Goodbye, Maxpass. Hello, Disney Genie.

[SOCALMouseMommy]

As a teenager (pre-FP), I once read an entire Nancy Drew book in line for Space Mountain. I remember pulling it out of my fanny pack (!!!) and the woman behind me in line commenting that she’d never seen anyone whip a book out like that in line before.

This is one of the greatest stories I’ve ever heard.

Also, I need to come to Disney some day solo with my favorite book as my plus one!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Get up at 7am and get your Webslingers boarding group, Genie+ Mission Breakout and rope drop RSR. Guessing you wait 30mins at most. Genie+ the rest of your day.

That would be nice except the last two times I tried to rope drop RSR it wasn’t running yet with no estimated start time. So you have to decide if you’re going to stand around near the entrance for 30+ minutes or just give up and go experience other things. And then RSR is 60-120 minutes for the remainder of the day. It’s a bummer! We love this ride but rarely get to ride it (and not once since the parks opened back up). I’d actually love to see a free virtual queue for this ride like RotR and WS.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Before the shutdown, mobile ordering and Maxpass / free Fastpass worked so well for those of us that used them because we were the minority. We were able to game the system and come up with all sorts of hacks and tricks because the % of people using them was so low. So many people didn't even know that Fastpass was free and just accepted waiting in standby lines.

Those of us on Disboards who research and plan and study things like crowd patterns are a very small % of the people in the parks on any given day.

I see the same thing happening with Genie, Genie+ and Lightening Lane. The low % of people using the new systems on any given day , for whatever reason, will actually benefit those of us who will use it.

 

[brentm77]

Yawn. People take private tours for $500-600/hr for 8hrs for front of the line access and behind the scenes access. The Grand Cali is packed. There are plenty of people with money and happy to give it Disney. No one is being priced out unless they choose to be. Disney has been expensive forever yet consumer spend is up.
The number 1 thing people complain about is that the parks are TOO busy. How should Disney handle this problem by lowering the price?

Yawn. People take private tours for $500-600/hr for 8hrs for front of the line access and behind the scenes access. The Grand Cali is packed. DVC is thriving. People falling over themselves for merch, cant get a dinner reservation, etc etc. There are plenty of people with money and happy to give it Disney. No one is being priced out unless they choose to be. And there is always another family to take their place.

Disney has been expensive forever yet consumer spend is up. Your complaints were the same ones being claimed 20yrs ago. Too expensive, not worth it, people will stop going etc etc. People underestimate the power of nostalgia and Disney does it better than anyone.

I am happy you have decided to travel elsewhere and honestly I dont think Disney minds either.

Yawn? What an instant turnoff to taking your comments seriously. This isn't Twitter.

Besides, your missing the point entirely. It's not the increased expense. We are all very used to that. It's the increased expense in exchange for an inferior product on multiple fronts and the feeling of being nickeled and dimed for previously included experiences.

Guess who was packing the Grand? Families like ours. Guess who already booked non-Disney vacations next year instead if the Grand? This family. We are hardly alone. This new announcement hasn't been well received by 99% of the participants on all platforms I have observed.

Will this suddenly empty the parks? No, they will be packed. So will the hotels.

Especially before people even know this new system exists until they realize that new maxpass they just bought (after confusion caused by the stupid name change) doesn't work for all rides and people are paying to cut in line in front of them on the rides for which maxpass used to be the most valuable. Or that they can't ride the only good ride built this decade because standby isn't an option years after it opened because Disney opted to sell line space instead of offering a regular line.

But, it (along with a declining product on other fronts) will cause damage to brand long term, driving away very loyal families like ours, forcing Disney to offer even more promotions to fill those Grand rooms, and ultimately devaluing the very product they were saying just months ago they wanted to elevate to sell premium experiences.

Disney is missing the most important part of selling premium experiences - offering a premium product in exchange. It can't have its cake and eat it too.

 

[JWelch62]

Same! Once I got older, I used to bring a bunch of Sunday NYTimes crosswords I'd torn out of my latest book. Oh, who am I kidding? Still have them in my backpack/purse at all times.

I have the NYT Crossword App on my phone. 30 years of archived crosswords.

 

[Drewski77]

But isnt that all completely subjective? This is not a universal opinion or Disney Parks and Cruises would be empty. I am not here to praise rising prices but I am not sitting here with my head in the sand pretending supply and demand are not a thing. Disney are a massively data driven company and they have left money on the table for years with free fast pass. Disney is now asking for their perceived value in skipping the line (which is still cheaper than other companies). As companies close the gap bw price and value their customers feel ripped off but in reality you got away with it for a while. See Utility Theory.

