*Confirmed* G+ Changes to Advanced Lightning Lane

[tx911]

Guests like you aren't who I'm talking about. I'm talking about those that according to them, spend all their vacation looking at their phone, when in reality it take 30 seconds to book a LL.

Honestly, if ppl are truly complaining about reliance on phones for Disney, what do they do on their daily lives? They must be miserable. Everything needs a phone this days, time to adapt folks. It's also really funny to me because at the end of a Disney trip my phone is always letting me know I used it 5+ hours less that week than normal, so I truly do not get what folks are doing to spend so much time on their phones at disney. And I probably never will.

I don't mind being on the phone, but I would definitely appreciate the ability to purchase Genie+ and pre-book 2 or 3 LL per day of stay, well in advance of my trip. And I would support giving those staying on-site the benefit of being able to book a little in advance of those who are off-site.

I think that alone would dramatically reduce time on the phone. But I don't understand the nuances enough to know how that would affect the product.

 

[I Run Long]

I would just like to be able to pre-purchase Genie+ just as I do for PH. You know like before when it was an add-on. Perhaps they could price Genie+ like they do now with date based tickets. I know this wouldn't save me any money as there are probably days that I don't really need Genie+ but I have to admit, if there was the ability to pre-purchase, I would probably buy it. It will never happen, i know.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Honestly, if ppl are truly complaining about reliance on phones for Disney, what do they do on their daily lives? They must be miserable. Everything needs a phone this days, time to adapt folks.

Last month Universal removed all physical park maps so if you don't know where stuff is and need to find it on a map, you need to use a phone. I don't think Busch Gardens had physical maps either when I visited last year. At least at Disney you can still get a physical map.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Honestly, if ppl are truly complaining about reliance on phones for Disney, what do they do on their daily lives?

Do I check FB on my phone in the daytime? Sure, but am I constantly on my phone while I'm on vacation in general? No. I just got back from Utah a week ago and when I was in our cabin in the mountains I had no cell service and no wifi (wifi signal was only in the main lodge lobby).

I think it IS valid to feel annoyance at how much of a Disney vacation is wrapped up with your phone. You make ADRs with your phone, you make ILL and Genie+ selections with your phone, you do VQs with your phone, you check wait times with your phone, your phone is your ticket, etc all the while trying to enjoy their trip and be in the moment more especially given the investment many have made to make that Disney trip.

Each of those things individually aren't an issue, combined all together and I think it's understandable those who feel that way. Majority of posters are fine with smart phones, fine with using phones, they just don't appreciate the amount that they feel ends up occurring while on a Disney trip. That complaint isn't new, it was during FP+ as well.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Last month Universal removed all physical park maps so if you don't know where stuff is and need to find it on a map, you need to use a phone. I don't think Busch Gardens had physical maps either when I visited last year. At least at Disney you can still get a physical map.

Glad I took home maps in the past. I love physical ones.

Disney may eventually phase those out but I think they always had more international park maps available than Universal did (I'm basing off of random memory collection of the past so I could be incorrect in comparing the two) so maybe they assume they have more of those guests and will keep them around longer.

Regardless Disney still has far more tied to their app than Universal is even with removing physical park maps.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would just like to be able to pre-purchase Genie+ just as I do for PH. You know like before when it was an add-on. Perhaps they could price Genie+ like they do now with date based tickets. I know this wouldn't save me any money as there are probably days that I don't really need Genie+ but I have to admit, if there was the ability to pre-purchase, I would probably buy it. It will never happen, i know.

I think it's interesting that they had pre-purchase with MP and then carried that over to Genie+ then nixed that. I have to assume there was a reason why with Genie+ specifically they removed that advanced purchase after a time even though they kept that with MP.

 

[tx911]

I think it's interesting that they had pre-purchase with MP and then carried that over to Genie+ then nixed that. I have to assume there was a reason why with Genie+ specifically they removed that advanced purchase after a time even though they kept that with MP.

And interesting that Disneyland still allows you to pre-purchase Genie+

Not sure why the mechanics are different at DL vs. WDW.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Glad I took home maps in the past. I love physical ones.

Disney may eventually phase those out but I think they always had more international park maps available than Universal did (I'm basing off of random memory collection of the past so I could be incorrect in comparing the two) so maybe they assume they have more of those guests and will keep them around longer.

