Disney Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World

[djlaosc]

As a US resident I've never had to try doing anything WDW from outside the country, but you are getting that through a website right? If I am not mistaken this new system can only be purchased on the app itself which currently does not allow folks outside the US to make selections.

Whatever is preventing people from making those selections is likely the issue as the new one will work by making your three selections and THEN paying for the service. If you can't make selections, you can't pay.

Why they prevent selections outside the US I don't know, but my guess is whatever that reason is would be why this is happening now.

Which means that their website will now be less useful than it was 11 years ago...

I doubt that there are technological limitations as to why they couldn't make LL selections available on the website like they did for FP+, and they do for dining reservations, so they either don't want to do it, or don't want to spend the money to do it...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Except I don't see this helping. At least not with what we know so far.

If it works the way I think it will, I will be cutting my next trip short as I have no interest in getting back into the rat race of rope dropping to ride anything.

It’s not.

Nothing they’ve tried for 2 years has made a dent. The downward spiral

Have I mentioned this is most inept Disney leadership they’ve had from the birdseye view?

They’re declining in a “boom” economy? It’s absurd…it’s antithetical

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Are all the t1 attractions gone now at park open? I expect the same with the update.

Edit: go on thrill data and look at LL return times almost all t1 attractions are available through 2-3pm on most days.

They were under plus…

What will happen is if people think this is the way to “guarantee” the E tickets?…it will be logjammed faster than the 405 at 9 am

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They should be in panic mode.
The reception online to all the released details at Epic Universe should have them very worried. Especially when they are already struggling.

All the supposed improvements they are going to build are years away. The only way they can draw people now is deals, discounts and better experience. Something they have abandoned in the last few years. They were VERY arrogant with their pricing and other things when the post covid revenge travelling was happening. That's over now and they are paying the price for their arrogance.

…I love you

 

[ConfettiCupcake]

I’m sorry I’m still stuck on the international conversation. The only thing I could think of to test purchase through the app that wouldn’t bump me to the website was a party ticket, I didn’t actually go through with the purchase since I don’t need one, but it didn’t stop me from going through the motions. Maybe it’s the actual act of paying where it would stop me. I’m in Canada. I don’t have park tickets so I'm unsure what else I could try on there. It spits out the amount in USD same as everything else Disney related does for us.

Never had an issue booking or paying for things from home as far as I can remember, unlike what some members in the UK have reported. What gives, Disney? It definitely gives me pause in planning until there’s some concrete answer and solution.

 

[Splash4eva]

It’s not.

Nothing they’ve tried for 2 years has made a dent. The downward spiral

Have I mentioned this is most inept Disney leadership they’ve had from the birdseye view?

They’re declining in a “boom” economy? It’s absurd…it’s antithetical

I just think the product is stale. Prices have skyrocketed (granted they are not alone here) & the thought of going somewhere spending all this money to basically sit in 60 minute lines is just NOT fun and a hard sell to kids these days…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I just think the product is stale. Prices have skyrocketed (granted they are not alone here) & the thought of going somewhere spending all this money to basically sit in 60 minute lines is just NOT fun and a hard sell to kids these days…

And there’s one guy responsible for the stale product…which is why a change is imperative…yesterday

Worst board ever as well

 

[JulieMc]

Yes it’s not good enough. I’m coming from Australia and arrive the evening before my first Disney World Day. International Disney Guests are at a huge disadvantage. I was so excited not just upset.

 

[JAB]

And there’s one guy responsible for the stale product…which is why a change is imperative…yesterday

Worst board ever as well

Disney seemed to be at its best when there was a dreamer/pragmatist pair at the top like Walt and Roy, or Eisner and Wells.

When there's one person making both the creative and financial decisions, it usually skews too far to one or the other.

 

[PirateFrank]

Does anyone know how the 7-day advance window is impacted if you are on a split-stay of WDW resorts? Does the 7-day window reset for the second hotel stay?

 

[DisneyRoy]

Are all the t1 attractions gone now at park open? I expect the same with the update.

Edit: go on thrill data and look at LL return times almost all t1 attractions are available through 2-3pm on most days.

There are some that are gone within minutes. The Remy/Frozen/SDD bundle are all sold out quickly. SDD within a few minutes of 7 am.

 

[Splash4eva]

And there’s one guy responsible for the stale product…which is why a change is imperative…yesterday

Worst board ever as well

All his puppets. And honestly. What baffles me is this. This is a company which as far as Wall St goes has been nothing but dead money for basically what a decade? Yet Iger has gotten a pass for some reason which in this industry happens on very rare occasions

 

[the_rich]

There are some that are gone within minutes. The Remy/Frozen/SDD bundle are all sold out quickly. SDD within a few minutes of 7 am.

That's not true. Sdd was available until about 11am when I was there last week. Frozen had availability until about the same time. I couldn't tell you about Remy because I had that at 7am.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I’ve never used G+ or LL. I’d consider using this. It’s an improvement.

The only ones who seem to be complaining are non-US guests. I’m ok with that for now. They can work that out later. They built you your own parks in Europe and Asia.

Half-kidding, but the most overused and amateurish phrase on this site is, “Oh, all the good stuff will be gone if I don’t get it on day one.” Most of you ought to know that by now.

How do you know they won’t be holding some slots available? Have even one of you considered that? Because it’s been standard practice on almost everything so far.

As someone who goes with few plans, few bookings, and does almost everything I want, it’s tiresome. You’ll stress yourselves out and then do most things anyway.

 

[GoofGoof]

Finally trying to get up to speed on all of this.

