Disney Genie+ and ILL$ Details & FAQ - Launches 10/19 at WDW, Paid "FastPass" at WDW and Disneyland (date TBD)

[Aluminum Falcon]

I think your example of cell phone companies makes sense when speaking to people on these boards, everyone had a cell phone, and knew what they were missing when unlimited data went away. For the casual guest, I don’t think they’d be in an uproar for something they lost that they never had, or only had once or twice prior.

I think whenever Disney comes up with change, people start talking about knocking them off their mountain, it hasn’t happened yet is all I can say. Universal is not brought up by every child in America like Disney world is, Disney is so engrained in the American culture, it would take a lot to dethrone them, not to mention they are constantly adding content on their media side to grow their base even more.

I believe that you are one of many key demographics, I would argue honeymooners, retirees, college grads, snow birds ect, are just as important as people with children, I do believe families with children are the majority, I just can’t say that they are so much more ahead then the other groups mentioned.

I think ROTR dropped virtual cue to set up genie, the. Websiteonly states temporary I believe, and doing so the week before genie is rumored to drop makes sense to me, I could definitely be wrong but thats what it feels like

 

[snowwhite84]

But I’m allowed to have an initial reaction, and the fact that so many people have the same (or even stronger) negative reaction speaks volumes.

I’m happy for change, but I’m really having a hard time understanding how this change positively impacts me. Before I could get a FP for FOP, included in the price of my admission (I realized that some people had difficulties getting FP for FOP, but that wasn’t an issue for me). Now I can’t; it’s an extra cost, and it could be a substantial cost for my family. That’s not a win in my book. The only way I see Genie+ being of benefit to me is if it allows me to get through the standby lines quickly. Will it do that? I doubt it but we will see. I don’t see myself paying for genie+ or IA$ out of principle, because I want to vote with my wallet (which is really all Disney cares about). I may change my mind on that, once I’m in the park and see how things play out; we’ll see.

I just disagree with the bolded. I think the fact so many people on these boards are annoyed was to be expected. It’s a big change. I don’t think it means anything yet, time will tell. But yes, of course you are allowed to be frustrated. I understand why you are. I hope you have a great trip!

 

[snowwhite84]

I think your example of cell phone companies makes sense when speaking to people on these boards, everyone had a cell phone, and knew what they were missing when unlimited data went away. For the casual guest, I don’t think they’d be in an uproar for something they lost that they never had, or only had once or twice prior.

I think whenever Disney comes up with change, people start talking about knocking them off their mountain, it hasn’t happened yet is all I can say. Universal is not brought up by every child in America like Disney world is, Disney is so engrained in the American culture, it would take a lot to dethrone them, not to mention they are constantly adding content on their media side to grow their base even more.

I believe that you are one of many key demographics, I would argue honeymooners, retirees, college grads, snow birds ect, are just as important as people with children, I do believe families with children are the majority, I just can’t say that they are so much more ahead then the other groups mentioned.

I think ROTR dropped virtual cue to set up genie, the. Websiteonly states temporary I believe, and doing so the week before genie is rumored to drop makes sense to me, I could definitely be wrong but thats what it feels like

Yes, this. I’m going next month with five girlfriends. We’re each in our late thirties, we are moms of young kids. We are all Disney people. I’m the planner of the group. Upon learning about G+, each of their reactions was “Oh, well you let us know if we need it and what days to get it.” And they haven’t brought it up since. I don’t think the frustration on this board is an appropriate sampling of how this will go for Disney. At all.

 

[randumb0]

Disney needs to increase Genie + to at least $100 pp. By doing this, the standby lines will move more smoothly

 

[snowwhite84]

The programs like Genie+ are targeting a different demographic. I am from the pay once to enter Disney and put the wallet away. That ship sailed long ago. Meaning Disney is not targeting my peers, people of my age, but of my adult kids. They are used to a monthly charge for just about everything from cell phones to television to auto insurance, etc. For young adults the various charges (hidden in some respects) are taken in stride, and Disney is just one more example of "feeding the meter". My kids are glued to smart phone screens, and send money via VenMo, etc without a thought. Will Genie+ be the straw that cuts attendance and limits volume? No way. Will I go back? Probably not, but then again I am not the target demographic.

