Genie+

[SeasonneRose]

With the new Genie+ changes just announced I wonder if this will affect DVC? I have a few theories, hear me out:

1. Genie+ will be offered as a perk to Deluxe and DVC guests as an ability to pre-purchases ahead of "day of" or given as part of a stay like Universal does. The "subject to availability" point leads me to believe there will be some sort of priority given in booking genie+.

2. This opens the door for a surge pricing model for day of sales - based on any number of factors like ticket sales and park attendance. If they allow Deluxe/DVC to purchase ahead of time, I think they leave the $15 in tact for them but apply the surge pricing to the day of guests that purchase.

3. Genie+ could be offered as an exclusive DVC perk in order to drive sales to DVC.


Thoughts?

 

[zavandor]

Option 2 is very interesting.
I think the move is to actually decrease the number of purchases, because satisfaction levels are not good. I haven't read any confirmation of this, but the fact they've not said people are happy with the system in investors call is meaningful. Also the new alert they've added pre-purchase ("this service actually sucks and you will get fewer rides than you think you would") shows they've had a lot of complaints.
The new rule will make people actually think daily if they want to buy it or not and many may decide to just pick some days during a lengthy stay.
But then the problem of keeping revenues intact comes and they are probably looking into surge pricing. Giving on site guests the option to pre-purchase at the minimum price would be a nice perk.

 

[Marionnette]

With the new Genie+ changes just announced I wonder if this will affect DVC? I have a few theories, hear me out:

1. Genie+ will be offered as a perk to Deluxe and DVC guests as an ability to pre-purchases ahead of "day of" or given as part of a stay like Universal does. The "subject to availability" point leads me to believe there will be some sort of priority given in booking genie+.

2. This opens the door for a surge pricing model for day of sales - based on any number of factors like ticket sales and park attendance. If they allow Deluxe/DVC to purchase ahead of time, I think they leave the $15 in tact for them but apply the surge pricing to the day of guests that purchase.

3. Genie+ could be offered as an exclusive DVC perk in order to drive sales to DVC.


Thoughts?

1. That option will only happen if pricing remains the same for all guests. Even with that, it's not a big enough carrot to move a family of 4 to go from a moderate resort to deluxe, let alone offsite or value resort families. If they go in this direction, I can see it being offered to all on-site guests. But then, you run into the situation where people will book a Disney resort, buy G+ and then cancel the resort reservation. Yeah. It only took me a few minutes to figure that one out. Someone with a more devious mind would have considered it immediately.

2. I would bet my collection of trading pins on there being dynamic pricing for G+. But I doubt that Disney is going to let deluxe resort guests slip by at only $15 a head if other guests are paying $5, $10 or more per person. Too much cheddar being left on the table for the Mouse to let that happen.

3. Sounds like an interesting sales tactic but knowing Disney's horrendous IT capabilities, I doubt that the system would be able to distinguish between resale, grandfathered resale and direct owners on a routine basis. Look at how long the errors in the roll out of the digital membership ID took to fix.

 

[SeasonneRose]

Option 2 is very interesting.
I think the move is to actually decrease the number of purchases, because satisfaction levels are not good. I haven't read any confirmation of this, but the fact they've not said people are happy with the system in investors call is meaningful. Also the new alert they've added pre-purchase ("this service actually sucks and you will get fewer rides than you think you would") shows they've had a lot of complaints.
The new rule will make people actually think daily if they want to buy it or not and many may decide to just pick some days during a lengthy stay.
But then the problem of keeping revenues intact comes and they are probably looking into surge pricing. Giving on site guests the option to pre-purchase at the minimum price would be a nice perk.

Keeping the $15 for deluxe guests doesn’t create a loss.

I think they will raise the prices significantly as well as to control demand without losing revenue.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I think what you're seeing is the beginning of g+ dying a slow and painful death.

 

[SeasonneRose]

I think what you're seeing it the beginning of g+ dying a slow and painful death.

I don’t at all. I think it’s going to go through a few iterations but it’s not going away.

No theme park in America has a free express pass option. Disney will maintain a paid fast pass system of some sort but where it ends is tbd. Imo it will be a deluxe perk and a surge pricing model to increase revenue but reduce demand.

 

[kilik64]

As much as people want g+ to die, its not. They spent way too much money on it for it to be killed off any time soon. Outside of the complaint people, its making them some nice revenue in the parks. They will continue to fine tune it and make changes until it gets to a point where there are less and less complaints.

 

[SeasonneRose]

As much as people want g+ to die, its not. They spent way too much money on it for it to be killed off any time soon. Outside of the complaint people, its making them some nice revenue in the parks. They will continue to fine tune it and make changes until it gets to a point where there are less and less complaints.

Exactly. Once the reduce the number of people using it, it will be fine.

You reduce the number of people by raising the prices.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

1. That option will only happen if pricing remains the same for all guests. Even with that, it's not a big enough carrot to move a family of 4 to go from a moderate resort to deluxe, let alone offsite or value resort families. If they go in this direction, I can see it being offered to all on-site guests. But then, you run into the situation where people will book a Disney resort, buy G+ and then cancel the resort reservation. Yeah. It only took me a few minutes to figure that one out. Someone with a more devious mind would have considered it immediately.

