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

[soniam]

Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro to Speak at SXSW 2023

Darn! I was going to Orlando just to see him, but I guess I will miss him

Admittedly i used a car on property and never saw charges added for resort parking.

We didn’t always get charged either, ignoring DVC stays.

Except that for APs who purchased the photo add on to their passes, it doesn't add any value for them.

I purchased it with my AP and we usually get G+. I’m not upset by it. Most AP holders are locals and don’t buy G+ anyway.

 

[RamblingMad]

Park hopping at 11a makes far more sense. You can now park hop for lunch.

 

[KayMichigan]

I hope WDW also adopts the 11 AM park hopping.

Also very happy to see HEA coming back. I'm guessing they're going to update it, hope they don't mess it up!

 

[HokieRaven5]

Magic Kingdom Annual Pass reservations reach capacity for the opening day of TRON Lightcycle Run at Walt Disney World
Although new Magic Kingdom reservations are currently paused, it is possible that more availability may open, as seen previously on high-demand days.

Annual Passholders will also have the opportunity to attend a TRON Lightycle Run preview event prior to April 4, but availability will be limited. Dates for the passholder previews have not yet been announced.

Currently, Walt Disney World Resort guests and regular ticket holders can still make a reservation for April 4.

 

[Moliphino]

Admittedly i used a car on property and never saw charges added for resort parking.

I was charged one trip when I didn't have a car. It doesn't seem like they were very good at actually tracking who had a car and who didn't, another reason to be glad it's gone.

 

[Violetspider]

I was charged one trip when I didn't have a car. It doesn't seem like they were very good at actually tracking who had a car and who didn't, another reason to be glad it's gone.

I received a charge when I was simply dropped off at my resort once. We specifically told the gate tender I was being dropped off for a split stay. I myself had no car, so had no other magic band scans at the gate. Took an hour on checkout day to get the charge removed.

 

[rangerxenos]

 

[rangerxenos]

Except that for APs who purchased the photo add on to their passes, it doesn't add any value for them.

Yep, paying to add it when I renewed really hurt.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

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.

 

[rangerxenos]

When Fastpass was free you got 3 a day. A handful more if you were an expert at using the system. And you had to be up at the crack of dawn months in advance to book them.

With Genie+ it is a smaller pool of people than just everyone who is in the parks, so without having to be an expert you can easily get double that or more in a day. Which to me makes it a luxury perk worth paying for. And on the days I don’t want to pay for it, standby is still there and available to everyone.

If you plan your day right you can get just as much done without paying anything extra. The trade off is you don’t have to put in the time and effort to do that if you pay for the extra perk. To me that is a time value that is worth it on days I don’t want to tour that way.

But to each their own. To me I like it soooo much better than the free version but I understand not everyone feels the same.

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.

 

[rangerxenos]

And now I need to get up at the crack of dawn everyday of my trip when I’d like to sleep in just a little bit, instead of me doing it one time months in advance. This is one thing I think they need to fix with genie plus. Stop making people get up early to book these things. Give perks to people staying on site to book earlier.

My point in the end is everything that I can do with genie plus, I was doing for free and saving almost $1,000 in the process. Nobody is forced to use it but there no comparison between trips with genie plus and without when it comes to ease of trip and less stress.

To each their own as you said, just venting frustration

Not everyone is gonna be happy. I’ll still buy genie plus cause it’s needed but I’ll attempt to just use it less days. Hopefully Disney does something about the cost of it or gives some perk to on site Resort guests. If I’m staying on site with a 7 day ticket, how about giving me 2 days free of genie plus if I pay for 4 Or free ILL for a few days.

Just the little things

A discount for AP's on Genie+ would also be nice.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I was hoping to see an earlier park hopping change at WDW. After seeing DL go down to 11AM, I was sure WDW would see at least a noon or even 1PM change.

The 2pm thing kills my food plans. Not being able to hop for lunch is super annoying. Oftentimes, my favorite places to eat lunch are not where I am currently stuck!

A discount for AP's on Genie+ would also be nice.

I'm hoping we will eventually get the option to buy in for the year. I'm sure it won't be cheap.

 

[B1GxFOOT]

I don't think resorts guests have to pay to park at the theme parks now.

