my head is already spinning

[Dznypal]

we are heading down late Jan doing basically a resort stay--everything is still so up in the air with travel--

but we thought maybe mid week just heading to a park--for something to do--

between park resverations genie--genie+ Ill Im tried of thinking about this

first is there a way on the disney website to see what parks have openings--I was playing around on the website and I remeber seeing calendars which told you what days had openings or not and I think there was something in the middle (we dont have tickets yet either)
not sure why I cant see openings

next I tried a few restrauants just to see--I could only go as far as the 27 of jan nothing much open as far as TS to go so not sure how were even to be able to eat anywhere--Im not good with apps so I dont like the moble deal at all--

then onto all this genie+ sounds expensive and a whole lot ofwork just to be able to get on a ride--I of course know you dont have to buy it--but checking on the wait times on the app even IASW had waits around 30 minutes--are alot of people not buying it

I also have an app (Ithink it could be genie--I said I wasnt good at this stuff)
that lists rides for example Im not looking at soaring--standby line 20 minutes--ok that I understand--then it says LL genie+ lightning lane--I thought genie and LL were 2 different things--there is no price for this which I understand LL is it just says book experience

this is the first time Im really not looking forward to going to any park--the resort part is ok just hoping we can find enough to do

the main reason were going is were DVC and if we dont use our banked points from last year we lose them

this is no way to live--your life--I am just so over it all-- thanks for any tips you can give me

 

[WIll C]

Do you have your hotel reservation setup and linked into MDE? That way you can make a reservation for you entire stay, otherwise you are limited to 60 days. If they aren't linked then it won't know you are staying. You can get the reservation number off the DVC site and add it into your Disneyworld plans. You should also get the My Disney Experience app (MDE) on your phone, it's a requirement for Genie+ or mobile ordering.

You can also make park pass reservations if you have tickets (AP or day). That may also restrict which restaurants you can book at but if you're not going into the park then it shouldn't matter and you can make reservations outside.

If you don't care about the parks so much, don't buy Genie+ as it will be a waste for you even if you do go in. Use the standby lines. You need to be up at 7am to make selections. Same with ILL as all the times go fast. Just use the standby lines. Again, it's all done through the app.

 

[g-dad66]

Park availability wide open in January:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/availability-calendar/?segments=tickets,resort,passholder

 

[lockets]

Park availability wide open in January:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/availability-calendar/?segments=tickets,resort,passholder

When I look at the calendar for annual passes it’s all white for all months. Does that happen for anyone else? The other calendars (theme park tickets and resort hotel availability) work correctly with yellow, green, and gray.

 

[Dznypal]

Thanks g dad that’s the calendar I found a while back. However now if I go under Disney world park resvervstions I have to click on whose going and says we need tickets to be able to make a ressie which I am not buying a ticket to a park. And maybe change our minds. Disney used to be my favorite place to go. Now I’d just like to dump the DVC and be done. This is no way to much money and work just to go on vacation.

 

[mouschievous]

Thanks g dad that’s the calendar I found a while back. However now if I go under Disney world park resvervstions I have to click on whose going and says we need tickets to be able to make a ressie

Correct, you are not able to make a park reservation without a valid ticket.

 

[Dznypal]

That’s what I was afraid of. So basically can you see at all in advance what’s open. I refuse to buy tickets and then hope to get into my choice of park. But the link that g dad had I can see parks ressie into feb. I know this changes day by day. But what a mess. Thanks

 

[WIll C]

That’s what I was afraid of. So basically can you see at all in advance what’s open. I refuse to buy tickets and then hope to get into my choice of park. But the link that g dad had I can see parks ressie into feb. I know this changes day by day. But what a mess. Thanks

Just make sure that you do check the calendar before buying or heading to a park to buy tickets. There are lots of stories of people having tickets but not being able to get a park pass while at the gates. They will turn you away so make sure you either buy online ahead of time and get a reservation or make sure they still show available when you get to the park to buy tickets.

