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

[cakebaker]

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.

Or they could just keep raising the price- fewer people buying, but buying at a higher price means the same or more money for Disney and a better guest experience. To put out a product at a price it would seem a lot of people are willing to pay, then tell a great many of them they can't have it is a disaster. It seems much better to me to raise the price and then people are deciding for themselves whether to buy it or not, but they are not blocked by Disney.

 

[cakebaker]

Yeah, there's no way Disney was suddenly surprised by how many people bought Genie+.

Surprised? Nope- but offering an introductory price, getting people use to using it, then raising the price slowly to reduce demand and keep the product working well sounds like a pretty sound plan to me. I don't believe Disney's model is to make guests miserable for months and then offer a solution to a problem they intentionally created.

 

[set88]

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.

This is a really good point and something I'd considered too. Disney may not have wanted to do an express pass like every other theme park offers because they thought it might compete with VIP tours - which are massively insanely expensive compared to even the best express pass at any other theme park.

I do think a much more limited in number sold version of Genie+ that worked the same way it does now but with better LL availability would sell well but not steal people away from VIP tours.

 

[lowlight]

I don't believe Disney's model is to make guests miserable for months and then offer a solution to a problem they intentionally created.

I didn't say it was always intentional, just that it was a problem they created. Disney has a pretty good way of talking out both sides of their mouth. For example, Disney making it sound like they want to attract higher spenders and lower park attendance that way, but really they just mean they want to charge every person who attends the parks more for everything they touch or look at or smell. The idea was never to price people out of the parks to make it a better time for those attending, even though that is the unintentional consequence. They could've just raised prices of tickets 2x and gotten rid of all discounts and half the people I know would never step foot in the parks again, but it would be great for those wealthy enough to still attend.

 

[set88]

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.

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.

 

[Alexis56578]

I kinda regret not buying it for my trip when you could pre-purchase it for your vacation.

I'm wondering if doing the Christmas party will negate the need for MK, but I know I'm doing AK and Epcot because FoP and GoTG.

 

[set88]

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 agree with you. I can't see getting angry at Disney because they are able to raise their prices and make more money. I understand that at the end of the day, they are a business with the goal of making the most money they can. If every single thing they offer is selling out - if dining reservations are completely full, if park capacity is completely maxed, if hotels are completely booked up, etc... there's literally no reason why they shouldn't raise prices, given that their goal is to make as much money as they can.

All I can do is look at what they offer and what my budget is, and see if I still feel I'm getting enough value out of what they are asking for to make it worth going. If yes, I'll go. If not, I won't. Currently I'm ok with paying what I had to pay to go, and I do feel that Disney is offering an experience I cannot get elsewhere (I've been a Universal passholder and I've done those parks to death).

The risk for Disney is that people might get used to not going to Disney, or used to not having all the extras they may have been willing to pay for in the past. Then if there comes a time when Disney does start struggling, it may be harder to get those people to come back or to pay for all the extras again.

Except I don't actually believe that will happen and I don't blame Disney for not believing it either. I think they offer a product that truly has no competition - and as such, people will be back. Disney is choosing to make as much money as they possibly can right now, and if they hit a tipping point where prices are too high and enough people just aren't paying them, all they have to do is advertise discounts and people will be rushing back to book stuff solid again immediately.

I'm not saying any of this is how things should be in a perfect world, but it's the reality.

 

[set88]

I kinda regret not buying it for my trip when you could pre-purchase it for your vacation.

I'm wondering if doing the Christmas party will negate the need for MK, but I know I'm doing AK and Epcot because FoP and GoTG.

You don't have to buy Genie+ to buy the individual lightning lanes for FoP and GoG. They are separate. And I would honestly say it's a better use of funds to buy the ILLs for those two rides than it is to buy Genie+ for those parks.

