Since Genie+ changed free FastPass at Walt Disney World, we’ve acquired questions asking about comparisons between Lighting Lanes and Express Pass at Universal Studios Florida & Islands of Adventure. In brief, each line-skipping providers provide decrease wait occasions, however with completely different tradeoffs. This article covers Lighting Lane v. Express Pass: advantages & downsides, execs & cons, so you possibly can decide if both or each are price shopping for.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals. Genie+ is a service at Walt Disney World that you would be able to buy within the My Disney Experience app that will provide you with precedence entry through the Lightning Lane at quite a lot of points of interest, like Space Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, Slinky Dog Dash, Frozen Ever After, Tower of Terror, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and about 3-dozen different rides. In whole, Genie+ presents line-skipping entry to over 40 points of interest.
Genie+ is basically a digital model of paper FastPass, which was used previous to FastPass+ at Walt Disney World. Except as an alternative of strolling across the park to acquire paper slips with day-of return occasions, you do this through your cellphone. Using Genie Plus, you possibly can ebook next-available return occasions to the bodily Lightning Lane entrances at choose points of interest. There’s much more to it than that, as coated in our breakdown of the fundamentals of Disney Genie.
Universal’s Express Pass is a line-skipping choice at standard rides in Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure that guarantees to chop wait occasions in half. You current the go at taking part points of interest and enter a separate ‘fast lane’ (sound acquainted?) with a shorter wait time at every attraction.
Logistically, redeeming Express Pass is sort of just like coming into the bodily Lightning Lanes (or prior FastPass queues) at Walt Disney World. It’s what you do earlier than coming into every bodily queue that varies significantly between the Universal Orlando and WDW choices.
Before we get right down to brass tacks of the comparability, listed here are the eligible Express Pass points of interest in every park at Universal Orlando Resort:
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA
- The Bourne Stuntacular
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- E.T. Adventure
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
- Hogwarts Express
- Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl
- Men in Black Alien Attack
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Revenge of the Mummy
- The Simpsons Ride
- Transformers: The Ride-3D
- Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster
ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
- Caro-Seuss-el
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- The High within the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
- Hogwarts Express
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
- Jurassic Park River Adventure
- Poseidon’s Fury
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- Storm Force Accelatron
These are the excessive profile points of interest with the longest wait occasions on common in every park, with two vital exceptions. Both of the 2 latest and hottest curler coasters, Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in Wizarding World of Harry Potter, should not eligible for Express Pass.
Express Pass is accessible as a ticket add-on or with choose resort stays. You should purchase two sorts of Express Pass, common or limitless. The common model means that you can skip the road as soon as per eligible attraction in both park. Universal Express Unlimited presents line-skipping privileges, because the title suggests, an infinite variety of occasions per attraction.
Unlimited Express Pass is accessible on the Premier Hotels, that are Universal’s highest-tier resorts. Guests who keep at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, and Portofino Bay all obtain Unlimited Express Pass included with their keep at no extra cost (together with check-in and checkout days).
We hesitate to name Unlimited Express Pass that comes with resort stays “free” because it’s arguably priced into the nightly price. However, we’ve had some stays that actually price lower than Express Pass would’ve when paying out of pocket, so maybe free is apt!
As a normal matter, all three of those accommodations are good and on par with Walt Disney World’s Deluxe Resorts. They additionally typically price lower than they’re Disney counterparts. If your price range permits for it, we’d extremely advocate one among Universal’s Premier Hotels in order for you the Unlimited Express Pass perk or location close to the parks or a cool luxury-caliber themed resort. If you’d be staying at a pleasant resort anyway, this trio is undoubtedly worthy of your consideration. See our opinions for images, video, and complete ideas:
When included as a part of a Premier Hotel keep at Universal Orlando, Unlimited Express Pass completely trounces Genie+ at Walt Disney World. There is not any comparability. It wins fingers down in each class, together with price.
If you aren’t doing a resort keep, you’ll should pay for normal Express Pass or Unlimited Express Pass out-of-pocket. This adjustments the calculus significantly, because the out-of-pocket price of normal Express Pass begins at $79.99 per particular person plus tax. However, that could be very a lot the low-season beginning price. Most dates price extra, particularly weekends, holidays, and college breaks.
We’d estimate that the typical price for the rest of this yr is $99.99. Looking ahead to 2023, that seems to be the brand new beginning value, with the typical being $129.99 (subsequent summer season is presently even greater, with most dates costing $189.99 to $209.99). Currently, peak season dates for normal Express Pass prime out at $249.99.
