Disney Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World

[DoTheImpossible]

This never ends. 1) Ending Magic Express Service; 2) Adding Resort/Parking Fees; 3) Ending complimentary magic bands; 4) Insane Star Wars star cruiser pricing; 5) Ending free fastpass.

What a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of WDW.

This type of short term thinking has hurt Disney in the long run before, and I genuinely believe it will again.

The constant increasing cost for a lessened experience will hurt Disney Long after Chapek gets thrown out the door.

 

[Waters Back Side]

I did not see anything in the video (other then calling LP similar to Maxpass) that says you have to wait 90 minutes after the window ends of the first ride you selected at 7am.

For all I know at 7am on my MK day I can pay for Genie +, choose Splash Mointain, be assigned a time of between 10 am and 10:45 am to enter the Lightning Lane and ride it, and then at 10:46 I can make my next choice. Thats a big different over 90 minutes.

 

[jpinkc]

This never ends. 1) Ending Magic Express Service; 2) Adding Resort/Parking Fees; 3) Ending complimentary magic bands; 4) Insane Star Wars star cruiser pricing; 5) Ending free fastpass.

What a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of WDW.

This type of short term thinking has hurt Disney in the long run before, and I genuinely believe it will again.

The constant increasing cost for a lessened experience will hurt Disney Long after Chapek gets thrown out the door.

I used to think that but I keep hearing all the apologists everywhere telling me I am wrong to be upset about it

 

[MrPromey]

I dont think Disney cares to make either Happy, so long as they are willing to throw cash at Disney

Notice I didn't say who they care more about making happy?

 

[Satans Hockey]

I didn't read this whole thread yet so someone might have said something similar already but I don't think using Six Flags and Cedar Fair is a good comparison.

My season passes that get me into all the six flags and cedar fair parks throughout their chains for those two combined are about the equivalent of 2-3 days at a Disney park price wise.

Universal makes more sense to compare but even still their highest tier season pass gets you express passes after 4pm for the entire year.

 

[erasure fan1]

Ok, it’s settled - I’m done. The trip we are taking the week of Labor Day feels way more expensive than what it’s worth.

Our theoretical next trip will totally not be worth the money, in my opinion - at least not for my family of five (4 “adults” and 1 child).

We have a trip planned for next summer to make up for our last year trip that was canceled because of Covid. I am guessing that we end up using my in-laws DVC points, stay a week, don't go to the parks, and take what we planned to spend last year on tickets and use it to visit other local attractions. We'll spend time at the pool, eat off property... I just see the costs being 25 to 30% worse by next summer.

 

[KrzyKtty]

Honestly, I really did like the max pass system at Disneyland. But the biggest difference was if you didn't want to pay for the digital convenience, you could still run around pulling paper versions all day. So comparing it to Max pass isn't exactly true either.

 

[brb1006]

Social media isn't reacting well to this annoucement. Think this may be the biggest push back I've seen among Disney visitors.

Found this image from Twitter which is more accurate.

 

[KingdomofDreams]

My question is, who's the idiot who came up with this so-called plan? I can totally understand paying for FP/LL access and was prepared to do so, but not for this. I could list every piece of it that doesn't/won't work for me as a customer on vacation, but I'm so disgusted I'd better say no more right now.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Honestly, I really did like the max pass system at Disneyland. But the biggest difference was if you didn't want to pay for the digital convenience, you could still run around pulling paper versions all day. So comparing it to Max pass isn't exactly true either.

That’s why I liked maxpass as well. The only thing you were paying for was the convenience of not walking to the FP kiosk.

 

[Missing20K]

Nothing says “the premier hospitality resort vacation destination on earth” like day of surge upcharges.

And if the upcharges are anything like $4 then it’s a straight up nickel-dime job.

ETA: my bewilderment has overwhelmed my ability to clearly articulate my thoughts

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

Genie they claimed to be giving us:

Genie we got:

 

[DisneyDodo]

Genie sounds like it will be self-defeating. The value of Touring Plans is that they keep you away from everyone else. If everyone is using Genie, wouldn't they all get the same advice? Unless Disney is intentionally going to screw some guests over for the benefit of others. Either way, doesn't sound all that valuable.

 

[jpinkc]

Nothing says “the premier hospitality resort vacation destination on earth” like day of surge upcharges.

And if the upcharges are anything like $4 then it’s a straight up nickel-dime job.

I think your UPCHARGE is way to low for the Tier 1 screw job I can sense coming. They already found a way to make us pay for Standing in the Stand by line as you know Genie+ will be gobbled up so it will become the defacto Stand By line

 

[brettf22]

I did not see anything in the video (other then calling LP similar to Maxpass) that says you have to wait 90 minutes after the window ends of the first ride you selected at 7am.

For all I know at 7am on my MK day I can pay for Genie +, choose Splash Mointain, be assigned a time of between 10 am and 10:45 am to enter the Lightning Lane and ride it, and then at 10:46 I can make my next choice. Thats a big different over 90 minutes.

It’s not that you have to wait 90 minutes after the window ends on your first ride. MaxPass’ rule was that you had to wait to get another pass until either you used the first pass, *or* 90 minutes had passed since you *obtained* the pass, whichever was shorter.

For example: If you got a pass at 9am, and the return window was 10-11am, you could get a new pass as soon as you used the pass. So at 10am you checked into the first ride, then opened the app and immediately got a second pass. That second pass’ window was from 7-8pm. Then you have to wait 90 minutes to get another pass. So you get a third pass at 11:30am. And so on.

 

[KrzyKtty]

I don't mind the new system in theory. Well $600 for my family of four over our 10-day vacation sounds steep, it's definitely thousands cheaper than a VIP tour that I'm also considering (mostly for the convenience of simplicity.)

My problem is all the different line systems that have to be juggled now. Even if you decide to not buy genie+, or lightning lane tier one access, you still have some level of management between standard cues and virtual cues. So the average guest (not most people on this board) needs to be aware of which rides use virtual and which ones don't. And then they need to be aware of which ones use lightning lane with genie+ and which ones don't. And we're still not sure if there will be some rides that use nothing but the standard cue. So at minimum we have four different line systems running simultaneously in the park, and maybe more. That's a lot of information to juggle it seems.

 

[BaconPancakes]

Yep if everyone is paying $15 a day, which they will, the system has no benefit. At least make the price something that the average guest would be less likely to pay if you want to make it useful.

 

[SarahWI]

They already found a way to make us pay for Standing in the Stand by line as you know Genie+ will be gobbled up so it will become the defacto Stand By line

Or the genie+ passes are so limited that the lightning line moves fast but the majority of people who bought genie+ are in standby line.

functionally it depends on how many passes are available to genie+ purchasers: same, more, or less than the old FP? If more than yes the lightning line is the new standby line. If same, then functions like legacy fp or max pass. If less, then you get through quicker if you score a pass but get stuck in standby if not.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

Am I right in understanding that both 1) the VQ and 2) Genie+ go on sale each day at 7:00 a.m., at the same time?

I'm pretty tech savvy but not ambidextrous.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

So at minimum we have four different line systems running simultaneously in the park, and maybe more. That's a lot of information to juggle it seems.

Plus, DAS, to include DAS Advance