Regardless Disney still has far more tied to their app than Universal is even with removing physical park maps.

Agreed but Universal is also going all in with emphasizing mobile order. I couldn't even enter places like Thunder Falls and Richter's unless I had a mobile order placed. Then again, Universal as a whole is inconsistent with their park ops so maybe others have had a different experience. I did see reports that the Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous (yes I did want to type that out because the name is funny) is mobile order only after it recently reopened.

And interesting that Disneyland still allows you to pre-purchase Genie+

Not sure why the mechanics are different at DL vs. WDW.

The majority of Disneyland guests are annual passholders who do not typically buy Genie+ every time they visit.

 

[tx911]

The majority of Disneyland guests are annual passholders who do not typically buy Genie+ every time they visit.

So is it that they believe too many people will buy it if they allow pre-purchase at WDW?

 

[Smugpugmug]

So is it that they believe too many people will buy it if they allow pre-purchase at WDW?

Yes. That's also why at Disneyland you cannot book your first LL until you have physically scanned into the park. Most guests are not staying on site and/or vacationers.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Agreed but Universal is also going all in with emphasizing mobile order. I couldn't even enter places like Thunder Falls and Richter's unless I had a mobile order placed. Then again, Universal as a whole is inconsistent with their park ops so maybe others have had a different experience. I did see reports that the Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous (yes I did want to type that out because the name is funny) is mobile order only after it recently reopened.

The majority of Disneyland guests are annual passholders who do not typically buy Genie+ every time they visit.

Oh yeah mobile order is more prevalent now at Universal. We were heavily suggested to use it at Thunder Falls but no they didn't prohibit us from entering, that was early May 2022. There were multiple people in front of us for the physical register and multiple people behind us so they def. let people enter without mobile ordering. We only used mobile ordering once at Universal on our last trip.

As far as the Cafe, that appears to be incorrect, probably like Cafe 4 where they had mobile ordering QR codes affixed to the tables. Info I'm finding is this "Guests will now use the Universal Orlando app to mobile order at their table. Guests who do not have the app, or are not “tech-savvy”, do have the option to order at a counter. Once your order has been received, a team member will bring it to your table." That said I think I did read that there may be some items only available via mobile ordering, and I do believe Disney does the same for some of their places.

Disney however was just as inconsistent with mobile order, actually much more based on the complaints over time. Some people barred from places like Satu'li (consistently inconsistent with rules there either tied to mobile ordering or seating or both) or Pinocchio Village Haus without mobile ordering. On our May trip they didn't want people to enter Docking Bay 7 without mobile ordering and your order had to be ready in order to enter even if you were sitting outside but then we didn't have an issue the next time we went during that trip.

I was more meaning that the way you tour the parks, presently speaking, will always have much more phone/digital component to it with Disney than Universal.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Oh yeah mobile order is more prevalent now at Universal. We were heavily suggested to use it at Thunder Falls but no they didn't prohibit us from entering, that was early May 2022. There were multiple people in front of us for the physical register and multiple people behind us so they def. let people enter without mobile ordering. We only used mobile ordering once at Universal on our last trip.

As far as the Cafe, that appears to be incorrect, probably like Cafe 4 where they had mobile ordering QR codes affixed to the tables. Info I'm finding is this "Guests will now use the Universal Orlando app to mobile order at their table. Guests who do not have the app, or are not “tech-savvy”, do have the option to order at a counter. Once your order has been received, a team member will bring it to your table." That said I think I did read that there may be some items only available via mobile ordering, and I do believe Disney does the same for some of their places.

Disney however was just as inconsistent with mobile order, actually much more based on the complaints over time. Some people barred from places like Satu'li (consistently inconsistent with rules there either tied to mobile ordering or seating or both) or Pinocchio Village Haus without mobile ordering. On our May trip they didn't want people to enter Docking Bay 7 without mobile ordering and your order had to be ready in order to enter even if you were sitting outside but then we didn't have an issue the next time we went during that trip.

I was more meaning that the way you tour the parks, presently speaking, will always have much more phone/digital component to it with Disney than Universal.

That I do agree with. Just noticed on recent visits how much they're pushing mobile order.

But anyway, back to Genie+.

 

[kc51570]

Do I check FB on my phone in the daytime? Sure, but am I constantly on my phone while I'm on vacation in general? No. I just got back from Utah a week ago and when I was in our cabin in the mountains I had no cell service and no wifi (wifi signal was only in the main lodge lobby).

