Everything Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane - Please Read Posts 1-7

[HRFPPP]

What exactly are you confused about? (I’m genuinely curious because it’s always made perfect sense to me)

I am so confused that I don’t even know what to ask. I can’t make heads or tails out of any of it.

It’s a little overwhelming.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Good grief, Charlie Brown!

It is difficult for me to figure this out, even with the explanations. It would be so much easier if they could just have one price to get into the park and then everyone just stands in the same lines.

Why does it have to be so complicated?

Waiting in line takes away your opportunity to spend money. Waiting without a line gives you more time to browse the stores and gift shops.

 

[disneylover102]

I am so confused that I don’t even know what to ask. I can’t make heads or tails out of any of it.

It’s a little overwhelming.

How familiar are you with the old fastpass system before fastpass+/what they had at Disneyland? It’s very similar

 

[MMSM]

They had that for about 18 months after reopening. It was about a 50/50 split on the boards of people who loved it and people who were begging for FP+ to return. Instead we got G+ and ILL$ as it was the perfect time for Disney to introduced a paid upgrade system that had been rumoured and chatted about for years.

I didn't visit when it was all standby only so cannot really comment. The closest i get is rides at the end of a day when there are no LL return times and I will say, the lines do move really well!

I visit in April, during Easter ( I am a teacher) and it was absolutely awful with only standby lines. So long and our worst trip to Disney. Standby lines only work if it’s an off peak time or not near a holiday. Although it seems lately it’s always busy.

 

[disneylover102]

I visit in April, during Easter ( I am a teacher) and it was absolutely awful with only standby lines. So long and our worst trip to Disney. Standby lines only work if it’s an off peak time or not near a holiday. Although it seems lately it’s always busy.

I also didn’t like only standby lines for the most part. Yes they moved quickly but they were long, and it’s really nice going to a ride knowing you’ll get on quickly

 

[disneylover102]

Another successful day of genie+ yesterday! I again got lucky the night before and was able to reserve Epcot.



So I woke up a little before 7, bought genie+, and once again pinned Frozen to my tip board. Then at 7:00:00 I refreshed and tapped through as fast as I could and got it for 8:50 (the park opened at 8:30). Then I headed to Epcot and got to the IG entrance a little before 8. I scanned into the park and sat on a bench until they stopped checking for resort reservations for early entry a few minutes before 8:30. During that time I got a FOP LL for 2:40. Since all the resort guests were going to Ratatouille I hurried over to Frozen and beat the non-resort guest rope drop crowd from the main entrance and I got on in less than 10 minutes. Then I re-rode with my LL.



After scanning in I refreshed a bit and got Slinky for 7:10 PM. After that I went over to Soarin’ and waited about 10 minutes. I noticed the wait at Ratatouille was starting to drop so I headed over there and while the posted wait was 75 minutes, it was less than 40. However after I got off the posted wait was 50 and I hopped in line again and waited 54 (I’m assuming LL got backed up). While in line I reserved Tower of Terror for 7:45. Then I went to Mission Space and waited about 20 minutes and then pretty much walked on to Test Track twice in the single rider line. Then I went over and did Soarin’ again since I wanted to grab something from Sunshine Seasons. The posted wait was 35 but there was actually no wait at all before the LL merge point… which was kind of silly because LL was 4 hours away for it but a LL was useless… anyway when I got off I reserved Na’vi River Journey for 6:30 (I had to refresh a bit to get it earlier than 7:10 which wasn’t gonna work). Then after eating I did Spaceship Earth and it was time to park hop.



I waited just a few minutes for the bus to AK and by the time I got there it was time to use my FOP LL. I did that and then got back in the standby line which was posted at 95 and was actually 85. Just after I got in line I refreshed a bit and got Dinosaur for about a half hour later which I ended up cancelling because FOP was taking just barely too long (I was hoping it would go just a little faster). After I got off I got right back in line for FOP (posted 80, actually 75) and after quite a bit of refreshing I got Rock n Roller Coaster for 7:55. After getting off FOP I used my LL at Na’vi River Journey and then headed to HS.



