Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[sndral]

Except Genie+ supposedly doesn't allow re-rides, can only be used one time per ride per day

Ouch, so in that sense worse than any previous version of FP. W/ the one at a time machines at least if you started early enough you had a shot at skipping the line to reride a favorite later in the day & w/ the 3 FP system you could sometimes snag a favorite for a reride after you’d run through your first 3.
The price point of $15 is low, but there’s so much uncertainty about what that $15 gets you - will it be one decent ride & then carousel of progress & IASW are what’s left at MK, or will you have decent options to chose from as each hour ticks away - you just won’t know until it’s time to try the Genie+ lottery for your next LL pass. In one sense it’s equalized the playing field because resort guests, who used to get a head start on booking 3 FPs per day, now only have a head start the morning of for that first LL & you only get that if you are willing to get up early enough.

 

[matt9112]

It was first come first serve. It was not the nightmare everyone made it out to be.


Still weird.

First come first serve on paper....however if 6000 people want the same thing and theres only 3000 spots....comes acorss very lottery like. It was first come first serve with a hard limit. If you did not win you were sol forever. And winning was legitimately determined by how fast your phone might be...your wifi or lack there of the menu sequence you used to try to claim a BG....sure seems like first come first serve to me

 

[flynnibus]

First come first serve on paper....however if 6000 people want the same thing and theres only 3000 spots....comes acorss very lottery like. It was first come first serve with a hard limit. If you did not win you were sol forever. And winning was legitimately determined by how fast your phone might be...your wifi or lack there of the menu sequence you used to try to claim a BG....sure seems like first come first serve to me

 

[Muffinpants]

I go home that day.... thankfully

 

[Trauma]

I can’t wait till this thing launches and we get to break it down and figure out how it works.

Im most interested in how things get distributed throughout the day.

It will also be interesting to see it’s value based on how busy the parks are.

Im selfishly happy that my next trip isn’t until the holidays so I’m sure things will be mostly figured out by then.

 

[Muffinpants]

I can’t wait till this thing launches and we get to break it down and figure out how it works.

Im most interested in how things get distributed throughout the day.

It will also be interesting to see it’s value based on how busy the parks are.

Im selfishly happy that my next trip isn’t until the holidays so I’m sure things will be mostly figured out by then.

Them taking the re ride out made me not want to get it at all. Rather pay for IA$ for rotr and FoP than buy genie

 

[witandwander]

The re-rides were really the only appealing part of Genie+ to me. One of the hard parts for our family (with 3 young kids) on vacation is the “That was so fun! Can we ride it again?” question. I would pay $60/day (for our whole fam) to be able to say “Yes!” and not have it ruin our touring plans for the rest of the day with a 45 minute wait.

 

[Kamikaze]

Why are we not discussing this?? All is forgiven if this is true. I will stand there all day and take Castle Cake selfies like it's 1996 and I'm still 9 years old and not yet the terrible Disney cynic I've become. And Chapek can have all my money for the privilege. I submit.

Disney Genie+ AR Selfie Filter to Recreate Infamous Cinderella "Cake Castle"

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

Oh yeah I'm in on that.

 

[nickys]

In one sense it’s equalized the playing field because resort guests, who used to get a head start on booking 3 FPs per day, now only have a head start the morning of for that first LL & you only get that if you are willing to get up early enough.

On-site guests get no Genie+ advantage at all. Everyone can book at 7am.
Onsite guests get an advantage for the IAS rides, and the early entry.

 

[dreday3]

If it launches for my trip I know we will at least try it for one day at each park - I'll report each day on how it went!

 

[flutas]

Honestly, I think the most telling part that this was supposed to launch before now is the fact that MDE hasn't been updated since Aug 20th.

Disney historically has done monthly, sometimes quicker, releases of MDE.

 

[Kamikaze]

Honestly, I think the most telling part that this was supposed to launch before now is the fact that MDE hasn't been updated since Aug 20th.

Disney historically has done monthly, sometimes quicker, releases of MDE.

It was never going to launch before Oct 5th. Never once was it planned for that to happen.

 

[pdude81]

On-site guests get no Genie+ advantage at all. Everyone can book at 7am.
Onsite guests get an advantage for the IAS rides, and the early entry.

I thought on site guests were allowed to buy it before 7am so they have potentially one or two minutes advantage. It's very little but there might be some benefit there.

 

[dreday3]

I thought on site guests were allowed to buy it before 7am so they have potentially one or two minutes advantage. It's very little but there might be some benefit there.

I think on-site guests can purchase Genie + starting at midnight for the next day? I guess if you didn't buy it when purchasing tickets? Or maybe everyone can...

Honestly, I have no idea.

 

[Chi84]

I didn't read anything about onsite guests being able to purchase Genie+ earlier than others. The original statement by Disney was that you could buy it as part of your vacation "package" or on the day of your visit. Later, someone clarified that the first would mean when you bought your tickets and you would have to buy it for every day of your visit. If not, you could buy on the day of your visit, but the original release did not say what time Then I read (don't know if this was directly from Disney) that day of purchase meant starting at midnight. As far as I know, the only advantage for onsite guests is being able to purchase and schedule two rides at 7 a.m. while others have to wait until park open.

 

[JakeAZ]

As far as I know, the only advantage for onsite guests is being able to purchase and schedule two rides at 7 a.m.

This is what irritates me the most. The only on-site "advantage" is being allowed to give Disney more money earlier.

 

[sndral]

On-site guests get no Genie+ advantage at all. Everyone can book at 7am.
Onsite guests get an advantage for the IAS rides, and the early entry.