Then there’s Unlimited Universal Express Pass. For the rest of this yr, Unlimited Express Pass ranges from $109.99 to $279.99. Looking ahead to 2023, costs are even greater, with $149.99 showing to be the typical and summer season dates largely beginning above $200 and approaching $250 many dates.
In brief, a household of 4 can anticipate to pay wherever from round $400 for the fundamental one-time use Express Pass to over $1,000 throughout peak season for Unlimited Express Pass. To put that into perspective, we’ve routinely booked stays at Portofino Bay, Royal Pacific, or Hard Rock Hotel for below $300 per evening. (Granted, most of our stays are within the low season and with Annual Passholder reductions, however nonetheless. You can routinely ebook one of many 3 for $400 or much less!)
Turning again to the Genie+ service at Walt Disney World, which now makes use of date-based pricing versus its earlier flat-rate charge. While this new variable-pricing scheme continues to be in its infancy, Walt Disney World has indicated that Genie+ costs will vary from $15 to $22 plus tax for now. That’s merely instance pricing, and no particulars have been offered concerning the minimal or most over the course of the yr.
It’s secure to imagine that Genie+ pricing will roughly monitor with date-based ticket pricing. That implies that this Thanksgiving and Christmas when day ticket costs max out at $159, the price of Genie+ must be round $23 or $24 on these days. “Should” is the function phrase–if there’s one fixed about Walt Disney World, it’s value will increase.
While the out-of-pocket price of Genie+ is considerably cheaper, it’s price noting that the hole probably closes when adjusted on a per attraction foundation. While I’ve achieved over a dozen points of interest in a single day with every, I’ve achieved that quantity effortlessly with Express Pass. If you aren’t savvy and don’t put effort into leveraging Genie Plus, that quantity is perhaps 2-3 Lightning Lanes (which is the official quantity that Disney provides).
Unlike Unlimited Express Pass, there isn’t any included choice for on-site visitors of all or choose Walt Disney World resorts. Anyone who needs it should pay for the Genie+ service. Additionally, it doesn’t cowl all headliner points of interest; Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Avatar Flight of Passage should not included in Genie Plus, however line-skipping for these might be bought on an a la carte foundation through Individual Lightning Lanes.
Next, there’s the difficulty of time-savings between the 2 line-skipping providers. This can be troublesome to match in an trustworthy and easy method. If we’re simply taking a look at how lengthy it takes from the time you enter the typical ‘fast lane’ at every attraction on the respective resorts, it’s an in depth name.
I’m inclined to say that Lightning Lanes are barely sooner on common, however I additionally should admit that I’ve much more expertise with Disney’s system than I do Express Pass. I do have sufficient expertise with each to know that they are often extremely variable. If you employ one on a busy day or when there’s loads of journey downtime, these ‘fast lanes’ can again up. If you go to throughout the low season when occupancy or attendance is lighter, each might be veritable ‘walk-on’ passes. So it’s exhausting to say, and I haven’t timed this comprehensively. But it doesn’t matter–all of that is irrelevant.
Comparing solely wait occasions upon returning to the strains can be disingenuous. When utilizing Express Pass, I can do all points of interest in any order I need, constructing my itinerary round what I need to do, my current plans, and order of comfort. Since I’m all the time utilizing Unlimited Express Pass (through resort stays), I can repeat the joys rides I get pleasure from most, or simply loop E.T. Adventure all dang day, as Spielberg supposed. (Hours upon hours of E.T. Adventure…speak concerning the final director’s lower!)
Moreover, I can do the parks with out ever stopping to screw with the Universal Orlando app. That’s a ton of time I’m not losing, and it’s not simple to quantify all of that. In brief, even with the likelihood (however not certainty) that wait occasions are longer upon return with Express Pass (they’re undoubtedly much less predictable because of the lack of scheduling), my view is that Universal’s system saves significantly extra time total.
To that time and as intimated above, Genie+ is a system inside the My Disney Experience app that requires making journey reservations all through the day. You could make one journey reservation at a time–with the flexibility to make a subsequent reservation instantly upon tapping right into a Lightning Lane at an attraction or pursuant to the 120 minute rule.
This may sound easy sufficient, however it’s difficult in follow. You must stability attraction reputation together with your previously-made plans together with your need or capability to backtrack to stroll rather a lot, and extra. You additionally must navigate a My Disney Experience app that’s glitchy, unintuitive, and feels prefer it’s nonetheless being beta examined a couple of decade after it was launched.
By distinction, there isn’t any tech element to Express Pass. While it’s considerably costlier out-of-pocket, it’s additionally completely frictionless.
You merely go as much as the attraction, scan your go, and use your Express Pass entitlement. There’s nothing to order or problem with in an app. It’s a very “dumb” system–and I imply that in the easiest way doable. Express Pass entails zero know-how and display screen time. It’s fully hassle-free.
