Genie+ during Spring Break Crowds

[HIRyeDVC]

I think Disney should have kept FP+, but started to charge money for it. They weren't going to keep a free fast pass service, we know that. But G+/ILL/VQ seems to be too unwieldy, among other complaints.

I don't think a service like Express Pass would work at Disney. It would sell out every day, making it not worth the price. Disney is just too popular for that kind of system.

Why would Disney provide FP for free, when they're selling out making gangbuster profits with it? If an Express Pass system won't work because it would be too popular and sell out, then they're not pricing it right. At a certain price point, most people would not buy. For Universal, that's around $100 extra. For Disney, my guess is $200-$300 extra, on top of day tickets. I bet it wouldn't sell out then.

 

[glamdring269]

This will be a good week for us to sanity check what our Fall break trip might look like. I’ve already come to terms with paying for G+ and LL every day but there are only two of us. Definitely feel for those who have to pay for more.

We’re just going to go all out this trip. Have already decided that due to the pricing we will not come back for a long time as the value just isn’t there vs the kind of vacations we could be taking for what Disney is charging now.

 

[scrappinginontario]

There are threads discussing the pros and cons of Genie+ and what Disney 'should' have done.

Please keep this thread on topic of Spring Break and Genie+ experiences. Off topic posts may be deleted as there are many other locations to have Genie+ discussions.

Thanks!

 

[Hali55DIS]

I'm seeing a lot of Georgia, South Carolina and even Ontario license plates as well so those places might have spring break too.

Yes, it is also Ontario (largest Canadian province) March Break this week.

 

[Dulcee]

Just to add to the Spring Break discussion, this week is Texas schools' Spring Break too.

 

[kathy884]

We were offsite for one of the busiest spring break weeks last March (2022) and just did Epcot and the MK. We only checked at park opening, but at that time we could not get any $LLs. Please note that we did not try the refresh strategy.

We bought the regular LLs. At Epcot we could only get one really popular ride with it and then all they offered were attractions where stand by lines are never very long. So basically it was $15 for one popular ride with practically no line vs. an hour wait. At the MK due to there being so many rides and so many popular ones the LL was pretty helpful and we maybe used it five times. Last year costs were just $15 pp per day and this Genie + stuff was pretty new.

 

[austinelsa]

I think spring break crowds is where afternoon breaks really come in handy. As do park hoppers.

With park hoppers, you have multiple days/chances to get LLs on rides you may have missed out on if you only go to a park on a single day. And chances to do them multiple times without waiting. And with an afternoon break, you can stack LLs at night (esp because it seems like thats what i end up getting, even in the 7am drops), rope drop my favorites (not necessarily the biggest ones), and do the smaller non-LL rides in the morning hours when lines are lower and when people are more focused in general on the bigger rides.

 

[BethID]

We are on our last day of the visit. We have bought Genie+ and ILL every day. It has been working well for us. Especially since I am with two teens who want to sleep in. We just work on stacking the passes for the afternoon and early evening hours and then go from ride to ride. We have always been rope droppers, but after two days of that we now sleep in, head over in the afternoon, and stay until closing. It has been a much more leisurely trip for us, but still a good one.

 

[Anna131517]

We used it last year the week before Easter and Easter weekend. It worked. Things did get booked up but we bought ILLs at each park and also prioritized the hardest to get attractions with Genie+, and stayed onsite for EMH, and we were happy with what we were able to do. We were also there over Presidents Day weekend which was super busy and still got a lot of Genie+ attractions.

 

[polynor]

We’re here now. I planned to buy G+ for only our main HS and MK day. Ended up buying it again today (MK/EP) and will likely buy tomorrow (HS/??). At MK - booked JC first and fiddle faddled until I got the time I wanted (evening after dinner). Booked right at 7am. Also got through the day: btmr, Teacups, dumbo, Speedway, Buzz, IASW. Waited in line for IASW (the LL we got was for much later and ended up not using it), Laugh Floor, Pirates. Ended up not using BTMR since it was for 10pm and we were exhausted and had done it right when it reopened (after being down most of the day) when the fireworks were going off.

HS day booked Slinky right at 7 -- also had to fiddle to get a time we wanted. Also did G+ for MMRR, Aliens, Indy, Star Tours; waited for TSMM, MFSR. Kids never made it out in time to make rope drop, but we did make it out early enough to get 1 ride without as much of a wait (MFSR was a walk on when RoTR was already 180min when we walked by).

Today - wasn't planning on booking G+ but DS8 really wanted Remy and at 7:40am it looked still available for the time we wanted (5pm-ish) so I decided to buy it and book it. But it was sold out by the time I did so which was annoying. Ended up getting: HM, BTMR (our favorite), pooh, then while eating lunch at columbia (~11am), a peter pan popped up for exactly the time that worked out for us (1pm), and then also booked a Soarin'. Went back to to resort to rest and switch parks (Garden Grill reservation) and while on our balcony (~3pm) a Remy popped up for 5pm and that was exactly the right timing we needed. So -- more luck today than planning but it was nearly perfect timing of all the LL's we wanted. Whereas I started off kicking myself for booking it and thinking I should have just done the 7DMT and then waited in line.