 

[cakebaker]

Disney making it sound like they want to attract higher spenders and lower park attendance that way, but really they just mean they want to charge every person who attends the parks more for everything they touch or look at or smell. The idea was never to price people out of the parks to make it a better time for those attending, even though that is the unintentional consequenc

You can certainly believe those things if you wish, but that would make Disney a pretty inept, tone deaf company and it seems to be they are far too successful for that to be true. And with your theories. anything that happens that is positive is somehow unintended (lower crowd levels) and anything negative (charging for everything guests touch) were their real intentions. As I said, believe it if you want, but it makes no sense.

 

[cakebaker]

I kinda regret not buying it for my trip when you could pre-purchase it for your vacation.

I'm wondering if doing the Christmas party will negate the need for MK, but I know I'm doing AK and Epcot because FoP and GoTG.

The Christmas Parties are notoriously over crowded- I don't believe you're going to see low wait times for rides then, expecially on the more popular rides. AK and Epcot are the 2 parks I think are fairly easy to navigate without Genie+, especially if you're willing to buy ILL's. The MK is the one that you need it the most in.

 

[lowlight]

You can certainly believe those things if you wish, but that would make Disney a pretty inept, tone deaf company and it seems to be they are far too successful for that to be true. And with your theories. anything that happens that is positive is somehow unintended (lower crowd levels) and anything negative (charging for everything guests touch) were their real intentions. As I said, believe it if you want, but it makes no sense.

As you said, it's just a theory. I think Disney has shown great ineptitude (Magical Express?), but they are also financially savvy. Disney has said over and over again they want to price people out. If you say you want to focus on "spendier" customers and reduce crowd levels at the same time, do you A) release a paid FP replacement that doesn't price anyone out, but is adopted by 60%+ of your customers at the cost of $20 per customer, or B) raise gate prices substantially enough that the average Disney vacation is out of the reach of X% of people.

 

[Cfabar1]

We were at Epcot on Friday… We did not buy Genie+, but we wish we had… the lines were so long. We said, for the 2 of us, it wasn’t too bad, especially since we have APs. However, if we had little kids with us, we’d gladly pay the $20 for the convenience per ticket - even with the APs.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This is a really good point and something I'd considered too. Disney may not have wanted to do an express pass like every other theme park offers because they thought it might compete with VIP tours - which are massively insanely expensive compared to even the best express pass at any other theme park.

I do think a much more limited in number sold version of Genie+ that worked the same way it does now but with better LL availability would sell well but not steal people away from VIP tours.

At the lowest end you're paying just shy of $2,975 and at the highest end $5,950. You really think they would get close to pricing a get ahead of the line that would get near enough that it would tilt the scales? I really rather doubt that and I don't realistically think they would get close to that amount.

 

[motherof5]

Like Disneyland, Walt Disney World has now introduced date-based variable pricing for the Disney Genie+ service.

The lowest prices still begin at $15 but will vary up to $22 per person, per day depending on the day. Genie+ can only be purchased on the day of your visit, and Disney recommends checking the My Disney Experience app for the current pricing.

https://wdwnt.com/2022/10/breaking-...ate-based-variable-pricing-for-genie-service/

This is so frustrating. Loved Fast Pass sad they are a thing of the past.

 

[set88]

At the lowest end you're paying just shy of $2,975 and at the highest end $5,950. You really think they would get close to pricing a get ahead of the line that would get near enough that it would til the scales? I really rather doubt that and I don't realistically think they would get close to that amount.

I think Disney's concern would be that, say they offered an Express pass for let's say $300 per person for the whole day, and it worked just as well as a VIP tour... hardly anyone would be paying the thousands of dollars for the VIP tour.

I think a Genie+ that works better than Genie+ does currently, but doesn't offer the same unlimited front of the line access as a VIP tour, could work and not compete with the VIP tour. Assuming that the VIP tour is the reason Disney hasn't done an express pass like Universal's already (which I think is likely).

I actually think Genie+ works pretty well for most on mid to lower crowd days, it's just higher crowd days where it struggles.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think Disney's concern would be that, say they offered an Express pass for let's say $300 per person for the whole day, and it worked just as well as a VIP tour... hardly anyone would be paying the thousands of dollars for the VIP tour.

