Goodbye, Maxpass. Hello, Disney Genie.

[smartlabelprint]

I'm also trying to focus on the positive- DAS is getting a MUCH needed revamp and the ability to get it beforehand. For guests who need this, this is AMAZING, plus, getting a return time right from the app instead of the umbrellas! I'm extremely happy that, for once, differently abled guests were not left out of Disney's planning.

Really? That’s amazing. We used to pay for maxpass and hardly DAS any rides because my kids just couldn’t wait in the tent line, then to the side then in the ride line. There was a lot of back and forth. As they age it will hopefully improve, but digital DAS is needed IMO.
My family will never go to DL without us and our DAS again.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

When Disney announced this special “club” you get to be a part of for buying your Magic Key passes in the first 66 days, I was really wondering why. Why the big push? Could it be because once we see how the new systems work and how they affect ride lines people might be less willing to buy Magic Key passes?

I know for me, I am now probably going to wait to see before buying. I will use up my final visit on my three-day CA ticket in September, then watch and listen. I mean, I used go to Disneyland frequently because it was fun. I loved using fastpasses, especially to limit how much time we had to wait in lines. Standing in long lines with two little ones sounds markedly less fun. And I’m definitely not going to get passes if there is no annual option for G+. No way will I spend $60 PER VISIT for fastpasses. I can’t even imagine that, truly! Now, if everything launches and the standby lines are not too bad, maybe it will be OK. But with so many changes and unknowns… could this be the reason for the push to get as many people to sign up for MagicKey as quickly as possible?

 

[DLgal]

When Disney announced this special “club” you get to be a part of for buying your Magic Key passes in the first 66 days, I was really wondering why. Why the big push? Could it be because once we see how the new systems work and how they affect ride lines people might be less willing to buy Magic Key passes?

I know for me, I am now probably going to wait to see before buying. I will use up my final visit on my three-day CA ticket in September, then watch and listen. I mean, I used go to Disneyland frequently because it was fun. I loved using fastpasses, especially to limit how much time we had to wait in lines. Standing in long lines with two little ones sounds markedly less fun. And I’m definitely not going to get passes if there is no annual option for G+. No way will I spend $60 PER VISIT for fastpasses. I can’t even imagine that, truly! Now, if everything launches and the standby lines are not too bad, maybe it will be OK. But with so many changes and unknowns… could this be the reason for the push to get as many people to sign up for MagicKey as quickly as possible?

That's an interesting thought. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that they will quickly change their minds about Genie+ being available as a flat rate add on for key holders. The public setiment/backlash about this anoucement had been bad. They are going to need to do something to change the perception, and quickly. I sometimes wonder if this is why they make these announcements so early. It gives them time to make changes. They can easily say "we heard your feedback, magic keyholders..."

 

[brentm77]

 

[Tinkaboo]

The more I read about this thing, the more I hate it. At least in the MaxPass days, you could get ALL of the ride attractions on the app. And if you didn't want the app, you could walk from one end of the park to other. Either way, we were all on equal footing. Now it will be like being at Universal, when you see those handfuls of people hit the Express Pass lane, which you know will make your line wait longer. All because they have more expendable cash. Now we'll feel the same at Disney. Forget the Magic. Give into the class warfare hate. Disney has had some bad ideas. This one has got to be up there with the worst of them. If not THE worst.

What it should've been called...
View attachment 598434

OMG that is hilarious! And so true…

 

[DnA2010]

It’s a bit ironic that for us Disneyland has always served as a great escape from the day to day of regular life.

And now, Disneyland is basically a day of being on our phones, while occasionally sitting in a ride and immediately going back to the phone.

With all the changes, if you aren’t on your phone you could miss the chance to be on your favorite ride, or ordering food, and you have to start even before the park opens with some of the newest rides.

And for the “pleasure” of this, you get to pay more.

Not really the Disney experience we are looking for. We’ll see how it goes, but certainly many other things we can do with thousands of dollars for our vacations.

This is what I hate the most...the fact that DH and I - aka mom and dad, will have to be on our phones at DL...being from Canada and having a phone plan that didn't have data roaming to the US, I had a US phone number and SIM, however I see Roam mobility who I used isn't in business anymore, so will have to figure out something, but ya...go to Disney to get away from being on my phone...

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I mean, I used go to Disneyland frequently because it was fun.

This is going to be the key. What’s this going to be like in practice? Will the fun and joy still be there?

(And yeah, there’s a Magic Key pun somewhere there, but my brain isn’t fully functioning…)

 

[Chickinvic]

This is what I hate the most...the fact that DH and I - aka mom and dad, will have to be on our phones at DL...being from Canada and having a phone plan that didn't have data roaming to the US, I had a US phone number and SIM, however I see Roam mobility who I used isn't in business anymore, so will have to figure out something, but ya...go to Disney to get away from being on my phone...

I found ROAM wasn't that great to be honest. I didn't feel I saved much at all using them. I just have the plan on Koodo where I can use my data like I'm in Canada and it charges currently $9/day to Roam like home.

