Genie+ starts first day of our stay, Our Plan.

[thptrek]

We are 4 adults and Genie starts on day one of our stay. We are at BLT. We will buy the Genie+ for every day and we expect to buy the two ia$ every day too.

Our plan is to buy the Ia$ for one ride and try to get an early ride window. At the same time we will make our first Genie+ selection (7am). After we are done with our rides we will then buy our second ia$ and grab another Genie+. After every Genie+ ride we will grab another. This is what we used to do in the FastPass days.

For example at AK, we would buy FOP for an early time (let's say 9am). We would also try to be sitting on a Genie+ for Navi River at like 930am. I would jump on the Genie app at 7am to start this process.

How are other people thinking about using the new Genie?

 

[GBRforWDW]

We are 4 adults and Genie starts on day one of our stay. We are at BLT. We will buy the Genie+ for every day and we expect to buy the two ia$ every day too.

Our plan is to buy the Ia$ for one ride and try to get an early ride window. At the same time we will make our first Genie+ selection (7am). After we are done with our rides we will then buy our second ia$ and grab another Genie+. After every Genie+ ride we will grab another. This is what we used to do in the FastPass days.

For example at AK, we would buy FOP for an early time (let's say 9am). We would also try to be sitting on a Genie+ for Navi River at like 930am. I would jump on the Genie app at 7am to start this process.

How are other people thinking about using the new Genie?

I'm going to follow along, would love to hear updates about how you're able to use G+ once in the parks.

I was thinking about the IA$ attractions and it seemed like at least some were rope drop doable for onsite early access, which could help save money. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 

[Marionnette]

We are 4 adults and Genie starts on day one of our stay. We are at BLT. We will buy the Genie+ for every day and we expect to buy the two ia$ every day too.

Our plan is to buy the Ia$ for one ride and try to get an early ride window. At the same time we will make our first Genie+ selection (7am). After we are done with our rides we will then buy our second ia$ and grab another Genie+. After every Genie+ ride we will grab another. This is what we used to do in the FastPass days.

For example at AK, we would buy FOP for an early time (let's say 9am). We would also try to be sitting on a Genie+ for Navi River at like 930am. I would jump on the Genie app at 7am to start this process.

How are other people thinking about using the new Genie?

Right now, I have no plans to pay for either unless I read glowing reports about it before we go.

If I were to utilize Genie+/IA$, it would probably look more like purchasing only for individual days and not the length of tickets. I would take advantage of the 30-minute early entry for onsite guests to ride the IA$ rides that have standby lines or obtain a VQ for those that don't. If I could not obtain a boarding group, I would just skip that attraction.

After the 30-minute early entry, if I purchased Genie+, I would be reserving the earliest slots for whatever is available and then grab my next LL right after tapping in. Once I exhausted all LL options at park #1, I would hop to a second park, grabbing the first available LL there as soon as I can and then repeat the procedure. If there were no LL reservations left at any of the other 3 parks, I would be checking the Touring Plans Lines app to see which park has the shortest standby lines and hop there.

For MK and Epcot, I would utilize the evening extra hours for deluxe resort guests. Most, but not all, attractions that are Genie+ will be available either thru early or evening entry.

 

[thptrek]

We are planning on doing the evening extra hours too. Repeat our favorite rides then.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Right now, I have no plans to pay for either unless I read glowing reports about it before we go.

Same here! I'd love to hear reports on how it goes.

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

We are 4 adults and Genie starts on day one of our stay. We are at BLT. We will buy the Genie+ for every day and we expect to buy the two ia$ every day too.

Our plan is to buy the Ia$ for one ride and try to get an early ride window. At the same time we will make our first Genie+ selection (7am). After we are done with our rides we will then buy our second ia$ and grab another Genie+. After every Genie+ ride we will grab another. This is what we used to do in the FastPass days.

For example at AK, we would buy FOP for an early time (let's say 9am). We would also try to be sitting on a Genie+ for Navi River at like 930am. I would jump on the Genie app at 7am to start this process.

How are other people thinking about using the new Genie?

We will be there during launch week, and we are considering Genie+ for MK and possibly HWS. We won't use for other 2 parks, and no IAS for us either. We will try for IAS rides while "free" during extra morning 1/2 hour (like everyone else) and will just have to choose which one of the two in a park we want to go for. I think some of the potential issues we will face in using Genie+ is that it sounds like it is going to show "next available time", and I don't know (and also don't think) that we be offered multiple times to choose from. Reliable bloggers have reported that you can book another ride 2 hours after booking your last one IF the return time on the prior one was more than 2 hours out. I am concerned that the program will work to limit bookings to every 2 hours, which means you can max out at 6 LL rides if a park is open 12 hours. An image from the tech preview some bloggers received shows a phone screen from the "My Top Picks" page for Genie, and it tells you to select 8 attractions, which Genie will reportedly use in trying to optimize your day. The menu across the top of that screen also shows entertainment, dining, and enchanted extras. I think it is very bad of Disney not to release more details, as there are definitely a lot of unanswered questions about how it will operate, and park time is valuable. They know the answers to many of the questions but don't seem to want to share, which makes me think it's just more negative info about limitations, etc. We will be in HWS on launch day and MK on Thursday of that week, so I guess we will be genie-pigs on those days. Good luck - hope all goes well for you and that you have a great trip!!!

