Disney Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World

[doctornick]

This is something that will likely prevent me from buying it, because there are multiple attractions I don't care about in every park. I'm not going to pay $15 to ride NRJ and the Safari once, but I probably would if I could ride the Safari 3 or 4 times. I have the same issue at DHS and EPCOT (and at EPCOT the rides I care about the most don't usually have long lines anyways).

Magic Kingdom is probably the only one with an attraction lineup robust enough to make Genie+ worth it for me without the ability to re-ride.

I agree and think the no re-ride aspect stinks. It makes me feel like G+ really would work best with park hoppers so you can split days and have enough rides in multiple parks to warrant it.

 

[jpeden]

I agree and think the no re-ride aspect stinks. It makes me feel like G+ really would work best with park hoppers so you can split days and have enough rides in multiple parks to warrant it.

In theory it would, but with park hopping restricted until after 2PM there’s no point. I would think that alone would bring a huge number of complaints but I guess not. I never realized how frequently we hopped before 2PM until this trip when we found ourselves saying “oh, guess we will go back to the hotel since we can’t hop until 2.”

 

[UNCgolf]

In theory it would, but with park hopping restricted until after 2PM there’s no point. I would think that alone would bring a huge number of complaints but I guess not. I never realized how frequently we hopped before 2PM until this trip when we found ourselves saying “oh, guess we will go back to the hotel since we can’t hop until 2.”

I also hate that 2 PM restriction. On our last two trips there was at least one day where we were park hopping by noon.

 

[Lirael]

I agree with that description, but the key here is that Genie isn't trying to help the uninformed guest, but to take advantage of them. It essentially tries to hide the good stuff from the people who don't know it exists. Yes, I think these guests will still have a good time because there's very little at any Disney park that's actively unenjoyable. However, I think many such guests will come out wondering why Disney is so expensive - "We had a good time on the teacups, carousel, and Magic Carpets, but we have basically the same rides at our local kiddie park, and admission is $20."

Thank you, I'd forgotten how to say 'take advantage of' in english. Yes, I absolutely agree that is the Genie's purpose.

 

[Patcheslee]

I also hate that 2 PM restriction. On our last two trips there was at least one day where we were park hopping by noon.

If we really wanted a breakfast or lunch TS reservation that didn't go with which park we planned I didn't mind hopping for a few hours to eat. Didn't happen often but with the restrictions on hopping time, it could make things more difficult. Haven't had to plan with the park reservation system yet.

 

[Purduevian]

The problem for me is that it's guided. How much do I have to pay to NOT hang around with a stranger all day?

I know the guides are super, I just don't want one.

I think you need Golden Oaks or Club 33 money for that at Disney...

However just to give some interesting comparisons:
USO: 1 day ticket for this Saturday $136. An unlimited 1 park express pass costs $190. (140% of ticket cost). ($326 total)
Cedar Point 1 day ticket for this Saturday $75. An unlimited Fastlane plus $249 (332% of ticket cost). ($324 total)
Six Flags Magic Mountain 1 day ticket for this Saturday $90. Platinum Flash Pass $170 (189% of ticket cost). ($260 total)

Looks like around $250-$325 a person is the industry standard. Although I don't believe the Platinum Flash Pass is quite a ride anywhere, ride anytime pass you are looking for.

 

[JakeAZ]

The problem for me is that it's guided. How much do I have to pay to NOT hang around with a stranger all day?

I know the guides are super, I just don't want one.

This 1,000,000%!!!

I don't want to have to make small talk with a human fastpass all day.

I also don't want to be "on the clock" when stopping for bathroom breaks / snacks / meals / standing in line

And don't even get me started on tipping the guide....

I understand a product similar to Universal EP would be extremely expensive. But at least offer it!

 

[nickys]

It doesn't sound like a problem, but purposeful design.

I think Genie was never designed to cater to the repeat disney fans, who've been to the parks enough times to know where and when to go after seeing wait times ad crowds.

