Disney Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World

[MrPromey]

Remember that there is a need to have an alternative wait system for guests requiring accommodations, and some mix of physical and electronic infrastructure (along with cast at merge points) to implement this. By allowing people to purchase similar access, it pays for that infrastructure and then some. I understand that higher ticket costs would also bring in more money, but in this case the only people paying are those who want the add on services. And TBH, it's much easier for them to show how these line skips enhance the bottom line when it's a separate revenue stream.

It's obfuscation.

Ticket prices didn't go down when they rolled Genie+ out, they went up, anyway.

But when discussing annual price increases and comparing it to any other year, it doesn't seem as bad since that $15 price increase became "optional".

If you're of the mind that modern domestic Disney parks can't be done without some sort of fastpass-like system, that price increase on top of ticket price increases has now grown to as much as $35 but in mainstream discussion about ticket prices, especially historical increases, the ticket price will still be just the ticket price so it'll look like just a 5 or 6% annual increase or whatever, masking that in reality, it's more like a 15-20% annual increase in recent years when you factor back in what was taken out and how it has been going up in price right along side those ticket prices.

It used to be only cell phone carriers and cable companies that did business this way.


EDITED ON 1-5-2024 to add:

Wow!

To think I wrote that when it was just a flat $15 a day including park hopping and now just a little over a year later, it has hit an all time high of nearly $40 for that same "benefit"!

 

[Jrb1979]

That is an insane price! Can you imagine if Disney charged that amount for such a feature? Certain people here would literally lose their minds. I guess it kind of dispels the notion that only Disney, and not Universal, charges ridiculously high prices for certain services.

For one it's a completely different system and they have a similar mindset with most other parks in that ita priced to limit the amount of people buying it.

 

[HauntedPirate]

$20 for Tron’s ILL? Talk about leaving money on the table. Do a better job of listening to guests, Bob. They are begging you to charge them more! And only $35 for Genie-?? People are ready, willing, and able to throw bags full of cash at Bob and he's ignoring them!!!

If you can afford a Disney deluxe, then $35 Genie+ should not be an issue.

The deluxe Uni hotels (with Express Pass) start at $400/night. Five nights there is $2,000.

A value hotel room at WDW is about $120/night. Add in Genie+ (at $35) for four is $140/night. Total is $260/night. Five nights is $1,300. A $700 savings.

I take issue with the idea that staying at Uni Deluxe hotels with free Express Pass is always 'cheaper' than staying at WDW and buying Genie+.

The only way that happens if you're going to stay at a deluxe at either park. And if can afford deluxe prices, the extras should be also affordable in comparison to the cost of the room.

For now.

I'd love to know what dates a value room is $120/night. I searched early to mid September and got as low as $165/night. Edit: I did find $140/night in late August. Still not $120/night, though.

 

[LittleBuford]

But we know they don't want it to and that it won't.

They are limiting usage, though—hence the sold-out days.

 

[StarshipDisney]

I am very interested to see how this all plays out in the long term with guest loyalty and repurchasing from folks that did not see the value add during their vacation.

We are already there, and I see myself as a prime example. I am a former Disney lover who has lost the faith. We went in December and won't be going back again until some things like GenieCrap are fixed. I am fully in the camp where "the magic is gone!"

Universal is a much better option now and using that as a base to include Seaworld, Busch Gardens Tampa, and perhaps some of the other attractions around Orlando; I do not think we will miss Disney anytime soon especially considering the miserable trip in December.

I also talk crap about Disney everywhere I go now. Just doing my small part to damage the Brand. I know for a fact I have nudged a few towards not going to Disney anytime soon because they know what a Disney lover I once was and cannot believe the change. They know that if I of all people talk bad about Disney, then there must be something to it.

 

[JusticeDisney]

For one it's a completely different system and they have a similar mindset with most other parks in that ita priced to limit the amount of people buying it.

Yup, exactly what I have been saying!

 

[HauntedPirate]

They are limiting usage, though—hence the sold-out days.

