Disney Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World

[doctornick]

People don't book 2 week vacations to DLR. It's a completely different trip.

That's part of it - I don't even think they generally do 1 week trips there.

But a big part is different guest configuration. DLR has a lot of AP and frequent visitors, many who just go one day at a time at some interval (even just "dropping by" on a given day). So the pre-booking doesn't make sense for those folks and that is a much larger percentage of the guests there. also, they tend to understand are able to utilize any system more easier due to familiarity.

WDW has a much larger percentage of occasional or once in a lifetime guests who aren't going to do well with any system with a steep learning curve. So that is why IMHO they moved to a system that not only lets those folks set up stuff in advance but also provides a "floor" of three attractions they are booked for on any given day as a way of "evening out" the system.

 

[Saskdw]

I honestly have no opinion other than all the pay for riding stuff is awful, but it's hilarious you call out his speculation (correctly so) and immediately follow up with your own made up statistic. I would be surprised if this got worse reviews than G+, but I'd also be surprised if 90% of people are happy with this system considering it's almost exactly what we got included with our tickets like 4 years ago.

My speculated number is based on youtube reviews and real on the ground feedback being reported.
I've only seen a couple people not happy with the results Other then having to pay for it. Yes not hard data and speculation. Guilty as charged.

Paying for line skipping is here to stay so no point in complaining about it. We all new FP+ was the introduction to that system and it was eventually going to ne monetized.

 

[bwr827]

View attachment 805017

This is the most obnoxious “this” gif. There are less obnoxious ones widely available…

 

[LSLS]

Very simple. With genie, you got 3 tier 1 rides with ur first 3 selections. With this, you only get 1

Only if all your tier ride selections were available after you rode your first one, or after 2 hours expired. And only if they ARE sold out this time before you ride your first ride. I can tell you from the experience my friends had with G+, they were lucky to get anything worth it outside their first pick in November at DAK and DHS.

 

[doctornick]

Also, I am really puzzled why people like the 3 prebooks so much? I would much rather get more quality selections 90% of the time and more selections overall than three prebooks which is what this is becoming for those that don't get there early.

Because the people who really benefit from those three pre-books are not people posting on here. It's folks who have no clue and only got one or two useful passes in a day under G+.

Outside of a preference for planning versus spontaneous, this system is almost certainly going to be worse for superusers (although we won't know the degree until it has been out for a bit and we have more "on the ground" info; early reports are that is isn't so different except for the people who liked to stack and arrive late). But I think that's the point from Disney's prospective in order to help get the more novice people to get a better experience.

 

[Disstevefan1]

This is the most obnoxious “this” gif. There are less obnoxious ones widely available…

Thanks! Obnoxious is what I was going for!

 

[doctornick]

It's actually nothing like it. It's way worse.

1) No re rides
2) Fewer ride selections b of ILLs you have compare for separately
3) astronomical cost

All of those were true with G+

 

[Dranth]

Again, I don't like this either, but I'm not sure how Genie+ would be better. The main complaints you provided in my post above still apply to G+. But, you paid and then hoped you could get things worth it with G+. At least here you see what you can get before you purchase, and are guaranteed to at least get your 3.

See, I disagree with this because with G+ (post change where they capped the number of users) you were 100% going to get something worth it unless you purchased it late in the day. It was literally impossible as people could only have one selection at a time so no more than one ride could be out of inventory at park open.

With this new system, depending on how long your visit or where you are staying, you may not even get a chance to get anything worth it. The one advantage as you don't have to buy it if nothing is available.

 

[doctornick]

Very simple. With genie, you got 3 tier 1 rides with ur first 3 selections. With this, you only get 1

Correction: You got three tier 1 rides with your first 3 selections. Many people got only 1 or 2 (or maybe zero!) such rides with G+. Which is why there was the available inventory for you to get more of what you wanted.

 

[JIMMYEDDIE]

Only if all your tier ride selections were available after you rode your first one, or after 2 hours expired. And only if they ARE sold out this time before you ride your first ride. I can tell you from the experience my friends had with G+, they were lucky to get anything worth it outside their first pick in November at DAK and DHS.

Correct. I was there July 4th week and every day got 3 tier 1 rides. And tier 2 ride were a genie selection walk on.

Thats not making assumptions. That's fact.

Only one that was tricky was HS. You had to get SDD at 7am. Then 2 hours after open every other ride was available.

 

[Saskdw]

Which is a fair reason to not like it but in the past you said you had not been back from 2016 and listed G+ as one of the reasons (unless I am thinking of someone else, if so apologies).