I think this is an interesting take. I think I’m of the age group you’re talking about, and it hadn’t occurred to me that this could be part of why I’m not super annoyed.

 

[Marionnette]

I just disagree with the bolded. I think the fact so many people on these boards are annoyed was to be expected. It’s a big change. I don’t think it means anything yet, time will tell. But yes, of course you are allowed to be frustrated. I understand why you are. I hope you have a great trip!

People are not merely "annoyed". They are downright angry. I've never seen the kind of backlash to a Disney announcement that this one has garnered. And I've been on Disney message boards going back over 25 years.

It's not just the disboards. It's across the internet. People who had plans for vacations this fall suddenly had their plans changed with one small Disney Parks Blog announcement. They have to alter their budgets to include Genie+ and IA$ or temper their expectations after 18 months of tempering expectations.

While Genie+ and IA$ alone may not seem to be that big of a thing, it's the cumulative effect of all the other cuts and diluted experiences that has people so vehemently opposed to yet another pay-to-play money grab. Death by a thousand cuts.

 

[snowwhite84]

People are not merely "annoyed". They are downright angry. I've never seen the kind of backlash to a Disney announcement that this one has garnered. And I've been on Disney message boards going back over 25 years.

It's not just the disboards. It's across the internet. People who had plans for vacations this fall suddenly had their plans changed with one small Disney Parks Blog announcement. They have to alter their budgets to include Genie+ and IA$ or temper their expectations after 18 months of tempering expectations.

While Genie+ and IA$ alone may not seem to be that big of a thing, it's the cumulative effect of all the other cuts and diluted experiences that has people so vehemently opposed to yet another pay-to-play money grab. Death by a thousand cuts.

Ok, angry might be a better word.

I think paid FP was largely successful in DL, and I just think it will be in WDW, too. After the dust settles.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

People are not merely "annoyed". They are downright angry. I've never seen the kind of backlash to a Disney announcement that this one has garnered. And I've been on Disney message boards going back over 25 years.

It's not just the disboards. It's across the internet. People who had plans for vacations this fall suddenly had their plans changed with one small Disney Parks Blog announcement. They have to alter their budgets to include Genie+ and IA$ or temper their expectations after 18 months of tempering expectations.

While Genie+ and IA$ alone may not seem to be that big of a thing, it's the cumulative effect of all the other cuts and diluted experiences that has people so vehemently opposed to yet another pay-to-play money grab. Death by a thousand cuts.

I think you are referencing the pandemic causing more backlash, because things have already changed enough for one lifetime, and I agree. That may explain the extra frustration, but I would argue genie+ in that scenario is more of a casualty then the assailant

 

[bianca]

My kids remember going to Disney all their lives and so they will probably bring their kids when they get older - but if people can no longer afford to go regularly - do their kids remember Disney and bring their kids? That is a significantly longer game - and I doubt Disney cares or is worried about the future that far away, but I think they could be headed there.

i could have written this ....... 25 years ago. However, as someone who now has those same kids that grew up visiting Disney every year, I can tell you that Disney is making some missteps here for the long-term. My 33 and 31 yo Disney-loving kids that had planned on purchasing DVC in the next 2 years have now changed their mind due to all the recent money grabs. They can easily afford it, but don’t see the value. In addition, we have 2 grandkids and one on the way. The older 2 have just not found a love for the parks like my own kids had and that will impact future vacations. Making vacation planning difficult is not conducive to repeat business. That may be exactly what Disney is hoping, but in the long-run, it will hurt their bottom line. Bob Chapek will be long gone by then, but his legacy will live on.

 

[randumb0]

i could have written this ....... 25 years ago. However, as someone who now has those same kids that grew up visiting Disney every year, I can tell you that Disney is making some missteps here for the long-term. My 33 and 31 yo Disney-loving kids that had planned on purchasing DVC in the next 2 years have now changed their mind due to all the recent money grabs. They can easily afford it, but don’t see the value. In addition, we have 2 grandkids and one on the way. The older 2 have just not found a love for the parks like my own kids had and that will impact future vacations. Making vacation planning difficult is not conducive to repeat this business. That may be exactly what Disney is hoping, but in the long-run, it will hurt their bottom line. Bob Chapek will be long gone by then, but his legacy will live on.

