Does the new Genie+ pay-per-attraction system alter your views on DVC's value?

[OKW Lover]

I think the ultimate answer is to add another "world." Maybe something like DisneySea like at Tokyo. I went there and was blown away by how awesome it was.

Why/how would this help our DVC ownership?

 

[Marionnette]

We've been mulling over selling DVC for some time now and the Genie+ announcement has pushed us to consider a trial separation. We have a trip scheduled in December and then we will be taking a break. If we don't feel better about Disney in a year or two, then it will be time for a divorce.

Disney won't miss me. Someone else will own my contracts and continue to spend their dollars there. But that someone won't be me. So #disney, woo me back before I sign those divorce papers! Show me that you love and cherish me because right now I regard you as the indifferent spouse who can only be counted on for one thing...doing yet another thing to break my heart.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Unpopular timeline opinion ahead.

Everything that's happened since Jim left has diminished the value of my DVC.

Don't like that statement? Me neither. But prove me wrong.

 

[OKW Lover]

Everything that's happened since Jim left has diminished the value of my DVC.

Jim?

 

[Cabius]

If we don't feel better about Disney in a year or two, then it will be time for a divorce.

This felt really extreme untill I realized you meant a divorce from Disney. Whew.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Jim?

Lewis. You've been here a while. Think about it.

 

[Marionnette]

Jim?

Jim Lewis. He was replaced by Claire Bilby in August 2011.

 

[jenstall]

I preferred the original FP to FP+ so I'm taking a wait and see approach. I'm not a morning person. Getting up at 7 a.m. to click around the app will be annoying. I'm going this December, staying 8 nights, but only four days in the parks. I really enjoy the DVC resorts, especially AKL, so I can see myself doing more "resort only" type trips... I've done similar in the past where I might only go to the parks for a day or two or sometimes plan a "resort only" trip that would also include one of the parties at Halloween or Christmas, but the prices for these new after hour events are outrageous so I won't be doing that anymore.

I also really like the Hilton Head and Vero Beach Resorts and I have yet to go to Aulani. One of the advantages of going to Orlando was being able to save a lot of money on my trip because of Magical Express. Without that, I might as well visit some of the other resorts since I'll have to rent a car anyway. I just checked to see how much it would cost to rent a car this December and it would be almost $700! Wow.

I will probably plan my next trip for Aulani. I see a lot less park time in my future, but I think I was already headed in that direction anyway. Prior to COVID I had rented out my points a couple of times to take a Disney cruise because I really like their ships, but using points directly is not a good value. I will probably continue to either rent out points to pay cash for cruises or maybe use the points to visit the parks in Paris and Tokyo which I've always wanted to do. DVC still has enough value for me that I don't see myself selling my ownership even if I am going to the parks a lot less often. Renting out those points can pretty much pay for any other vacation I'd want to take.

 

[monstermash23]

Except that they have gotten rid of all their creative people.

I’ve sadly heard these rumors and I think you may be right

 

[DaveNan]

And probably Guardians of the Galaxy?

On other sites... current expectations from "insiders" - Bus Drivers? is - ROTR, Remy's rat, SDRM, SDD, SM (space), TT (test track), FOP, KS (safari).....

 

[monstermash23]

Can there only be 2 rides per park in the lightning pass system? Or is that we only get 2 lightning passes per day?

If they keep it at 2 rides per park with the LP system, then I could see moving out Test Track or Remy (depending on how its popularity holds over time) for the Gaurdians of the Galaxy coaster. Same thing with Space Mountain and Tron.

 

[DaveNan]

Can there only be 2 rides per park in the lightning pass system? Or is that we only get 2 lightning passes per day?

If they keep it at 2 rides per park with the LP system, then I could see moving out Test Track or Remy (depending on how its popularity holds over time) for the Gaurdians of the Galaxy coaster. Same thing with Space Mountain and Tron.

or is it only 2 active at any point in time. The material states you do not need to be in a park to have a LL reservation. Just have a park reservation, or a hopper pass (I assume that is for reservations after 2 PM). My cynical fear is that the list never gets shorter.....