 

[Marionnette]

We will be there during launch week, and we are considering Genie+ for MK and possibly HWS. We won't use for other 2 parks, and no IAS for us either. We will try for IAS rides while "free" during extra morning 1/2 hour (like everyone else) and will just have to choose which one of the two in a park we want to go for. I think some of the potential issues we will face in using Genie+ is that it sounds like it is going to show "next available time", and I don't know (and also don't think) that we be offered multiple times to choose from. Reliable bloggers have reported that you can book another ride 2 hours after booking your last one IF the return time on the prior one was more than 2 hours out. I am concerned that the program will work to limit bookings to every 2 hours, which means you can max out at 6 LL rides if a park is open 12 hours. An image from the tech preview some bloggers received shows a phone screen from the "My Top Picks" page for Genie, and it tells you to select 8 attractions, which Genie will reportedly use in trying to optimize your day. The menu across the top of that screen also shows entertainment, dining, and enchanted extras. I think it is very bad of Disney not to release more details, as there are definitely a lot of unanswered questions about how it will operate, and park time is valuable. They know the answers to many of the questions but don't seem to want to share, which makes me think it's just more negative info about limitations, etc. We will be in HWS on launch day and MK on Thursday of that week, so I guess we will be genie-pigs on those days. Good luck - hope all goes well for you and that you have a great trip!!!

So, what happens if you don't choose any attractions in Genie but purchase Genie+? Would Genie+ just offer randomized selections to you? It would be interesting to see what happens...

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

So, what happens if you don't choose any attractions in Genie but purchase Genie+? Would Genie+ just offer randomized selections to you? It would be interesting to see what happens...

I think it would suggest lower demand rides to keep you out of the more crowded lines.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I wish a boycott could be organized. I really do.

 

[DVC92]

I wish a boycott could be organized. I really do.

I fully concur. I will never pay for Genie+ or an extra fee for an individual ride.

 

[kilik64]

They just announced reduced pricing for the rides at DLP, doubt WDW is the same but apparently not a big hit there so maybe there’s hope for the haters?

 

[CarolMN]

Not planning to buy either Genie+ or IAS unless the standby waits are unreasonable. It begins in the middle of our trip.

We can do Remy & MMRR & FoP at park open for on-site guests. We generally don't do the other IAS options. If we do purchase an IAS, it will only be once for an attraction we haven't done yet.

 

[kristenrice]

We also arrive on the 19th (hopefully...the current SWA situation has me in a bit of a panic!) and I have no plans to purchase Genie+ at this time. At the most, we may purchase LL for RotR since we have never experienced it and it will be a "one and done" for us anyways. We aren't really big "ride" people although we do like to spend time in the parks. We have no issue spending time in line so if we only get through 4-5 rides in a day doing standby, then that's just fine. It's better than spending an extra $150+ for just my daughter and I over 5 days.

 

[thptrek]

I'm hoping that the Genie goes active this week so we can all see it and begin to understand how it works. Could be a lot of fun (lol) trying to update the MDE app for Genie the morning of the 19th from BLT.

 

[Bearval]

We are 4 adults and Genie starts on day one of our stay. We are at BLT. We will buy the Genie+ for every day and we expect to buy the two ia$ every day too.

Our plan is to buy the Ia$ for one ride and try to get an early ride window. At the same time we will make our first Genie+ selection (7am). After we are done with our rides we will then buy our second ia$ and grab another Genie+. After every Genie+ ride we will grab another. This is what we used to do in the FastPass days.

For example at AK, we would buy FOP for an early time (let's say 9am). We would also try to be sitting on a Genie+ for Navi River at like 930am. I would jump on the Genie app at 7am to start this process.

How are other people thinking about using the new Genie?

I will never pay for a LL pass and do don't plan on paying for Genie + unless it also becomes a requirement to get on rides. For me adding the Genie + it would have to enable me to get on at least 3 more rides that I want than just doing stand by alone. If not than it is like paying 7.50 each for 2 rides after paying Over 100.00 just to get in the park.

 

[Sandisw]

It will really depend on the group I am with as to what we will pay for during trips.

I know we would have gladly payed for ROTR this summer for my Guests who wanted to try it and we couldn’t.

But my upcoming trip is a group where only 2 of the 4 of us will want to do lots of rides…so they may want to attempt it for a few.

When I take my grandkids next year, we will for sure be doing it for some of the parks..

 

[gharter]

It starts the middle of our trip. I really only see this being helpful for MK or HS. We will have done MK before this is available.
HS, we may pay for Genie + for that day.
I see no real benefit at AK or EPCOT.

 

[Donna M]

We head to the MK on the 28th so hopefully there be some good reviews out there so we can make a decision on what to do. Not sure how I feel about it yet.

 

[thptrek]

I see some suggestions to make your LL$ selections for later in the day as crowd levels build and use your Genie+ early. Interesting idea.