Genie Service

[Nennie]

I would consider paying if it was like Universal, where I can just hop into the fast pass entrance whenever I want. No way am I paying for the opportunity to be able to log on at 7am and try to get fast passes and hope the rides I want are available at the times I want to ride.

We are going to Boo Bash in October, but that's going to be it for Disney this year. My kids are getting older anyway, so it's time to check out Universal.

 

[Yinn]

Now, that's been tried before. Disney won't try to do the same stupid thing. They will at least come up with some new stupid idea. (Does no one remember Ryan Air's attempt to do this in 2010?)

We can start a brain storming thread.

1. Bathrooms are free, toilet paper is now $1/square. Payment via magic mobile is accepted.

2. B-Genie. For $5/ticket/day, you can now skip the bathroom line. You must make a reservation at 7am the day you plan to use the bathroom. You will be able to select a 1 hour time window.

 

[kmorlock]

C

Now, that's been tried before. Disney won't try to do the same stupid thing. They will at least come up with some new stupid idea. (Does no one remember Ryan Air's attempt to do this in 2010?)



This is one of my bigger concerns. You do not get "instant" access. You get "the next available window". If at 10am on Genie+ I want to ride Peter Pan and I get a "come back at 4pm", that's going to be a problem. Even worse since I can't then ride something else until after that. To make this work, my window is going to have to be in the next 20 minutes or so, which means it will have to be a limited number of people buying it. Unless they limit the number of Genie+ tickets, this could be a problem. If they do limit it, we are back to "better be prepared to buy it within the first 0.000000000001 seconds of it going on sale".



Fact: this is nothing more than an opinion.
View attachment 598258

For me personally, I think the devil is in the details. I will have to see how it pans out. One of the things I do not like compared to FP+ is that with FP+ I was at least guaranteed 60 days in advance to experience my rides of choice (minus a disaster on the ride in question). Plus, planning my WDW trips was half the fun for me. With Genie+, it may tell me that I will get on Peter Pan at 2pm, but day off, that could all change. If I could lock in the plan and keep it, that would work for me as an option.

Also, as mentioned before, I think a lot depends on how many people pay. If too many people pay for it, it will be a problem.

But overall, I like the possibilities and think it's going to be a more positive experience (I am ever the optimist).

Call it what you want. You’re now paying more for something that once was included.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

We can start a brain storming thread.

1. Bathrooms are free, toilet paper is now $1/square. Payment via magic mobile is accepted.

2. B-Genie. For $5/ticket/day, you can now skip the bathroom line. You must make a reservation at 7am the day you plan to use the bathroom. You will be able to select a 1 hour time window.

View attachment 598261

At least you're keeping profit above all else. Disney can't be paying over $1/case for the toilet paper crap (See what I did there?) they're buying now anyway.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Call it what you want. You’re now paying more for something that once was included.

#BINGO

Everybody go home. kmorlock done messed it up for everybody.

 

[gisele2]

I loved FP + , do not like the Genie + app . We have a 8 nights vacation booked . We were planning on a 9 days ticket. Because of the genie thing , we will have a 7 days ticket . First day we will be in the pool , then we will do a 2 nights 3 days at Universal , instead of 2 nights 2 days . I am really sad.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

I see that I am going to be using more points at Hilton Head.

I just hope they don't start charging for beach access.

 

[TheEpcotForEver]

We can start a brain storming thread.

1. Bathrooms are free, toilet paper is now $1/square. Payment via magic mobile is accepted.

2. B-Genie. For $5/ticket/day, you can now skip the bathroom line. You must make a reservation at 7am the day you plan to use the bathroom. You will be able to select a 1 hour time window.

View attachment 598261

I heard blue card members can get double ply in the dvc lounge though!

 

[DougEMG]

Can't say I like what I have heard about how the new system works or the pricing of it.

Coming from the west coast we don't get to the parks till 11am, so having to book things at 7am each morning is not going to be fun. Really liked being able to have FP+ booked at 11, 12 and 1, knowing that I had 3 things I could do as soon as I arrived.

For costs, assuming $15/day for Genie+, plus 2 LL+ passes for say $30, that is adding $45/day/person. For the three of us over 21 days that is $2,835 extra for something that was free. That amount is certainly more than nickel and diming.

We've got a trip to Universal/WDW booked for this Oct/Nov so we'll see how it works out. I like going to the parks and doing a bunch of rides without standing in long lines, if I can't do that at what I consider a fair price, then I might be forced to look at selling by DVC.

 

[SL6827]

When will the Genie hit the water parks?

 

[Wedgeout]

Another new system to learn and adapt to. Just like when boarding groups happened. I wish this Genie+ was included on each higher tier AP at both DL & WDW. I really enjoyed having the Maxpass on my Signature Plus AP. Also sure would be nice if each Deluxe resort and DVC Villa had it included for each one on the reservation.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I see that I am going to be using more points at Hilton Head.

