Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun!

[Naomeri]

So are we going to get some really good news today to take away the sting of Disney rifling around in our pockets for money?

The only good news I’m looking for involves Disney digging more money out of my pockets for an AP

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

I get the price hikes, I get the bottom line, I'm not gonna waste my breath complaining to some CEO who will never hear me, but I am conflicted. We stay value every year and splurge on park hopper plus tickets, tickets every day of our tip including departure day, and usually a party depending on the year. This year we are confused if the genie+ is worth it to us. We have a 7 year old who's done Disney 5 times so she KNOWS there are lines, but we also did a covid trip last November where everything was nearly a walk on so we got spoiled. I don't know if January is enough time away to "wait and see" how the standby lines will be to determine if we need this new FP+ option or if we'll be stuck in hour lines all day long.

 

[Gusey]

For me, Genie+ doesn't seem worth it if certain attractions are exclusively pay extra. It'll work at MK as there are enough attractions for the money, but if you take Epcot for example, if you make 3 attractions lightning lane only (say Rat, Frozen and Soarin' for arguments sake), that leaves 6 attractions (Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Nemo, Imagination, Test Track & Mission Space) for Genie+, it's even worse at Hollywood Studios and AK

 

[Tyler's Dad]

For me, Genie+ doesn't seem worth it if certain attractions are exclusively pay extra. It'll work at MK as there are enough attractions for the money, but if you take Epcot for example, if you make 3 attractions lightning lane only (say Rat, Frozen and Soarin' for arguments sake), that leaves 6 attractions (Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Nemo, Imagination, Test Track & Mission Space) for Genie+, it's even worse at Hollywood Studios and AK

I agree, but it also didn't make sense to have Fastpasses at those parks for the most part. Epcot, for example, made zero sense for Journey Into Imagination to have a Fastpass. Honestly, once FP+ started, it made the lines for rides like that much longer. I think this new system will see lines go back to evening out around the parks and standby lines will move much more and probably improve over time.

 

[Garyjames220]

Does anyway no yet with Genie plus

- can you book a time slot yourself And have a choice of times?

- if the next time available is not until say 6 hours later does that mean I can’t get any more LL passes for the next 6 hours?

 

[Gusey]

I agree, but it also didn't make sense to have Fastpasses at those parks for the most part. Epcot, for example, made zero sense for Journey Into Imagination to have a Fastpass. Honestly, once FP+ started, it made the lines for rides like that much longer. I think this new system will see lines go back to evening out around the parks and standby lines will move much more and probably improve over time.

I'm hoping that'll be the case, like with Universal's Express pass not impacting too much on the regular line. I
I'm also a firm believer that omnimovers should not have Fastpass as they are designed to continually load, so the queue keeps moving. It's why Peter Pan has had such low times with the removal of Fastpass

 

[Tyler's Dad]

Does anyway no yet with Genie plus

- can you book a time slot yourself And have a choice of times?

- if the next time available is not until say 6 hours later does that mean I can’t get any more LL passes for the next 6 hours?

I know MaxPass had the same guidelines as FP, where if the time was a ways out, after so long you could book another one. I am sure this will be the same way.

 

[Tyler's Dad]

I'm hoping that'll be the case, like with Universal's Express pass not impacting too much on the regular line. I
I'm also a firm believer that omnimovers should not have Fastpass as they are designed to continually load, so the queue keeps moving. It's why Peter Pan has had such low times with the removal of Fastpass

Peter Pan was the best/worst example of Fastpass. The merging of lines caused so much delay with loading that FP+ killed that line. We went 3 times during the last 1.5 years and were constantly surprised and excited with how fast it was to get on where the standby line used to constantly be over an hour for that ride.

 

[Princessclab]

Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane FAQ for Walt Disney World

Just a few FAQs that might help understanding

A comparison chart would be nice.....

 

[Gusey]

Amongst all DisTwitter's reactions to Genie+ news, this tweet made me chuckle

https://twitter.com/x/status/1428166228640636929

 

[princesscinderella]

My local news just did a spot on Genie and all the footage they showed was from “The Social Distance Times”….super low crowds, everyone masked outside, and waiting in line 6 feet apart….
Also, at the end of the spot the cool anchor said “wait it used to be free? Of course Disney is saying this is better than free” then he started laughing. It’s WTKR and you can live stream it if anyone wants to see it. (They replay it on the web livestream until the next broadcast at noon).