I was thinking the same thing. This is a short term money grab that will hurt them in the long run. If families cannot afford to take their kids, then those kids will not have the attachment that their parents have. In addition, Disney will really take a hit once Universal's new park opens. Universal will then become a multi-day destination. It will not be an addon to a Disney vacation, but a vacation itself

 

[bianca]

I was thinking the same thing. This is a short term money grab that will hurt them in the long run. If families cannot afford to take their kids, then those kids will not have the attachment that their parents have. In addition, Disney will really take a hit once Universal's new park opens. Universal will then become a multi-day destination. It will not be an addon to a Disney vacation, but a vacation itself

Exactly. My 5 and 7 yo grandsons have caught wind of the new Universal park and they will be lost to Universal forever once that opens. Chapek will probably have already done enough damage at that point that there will be no turning back.

 

[Marionnette]

i could have written this ....... 25 years ago. However, as someone who now has those same kids that grew up visiting Disney every year, I can tell you that Disney is making some missteps here for the long-term. My 33 and 31 yo Disney-loving kids that had planned on purchasing DVC in the next 2 years have now changed their mind due to all the recent money grabs. They can easily afford it, but don’t see the value. In addition, we have 2 grandkids and one on the way. The older 2 have just not found a love for the parks like my own kids had and that will impact future vacations. Making vacation planning difficult is not conducive to repeat business. That may be exactly what Disney is hoping, but in the long-run, it will hurt their bottom line. Bob Chapek will be long gone by then, but his legacy will live on.

Agreed. I have millennial children who were raised on a steady diet of Disney movies and regular Disney vacations at WDW, DL and DCL. My daughter even made it a point to visit Tokyo Disney and Disney Sea while in Japan.

The kids' take on all of the changes? "This isn't the Disney I know." And above that, they resent that Disney believes that they and their peers can be easily manipulated into opening their wallets to pay for something that was always included in the price of their tickets.

Their responses have not been "Oh well. We'll make it work." Their responses have been "Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. Time to move on." They won't be raising a generation of Disney-lovers.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Agreed. I have millennial children who were raised on a steady diet of Disney movies and regular Disney vacations at WDW, DL and DCL. My daughter even made it a point to visit Tokyo Disney and Disney Sea while in Japan.

The kids' take on all of the changes? "This isn't the Disney I know." And above that, they resent that Disney believes that they and their peers can be easily manipulated into opening their wallets to pay for something that was always included in the price of their tickets.

Their responses have not been "Oh well. We'll make it work." Their responses have been "Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. Time to move on." They won't be raising a generation of Disney-lovers.

Speaking for one millenial here, myself and extended family still love Disney, and these prices have not moved us away. It’s very easy to sway opinion on these boards with personal experiences, but for the masses I believe you are incorrect, just my opinion, I would also say that Disney’s peers have already put things similar to genie into action years ago, Disney is just catching up to them, and yet no one seems to complain about those parks and their systems.

 

[Marionnette]

Ok, angry might be a better word.

I think paid FP was largely successful in DL, and I just think it will be in WDW, too. After the dust settles.

I think that expecting people to love Genie+/IA$ just because MaxPass was "successful" at DL assumes a lot.

DL is not WDW. People who visit DL do not visit for 5-7 days or longer. They go for a day, maybe two. That's a big difference when it comes to OOP costs.

In addition, DL still had free paper FP that worked in conjunction with paid MaxPass or by itself. You could have a MaxPass reservation and a paper FP at the same time. Or you could just traverse the park to collect your paper FPs. Genie+ has no free line-skipping component that guests can use. It's either pay up or wait in a standby queue.

The advantage of MaxPass was the ability to "stack" passes for later in the day, allowing the purchaser to hold multiple passes at one time and still pull paper FP during the course of the day to maximize their park experience. This is why people loved it.

I don't expect Genie+ to allow you to stack LL reservations the same way you could stack MaxPass. In all likelihood, it will act more like FP, which only offered next available return times, and only permitted you to hold one FP at a time once unless the next one was more than 2 hours away.