I think a Genie+ that works better than Genie+ does currently, but doesn't offer the same unlimited front of the line access as a VIP tour, could work and not compete with the VIP tour. Assuming that the VIP tour is the reason Disney hasn't done an express pass like Universal's already (which I think is likely).

I actually think Genie+ works pretty well for most on mid to lower crowd days, it's just higher crowd days where it struggles.

Right but my point is I don't think they would get near a price to make an offset such that they would worry about it. Plus you have to incorporate the ability to use a pass in more than one park if speaking about pricing structure. At Universal the high cost comes in when you want park to park (a reason I'm watching what their program will be when Epic Universe opens and expands).

There's nothing that would really point to Disney not choosing on a pass like other parks for fear they would not have enough people do the VIP tours. As is what you're trying to do is come up with these random numbers that would then make the VIP tour obsolete. This is Disney...the more likely answer is they would just raise the VIP tours and at the present price point observationally people are saying "I'm seeing more plaids in the parks" plaids being the VIP tours and even I have to say I did notice them although I didn't pay much attention in my other trips I just happen to see a good amount of them floating around with people.

I get being like about it.

 

[Jrb1979]

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.

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.

 

[Mango7100]

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.

Agree. I don’t have much interest in Universal—I hate big coasters (Guardians is my limit but I love it) and DH can’t do some simulator screen based rides. So there isn’t much for us to be able to do as a family. DD9 is way into Harry Potter (as us parents are), so we will need to do that but I can’t imagine more than 2 days. And a 2 day ticket to Universal and staying at their resort isn’t exactly cheap, especially when we have Disney APs already. We live near Dollywood and while it’s a fine park it’s not the same as Disney. it’s a day park—not a week long vacation. So right now Disney is the park for us. And while I would rather not pay for Genie even though we can afford to having a better vacation is more important to me than not getting it based on some moral objection. Of course Genie for a family of 3 is easier to take than for larger families, but that is true for any financial aspect of vacation.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Agree. I don’t have much interest in Universal—I hate big coasters (Guardians is my limit but I love it) and DH can’t do some simulator screen based rides. So there isn’t much for us to be able to do as a family. DD9 is way into Harry Potter (as us parents are), so we will need to do that but I can’t imagine more than 2 days. And a 2 day ticket to Universal and staying at their resort isn’t exactly cheap, especially when we have Disney APs already. We live near Dollywood and while it’s a fine park it’s not the same as Disney. it’s a day park—not a week long vacation. So right now Disney is the park for us. And while I would rather not pay for Genie even though we can afford to having a better vacation is more important to me than not getting it based on some moral objection. Of course Genie for a family of 3 is easier to take than for larger families, but that is true for any financial aspect of vacation.

Well it can decently priced when they run deals plus their AP is more reasonably priced.

Right now USO is running a 2 day get 2 days free

And their hotels are quite reasonably priced IMO. We found Endless Summer great (we paid $134/night in May) and their transportation amazing. We did do one night at Royal Pacific for the EP for 2 of our 3 days we were at the parks and we do know that the rack rate for right then was a bit higher than it has been found to be. ETA and I should add that your family of 3 would all get EP included in the cost of your hotel stay if you stated at one of the three highest level hotels.

In any case USO isn't for everyone and it's totally fine for it not to be, it really shouldn't be much like Disney shouldn't be for everyone. But I would say "not exactly cheap" may be a stretch in a description

 

[Disneychick13]

I really think they just plain screwed up with the whole genie + thing. I mean I know that sounds crazy that they just underestimated demand and availability but I do believe that’s what they did. What they will do to get out of it, who knows. Incrementally adding a few bucks at a time isn’t going to get them there though. Their fatal error was introducing a free system in the 1st place. They could have had a system kind of like universal (just paid/no deluxe hotels included) and they would have been sitting pretty this whole time. Honestly whatever they do now will continually portray them as greedy or inept or both.