon arrival into the US.
As for the why of this, it’s most likely not as a result of Walt Disney World hates worldwide friends. Though it would appear that approach on this one specific concern, Walt Disney World really loves friends from outdoors the US. They’re extra of a captive viewers, have greater per visitor spending metrics, and usually do longer stays. This is the reason we routinely confer with British friends as Walt Disney World’s “whales” (non-derogatory).
It’s our understanding that this pertains to regulatory points and legal guidelines outdoors of the US (notably in Europe), and it’s simpler for Walt Disney World to ‘decide out’ of these by not providing the app than it’s complying with quite a lot of native legal guidelines. In doing extra digging, it’s additionally my understanding that this was a recognized concern and there was an answer–constructing a web-based model of the Lightning Lane Multi Move reserving engine–however Disney opted towards doing that for no matter cause.
That’s most likely an unsatisfying clarification, however it’s doubtless the explanation why. Make no mistake, we’re not justifying this determination by Walt Disney World. If I had been a global visitor–a so-called whale that Disney purports to worth–I might be furious. Completely irate.
I nonetheless suppose worldwide friends will be capable of work round this. Utilizing U.S. primarily based Approved Disney Trip Planners is one possibility. One other chance is looking Walt Disney World and making an attempt to have a Forged Member make your choices. (Actually, this is perhaps one of the best route, as greater labor prices would possibly pressure Disney’s hand to create a web-based model.)
One other conceivable possibility is utilizing a mixture and VPNs, GPS spoofers, and different know-how to side-step the rule. It’s not like Walt Disney World will care for those who do that, since they’re solely limiting entry to keep away from regulatory compliance, themselves. Or for those who vote along with your pockets and take your small business to Common since you don’t really feel valued by Disney, I don’t suppose anybody would blame you.
There’s nonetheless lots of time between now and July 24, and this has already confirmed to be essentially the most controversial coverage of the Lightning Lane passes (and for good cause!). I wouldn’t be shocked if there are extra updates or makeshift options from Walt Disney World within the coming weeks.
For these non-Canadian worldwide friends who’re nonetheless excluded from the pre-arrival Lightning Lane benefit by this coverage, you may respectfully specific your opinions as to how will influence your holidays or enterprise with Walt Disney World by electronic mail [email protected].
That is far superior to complaining in feedback, social media, boards, and so forth. (Though Disney sees all of that, too.) Slightly than beginning petitions, that are largely ineffectual, share suggestions in visitor satisfaction surveys, carry it up for those who converse with managers or others in park management, and even contact Visitor Relations.
You’ll completely get a typical kind response to your electronic mail, so don’t count on in any other case. Nevertheless, Walt Disney World management may also see the quantity of the complaints and the way it may negatively influence the underside line or visitor satisfaction amongst a profitable viewers. That could possibly be outcome-determinative in getting this coverage modified for extra than simply Canadian friends.
Simply as Genie+ developed over its first year-plus primarily based on visitor use and demand dynamics, so can also you count on Lightning Lane MultiPass and Single Move to vary all through the remainder of this 12 months and int 2025–which means that the whole lot above is topic to vary. In different phrases, the “guidelines” and the way Lightning Lanes work will proceed to evolve and we’ll replace our suggestions accordingly.
We’ll proceed to maintain you posted, as extra modifications are doubtless on the horizon. We’ll additionally proceed updating this FAQ as we study extra and we obtain extra reader questions. For now, this ought to reply a lot of the questions that readers have been asking about Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World. There have been lots of questions, so if we didn’t deal with yours, we apologize. Please put up within the feedback under and we’ll reply extra as they’re requested!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have any questions we didn’t reply with the above FAQ? Nonetheless confused by how Lightning Lane MultiPass or Single Move will work? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Different ideas or issues? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