Genie seems to be geared towards to new guests, or guests that go very rarely, where the guests have no idea where to go or what to do, because their idea of fun on vacation is to get there and and have fun, not spend days and months planning every detail (and please, I am not criticizing either type).

These guests don't now what to do, so they turn to the free "help" option on their device, and so disney can go and force them into the least popular rides, or to check out more stores. The guests with no knowledge come out, in general, happy because they did a ride really fast when compared to others, without realizing that ride is always fast.

Genie seems to be there to take advantage of the guests without prior knowledge: guest then leaves thinking they got good advice and lauds disney for doing so much for them, disney steers them wherever is better for disney('s pocket)

I've been telling any friend that plans to go soon to just ask me for help, don't wait for the app to have their best interests in mind.

Even a complete newbie at the parks is going to be pretty p*****d off if they put in their “wishes” and don’t get any of them.

If Hayley goes to DHS and has put her preferences as all things Star Wars and only gets to ride Star Tours and gets sent to Ronto Traders for lunch, she isn’t going to be impressed just because she only waited 20 minutes for Star Tours. She’ll be questioning why it never suggested just waiting standby for Rise or Smugglers Run.

Any plan needs to account for the preferences of the guest or it becomes worthless. I find it hard to see how Genie was deemed acceptable by anyone who tested it.

 

[jpinkc]

Even a complete newbie at the parks is going to be pretty p*****d off if they put in their “wishes” and don’t get any of them.

If Hayley goes to DHS and has put her preferences as all things Star Wars and only gets to ride Star Tours and gets sent to Ronto Traders for lunch, she isn’t going to be impressed just because she only waited 20 minutes for Star Tours. She’ll be questioning why it never suggested just waiting standby for Rise or Smugglers Run.

Any plan needs to account for the preferences of the guest or it becomes worthless. I find it hard to see how Genie was deemed acceptable by anyone who tested it.

Cause it was only tested by greedy corporate execs...... or Disney employees scared to say anything for fear of censure or worse......

 

[nickys]

Cause it was only tested by greedy corporate execs...... or Disney employees scared to say anything for fear of censure or worse......

Or more likely the high-ups over-ruled those that wanted to delay it’s implementation until the bugs were fixed.

 

[jpinkc]

Or more likely the high-ups over-ruled those that wanted to delay it’s implementation until the bugs were fixed.

I think we wont see how bad it truely is until they have a 8 or above crowd day. I have seen multiple places talking about how often Mobile Ordering is crashing and when its crashed one place reported that they will not take walkup orders anymore. !!!

 

[TalkingHead]

I agree with that description, but the key here is that Genie isn't trying to help the uninformed guest, but to take advantage of them. It essentially tries to hide the good stuff from the people who don't know it exists. Yes, I think these guests will still have a good time because there's very little at any Disney park that's actively unenjoyable. However, I think many such guests will come out wondering why Disney is so expensive - "We had a good time on the teacups, carousel, and Magic Carpets, but we have basically the same rides at our local kiddie park, and admission is $20."

It's basically like being given Surprise FPs all day long for attractions that never have waits. Guiding guests away from popular marquee attractions with the understanding that you already have their money and don't care if they return is really an incredible act of hubris. In Disney movies those sorts of things usually turn out badly.

 

[Lirael]

Even a complete newbie at the parks is going to be pretty p*****d off if they put in their “wishes” and don’t get any of them.

If Hayley goes to DHS and has put her preferences as all things Star Wars and only gets to ride Star Tours and gets sent to Ronto Traders for lunch, she isn’t going to be impressed just because she only waited 20 minutes for Star Tours. She’ll be questioning why it never suggested just waiting standby for Rise or Smugglers Run.

Any plan needs to account for the preferences of the guest or it becomes worthless. I find it hard to see how Genie was deemed acceptable by anyone who tested it.

