Rumors of Genie+ price increase?

[Jrb1979]

With them changing to be able to purchase Genie + the day of only, this leads to several possibilities:
1. Limit the number of Genie + available each day
2. Raise the price as quantity is limited.
I can only hope this will be time spent fixing all the issues instead of just limiting the sales and increasing the price.

That is the biggest issue with Genie+. Too many people have it each day.

 

[Genie+]

It’s a different mindset and history between UO and WDW. People would cancel WDW trips if they had to choose between standby all day or $200 a head to skip lines each day. With the last 5 years of changes it would be a disaster, pushing people over the edge to fold.

 

[Jrb1979]

It’s a different mindset and history between UO and WDW. People would cancel WDW trips if they had to choose between standby all day or $200 a head to skip lines each day. With the last 5 years of changes it would be a disaster, pushing people over the edge to fold.

Agreed. Someone on here posted the difference in attitude in guests at UO and WDW. They said most in standby queues at UO didn't complain much and accepted it. At WDW they said there were lots of complaints about waits.

 

[Wakey]

I have a club room at Portofino at Xmas for 4, for $450 including tax a Night. So that includes Express Pass for 4. And probably most of our food as well as the evening offerings are pretty good there. Disney can’t match that value, nowhere near.

 

[New Mouse]

What other industries/business deal with outrageous demand purely by raising prices? Sure, raising price, is something you should do/take advantage of, especially in the short term, but what about long term? Wouldn't increasing supply to bring in new and keep existing customers be the better plan long term plan. Increase capacity in the parks. They can't handle the demand anymore. They need a 5th gate and/or more attractions that eat up people and keep them engaged. Bring back shows. Make newer, longer shows. Create more rides. Give people more to do instead of everyone getting in line for 1 or 2 rides at three of the parks. I just don't see how this isn't going to kill them at some point. As a consumer I'm pretty much already there. It no longer feels worth it. I'm not opposed to spending a little more money but now I'm spending more money AND standing in even longer lines, getting a lot less done than we used to. We took a trip to universal and it was awsome. We stayed at Hard Rock which, yes, was a bit more expensive (but no where near Disney deluxe prices) but included front of the line. It was great. Even the rides that didn't accept the express pass (Hagrids and Velocicoaster) were not bad lines. Hagrids was 60 - 70 minutes (about my limit admittedly) and Velocicoaster was never over 45 that I saw. We went on it about 8 times the week we were there. Try to do that with Rise of the Resistance.

There is 0 way to economically support the labor needed for a 5th gate. At this point disney sea world and universal are all fighting for the same subset of workers.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

What other industries/business deal with outrageous demand purely by raising prices? Sure, raising price, is something you should do/take advantage of, especially in the short term, but what about long term? Wouldn't increasing supply to bring in new and keep existing customers be the better plan long term plan. Increase capacity in the parks. They can't handle the demand anymore. They need a 5th gate and/or more attractions that eat up people and keep them engaged. Bring back shows. Make newer, longer shows. Create more rides. Give people more to do instead of everyone getting in line for 1 or 2 rides at three of the parks. I just don't see how this isn't going to kill them at some point. As a consumer I'm pretty much already there. It no longer feels worth it. I'm not opposed to spending a little more money but now I'm spending more money AND standing in even longer lines, getting a lot less done than we used to. We took a trip to universal and it was awsome. We stayed at Hard Rock which, yes, was a bit more expensive (but no where near Disney deluxe prices) but included front of the line. It was great. Even the rides that didn't accept the express pass (Hagrids and Velocicoaster) were not bad lines. Hagrids was 60 - 70 minutes (about my limit admittedly) and Velocicoaster was never over 45 that I saw. We went on it about 8 times the week we were there. Try to do that with Rise of the Resistance.

Literally every company in this economy currently, have you seen the price of a 2x4?

Disney has added enough new attractions recently at their existing parks to hold down a 5th gate by itself, not sure why so many get hot for a 5th gate, capacity wouldn't change even if you did take all the new attractions, and put them in their own park. Also adding a 5th gate would drive up popularity, so i can't imagine that would change much at all. In my mind adding a 3rd park in the US could start to break up the demand at WDW, but being Disney's largest park, it may not help a ton either.