I didn't read anything about onsite guests being able to purchase Genie+ earlier than others. The original statement by Disney was that you could buy it as part of your vacation "package" or on the day of your visit. Later, someone clarified that the first would mean when you bought your tickets and you would have to buy it for every day of your visit. If not, you could buy on the day of your visit, but the original release did not say what time Then I read (don't know if this was directly from Disney) that day of purchase meant starting at midnight. As far as I know, the only advantage for onsite guests is being able to purchase and schedule two rides at 7 a.m. while others have to wait until park open.

Thanks for the correction, I think I confused IA$ w/ Genie+. There have been so many changes I need to start keeping notes, trying to plan our next trip is like trying to hit a moving target.
in 2019 w/ FP+ we got up early once 60 days before arrival & scheduled 3 rides for each day at one park, in 2021 if we want to skip lines we will have to get up early every day to make one Genie+ ride reservation & then fiddle w/ the phones throughout the day to get whatever next ride may exist at whatever random time Disney’s algorithm comes up w/, can now pay extra $$ to ride 2 top tier rides day of, if this Genie thing happens before we get there I think times are: midnight - buy G+, 7am - schedule LL first ride, - buy IA$ first ride but only at the park I have reserved? or buy 2 AI$? - if at Epcot VQ Rat but VQ ROTR gone or maybe not depends on the mood of Disney that day, half hour before park open can enter chosen park - but do they have enough buses to get us there w/ the driver shortage?
- Going to whatever park we wanted & hopping when we wanted in 2019 replaced w/ the rigid park reservation system, must ‘check in’ at reserved park before hopping, no hopping before 2 & no guarantee that we can hop at all
- Park hours shorter, EMH mornings are now every park, every day but only a half hour, EMH evening hours are 2 rather than 3 hours & only for deluxe resorts & only at Epcot & MK & those are different days of the week than before.
And those are just the changes to how to ride rides inside the parks, every other aspect of the visit has changed as well, from dinning, transportation, service at the resort, fireworks shows, parades, character meets, etc..

 

[Waters Back Side]

I think on-site guests can purchase Genie + starting at midnight for the next day? I guess if you didn't buy it when purchasing tickets? Or maybe everyone can...

Honestly, I have no idea.

On site guests have 2 options for Genie +..buy it per day with first selection allowed at 7am just like non resort guests, or purchase the Genie + for length of stay in advance for each day you have a park ticket. In which you still can make your first choice at 7am each day.

IAS rides are 7am for first choice with choice of time of day to choose. Off site guests 9am is the time they can make their first choice.

 

[JakeAZ]

Thanks for the correction, I think I confused IA$ w/ Genie+. There have been so many changes I need to start keeping notes, trying to plan our next trip is like trying to hit a moving target.
in 2019 w/ FP+ we got up early once 60 days before arrival & scheduled 3 rides for each day at one park, in 2021 if we want to skip lines we will have to get up early every day to make one Genie+ ride reservation & then fiddle w/ the phones throughout the day to get whatever next ride may exist at whatever random time Disney’s algorithm comes up w/, can now pay extra $$ to ride 2 top tier rides day of, if this Genie thing happens before we get there I think times are: midnight - buy G+, 7am - schedule LL first ride, - buy IA$ first ride but only at the park I have reserved? or buy 2 AI$? - if at Epcot VQ Rat but VQ ROTR gone or maybe not depends on the mood of Disney that day, half hour before park open can enter chosen park
- Going to whatever park we wanted & hopping when we wanted in 2019 replaced w/ the rigid park reservation system, must ‘check in’ at reserved park before hopping, no hopping before 2 & no guarantee that we can hop at all
- Park hours shorter, EMH mornings are now every park, every day but only a half hour, EMH evening hours are 2 rather than 3 hours & only for deluxe resorts & only at Epcot & MK & those are different days of the week than before.
And those are just the changes to how to ride rides inside the parks, every other aspect of the visit has changed as well, from dinning, transportation, service at the resort, fireworks shows, parades, character meets, etc..

And Disney felt all those restrictions / hoops to jump through should cost us more.

 

[Chi84]

Thanks for the correction, I think I confused IA$ w/ Genie+. There have been so many changes I need to start keeping notes, trying to plan our next trip is like trying to hit a moving target.
in 2019 w/ FP+ we got up early once 60 days before arrival & scheduled 3 rides for each day at one park, in 2021 if we want to skip lines we will have to get up early every day to make one Genie+ ride reservation & then fiddle w/ the phones throughout the day to get whatever next ride may exist at whatever random time Disney’s algorithm comes up w/, can now pay extra $$ to ride 2 top tier rides day of, if this Genie thing happens before we get there I think times are: midnight - buy G+, 7am - schedule LL first ride, - buy IA$ first ride but only at the park I have reserved? or buy 2 AI$? - if at Epcot VQ Rat but VQ ROTR gone or maybe not depends on the mood of Disney that day, half hour before park open can enter chosen park - but do they have enough buses to get us there w/ the driver shortage?
- Going to whatever park we wanted & hopping when we wanted in 2019 replaced w/ the rigid park reservation system, must ‘check in’ at reserved park before hopping, no hopping before 2 & no guarantee that we can hop at all
- Park hours shorter, EMH mornings are now every park, every day but only a half hour, EMH evening hours are 2 rather than 3 hours & only for deluxe resorts & only at Epcot & MK & those are different days of the week than before.
And those are just the changes to how to ride rides inside the parks, every other aspect of the visit has changed as well, from dinning, transportation, service at the resort, fireworks shows, parades, character meets, etc..

Nice summary. We’re going in a few weeks and I hope Genie+ is up by then so I can try it out and report back.

I hate to condemn any system before I try it, but the waking up early, lack of flexibility due to park reservations and having to be on the phone all day don’t sound like very much fun. Disney may be getting an earful from me on October 29.