![]() ![]() He suggests using Genie+ for second-tier rides like Peter Pan and the Jungle Cruise that often have long lines, but aren’t a first pick for most people. Testa’s recommendation is that if it’s a once-in-a-lifetime Disney trip, the add-ons may be worth it, as is staying in a Disney hotel that lets you get into the parks early and log on to Genie+ earlier than other guests that day to reserve rides. The biggest complaint is you are stuck on your smartphone all day.” “People don’t like being nickel-and-dimed. “I found two people who liked it, because it just happened to work out for them that day,” Testa said. Testa said a good 95 percent of his customers have been complaining about Disney’s new system. The park has a Quick Queue pass that starts at $14.99 to skip the line at least once per ride and up to $39.99 for unlimited rides, plus the new Iron Gwazi coaster. Visitors line up at Busch Gardens in Tampa last June. High-tech and very popular rides such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Hollywood Studios, as well as Epcot’s Test Track and Remy, all averaged 45 minutes to two hours of down time per day in their study, he said. The biggest drawback, he said, is the bottleneck that is created when a ride is down. “This is all because FastPass wasn’t explicitly monetizing the short waits in line,” Testa said. ![]() He said he doesn’t think they are fudging the times intentionally, but it is a difficult thing to accurately estimate, “and there’s no financial incentive to get it right.” They found on average that Disney will overstate its wait times 75 percent of the time, which can make it hard for customers to decide what attraction is worth the wait. Testa’s researchers collect wait-time data. Disney replaced the system that gave ticket holders three free FastPasses with Genie+, which charges $15 to use the Lightning Lane at rides. The FastPass+ sign outside the Haunted Mansion attraction at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in 2019. His other tip: Stay at one of the three premiere Universal hotels - Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel or Portofino Bay Hotel - that offer an Express Unlimited Pass with the price of a room, because it gives a line-skipping pass to each person in the room. He often advises his customers to get the express pass at water parks, since capacity is limited and lines can be long. Len Testa, president of the vacation planning site Touring Plans, uses data to predict wait times at theme parks. At Adventure Island water park in Tampa, the Quick Queue is $9.99 for one time on each ride and $24.99 for unlimited rides. The Quick Queue at Busch Gardens starts at $14.99 to skip the line at least once per ride and goes up to $39.99 for unlimited rides plus the new Iron Gwazi coaster. Universal Orlando’s Express Pass starts at $79.99 per person per day to skip the lines at most of its popular attractions, at least once per ride. The rest of Florida’s theme parks already have line-skipping add-ons. Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. ![]()
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