For first-timers, this may come as a shock on condition that we’ve devoted considerably extra textual content explaining the fundamentals of Express Pass than we now have the Genie+ service at Walt Disney World. That’s as a result of this can be a Disney weblog, and one which has devoted (actually) dozens of weblog posts within the final year-plus to addressing confusion, complaints, and questions on all issues Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
By distinction, that is our first publish devoted to Express Pass. That isn’t because of an absence of Universal protection or curiosity. To the opposite, we’ve used Express Pass many occasions (albeit by no means paying for it out of pocket). However, we’ve all the time simply talked about it in passing in different posts and planning guides for one cause. It is easy.
Frankly, there was no must over-explain Express Pass as a result of it’s intuitive and works precisely the way you’d anticipate. When it involves itineraries, we’ve repeatedly conceded that they aren’t actually crucial with Express Pass (particularly when coupled with Early Park Admission for on-site accommodations).
In brief, if it looks as if the reasons are disproportionate for the respective line-skipping providers at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, that’s as a result of the beginning factors differ. This is constructed atop voluminous assets about Genie+, whereas it’s foundational information about Express Pass plus the comparability.
Now let’s swap gears and provide some pointless (however presumably enjoyable or fascinating?) commentary. Previously, we’ve talked about that Walt Disney World couldn’t replicate all the pieces folks love about Express Pass for the reason that inputs differ between Universal and Disney. Assuming, arguendo, that Walt Disney World did swap to a ‘dumb’ line-skipping service like Express Pass, it’s assured that adjustments can be made out of necessity or economics.
In brief, we are saying to Walt Disney World followers: watch out what you would like for.
Some Walt Disney World followers say that they’d fortunately pay $80 to $120 for line-skipping like Express Pass. However, there isn’t any assure that Disney’s equal can be priced at this stage. As must be clear by now from the limitless parade of value will increase, Walt Disney World has pricing energy. Its demographics are additionally completely different.
While followers incessantly blame each other for tolerating paying extra and getting much less at Walt Disney World, that is more likely attributable to first-timers and people taking rite-of-passage journeys. These free-spending visitors pull out the entire stops for worry of lacking out, and nearly actually go to Walt Disney World at disproportionate ranges as in comparison with Universal. I might be prepared to wager that per visitor spending is significantly greater at Disney than Universal.
In brief, neither of those companies set their value factors as a courtesy to visitors. They each cost what the market will bear. With that in thoughts, Universal’s pricing for Express Pass is what you see for varied dates. That doesn’t imply Walt Disney World’s pricing can be equivalent. (Side be aware: get pleasure from this whereas it lasts, Universal diehards–your on-site accommodations probably gained’t be this low cost for for much longer!)
Then there are the requires Walt Disney World to incorporate limitless Lightning Lane entry with on-site stays. Again, the circumstances differ dramatically. In whole, there are just below 7,000 resort rooms at Universal Orlando Resort.
By distinction, there are roughly 40,000 rooms at Walt Disney World, which incorporates the entire Disney-owned and operated properties plus the Disney Springs Resort Area, Bonnet Creek, Swan & Dolphin, Shades of Green. These third celebration accommodations are included as a result of they’re technically on-site and, extra importantly, have contractual offers with Disney to supply sure visitor perks and facilities.
However, for the sake of the included Unlimited Express Pass or theoretical included Lightning Lane, we are able to slim that down to only the Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World or Premier Hotels at Universal Orlando. In that case, Universal Orlando has below 2,500 eligible rooms. To put that into perspective, that’s fewer rooms than Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts alone.
In whole, Walt Disney World has roughly 13,000 rooms which might be sometimes eligible for Deluxe Resort-caliber perks. However, Walt Disney World additionally has 4 theme parks as in comparison with Universal Orlando’s two parks, so we must always in all probability lower that quantity in half for a extra correct comparability. In which case, we find yourself with 6,500 v. 2,500. (I’m going to purposefully exclude Volcano Bay as I doubt it provides meaningfully to capability or crowd-absorption and would simply muddy the comparability.)
That’s nonetheless not apples to apples as a result of we’re not evaluating the theoretical or precise capability. Unfortunately, this isn’t one thing I’m able to doing. Simply counting eligible points of interest isn’t sufficient right here–you must know the capability of every, the diploma to which they’re using line-skipping, and extra.