 

[monstermash23]

or is it only 2 active at any point in time. The material states you do not need to be in a park to have a LL reservation. Just have a park reservation, or a hopper pass (I assume that is for reservations after 2 PM). My cynical fear is that the list never gets shorter.....

Agreed, that’s why I’m hoping the system limits Disney from putting anymore Headliners into the LP category. Otherwise, yea they will just keep adding to that list and shorten up the Genie+ list.

Either way, what would be a great way to solve all of this. Add more attractions (Genie+ and LP attractions) with higher capacity throughputs per hour. Disney’s not doing too bad in that regard (adding more attractions) but for all the money they spent on this Genie app, they could have easily built a few more themed sections within parks with many more attractions. That would have warranted the higher ticket prices far more then having the “privilege” of using this brand spanking new way to spend more money at Disney just to ride rides expeditiously. Far fewer people would be complaining at the moment, including myself. That’s another topic though….

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

It’s true. I’ve spoken to a couple of people close to the situation. They were not woke enough for the lame Disney corporate board and have been replaced with incompetent mediocrities. Disney has gone postmodern and wants to redefine “creativity” so that there is no archetypical story line or compelling personalities (ex Donald Duck). So now none of their movies make sense. They are just these meandering, boring, self-indulgent exercises in showcasing “acceptable” depictions of reality. So sophomoric, very unsophisticated. Of course they think they are sophisticated. Lol.

 

[kmorlock]

That is very sad for the creative side of Disney. You can’t teach the level of creativity those people possess. You either have it or you don’t.

 

[monstermash23]

It’s true. I’ve spoken to a couple of people close to the situation. They were not woke enough for the lame Disney corporate board and have been replaced with incompetent mediocrities. Disney has gone postmodern and wants to redefine “creativity” so that there is no archetypical story line or compelling personalities (ex Donald Duck). So now none of their movies make sense. They are just these meandering, boring, self-indulgent exercises in showcasing “acceptable” depictions of reality. So sophomoric, very unsophisticated. Of course they think they are sophisticated. Lol.

What’s amazing to me is that these people, for how “sophisticated” they want to be be (rolling my eyes at that idea, because they aren’t), have no inkling for the actual reasons why Disney has been such a monster success all this time. Or what it took to get Disney to this point. Why is there always such a push to fix things that aren’t broken (rhetorical, but asking with a very frustrated tone). Just take the recipe that created and maintained this success, and continue on with it or improve upon it. This isn’t a broken car that needs a new engine. Don’t gut it from the inside out like it is a house that has been decimated by a hurricane and needs rebuilding. Disney needed none of this. And this culture that is being instilled at Disney, from the top down, is nothing more corporate poison that will have far bigger (and more negative) effects on Disney, then it would elsewhere, due to the unique position Disney is and always has been in creatively speaking. A creative endeavour requires creatives. That simple. The whole business model is driven by creative work, so to think they don’t value creatives anymore (which I fully see happening), is disheartening to say the least. I very much fear this new culture within Disney.

 

[OKW Lover]

Lewis. You've been here a while. Think about it.

Was he the one that got fired for grossly miscalculating Aulani costs?

 

[scoobdoo]

Its definitely making me pause a bit. I was preparing myself to add on DVC points and to buy Magic Key next week but now I don't know if either will be worth it.

We are already in full pause mode. Banking points and at Universal exclusively rn.

 

[DSLRuser]

Not at all. New Genie thing has zero impact on my "value" with DVC. I only bought into DVC to hedge my costs of deluxe studio rooms. $400 a night for Wilderness Lodge Studio and $600 a night for Yacht and Beach Studio was no longer sustainable.

Back in the day when those rooms were under $200 a night DVC had no value to me.

It is bonus that I stay in 1br and 2br from time to time. When I add up my cash cost of 175 points vs what I would have spent cash, I am way ahead after only 4 years of ownership.

Genie is a entire other topic on how DISNEY in general is nickel and dimming you like a Royal Caribean Cruise. Removing any built in value in the name of cash milking its guests.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Was he the one that got fired for grossly miscalculating Aulani costs?

That was likely the core reason he was fired, yes, but think about how we had it thru him and since him. I screamed of his incompetence at the time too (Pretty sure I did.), but we certainly haven't had it as good as a membership since his departure. All I can remember is things going away since then.