Disney Genie, Genie+ officially introduced along with confirmed details of how it will work

[Thepuma]

You absolutely can stack more than 2 - I know of people who have stacked 4-5 at MK for the afternoon/evening.

You could theoretically stack at 7, 11, 1, 3, and 5 and have five evening rides at MK.

When I went a couple of weeks ago I sort of tried this but to book my next G+ I had to have scanned in on my first G+. to book another one.

I think it was Hollywood studios..where I knew I wouldn't be getting into the park till late morning so I grabbed a G+ for Slinky at 4pm....I then booked one once the park opened for Millenium Falcon at 1pm....I tried to book another but it said I had to use my 1pm G+ before I could book another.

 

[Thepuma]

As our trip get's closer, I've been thinking about this. Right now, I've planned our first park and reservations, assuming we would resort at lunch time and then hop in the evening to a random park based on how we feel.

However, I'm wondering if it would be better to plan a more strict second park and do all LL reservations at the second park instead of the reserved one. Hit the reserved park as early as possible standby only, and then be on a more strict evening park plan. I suppose we could still pick the evening park the day before or at 7:00 AM day of, which is less planning than the reservation now. This way, all the choices presented are always after 2:00 PM.

We dislike the weeks/months out planning are much more of a day before group.

I did this a number of times...we would be in MK for instance and would specifically book FoP for 8pm when it was dark as we like the feel of the Pandora area when it's dark...it also guaranteed a headliner late on to look forward to and plan towards.

 

[Jeff4272]

As our trip get's closer, I've been thinking about this. Right now, I've planned our first park and reservations, assuming we would resort at lunch time and then hop in the evening to a random park based on how we feel.

However, I'm wondering if it would be better to plan a more strict second park and do all LL reservations at the second park instead of the reserved one. Hit the reserved park as early as possible standby only, and then be on a more strict evening park plan. I suppose we could still pick the evening park the day before or at 7:00 AM day of, which is less planning than the reservation now. This way, all the choices presented are always after 2:00 PM.

We dislike the weeks/months out planning are much more of a day before group.

I think this is an excellent strategy, especially if you are hopping to Epcot........Stack Epcot rides, mix in a reservation at Le Cellier, catch harmonious and rope drop HS and do ROTR/ToT/RnR

 

[nickys]

When I went a couple of weeks ago I sort of tried this but to book my next G+ I had to have scanned in on my first G+. to book another one.

I think it was Hollywood studios..where I knew I wouldn't be getting into the park till late morning so I grabbed a G+ for Slinky at 4pm....I then booked one once the park opened for Millenium Falcon at 1pm....I tried to book another but it said I had to use my 1pm G+ before I could book another.

So you booked one pre park opening for Slinky.

The next time you could have booked one was 2 hrs after DHS opened. That must have been when you booked Millenium Falcon for 1pm. Assuming DHS opened at 9am, that would have been at around 11am.

So the time of your booking would be around 1pm, which happened to be the time of your LL so you had to use it first.

But it is possible to book later return times if they come up, so with a 9am opening, you can book at:

pre-opening for an LL at 4pm
11am (2 hrs after park opening) for an LL at 3:30pm
1pm (2 hrs after booking the last one) for an LL at 4:45pm
3pm (2 hrs after booking the last one) for an LL at 5:10pm

Then you’d start riding them, and at 5:10pm you could book the 5th LL.

 

[Jeff4272]

So you booked one pre park opening for Slinky.

The next time you could have booked one was 2 hrs after DHS opened. That must have been when you booked Millenium Falcon for 1pm. Assuming DHS opened at 9am, that would have been at around 11am.

So the time of your booking would be around 1pm, which happened to be the time of your LL so you had to use it first.

But it is possible to book later return times if they come up, so with a 9am opening, you can book at:

pre-opening for an LL at 4pm
11am (2 hrs after park opening) for an LL at 3:30pm
1pm (2 hrs after booking the last one) for an LL at 4:45pm
3pm (2 hrs after booking the last one) for an LL at 5:10pm

Then you’d start riding them, and at 5:10pm you could book the 5th LL.

That's if there are that many rides available........

On a somewhat busy day, my guess is 11am your best bet would be a TSMM or A$$ LL availability and thats it..........forget about 1pm, there will def be nothing then

SDD, MFSR, MMRR, ToT, RnR will all be gone before 11am


for eg, today is one of the slowest days of the year and ToT, SDD have been gone for a while and ROTR ILL' were gone before park opening

 

[Thepuma]

So you booked one pre park opening for Slinky.