Maybe they're checking out to see how much they can get away with. If most are unaware enough that they don't realize they were tricked, and instead come out thinking how great Disney is for this free service... they don't have much incentive to improve it.

In fact, given that it isn't lining their pockets since it's free, they don't have any reason to be focused on improving it at all.

 

[Patcheslee]

Anyone notice the dining section for tips won't show TS or mobile order dining reservations outside the parks either. Say you're in MK, show the monorail resort dining availability as well.

 

[MrPromey]

Another thing that I really despise about Genie+ is the once a day per ride restriction on its use. If you are paying for it you should be able to use your LL+ to ride the same ride multiple times if it is available. You were always able to do that with FP+.

They don't have enough capacity with their popular attractions.

To beat the dead horse yet again, this is their fault for failing to invest in expansion over what is now approaching the last 20 years while continuing to market heavily and push to increase year-round attendance.

It was a problem with FP+ that you could do the same things over and over when they may have had enough TOTAL capacity* but not enough capacity for the things people wanted to do.

I'm sure this part of the change with G+ is their attempt at "correcting" since they're almost impossibly behind now and have apparently lost their institutional knowledge on how to build appealing high-capacity attractions.

Yeah, it's galling that they put this guest limit on the new service they charge for when they didn't on the free service it replaces but isn't that pretty much in line with modern Disney management's idea of the Disney Difference™ - pay more and get less?


*COP, I love you but most people don't pay $125 a day to sit in a musty smelling theater and watch a show with failing animatronics and a horribly outdated ending that needs to be retooled to represent the end of the 20th century with an optimistic look forward rather than pretending to be the near-term future it isn't. Don't act like this attraction that's gotten no love in 20 years (like CBJ) going 4/5 empty all the time somehow offsets the frequent modern waits for just about everything else in the park including other attractions just as old which have gotten real refurbishments and updates.

 

[MrPromey]

Thank you, I'd forgotten how to say 'take advantage of' in english. Yes, I absolutely agree that is the Genie's purpose.

Next time just say "Chapek" as in "they chapeked us again."

We'll all know what you mean.

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

I wish there was some sort of incentive to purchase multiple days or for length of stay. Like buy 4 days, get one free. Soften the blow a bit

 

[Chomama]

This 1,000,000%!!!

I don't want to have to make small talk with a human fastpass all day.

I also don't want to be "on the clock" when stopping for bathroom breaks / snacks / meals / standing in line

And don't even get me started on tipping the guide....

I understand a product similar to Universal EP would be extremely expensive. But at least offer it!

Club 33?

 

[danv3]

Even a complete newbie at the parks is going to be pretty p*****d off if they put in their “wishes” and don’t get any of them.

If Hayley goes to DHS and has put her preferences as all things Star Wars and only gets to ride Star Tours and gets sent to Ronto Traders for lunch, she isn’t going to be impressed just because she only waited 20 minutes for Star Tours. She’ll be questioning why it never suggested just waiting standby for Rise or Smugglers Run.

Any plan needs to account for the preferences of the guest or it becomes worthless. I find it hard to see how Genie was deemed acceptable by anyone who tested it.

I see that others have already basically said this, but your question assumes that Disney allowed regular customers to test Genie and accepted their feedback. I doubt that ever happened. For one thing, I think this site would have found out about the user testing.

More importantly, your scenario is Genie working exactly as designed. Disney didn't want or need to hear from customers about how they liked it. Disney is not in the customer satisfaction business.

 

[wutisgood]

I wish there was some sort of incentive to purchase multiple days or for length of stay. Like buy 4 days, get one free. Soften the blow a bit

Well disneyland was like $100 cheaper in the before times for multi day tickets and those discounts are now gone effectively pushing the price up significantly. I don't think we see anything that softens the blow until chapek is fired. But then again disneyland is still a better deal than orlando, although I would just cut to the 3 day 1 park per day over the 5 I had before for a bit less