I just hope they don't start charging for beach access.

Thanks for sharing that. And only 4 hours instead of 8 also.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Can you just buy the lightning lane with out Genie? I will pop in early, ride a few rides, pay for a headliner or two and then go hang at the pool. I am not paying $15 per day to rider star tours or TSMM.

 

[davper]

Can you just buy the lightning lane with out Genie? I will pop in early, ride a few rides, pay for a headliner or two and then go hang at the pool. I am not paying $15 per day to rider star tours or TSMM.

I haven't seen whether or not you have to or not yet. But I wouldn't put it past Disney to say you can't buy LL without getting G+ 1st.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Call it what you want. You’re now paying more for something that once was included.

No you are not. You are paying more for more.

FP+ did not evaluate the projected lines and make recommendations of when you might return to a shorter line.
FP+ did not recommend or suggest that this might be a good time to get a meal / take a holistic view of the entire day.
FP+ did not make recommendations for rides based on what you might enjoy.
FP+ could often not be used time of (unless you were an expert clicker). You had to pre-plan.
If it works right, this will have quicker access to rides than FP+
If it works right, you will have a better chance of getting certain rides than you did with FP+ (many people could never get FOP, SDD, etc on FP+)
FP+ was not DAS friendly.
Frankly, this system is more fair then FP+ (certain people were experts at claiming tickets and did so to the detriment of others).

Call it what you want, but it is your OPINION that this is not as good. That is not a FACT. You still seem to have trouble understanding the meaning of the word.

I am not ready to say whether it's better or worse than FP+. TBH I thought FP+ was a terrible idea over FP and I thought FP was a terrible idea over stand-by only. Disney proved me wrong on both counts. They often surprise me, so I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I haven't seen whether or not you have to or not yet. But I wouldn't put it past Disney to say you can't buy LL without getting G+ 1st.

IT SOUNDED TO ME like you did. But I am not willing to stake money either way.

 

[drusba]

Can you just buy the lightning lane with out Genie? I will pop in early, ride a few rides, pay for a headliner or two and then go hang at the pool. I am not paying $15 per day to rider star tours or TSMM.

Here is Disney's description: introducing-disney-genie. There is Genie which will not cost extra money but just provides an information portal concerning the day at the park.

Genie+ is the $15 per person version which adds your ability to skip a line by reserving an attraction for a later time in the day and using the quick line; possibly that time will be something near the end of the stand-by time indicated when you attempt to make the reservation, e.g., if the ride has an hour standby, you might be able to go one hour after you attempt to reserve the time. You can reserve only one at a time, meaning you have to use any reservation to be able to get another

Then the announcement provides that you can purchase up to two "highly demanded attractions" that will not be part of Genie+ but instead just things to purchase separately for some unknown fee to get in the lightning line, indicating that you do not need to pay the $15 for Genie+ to get them. What is not known is everything Disney is including in that premier ride category other than Seven Dwarfs. The announcement puts Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion and Millenium Falcon in the Genie+ category not the premier ride category.

Genie+ is similar what the original Fastpass program was when it started in 1999. You could go up to a ride that had a long line and get, out of a ticket dispenser, a ticket to come back and do the attraction at a later time during the day and not have to wait in the stand-by line. When that was in effect, it was very common for those fastpasses for higher demand rides to disappear by 11 a.m. for the entire day and evening,

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

The tipping point for me after going to WDW for 40+ years may finally be here. The greediness of the Disney company exceeds my imagination.

You need to expand your imagination!
Everyone sing along...
I-mag-i-na-tion.. I-mag-i-na-tion...
A dream, can be a dream come true.
With just that spark from me and you.

 

[kilik64]

I haven't seen whether or not you have to or not yet. But I wouldn't put it past Disney to say you can't buy LL without getting G+ 1st.

Its confirmed that you can buy the individual rides without having to get g+ as well.

https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2021...ull-pay-for-individual-rides-in-disney-genie/
Scroll to how you'll pay

Side note: DFB honestly seems to have the best write ups about the g+ stuff ive seen so far.

 

[kilik64]

What is not known is everything Disney is including in that premier ride category other than Seven Dwarfs. The announcement puts Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion and Millenium Falcon in the Genie+ category not the premier ride category.

7d and space mountain at MK are known so far. ROTR and Remy are two others that are known so far, but both of those will still have the virtual queue system going at the same time. Slinky dog is another one I've seen quoted. Basically rides under the old tier 1 when fp+ was still alive are part of it. I personally could see shifting, like when Tron opens maybe they drop Space down to the g+ level.