New Disney Genie

[Scottk]

I am really struggling with some of the sentiment here - sure we don’t like paying for something that used to be free - but the Parks are massively busy and Disney may be trying to reduce (or not increase) the number of guests but increase revenue per guest. It also probably means the end of free dining - which as a DVC owner made dining options really problematic .

As far as I can see Disney are the last major theme park to charge for front of line or quick access probably anywhere in the world - even Legoland in Windsor does it.

As a contrast in August Universal charge $100+ per person per peak per day for their system and Legoland in the U.K. charge between £40 and £90 per person per day depending how long you want to wait.

At $15 a day it’s just like a small movement in exchange rates!

 

[itf]

It’s not really - it’s 15x3x10 for us - ten park days over a fortnight then extra for the headliners on top of that. It’s probably another £500+ on the trip.

 

[Tony]

It also probably means the end of free dining - which as a DVC owner made dining options really problematic .

am with you here- free dining at the start was mildly annoying as a dvc owner I couldn’t benefit, but then it just got silly. Table service Restaurants became close to impossible to get into, serving - IMO - overpriced food to give the impression to those on free dining that they were getting a brilliant deal.
Am sure I’m not the only one who stopped going to those venues and with 5 of us it was a $250 minimum.

don’t get me wrong I have got a lot out of the fast pass system over the years but Disney might be able to use this reset to make some things better.

 

[Jrb1979]

I'm surprised so many UK people travel that far for vacation. I only say that as there is some great amusement parks in Europe.

 

[Lee Matthews]

I’m pretty sure it’s been said that Genie+ is purchased on a day by day basis and you are not tied to the duration of the trip. It will only cost silly money if you choose to use it everyday

 

[Karin1984]

I'm surprised so many UK people travel that far for vacation. I only say that as there is some great amusement parks in Europe.

That's probably because in Europe we have so many countries close together, travel to foreign countries is quite easy. Going to Rome for a weekend getaway is not uncommon. If you can do so many countries for short breaks, you look further for longer vacation. Still plenty of people within Europe because they can drive, or because there is plenty to see closer to home.
But you see a shift in the last twenty years since flying has become more affordable.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I'm surprised so many UK people travel that far for vacation. I only say that as there is some great amusement parks in Europe.

Walt Disney World and Orlando package holidays have been heavily marketed in UK and Ireland and probably other European countries for over 30 years. Its been marketed as the once in a life time dream family vacation, and before Covid there was a huge high street bricks and mortar travel agency industry specializing in package holidays to Orlando. Many of them charter their own flights or even own planes. Going to Walt Disney World is seen as the ultimate family holiday and many families plan and save for 2 or more years to go on their one and done visit to Orlando.

The children then grow up and return as adults.

 

[Plague]

I'm surprised so many UK people travel that far for vacation. I only say that as there is some great amusement parks in Europe.

Comparing WDW with most European amusement parks is hard. The latter are generally a collection of rides, mostly with indifferent theming, and few other amenities filling the gaps. Disney is almost all theming with rides embedded - you can enjoy WDW without actually stepping on a ride.

Also you can easily spend a fortnight doing WDW and some of the other Orlando parks with minimal and easy travelling once there. A fortnight's worth of European parks needs a lot of getting between parks many tens or hundreds of klicks apart, and most are in the countryside with poor transport unless you drive.
(I'd really like to do Europa Park, but getting there is such a faff it's just not worth it for me.}

And then there's the weather ...

 

[BadPinkTink]

And then there's the weather ...

Actually this may be the biggest reason, especially for UK and Ireland. A sun family holiday in an all inclusive resort which is also a theme park which is far superior in experience, quality and standards than anything we have in our own country is a very big draw.

 

[marcais]

I just don’t really see the benefit of staying on site anymore. No magical express, no free magic bands, no free dining replaced with the vouchers which is much less value for money and now no fast passes. Im seriously considering cancelling my booking at Coronado for May 2022 and switching to I Drive or Universal. Sad times

I said this even before Genie+ was introduced. I was wavering when it became obvious FP was going away and the decision was made for me when they replaced QDP with the vouchers that worked out at something like $9 per person per day for our planned stay. At that point we went fully off-site rather than our usual on-site/off-site split. As a result we'll now be spending less time (and money) in the parks and will be taking days away from Disney to do other things.

We'll still be spending a night at a Universal hotel, though, to get their unlimited express passes.

 

[Karin1984]

Walt Disney World and Orlando package holidays have been heavily marketed in UK and Ireland and probably other European countries for over 30 years. Its been marketed as the once in a life time dream family vacation, and before Covid there was a huge high street bricks and mortar travel agency industry specializing in package holidays to Orlando. Many of them charter their own flights or even own planes. Going to Walt Disney World is seen as the ultimate family holiday and many families plan and save for 2 or more years to go on their one and done visit to Orlando.

