BREAKING: Walt Disney World Introduces Date-Based Variable Pricing for Genie+ Service

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If everything in that list (and all of the other systems that I failed to think about) where part of the start-to-finish plan a vacation planning process on Disney's website, then a lot fewer people would get lost and become overwhelmed or frustrated with a Disney vacation.

TBH not really. People have been complaining about the complexity of a Disney vacation for years. It was all I seem to have read about when I joined in 2015. Has it gotten more complicated? Yeah IMO is def. has. But the point to a lot people is "this is a theme park vacation why is it so much xyz". There's a reason people say if you've planned a Disney vacation you can plan any vacation or planning for a Disney vacation has prepared me for other vacations. That's been the case for years. People just don't like that a theme park vacation is seemingly so complicated and involved. For many it's not a destination that should entail that much into it. And I don't honestly disagree but it's been that way for a long while. The complexity has just been given more layers.

 

[Jrb1979]

TBH not really. People have been complaining about the complexity of a Disney vacation for years. It was all I seem to have read about when I joined in 2015. Has it gotten more complicated? Yeah IMO is def. has. But the point to a lot people is "this is a theme park vacation why is it so much xyz". There's a reason people say if you've planned a Disney vacation you can plan any vacation or planning for a Disney vacation has prepared me for other vacations. That's been the case for years. People just don't like that a theme park vacation is seemingly so complicated and involved. For many it's not a destination that should entail that much into it. And I don't honestly disagree but it's been that way for a long while. The complexity has just been given more layers.

That's how my family feels. For a family like mine that travel the country and visit multiple parks a year Disney is at the bottom when it comes to ease of visiting.

 

[PaladinButters]

In my experience, Touring Plans is usually pretty good at crowd estimations. Can you tell me where you’re getting your crowd info? I’d like to check it out. Thanks!

They were pretty good in the “before times”.

We were there in late January (same time of year we usually go) and every day-after they were adding 2 more crowd points (for example they predicted a 6 and it ended up being an 8).
I have no doubts that they could be off this year for fall break as well. Everything is still crazy and we don’t have year over year data with Genie yet.

 

[Mango7100]

Was at Epcot and HS yesterday and Genie+ was $20. Guardians was $15 and Rise jumped to $20. We did purchase Genie for our family of 3 and got 6 LLs out of it on a very crowded Friday of Fall Break (though not as bad as Easter this year). We did Test Track and Spaceship Earth LLs at Epcot and then after using our Spaceship Earth at 10 am started stacking LLs for HS that evening—we had MMRR, RnRC, TSMM, and Smugglers LLs to use between 6-830. And I did not spend all day on the phone—less than 5 minutes for each selection. Got Guardians VQ and did Rise 20 minutes before closing. I think it is worth $20 for what we got, and I would rather do Genie and ILLs instead of a character meal for $67 per adult not including tax and tip. We will just shift some of our meal spending to have Genie and ILLs

 

[twodogs]

If the VIP tour were "only" 1k, you'd see it glutted to the point of useless as well. It's only because it is so expensive that it works so well. You can bet I'd buy it at that price.

Exactly. VIP tours are $425-$850/hr for up to 10 people, minimum 7 hours. And then you have a $400 or so tip on top of that. So IF you have the full 10 people on the VIP (which I rarely see; usually the groups are 4-6 people; we always have 4-6 only), you will still be paying way over the price of Universal’s Express Pass. Those who think Disney will move to a “front of the line, unlimited re-rides” pass like Universal need to compare it to the current pricing of Disney VIP tours. VIP tours do not even get “front of the line”; they get to wait in the LL unless there is a back door entrance. We have done many VIP tours, and while they are generally a much better experience than using LL’s, the price is much, much higher than folks here are discussing. If you did a VIP at the lowest price time, and you had the full 10 people on the tour, the price per person for 7 hours (NOT all day/night) is $338/person/7 hours. If it was a holiday weekend (even a minor holiday), it would be $635/person/7 hours. If you have less than 10people, it will cost even more per person. So any price that anyone thinks Disney will offer for unlimited “express pass” that is not this high, is not going to be realistic.