The next time you could have booked one was 2 hrs after DHS opened. That must have been when you booked Millenium Falcon for 1pm. Assuming DHS opened at 9am, that would have been at around 11am.

So the time of your booking would be around 1pm, which happened to be the time of your LL so you had to use it first.

But it is possible to book later return times if they come up, so with a 9am opening, you can book at:

pre-opening for an LL at 4pm
11am (2 hrs after park opening) for an LL at 3:30pm
1pm (2 hrs after booking the last one) for an LL at 4:45pm
3pm (2 hrs after booking the last one) for an LL at 5:10pm

Then you’d start riding them, and at 5:10pm you could book the 5th LL.

I guess the problem is going to be...at 1pm, what decent rides are going to available for 4.45pm? (Not much till early evening) Same with your 3pm..what will be available at 5.10pm? (Nothing of worth till real late, if at all)

When I went last Nov/Dec, by 3pm there was nothing of worth left for the rest of the day.

Depends how busy the park is I guess. But from my experience of early December last year, after 2 or 3pm Genie was pretty useless unless you enjoy the Barnstormer or similar.

 

[nickys]

I guess the problem is going to be...at 1pm, what decent rides are going to available for 4.45pm? (Not much till early evening) Same with your 3pm..what will be available at 5.10pm? (Nothing of worth till real late, if at all)

When I went last Nov/Dec, by 3pm there was nothing of worth left for the rest of the day.

Depends how busy the park is I guess. But from my experience of early December last year, after 2 or 3pm Genie was pretty useless unless you enjoy the Barnstormer or similar.

If you’re park hopping the times automatically adjust to after 2pm. So booking at 8am, 11am and 1pm will automatically give you times after 2pm.
And by refreshing a few times different return times pop up. It does seem that they try to spread people out.

 

[Smooth]

 

[Patcheslee]

That's if there are that many rides available........

On a somewhat busy day, my guess is 11am your best bet would be a TSMM or A$$ LL availability and thats it..........forget about 1pm, there will def be nothing then

SDD, MFSR, MMRR, ToT, RnR will all be gone before 11am


for eg, today is one of the slowest days of the year and ToT, SDD have been gone for a while and ROTR ILL' were gone before park opening

TP posted a blog in February about availability for each park VS time of day and crowds. High crowds had only SDD unavailable at 11am (out at 8am check), and most ride time slots being in the late afternoon or evening. I hope they are able to update it when more data is gathered.

 

[Thepuma]

If you’re park hopping the times automatically adjust to after 2pm. So booking at 8am, 11am and 1pm will automatically give you times after 2pm.
And by refreshing a few times different return times pop up. It does seem that they try to spread people out.

It wasn't regarding park hopping, just answering the poster who said about getting to the park late rather than first thing.

Of course, park hopping changes things altogether.

 

[jmp85]

You absolutely can stack more than 2 - I know of people who have stacked 4-5 at MK for the afternoon/evening.

You could theoretically stack at 7, 11, 1, 3, and 5 and have five evening rides at MK.

How? Is this G+ rides plus LL? I understand that you can book one and then if you wait two hours, you can stack on another.

 

[Thepuma]

How? Is this G+ rides plus LL? I understand that you can book one and then if you wait two hours, you can stack on another.

From my experience its impossible to stack 4 x G+ , but I've only used Genie+ on about 20 full days, so I'm no expert..(paid LL+ aside)

But, if it is possible then the biggest problem will be the 3rd and 4th G+...cos by the time 1pm comes around there will be nothing left of worth..same for the 3pm booking.

 

[nickys]

How? Is this G+ rides plus LL? I understand that you can book one and then if you wait two hours, you can stack on another.

G+ and LL are one and the same thing.

 

[nickys]

From my experience its impossible to stack 4 x G+ , but I've only used Genie+ on about 20 full days, so I'm no expert..(paid LL+ aside)

But, if it is possible then the biggest problem will be the 3rd and 4th G+...cos by the time 1pm comes around there will be nothing left of worth..same for the 3pm booking.

And yet others have pointed out it is possible.

The return times aren’t given out linearly from early to late. They fluctuate through the day for all rides except the few like Slinky and Jungle Cruise which do tend to sell out early on. But rides like Big Thunder, Splash, Space Mtn, Pirates, HM, ToT, RnR, TSMM and others can all be stacked for a nice afternoon / evening of 4-5 rides. I get envious reading their trip reports.

 

[Jeff4272]

And yet others have pointed out it is possible.