 

[Dznypal]

This sounds like waaaaay to much work which could probably turn into a disaster genie nothing good available plus all the extra cost. We’ll probably just us the DVC to get out of the cold for a week and skip the parks. Into this insanity ends. Which by then I’ll be to old care about anything

 

[Weedy]

Oops wrong post

 

[Deblayback]

This sounds like waaaaay to much work which could probably turn into a disaster genie nothing good available plus all the extra cost. We’ll probably just us the DVC to get out of the cold for a week and skip the parks. Into this insanity ends. Which by then I’ll be to old care about anything

I hate to say this but planning a Disney vacation is like Russian roulette right now. Crowds are high due to the lifting of foreign travel but you don't know how long that will last. Dining reservations are tough to find unless you go to Disney Springs. It is possible to get a walk up at some in the parks. Some parks like Epcot you really don't need Genie+. You may want to pay for Frozen. Maybe AK depending on the day. Wait times aren't that bad. The busier they are the less mileage you will get out of Genie+. Hollywood Studios is a zoo. So if you go there,you will be there the day. Rise is down a lot so if you expect to ride it, it will either take a good chunk of your time or if you pay it might be late in the day if you are lucky enough to get a pass. Problem is you have no way of knowing. Crowds could be low or insane. We went a couple of weeks ago and it was the worst experience ever. The MK crowds were just awful. Don't think for a minute that Disney's idea of limited capacity is yours.

 

[BrotherCraig]

We just got back and we were successful with Genie+ but it did take a lot of work. My head was constantly in my phone and I hated that part of it. I had 5 rides booked with Genie+ and all lined up together in a stretch. Kind of stressful getting from one to another before the 1 hour window is up but we did it. Only late for one and they allowed us through. Then trying to work the meals in and so forth. Can be a little stressful. I won't do that next time. Will just pace ourselves and see how it goes. Again, hate having a phone in front of my face.

 

[TwoMisfits]

we are heading down late Jan doing basically a resort stay--everything is still so up in the air with travel--

but we thought maybe mid week just heading to a park--for something to do--

between park resverations genie--genie+ Ill Im tried of thinking about this

first is there a way on the disney website to see what parks have openings--I was playing around on the website and I remeber seeing calendars which told you what days had openings or not and I think there was something in the middle (we dont have tickets yet either)
not sure why I cant see openings

next I tried a few restrauants just to see--I could only go as far as the 27 of jan nothing much open as far as TS to go so not sure how were even to be able to eat anywhere--Im not good with apps so I dont like the moble deal at all--

then onto all this genie+ sounds expensive and a whole lot ofwork just to be able to get on a ride--I of course know you dont have to buy it--but checking on the wait times on the app even IASW had waits around 30 minutes--are alot of people not buying it

I also have an app (Ithink it could be genie--I said I wasnt good at this stuff)
that lists rides for example Im not looking at soaring--standby line 20 minutes--ok that I understand--then it says LL genie+ lightning lane--I thought genie and LL were 2 different things--there is no price for this which I understand LL is it just says book experience

this is the first time Im really not looking forward to going to any park--the resort part is ok just hoping we can find enough to do

the main reason were going is were DVC and if we dont use our banked points from last year we lose them

this is no way to live--your life--I am just so over it all-- thanks for any tips you can give me

If you need just a "nice option", Seaworld/Discovery Cove have great deals going through today, I think...

 

[starry_solo]

That’s what I was afraid of. So basically can you see at all in advance what’s open. I refuse to buy tickets and then hope to get into my choice of park. But the link that g dad had I can see parks ressie into feb. I know this changes day by day. But what a mess. Thanks

You buy tickets and then make the theme park reservations right after you buy the tickets.

 

[Dznypal]

Another point is I’ve been watching the stand by lines on the app and those waaaay to long. I mean 30 to 45 minutes for iasw I know last week was a holiday week but I’ve been watching on and off for a while. I really don’t like the idea of buying tickets and then see what parks have openings. What happens if the only park that has openings we don’t want to go to but now we have tickets I don’t want To spend all that money for tickets and not be able to go where we want to go.