We live in soFla and our news anchor made a comment that “my kids and I will be waiting in the regular lines”. It’s definitely not going over well. I agree with other’s comments that for the other parks besides MK what benefits is it to buy Genie+ there’s so few rides there to begin with. Maxpass worked great at Disneyland because those two parks are packed with as many rides as the 4 in WDW.

 

[Garyjames220]

I know MaxPass had the same guidelines as FP, where if the time was a ways out, after so long you could book another one. I am sure this will be the same way.

so u don’t think u will be able to book in a time you want from a few times like fast pass+

 

[Tyler's Dad]

so u don’t think u will be able to book in a time you want from a few times like fast pass+

I think when you select a new one, it will have the next time available for each ride. Think the old paper Fastpass method where you walked up and there was a return time posted and if you took the paper Fastpass, that was the time you returned. I think you will go in and see the time and if you select that ride, you will return at the time given. Those return times will get later and later as more people select that ride for their Genie+ attraction. So, if you want Splash and a lot if people have been selecting Splash, that time might be for 4 hours in the future. The way the old paper system and MaxPass worked, after an hour, you could select another ride.

 

[Garyjames220]

I think when you select a new one, it will have the next time available for each ride. Think the old paper Fastpass method where you walked up and there was a return time posted and if you took the paper Fastpass, that was the time you returned. I think you will go in and see the time and if you select that ride, you will return at the time given. Those return times will get later and later as more people select that ride for their Genie+ attraction. So, if you want Splash and a lot if people have been selecting Splash, that time might be for 4 hours in the future. The way the old paper system and MaxPass worked, after an hour, you could select another ride.

oh right so if it keeps offering me later times I could have about three rides booked before even going on one

 

[Tyler's Dad]

oh right so if it keeps offering me later times I could have about three rides booked before even going on one

oh right so if it keeps offering me later times I could have about three rides booked before even going on one

I think it generally capped you at 2, but I'm not 100% sure. I think with the way times progressed, it would have been hard to get them spaced out much more than that.

 

[Haley R]

Princess Tiana-themed Playground Coming to EPCOT

So that’s why it was closed last week. I assumed it was due to Covid. We were so mad our toddler couldn’t run around

 

[HokieRaven5]

‘Disney Uncharted Adventure’ interactive experience coming to Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish

 

[SuzErwin]

I think it generally capped you at 2, but I'm not 100% sure. I think with the way times progressed, it would have been hard to get them spaced out much more than that.

The old paper FastPass system allowed you to pull another FastPass at the ride kiosk two hours after pulling your first FastPass or after you completed your ride, whichever came first.

MaxPass allowed you to use the app to reserve another FastPass 90 minutes after reserving your first FastPass or after you scanned your existing FastPass to enter the ride’s queue, whichever came first.

I never held more than two ride FastPasses at once, but I suppose it could be possible. FastPasses for entertainment such as World of Color or Fantasmic did not count against the ride FastPass allocation.

MaxPass didn’t allow guests to choose their return time - it offered the next available time. Once all the FastPasses for the day were allocated, the ride wasn’t offered in MaxPass. So it was theoretical to pull a late FastPass for Radiator Springs, since those tended to go quickly, but receive FastPasses only a half hour or so away for other rides. MaxPass FastPasses tended to have quicker return times than paper FastPasses.

 

[dancergirlsmom]

oh right so if it keeps offering me later times I could have about three rides booked before even going on one

I believe you can only have one of the Genie+ lightening line rides booked at a time. So you have to use one then get another. I could be wrong, but that is the way I understood it. Which does stink if you can't get a ride until later in the day, you will have to wait to get another line. I haven't read if you can move it earlier if something changes. I wonder if you can modify times and/or cancel and get something different? Which in turn, will create an opening for someone else to get.

 

[Tyler's Dad]

The old paper FastPass system allowed you to pull another FastPass at the ride kiosk two hours after pulling your first FastPass or after you completed your ride, whichever came first.

MaxPass allowed you to use the app to reserve another FastPass 90 minutes after reserving your first FastPass or after you scanned your existing FastPass to enter the ride’s queue, whichever came first.

I never held more than two ride FastPasses at once, but I suppose it could be possible. FastPasses for entertainment such as World of Color or Fantasmic did not count against the two FastPass allocation.

You had the timeframes down way better than me. I just remembered a certain amount of time had to pass, then another one would be available. We will have to see what is final, but I do think they will continue this. More than anything, because they want people to use the system and making you wait hours and hours to get a new one will keep that from happening.