I used my LL for Slinky and let me just say it could not be more overrated anyway after that I used my LL at Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster and then finished the day by jumping in line for Rise just before park closing and waited for 50 minutes until sitting down on the ride.

 

[Miffy]

Reporting from WDW--3/6/22 at 7:24 a.m. There are currently still ILL$ for RotR showing on MDE, starting at 10:35 a.m.

In case anyone gave up--go back onto MDE. Many times have appeared since they all disappeared at 7:01.

 

[SLThomas318]

I’m glad times “seem” to be releasing later and not all at 7, but this adds even more frustration. Do I join the rat race at 7am and frantically take whatever time I can get and then scramble to plan the day around it OR do I stare at the phone refreshing all morning hoping to get a more convenient time. It’ll be interesting to see how this system evolves. I’m anxious to see reports of using it these next few weeks when there are sold out park days.

 

[Miffy]

I’m glad times “seem” to be releasing later and not all at 7, but this adds even more frustration. Do I join the rat race at 7am and frantically take whatever time I can get and then scramble to plan the day around it OR do I stare at the phone refreshing all morning hoping to get a more convenient time. It’ll be interesting to see how this system evolves. I’m anxious to see reports of using it these next few weeks when there are sold out park days.

Yes, I agree.

Earlier in the week, we failed to get RotR at 7 a.m. but then times started showing up at 7:17 a.m. and we grabbed the first one that was posted, which time actually interfered with what we had hoped to do that day, but we were concerned another time wouldn't appear. Many other times did appear, but we had no way of knowing that when we booked.

One of the many frustrations is that after 7 a.m. when new times appear, often the particular posted time is the only one on offer, so there's no more being able to choose. More like G+ than ILL$.

 

[Doingitagain]

I’m glad times “seem” to be releasing later and not all at 7, but this adds even more frustration. Do I join the rat race at 7am and frantically take whatever time I can get and then scramble to plan the day around it OR do I stare at the phone refreshing all morning hoping to get a more convenient time. It’ll be interesting to see how this system evolves. I’m anxious to see reports of using it these next few weeks when there are sold out park days.

It makes 7:00 so stressful on a vacation! I wonder if the later time "drops" are because Disney's IT system grabs times as people select them, then people drop for whatever reason and the times come back.

 

[Miffy]

It makes 7:00 so stressful on a vacation! I wonder if the later time "drops" are because Disney's IT system grabs times as people select them, then people drop for whatever reason and the times come back.

For G+ this might happen since they can be canceled, but ILL$ aren't cancellable.

 

[g-dad66]

I’m glad times “seem” to be releasing later and not all at 7, but this adds even more frustration. Do I join the rat race at 7am and frantically take whatever time I can get and then scramble to plan the day around it OR do I stare at the phone refreshing all morning hoping to get a more convenient time. It’ll be interesting to see how this system evolves. I’m anxious to see reports of using it these next few weeks when there are sold out park days.

For the ILL$, I will pick the best time that 7am shows, realizing that by the time I finish the payment, the time may have jumped to something quite different. And then we will adapt the rest of the schedule accordingly.

We never do any ADRs, so we don't need to worry about an ADR time conflict. This plan may not work at all for other families.

 

[Miffy]

For the ILL$, I will pick the best time that 7am shows, realizing that by the time I finish the payment, the time may have jumped to something quite different. And then we will adapt the rest of the schedule accordingly.

We never do any ADRs, so we don't need to worry about an ADR time conflict. This plan may not work at all for other families.

Also realize that even if your MDE shows that it's processing your payment, you might end up with nothing if the payment doesn't go through quickly enough. That's what happened to me this morning, but I was able to make up for it when more times became available.

