Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2023 Edition

[tarak]

No, you actually can't depending upon what you ride. Old Fast Pass system I used to regularly be able to get multiple FPs once I used my 3, and the main difference for me is that I could get multiples for the same ride, i.e. if I wanted to ride Tower of Terror three times using FP+ and could get 3 FP+, I could do it.

I can't do that with Genie+, there are rides on there that either don't need a fast pass, or that I have no interest in, and those don't help me. The other issues I have with Genie+ as it is now is that they are intentionally inflating ride times in many cases to think people are getting a better value with their purchase, and they're REALLY skewing the regular lines depending upon how many people arrive at a certain time. Not sure what changed since they switched from the old system, but I NEVER saw lines like I saw last trip.

I agree with all of this. My family took a trip to WDW shortly after Genie + first rolled out. I refused to pay for it because it irked me that the service provided less than what I’d gotten for free before. My son and I timed rides to see if the standby wait was inflated, and it clearly was. It’s a small world stood out the most, as the board said 45 minutes and we were on and off the ride in 25. I assumed the intent was to get people to buy in after seeing the wait times. This was the week leading up to thanksgiving, as well, so it wasn’t exactly a low crowd time of year.

We’re flying down Friday and renting a car, so I’m thrilled with the parking fees going away. Now if they could just bring back resort luggage check, I would be truly ecstatic.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Dumbo Annual Passholder Magnet Revealed, Coming Soon to EPCOT


Get ready Passholders, it’s time to flap your ears and head to EPCOT to pick up a Dumbo Passholder Magnet. Just visit Creations at EPCOT from 9am to 9pm.* Pickup will be available from January 18 to February 20, 2023, while supplies last.

 

[Violetspider]

Dumbo Annual Passholder Magnet Revealed, Coming Soon to EPCOT
View attachment 731204

Get ready Passholders, it’s time to flap your ears and head to EPCOT to pick up a Dumbo Passholder Magnet. Just visit Creations at EPCOT from 9am to 9pm.* Pickup will be available from January 18 to February 20, 2023, while supplies last.

They should mail these to all the APs. Not all of us live in Florida. The out of state APs generally spend a lot more to get those APs and usually use them a lot less. Boooo!

 

[Aprilshack]

I agree with all of this. My family took a trip to WDW shortly Genie + first rolled out. I refused to pay for it because it irked me the service provided less than what I’d gotten for free before. My son and I timed rides to see if the standby wait was inflated, and it clearly was. It’s a small world stood out the most, as the board said 45 minutes and we were on and off the ride in 25. I assumed the intent was to get people to buy in after seeing the wait times. This was the week leading up to thanksgiving, as well, so it wasn’t exactly a low crowd time of year.

We’re flying down Friday and renting a car, so I’m thrilled with the parking fees going away. Now if they could just bring back resort luggage check, I would be truly ecstatic.

And shopping being sent back to your hotel.

 

[Eeyore daily]

Dumbo Annual Passholder Magnet Revealed, Coming Soon to EPCOT
View attachment 731204

Get ready Passholders, it’s time to flap your ears and head to EPCOT to pick up a Dumbo Passholder Magnet. Just visit Creations at EPCOT from 9am to 9pm.* Pickup will be available from January 18 to February 20, 2023, while supplies last.

I really wish this was starting on the 16th. Now I gotta figure out if I want to wait a couple of days to pick it up because that's so freaking cute.

 

[DduzDis]

Well, look, there's always someone who bought that thing before the sale or whatever - unfortuately, that happens. I don't see though how any of this can be seen as negatives though - not from a consumer point of view.

Plus, there are a lot of other PhotoPass places besides the attraction photos where we use the service. I am glad that others get benefit of the attraction photos. I do wish PhotoPass still came free with APs, but I am not complaining about having paid for it and see others getting a benefit with G+.

 

[rangerxenos]

They should mail these to all the APs. Not all of us live in Florida. The out of state APs generally spend a lot more to get those APs and usually use them a lot less. Boooo!

Exactly! I have an AP and take two week long (or so) trips a year, which pays for it, but it's not like I can just pop down to DS or a park to pick up a new magnet when they're available.

That's actually one of the things they asked about when I received an AP Survey a few weeks back, and I told them this.

 

[bookbabe626]

They should mail these to all the APs. Not all of us live in Florida. The out of state APs generally spend a lot more to get those APs and usually use them a lot less. Boooo!

lol. I was thrilled with having park pickup again for the magnet, since we are Canadians and they never mail them to us. But I do have a trip scheduled in that time frame, so we are very happy about the announcement.

You could always do what we’ve had to do for all the mailed-out ones, either buy or trade from someone with extras…

 

[afan]

This is one of my biggest issue with Genie+. I want to be able to use it on a ride multiple times.