The return times aren’t given out linearly from early to late. They fluctuate through the day for all rides except the few like Slinky and Jungle Cruise which do tend to sell out early on. But rides like Big Thunder, Splash, Space Mtn, Pirates, HM, ToT, RnR, TSMM and others can all be stacked for a nice afternoon / evening of 4-5 rides. I get envious reading their trip reports.

it might work 10% of the time based on low crowd calendars, today being an example

 

[Ripken10]

And yet others have pointed out it is possible.

The return times aren’t given out linearly from early to late. They fluctuate through the day for all rides except the few like Slinky and Jungle Cruise which do tend to sell out early on. But rides like Big Thunder, Splash, Space Mtn, Pirates, HM, ToT, RnR, TSMM and others can all be stacked for a nice afternoon / evening of 4-5 rides. I get envious reading their trip reports.

Worked for us on our trip. We had several stacked, and it was not a low crowd day. I was not excited about genie+ going in, but it really worked out for us. Will be hard to convince my wife not to use it on future trips (except for at certain parks where it doesn't work as well).

 

[Jeff4272]

Worked for us on our trip. We had several stacked, and it was not a low crowd day. I was not excited about genie+ going in, but it really worked out for us. Will be hard to convince my wife not to use it on future trips (except for at certain parks where it doesn't work as well).

It just doesnt work on busy days, especially HS, Epcot and AK....there's just not enough attractions

 

[Ripken10]

It just doesnt work on busy days, especially HS, Epcot and AK....there's just not enough attractions

Not sure what you call a "busy day". We went with friends, the friends avoided the Saturday trip to Magic Kingdom because crowds were so "large" according to them. Genie+ worked awesome on that day. I mean it wasn't New Year's eve, but I think most days at Magic Kingdom tend to get pretty crowded to most people.

 

[PeopleMoverLover]

1) last year we went for 2 weeks...end of nivember/start of December - it was very VERY busy. The busiest I've seen DW in any of my other 10 visits throughout the year.

2) The 5 rides I quoted you'd get without Genie+ were obviously the decent attractions....not including the silly ones that are almost walk on....lets say you do Holywood studios without G+ or LL+

Let's say for argument sake you rope drop RotR, as a non resort guest you will wait at least an hour, maybe 90 mins...you come off that and go on SR...again..another 90 minute wait, possibly shorter. By this time you're thinking about lunch..another hour taken away (if you're lucky to get a reservation or a table)...youre in early afternoon and go for MnMRR...another 90 minutes..then ToT - 2 hours (maybe less if they have finished the refurb and all 4 lifts are in use...so by this time it's late afternoon and you go for SDD...another 90 minute to 2 hour wait at the time of year youre going.

So that's your 5...which you'll do by around 7 or 8pm

I normally visit orlando from the UK every year January, May and September....we changed last years to late November and we could bot believe how busy the parks were...and we thought the same, get in before the Xmas holidays but no, it was manic.

We asked a few Americans why it was so busy even though the holiday season hadn't really started and kids would be at school...the answers we got were..".in America we wind down early for Xmas and the schools do too so we just take out kids out of school as there's not kuchen going on anyway."

Don't know how true that it but I got that from 3 families I spoke to.

But back to your point...I stand by my prediction that you may only get on 5 rides without any G+ or LL+....but you may get lucky and get 6 or 7.

But from my experience last November/December, without G+ and LL1+ I would not have bothered going as I worked out the queue saving times with G+ and would have only got on 5 rides on our Hollywood studios days

Thanks for the insight, I understand now what you were saying. That is my fault for the misunderstanding. However, we are staying onsite and so we will be able to hop on ROTR in your example instead of waiting the 90 minutes. I understand the rest of the day will probably be like you are saying so it might be worth it to get G+. Contrary to what you might think and I'm sorry if it came across this way, I am not against getting G+ at all. I would be willing to get it if I thought it was worth it, which it sounds like now we can go on our trip without it (kind of have to) and then see the crowd levels and then buy it the days we think we will need it that morning. So we will probably honestly just have a wait and see approach. If say our first day goes like your example then we will be buying Genie plus the next morning lol

 

[Jeff4272]

Not sure what you call a "busy day". We went with friends, the friends avoided the Saturday trip to Magic Kingdom because crowds were so "large" according to them. Genie+ worked awesome on that day. I mean it wasn't New Year's eve, but I think most days at Magic Kingdom tend to get pretty crowded to most people.

Its just not true....it doesnt work........the statistics dont lie...........

Crowd calendar 8 and up, theres not enough rides to support it in Epcot, HS and AK.....thats a fact


Ive used it plenty of times in crowded situations.......at 11am, there was nothing available in HS other than Alien SS, star tours or TSMM.............thats first hand experience prob 20-25 times


AK and Epcot were just as bad, if not worse