 

[brightlined]

Magic Key pun

"Once implemented, Disney believes that the Genie+ service will make a guest's experience quite... magic-y."

 

[Drewski77]

This is going to be the key. What’s this going to be like in practice? Will the fun and joy still be there?

(And yeah, there’s a Magic Key pun somewhere there, but my brain isn’t fully functioning…)

Hard to predict, but not necessarily a good sign that after being closed for over a year…the most talked about subjects have nothing to do with how much people are enjoying the parks.

I think Disney should have taken at least a year to focus on a return to the magic, and then look at potential huge changes…let people enjoy what we missed for over a year first.

 

[Chickinvic]

I actually think this is a perfect time for them to make the changes. There is pent up demand for Disney apparently, and most people knew there would be some permanent changes coming. Might as well do it now.

 

[Drewski77]

I actually think this is a perfect time for them to make the changes. There is pent up demand for Disney apparently, and most people knew there would be some permanent changes coming. Might as well do it now.

I was thinking more from the perspective of the guest experience, as opposed to Disney’s short term profits.

 

[2boysmommy]

I mean, I have to push back on this is a bit. I have waited in a LOT of Disney lines with a lot of different kids, including some whose parents were sure they "couldn't do lines." Does anyone want to wait in a 70-minute line with a four-year-old? Nope. But you certainly can. I'm not saying it's not a bummer, because it is, and you usually have to put some effort into entertaining them with word games and I Spy and whatnot. But people are acting like you literally cannot ride these rides without paying, and that's a bit dramatic...

This is so true!! It is completely possible to stand in lines with kids. Our first trip with our boys to DL was in 2009 when they were 2 & 4, before MaxPass (with the legacy FP paper system only) and you were limited (by availability and how much you wanted to zigzag the parks) on how many FP you could get a day so you inevitably waited in lines. They survived and we have been back multiple times. Learning to wait in a queue is a lifeskill...

 

[DnA2010]

I found ROAM wasn't that great to be honest. I didn't feel I saved much at all using them. I just have the plan on Koodo where I can use my data like I'm in Canada and it charges currently $9/day to Roam like home.

My problem is my cell phone plan doesn't have this sort of option, so I need to figure out some sort of second sim/number etc

 

[Narcoossee11]

Well, Peter Pan would be an easy one for me to skip on lol. I will never understand the mad popularity of that ride. It's kind of cute, but that's about it. I just don't get it. And I would never wait in a huge line for it.

See I am the opposite , rarely ride it due to such a long line. Take my money for no wait.
I think this may be the beauty of this system... Everyone will make different selections

 

[Sun_soakin]

This is so true!! It is completely possible to stand in lines with kids. Our first trip with our boys to DL was in 2009 when they were 2 & 4, before MaxPass (with the legacy FP paper system only) and you were limited (by availability and how much you wanted to zigzag the parks) on how many FP you could get a day so you inevitably waited in lines. They survived and we have been back multiple times. Learning to wait in a queue is a lifeskill...

it’s vacation, not torture treatment. No one has to go on rides. Waiting hours for a two minute ride?! That’s crazy!
We’ve never waited more than 30 min for anything in all our years of taking our kids (or even in my youth)… what a diminished experience that would be. We want to spend our time pleasantly enjoying the park. We’re planning to cancel, because this is lame. Even Universal offers the express pass free if you stay onsite. DL is too much for too little now.

 

[Dudekiwi]

I think this system will improve WDW vastly since their FP+ system was so completely unfair to anyone not staying on site (plus it sucked in general). For DL, I will wait and see. I think it might actually improve the standby lines.

I honestly would rather just return to the way it used to be before all these "systems". Everyone had a level playing field, and that was that. Life is about choices. Don't want to wait so long for one ride, then do something else. And frankly, back then a 45 minute wait for Space Mountain was about the longest line I remember and that was during busy spring break (and long before the 2nd park). But, I realize those days are long gone.

As I was reading through this thread, I was thinking the same thing. I wish we could go back to just one line for everyone for every ride. No Fastpasses, Maxpasses, Lighting Lanes or special ques. Just get in line for the ride you want and wait however long it takes to get on the ride.

 

[PirateBrigade]

As I was reading through this thread, I was thinking the same thing. I wish we could go back to just one line for everyone for every ride. No Fastpasses, Maxpasses, Lighting Lanes or special ques. Just get in line for the ride you want and wait however long it takes to get on the ride.

I just can't do that anymore, as romantic of an idea as that sounds. We malign the shortfalls of MP/FP/G+/LL/C33FP/MEP/VQ/BG/VIP, we also thrive on them.

As much as Disneyland was/is "isolated" from the rest of the world, it reflected the world it was/is in as acceptability changed. It depicted the wild west and Native Americans as they were portrayed in popular culture at the time, as that was realized to be problematic, those depictions changed (think of the former burning cabin on Rivers). Disneyland banned same-sex dancing up until 1985, as the world became more accepting of the LGBTQIA community.