This bugs me too. Though the only ride I normally did it on was tsmm. I'd spend the last hour or two riding it several times using fp.

 

[bookbabe626]

Exactly! I have an AP and take two week long (or so) trips a year, which pays for it, but it's not like I can just pop down to DS or a park to pick up a new magnet when they're available.

That's actually one of the things they asked about when I received an AP Survey a few weeks back, and I told them this.

See my response to the PP…park pickup is way better for us, since they never mail anything to Canadians. Just trade or buy online, that’s what we’ve had to do for the last few.

 

[Smugpugmug]

They should mail these to all the APs. Not all of us live in Florida. The out of state APs generally spend a lot more to get those APs and usually use them a lot less. Boooo!

I agree. I wish they mailed the magnets to non Florida resident APs. I am going to Epcot the weekend of Feb 11th so I'll be able to get one, but I'm not always in Florida.

 

[RamblingMad]

WHOOOO! The complimentary parking saves us hundreds. We are a low income family and have been priced out of flying the last 2 years, so we drive, from MINNESOTA in a 15 year old mini van (yes it is as awful as it sounds) but one of the things that tacked on $$$ for the driving was parking fees. We typically stay 10 days so 150$ bucks is MAAAAYBE half an airline ticket that we could budgeting for?! We are thrilled.

It doesn't if they just roll it into the rack rate. We'll have to wait and see if the parking fee ends up in the hotel rate, which would mean they now indirectly charge everyone for it whether they have a vehicle or not. If I was Iger, that's how I would do it. You get the good will by removing it while no one pays attention to the rack rate.

 

[Brocktoon]

And shopping being sent back to your hotel.

+1 to this! I'm sure Disney has run the numbers, but I know they've lost $$$ with me not being able to pick up my purchases back at the resort. I still bought stuff, but not as many impulse buys knowing I'd need to lug it around.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

They should mail these to all the APs. Not all of us live in Florida. The out of state APs generally spend a lot more to get those APs and usually use them a lot less. Boooo!

I don't like the mail option, we never got Minnie via mail .

 

[OKW Lover]

Dumbo Annual Passholder Magnet Revealed, Coming Soon to EPCOT
View attachment 731204

Get ready Passholders, it’s time to flap your ears and head to EPCOT to pick up a Dumbo Passholder Magnet. Just visit Creations at EPCOT from 9am to 9pm.* Pickup will be available from January 18 to February 20, 2023, while supplies last.

If Disney keeps releasing new AP magnets I'm going to need to add a counterweight to the back of my refrigerator.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Reedy Creek Improvement District discusses long-term land use at Walt Disney World which includes additional theme parks
Of note was the long-term land use plan which includes more hotel rooms, two additional minor theme parks (waterparks), and one additional major theme park.

The updated plan is expected to be released in February 2023, which will provide an interesting insight into future development possibilities at Walt Disney World.

Although the long-term land use plan has been updated, it should be noted that this does not mean that Disney will actually go ahead with any projects that make use of the assigned land.

*Note - Please only discuss the topic at hand regarding long-term land use map update by RCID.

 

[Sadeesmom]

I feel like we have beat the Genie+ to death, and yet still feel the need to weigh in with my opinion:
I don't mind paying for a system that you can schedule in. For example, a paid FP+ system would be fine with me, especially with a short window (by which I mean, on-site could schedule a week in advance or so).

I just don't like having to bounce from one side of the park to the other in order to best utilize G+. Frankly, we're lazy, so it was nice to be able to schedule ours in order, in a circle around the park in the old system. I bought G+ for our first visit back, but not after that one use - it was not worth it to me.

And here's another +1 for wishing they would bring back shopping sent to your hotel!

 

[RamblingMad]

+1 to this! I'm sure Disney has run the numbers, but I know they've lost $$$ with me not being able to pick up my purchases back at the resort. I still bought stuff, but not as many impulse buys knowing I'd need to lug it around.

I would buy more if I didn't have to carry stuff around.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

Dumbo Annual Passholder Magnet Revealed, Coming Soon to EPCOT
View attachment 731204

Get ready Passholders, it’s time to flap your ears and head to EPCOT to pick up a Dumbo Passholder Magnet. Just visit Creations at EPCOT from 9am to 9pm.* Pickup will be available from January 18 to February 20, 2023, while supplies last.

I go home the day before these become available. That's annoying.

 

[BrianL]

I would buy more if I didn't have to carry stuff around.

Me too. Sometimes there is something that I want to buy that is cumbersome or heavy and I intend to pick it up on the way out, but you know how it goes sometimes, that you just don't get back over to that shop or whatever. It happens, and it loses them a sale.