Rumors of Genie+ price increase?

[Lewisc]

But my point was that for not being a long-term business model (per the PP), it has been around for a pretty long time.

SF has been open for almost 6 years. Universal isn't expanding the program. Disney has the extended park hours for deluxe guests. I don't think Disney will be adding.the equivalent of Universals express pass for guests of any resorts

 

[piccolopat]

True, but UO gives free access to guest at thei 3 deluxe hotel guest. Also it does not work for the most popular rides.

Agree with this plus we found that the express lines weren't always so express. We waited quite a while for some last weekend.

 

[Jrb1979]

Agree with this plus we found that the express lines weren't always so express. We waited quite a while for some last weekend.

Agreed. The problem with Express pass and Genie+ is the same. Too many people have access to it. IMO the best parks with the best skip the line systems is Cedar Fair parks. They limit availability a lot and price it high enough so that those who do buy it short waits.

Disney and Universal to an extent created a problem when the implemented FP and Express pass. They decided to make it fair for everyone as much as possible. Cause of that, this is the mess that comes of it.

 

[New Mouse]

Agreed. The problem with Express pass and Genie+ is the same. Too many people have access to it. IMO the best parks with the best skip the line systems is Cedar Fair parks. They limit availability a lot and price it high enough so that those who do buy it short waits.

Disney and Universal to an extent created a problem when the implemented FP and Express pass. They decided to make it fair for everyone as much as possible. Cause of that, this is the mess that comes of it.

They decided to milk it for as much as humanly possible. They could care less if it's fair.

 

[RamblinWreck]

Agreed. The problem with Express pass and Genie+ is the same. Too many people have access to it. IMO the best parks with the best skip the line systems is Cedar Fair parks. They limit availability a lot and price it high enough so that those who do buy it short waits.

Disney and Universal to an extent created a problem when the implemented FP and Express pass. They decided to make it fair for everyone as much as possible. Cause of that, this is the mess that comes of it.

I don’t know that that’s quite accurate

The original fast pass, which was fair to everyone, was a great feature of the parks.

It all started going downhill when they started giving different benefits to different types of guests.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

This is why I like how DLR is doing it: memory maker (well photopass there) is included in the purchase of Disney genie+ so it was a not brained for us to get it.

That incentive should come to WDW if the price increase happens

 

[bbeagle]

Disney won't go this route, IMO, because they know Universal has 0 intention of maintaining this benefit. They offer it because they need to right now to fill those rooms. No way their long term business model is "stick 5 people in a 600 dollar hotel room and you get over $1000 in line skipping".

we are thinking about going in December. A $400 room for 4 people is rewarded with $2400 worth of express passes.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

They're about start testing Premier Access Ultimate at Disneyland Paris this summer. It gives you one-time access to all major attractions for a flat fee (around $100 USD).

It wouldn't surprise me if a Genie+ Ultimate comes stateside.

Genie+ ultimate would further degrade Genie+ by further diminishing the already too limited pool of available reservations. In addition they would cannibalize their VIP tours. No way they do this at Disney World.

 

[DL1WDW2]

we are thinking about going in December. A $400 room for 4 people is rewarded with $2400 worth of express passes.

How did you get that rate?

 

[bbeagle]

How did you get that rate?

Just the Universal website. $364 for Royal Pacific, $409 for Hard Rock.

Express passes are $300 each in December. 300x4x2 = $2400

 

[Jwaire]

Genie+ ultimate would further degrade Genie+ by further diminishing the already too limited pool of available reservations. In addition they would cannibalize their VIP tours. No way they do this at Disney World.

I wouldn't be so sure. We'll see. VIP tours are completely different and include transportation and a guide. Celebrities, rich people, families pressed for time, etc. will continue to use VIP.

My understanding of the Premier Access Ultimate pass is that it grants you access to enter the lightening lane of the big attractions ONCE per day for around $100 per person, per day. We're talking around $850 for a family of 4 for one day's park admission and ultimate pass.

Pretty steep, but people will buy it like always.

 

[maverik85]

I agree with you when it comes to raising the price from $15 to $20. Unfortunately I feel like Genie+ will need to double or triple the price in order to avoid having too many people using the service and making it harder to use. In effect that will turn more people away from Disney since a lot of people will not want to spend potentially $100+ per person per day for a skip the line service. I don't want Disney to go down this route but I have a feeling in the future they will.