 

[mouschievous]

I really don’t like the idea of buying tickets and then see what parks have openings. What happens if the only park that has openings we don’t want to go to but now we have tickets I don’t want To spend all that money for tickets and not be able to go where we want to go.

You can see which parks are available each day before you buy tickets. In this screen grab, I looked at the availability for Dec 24. It shows that Epcot and AK are available (green check marks), and MK and HS are not (red "no!" symbol).

 

[4_canucks]

You can see which parks are available each day before you buy tickets. In this screen grab, I looked at the availability for Dec 24. It shows that Epcot and AK are available (green check marks), and MK and HS are not (red "no!" symbol).

Really odd i noticed the Availability calendar has improved for December 2021 all of a sudden. Am i seeing things? Here is my screen grab right now just after 01:00 am ET
Hollywood Studios is available on Dec 24th, 25th and 26th. Wow. Wonder what changed between your screen grab and mine?

 

[mouschievous]

Really odd i noticed the Availability calendar has improved for December 2021 all of a sudden. Am i seeing things? Here is my screen grab right now just after 01:00 am ET
Hollywood Studios is available on Dec 24th, 25th and 26th. Wow. Wonder what changed between your screen grab and mine?

View attachment 627018

That is very interesting! Makes you wonder, huh?

 

[PepperjackDragon]

That’s what I was afraid of. So basically can you see at all in advance what’s open. I refuse to buy tickets and then hope to get into my choice of park. But the link that g dad had I can see parks ressie into feb. I know this changes day by day. But what a mess. Thanks

I think there is some confusion. There are several ways to see what’s available two are:

app
1: open app
2: click plus sign
3: find “make park reservation”
4: click view current availability
5: select if you are using regular tickets, staying on A Disney hotel, or have AP then check your date

Website
1: go to Disney plan site
2: click the the lines in upper left
3: select make a park reservation
4:select if you are using regular tickets, staying on A Disney hotel, or have AP then check your date

 

[lockets]

Another point is I’ve been watching the stand by lines on the app and those waaaay to long. I mean 30 to 45 minutes for iasw I know last week was a holiday week but I’ve been watching on and off for a while. I really don’t like the idea of buying tickets and then see what parks have openings. What happens if the only park that has openings we don’t want to go to but now we have tickets I don’t want To spend all that money for tickets and not be able to go where we want to go.

It would have been ideal for WDW to make park tickets refundable with the rollout of the reservation system. Plus the new rules about only being able to hold a certain number of reservations depending on whether you’re staying on site or off site or are a passholder etc.

Or allow people to make the reservation first and tickets must be booked within X days or hours after that while reservation is temporarily held.

The whole thing seems very backwards to me.

I think this adds to the money grab vibe. It’s asking us to pay for something with the uncertainty you’ll get what you want and then, if you do pay and can’t get into the park you want, it’s just a SOL situation? That should be a money back situation. Not a “we’re holding your money in perpetuity until you rebook” situation.

Also logically speaking there are people who won’t use their tickets as planned, but also won’t take the time to cancel their park reservation either. If the tickets were like the hotel rooms - refundable - then if someone cancels there’s a legit spot open at a park for another person. It’s just so much cleaner.

This would also clear up a lot of CM phone time, no? People call to strategize on what to do with unused tix and, naturally, they sit on the phone for hours trying to figure it out because they already feel burned and want to make sure they understand it all. It should be as simple as cancelling the hotel room is online.

The only caveat is if they want to hold their unused tix to lock in a price. But likely there are many that would just rather cancel and re-book if the park reservations aren’t available or they’re locked out of a desired park completely on their whole trip.

Or again as a compromise the problem is solved if they allowed reservations first. Then tickets purchased to coincide with the reservations within X time.

But hey what do I know?! Lol