I think it IS valid to feel annoyance at how much of a Disney vacation is wrapped up with your phone. You make ADRs with your phone, you make ILL and Genie+ selections with your phone, you do VQs with your phone, you check wait times with your phone, your phone is your ticket, etc all the while trying to enjoy their trip and be in the moment more especially given the investment many have made to make that Disney trip.

Each of those things individually aren't an issue, combined all together and I think it's understandable those who feel that way. Majority of posters are fine with smart phones, fine with using phones, they just don't appreciate the amount that they feel ends up occurring while on a Disney trip. That complaint isn't new, it was during FP+ as well.

Well, you could choose to call for ADRs. You could also walk up to the podium day of to see if they have availability. I think each park also has a board that shows wait times for a lot of attractions along with them showing at the entrance to each ride. I would think using an app on your phone is much easier than walking around to each ride to see the wait time or waiting on a phone line to book ADRs.
Yes, there is no way around booking a LL aside from using your phone, but it does not take a significant amount of time. I was able to get every ride I wanted on my last trip and that was before they even introduced the modify button. This included getting a bunch of rides in the evening for HS while I was flying down And accidentally cancelling and rebooking a ride which reset the 2 hour timer. I don’t think it’s broken other than it is really annoying to get up early in the AM on vacation to buy it in case it runs out and I would also like to know when my first ride will be so I can schedule meals accordingly. We have booked far less ADRs once they introduced Genie, not because of money issues, but because we are trying to get in all the rides we want and we now have no idea what that looks like ahead of time.
Disney’s announcement did not seem to center around let's price this much higher so less people will buy it as some people are hoping, but rather we heard you would like to be able to plan ahead.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, you could choose to call for ADRs.

While you're at Disney in the theme park you're going to call the 1-800 number to make an ADR?

I mean when I was at home before my trip I used my computer to make ADRs although due to Disney's IT system sometimes the app would work better, sometimes the computer would. Sometimes the computer would show different times than the app and vice versa. You can call yes but I'm talking about being on your Disney trip.

You could also walk up to the podium day of to see if they have availability.

Yes and no. I mean physically yes you can do this but Disney added the Wait List feature to their app. Really they want you to just join via that.

I would think using an app on your phone is much easier than walking around to each ride to see the wait time or waiting on a phone line to book ADRs.

Is easy the point of the complaints from people who are discussing phone usage? No. When people are talking about "I just don't know what these people are talking about saying they are on their phones all the time" the counterpoint is all the aspects to your trip that are contained within the MDE app. I don't think people are walking around to each and every ride.

It's easier or maybe I should say less time consuming IMO for us to pay our restaurant tab via QR codes on the receipt and we often do that when that is the option...but that's not why people complain about doing it.

it does not take a significant amount of time.

I really truly understand why people keep saying this but understand that when you're talking about booking your ILL/Genie+ majority are not talking about the "it doesn't take much time"..that's not the point.

________
Like it or not Disney does want people to use their phones and use their phones for the majority of things while on their trip. This def. started when physical kiosks were removed with FP+ and has just built more and more upon it over the years. It is what it is.

 

[kc51570]

While you're at Disney in the theme park you're going to call the 1-800 number to make an ADR?

I mean when I was at home before my trip I used my computer to make ADRs although due to Disney's IT system sometimes the app would work better, sometimes the computer would. Sometimes the computer would show different times than the app and vice versa. You can call yes but I'm talking about being on your Disney trip.

Yes and no. I mean physically yes you can do this but Disney added the Wait List feature to their app. Really they want you to just join via that.

Is easy the point of the complaints from people who are discussing phone usage? No. When people are talking about "I just don't know what these people are talking about saying they are on their phones all the time" the counterpoint is all the aspects to your trip that are contained within the MDE app. I don't think people are walking around to each and every ride.

It's easier or maybe I should say less time consuming IMO for us to pay our restaurant tab via QR codes on the receipt and we often do that when that is the option...but that's not why people complain about doing it.


I really truly understand why people keep saying this but understand that when you're talking about booking your ILL/Genie+ majority are not talking about the "it doesn't take much time"..that's not the point.

________
Like it or not Disney does want people to use their phones and use their phones for the majority of things while on their trip. This def. started when physical kiosks were removed with FP+ and has just built more and more upon it over the years. It is what it is.