I am happy that people can go on holidays and do what they want. I dont believe that person is priced out. They just chose to spend the money elsewhere. Seeing the world and doing other things is great.

My opinion, your opinion, and everyone else’s opinion as to whether or not we like the changes at Disneyland are subjective…opinions by definition are subjective.

Disney has determined that it can get rid of free fast passes, change Max Pass to a system that omits the most desired rides, give guests the opportunity to pay per ride for the top attractions, make it so the phone is needed all day, and for all of this charge more.

Subjectively speaking, to ME, this creates an inferior experience compared to what I enjoyed before the shutdown.

You and others might like these changes, or not care much, which is absolutely your choice…and subjective opinion.

And no one has their head in the sand, we all have our own opinions, which makes boards like this so interesting and helpful.

 

[clarker99]

That would be nice except the last two times I tried to rope drop RSR it wasn’t running yet with no estimated start time. So you have to decide if you’re going to stand around near the entrance for 30+ minutes or just give up and go experience other things. And then RSR is 60-120 minutes for the remainder of the day. It’s a bummer! We love this ride but rarely get to ride it (and not once since the parks opened back up). I’d actually love to see a free virtual queue for this ride like RotR and WS.

The demand for RSR outstrips supply and not everyone can ride it everyday (esp when it can have reliability issues). This possible issue doesnt change when Genie+ launches but I would be down for RSR boarding groups. Not sure how the gen pop would feel about no stand by line.

 

[clarker99]

Before the shutdown, mobile ordering and Maxpass / free Fastpass worked so well for those of us that used them because we were the minority. We were able to game the system and come up with all sorts of hacks and tricks because the % of people using them was so low. So many people didn't even know that Fastpass was free and just accepted waiting in standby lines.

Those of us on Disboards who research and plan and study things like crowd patterns are a very small % of the people in the parks on any given day.

I see the same thing happening with Genie, Genie+ and Lightening Lane. The low % of people using the new systems on any given day , for whatever reason, will actually benefit those of us who will use it.

Yup. Was at DL last week and people were walking up to RotR with physical maps trying to get in line… They never even knew the DL app existed let alone what a BG was.

 

[DizMe]

I have the NYT Crossword App on my phone. 30 years of archived crosswords.

I keep thinking I'm going to get the app, but I'm so old school! I enjoy filling in the crosswords by hand. I even like to use gel pens because it's a sort of tactile pleasure. I don't always have cell service but I do always have a pen and a crossword. However, there are definite drawbacks to the system. I guess I should have both!

 

[BadPinkTink]

Yup. Was at DL last week and people were walking up to RotR with physical maps trying to get in line… They never even knew the DL app existed let alone what a BG was.

and this is what everyone her on Dis forgets, that the majority of visitors to Disneyland are casual Disney fans and don't have the time or interest to plan and research like we do. And not all AP holders were hardcore Disney fans like Dis board members. I would guess that many former AP holders were casual fans who went to the parks for a meal, and to ride one or two rides and buy some merchandise.

 

[JWelch62]

I keep thinking I'm going to get the app, but I'm so old school! I enjoy filling in the crosswords by hand. I even like to use gel pens because it's a sort of tactile pleasure. I don't always have cell service but I do always have a pen and a crossword. However, there are definite drawbacks to the system. I guess I should have both!

You can download puzzles to do later. I'll download a bunch before a plane trip, or a cruise.

 

[clarker99]

Yawn? What an instant turnoff to taking your comments seriously. This isn't Twitter.

Besides, your missing the point entirely. It's not the increased expense. We are all very used to that. It's the increased expense in exchange for an inferior product on multiple fronts and the feeling of being nickeled and dimed for previously included experiences.

Guess who was packing the Grand? Families like ours. Guess who already booked non-Disney vacations next year instead if the Grand? This family. We are hardly alone. This new announcement hasn't been well received by 99% of the participants on all platforms I have observed.

Will this suddenly empty the parks? No, they will be packed. So will the hotels.

Especially before people even know this new system exists until they realize that new maxpass they just bought (after confusion caused by the stupid name change) doesn't work for all rides and people are paying to cut in line in front of them on the rides for which maxpass used to be the most valuable. Or that they can't ride the only good ride built this decade because standby isn't an option years after it opened because Disney opted to sell line space instead of offering a regular line.

