Disney Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World

[dmw]

I went to Dollywood yesterday and it was the most crowded I had seen it in a long time 30-60 min waits for all major attractions. But guess what, due to them limiting their time saver passes (unlimiteds were sold out prior to opening, one time use by noon) it was still reasonable, time saver guests were happy, regular guests were happy. Dollywood however did likely lose out on some profit but gained good will. Disney is incapable of doing that.

I'm looking forward to our Dollywood visits this year. We are staying at DreamMore and getting the free limited timesaver. Will be interesting to see how we feel about using it, compared to FP+

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Why would they have to limit sales? Everyone had FP+. Just give resort guests priority.

Yep. They could even go further if they wanted to make it even more customer-friendly. Give resort guests the ability to book for the length of their stay 30 days out from their arrival (instead of the 60 days that existed before), then give APs without a resort stay a 15-day window or something in that timeframe and only allow booking 1 day at a time, then give non-AP ticketholders a window 10 days out with the ability to book 1 day at a time. Then, allow guests to view availability prior to finalizing their purchase. So if you have a single-day ticket and a Park Reservation for 4/10. Today, I could purchase FP+ and make my 3 selections, but those selections aren't finalized until I enter my payment information and confirm the purchase. Give a window for completing the purchase before the selections are released back into the availability pool like Ticketmaster does when buying tickets. Not only would that encourage on-site stays, but it would still give local APs a slight edge over non-resort guests, and avoids the complaints of "I didn't get what I paid for," because nobody would pay until they made their selections - thus guaranteeing that everyone got exactly what they paid for.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

Went to MK last week, wasn't able to get anything within 2 hours of when I was looking. Total waste.

 

[matt9112]

It's decently fresh in my mind so I can walk through it. It was Sunday March 13th.

-Stayed at Boardwalk DVC, got RotR around 7:10ish for 12:55-1:55 (nothing was available at 7 on the dot)
-Right after that I got my Genie+ and selected MFSR for around 2:30 to 3:30 (or something like that)
-Got there at rope drop for early entry and wife grabbed a Carrot Cake cookie from Trolley Car, we walked onto RNRC and then waited probably 10-15 minutes on Tower of Terror, so I think around that point it's right after park open, which I think is 8:30 but I can't remember.
-We walked over to TSL and essentially walked on to TSMM, then we grabbed a pop tart and a coffee at Woody's Lunch Box and met my Aunt and Uncle on SDD, which was about a 40-45 minute wait
-After we're done, we have our second Genie+ selection so we grab MMRR for like 4ish or something
-We walk over to Galaxy's Edge, I grab a blue milk and kinda just look at the land for a ton of time
-We go over to Ronto Roasters and split a Ronto Breakfast Wrap
-We look at the marketplace and geek out over most of it and the rest of SW:GE
-We walk onto the Muppets and by the time we're done, it's around 12 so we hang around and check out Dok Ondar's before our Oga's 12:25 reservation. I got a Bespin Fizz and a Jedi Mind Trick, my wife grabbed a Fuzzy Tauntaun. We're there for about 20 minutes or so.
-After that we head over to Star Tours for standby, I think it was about 30 minutes. Around this time I'm able to get a TSMM ride around 8 something
-We head over to RoTR for our LL, it's amazing and tops HPFJ as my favorite theme park ride on the planet
-After that we head over to Baseline Tap House and grab a beer flight, pretzel, and charcuterie board, we set up a mobile order for later to grab our Wookie Cookie
-We head over to MFSR and ride that, we then eat our Wookie Cookie and miss Indiana Jones as there's no more room in the theater. I get a Star Tours G+ for 5ish or something
-We hang out and just chill on Sunset Blvd when it becomes apparently that the ToT and RRC lines are way too long. Then we go to MMRR before heading over to Star Tours.
-We check in around 6:40 to Brown Derby and are seated, we exit around 7:50 and go on TSMM and then head over to MFSR as our final ride of the day, probably waited 20 minutes since it was around park close.

Now you have my full itinerary.

I feel like these stories are likely the exception and not the rule. Any system that works only or mostly for the exception is a bad system.

Similiar to how fastpass+ was much more on site guest centric vs day guests.

Lots of people will enjoy and take glee in this system. Those staying at the boardwalk are likely the target demo after all. What's a few hundred bucks on top of that? Peanuts right.

However inevitably there are many others not getting half of the utilization as you are.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Went to MK last week, wasn't able to get anything within 2 hours of when I was looking. Total waste.

Let's hope they make tweaks to the system. It's obviously a broken system..

 

[Jeff4272]

It doesn't matter with him. He thinks everyone is a liar if they do not have the same opinions as he does.

