Disney Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World

Casper Gutman

Well-Known Member
It does have be an either of proposition. If you hate what it's become why continue to support it? My guess is you're addicted to the pixie dust and can't stay away.
OR Disney World means a lot to me, has been important to my life, and I still think AK and MGM are good, if overpriced, parks. Even EPCOT still holds nostalgia for me, though it’s current state makes that bittersweet.
Amazingly, some people can engage critically with things that they also partially enjoy. This seems really hard for certain people to grasp.
 

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
You know that will be deemed “crap”…far before It opens…it’s not Disney.👍🏻

we just can’t overlook how earth shattering mine train is…it’s made the world a better place. Not like that low grade garbage.
I don't consider Universal crap at all. It just doesn't do it for me the way Disney does.

Oh, and Mine Train is great fun—can't wait to ride it again!
 

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
OR Disney World means a lot to me, has been important to my life, and I still think AK and MGM are good, if overpriced, parks. Even EPCOT still holds nostalgia for me, though it’s current state makes that bittersweet.
Amazingly, some people can engage critically with things that they also partially enjoy. This seems really hard for certain people to grasp.
It is hard for me to grasp. As I've said a few times I have a hard time relating to the emotional attachment many of you have for Disney. I went a couple of times as a kid but don't remember a whole lot. I do remember how great Epcot was before it became MK 2.0. Since then I took my nieces when they were 3 and 4. I went back solo a few years ago and I didn't see the magic that every one talks about.

While I do have a young child I would like to take someday, the cuts and rising prices give me second thoughts.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Because they usually can’t make a counter argument or it has to be an either/or proposition.
There are ALOT of growing arguments/oppositions to the corporate strategy…and around here by people who have a reputation of being very “pro-Disney”. Some are in the cigar bar.

and then there are those that have spent months or even years defending every single move…because they have a trip planned or current and just can’t acknowledge anything not positive that interferes with the mental run up. It’s been too long.
It does have be an either of proposition. If you hate what it's become why continue to support it? My guess is you're addicted to the pixie dust and can't stay away.
You can lodge legitimate criticism as a consumer, alter your habits and STILL want it to be something worthwhile.

I never get it…maybe I don’t live in the part of the world where they sell cars that only have two speeds: full stop and red line.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I totally understand the emotional argument. I was there for years. Epcot was the core of my addiction, so they finally broke mine.

As always - the frustrating part is, even Disney being a business and what not, they are making unnecessary choices that polarize more of the audience than is needed.
An excellent point. When a business has “pro-con” factions that increasingly vocalize…they become kinda soulless. I can think of a computer company or two.

but they aren’t designed around optimism and nostalgia…they are trying to get under their Hail Marys at all times.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Here's the article if you missed it -


You know, there was a company that used to focus on outstanding customer service and would have had this in place and tested before rolling something like G+ out. I think it was called “The Walt Disney Company”. Wonder what ever happened to them…
 

awoogala

Well-Known Member
So there is yet another system I need to learn how to game?
Exactly. I am just. so. tired. bone tired. exhausted. I have the money. I'm in the zone of income they may be targeting. But I'm just . so. done. So tired of having to make this a hobby.. why? I go to Dublin, or Spain, or Aruba, it isn't this much WORK. Why should I do all this work, for this much money. Anywhere else I go, more work= less money. If I had not signed up for the 5k in november, I might have been done after our august trip. It..is just not worth the emotional energy anymore to "work the system', let alone the financial output which I can do, easily...it's just too much f'ing work. and the other option is what? vip at 850 an hour? nothing there is worth 850 an hour, unless you only have 2 days to see your kids a year, maybe. Just because people have the money to spend, doesn't mean they are stupid enough to think you deserve what you are charging. sigh. lmao
 

awoogala

Well-Known Member
Did you ever use the refresh method of FP+? It's no more complicated then that. Instead of booking your FP ahead of time at home. You are doing it on your phone. The only difference is not picking your return time.
and not being SURE months ahead, that you will absolutely be getting at least one ride on all the 'BIG/NEW' rides. At the 60 day mark, if I didn't get one ride on everything that mattered, I could cancel my whole trip. (and I also, made sure we got at least 2x the rides that mattered- Disney's fault, they got us used to/trained to expect a full plan 60 days before a trip). Now I have no idea, if I choose to pay $15 per family member, if there will be a genie fp, or whatever for the ride that matters. It's chaos. If I go to Uni. I stay at a deluxe, I get fastpasses/whatever they call it. no planning, just stroll into the rides I like, when I coSO much more relaxing, it is insane.
 