The children then grow up and return as adults.

WDW and Orlando are never really promoted here in the Netherlands. I think the WDTC did so for the UK, I think 'because they already speak the same language'. When you look at the WDW website, the 'Europe' website is only there for a few years. The UK/Ireland option was always there. In 2012, I booked my first trip via the UK website, because there was no other option. For my second trip I called the US, because I couldn't switch to the US website. And the US had a better offer than the UK ;-)

This was FP change was long coming. And some people will be penalized. In this case it's us, those who travel over for 2 week trips. I don't have a next WDW trip planned, but I think I will just save a bit longer to have Genie + every day. It's easy for me to say, I don't have a family to pay for as well, it's just me. If I would pay for the additional rides... I don't think I will. I might do it on a whim. I did pay for Premier Access in Shanghai for 1 ride, and was glad I did. That was one ride on the entire trip and was about 15 euro, I remember.

 

[marcais]

As a contrast in August Universal charge $100+ per person per peak per day for their system and Legoland in the U.K. charge between £40 and £90 per person per day depending how long you want to wait.

At $15 a day it’s just like a small movement in exchange rates!

Universal's system is much better, though. There's no paying extra for their most popular rides. A couple of their newer rides are excluded, but they run a free virtual queue system instead. For most rides you just go to the ride and join the express queue. There's no having to get online at 7 am to compete against everybody else with a Genie+ pass to get a good time for a popular ride. There's no constantly checking your phone during the day to see what you'll be able to go on within the next half-hour or hour. That also means I won't have to carry a power bank around with me to make sure my phone stays charged. I'm guessing that $100 ticket you've quoted is the unlimited express pass, which lets you repeat rides. My son loved the Spider-man ride at UO, so we rode it 4 times in just over half an hour. My daughter loved the Hulk ride and did the same there. Good luck doing that with your Genie+ pass.

On our trips to UO we've been able to ride every ride in each park in one day, with multiple goes on favourites. Good luck getting on every ride at DHS or MK in one day with Genie+, even with the upgrade that you pay extra for.

Plus, as a family of four, it provides an incentive for me to stay onsite as it's included in the cost of the hotel room. I get two days of unlimited express passes for the four of us and a nice hotel room for less than the cost of one day's worth of passes for the four of us. It works out at about $50 per person per day.

So, yeah, Genie+ is cheaper (though not by as much as you make out), but it's not as good and I know which I prefer.

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I just stumbled across this, https://www.change.org/p/walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-california-stop-genie-at-disney-parks-and-bring-back-free-fastpasses?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_30424428_en-GB:6&recruited_by_id=0b040990-0325-11ec-b30d-27fe344b8747&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial

Also the Disney Parks overview of the new Genie app on YouTube had 12k dislikes.

 

[Garyjames220]

I’m pretty sure it’s been said that Genie+ is purchased on a day by day basis and you are not tied to the duration of the trip. It will only cost silly money if you choose to use it everyday

they have already said u can purchase it in advance to on your package instead of on the day

 

[Littkeredcar]

I’m Irish also and the weather is the one thing I don’t like . Too hot and rain that’s warm my whole family pray for cooler weather
On another note I’m on the verge of cancelling a much needed anticipated holiday in October staying in yacht club - no dining, no magical express ( it really helps the older members of our party ) spending 14000
Without food and flights and then having to pay extra to guarantee rides . Think it’s time to find alternatives

 

[Garyjames220]

I’m Irish also and the weather is the one thing I don’t like . Too hot and rain that’s warm my whole family pray for cooler weather
On another note I’m on the verge of cancelling a much needed anticipated holiday in October staying in yacht club - no dining, no magical express ( it really helps the older members of our party ) spending 14000
Without food and flights and then having to pay extra to guarantee rides . Think it’s time to find alternatives

Wow that is deer. How long is that for

 

[Littkeredcar]

Wow that is deer. How long is that for

October for 11 nights without flights

 

[Garyjames220]

October for 11 nights without flights

god 14 grand. No flights. That seems awfully expensive

 

[Ronaldo17]

I’m Irish also and the weather is the one thing I don’t like . Too hot and rain that’s warm my whole family pray for cooler weather
On another note I’m on the verge of cancelling a much needed anticipated holiday in October staying in yacht club - no dining, no magical express ( it really helps the older members of our party ) spending 14000
Without food and flights and then having to pay extra to guarantee rides . Think it’s time to find alternatives

Wow! How many people are travelling for 14 grand?

 

[Littkeredcar]

6 - hopefully we get a good deal on flights