When G+ was announced, I didn't like it because the planner in me liked the certainty of FP+ pre-selections; I didn't like the idea of not knowing if or when I'd be able to get a LL with G+. Once I actually used it, though, and saw that there was plenty of availability, I ended up liking it. Once I knew how to prioritize LLs, there was never an issue getting LL for the rides we wanted. FP+ was usually 3 and out, but the day-of availability of G+ meant we easily got 5+ LL in a day. And making selections day-of allowed for more flexibility, especially when park hopping. LL-MP™ goes back to having to lock in to at least one park every day, so now I find myself not really wanting to go back to pre-selections.

I had touring with G+ down to a science, but like I said when G+ was announced - it is what it is, and I'll figure out the most efficient way to plan with what I'm given. From what I've seen so far, the strategy right now seems to mostly be the old FP+ strategy with a few tweaks here and there, so that makes the switch a bit easier.

Planning scenarios are already running rampant through my head. Things like...

If my pre-selections are:

1. 10:30 AM
2. 11:30 AM
3. 5:00 PM

If I use #1 and select #4 for 1:00 PM, then use #2 and select #5 for 2:00 PM, will I be able to use #4 and select #6, then use #5 and select #7 even though #3 hasn't been used yet? From what I've read it just seems to be a rolling max of 3, and once you use any LL, you can pick a new one, so the answer would seem be yes as I understand it, but I'm not sure.

One question I still haven't seen addressed at all is whether day-of selections will also return to selectable times, or will they stay "first available" like G+.

Obviously LL-MP™ won't have the same levels of day-of availability as G+, but, given that, unlike FP+, LL-MP™ will be paid, with no re-rides, and you only have to wait until you use 1 instead of all 3, it's certain that day-of availability will be better than FP+; however, It remains to be seen whether that availability will actually be useful or not, and we'll only know once it's been in use for a bit and @lentesta gives us all the data.


Welp, back to re-doing my planning strategy...

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I think the easiest way to think of it you can always have 3 live reservations. When 1 is used or expires unused you can book another. It makes no difference what order they were booked in.

 

[James Alucobond]

Half-kidding, but the most overused and amateurish phrase on this site is, “Oh, all the good stuff will be gone if I don’t get it on day one.” Most of you ought to know that by now.

How do you know they won’t be holding some slots available? Have even one of you considered that? Because it’s been standard practice on almost everything so far.

I mean … That’s how it was for FastPass+, which this functionally emulates. If you can plan out 5 attractions between 3 multipasses and 2 ILLs, you’re naturally going to have to be eating into inventory much farther into the day than you’re currently encouraged to with Genie+. And because you’re pre-booking, if something goes down for an extended period, you’ll also end up with a whole lot more people who have all-attraction passes. It was not unusual to have absolutely nothing good to pick from at non-MK parks after lunch in the FP+ days. I’m not convinced this will do anything different; you just pay for it now.

That said, I largely agree with you that, if you’re on top of things, you don’t need any of the line skipping services anyway. I don’t purchase them and make out just fine because I’m an early riser and don’t stress about riding everything. But I think it’s a bit dismissive to assume people don’t have legitimate concerns when it so nearly resembles something we’ve already experienced.

 

[flynnibus]

What could possibly be "illegal" about it...it was no problem with booking FP+ via the web site, and Disney can already take payments for the whole package via the UK web site. Ah...it's about promoting use of the app isn't it? They don't want people to use the web site, or they just can't be bothered to develop it. But that's their choice. Nothing "regulatory" about it at all.

Using the app and website are different... because there are rules about taking payments through the app due to the apple and google store ecosystems. They work very hard to keep app developers from taking commerce through the app that doesn't conform to being processed through them. There could be nuances here we aren't aware of... and using the website isn't a good comparison. Different players involved... different rules involved.

My guess at this point is Disney made a choice to only support these purchases through the app... and this choice had these consequences they hadn't quite worked out ahead of time. I would expect them to have some sort of exception process before too long... like taking purchases over the phone, through agents, etc.

 

[C33Mom]

This is not legal advice and, while I am a lawyer, I am not a privacy lawyer but I do sit on a compliance committee for a global U.S. corporation and think about this in my day job. I don’t think anybody should be taking the word of European privacy lawyers about how easy (or desirable) it is to just your company up for compliance with an increasing thicket of EU consumer protection regulations (not because he isn’t a good European privacy lawyer but because he may not realize how onerous is compared with US). EU entities have a LOT of additional compliance costs that Disney would be passing on to all of us customers if they decided to adopt them voluntarily for a product that is primarily designed to be used inside FL (and maybe eventually CA).

Despite the headaches, my guess is that Disney will try to find a way to allow pre-booking for international guests, unless it’s hoping to just divert them to California and Paris.

 

[GigglesMcSnort]

No problems with FP+
No problems with Genie+
Dining was an issue on the app, now sorted
Magical enhancements (tours, droids etc) can only be booked using a vpn or by calling the UK arm of their travel agency

So there’s no consistency. We can book and pay for some things but not others. Genie+ was non refundable, so that’s not the issue (no legislative changes since then). Which to me suggests they could sort this if they wanted to. Or if they were half competent.

Edit: forgot to mention I can sit here in the U.K. and mobile order for pick up in an hour using MDE.

It's hard not to wonder if there is not in fact an element of wanting to provide more value to US guests than international guests...

 

[JD80]

There are some that are gone within minutes. The Remy/Frozen/SDD bundle are all sold out quickly. SDD within a few minutes of 7 am.

Those would be your targets for pre-book or rope drop.

Everything else goes later. Epcot frozen was gone by 10, nearly everything else was 1pm.