Can’t afford genie+

[MomEadon]

Can’t afford to add genie+ to our family of 6 going in 2 weeks.

Curious if our whole day will just be standing in hours long lines with our young children?

Just discouraged as we saved just enough for this trip and have been looking forward to it but now wonder if our day will be for nothing after spending $700+ to enter the park that day

 

[pryncess527]

No, it will not be for nothing. Yes, you will spend significantly more time in line, but honestly the lines at Disney are usually interactive and at least mildly interesting. If you accept that you’ll stand in line, enjoy the time talking to each other and chatting with strangers in line, it won’t be the end of the world. It’s how the vast majority of people enjoy the parks.

I absolutely love this board. My recent trip was so much better planned because of the tips and resources I got here — BUT — people here go, a lot. And so they notice things and are disappointed by expectations that never crossed my mind because this isn’t something I do regularly. 75% of the concerns I had from reading here were not actually a cause of stress.

It’s all about attitude. You’ll be at THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!! And in my recent holiday experience with peak crowds - the vast majority of people there are kind, courteous, happy, & friendly. Prepare to wait, take breaks, HAVE FUN!!!!

 

[toontoy]

we went last year without genie plus. we waited for 45 min in a 15 min line for Nemo due to genie plus people walking past us. when I asked about it and why the wait changed so much they said to buy genie plus. ride after ride was like that for us and we are taking a break as it was just line upon line. I would cancel and go somewhere else. we have been to many great places since we skipped Disney. a we have season tickets to our local amusement park and our 2 year old and 6 year old had more fun there since we rode more rides in 3 hours than all day at disney.

 

[pixiedust2u]

How old are your children? There is so much more to Disney than the headliner attractions.
What parks are you visiting and where are you staying?

My first bit of advice is to consider 3 “must do” rides at each park. Then relax and enjoy the rest, what you get on you get on, what you don’t you don’t. Also, utilize rope drop. Make sure you know the time the park opens, if you’re eligible for early entry and calculate time for transportation etc to be at the head of the pack.

Think about shows, parades, and the fun and magic of less talked about yet beloved attractions (People Mover, Tiki Room at MK to make a few) look for hidden pascals in MK, find the kidcot stations at Epcot, and try some snacks from different countries). Look for hidden mickeys. Get silly with the characters and take lots of pictures. Your kids likely will find joy and excitement in unexpected places - savor this!

Yes, some of your lines will be long. Bring snacks, think of some fun games to play while in long and ways to entertain kids. Don’t push your kids beyond their limits. That’s not fun for anyone.

Good luck. Find the magic. Enjoy it.

 

[snayak]

We bought G+ for our trip in September. I figured, it had been like 10 years since we last went and was hot & humid, why not minimize wait time and be comfortable.

Then on the one (and only) Hollywood Studios day, we kept getting cut by VIP tours - like 25-30 people, at TSMM & MMRR, on and on - i felt like they were just following us around to be spiteful (I did have a good touring plan, after all!)

Just goes to show, there are always people willing to spend more and Disney is happy to let them in front of those who don't. I wouldn't worry about it much.

 

[scrappinginontario]

It’s what you make of it and you can have a great time! The majority of people don’t have Genie+. Yes you will wait longer but you’ll be just fine.

Have fun!!

 

[sponica]

Depending on the heights of your kiddos, it might not be a big deal. If you can be strategic and use early entry (which does help), you can get a head start on one to 2 rides.

If you can only swing it one day, use it at MK, that's where there are the most rides.

 

[Dulcee]

Not necessary. We did spring break last march with a group of 9, genie+ was outside the budget for many members of the group so we all did without. We had a great time.

Having a loose game plan can be helpful. Which "big" ride do you want to attempt first thing in the AM? Which rides are you willing to pass on (Rise and 7dwarves were passes for us) and which aren't (FOP was a must do, we snuck it in right at park closing to avoid a several-hour wait)?

