Genie+ is NOT as wonderful as everyone is saying

[CaptainAmerica]

First day using it. It's not the fantastic panacea that everybody has been saying it is. I got Thunder Mountain at noon. Can't get anything else booked until 11. 7 dwarves mine train would have cost me another 12 dollars per person to book. I'll give an update later what I think. I'm just putting this out there as a contrary opinion about Genie+

YMMV

Almost everyone has been saying this. This isn't a controversial take, it's the mainstream consensus.

 

[Chuck S]

Someone said it is wonderful?

Bob Chapek, probably. Oh, a few Disney bloggers, too. But they have...uh... reasons to stay on Disney's good side (press previews and events).

I had similar dismal experiences with it over Thanksgiving week.

I wish they'd just bring back FP+, even if they have to charge $15 for it. That way you at least knew you could work a few rides around your dining reservations.

 

[CarolMN]

First day using it. It's not the fantastic panacea that everybody has been saying it is. I got Thunder Mountain at noon. Can't get anything else booked until 11. 7 dwarves mine train would have cost me another 12 dollars per person to book. I'll give an update later what I think. I'm just putting this out there as a contrary opinion about Genie+

YMMV

Almost everyone has been saying this. This isn't a controversial take, it's the mainstream consensus.

I agree. There are MANY of us who hate it. I've seen very few reports from people who actually liked it, and it sounded like they had to have their noses in their phones all day to get value from it.

We did not use it when we were there last December, except I did purchase an ILL for RotR. (I don't feel the need to do that again). I may buy ILL once for each new ride, but most likely that will be just "one and done". I am so disappointed in Disney for this. It's really decreased the enjoyment of my DVC vacations.

I'd rather pay the $15 for FP+. With EE and EMH plus the after hours parties, we seldom needed/wanted more than the 3 FP+ I could schedule ahead for any of the parks.

 

[sheilafri]

I agree. There are MANY of us who hate it. I've seen very few reports from people who actually liked it, and it sounded like they had to have their noses in their phones all day to get value from it.

We did not use it when we were there last December, except I did purchase an ILL for RotR. (I don't feel the need to do that again). I may buy ILL once for each new ride, but most likely that will be just "one and done". I am so disappointed in Disney for this. It's really decreased the enjoyment of my DVC vacations.

I'd rather pay the $15 for FP+. With EE and EMH plus the after hours parties, we seldom needed/wanted more than the 3 FP+ I could schedule ahead for any of the parks.

My fear with paying for FP+ is that we could usually get acceptable experiences just days before a last minute trip. If there aren’t generous exchange rights people will hang on to their less desired FP selections (like I suspect happens now) which will require you to book 60 days in advance. Worst of both worlds.

 

[Murron]

In addition to all of the above, there are apparently now ways to use Genie+ called "stacking" rides. I've seen it discussed on other social venues. I've no idea what stacking is or how it's done, but it's just another layer of frustration. It's the same feeling I have with "walking" a reservation. Not sure if stacking is a loophole in the system or a legit way of booking rides that the rest of us did not intuitively figure out. In any case, I'm kind of done with it.

 

[Meglen]

In addition to all of the above, there are apparently now ways to use Genie+ called "stacking" rides. I've seen it discussed on other social venues. I've no idea what stacking is or how it's done, but it's just another layer of frustration. It's the same feeling I have with "walking" a reservation. Not sure if stacking is a loophole in the system or a legit way of booking rides that the rest of us did not intuitively figure out. In any case, I'm kind of done with it.

Its jsut going to the park later in the day and stacking (using the 2 hour rule) for rides after mid day. And just relaxing the morning or rope dropping one park and stacking for another.

 

[Murron]

Its jsut going to the park later in the day and stacking (using the 2 hour rule) for rides after mid day. And just relaxing the morning or rope dropping one park and stacking for another.

Thanks! Now that was a wonderfully easy explanation!

 

[sheilafri]

Its jsut going to the park later in the day and stacking (using the 2 hour rule) for rides after mid day. And just relaxing the morning or rope dropping one park and stacking for another.

This is complicated for Genie+ in that you cannot choose your return time. And the shown return time is not held even as you go through the steps of finalizing. I think I have even ended up with earlier times. I have never figured out a way to modify or potentially change a reservation. It seems like you just have to abandon it if you decide not to use it. Grr. Frankly, it’s a ridiculous system and I suspect Disney knows this and just doesn’t care.