You were complaining about everything being tied to your phone. I was just pointing out there are other options. To me and I am sure many others, it is much more convenient to have all these options available on your phone rather than walking around the park to find a FP kiosk or look for wait times or call for an ADR.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You were complaining about everything being tied to your phone. I was just pointing out there are other options. To me and I am sure many others, it is much more convenient to have all these options available on your phone rather than walking around the park to find a FP kiosk or look for wait times or call for an ADR.

I wasn't complaining as in me having this issue, largely I'm okay with it, I was advocating on behalf of those that do have an issue with it. It's in response to less than nice attributes thrown towards those people who do. We may not agree with their viewpoint but at least for me I can understand it. It's the way Disney wants you to tour their parks to use their app and to use it for just about all facets of your trip including opening your door...well when that feature works lol.

When people rebut the conversation with things like you do it's just taking what the complaints are in a way that doesn't match what the issue is.

No one, IMO, can legit refute that Disney is a very digital and phone-centric destination. Whether someone has an issue with it, whether they resent it, that's their own opinion. That doesn't change how Disney as a destination is. Like I said it is what it is.

 

[Brian Noble]

Not sure why the mechanics are different at DL vs. WDW.

In addition to the above-mentioned AP vs day guest split, the two parks at Disneyland each have significantly more LL capacity than any WDW park not named Magic Kingdom. That makes it easier for more people to use them.

For the same reason, MK tends to receive the fewest complaints about how G+ does (or does not) work well.

So is it that they believe too many people will buy it if they allow pre-purchase at WDW?

I think this is a fair conclusion. In most other respects, Disney tends to encourage us to pre-book things that cost money; I recall some long-ago investor presentation in which Disney execs claimed that plans tend to be dropped rather than added in the moment, so pre-planning was an important part of their revenue strategy.

 

[kc51570]

I wasn't complaining as in me having this issue, largely I'm okay with it, I was advocating on behalf of those that do have an issue with it. It's in response to less than nice attributes thrown towards those people who do. We may not agree with their viewpoint but at least for me I can understand it. It's the way Disney wants you to tour their parks to use their app and to use it for just about all facets of your trip including opening your door...well when that feature works lol.

When people rebut the conversation with things like you do it's just taking what the complaints are in a way that doesn't match what the issue is.

No one, IMO, can legit refute that Disney is a very digital and phone-centric destination. Whether someone has an issue with it, whether they resent it, that's their own opinion. That doesn't change how Disney as a destination is. Like I said it is what it is.

And I was pointing out there are options for most of the things you quoted other than booking a ride. I choose not to open my door with my phone and I also don’t use it to get into the park. I use my magic band. And when we had friends stay with us without magic bands, we had their online tickets linked to room card keys in the lobby which both opened the door and got them in the park.
Many, many things are becoming app centric these days including major hospitals and multiple physician practices. Want a prescription refill or have a question, use the app to message them, pay your bill-do it in the app. Of course you can always make a phone call or ask for a paper bill. Disney is not an outlier here.

 

[starlite_]

Many, many things are becoming app centric these days including major hospitals and multiple physician practices. Want a prescription refill or have a question, use the app to message them, pay your bill-do it in the app. Of course you can always make a phone call or ask for a paper bill. Disney is not an outlier here.

This is exactly what I was trying to convey. Groceries? There's an app. Bills? App. Banking? App. Show? App. Farmacy? App.

And every single theme park I've been on in the last few years has an app as well (where their own version of LLs live). And you can bet that in the next few years all of them will be pushing mobile ordering and even more functionality via their apps. It's simply easier for them to do so.

Disney is not an outlier, it's simply the first one to have so much functionality at the tips of your fingertips.

 

[Jrb1979]

This is exactly what I was trying to convey. Groceries? There's an app. Bills? App. Banking? App. Show? App. Farmacy? App.

And every single theme park I've been on in the last few years has an app as well (where their own version of LLs live). And you can bet that in the next few years all of them will be pushing mobile ordering and even more functionality via their apps. It's simply easier for them to do so.

Disney is not an outlier, it's simply the first one to have so much functionality at the tips of your fingertips.

That part is not complicated or difficult. When have to also use an app to book rides, know when you can and how often makes it complicated. Most other parks you just get into their version of LL whenever you want.