But, it (along with a declining product on other fronts) will cause damage to brand long term, driving away very loyal families like ours, forcing Disney to offer even more promotions to fill those Grand rooms, and ultimately devaluing the very product they were saying just months ago they wanted to elevate to sell premium experiences.

Disney is missing the most important part of selling premium experiences - offering a premium product in exchange. It can't have its cake and eat it too.

If these are your feelings then I think choosing to holiday elsewhere is the correct choice. I personally cant justify the cost of the Grand or the DL hotel so I just dont stay there. Should I head over to the thread on the Grand and complain about value propositions vs staying across the street for 1/5 the price? My opinion to get more value out of Disney wd be to not spend $600-$800 a night on a room but to each their own.

Sorry for the ‘yawn’ comment.

 

[MonocularVision]

“These days everyone is all heads-down in their darn smartphone. Back in my day we were all heads-down in our Game Boy / Nancy Drew novels / NYT Crossword puzzle!”

 

[Wesley815]

“These days everyone is all heads-down in their darn smartphone. Back in my day we were all heads-down in our Game Boy / Nancy Drew novels / NYT Crossword puzzle!”

....as long as you also walked up hill, both ways, in the snow everyday to school

For me finding things to do in line is fine (books/smart phone games/etc....), I just don't enjoy hyper-scheduling entire day and watching for alerts/opening apps every few minutes. Hopefully Genie will send alerts and recommendations without having phone out entire park visit. Most of us are glued to email and screens everyday at work, it's nice to take a break.

I could see Genie being useful if notifications come through Apple Watch with quick reminders about show times or low waits for nearby attractions.

 

[Drewski77]

If these are your feelings then I think choosing to holiday elsewhere is the correct choice. I personally cant justify the cost of the Grand or the DL hotel so I just dont stay there. Should I head over to the thread on the Grand and complain about value propositions vs staying across the street for 1/5 the price? My opinion to get more value out of Disney wd be to not spend $600-$800 a night on a room but to each their own.

Sorry for the ‘yawn’ comment.

Why does it matter if you think someone is making the “correct choice?”

The correct choice for everyone is to vacation how they want, whether that be at Disneyland or elsewhere.

I think you are missing the plot here:

Some people are not pleased with the changes and will adjust travel accordingly.

Really nothing more than that, and the consistent “head in the sand,” “happy you won’t be there,” “yawn,” etc. is neither constructive or enlightening.

 

[Drewski77]

....as long as you also walked up hill, both ways, in the snow everyday to school

For me finding things to do in line is fine (books/smart phone games/etc....), I just don't enjoy hyper-scheduling entire day and watching for alerts/opening apps every few minutes. Hopefully Genie will send alerts and recommendations without having phone out entire park visit. Most of us are glued to email and screens everyday at work, it's nice to take a break.

I could see Genie being useful if notifications come through Apple Watch with quick reminders about show times or low waits for nearby attractions.

I agree, and the hyper scheduling is what gets me the most (not cost) as we take vacations to get away from that.

If this keeps going Disney will partner with Microsoft for a Disney Daily Outlook App with alerts…and at only $10 a day

 

[Wesley815]

If this keeps going Disney will partner with Microsoft for a Disney Daily Outlook App with alerts…and at only $10 a day

LOL!! Don't get me started.... I was just picturing Genie pop up chat on Microsoft Teams "hey there friend! would you like to go on Rise for $20 at 8pm?, or $100 right now!"

annnnnndddd someone from Disney corp just read my reply and is working on that as we speak

 

[clarker99]

LOL!! Don't get me started.... I was just picturing Genie pop up chat on Microsoft Teams "hey there friend! would you like to go on Rise for $20 at 8pm?, or $100 right now!"

annnnnndddd someone from Disney corp just read my reply and is working on that as we speak

You laugh but these rides will be priced by date and time!

 

[brightlined]

If this keeps going Disney will partner with Microsoft for a Disney Daily Outlook App with alerts…and at only $10 a day

"It looks like you're trying to ride Incredicoaster. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to ride Goofy's Sky School instead?"

 

[Epicnemesis]

View attachment 598903
"It looks like you're trying to ride Incredicoaster. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to ride Goofy's Sky School instead?"

That paper clip haunts my dreams.