Disney Genie announcement

[FCDub]

I didn't read all 77 pages of comments, but this reminds me of the uproar when resort parking fees were added. So many people were upset, threatened to not stay on property ever again, to never go to WDW again... in the end, resort parking fees are still here and people are still paying for them. After all of the screaming and moaning ends, people will pay for this, as well.

Remember when letting people bring dogs to certain hotels would ASSUREDLY create rabid packs of terrorizing animals just looking to sink their teeth into toddlers? Another huge sky-is-falling drama that turned out fine. This will too.

 

[luv2cheer92]

Remember when letting people bring dogs to certain hotels would ASSUREDLY create rabid packs of terrorizing animals just looking to sink their teeth into toddlers? Another huge sky-is-falling drama that turned out fine. This will too.

Man, I totally forgot about that. Those threads were bananas.

 

[Neener16]

Remember when letting people bring dogs to certain hotels would ASSUREDLY create rabid packs of terrorizing animals just looking to sink their teeth into toddlers? Another huge sky-is-falling drama that turned out fine. This will too.

Agree, but this is about money and feeling taken advantage of. I don’t think it’s the same with the dog thing. Although you are correct, people had strong reactions to that as well. I would love it if I looked back over this time and feel I overreacted. I started looking into Universal since I’ve been wanting to go for awhile but didn’t want to give up my Disney trip. One huge thing that Disney has but Universal doesn’t seem to- access to many gluten free meal options. Both my daughter and I have celiac and it’s so nice to go somewhere where we have all kinds of choices. At the moment though I am still not in the mood to hand over my money to Disney.

 

[jjb1974]

Remember when letting people bring dogs to certain hotels would ASSUREDLY create rabid packs of terrorizing animals just looking to sink their teeth into toddlers? Another huge sky-is-falling drama that turned out fine. This will too.

I couldn't begin to care what will be the End for Disney (tm). I know what is the end of my tolerance, and that's all I care about.

 

[Delirium]

Remember when letting people bring dogs to certain hotels would ASSUREDLY create rabid packs of terrorizing animals just looking to sink their teeth into toddlers? Another huge sky-is-falling drama that turned out fine. This will too.

That's an absurd comparison, because guests still had the choice to select other resorts and not be at a disadvantage. Sure, a guest could choose to ignore Genie and forego the Lightning Lane. But, it puts then at a distinct disadvantage
.

 

[Delirium]

Never Mind

 

[FCDub]

That's an absurd comparison, because guests still had the choice to select other resorts and not be at a disadvantage. Sure, a guest could choose to ignore Genie and forego the Lightning Lane. But, it puts then at a distinct disadvantage
.

How dare you question MY opinion? (I can do this, too.)

 

[menotyou21]

I have to disagree somewhat. We go year after year. While we spend less on souvenirs, we spend a lot more on dining. No free dining for us as DVC members, and dining has become a bigger part of our experience as my kids are now grown and we are older. We also splurge on tours and other special events to keep things fresh and new. So if Disney values us less or thinks we spend less on our trips, they are wrong.

This is spot on. Good friend of mine with kids 9 & 4 just went and they spent nearly $500 on toys...no joke. But they ate QS the entire time because this was a "once every 5 years" trip. My fam with kids 15/15/13/11 went and we spent about $150 total on shirts/etc....while having meals at CRT, BOG, etc.; spending at least $2,000 just on food!

 

[bsmcneil]

I always love seeing how everyone can have such different opinions. Genie hasn't really tipped the scale one way or the other for me, but I started seriously looking at buying DVC about a year ago, and that interest has grown considerably in the last couple months.

LOL, can I just say that I read your post and thought, "I bet it's ____" (your screenname). You are remarkably consistent, and from what I can tell - not often duplicated - in your opinion!

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I agree with you - I'd never go in August. But I'm pretty sure the numbers are there.

To your larger point, though, I think Disney has been hoisted by their own petard here. We've been trained for 20 years that there's a better way to get on rides than standing in a long line for an hour or more. And we've come to expect this better way to be included in the cost of our ticket.

So with people getting angry or upset, Disney really has no one to blame but themselves. They cultivated this mindset for a long time.

Im pretty sure I read somewhere the only constant in life is change.

Disney has an absolute duty to it shareholder to make as large of return on investment it can. If people are willing to pay more to cut the line, Disney has a duty to capture that extra revenue stream.