 

[HRFPPP]

How familiar are you with the old fastpass system before fastpass+/what they had at Disneyland? It’s very similar

I don’t know. I remember Fastpass and could use that but is that the same as Fastpass+? I don’t know. And this has all these different things. I’ve never been to Disneyland in California. Just the parks in the Sunshine State.

I think these posts were intended more as reference (for those who understand some or all of it already) and not meant to explain it to people who didn’t know anything and had to learn everything. These posts assume certain knowledge on the reader’s part that I don’t have.

I think, so far, this is what I’ve gleaned, if we don’t want to stand in overly-long lines we have to pay extra, but paying the extra only gets you on the less popular rides - once. If you want to ride the most popular rides without a wait, that is even more money.

It’s like a carnival, with different rides costing different amounts, based on waits and popularity.

In addition to the confusing pricing structure to avoid longer waits, we are also required to use these special passes at certain times, which must be ordered in advance but aren’t selected by us. We have to digitally line up to be assigned a time to ride that works well for Disney, whether or not it works well for us. If we cannot ride the selected ride because something comes up, too bad for us. If we can’t ride because Disney stopped the ride, we get some kind of helping pass.

And we have to bring our phones into the parks and use them.

And something about 7:00 that I have no idea what it is.

This is what I’m getting so far. But I lose patience with it after trying to figure it out for a while. It gets under my skin - I become frustrated and have to set it aside.

I will keep working at it until I understand it.

 

[Miffy]

I don’t know. I remember Fastpass and could use that but is that the same as Fastpass+? I don’t know. And this has all these different things. I’ve never been to Disneyland in California. Just the parks in the Sunshine State.

I think these posts were intended more as reference (for those who understand some or all of it already) and not meant to explain it to people who didn’t know anything and had to learn everything. These posts assume certain knowledge on the reader’s part that I don’t have.

I think, so far, this is what I’ve gleaned, if we don’t want to stand in overly-long lines we have to pay extra, but paying the extra only gets you on the less popular rides - once. If you want to ride the most popular rides without a wait, that is even more money.

It’s like a carnival, with different rides costing different amounts, based on waits and popularity.

In addition to the confusing pricing structure to avoid longer waits, we are also required to use these special passes at certain times, which must be ordered in advance but aren’t selected by us. We have to digitally line up to be assigned a time to ride that works well for Disney, whether or not it works well for us. If we cannot ride the selected ride because something comes up, too bad for us. If we can’t ride because Disney stopped the ride, we get some kind of helping pass.

And we have to bring our phones into the parks and use them.

And something about 7:00 that I have no idea what it is.

This is what I’m getting so far. But I lose patience with it after trying to figure it out for a while. It gets under my skin - I become frustrated and have to set it aside.

I will keep working at it until I understand it.

You're definitely getting it.

The 7 a.m. bit perhaps I can help with. At 7 a.m. anyone--onsite or off-site--can book their first (or only) Genie+ selection. This assumes, of course, that you've already purchased Genie+.

Also at 7 a.m., only resort guests can book the Individual Lightning Lanes (ILL$), which are the more expensive rides you referenced in your post.

To get a popular ride on G+, make that your first selection at 7 a.m. Also, to get a popular ILL$ (like Rise of the Resistance) make that your booking priority.

There's a lot to take in with the new systems, whether you're familiar with the old ones or not, and usage is different from information. This is our second trip to WDW with Genie+ and ILL$ in place and we are still learning what works best for us. Also, yes, one is often at WDW's mercy for scheduling times. Sometimes a person lucks out.

Also, RD (rope drop) is still your friend, especially if you're onsite at a WDW resort, because you get Early Theme Park Entry, which means you get a half hour head start on off-site guests. This can mean getting into at least one popular attraction.

And if you don't mind staying in a park from early until late, you can make terrific use of G+.

 

[SLThomas318]

I don’t know. I remember Fastpass and could use that but is that the same as Fastpass+? I don’t know. And this has all these different things. I’ve never been to Disneyland in California. Just the parks in the Sunshine State.