Genuinely curious if they are actually limiting it, or is this just a by-product of Easter week crowds? I mean, 2-3 hour waits for multiple rides at DHS, 2 hours for KS, 100(!!!) for Kali, and many things over an hour at MK. I know they said they would "limit sales", but there's nothing preventing them from limiting it to, say, 40,000 guests per day.

 

[pdude81]

It's obfuscation.

Ticket prices didn't go down when they rolled Genie+ out, they went up, anyway.

But when discussing annual price increases and comparing it to any other year, it doesn't seem as bad since that $15 price increase became "optional".

If you're of the mind that modern domestic Disney parks can't be done without some sort of fastpass-like system, that price increase on top of ticket price increases has now grown to as much as $35 but in mainstream discussion about ticket prices, especially historical increases, the ticket price will still be just the ticket price so it'll look like just a 5 or 6% annual increase or whatever, masking that in reality, it's more like a 15-20% annual increase in recent years when you factor back in what was taken out and how it has been going up in price right along side those ticket prices.

It used to be only cell phone carriers and cable companies that did business this way.

Yes, but they dug themselves a big hole and have decided the only way out is to build stairs made of money. And the Street would not allow sinking a couple billion into the parks for capacity with promises that it'll pay for itself later. That card has already been played.

 

[JusticeDisney]

We are already there, and I see myself as a prime example. I am a former Disney lover who has lost the faith. We went in December and won't be going back again until some things like GenieCrap are fixed. I am fully in the camp where "the magic is gone!"

Universal is a much better option now and using that as a base to include Seaworld, Busch Gardens Tampa, and perhaps some of the other attractions around Orlando; I do not think we will miss Disney anytime soon especially considering the miserable trip in December.

I also talk crap about Disney everywhere I go now. Just doing my small part to damage the Brand. I know for a fact I have nudged a few towards not going to Disney anytime soon because they know what a Disney lover I once was and cannot believe the change. They know that if I of all people talk bad about Disney, then there must be something to it.

In no way trying to be rude, but trust me, you and your few friends will not be missed - by WDW or the rest of us who still go there. Indeed, I wish more people saw things your way, such that there would be shorter lines for everyone else. Anyway, enjoy the other places that you will travel to!

 

[MisterPenguin]

$20 for Tron’s ILL? Talk about leaving money on the table. Do a better job of listening to guests, Bob. They are begging you to charge them more! And only $35 for Genie-?? People are ready, willing, and able to throw bags full of cash at Bob and he's ignoring them!!!



I'd love to know what dates a value room is $120/night. I searched early to mid September and got as low as $165/night. Edit: I did find $140/night in late August. Still not $120/night, though.

I just did a quick Google search and that was a "starting as" quote.

Same with the Universal deluxe. It's difficult to find that "starting as" price.

It was just for a general comparison. I wasn't booking anyone. But, have you thought about a trip to Antarctica. I can arrange things.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I just did a quick Google search and that was a "staring as" quote.

Same with the Universal deluxe. It's difficult to find that "starting as" price.

It was just for a general comparison. I wasn't booking anyone. But, have you thought about a trip to Antarctica. I can arrange things.

What's the commission on that trip? TSA is cracking down on frozen fish in my suitcases.

It's rather sad that it's almost impossible for anyone to do find those "Starting at" rates these days.

 

[Touchdown]

Just got an AP rate for HHN in late Sept. Hard Rock Hotel for 6 nights: $2195, or $365 a night for a room at a hotel that borders the park. I’ve never paid that rate for the Contemporary. Well worth it.

 

[Purduevian]

Unless you're staying in a Universal deluxe resort (priced about like a Disney moderate) in which case, the cost per ride works out to be... carry the three... add the seven... umm... never was good at math... umm... $0.

That's who this system is really for. They'll sell it to you at that price you paid but they're strategy is really about using it to create "value" for the people paying a little more for their better resorts. So imagine it's $200 a person for a family of four but you stay at a deluxe resort and suddenly that's an $800 a day value for "free".