ILL for 7DMT was $12 today vs. $29pp G+. I spent a lot of time on my phone swiping down. And when I bought it, I felt like I had to take every oppty to get a LL as much as possible to make it "worth it". I'm not sure I like that feeling, but today with how Peter Pan and Remy really lucked out for us, it felt better. Otherwise I was thinking buy the ILL and get there early to rope drop the other rides.

So Spring Break week -- yes - you can still get the heavy hitters. You can still make it "worth it" you will need to be diligent about scanning for new oppties. One of you (me) is not going to get to sleep in late vs. everyone else who will (DH and kids).

I will say -- if you're going to do it, do it early. I cringe at the people in the lines discussing whether they should buy it then (afternoon) as you've just missed the benfit. Disney should consider doing variable pricing on G+ where it gets cheaper through the day with less desired availability. If I bought around the time they said things sold out, I'd be mad.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

Don't forget about Standby Skipper. It's a great app that we used last year, and it helped us get on a few more rides than usual. It's a bit of an additional cost, but it was well worth it for us.

 

[austinelsa]

on the heels of @polynor 's spring break review, Ill post mine too. I had written a few takeaways before, but here's a fuller break down. We went 3/10 - 3/14. Stayed at the Swan. We were 4 people - 2 adults, a 7yo who is just discovering thrill rides and loves the simulator rides, and a 4yo princess/minnie obsessed kiddo who is scared of even small drops anywhere.

3/10 - we landed at 430 and got to the swan at 545. We got into our room, picked up our Walmart delivery and headed to Epcot. I had purchased G+ that day (gotta take advantage of all the minutes of magic!) and stacked Remy, Frozen, and Soarin. It was SO WORTH IT b/c i got 2 of the hard rides right off the bat. This took the pressure off the rest of the trip as I knew the crowd levels were about the explode! And we had fun exploring the park immediately. A super fun note - my daughter who loves elsa was terrified of the drops in frozen. so that was one and done for her sadly.

3/11 - Did HS from EE rope drop to about 2pm. (We walked over on the walking path behind the swan - SO GOOD for rope drop! we didnt wanna wait for the boat and risk being late) Then MK from about 530 - 10pm. We bought G+ and ILL'd 7DMT. We did 15 attractions altogether and 11 of them were G+. My daughter did the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique too. We did QS meals but hated basically all of them. But my kids finally decided they like fireworks so big win! The bus home was BRUTAL tho. It was delayed. We were tempted to get a minnie van but we just toughed it out in the end.

3/12 - Did MK from just after EE rope drop to about 3pm. Then HS from about 630 thru the first showing of Fantasmic. We bought G+ and used it for 7/10 attractions that we did that day. I used my 7am LL on a solo Slinky ride and my family all did stuff at MK. By the time 1030 came around and i could book LLs again, we LLed some rides at MK and then stacked for HS. Fantasmic was a huge highlight. I absolutely love that show from my childhood trips to DLR and my family loved it as well. Even my disney-skeptical husband.

3/13 - Did AK from EE rope drop til about 230pm, then Epcot from 530 until about 10pm (EEH). (took the swan AK bus for EE) We bought G+ and ILL'd Flight of Passage. We were able to do 6/14 attractions with G+. Highlight was riding Navi twice for my thrill-averse daughter, everest single rider for the adults, and my son LOVED LOVED LOVED test track. Flametree BBQ FTW! it was the only QS meal we liked for the entire trip. And the restaurant itself is really nice with all the various sitting areas.

3/14 - Did Epcot from just after rope drop until 2pm and then HS from 6pm until 830pm. We bought G+ and got 7/12 attractions on G+. My husband and I got ILLs for GOTG and rode it separately. We also had a Space 220 lounge reservation, which was a highlight. Space 220 is basically a ride experience with some reasonable food. Esp in the lounge where you dont have to spend so much. I would do this every single time I go back to WDW i enjoyed it so much. The elevator entry was fun, and it was nice to rest our legs, eat some ok food, and still feel the disney magic instead of feeling like we were wasting time. Then at night, my son did Droid Depot and then we waited for the friendship boat back to the Swan during the finale of fantasmic (which is right on the other side of the trees so it feels like you are IN IT.) And then we were able to see the Harmonious fireworks from our "no view" room at the Swan to end the trip. WHAT A FINALE!

Overall, just THE BEST. We all had such a good time. There were lows (quick service as i mentioned in the Here Now thread), fantasyland is just too dark at night which made my husband uneasy with small children in tow, and the bus back to the Boardwalk from MK was super delayed at 10pm which made for cranky kiddos) but mostly the whole trip was one big high and i cant wait to go back!

 

[Mango7100]

We did an afternoon at MK on Saturday 3/18 on our way home from a Disney Dream cruise. We made our first selection PP at 8 and kept modifying until it had a late enough return time. We booked LLs at 11 (Space) and 1 (Big Thunder) and arrived to the park around 245. We ended up with LLs for Peter Pan, Space, big Thunder, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Speedway, and Pooh. Also did standby for PeopleMover, Laugh Floor, Tiki Room, CoP. Left at 930. Genie worked well for the free on for us.