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
and not being SURE months ahead, that you will absolutely be getting at least one ride on all the 'BIG/NEW' rides. At the 60 day mark, if I didn't get one ride on everything that mattered, I could cancel my whole trip. (and I also, made sure we got at least 2x the rides that mattered- Disney's fault, they got us used to/trained to expect a full plan 60 days before a trip). Now I have no idea, if I choose to pay $15 per family member, if there will be a genie fp, or whatever for the ride that matters. It's chaos. If I go to Uni. I stay at a deluxe, I get fastpasses/whatever they call it. no planning, just stroll into the rides I like, when I coSO much more relaxing, it is insane.
You can pay for the big/new ride seperately and you are guaranteed to ride it.
 

Wendy Pleakley

Well-Known Member
I go a lot less. About 12% or so as much as I used to. And I haven’t stayed at a WDW resort in decades. Why do posters always assume the curmudgeons haven’t dramatically changed their behavior?

There's some validity to both perspectives.

Earlier at least one person said they'd pay for Genie+ but cut the equivalent elsewhere so "Bob doesn't win". I mean, if you pay for Genie+ but buy two fewer churros per day, Disney is getting the same revenue (or more once inflation of prices is taken into account). By all means, do what you have to do to make a trip work for your budget, but nothing will change as long as people keep going.

While I completely agree it's reasonable to criticize aspects of Disney but still go due to what value is still provided, it just feels like most people are really really unwilling to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to displeasure with Disney.
 

Casper Gutman

Well-Known Member
There's some validity to both perspectives.

Earlier at least one person said they'd pay for Genie+ but cut the equivalent elsewhere so "Bob doesn't win". I mean, if you pay for Genie+ but buy two fewer churros per day, Disney is getting the same revenue (or more once inflation of prices is taken into account). By all means, do what you have to do to make a trip work for your budget, but nothing will change as long as people keep going.

While I completely agree it's reasonable to criticize aspects of Disney but still go due to what value is still provided, it just feels like most people are really really unwilling to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to displeasure with Disney.
Most of those people left the board. Or they never came here. Most who have a bad experience simply leave WDW out of their future plans. It takes a special attachment to Disney World to both believe it has declined precipitously but still care about it enough to follow it, visit occasionally, and post here. I’ve said that Disney matters a great deal to me on an emotional, personal level, but it also matters to me on an intellectual level. I think it is a tremendously, uniquely, fascinatingly important institution in the cultural history of America and, less specifically, in the world at large. That combination of intellectual and emotional attachment is odd - to most folks it’s just a vacation destination - but on these specific boards, I don’t think it’s uncommon. That’s why they’re worth reading.
 

Hawg G

Well-Known Member
When I'm at WDW sweating in the 98 degree weather, feet hurting, and then I crash at 10pm, I often think o their poolabout how some people are able to use their resort pool in the middle of the day and then come back after. Actually taking in the forest for the trees. I've yet to do it, but it always sounds like a nice way to experience the parks.

You mean walking a half mile to a resort bus in the heat, standing, waiting for the bus, riding the bus, then walking to their room, changing clothes, walking to their fairly boring pool to bake in the sun. THEN do it all in reverse?

How relaxing.
 

Patcheslee

Well-Known Member
You mean walking a half mile to a resort bus in the heat, standing, waiting for the bus, riding the bus, then walking to their room, changing clothes, walking to their fairly boring pool to bake in the sun. THEN do it all in reverse?

How relaxing.
Or walk to car, drive, to resort, change for the pool, grab a book and go to pool while kid swims, then reverse. It's not as horrendous as it seems to the people that choose to do it. Much more relaxing than a melt down from being in the park without a break.
 

LSLS

Well-Known Member
That all sounds great. DL, Tokyo, and Dollywood remain great parks.

You know, Universal is opening a third park…
Every time I think of universal, I look at their ticket prices and am immediately turned off. To be honest, we have cut our WDW trips from. 3-4 a year to 1 every couple years (and falling). First time since high school we bought cedar point passes, and honestly found it a lot more fun than any Disney trip we have done in the past 5 years.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I didn't miss the point at all; my closing remark was a retort to it. One man's meat is another man's poison, as they say, even if some here expect everyone to agree with them.
“Thank you mother, may I have another?” Isn’t a great attempt at adulting…that doesn’t mean everyone has to agree at all times. I’m not advocating that. Some semblance of pause and attempts at objectivity shouldn’t be scoffed or patronized.
 

fgmnt

Well-Known Member
Every time I think of universal, I look at their ticket prices and am immediately turned off. To be honest, we have cut our WDW trips from. 3-4 a year to 1 every couple years (and falling). First time since high school we bought cedar point passes, and honestly found it a lot more fun than any Disney trip we have done in the past 5 years.
If you have a family that fits the certain age group (12-18) I can't recommend doing a summer trip to Cedar Point enough, at least once. Completely different change of pace from the swamp in every way. They manage to make the food worse but that and the obvious fundamental difference in the institution of themed entertainment between the two. Stay in the Breakers if you can swing it.
 

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