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

[Disturbia]

They should really introduce more complexities to the system while they’re at it. How about Tiered pricing within the Genie+ system. $5 for Mountains, $4 for Classics, $2 for rusted.

 

[snikki]

I wonder if the higher prices are causing less people to buy. I just checked DHS tip board and Slinky has been available all morning for PM times.

I don’t usually check the tip boards but with an upcoming trip I am starting to check it.

 

[Disturbia]

Personally I would budget $50 for Christmas.

I agree. Dec is way more crowded and all parks sell out, capacities are reached etc.

 

[Jrb1979]

Actually, there is a good alternative--limit the number of G+s sold.

Sure, that might not be "fair" but raising the price isn't fair either. I'd rather have the fairness go in the direction of something random than favoring the guests who have more money to spend.

However, knowing the way Disney's been lately, money is ruling every decision. I just wish the posters on this board would quit encouraging them.

I do get what you are saying. IMO people would be less angered if they are priced out of it versus keeping it at $22 and telling them you can't buy it.

 

[Smugpugmug]

They should really introduce more complexities to the system while they’re at it. How about Tiered pricing within the Genie+ system. $5 for Mountains, $4 for Classics, $2 for rusted.

I remember Shanghai Disneyland doing something like this but they have a pay per ride only system. So you can bundle Fantasyland rides together for a set cost or thrill rides.

 

[set88]

I wouldn't be surprised by $50 for Christmas Day and New Year's Eve...$40 for Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, and Christmas Eve/Boxing Day...and $30s for most of the holiday season...

I don't think they'll go that high because of all the Genie+ presold days at the much lower price. But I could be wrong.

It will be interesting to see whether if they do raise prices by that much, we see significantly less people purchasing. They absolutely need to sell less Genie+ at peak crowd times, but I don't know if I can guess what number will make people not willing to buy.

 

[Disturbia]

I wonder if the higher prices are causing less people to buy. I just checked DHS tip board and Slinky has been available all morning for PM times.

I don’t usually check the tip boards but with an upcoming trip I am starting to check it.

ROTR is sold out.

Slinky 8:15 pm
TOT 3:35 pm

 

[TwoMisfits]

I don't think they'll go that high because of all the Genie+ presold days at the much lower price. But I could be wrong.

It will be interesting to see whether if they do raise prices by that much, we see significantly less people purchasing. They absolutely need to sell less Genie+ at peak crowd times, but I don't know if I can guess what number will make people not willing to buy.

At those prices, plus LLs at $30-35 for the time (which I also expect), that would take limited front of the line into the close to $100 per ticket range, which I think would slow down buys...thus, I expect those prices, especially b/c it's Chapek in charge...

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I do get what you are saying. IMO people would be less angered if they are priced out of it versus keeping it at $22 and telling them you can't buy it.

I agree there, I think there should be a cap but the price also needs to be higher.

Much of the talk could be summed up by this meme



At the pricing now if you put a cap too low more people would be upset that they have money they are willing to part with but Disney won't let them. You have that now with a reservation system which is free. People don't like being shut out. It would be something to put a cap on it just in the fact that it could sell out even if it rarely does but to have a meaningful cap the price needs to be high enough that the frequency in which that cap is actually utilized is low enough not to cause too much angst. Too many people are willing to pay the price now.

 

[set88]

I wonder if the higher prices are causing less people to buy. I just checked DHS tip board and Slinky has been available all morning for PM times.

I don’t usually check the tip boards but with an upcoming trip I am starting to check it.

I'm going to try to keep track of the data because I'm really curious about this.

Just from what I've looked at so far (HS on two 8/10 days before and after the price increase) there was somewhat better availability on the higher priced day. But that could mean nothing. We'll see if that seems to actually be a trend.

 

[Disturbia]

At DL the genie+ system worked really well and as it was intended (no stacking required). I agree too many people are buying it at WDW right now making the experience miserable for all.

On the other hand if it’s too high, all those people who are not buying will further crowd the standby and make lines even longer.

Disney is artificially increasing wait times by not operating rides to capacity (we see this routinely at TOT in the am).

 

[wilkydelts]

I don’t think Disney is worried about what people bought it at before June 8 compared to now. It was advertised and they gave everyone an opportunity. I also don’t think the pre sold genie+ make up a high percentage.

 

[DaviVascaino]

I wonder if the higher prices are causing less people to buy. I just checked DHS tip board and Slinky has been available all morning for PM times.

I don’t usually check the tip boards but with an upcoming trip I am starting to check it.

at least there is a silver lining.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Well now I’m wishing we had a poll on max Genie pricing I’m holding onto my lowly $30 but more power to the Mouse if he can extract $50!

 

[Smugpugmug]

Well now I’m wishing we had a poll on max Genie pricing I’m holding onto my lowly $30 but more power to the Mouse if he can extract $50!