The only voice you or any none share holder has in this matter is where you spend your money. Don’t like it don’t go… If ticket sales drop Disney will be force to reevaluate. Something tells me, Disney has teams of marketing people with MBA after their names that have done countless CBAs to figure out that what the market will support.

 

[dominiondad]

I'm struggling with some of the logistics. If I stay offsite, I can make my Genie+ reservations when the parks open. That means I will be on my phone, head down, talking to my family, as we work our way thru security and the turnstiles. Other families will be doing the same. There are already people who go thru these lines seemingly clueless that they have to open their bags, present valid admission, and push thru a turnstile. This will just add to the what families are trying to do at the same moment. I would love to see Disney allow folks to make reservations the night before. Something like resort guests start at 9:00 pm, offsite starts at 9:30 pm. Allow me to head to the park without knowing I will have to spend the first moments of my day hoping my cell phone has a strong connection and that MDE is up and running.

 

[Cabius]

I'm struggling with some of the logistics. If I stay offsite, I can make my Genie+ reservations when the parks open.

I believe the Park Open timeline is only for the pay-per-ride option. Regular Genie+ passes can be booked by all guests at 7AM.

I assume most guests won’t pay for individual attractions, and those that do so may book them throughout the day, not all ASAP upon entering the park. I could be wrong.

 

[squirk]

Im pretty sure I read somewhere the only constant in life is change.

Disney has an absolute duty to it shareholder to make as large of return on investment it can. If people are willing to pay more to cut the line, Disney has a duty to capture that extra revenue stream.

The only voice you or any none share holder has in this matter is where you spend your money. Don’t like it don’t go… If ticket sales drop Disney will be force to reevaluate. Something tells me, Disney has teams of marketing people with MBA after their names that have done countless CBAs to figure out that what the market will support.

Yes, I understand how a for-profit corporation works. My point was not that Disney owes us a free FP system. Rather, my point was that they cultivated this “free FP included with the price of your ticket!” mindset for 20 years, so the backlash is hardly a surprise.

And I agree that Disney has had tons of people examining and studying the feasibility of Genie before they made a commitment. That said:

1.) I know a lot of MBAs; some of them are not that smart; and that degree doesn’t make them any less prone to error, confirmation bias and overconfidence than anybody else;

2.) Even the best marketing minds can only do so much if they are getting poor directives from upper management; and

3.) I think we all have seen, either first-hand or in the news, a lot of big companies, similarly employing a lot of “smart” people with a lot of letters after their name, that still screwed things up royally.

In short, Disney’s not infallible. I’m not saying they haven’t crossed “t”s and dotted “i”s with Genie+/LL, but they still could be mis-calibrating our appetite for it.

And of course, if they are wrong, they’ll never admit that. They’ll just create new “magical offers” of some sort (e.g., free LL passes for Deluxe resort guests) that makes it look like they’re doing us a munificent favor vs. outright cutting prices on anything.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If you are just talking about Genie+, what I understand is that EVERYONE, onsite or off, can make their first Genie + booking at 7 am regardless of where they are at the time.

Resort guests get 7am to purchase Tier 1 rides individually, everyone else waits for park open.

What that means I suppose, is that onsite guests can try for the virtual queue in the AM and then immediately afterward buy the ride if they don't get in through the VQ. Everyone else who wants to buy will need to wait until park open.

 

[nkereina]

I agree. Parking fees are a nuisance, but also avoidable.

Genie+, while avoidable, could severely put you at a disadvantage in the parks if you don't buy it. It may become a requirement, down the road, to ensure you're able to feel like the rest of the $1000s or $10,000s you spent, was "worth it".

I get your point, but to say it would put one at a severe disadvantage is extreme. People were in the parks every day without having any knowledge of FP+ or not utilizing FP+ to its fullest potential. Standby lines are always an option and will theoretically move faster because not as many people are inclined to purchase Genie+ as there were using the free FP+. Those who don't purchase Genie+ can still take advantage of rope drop and strategize their ride order during the day, just as people have done all along. There will always be options for people to ride without spending an additional dime. All Genie+ does is lessen your wait time.

 

[JakeAZ]

I get your point, but to say it would put one at a severe disadvantage is extreme. People were in the parks every day without having any knowledge of FP+ or not utilizing FP+ to its fullest potential. Standby lines are always an option and will theoretically move faster because not as many people are inclined to purchase Genie+ as there were using the free FP+. Those who don't purchase Genie+ can still take advantage of rope drop and strategize their ride order during the day, just as people have done all along. There will always be options for people to ride without spending an additional dime. All Genie+ does is lessen your wait time.