"As a reminder, Disney Resort hotel guests also continue to receive complimentary standard parking at Walt Disney World theme parks, daily early theme park entry (with valid admission and a park reservation) and complimentary on-site transportation options such as buses, monorails and Disney Skyliner.”

Thanks!

I always assumed they didn't charge for Park parking because it would be like a double dip when you've already paid for resort parking. I just wondered if removing the one gave them an excuse to charge for the other. Good update. I may actually rent a car now instead of waiting at a bus station for 20 minutes.

 

[Jrb1979]

The 2pm thing kills my food plans. Not being able to hop for lunch is super annoying. Oftentimes, my favorite places to eat lunch are not where I am currently stuck!


I'm hoping we will eventually get the option to buy in for the year. I'm sure it won't be cheap.

I don't see that option ever happening. They don't have the attraction capacity for everyone to have Genie+. Its part of why they killed FP+. They don't have enough attractions to make it work with as many guests that buy it. It's a big reason many rides sellout so quick.

 

[pixiedust2u]

When Fastpass was free you got 3 a day. A handful more if you were an expert at using the system. And you had to be up at the crack of dawn months in advance to book them.

With Genie+ it is a smaller pool of people than just everyone who is in the parks, so without having to be an expert you can easily get double that or more in a day. Which to me makes it a luxury perk worth paying for. And on the days I don’t want to pay for it, standby is still there and available to everyone.

If you plan your day right you can get just as much done without paying anything extra. The trade off is you don’t have to put in the time and effort to do that if you pay for the extra perk. To me that is a time value that is worth it on days I don’t want to tour that way.

But to each their own. To me I like it soooo much better than the free version but I understand not everyone feels the same.

I would rope drop, then by using modify time feature get all my fastpasses done in an hour. I’d be through my first 3 fastpasses by 11am. Then would ride fast pass the remainder of the day, easily could get many, many more. We enjoyed being able to ride our favorites multiple times.

We didn’t mind genie+ and had success with it (at MK and Epcot). I’m glad they added a modify feature as that was one of my biggest gripes. And although we didn’t find it necessary to do so for our plans… waking up so early to snag preferred rides whether LL or ILL also is a major disadvantage. Lastly, though we are fortunate to afford it, it feels like a “class” system. I’ve said it numerous times before, if you are staying at a WDW Resort you should get at least 2-3 genie+ reservations included with your reservation.

 

[Moliphino]

I received a charge when I was simply dropped off at my resort once. We specifically told the gate tender I was being dropped off for a split stay. I myself had no car, so had no other magic band scans at the gate. Took an hour on checkout day to get the charge removed.

I never even entered the resort in a car, only by resort bus and we took DME on the way out. It was the second resort in a split stay, so we didn't enter on DME. We went to a park from the first resort in the morning and came into the second resort on a park bus in the evening. Disney moved our bags between resorts. I have no idea why they flagged us as having a car.

They removed the charges once I noticed the night before checking out. Then when I got the final bill I had been charged for parking that last night.

 

[pens4821]

I actually like Genie+, we had a lot of success using it compared to the old system. It’s not a perfect system yet but I don’t mind it all.

Now the park reservations and restricted hopping interfere with the enjoyment of my trips WAY more than Genie+

Agreed. While I don’t love paying for something that was free, I liked genie+ better than FP. We were there for spring break this year, last time was February of 2019 (not a holiday week). We were constantly waiting 20/30/even up to 45 minutes in the FP lines. Going this year during a busier spring break week I don’t think we ever waited more than a couple minutes before the merge point (once for alien saucers but one side went down). I’m all for paying for it so it limits the amount of people using it so I can actually get in and out of those rides faster. Unless things have changed since March and you wait like you used to with FP.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Agreed. While I don’t love paying for something that was free, I liked genie+ better than FP. We were there for spring break this year, last time was February of 2019 (not a holiday week). We were constantly waiting 20/30/even up to 45 minutes in the FP lines. Going this year during a busier spring break week I don’t think we ever waited more than a couple minutes before the merge point (once for alien saucers but one side went down). I’m all for paying for it so it limits the amount of people using it so I can actually get in and out of those rides faster. Unless things have changed since March and you wait like you used to with FP.

I think both systems have their flaws personally. But I didn't care for FP+ at all. We are AP and we have used Genie twice, it was fine, but not something I will regularly pay for.

 

[ItsMEH]

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.

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

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

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.

I'm very happy for you!