Correct......and it's not my opinion, its my FACT

Genie (-) stinks and you know it

But the real reason is because i have extensive experience with it and that scenario is virtually impossible

 

[Jeff4272]

I’m not sure what good that would do. If they’re saying they only “guaranteeing” 2-3 genie+ experiences, how could they suddenly guarantee 3 to everyone?

Someone on Twitter made a good point - Disney used to guarantee 3 FPs for every ticket holder. Even I, as a last-minute day-of planner, almost always had 3 FPs to use for me an my kids.

Suddenly they can’t even guarantee 3 LLs for a smaller number of guests (because now it’s only for people who are choosing to pay the fee, which obviously not everyone is doing). How is that possible? I know not EVERYTHING is open, but almost everything that has FP is. Nemo is the only thing that had FP previously that has still not opened (that I can think of, but please correct me if I’m missing a significant number of other FP options that remain closed).

ETA: just want to add that I WISH they’d go back to the free FP+ system. Or no FP at all. So I’m not against your idea, of course! I just don’t see how it would work since Disney is having a hard time managing a system that guarantees fewer FPs per user of the system.

I agree.........Also when you factor in that they have come out and said that they are not at full capacity and will never go back to it and FP+ you could get multiple rides and not just once, I dont get it

 

[mattpeto]

Add 3 LL at DHS over the next couple of months:

• Mirabel (VoLM theater) or Encanto characters M&G
• Mando and Grogu (Launch Bay) M&G
• Fantasmic! viewing

You'll help Genie+ at DHS quite a bit...

That's the park with the most issues (again in heavy crowds).

 

[Purduevian]

I am questioning the fact that you got all those rides........It's virtually impossible

First, if you get an ILL for ROTR, by the time you are done, all of the MFSR and MMRR are gone

for eg. right now MMRR, MFSR, TOT, ROTR, SDD have all been sold out since before 10am

So you pay for ROTR and then you pay again for MFSR OR MMRR (if you have 2 people booking simultaneously) and thats just not worth it (money, getting up early, not knowing return time, etc, etc etc,)

Correct......

Genie (-) stinks and you know it

But the real reason is because i have extensive experience with it and that scenario is virtually impossible

MFSR ran out at 10:25am today
MMRR ran out at 10:55am today
Source

Right now at 3:35pm I will give myself 10 refreshes to see what I could pull at DHS if I was there.
Initial pull: 6:20 Star Tours
Refresh 2,3:,4,5,6 Start Tours Jumped around as early as 4:20pm
Refresh 7 gave a RotR 4:00PM ILL (I'm shocked this popped up... I didn't think that was possible)
Refresh 8 gave a 6:35PM RnRC
Refresh 9 and 10, RotR and RnRC both were gone.

10 refreshes should take like 3 minutes if you have what you want pinned at the top.

 

[Jeff4272]

Yep. They could even go further if they wanted to make it even more customer-friendly. Give resort guests the ability to book for the length of their stay 30 days out from their arrival (instead of the 60 days that existed before), then give APs without a resort stay a 15-day window or something in that timeframe and only allow booking 1 day at a time, then give non-AP ticketholders a window 10 days out with the ability to book 1 day at a time. Then, allow guests to view availability prior to finalizing their purchase. So if you have a single-day ticket and a Park Reservation for 4/10. Today, I could purchase FP+ and make my 3 selections, but those selections aren't finalized until I enter my payment information and confirm the purchase. Give a window for completing the purchase before the selections are released back into the availability pool like Ticketmaster does when buying tickets. Not only would that encourage on-site stays, but it would still give local APs a slight edge over non-resort guests, and avoids the complaints of "I didn't get what I paid for," because nobody would pay until they made their selections - thus guaranteeing that everyone got exactly what they paid for.

I think this is the best modification i have read yet

Im going to follow you!

 

[mattpeto]

I think this is the best modification i have read yet

Yeah I pitched something like this on a podcast or two. I do miss the pre-planning - I think if there was a way to book your first Genie+ and ILLs before the day of, it would a better "vacation", not getting up at 7 am.

I would just a roll a week ahead of your day...

 

[Jeff4272]

Yeah I pitched something like this on a podcast or two. I do miss the pre-planning - I think if there was a way to book your first Genie+ and ILLs before the day of, it would a better "vacation", not getting up at 7 am.

I would just a roll a week ahead of your day...

I need to listen to your podcast......I havent got the chance yet but thanks for reminding me

 

[castlecake2.0]

Yeah I pitched something like this on a podcast or two. I do miss the pre-planning - I think if there was a way to book your first Genie+ and ILLs before the day of, it would a better "vacation", not getting up at 7 am.

I would just a roll a week ahead of your day...

Can I ask what podcasts?

