Disney World Genie+ No longer sold pre-arrival, subject to availability

[Suzabella]

I disagree. Disney was having capacity issues before Covid. Yes I think it’s heightened now but I don’t think it’s going down.

Only time will tell. But I doubt everyone complaining about genie+ suddenly never goes to Disney again.

We'll have to agree to disagree. The world isn't the same place as it was precovid and to compare anything now regarding Disney to how it 'used to be' isn't going to work out well.

I'm just going to leave this discussion as you seem to be making a splash on your first week on this board.

 

[SeasonneRose]

We'll have to agree to disagree. The world isn't the same place as it was precovid and to compare anything now regarding Disney to how it 'used to be' isn't going to work out well.

I'm just going to leave this discussion as you seem to be making a splash on your first week on this board.

What does how long I’ve been on this site have to do with the content of my posts? Absolutely nothing. Just because you don’t agree doesn’t mean that my time here someone makes what I’m saying invalid. Good day.

 

[DisneyMama811]

Disney Execs: Let's take something terrible and make it even worse!

 

[john7994]

I was just at the parks this week, and I found Genie + an invaluable tool and not difficult at all. The rules around being up at 7A etc to make first ILL / LLs was a little onerous, but otherwise my experience was the exact opposite of the many complaints I have been reading on the boards ...

 

[xdan0920]

I was just at the parks this week, and I found Genie + an invaluable tool and not difficult at all. The rules around being up at 7A etc to make first ILL / LLs was a little onerous, but otherwise my experience was the exact opposite of the many complaints I have been reading on the boards ...

The biggest complaint I have seen is that you must use your phone constantly. You were able to get around that?

 

[Liquidice]

I do prefer knowing ahead of time and I think this is the downfall of what they’ve announced.

But I also don’t think this is the end goal. They’re going to announce that deluxe or on-site will get to do advance purchase imo.

Definitely I agree they will keep tweaking Genie+ as it goes. If you consider VIP tours are at their cheapest ~$300 per person per day ($425 per hour * 7 hour minimum divided by 10 people = $297.50 per person), there is probably room for a mid-tier Genie+ offering at $50-150 per person per day. While I don't like the idea of having to pay more - consider that they could introduce a pre-arrival offering at a higher price with a limited supply that includes 1 ILL ride and maybe 2 Genie+ attractions and a guarantee of getting the rides you want. By making the supply highly limited, they could ensure availability. If the supply is depleted you then offer normal Genie+ to anyone who "missed out" at a cheaper $15-20 per person per day with higher supply but no guarantees. The higher tier could be offered to AP holders, DVC members and Deluxe resort guests for a discount.

Changes in and of themselves aren’t going to move the needle. What needs to happen to see any demonstrable increase in the genie+ experience is to decrease demand. And without disrupting profits the inky way you do that is to increase the price.

Too many people have genie+ rendering it useless and frustrating. Less people need to have genie+ if they want to experience to be a net positive for the users that do have it. Those who can’t afford it are always going to have a negative or indifferent position so there’s no sense in appealing to that demographic. Those who can afford it and are mad they either purchase it begrudgingly or don’t purchase it - and that’s where the data will come into play over the next year or so.

Well - the suggestion in the changes is they will be limiting supply. So if they truly are going to limit supply, we should see changes in the Genie+ LL availability. I agree that if they limit supply, it will result in a price increase for Genie+ as well. Don't be surprised to see the price increase announcement occurring on or around June 8th when 2023 packages come out. Probably matching the price of Disneyland at $20 per person per day.

 

[mikalkwin]

For Europeans that have booked through ATD, check your emails, I have received a very useful bit of information for amendments to your booking done after June 7th:

• If you have a 2022 Disney Resort hotel booking and need to make an amendment to your booking - e.g. change dates, room type or hotel - you will retain your Disney Genie+.
• If you have a 2023 Disney Resort hotel booking and need to make an amendment to your booking, you will lose your Disney Genie+ and your balance will be updated with the lower price.