 

[LisaMc]

Go at rope drop. (either park opening or early entry if you are staying on site) You can get a lot accomplished. Also, some parks - like Animal Kingdom - are actually less crowded in the afternoons. There are some websites out there that show the historical wait times. I also agree that if you pick your top 3-5 must do's as each part, once you do those everything else is gravy. It's Disney - you will have a wonderful magical time!

 

[sheilafri]

Haven’t been for a few months, but I found Genie+ most helpful at MK as it has many rides we like. I don’t bother with it at Epcot. I’m indifferent about it at HS. Look for the less popular attractions or rides with lower wait times to do when other lines are long. We love many of the less popular things more anyway!

 

[mickeymom629]

My family of 12 went last January and we didn't buy Genie+. We waited in many lines that were roughly an hour but my grandchildren (who were 5 at the time) were so good about it and they went on all the big attractions that they were tall enough for - ToT, Slinky, 7DMT (probably a 2 hour wait), TSM (2 hour wait that I regretted standing in), etc. I don't go on the thrill rides so I walked around and did other things with my 2 year old grandchild.
We did get there at early entry as best we could but we didn't do the extra evening hours. Because of the strollers, we were slow going.
So, if you have a plan and a good attitude, you will have a geat time doing whatever you can.

 

[hsmamato2]

Not necessary. We did spring break last march with a group of 9, genie+ was outside the budget for many members of the group so we all did without. We had a great time.

Having a loose game plan can be helpful. Which "big" ride do you want to attempt first thing in the AM? Which rides are you willing to pass on (Rise and 7dwarves were passes for us) and which aren't (FOP was a must do, we snuck it in right at park closing to avoid a several-hour wait)?

I'm intrigued....care to elaborate on what you did? I've got something similiar happening soon and I'd like any tips you've got!

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Can’t afford to add genie+ to our family of 6 going in 2 weeks.

Curious if our whole day will just be standing in hours long lines with our young children?

Just discouraged as we saved just enough for this trip and have been looking forward to it but now wonder if our day will be for nothing after spending $700+ to enter the park that day

No, you will spend more time in line without it but I will say we don't bother with G+ at Epcot and AK ever and we've never missed it. I don't know how you plan to tour the parks but there are some pretty good strategies you can employ at each of the parks to help mitigate long lines and wasting time. Have fun!

• Rope drop if you can or arrive as early as you can and if you can do ETPE or EEH, take advantage of that time
• get in line for a ride at park close/ride during fireworks/parade
• plan to eat your meals at off times so your meal time isn't wrapped up waiting on your mobile order or tables to open up when crowds are peak
• Bring some small things to keep your kids busy while in line since even with G+, you will never be able to bypass all lines. We would do small games from the dollar store, heads up on our phones (still do that with teens), etc. also, don't forget snacks/water since your kids will of course be their hungriest when bored lol
• DHS- crowds do lighten up as the day gets away from you, they aren't non existent but for whatever reason, this park does get a lot emptier after 7; AK is also the same way since it closes earlier too

 

[Dulcee]

I'm intrigued....care to elaborate on what you did? I've got something similiar happening soon and I'd like any tips you've got!

Honestly, we just went with the flow. We arrived before the parks opened most mornings. Headed towards whatever "big" ride we wanted to do first and then just checked out wait times and did what we wanted from there until crowds really built up. Yes, we waited in lines, generally, the posted wait times exceeded what we actually waited for. At times by quite a bit. We used child swap for a handful of bigger rides that our two youngest couldn't ride. Between 12 and 2 we'd generally leave for the busiest part of the day and do lunch/naps/swimming at our resort.

We'd head back in during the late afternoon/early evening for another ride or two and dinner reservations. We'd occasionally hit another ride after dinner or we'd take in the nighttime shows. We had 7 full park days so the additional time certainly helps. We did everything in Epcot, everything in MK but 7Dwarves, everything in HS but Rise, and everything in AK (though the only rough wait ended up being the safari due to a long line + rhinos in the road, can't do much about that).