Sure, but I'd say if you spent what a WDW vacation costs and either didn't put int he time to find out how to use FP+ or didn't even know it existed, you put yourself (and family) at a (severe) disadvantage. Not having 3 pre scheduled rides and not knowing you could keep grabbing them after that, meant you wasted unnecessary hours in line.

It remains to be seen how popular Genie+ becomes. But as much as I don't like what I'm hearing, we will most likely consider it for most days of our Thanksgiving trip. I see Genie+ as an insurance policy. Nobody likes to pay for insurance, but if you need it, you're glad you did.

That being said, it will also be (one of many) reasons we probably won't be clamoring to return.

 

[NuJoy]

()

 

[rdaky]

I get your point, but to say it would put one at a severe disadvantage is extreme. People were in the parks every day without having any knowledge of FP+ or not utilizing FP+ to its fullest potential. Standby lines are always an option and will theoretically move faster because not as many people are inclined to purchase Genie+ as there were using the free FP+. Those who don't purchase Genie+ can still take advantage of rope drop and strategize their ride order during the day, just as people have done all along. There will always be options for people to ride without spending an additional dime. All Genie+ does is lessen your wait time.

Totally agree. Not purchasing a VIP tour could technically put you at a disadvantage too, since VIPs get to go to the front of all of the lines. But does that mean that I'm going to have a lousy trip because I can't afford VIP? No. But if I spend the whole time being jealous and grumpy that the big spenders don't have to waste time in line, then I might turn it into a lousy trip, but that's on me. It's the same with FP. People are still standing in lines, people have always stood in lines. If it's going to ruin your trip and you don't want to pay for it, then rope drop. Or go in the off-season.I was just at Epcot last week and walked onto every single ride except Frozen. Zero wait. Or just stand in line with the thousands of other people standing in line who aren't complaining but are just enjoying their vacations. Everything is perspective.

 

[JakeAZ]

Totally agree. Not purchasing a VIP tour could technically put you at a disadvantage too, since VIPs get to go to the front of all of the lines. But does that mean that I'm going to have a lousy trip because I can't afford VIP? No. But if I spend the whole time being jealous and grumpy that the big spenders don't have to waste time in line, then I might turn it into a lousy trip, but that's on me. It's the same with FP. People are still standing in lines, people have always stood in lines. If it's going to ruin your trip and you don't want to pay for it, then rope drop. Or go in the off-season.I was just at Epcot last week and walked onto every single ride except Frozen. Zero wait. Or just stand in line with the thousands of other people standing in line who aren't complaining but are just enjoying their vacations. Everything is perspective.

Valid points, but all situations are not the same.

We live across the country and with school-aged kids, the offseason isn't really an option for us. Nor do I want to be in Florida in August. I don't even want to be in Arizona in August...and I live there!

Based on what we are paying for this trip, if I had to spend hour after hour in lines, ya, I'd say that would leave a bad taste in my mouth. If buying something like Genie+ will help with that, then yes, I will bite the bullet and add that money to the heap.

But I see the transition WDW is making. Less for more. Some have no problems with this. "Less" is still enough. Or maybe they go often enough to not worry about missing things. To each their own.

For me, I feel like the Disney value proposition just seems to keep moving in one direction only.

But hey, business is booming! Will it be booming, with more inevitable price increases, in late 2022 / early 2023? We'll see.

 

[Kingoglow]

That's an absurd comparison, because guests still had the choice to select other resorts and not be at a disadvantage. Sure, a guest could choose to ignore Genie and forego the Lightning Lane. But, it puts then at a distinct disadvantage.

We can argue over 'disadvantaged' being based upon what ones expectations are.

In the end, I think that Genie+LL has value in MK, 100%. Less value at HS, but I can see the case if a family values Tower of Terror and Rockin Roller Coaster a lot; I don't so I don't mind standing for Smuggler's Run and Railroad. I don't see any value in purchasing Genie+LL in EPCOT or AK.

As long as I can purchase Genie+ for my family for our MK days prior to the 7am booking window day of, then I am fine with the system and wont feel disadvantaged watching people pay $15 per person to LL Spaceship Earth and Figment.