 

[SeasonneRose]

Definitely I agree they will keep tweaking Genie+ as it goes. If you consider VIP tours are at their cheapest ~$300 per person per day ($425 per hour * 7 hour minimum divided by 10 people = $297.50 per person), there is probably room for a mid-tier Genie+ offering at $50-150 per person per day. While I don't like the idea of having to pay more - consider that they could introduce a pre-arrival offering at a higher price with a limited supply that includes 1 ILL ride and maybe 2 Genie+ attractions and a guarantee of getting the rides you want. By making the supply highly limited, they could ensure availability. If the supply is depleted you then offer normal Genie+ to anyone who "missed out" at a cheaper $15-20 per person per day with higher supply but no guarantees. The higher tier could be offered to AP holders, DVC members and Deluxe resort guests for a discount.



Well - the suggestion in the changes is they will be limiting supply. So if they truly are going to limit supply, we should see changes in the Genie+ LL availability. I agree that if they limit supply, it will result in a price increase for Genie+ as well. Don't be surprised to see the price increase announcement occurring on or around June 8th when 2023 packages come out. Probably matching the price of Disneyland at $20 per person per day.

Absolutely agree with all you’ve said.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

I think they will make genie+ a priority for deluxe and DVC guests. Meaning they will either have the option to buy in advance or have it added for free (like universal). Price increases for everyone else with a daily surge pricing model.

I think they keep the $15 for the deluxe guest as one of the “perks” of that tier.

I’ve been saying since day one that they should’ve been more in line with Universal express pass system and their hotels. While express pass isn’t perfect (and insanely expensive at times) the deluxe and DVC should’ve gotten it included, moderate at a discounted price and so on and so forth

 

[SeasonneRose]

I’ve been saying since day one that they should’ve been more in line with Universal express pass system and their hotels. While express pass isn’t perfect (and insanely expensive at times) the deluxe and DVC should’ve gotten it included, moderate at a discounted price and so on and so forth

Agreed!

 

[john7994]

The biggest complaint I have seen is that you must use your phone constantly. You were able to get around that?

Truthfully, I spent more time checking work emails than I spent fussing with Genie + for the next set of LL during our time at the parks. I would set an alarm for the next eligible time (as needed for the 120 minute rule) to select an LL so that I didnt have to keep looking at the phone. I think the longest set of (#fiddlefaddling) refreshing for a better LL in one stretch was only a few minutes and did so sporadically while in queues at standby for lesser attractions.

I did spend too much time eating and shopping (Mobile Ordering and purchasing is a keeper for sure). Setting a pace of overlapping LLs, working in our lunch, checking out the sites for each park seemed easy - I just didn't see the issues to be honest. We hit all the major headliners a few lesser rides - even picked up one experience return at HS due to Runaway Railroad being down at our LL return time, and worked it right back in with other LLs an hour or so later.

I would say we were knowledgeable about the parks / locations of rides and places we wanted to see. The parks were crowded of course, but we also planned in activities / shows / parades / character meets for the minimal "down time" between LLs. Most happened spontaneously for the most part.

 

[MaC410]

The biggest complaint I have seen is that you must use your phone constantly. You were able to get around that?

To be fair...couldn't the same thing be said about Fastpass+? That required us to be on our phones constantly

 

[Moliphino]

To be fair...couldn't the same thing be said about Fastpass+? That required us to be on our phones constantly

I wasn't. I'd see if there was anything available during downtime (waiting in line, on a bus), but knowing I had everything I wanted pre-planned took away any urgency to find something good day-of.

 

[MaC410]

I wasn't. I'd see if there was anything available during downtime (waiting in line, on a bus), but knowing I had everything I wanted pre-planned took away any urgency to find something good day-of.

Guess it depended on how you took advantage of the fastpass system. We used the app all throughout the day and would get fastpasses for every ride we went on. I don't mind being on the phone though. I don't feel like it takes away from enjoying the parks and found it worth it to get all those fastpasses.

 

[Liquidice]

Guess it depended on how you took advantage of the fastpass system. We used the app all throughout the day and would get fastpasses for every ride we went on. I don't mind being on the phone though. I don't feel like it takes away from enjoying the parks and found it worth it to get all those fastpasses.