I think these posts were intended more as reference (for those who understand some or all of it already) and not meant to explain it to people who didn’t know anything and had to learn everything. These posts assume certain knowledge on the reader’s part that I don’t have.

I think, so far, this is what I’ve gleaned, if we don’t want to stand in overly-long lines we have to pay extra, but paying the extra only gets you on the less popular rides - once. If you want to ride the most popular rides without a wait, that is even more money.

It’s like a carnival, with different rides costing different amounts, based on waits and popularity.

In addition to the confusing pricing structure to avoid longer waits, we are also required to use these special passes at certain times, which must be ordered in advance but aren’t selected by us. We have to digitally line up to be assigned a time to ride that works well for Disney, whether or not it works well for us. If we cannot ride the selected ride because something comes up, too bad for us. If we can’t ride because Disney stopped the ride, we get some kind of helping pass.

And we have to bring our phones into the parks and use them.

And something about 7:00 that I have no idea what it is.

This is what I’m getting so far. But I lose patience with it after trying to figure it out for a while. It gets under my skin - I become frustrated and have to set it aside.

I will keep working at it until I understand it.

And this right here is why this system is such a mess! How is the casual park visitor for who Disney claims to be helping with this new system really helped? I understand there is no simple fix and certain groups will benefit no matter what Disney rolls out, but this is too complicated if you want to get any value out of it (which is what I'm thinking was the plan all along... role out a new skip the line service that appears to be simple and only costs $15 so everyone buys it and then only when people go to use it do they realize what junk it is... but hey we made some extra money)

And 7am is when you get the privilege of joining the booking rat race for your first ride of the day... welcome to vacation!

 

[SLThomas318]

For the ILL$, I will pick the best time that 7am shows, realizing that by the time I finish the payment, the time may have jumped to something quite different. And then we will adapt the rest of the schedule accordingly.

We never do any ADRs, so we don't need to worry about an ADR time conflict. This plan may not work at all for other families.

This is what we did when we used the system after Thanksgiving… we decided to make HS a pm hop to park because it was more likely we would get a pm ROR and we didn’t do any ADR’s (which we usually like doing a few) because we couldn’t bank on genie+ coordinating. I’m not a gambler so didn’t want to risk being locked out completely waiting for a better time. We also have younger kids (and had older grandparents with on that trip) that made being in the parks ALL day a no go.

 

[SLThomas318]

It makes 7:00 so stressful on a vacation! I wonder if the later time "drops" are because Disney's IT system grabs times as people select them, then people drop for whatever reason and the times come back.

I wish I knew too… I caution checking the phone from home too much because you don’t know if you’d be able to grab those times. I assume party size matters too… might be able to book some of those drops as a party of 1 or 2, but not a larger group. We had a party of 6 so I assumed that had something to do with it when a 10 am would show, I’d select it, select our group of 6, and then it would give me 2 pm. Didn’t you select party size first with fp+?

It is def frustrating. I’m hoping we see more patterns with these drops and the system improves with time. We are going to give it a go without genie+ this summer since it’ll be just our family of 4, but we have an extended family trip (11 of us and a few first timers) next Thanksgiving and I know I’ll need to genie+ some things.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I’m glad times “seem” to be releasing later and not all at 7, but this adds even more frustration. Do I join the rat race at 7am and frantically take whatever time I can get and then scramble to plan the day around it OR do I stare at the phone refreshing all morning hoping to get a more convenient time. It’ll be interesting to see how this system evolves. I’m anxious to see reports of using it these next few weeks when there are sold out park days.

With quite a few reports of people getting refunds for the ILL$ because the times changed and wouldn't work it's also possible that some of these opening comes from that.

 

[wdhinn89]

What happens if you are able to get a Rise of the Resistance reservation, but it conflicts with your ADR? We always book Prime Time Cafe on HS days. Will they penalize you for cancelling your ADR on day of?