ETA: I found it, you said you had not been since 2017 until after the pandemic which is different than not going at all and not liking the system.

Also, I am really puzzled why people like the 3 prebooks so much? I would much rather get more quality selections 90% of the time and more selections overall than three prebooks which is what this is becoming for those that don't get there early.

G+ took being able to tell time to easily get 3+ no matter how you tour and they could have fixed the 7am thing easily. This gives you three you may or may not want with no option for more unless you tour a specific way. It is a major downgrade overall as it specifically rewards one type of park goer while actively making it worse for everyone else.

We liked the piece of mind of having those 3 FP booked 60 days before our trip. We never had a problem getting the ones we wanted. My wife can't handle more than a few hours in the park at a time and we sleep in on vacation.

Also when you are there for 14 days with 10 day hoppers and throw in a MVMCP there is lots of time to experience everything you want.

I would speculate the people Disney is catering to spend more money onsite with their vacation style?

We didn't go 2018 and 2019 for other reasons. 2020 and 2021 because of stupid pandemic rules with flying and in the parks.

2022 and 2023 we chose Universal mostly because of G+ and because of the cocky arrogant revenge traveling with no discounts.

 

[JIMMYEDDIE]

All of those were true with G+

Not even close And arent with this. Thats why genie+ was vastly superior.

 

[Chi84]

Thanks! Obnoxious is what I was going for!

Just makes people put you on ignore and eventually gets the attention of a mod.

 

[Heelz2315]

Correct. And this is with lower park attendance. Wait until it's busy.

Go look right now a week out. I'll guarantee you there are rides sold out completely

And this is with park crowd rankings 5/10. Wait until you get in the 8/10, 9/10 and 10/10. There will be nothing Avilable

So if I go to log in and only see crappy times or times that don't work for me a week out, then why bother buying this at all? There's got to be some loop hole or something I'm missing if that's the case. Why would Disney throw out G+ if it was working and making $ to go to this system, where at a week out I get hardly anything? Nobody is going to buy that at all? Financially that doesn't make sense.

Again, I'm hoping this is not true and I can get good times/attractions when I book my vaca a week out.

 

[Disstevefan1]

90% of the on the ground reviews so far have been positive.

Gaslighting?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Just makes people put you on ignore and eventually gets the attention of a mod.

Please feel free!!!!

 

[JIMMYEDDIE]

Correction: You got three tier 1 rides with your first 3 selections. Many people got only 1 or 2 (or maybe zero!) such rides with G+. Which is why there was the available inventory for you to get more of what you wanted.

That's 100% false. Never once when I used it was I not able to get 3 tier 1. I used it prob 25x, including days where it was 10/10 crowd levels.

The difference was inventory was spreads out vs being taken in advance.


That's fact

 

[doctornick]

So if I go to log in and only see crappy times or times that don't work for me a week out, then why bother buying this at all?

Um, exactly? That's one of the huge benefits for this new product is that if you don't see choices you like, then you just don't buy it. That's a massive change because it will cut down on people buying and then being dissatisfied with the purchase (and going to Guest Services to complain).

And rest assured that if there is so much inventory used up that it means that you can't get what you want, then that indicates that a lot of other people have purchased the product (and booked that inventory) and so Disney is perfectly fine because they have been selling enough.

 

[JIMMYEDDIE]

So if I go to log in and only see crappy times or times that don't work for me a week out, then why bother buying this at all? There's got to be some loop hole or something I'm missing if that's the case. Why would Disney throw out G+ if it was working and making $ to go to this system, where at a week out I get hardly anything? Nobody is going to buy that at all? Financially that doesn't make sense.

Again, I'm hoping this is not true and I can get good times/attractions when I book my vaca a week out.

This is unfortunately how it works. Disney does release inventory throughout the day for certain rides but you won't know that until ur in the park.

 

[LSLS]

Correct. I was there July 4th week and every day got 3 tier 1 rides. And tier 2 ride were a genie selection walk on.

Thats not making assumptions. That's fact.

Only one that was tricky was HS. You had to get SDD at 7am. Then 2 hours after open every other ride was available.

But that doesn't tell the whole story either. I was in the parks last 4th (didn't really go this year cause honestly I didn't care about it while we were down there), and yeah, that would have been true. BUT, we walked on to almost everything anyways. We did all of DHS in 4 hours with no Genie that week. DAK we walked on (relatively, maybe 5 to 10 minutes if that?) safari, Everest, and Dino. I think Avatar was maybe 40 minutes?