It definitely depended on how you used FP+. We often would go to WDW for 7-8 days, sometimes even more and we'd visit each park for 2 days, meaning we'd get 6 FP+'s per park over the course of our vacation and often after we got our 3 FP's we wouldn't spend a lot of time trying to get another since you knew you had 3 more coming another day and we usually got all of the headliners in those 6 FP's.

You could certainly fiddlefaddle with FP+ and often get some good rides after your first 3 but you didn't need to. To get those first 3 rides, Genie+ requires you to use the phone.

I think people's experience with Genie+ varies quite a bit not just on how much they researched it and how much experience they have using it (I'm sure more tech inclined people also have an easier time with it) - but also on how crowded the parks were. I've heard people traveling recently say the parks were super crowded but the crowd level was only a 5/10. I'd expect the way Genie+ works today is a much better experience with a 5/10 crowd level than a 10/10.

It also depends on the park too. Generally speaking, MK and HS are the 2 parks where Genie+ makes the most sense since they have the most rides. With Epcot and AK you don't really need it. For MK because it has the most rides, I've heard generally good things about it, while HS I've heard mostly bad things about it. Recall that in the FP+ days, Disney tiered the rides at HS and you could only get 1 Tier 1 Fastpass and then 2 Tier 2 Fastpasses. Disney is not currently doing that for Genie+ and I think that this may be related to the worse experiences at HS.

Hopefully the changes being made will create a better experience for those 10/10 days too though.

 

[Jrb1979]

It definitely depended on how you used FP+. We often would go to WDW for 7-8 days, sometimes even more and we'd visit each park for 2 days, meaning we'd get 6 FP+'s per park over the course of our vacation and often after we got our 3 FP's we wouldn't spend a lot of time trying to get another since you knew you had 3 more coming another day and we usually got all of the headliners in those 6 FP's.

You could certainly fiddlefaddle with FP+ and often get some good rides after your first 3 but you didn't need to. To get those first 3 rides, Genie+ requires you to use the phone.

I think people's experience with Genie+ varies quite a bit not just on how much they researched it and how much experience they have using it (I'm sure more tech inclined people also have an easier time with it) - but also on how crowded the parks were. I've heard people traveling recently say the parks were super crowded but the crowd level was only a 5/10. I'd expect the way Genie+ works today is a much better experience with a 5/10 crowd level than a 10/10.

It also depends on the park too. Generally speaking, MK and HS are the 2 parks where Genie+ makes the most sense since they have the most rides. With Epcot and AK you don't really need it. For MK because it has the most rides, I've heard generally good things about it, while HS I've heard mostly bad things about it. Recall that in the FP+ days, Disney tiered the rides at HS and you could only get 1 Tier 1 Fastpass and then 2 Tier 2 Fastpasses. Disney is not currently doing that for Genie+ and I think that this may be related to the worse experiences at HS.

Hopefully the changes being made will create a better experience for those 10/10 days too though.

Capping sales would be a great start. That's the one thing that will impact those who purchase it.

 

[Tattylou]

This has nothing to do with capping sales. It's to raise the price by demand.

I’m pretty sure it said they would be capping the sales. I’m sure raising the price is a piece as well.

 

[DeeMc718]

Yeah, maybe a little bit like Express pass? But express pass works because it is so expensive that most people don't choose to purchase it. Disney would need to make Genie+ significantly more expensive to have it work like Express pass imho.

If they can at least limit Genie+ so on crowded days all of the Lightning Lanes (other than the rides/entertainment with a short wait anyway) don't sell out before noon - that would certainly be a positive.

I agree in limiting Genie+. They let the whole que in as soon as people entry. Leaving the standby que to fester.

 

[xdan0920]

I’m pretty sure it said they would be capping the sales. I’m sure raising the price is a piece as well.

That’s what they say. I’ll be STUNNED, if they cap it at a meaningful number

 

[Lilsia]

The biggest complaint I have seen is that you must use your phone constantly. You were able to get around that?

I guess that it depends on what your definition of constantly is. You reserve your time slot and then you don't need to get on the phone again until you need to book the next time slot. Which is either after you ride, or in 2 hours. And most people just look for the next time while in line. I wouldn't call that constantly.