I think for insanely busy crowd times like Christmas and Thanksgiving, they can do $50. Not sure if they will this year but it wouldn't surprise me at all if they did.

 

[DavidNYC]

But, but, but, I thought last week was extra cause it was Fall Break.

Yup - just as I said. You will see $15 on a couple of the absolutely lowest crowd days of the year for the sole purpose of allowing them to use the $15 in their advertising.

 

[DavidNYC]

I am continually disgusted by the constant (but accurate) "they need to price more people out of Disney" discussion. What has become of this company? And before you try the misguided response "they're a money making company" - that has always been the case. What has changed is the corporate philosophy which was really what once made Disney stand out from the rest.

 

[DavidNYC]

It was supposed to work that way. Disney thought it would work like MaxPass did at DL. Very rare was there no availability like you see with Genie+. There is a reason they made the disclaimer to only expect 2-3 attractions per day.

Here's the thing, the people that work in the parks have seen the complaints and know that Genie+ needs to be more limited. Originally that was the plan. Problem is those at the top don't want to lose the money it brings in.

IMO there is a sweet spot where they continue to make the same revenue from Genie+ but also limit the amount of sales. I personally think $50 a day would do it.

Absolutely not unless you think that in the billions of dollars of research that went into this the people that developed this didn't know the difference between the two parks and that the people on this board easily predicted an outcome that you think blindsided the people who developed this over years. This is working EXACTLY as intended and has led to record profits once again. And that is the crux of everything. Corporate America cannot handle good profits anymore. It is a constant demand for RECORD profits every year. And that drives companies to need to be more extreme and do more and more shenanigans both in operations and on paper.

 

[rastuso]

I think this is really what it comes down to. Nostalgia is huge, but it's also true that there is absolutely no other theme park out there (at least not in the US and possibly not anywhere) really offers which Disney offers - which is heavily immersive theming on rides that everyone (including small children and those that can't do thrill rides) can ride.

Universal doesn't do this, IMO. They don't really offer a lot for small children the way Disney does and they don't offer a lot for those wanting gentle rides. I don't see Universal as a true and complete competitor to Disney. If you have older children and like rides with a bit more thrill, Universal is awesome. If you don't want to do thrill rides, it's limited.

Disney can run away with pricing because no other theme park out there does what they do. Without competition, they have complete freedom in price setting, and they're using it.

But what is the desire for that in 2022? The Magic Kingdom has added very little since it opened, really. And they were all bigger thrill rides with height requirements : Space, Splash, BTMRR, and soon Tron. They only recently added new Fantasyland. Yes, they’ve added little things but very little else that was marketable. The park is VERY stale. It opened nothing for its 50th anniversary.

The MK survives on nostalgia from parents who grew up going to it. Back in the 70s and 80s, it was full of unique dark rides and themed experiences. Those rides are now 50 years old. Does a 5 year old in 2022 really get “wowed” by Peter Pan? Maybe if their parents think it’s so awesome they used to wake up at midnight months before vacation to schedule a ride on it. But on I t’s own, it’s just not what it was a generation or two ago.

Look at Universal Studios, They’ve been open 30 years, and have essentially ONE ride left from opening year, and that is the very Disney-esque ET. But even it is Peter Pan on steroids, at 30 years old.

Universal can charge a lot for folks to skip lines for new and thrilling rides that people willl ride multiple times. I Don’t see Disney being able to charge anywhere near Express levels when they offer mostly very old tech rides in their premier park. Foreign visitors would perhaps do it. Once in a lifetimers in America MAYBE, but if they are once ever visitors, it may very well be because they saved a ton for the trip, so they may not pay either.

And Epcot and AK just don’t offer enough rides to charge much. Studios could perhaps charge a large sum, since they are overcrowded.

Disney World chose to essentially build nothing for 20 years. Now 3 of their parks got fewer people than the Universal parks last year. That is HUGE. Yes, Disney has been finally building new rides in the last 5 years, but it s too late, all their parks are overcrowded, so they have to start charging for access. The $15 price was ridiculously low for any sort of Disney park perk. Well, unless you’re local using a Season Pass.

 

[set88]

At DL the genie+ system worked really well and as it was intended (no stacking required). I agree too many people are buying it at WDW right now making the experience miserable for all.

On the other hand if it’s too high, all those people who are not buying will further crowd the standby and make lines even longer.

Disney is artificially increasing wait times by not operating rides to capacity (we see this routinely at TOT in the am).

The standby wait times should be less with less LL usage. LL people that show up later than you if you're in standby get to skip you. If most people are using standby, there's much less skipping and the lines move at a consistent rate.

Just from my experience at other theme parks, lines are more tolerable when they are constantly moving, vs frequently coming to a stop, which is what happens when too many fast pass people show up. Lines also move more efficiently when staff doesn't have to constantly switch back and forth between two different lines to pull people from.