 

[Madame]

In addition to all of the above, there are apparently now ways to use Genie+ called "stacking" rides. I've seen it discussed on other social venues. I've no idea what stacking is or how it's done, but it's just another layer of frustration. It's the same feeling I have with "walking" a reservation. Not sure if stacking is a loophole in the system or a legit way of booking rides that the rest of us did not intuitively figure out. In any case, I'm kind of done with it.

I’m here with my teen who wants to sleep in. Stacking is a PITA. I didn’t have a relaxing morning at all. Had to get up at 7 and refreshing constantly waiting for the ridiculous PM times to start popping up. I wanted to stop but I was worried that I would miss them all as we’re hopping to MK around 8pm and want the G+ there. Over the whole thing. We’ve gotten our money’s worth the last 3 days but I have worked my butt off for it.

 

[dismedvc]

FYI: for those who might not know. The one of the things that is different about Genie+ is that the times go through the end of the day and then cycle back. (At least this was the way it worked in December.)
With FP, the times moved later and later until all FP were gone for the day for that attraction.

The first day we used Genie+ I did not start looking until slightly after 7:00 am and the time that showed for the attraction we wanted was 6:00 pm which was far later than we wanted, but I booked it thinking times would just keep getting later, until all Genie+ reservations for that attraction was gone. However, once the Genie+ went to a time close to park closing, when I refreshed Genie+ it showed a time of 10:00 am (the park opened at 9:00am) So from then on if I did not like the time that was showing, I just kept refreshing until Genie+ cycled to the time we wanted.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

We had pretty good luck with Genie+ during non-super crowded times in both FL and CA. Is it great? No. Did I like the certainty of knowing times in advance? Absolutely. And do they need to fix the system so that times don't switch at random? Come on! BUT we probably have gotten more rides with Genie+ than we did with the old FP system and the ability to pick passes in different parks is nice. I'm in the minority but I'm not as much of a hater as some are in this board.

 

[RoseGold]

To be fair, it was wonderful in the first week it was open. It was amazing, I’ll never be able to replicate it.

But in January, I should have just put the money on a Mickey balloon and let it go.

 

[Madame]

This is what we accomplished (are currently waiting for an MK bus). I’m satisfied, but the time I spent in the AM grinding on my phone and we had to run over to DHS to scan in after I had secured Remy at about 10am - and we did run bc we had B&C lunch at 11:00.

2 of these are obviously ILLs (both secured rather late in the morning), but there are only the 2 of us and we’ve bought absolutely no merch. Disney gets a finite amount of $ from us

11:00 - B&C
2:30 - Remy (Ratatouille - Epcot)
———
5:00 - TSMM
5:20 - SDD
5:40 - Sci Fi
———
8:30 - BTMRR
8:45 - PP
8:50 - 7DMT
9:00 - Space
9:20 - HM

 

[nuhusky123]

disney created genie+ for the investors not guests

this is all about $ and helping the stock. Problem is it is helping

 

[New Mouse]

disney created genie+ for the investors not guests

this is all about $ and helping the stock. Problem is it is helping

The stocks been horrible its not helping anything

 

[FinnFogg]

I had assumed it would be somewhat similar to MaxPass at Disneyland. We are heading for our first trip since the introduction of Genie+ next month. Is it really that different (and worse) than MaxPass?

 

[Stargazer65]

Well I ended up getting a few rides out of Genie. But I did even better in the standby lines, getting there before rope drop, and staying until the park closes.

 

[Minniesgal]

This is complicated for Genie+ in that you cannot choose your return time. And the shown return time is not held even as you go through the steps of finalizing. I think I have even ended up with earlier times. I have never figured out a way to modify or potentially change a reservation. It seems like you just have to abandon it if you decide not to use it. Grr. Frankly, it’s a ridiculous system and I suspect Disney knows this and just doesn’t care.

It works if you are park hopping. Rope drop in the morning with no LL but stack LL for your second park all day until you arrive in the evening

 

[nuhusky123]

The stocks been horrible its not helping anything

That’s the entire market and not specific to Disney, we are also heading into a recession

genie+ from a p&l perspective has been a smashing hit

 

[DVCSunDevil]

My guess is that guests satisfaction surveys are plummeting.

Hopefully people are filling them out. That is how Disney makes a lot of their decisions. They put a ton of stock into the results of those surveys.