There’s an excessive amount of that’s merely unknowable or would require guessing. For instance, I do know the theoretical hourly journey capability of Jungle Cruise, however I don’t know its common Lightning Lane to standby ratio, nor do I do know its precise operational hourly journey capability proper now. (I’ve heard it’s not good!) I additionally don’t know what share of visitors are literally utilizing “filler” Lightning Lanes like these for Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage.
Finally, I don’t know the nuances of Universal Orlando’s resort enterprise as in comparison with Walt Disney World. What’s the occupancy price of the highest tier accommodations at every? What concerning the common variety of visitors per occupied room? My guess is that Disney has greater numbers on each fronts however I’ve no clue to what diploma. (Disney Vacation Club skews the previous whereas household demographics skew the latter.)
Beyond these “known unknowns,” there are in all probability variables I don’t even know…that I don’t know. I can’t inform you what these are, since I don’t know what they’re. [Insert drunk face emoji]
All of that is to say that it’s possible that Walt Disney World couldn’t merely “lift” the concept of Express Pass from Universal Orlando. The variables are completely different and the unintended penalties would probably trigger the system to interrupt in new and alternative ways. (And Genie+ has already damaged loads within the final yr!)
Perhaps you don’t discover the comparability and breakdown above to be persuasive. Maybe you’re satisfied that Walt Disney World may do free Express Pass for Deluxe Resort visitors with a couple of tweaks. In that case, take into account this: Genie+ is basically Walt Disney World’s try and port the beloved MaxPass from Disneyland with minor tweaks.
Suffice to say, rather a lot broke within the course of. Not solely that, however there have been myriad unintended penalties and outcomes that weren’t forecast by Walt Disney World’s inside groups engaged on Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. (It’s nearly unbelievable in mild of how Disney has tried to throttle demand since launch, however the unique plan known as for a Genie+ Annual Pass add-on to debut only some months after launch.)
I’m not pretending to know the way all of this may shake out, and I’m cognizant of the truth that a few of these variables are at odds with each other. The salient level of all this rambling, I suppose, is that there isn’t any “simple” answer through which Disney can or will copy and paste Express Pass to Walt Disney World.
All of this theoretical evaluation is totally tutorial, anyway. It presupposes that Walt Disney World has an urge for food to incorporate Lightning Lane entry in Deluxe Resort stays and, let me guarantee you, that’s completely not the case. You in all probability didn’t want any such assurances, because it’s patently apparent from the best way Walt Disney World has been chopping on-site perks moderately than including them.
I don’t know why Universal first opted to supply Unlimited Express Pass to its Premier Hotels. (My shot-in-the-dark guess is a take care of Loews to get that hotelier on board.) Regardless, the one cause to begin providing ‘free’ line-skipping now can be to entice folks to remain on-site and improve resort occupancy charges.
Walt Disney World doesn’t have this drawback. Even a number of years in the past when occupancy numbers weren’t as sturdy, Disney didn’t provide an infinite “golden” FastPass. Instead, they tried to entice folks to ebook Club Level stays by promoting extra FastPass+ reservations.
Ultimately, I may see Walt Disney World providing “free” Genie+ down the street to visitors of sure resorts if there’s an financial downturn and bookings stoop, however because the service presently exists and never an infinite model of it. Even then, it will in all probability be a substitute for Free Dining or some superior previous promotion. I may additionally see Disney persevering with to tweak Genie+ to make the system extra intuitive whereas making an attempt to reduce (however not completely obviate) complaints about display screen time.
However, I can not see Walt Disney World switching to a ‘dumb’ (once more, in a great way) system like Express Pass. Despite being completely abysmal at it, Disney fancies itself as a tech firm. It has an excessive amount of of an obsession with crowd administration, logistics, and visitor knowledge–despite the fact that it doesn’t know the way to absolutely leverage this information. (Similarly, our canine likes to chew on the distant however doesn’t know the way to use the TV.)
Anything is feasible at Walt Disney World within the long-term, particularly if visitor satisfaction–and extra importantly, conduct and visitation developments–takes sufficient of a success and administration is compelled to do one thing. But for now, these are the line-skipping methods in place at Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World, and we’d anticipate them to stay considerably the identical for the subsequent few years.
If you have got questions concerning the fundamentals of utilizing–or not utilizing–the paid FastPass service, see our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World & Lightning Lane FAQ for the entire foundational need-to-know information. This complete system is complicated and convoluted, so that you might need a query or two-dozen. That solutions the entire most typical ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about accommodations on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips publish takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to begin is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for all the pieces you should know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you favor Universal’s Express Pass or Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World? Wish WDW included Lightning Lane entry with Deluxe Resort stays? Do you favor paying for these line-skipping providers or just sticking to standby? Other ideas to share? Do you agree or disagree with my comparability? Any questions we can assist you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!