Time will tell. You can be optimistic but I'm skeptical. Nothing that Disney has done lately in the name of "enhancing the guest experience" has been an improvement in my eyes. I really have no reason to believe that Genie+/IA$ will be any different.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Ok, angry might be a better word.

I think paid FP was largely successful in DL, and I just think it will be in WDW, too. After the dust settles.

The difference is that paid FP was an option in DL. It was never the only way to do FP there. You could still do paper FP right up until the shutdown, absolutely free of charge. You only had to pay if you wanted to do it on your phone instead of physically going to pull paper passes, and most people didn't. There were always plenty of people at the FP kiosks and few if any showing phones to the CMs at the FP queues. If this were similar - an option, a convenience fee essentially, that a person could do or not but still have another way to access shorter lines - I don't think people would be so angry about it.

 

[Liquidice]

Speaking for one millenial here, myself and extended family still love Disney, and these prices have not moved us away. It’s very easy to sway opinion on these boards with personal experiences, but for the masses I believe you are incorrect, just my opinion, I would also say that Disney’s peers have already put things similar to genie into action years ago, Disney is just catching up to them, and yet no one seems to complain about those parks and their systems.

You're seeing a divide amongst those who will no longer be able to afford Disney (not just because of Genie+) and those who feel like the value is no longer there - versus those like yourself where you can afford it and continue to see value. As Disney continues to raise prices above inflation, more people will fall on the side of no longer being able to afford it or stop going due to reduced value.

The divide includes the masses - sure they may not have as strong of an opinion as people on the boards or Disney experts, but soon they won't be able to afford Disney. Genie+ alone isn't the issue, but the total cost of a vacation is.

For a family of 4 - the price of a Disney Vacation staying on site is about $1000-2000 more per family for a 7 day trip in June for 2022 prices vs. June 2019 prices, an increase of about 20-30%. The low end is a value resort the high end is a Deluxe resort. You can't continue to raise prices like that and not alienate the masses.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

You're seeing a divide amongst those who will no longer be able to afford Disney (not just because of Genie+) and those who feel like the value is no longer there - versus those like yourself where you can afford it and continue to see value. As Disney continues to raise prices above inflation, more people will fall on the side of no longer being able to afford it or stop going due to reduced value.

The divide includes the masses - sure they may not have as strong of an opinion as people on the boards or Disney experts, but soon they won't be able to afford Disney. Genie+ alone isn't the issue, but the total cost of a vacation is.

For a family of 4 - the price of a Disney Vacation staying on site is about $1000-2000 more per family for a 7 day trip in June for 2022 prices vs. June 2019 prices, an increase of about 20-30%. The low end is a value resort the high end is a Deluxe resort. You can't continue to raise prices like that and not alienate the masses.

I guess the question is, how many years did they delay raising prices, I’m curious if it’s like throwing a frog right into boiling water, or a gradual temperature rise kind of thing. Yes prices may have gone up 20-30%, but how many years did pricing sit stagnant or with minimal movement. Like I said, Disney has been adding on like crazy, and now it’s time to pay the piper, that’s at least how I’ve been interpreting it

 

[New Mouse]

I guess the question is, how many years did they delay raising prices, I’m curious if it’s like throwing a frog right into boiling water, or a gradual temperature rise kind of thing. Yes prices may have gone up 20-30%, but how many years did pricing sit stagnant or with minimal movement. Like I said, Disney has been adding on like crazy, and now it’s time to pay the piper, that’s at least how I’ve been interpreting it

I dont think there was a single year they havent increased prices in some way shape or form. Two times a year sometimes.

You arent paying for anything you are padding their profits even more.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I think that makes sense for someone who knows where to find value, I’m just saying the “average” guest isn’t going to go looking for it, and when they’re at AAA, or on Disneys website booking their trip, they will do whatever the mouse tells them

I think you're underestimating the "average" guest. Priceline isn't particularly difficult to use, nor is vrbo or airbnb or orbitz.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

You arent paying for anything you are padding their profits even more.

So do you think all of the updates and upgrades to the parks recently were not costly?