Is Genie+ always a good thing?

[Frankie Heckish]

My family hasn’t been to WDW since Genie+ has been around. Is it necessary when crowd calendars show 2/10? We will definitely do it if it will be a benefit. I’m wondering if there are times the cost doesn’t equal the help it will be. Thanks!

 

[Smugpugmug]

Firstly I would ignore any and all crowd calendars for the rest of 2022 and maybe even into 2023. Even traditionally "slow" periods like January and February minus President's Day were packed. I went last week, which is typically a 4-5 crowd level week and it was very busy. Crowd calendars are estimates based on crowds from previous years and this year has shown to be an outlier compared to the past, so I would go in with the assumption that it will be very busy whenever you go.

As for your question, I think it can be. Last week was definitely quieter than spring break and I still made great use out of Genie+. The average waits were 40-70 minutes outside of HS and HS every single ride had a 60+ minute wait. With Genie+ the highest I waited was 15 for Peoplemover. IMO I think it's a waste of money at AK and not really needed at Epcot if you use a mixture of early entry and good strategy.

 

[Marionnette]

My family hasn’t been to WDW since Genie+ has been around. Is it necessary when crowd calendars show 2/10? We will definitely do it if it will be a benefit. I’m wondering if there are times the cost doesn’t equal the help it will be. Thanks!

Low crowds can also mean that Disney does not run rides at full capacity (only one track or elevator, fewer cars or ride vehicles). That can make standby lines just as long as during busier times. OTOH, low crowds also mean that Disney could shorten park hours and offered fewer G+ slots than they would during busy times.

Yes, in some ways you will benefit because even during "slow periods", which are rare, the parks can feel crowded and standby lines can be long. But getting a lot of benefit from it can involve quite a bit of study beforehand and a strategy for how you want to use it. That would apply whether you're going when parks are at a Level 2 or 10.

 

[3gr8boys]

I think that there will continue to be high crowds for a while (with crowd calendars getting adjusted and weeks that used to be slow not so much) and, as @Marionnette pointed out, lower crowds does not always mean lower standby lines. While low crowds could mean it doesn't feel necessary because standby lines are low (though my group considers 20 minute lines too much) and high crowds can mean LLs get eaten up faster, limiting availability- I would rather have it and not benefit from it (though I can't imagine that)than than not have it and realize too late that I need it.

We had genie+ for our 6 park days in April and I wouldn't hesitate to pay for it again. I had to invest some time in studying 7a.m. LL availability patterns to feel prepared, but we managed to use Genie+ to great advantage in every park- skipping many long lines and being able to ride attractions when we wanted. We stood in only two real lines (40minutes and 45minutes) all week! We had ADRs every day and had no problem working around them. There are many experiences that we would have missed out on if we spent more time in line. For example, I finally explored "One Man's Dream" in HS! We were also able to ride some favorites multiple times without lines- for example hitting ToT at park open and then getting a LL later in the day.

I posted this after our trip.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...-including-park-hopping.3807247/post-63923788

 

[gharter]

I don't find Genie + to be anywhere near as useful as FP+ was. Now it becomes a hybrid of Genie + and standby lines.
Previously with FP+, where you could modify a ride or time, you could keep checking until something better or a closer time showed up. With Genie + there is no modifying of it and you can only use it once on a ride. It can still be helpful with the really popular rides with long standby lines.

 

[Tom_E_D]

All of the "crowd" calendars I've seen are actually predicting wait times in the standby lane, not crowds. IF they were accurate forecasts, they would be very relevant. However, I agree with others who have said they are just not very accurate much of the time.

There was a TP Blogpost a couple of months ago that estimated how much time you save using Genie + at each park under different "crowd" conditions. You might want to give it a read for what it is worth.

 

[jscottnc]

Not to sound like the grumpy old man I am, but I object to paying for something I use to get for free AND requires more effort on my part to use. That said, I have paid for IL$ on Rise of the Resistance. I expect I'll pay for IL$ on Guardians.

IMO, Disney priced Genie+ too low, i.e. too many people are buying it and they now have to limit sales. OTOH I suspect there is a line (somewhere) where too high a price will collapse the market. I feel the same way about park tickets but clearly that price is much higher than I would have thought; I'm still going (though I have an AP). No telling how I'll feel if I can't buy/renew my AP.