It works because I know people who have likened it to getting the room for free plus saved extra on top as if they would have otherwise plunked down the $2,400 they think they saved to get that feature for all three days of their stay. (not even factoring in the extra check-in/chek-out day trick.)

They wouldn't have, of course, but that's how it worked out in their minds which is what Universal is after.

Either way, between re-rides and no schedule of any kind required, it's definitely miles ahead of Genie+.

They also limit the sales so as not to hurt the perceived value for resort guests which is why it's not usually much of a line, if any on that side.

I don't think anyone on these boards would argue the staying at a deluxe USO resort and getting unlimited EP included isn't the best value of all the Orlando skip the line deals... That's what I did last time I went.

However, I was trying to compare the cost of G+ to the cost of EP assuming you are not staying in one of the 2,400 deluxe rooms.

 

[LittleBuford]

Genuinely curious if they are actually limiting it, or is this just a by-product of Easter week crowds? I mean, 2-3 hour waits for multiple rides at DHS, 2 hours for KS, 100(!!!) for Kali, and many things over an hour at MK. I know they said they would "limit sales", but there's nothing preventing them from limiting it to, say, 40,000 guests per day.

I have no idea what their cap is, and perhaps it should be lower, but it seems to me that their desire for profit hasn't entirely eclipsed their concern for keeping customers reasonably happy (or at least for keeping complaints to a manageable level). Otherwise, they'd just carry on selling more Genie+ throughout the day.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I have no idea what their cap is, and perhaps it should be lower, but it seems to me that their desire for profit hasn't entirely eclipsed their concern for keeping customers reasonably happy (or at least for keeping complaints to a manageable level). Otherwise, they'd just carry on selling more Genie+ throughout the day.

Eventually it's purely logistics - I'm guessing the true limit is based on how many "Genie- slots" are available across all rides based on park hours and operational ride capacity.

 

[Kamikaze]

“We’re going to listen to our customers.”

Unfortunately they’re talking with their wallets.

Not unfortunate for Disney.

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

$20 for Tron’s ILL? Talk about leaving money on the table. Do a better job of listening to guests, Bob. They are begging you to charge them more! And only $35 for Genie-?? People are ready, willing, and able to throw bags full of cash at Bob and he's ignoring them!!!



I'd love to know what dates a value room is $120/night. I searched early to mid September and got as low as $165/night. Edit: I did find $140/night in late August. Still not $120/night, though.

January is pretty much the only time. A couple dates are $128/night. I stayed at Music in January 2022 and averaged about $130/night (slight difference in weekday vs weekend).

 

[Drdcm]

They are limiting usage, though—hence the sold-out days.

They have played these games where they “limit” things during super super crowded times because they have to, not because they want to. They then expect us to give them a pat on the back for taking a so-called financial hit.

Most recent was when they talked about how they use the park reservations to limit capacity so we all have a better experience (but only around Christmas and NYE).

 

[MrPromey]

They are limiting usage, though—hence the sold-out days.

Okay - you got me.

Semantics.

But beyond that, do you really not understand what I meant?

 

[MrPromey]

I don't think anyone on these boards would argue the staying at a deluxe USO resort and getting unlimited EP included isn't the best value of all the Orlando skip the line deals... That's what I did last time I went.

However, I was trying to compare the cost of G+ to the cost of EP assuming you are not staying in one of the 2,400 deluxe rooms.

But everyone staying at Disney resorts pays for Genie+ just like offsite guests and I have to imagine that the overwhelming majority of people using UE are resort guests not paying for it* so I guess I just don’t understand what you’re after.

Universal’s Al’s carts pricing for their system is more about creating artificial value for their resort guests than direct sales.

It would be like Disney charging $100+ for their system and giving it away to their deluxe resorts, too.

*I say this since most of the year, it’s not even difficult to crank out more attractions without it than people are expected to get with Genie+