 

[cakebaker]

Was at Epcot and HS yesterday and Genie+ was $20. Guardians was $15 and Rise jumped to $20. We did purchase Genie for our family of 3 and got 6 LLs out of it on a very crowded Friday of Fall Break (though not as bad as Easter this year). We did Test Track and Spaceship Earth LLs at Epcot and then after using our Spaceship Earth at 10 am started stacking LLs for HS that evening—we had MMRR, RnRC, TSMM, and Smugglers LLs to use between 6-830. And I did not spend all day on the phone—less than 5 minutes for each selection. Got Guardians VQ and did Rise 20 minutes before closing. I think it is worth $20 for what we got, and I would rather do Genie and ILLs instead of a character meal for $67 per adult not including tax and tip. We will just shift some of our meal spending to have Genie and ILLs

We found booking attractions for our evening park to be really effective too- especially when we started out at Epcot or AK where G+ is not all that neccessary. It's one thing I like about it, it's works nicely with park hopping.

 

[RanDIZ]

Anyone who accepts these increases and continues to feed into Disney’s money grab is just giving them more reasons to continue to raise prices.

 

[cakebaker]

Anyone who accepts these increases and continues to feed into Disney’s money grab is just giving them more reasons to continue to raise prices.

Guilty as charged. I don't like price increases anymore than anyone else but I value the experience more. As long as Genie+ is in such demand that it's affecting the value of it, then I think raising prices is appropriate. There really isn't a good alternative to fix the immediate problem. I'd rather pay more for a good experience than pay less and get one that isn't what it could be. I don't buy the money grab claim- they're a business and charging what the market will bear is what they should be doing.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Guilty as charged. I don't like price increases anymore than anyone else but I value the experience more. As long as Genie+ is in such demand that it's affecting the value of it, then I think raising prices is appropriate. There really isn't a good alternative to fix the immediate problem. I'd rather pay more for a good experience than pay less and get one that isn't what it could be. I don't buy the money grab claim- they're a business and charging what the market will bear is what they should be doing.

I tend to go shy away from the money grab phrase but I think it's more or less just the idea of having things included that are no longer included. Every business out there can charge what the market will bear but every business out there also sets what is and isn't included. It's a fair criticism IMO.

I have readily admitted I was part of the problem at DL when we purchased MP and I resented it the whole time. It is on Disney for how they have utilized their paid system (MP and now Genie+) sometimes people just gloss over that because they are far more concerned about their trips than the larger picture.

 

[Jrb1979]

Anyone who accepts these increases and continues to feed into Disney’s money grab is just giving them more reasons to continue to raise prices.

First Disney does it cause people continue to pay it. The biggest one is many say there is nothing that compares to Disney. No other park will be as good a value as Disney for many

 

[Smugpugmug]

First Disney does it cause people continue to pay it. The biggest one is many say there is nothing that compares to Disney. No other park will be as good a value as Disney for many

Eh I see where they're coming from. I don't think there is a theme park in the US that comes close to WDW/DL in terms of immersion and detail. That and nostalgia is why people continue to pay for that experience. Not saying other parks are bad. I enjoy Universal and Hershey Park whenever I visit but there is something about Disney that is special to me. However I cannot defend the greediness of a lot of the price increases.

 

[Jrb1979]

Eh I see where they're coming from. I don't think there is a theme park in the US that comes close to WDW/DL in terms of immersion and detail. That and nostalgia is why people continue to pay for that experience. Not saying other parks are bad. I enjoy Universal and Hershey Park whenever I visit but there is something about Disney that is special to me. However I cannot defend the greediness of a lot of the price increases.

For my family we didn't grow up on the Disney parks I went when I was a kid a few times but don't remember much other then Epcot. We don't have the nostalgia that many here have.

 

[cakebaker]

First Disney does it cause people continue to pay it. The biggest one is many say there is nothing that compares to Disney. No other park will be as good a value as Disney for many

That's where we are. Someone give me an alternative to what Disney does- they can't. Universal is great for what it does, problem is, I don't like what it does. I love the Harry Potter areas- but you know what? It's not because I love Harry Potter, it's because it's done the way Disney would do it. Still, it's not worth what it costs for Universal just for that aspect and more importantly, it won't replace WDW. I have no doubt that a lifetime of visiting with memories that date back further than I care to say has a great deal to do with it. But until something comes along I like more that costs less, Disney is my only option for that type of vacation.

 

[Jrb1979]

That's where we are. Someone give me an alternative to what Disney does- they can't. Universal is great for what it does, problem is, I don't like what it does. I love the Harry Potter areas- but you know what? It's not because I love Harry Potter, it's because it's done the way Disney would do it. Still, it's not worth what it costs for Universal just for that aspect and more importantly, it won't replace WDW. I have no doubt that a lifetime of visiting with memories that date back further than I care to say has a great deal to do with it. But until something comes along I like more that costs less, Disney is my only option for that type of vacation.