I just seems like it is pretty much useless as it is now as people talk about only being able to get about 2 attractions with it. If they don't want to just bring back the original FastPass system (in a more updated/digital form), at this point I'd rather them just take make it like most other parks do and have it as a higher price but they limit the sales and you don't have to reserve. Something more like ExpressPass at Universal. People might hate having a much higher price for it but at least it would be worthwhile. And if they limited the number more the lines for it would be shorter still but shouldn't affect standby anymore than the current system and might actually improve them.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I just seems like it is pretty much useless as it is now as people talk about only being able to get about 2 attractions with it. If they don't want to just bring back the original FastPass system (in a more updated/digital form), at this point I'd rather them just take make it like most other parks do and have it as a higher price but they limit the sales and you don't have to reserve. Something more like ExpressPass at Universal. People might hate having a much higher price for it but at least it would be worthwhile. And if they limited the number more the lines for it would be shorter still but shouldn't affect standby anymore than the current system and might actually improve them.

Yeah like if Disney is going to do a paid skip the line service I wish they just charged for Fastpass+ or went the Express route. After having used Genie+ and Express last week my group and I 100% preferred Express. We were able to grab more than the advertised 2-3 but it took a lot of work and patience. But I understand that no matter what Disney does a group of people are going to be unsatisfied.

 

[maverik85]

Yeah like if Disney is going to do a paid skip the line service I wish they just charged for Fastpass+ or went the Express route. After having used Genie+ and Express last week my group and I 100% preferred Express. We were able to grab more than the advertised 2-3 but it took a lot of work and patience. But I understand that no matter what Disney does a group of people are going to be unsatisfied.

Yea it's very hard to go from a free offering to making it paid without pissing off a bunch. But right now it seems to be upsetting both those that buy it and those that don't.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Yea it's very hard to go from a free offering to making it paid without pissing off a bunch. But right now it seems to be upsetting both those that buy it and those that don't.

Agreed. My issue is mostly the fact that the paid version is in a lot of ways worse than the system that was previously free. I get that Fastpass+ didn't offer anything in the way of spontaneity and offsite guests had a fairly hefty disadvantage but Genie+ is just a massive headache to use and is almost a necessity on busy days. I did 1 non-Genie day at HS and it was almost impossible to get on anything with less than a 70 min wait.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I just seems like it is pretty much useless as it is now as people talk about only being able to get about 2 attractions with it. If they don't want to just bring back the original FastPass system (in a more updated/digital form), at this point I'd rather them just take make it like most other parks do and have it as a higher price but they limit the sales and you don't have to reserve. Something more like ExpressPass at Universal. People might hate having a much higher price for it but at least it would be worthwhile. And if they limited the number more the lines for it would be shorter still but shouldn't affect standby anymore than the current system and might actually improve them.

It’s not useless if you know how to use it. I’ve been 3 times now since they implemented Genie+ and I can basically ride any ride I want. The key is to keep refreshing around drop times. It’s abusable in the same way that fp+ was abusable. If you’re willing to spend about 5-15 minutes refreshing you can get basically anything.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

It’s not useless if you know how to use it. I’ve been 3 times now since they implemented Genie+ and I can basically ride any ride I want. The key is to keep refreshing around drop times. It’s abusable in the same way that fp+ was abusable. If you’re willing to spend about 5-15 minutes refreshing you can get basically anything.

How much going back and forth across the park are you doing out of curiosity? Because that’s a big no no in my family (I don’t mind so much, but the others are not about that).

 

[Lumpy1106]

Let me preface this by saying I DETEST all of the pay-for-cuts systems, and that includes Genie+ LL+, maybe most of all.

That said...
I recently spent the day at 6-Flags Magic Mountain and (get ready for a hot take), the 6-Flags pay-for-cuts is better - MUCH better. It's also MUCH more pricey, which is why it is better. A very small % of people us it because it is so pricey. That means, you get in a 45 minute line, it is a 45 minute line. Almost everyone in the park is is also waiting 45 minutes. Sure, some people are cutting ahead of you, but it's a very small # of people and - WOW! Did you see how much they paid for that??!?
https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/store/one-day-add-ons

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Let me preface this by saying I DETEST all of the pay-for-cuts systems, and that includes Genie+ LL+, maybe most of all.

That said...
I recently spent the day at 6-Flags Magic Mountain and (get ready for a hot take), the 6-Flags pay-for-cuts is better - MUCH better. It's also MUCH more pricey, which is why it is better. A very small % of people us it because it is so pricey. That means, you get in a 45 minute line, it is a 45 minute line. Almost everyone in the park is is also waiting 45 minutes. Sure, some people are cutting ahead of you, but it's a very small # of people and - WOW! Did you see how much they paid for that??!?
https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/store/one-day-add-ons

Holy smokes! That is pricey (which universal express pass is-six flags seems more in line with Busch gardens quick queue)! It’s always shocking seeing people go ahead of you!

I hope this having to add it day of cuts down on something.

 

[maverik85]

I guess I'm just used to regional theme park pricing more so than theme parks that the Flash pass pricing doesn't seem that expensive to me. Pretty standard with those tiers.