I think some of it may be mindset? Our group included my parents who had been taking me and my siblings since the 80s and waiting in lines at Disney wasn't anything new for them. There were very few rides that we felt we HAD to ride, and those that we HAD to do were really dictated more by the youngest kids in our group, not any of the adults. We did what we could, when we felt like it, when lines were at a wait that felt ok to us.

We're headed back again this spring break with my husband's family. We may pick up Genie+ 1 or 2 days this trip because of different personalities in this group, and some different preferences on must dos, but we won't use it every day for sure.

 

[hsmamato2]

Honestly, we just went with the flow. We arrived before the parks opened most mornings. Headed towards whatever "big" ride we wanted to do first and then just checked out wait times and did what we wanted from there until crowds really built up. Yes, we waited in lines, generally, the posted wait times exceeded what we actually waited for. At times by quite a bit. We used child swap for a handful of bigger rides that our two youngest couldn't ride. Between 12 and 2 we'd generally leave for the busiest part of the day and do lunch/naps/swimming at our resort.

We'd head back in during the late afternoon/early evening for another ride or two and dinner reservations. We'd occasionally hit another ride after dinner or we'd take in the nighttime shows. We had 7 full park days so the additional time certainly helps. We did everything in Epcot, everything in MK but 7Dwarves, everything in HS but Rise, and everything in AK (though the only rough wait ended up being the safari due to a long line + rhinos in the road, can't do much about that).

I think some of it may be mindset? Our group included my parents who had been taking me and my siblings since the 80s and waiting in lines at Disney wasn't anything new for them. There were very few rides that we felt we HAD to ride, and those that we HAD to do were really dictated more by the youngest kids in our group, not any of the adults. We did what we could, when we felt like it, when lines were at a wait that felt ok to us.

We're headed back again this spring break with my husband's family. We may pick up Genie+ 1 or 2 days this trip because of different personalities in this group, and some different preferences on must dos, but we won't use it every day for sure.

Thanks! I'm bookmarking this for reference

 

[TinkBink]

We went in May and purchased genie+ and there were many times (mostly in MK and Epcot) where we didn't even need it. There were plenty of rides with less than a 20 minute wait to enjoy. I agree with others to plan for the headliners first thing in the morning or right before close. Not sure if I'm allowed to say the company name here, but there is a company that has a Lines App where people are reporting in real time how long the line actually is compared to what is posted. I have always found it super useful to get on rides that look like they have a long line but really don't. It does require a fee but it's a lot less than genie+! I hope you have a wonderful trip!!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

2 things that came to my mind. First, going in late Jan should allow for manageable crowds for you, so not having G+ might work fine. Second, if you find your favorite park has lines that are too long and you can't do what you want, you do have the option to splurge on G+ for just one of the days instead of the entire stay. We've done that approach already. But I do understand your concerns - many have the same concerns.

 

[jo-jo]

, don't forget snacks/water since your kids will of course be their hungriest when bored lol

Last trip with my 6 DGK, instead of handing out bottles or juice pouches left and right, and then trying to keep track of whose is whose......I brought along about 20 paper 3 oz cups. Open one bottle of water, everyone gets a little, bigger kids get the 1/3 filled bottle. repeat as needed.

This way the remaining bottles of water still stayed cold and kids aren't spilling, flipping or tossing bottles around.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Rope drop a headliner to start your days.

My fav ride line at park closing is ROTR. It’s always been noticeably shorter than the posted time at park close for me (like 25 mins instead of 50 mins) and after the park closes you aren’t competing with the lightening lane for ride capacity. HOWEVER- I haven’t been since Fantasmic came back so I don’t know if this is still a good idea.

 

[stinkpickle]

Rope dropping the major attractions will be key. It might be difficult getting young kids around that early, but it's well worth the effort.