We recently had a 100% MAGICAL Disney vacation!!
With 4-day park hoppers, we rode all the fancy rides with
Genie+. No issues. We would have been just as successful with 3-day park hoppers and could get a lot done with 2-day park hoppers. We go commando!
All the CMs were kind and helpful. Respect works two ways.
Genie+ is not intuituve. Don't wait until day one of a Disney park to learn. Do your research. Besides the cost, I find it superior to paper FP and FP+. I love the ability to stack in the evening.
The only lines we waited in were end of the day for Rise and Avatar, and those were short. LL's were walk-ons.
I've seen discussion on this thread about virtual queues. It's been my experience when using a virtual queue at Disney that there's still a long wait. VQ and LL are not the same.
I witnessed more than one meltdown; grown-ups and children. Kids need a break. I suspect the grown-up meltdowns centered around money anxiety.
It IS way expensive! So is snow skiing, my other love. Counter service at Disney is less expensive than food on the mountain at the CO/
UT ski resorts; we pack a cooler.
I'm not theme park people but LOVE the Disney bubble. I feel secure knowing there are mags at the parks and Disney Springs. I like the cleanliness and landscaping. I could go on about the Disney details all week. I live in an urban area with homeless camps and gun crime. Disney is an escape from societal problems that make me very, very sad. I only follow sports news on vacation. I don't do other theme parks so I cannot compare to Universal.
It's difficult to take a Disney vacation without money anxiety. Don't spend a fortune and then skimp on Genie+. I suggest shorter stays with park hoppers. Park hoppers are expensive but a resort stay costs more. Extend your vacation at the beach. Stay at the campground, it's a vacation without the parks. Try renting DVC points.
We are middle class and have managed many Disney family vacations over the past 50 years.