I doubt it would be offered to all onsite guests. The goal is to reduce the number of people with G+ so that they can meet the expectations of those paying for it. If they gave it to all onsite guests (and good neighbor hotels), that would be way too many people with G+.

The problem of buying and dropping is not a problem - they solved that back in the FP+ days. The only real work around was to purchase a campground spot - and even that they were able to put a cramp in since you had to enter the park with the MB,

Deluxe.... maybe. But as you say, that in and of itself is not really enough of a perk to drive someone from a moderate to a deluxe. Besides, at the moment they are not having trouble getting bodies into those beds.

However, I could see promo's around the concept if that changes.

 

[kes601]

2. This opens the door for a surge pricing model for day of sales - based on any number of factors like ticket sales and park attendance. If they allow Deluxe/DVC to purchase ahead of time, I think they leave the $15 in tact for them but apply the surge pricing to the day of guests that purchase.

I find this to be the most likely scenario.

ETA: I mean that the surge pricing model coming. I do not think they will allow Deluxe / DVC to purchase ahead of time.

 

[SteveAZee]

I don’t at all. I think it’s going to go through a few iterations but it’s not going away.

No theme park in America has a free express pass option. Disney will maintain a paid fast pass system of some sort but where it ends is tbd. Imo it will be a deluxe perk and a surge pricing model to increase revenue but reduce demand.

There are certainly a number of improvements they can make without it affecting revenue from G+... in fact it might bring back people who've used it and are unlikely use it again in its current state.

 

[SeasonneRose]

There are certainly a number of improvements they can make without it affecting revenue from G+... in fact it might bring back people who've used it and are unlikely use it again in its current state.

The last thing they need is more people on genie+. That is their core problem right now - too many people with it. They need to limit how many can buy it and raise the prices. Otherwise genie+ is perfectly fine once they limit the number of users.

 

[SteveAZee]

The last thing they need is more people on genie+. That is their core problem right now - too many people with it. They need to limit how many can buy it and raise the prices. Otherwise genie+ is perfectly fine once they limit the number of users.

Honestly, I haven't used it, so I don't have first hand experience. Not being able to change the time of selections and not being able re-ride in a given day are limitations that I think would make it a more popular product (and a bit more like FP+) and perhaps they'll offer that at an additional price for something called Genie++ or something. I agree that they'll need to do something to decrease the usage so raising the price (or created tiered pricing since, hey, things simply are complicated enough ) might do that.

 

[vicarrieous]

I think what you're seeing is the beginning of g+ dying a slow and painful death.

I would love to see a quick and painful death of Genie+ lol.....

 

[thebigman65]

The changes made may decrease demand some, but not enough overall. The main issue was not the cost IMO....the main issue is having to get up and purchase this add on @ 7am every day while on vacation! With Disney being able to control crowds via the park reservation system, I don't know why they don't allow it to be purchased in advance and also to be able to make LL or ILL 60 days out?! It's redicoulous that I have to Plan part of our vacation while we are actually ON vacation!

 

[john7994]

With the new Genie+ changes just announced I wonder if this will affect DVC? I have a few theories, hear me out:

1. Genie+ will be offered as a perk to Deluxe and DVC guests as an ability to pre-purchases ahead of "day of" or given as part of a stay like Universal does. The "subject to availability" point leads me to believe there will be some sort of priority given in booking genie+.

2. This opens the door for a surge pricing model for day of sales - based on any number of factors like ticket sales and park attendance. If they allow Deluxe/DVC to purchase ahead of time, I think they leave the $15 in tact for them but apply the surge pricing to the day of guests that purchase.

3. Genie+ could be offered as an exclusive DVC perk in order to drive sales to DVC.


Thoughts?

I think Option 2 is the better of the scenarios and I would especially appreciate the "value" of that offering when staying DVC/Deluxe -

 

[AdamsMum]

I think what you're seeing is the beginning of g+ dying a slow and painful death.

One can only hope.

 

[kmorlock]

Making plans at 7 AM was an absolutely terrible idea and screams that the people designing Genie+ or LL never visited the parks like regular guests. Even the ability to make plans at 10 days out would be better than 7AM every day while on vacation.

 

[HEARTSOFJOY]

I have oncoming trip two times during the summer and was afraid if they will raise prices for genie plus. Would you suggest for me to start thinking of buying genie plus ahead of time now? We only got 4 day park hopper tickets as annual passes are not back and I dont think they'll ever come back. Any tips?

Just making the most of my time with my kids one is in middle school and one is in high school. Sad how Disney is literally taking advantage of the fact that you cannot put a price on family time and they are!

 

[Sandisw]

I have oncoming trip two times during the summer and was afraid if they will raise prices for genie plus. Would you suggest for me to start thinking of buying genie plus ahead of time now? We only got 4 day park hopper tickets as annual passes are not back and I dont think they'll ever come back. Any tips?

Just making the most of my time with my kids one is in middle school and one is in high school. Sad how Disney is literally taking advantage of the fact that you cannot put a price on family time and they are!

They no longer allow you to purchase ahead of time.