 

[dez1978]

Universal already charged a decent amount for park tickets, pretty close or more than WDW. I don’t know where they will go once Epic opens.

But universals AP are significantly cheaper than WDWs are when they are available. Even the most expensive AP is $750. And that includes express pass after 4, no blackout dates, a free ticket to HHN along with the discounts. If you want to include the water parks Then it's $940. Still a lot cheaper than Disney. And a lot less headache.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

But universals AP are significantly cheaper than WDWs are when they are available. Even the most expensive AP is $750. And that includes express pass after 4, no blackout dates, a free ticket to HHN along with the discounts. If you want to include the water parks Then it's $940. Still a lot cheaper than Disney. And a lot less headache.

There's probably a reason why Universal charges so much less than Disney. They just don't have the attendance as they do at Disney. I'm not saying Universal's product is inferior. It's just hard to compare the scope and scale of Universal to Disney. And once Epic Universe opens, I think Universal will haveto increase their prices to make up for all that capital investment. I welcome Universal increasing their capacity. I think competition will drive better products from both companies for everyone.

 

[mz-s]

But universals AP are significantly cheaper than WDWs are when they are available. Even the most expensive AP is $750. And that includes express pass after 4, no blackout dates, a free ticket to HHN along with the discounts. If you want to include the water parks Then it's $940. Still a lot cheaper than Disney. And a lot less headache.

They are not comparable products.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Please keep this thread on topic discussing guest Genie+ experiences during Spring Break. Off topic posts may be deleted as their are other places to discuss Universal products and offerings.

Thanks.

 

[Kmedders]

I am one of the few that didn't buy genie plus last week during spring break. The price tag is just too high for me. But - our strategy worked well without it. We bought ILL for Guardians for two days, but that was it. We rope dropped every park, stayed until lunch, and then went back in the evening. We rode rides during fireworks, which worked out well, and were able to do multiple rides in the mornings without too bad of a wait. One saving grace for us was that we bought tickets to the after hours event at Magic Kingdom. This was huge. We didn't buy park tickets for that day but rather did the event since the pricing was similar. Not joking - we rode Thunder Mountain 4 times in a row as a walk on, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, Small World, 7DMT, Haunted Mansion, and then my kids rode Barnstormer 14 times in a row because that's their favorite ride. The after hours event was far more valuable to us than Genie Plus. I felt that we got more out of those few hours than we would have an entire day at the park with the crowds the way that they were.

It was a very busy spring break with rides often over 2 hour waits. If it's a once in a lifetime trip, or a once every few years trip, I would recommend Genie Plus to be able to maximize your time. But we go once or twice a year and just didn't feel the need.

 

[TikiRob]

I am one of the few that didn't buy genie plus last week during spring break. The price tag is just too high for me. But - our strategy worked well without it. We bought ILL for Guardians for two days, but that was it. We rope dropped every park, stayed until lunch, and then went back in the evening. We rode rides during fireworks, which worked out well, and were able to do multiple rides in the mornings without too bad of a wait. One saving grace for us was that we bought tickets to the after hours event at Magic Kingdom. This was huge. We didn't buy park tickets for that day but rather did the event since the pricing was similar. Not joking - we rode Thunder Mountain 4 times in a row as a walk on, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, Small World, 7DMT, Haunted Mansion, and then my kids rode Barnstormer 14 times in a row because that's their favorite ride. The after hours event was far more valuable to us than Genie Plus. I felt that we got more out of those few hours than we would have an entire day at the park with the crowds the way that they were.

It was a very busy spring break with rides often over 2 hour waits. If it's a once in a lifetime trip, or a once every few years trip, I would recommend Genie Plus to be able to maximize your time. But we go once or twice a year and just didn't feel the need.

14 rides on Barnstormer!? That probably chewed up a whole 8 minutes of your night!

Sounds like you had a great time. This was our mentality for HS, but after they changed regular park hours and added a 10pm Fantasmic, we got a refund to add another park day. I wish a Magic Kingdom AH had been available for our days. This is great advice for those traveling during busy times (especially at a ride heavy park like MK)... Book an AH, party, or deluxe resort for extended evening hours!

 

[samsonjs]

I think spring break crowds is where afternoon breaks really come in handy. As do park hoppers.

With park hoppers, you have multiple days/chances to get LLs on rides you may have missed out on if you only go to a park on a single day. And chances to do them multiple times without waiting. And with an afternoon break, you can stack LLs at night (esp because it seems like thats what i end up getting, even in the 7am drops), rope drop my favorites (not necessarily the biggest ones), and do the smaller non-LL rides in the morning hours when lines are lower and when people are more focused in general on the bigger rides.

Last spring break I had a great experience with genie+ at MK and HS. We did rope drop plus breaks. We stacked like you, but I would try to get our last booked ride to be when we would return for the evening so I could start booking again when we scanned onto that experience. Will that technique work again? I think this time the have modify which is great.

We are adding park hopping for the first time now that the kids are older.