The generational change underlying the expansion of these special queues is that it is now acceptable to talk about money, wealth, power, and access openly in ways it wasn't acceptable before. My generation freely discusses salaries, promotions, having money, how we make more of it, what we spend it on, etc... in ways my parents did not, it was not polite. It's not that premium experiences just didn't exist, but they were very defined and less visible -- flying F on a major airline meant you were either a millionaire, or an important business person; you rode in a limo if you were rich, a taxi cab if you had some extra cash, while most of us went on the subway.

Buying access/using that wealth openly enabled Disneyland to openly market products that quite literally lets you buy your way to the front of the line. In the real world, instead of limo vs. cab vs. subway, you have limo, uber-x, uber, uber share, subway. Instead of F and coach, you have fractional private jet, commercial F, business class, premium economy, economy, basic economy. Disneyland was the same -- instead of VIP tours & C33 FPs vs. waiting in line, it's become VIP tours, LL, G+, and standby (VQ/BG still free -- but may the best smart phone win).

I think we can all agree portraying Native Americans appropriately and expanding LGBTQI rights is noble and right, but the downline effects of shining a light on how and why we use money for access is less clear.

K-shaped recovery, indeed.

 

[Dudekiwi]

I just can't do that anymore, as romantic of an idea as that sounds. We malign the shortfalls of MP/FP/G+/LL/C33FP/MEP/VQ/BG/VIP, we also thrive on them.

As much as Disneyland was/is "isolated" from the rest of the world, it reflected the world it was/is in as acceptability changed. It depicted the wild west and Native Americans as they were portrayed in popular culture at the time, as that was realized to be problematic, those depictions changed (think of the former burning cabin on Rivers). Disneyland banned same-sex dancing up until 1985, as the world became more accepting of the LGBTQIA community.

The generational change underlying the expansion of these special queues is that it is now acceptable to talk about money, wealth, power, and access openly in ways it wasn't acceptable before. My generation freely discusses salaries, promotions, having money, how we make more of it, what we spend it on, etc... in ways my parents did not, it was not polite. It's not that premium experiences just didn't exist, but they were very defined and less visible -- flying F on a major airline meant you were either a millionaire, or an important business person; you rode in a limo if you were rich, a taxi cab if you had some extra cash, while most of us went on the subway.

Buying access/using that wealth openly enabled Disneyland to openly market products that quite literally lets you buy your way to the front of the line. In the real world, instead of limo vs. cab vs. subway, you have limo, uber-x, uber, uber share, subway. Instead of F and coach, you have fractional private jet, commercial F, business class, premium economy, economy, basic economy. Disneyland was the same -- instead of VIP tours & C33 FPs vs. waiting in line, it's become VIP tours, LL, G+, and standby (VQ/BG still free -- but may the best smart phone win).

I think we can all agree portraying Native Americans appropriately and expanding LGBTQI rights is noble and right, but the downline effects of shining a light on how and why we use money for access is less clear.

K-shaped recovery, indeed.

I am not talking about money, who can and cannot afford the access for these things. I am just talking about keeping it simple. That is where I am coming from.

You took this in a whole another direction. My position has nothing to do with where we are as a culture today. I have no issues with the whole haves and have not's. That has nothing to do with my feelings. If you can afford all of the perks Disney has to offer, be my guest, buy them all. I just wish a day at Disneyland could be as simple as it was 25 years ago but I know that will never happen.

 

[Epicnemesis]

I just can't do that anymore, as romantic of an idea as that sounds. We malign the shortfalls of MP/FP/G+/LL/C33FP/MEP/VQ/BG/VIP, we also thrive on them.

As much as Disneyland was/is "isolated" from the rest of the world, it reflected the world it was/is in as acceptability changed. It depicted the wild west and Native Americans as they were portrayed in popular culture at the time, as that was realized to be problematic, those depictions changed (think of the former burning cabin on Rivers). Disneyland banned same-sex dancing up until 1985, as the world became more accepting of the LGBTQIA community.

The generational change underlying the expansion of these special queues is that it is now acceptable to talk about money, wealth, power, and access openly in ways it wasn't acceptable before. My generation freely discusses salaries, promotions, having money, how we make more of it, what we spend it on, etc... in ways my parents did not, it was not polite. It's not that premium experiences just didn't exist, but they were very defined and less visible -- flying F on a major airline meant you were either a millionaire, or an important business person; you rode in a limo if you were rich, a taxi cab if you had some extra cash, while most of us went on the subway.

Buying access/using that wealth openly enabled Disneyland to openly market products that quite literally lets you buy your way to the front of the line. In the real world, instead of limo vs. cab vs. subway, you have limo, uber-x, uber, uber share, subway. Instead of F and coach, you have fractional private jet, commercial F, business class, premium economy, economy, basic economy. Disneyland was the same -- instead of VIP tours & C33 FPs vs. waiting in line, it's become VIP tours, LL, G+, and standby (VQ/BG still free -- but may the best smart phone win).

I think we can all agree portraying Native Americans appropriately and expanding LGBTQI rights is noble and right, but the downline effects of shining a light on how and why we use money for access is less clear.

K-shaped recovery, indeed.