 

[tired_photog]

Just completed our annual WDW trip (3/27-3/29). Park hopper tickets, 4 parks in 3 days. Although I hate paying for it and it has its quirks (sliding return times) I actually kind of prefer it to FP+. You absolutely have to be ready and on your phone at 7 each morning and rope dropping is a must. Purchased 1 ILL each day. Managed to complete every ride at HS. Every ride at Epcot. Everything but Dinosaur and TriceraTop Spin (EE closed) at AK and everything but JC at MK.

LL’s per day
4 - HS
0 - AK (stacked LL’s for PM at Epcot)
4 - Epcot
6 - MK

I think I liked it because it brought back some spontaneity to the day. I did find myself criss-crossing the parks more than I care to do normally but you CAN do it all with the new system.

 

[Jeff4272]

Just completed our annual WDW trip (3/27-3/29). Park hopper tickets, 4 parks in 3 days. Although I hate paying for it and it has its quirks (sliding return times) I actually kind of prefer it to FP+. You absolutely have to be ready and on your phone at 7 each morning and rope dropping is a must. Purchased 1 ILL each day. Managed to complete every ride at HS. Every ride at Epcot. Everything but Dinosaur and TriceraTop Spin (EE closed) at AK and everything but JC at MK.

LL’s per day
4 - HS
0 - AK (stacked LL’s for PM at Epcot)
4 - Epcot
6 - MK

I think I liked it because it brought back some spontaneity to the day. I did find myself criss-crossing the parks more than I care to do normally but you CAN do it all with the new system.

What if on your park hopping day and your first return time for SDD wasn’t until 5pm, then what?

What if you sleep past 6:45am on vacation?

What if you had Topolinos reservations during your ROTR return time?

What if it was busier and you could only get 2 rides?

What if it were free?

What if you could pick when you wanted to ride a ride vs cross crossing the park?

What would you think if you couldn’t get in MFSR because it was too long a wait and you couldn’t get a Genie (-) pass?

What if you didn’t have to refresh your phone all day long?


There’s nothing good about Genie (-), especially vs FP+. You had to have park pass. You had to have reservations. Why not guarantee 3 rides at the times you want and then be spontaneous with the other rides?

If it was too busy and you only got on 4 rides in DHS would you still like it better?

You must work for Disney

 

[rawisericho]

Just completed our annual WDW trip (3/27-3/29). Park hopper tickets, 4 parks in 3 days. Although I hate paying for it and it has its quirks (sliding return times) I actually kind of prefer it to FP+. You absolutely have to be ready and on your phone at 7 each morning and rope dropping is a must. Purchased 1 ILL each day. Managed to complete every ride at HS. Every ride at Epcot. Everything but Dinosaur and TriceraTop Spin (EE closed) at AK and everything but JC at MK.

LL’s per day
4 - HS
0 - AK (stacked LL’s for PM at Epcot)
4 - Epcot
6 - MK

I think I liked it because it brought back some spontaneity to the day. I did find myself criss-crossing the parks more than I care to do normally but you CAN do it all with the new system.

I DON'T KNOW, THAT SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!

 

[Jeff4272]

I DON'T KNOW, THAT SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!

It is and that’s a FACT!

Apologist or employee. One or the other.

 

[rawisericho]

It is and that’s a FACT!

Apologist or employee. One or the other.

LOL, I don't like Genie+, I've complained about it since they introduced it. But man, you're decently unhinged about it.

 

[tired_photog]

It is and that’s a FACT!

Apologist or employee. One or the other.

Haha! Not an apologist and definitely not an employee. Just a dad from Chicago that takes his family to Disney every year or two.

The paid system is clearly a money grab, no doubt. I’m just saying the system is not as impossible to navigate as some would have you believe.

I will also add that we stayed at a deluxe resort and took advantage of extended evening hours which helped tremendously at Epcot and MK.

Besides profit I think Disney’s other motivation for this was to level the playing field for those who don’t plan every minute of their trip 60 days in advance like those of us on this board would do.

 

[G00fyDad]

LOL, I don't like Genie+, I've complained about it since they introduced it. But man, you're decently unhinged about it.

He always is unhinged. He is very "black and white" and "either/or". That's the way a child thinks. He flat out attacks anyone who does not immediately say that Genie+ is a huge pile of garbage. God forbid you say you like it. His head would literally blow right off his shoulders. I don't understand why anybody would like it either but if you were to say that you like it he's liable to hunt you down. In the very least if you don't agree with him (exactly as he thinks and feels about this Genie+) then he's at least going to call you a liar. He gets fanatical about it. It's almost as if he has some personal vested interest in seeing it fail. In my opinion, it was a failure right out the gate but that isn't even enough to satisfy him. Even me feeling the way I do about Genie+ gets me called an apologist or an employee by him. He's deranged.