From reading many threads here nostalgia plays a big part but I think the type of rides at Disney plays an even bigger part. Many here don't do thrill rides or coasters so parks like Universal and Busch Gardens do nothing for you.

 

[Smugpugmug]

For my family we didn't grow up on the Disney parks I went when I was a kid a few times but don't remember much other then Epcot. We don't have the nostalgia that many here have.

I get that. I have friends that have absolutely zero interest in Disney parks because they don't have that nostalgia that many have. They think the rides are dated and boring. But they also don't go to other parks and do other vacations instead.

 

[freshmanjs]

I don't think making dining reservations in advance is unreasonable (the previous 180 days certainly was but 60 days is more reasonable). However, I'm definitely not a fan of the fact that ADRs so heavily favor those doing long onsite stays. There's not a good reason for this to be true other than as a perk for spending more money on a Disney hotel. I would probably change it to no more than 5 days out at a time - certainly not 10. No onsite advantage at all would be more fair. So... in short, yes, I do think ADRs suffer from the same issue. I also think they are less important overall than attraction capacity.

I don't think literally anyone in this thread has said that they believe a few dollars increase on the price of Genie+ will cut demand. I definitely haven't said it. I don't think it's going to cut demand at all, especially not for people who have spent the last several months planning their end of 2022 trip (myself included).

The price is going to have to go a lot higher than it currently is to cut demand. I think Disney knows that, and as such, the current price increases to Genie+ fall into "because we can" rather than because it will help availability.

If Genie+ really struggles under the weight of holiday crowds this year, I think/hope Disney will make adjustments to it that will improve capacity. We haven't seen those adjustments yet.

By definition, any price increase reduces demand, unless you have a completely inelastic product (this is certainly not that).

 

[cakebaker]

From reading many threads here nostalgia plays a big part but I think the type of rides at Disney plays an even bigger part. Many here don't do thrill rides or coasters so parks like Universal and Busch Gardens do nothing for you.

They type of rides played a huge issue for us for many years but now with a boy who is 10 and wants to ride anything and everything thrill ride we have little choice but to include days at Universal. He still wants Disney as much as the rest of us thankfully, but it is a huge adjustment bringing Universal into the mix. I think part of the problem too is that some people want Disney to be what Disney is not and I hope never is, a thrill ride park. The group that clamors for more rides and specifically more thrill rides is not a small number. But I agree and I'm firmly in that camp of Disney not being replaceable with something else. That's why I find it curious when someone is upset with Disney and they play the I'll just go to Universal card- you can certainly do that, but it does nothing to replace the Disney experience.

 

[TimeToPack]

I wonder what will happen when Universal opens Epic Universe. Imagine all the kids that are going to want to ride Donkey Kong mine kart, Yoshi's Adventure and meet Mario and Luigi. The new Monsters area and a new Harry Potter ride, along with other add ons. Universal has a great chance to steal many people from Disney, which is why I think they built the hotels first. We love the Harry Potter area, so are looking forward to this new park. Prices may come down in Disney to attract people back.

 

[DavidNYC]

Here is a quote from a poster on another board about how Genie+ was supposed to work.

" If the system were operating as intended, you could just open the app up at 4pm and get a 5pm. That's the freedom it was supposed to offer. The planning is literally what they wanted to remove from the experience.

You shouldn't even have to think about reservations, there should just be availability all day long that you would be comfortable knowing that you didn't have to race to get a 5pm - but simply that it would be there whenever it came time."

Due to too many guests using it a day its not working.

No - that person had no idea what they were talking about. It was never "supposed" to work that way. Disney intended this to be a major source of revenue - not a guest convenience item. For it to work that way you suggest they would have to give up the vast majority of the revenue they are bringing in with this. If Disney intended it to work that way they could easily limit it - but that is exactly what they do not want to do.

 

[lowlight]

No - that person had no idea what they were talking about. It was never "supposed" to work that way. Disney intended this to be a major source of revenue - not a guest convenience item. For it to work that way you suggest they would have to give up the vast majority of the revenue they are bringing in with this. If Disney intended it to work that way they could easily limit it - but that is exactly what they do not want to do.

Yeah, there's no way Disney was suddenly surprised by how many people bought Genie+. "We're so surprised we are making so much money!" said no corporation, ever. They did extensive surveying and testing like they always do to know the buy-in rate before they began working on it. Creating a problem and selling the solution is both the beauty and the failure of capitalism- get rid of the artificial attendance caps on the parks for a few months, let them fill up with angry, sweaty guests waiting in long lines, sell them a way out of the rat maze, don't tell them the exit of the rat maze just leads to another rat maze.