I think you are putting a lot of the blame on Disney for being so popular, to me it comes off as people demanding to drop the capacity limits at the park so that they can have a more enjoyable time, the problem being people are more than willing to pay higher prices currently to just sit and wait in line (Not saying i agree with them, but it is what it is). There is a reason that Universal is more reasonable, it all boils down to supply and demand, and Universal unfortunately doesn't come close to matching up to Disney in that category

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I have a club room at Portofino at Xmas for 4, for $450 including tax a Night. So that includes Express Pass for 4. And probably most of our food as well as the evening offerings are pretty good there. Disney can’t match that value, nowhere near.

I would say that Disney can't/ won't match the price. Value is a different story, there are plenty of people willing to pay Disney's higher pricing, which means that there is value out there still for people, to the point of Disney is able to charge more than Universal for similar experiences, which would typically point to people finding more value in Disney than Universal. The point I'm trying to make, is that Price and Value are not the same thing, even though that is typically how it's portrayed

 

[bbeagle]

I have a club room at Portofino at Xmas for 4, for $450 including tax a Night. So that includes Express Pass for 4. And probably most of our food as well as the evening offerings are pretty good there. Disney can’t match that value, nowhere near.

A club-level at Portofino is not $450, so I don't understand you thinking you're getting free food.

I can hook you up with an All-Star Sports at Disney for $200/night plus 4x$15 Disney Genie+ additions = $260. Much cheaper than Universal.

Disney is HALF the cost vs. Universal.

 

[Jrb1979]

A club-level at Portofino is not $450, so I don't understand you thinking you're getting free food.

I can hook you up with an All-Star Sports at Disney for $200/night plus 4x$15 Disney Genie+ additions = $260. Much cheaper than Universal.

Disney is HALF the cost vs. Universal.

Not really. All-Star Sports is not even on the same level at Portofino. Portofino is more on the level of a Disney Deluxe hotel. The Express pass is a much better system and less complex to use them Genie+.

 

[bbeagle]

Not really. All-Star Sports is not even on the same level at Portofino. Portofino is more on the level of a Disney Deluxe hotel. The Express pass is a much better system and less complex to use them Genie+.

Well, Universal isn't even on the same level as Disney, so the whole comparing thing is a fallacy anyways.

 

[gharter]

Not really. All-Star Sports is not even on the same level at Portofino. Portofino is more on the level of a Disney Deluxe hotel. The Express pass is a much better system and less complex to use them Genie+.

All Start Sports is more along the line of Universals cheaper resorts which don't include Express pass. At those resorts, you would need to add $100 -$300 per person per day for express pass. Having recently stayed at Portofino, it is priced similarly to Disney Deluxe resorts, but does include express pass.

 

[gharter]

Well, Universal isn't even on the same level as Disney, so the whole comparing thing is a fallacy anyways.

Many would disagree. Universal has made great strides in catching up and surpassing Disney in some areas.
IMHO the Harry Potter areas greatly surpass Pandora and Galaxys Edge.

 

[bbeagle]

Portofino is more on the level of a Disney Deluxe hotel.

Uh, no.

Portofino Lobby:


Grand Floridian Lobby:

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Not really. All-Star Sports is not even on the same level at Portofino. Portofino is more on the level of a Disney Deluxe hotel. The Express pass is a much better system and less complex to use them Genie+.

i would say Portofino is more in line with a Disney moderate, but it's definitely a deluxe for Universal

 

[gharter]

i would say Portofino is more in line with a Disney moderate, but it's definitely a deluxe for Universal

Having stayed at all the Disney Deluxe and Portofino, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, Portofino definitely is in line with the Disney Deluxe resort. While the lobby is not as fancy as GF, the rest of the resort stacks up very well. And its lobby is just as nice as Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Club, Poly. It is designed to look like Italy and fits that theme extremely well.

 

[Genie+]

Still quite a deal over Christmas. $450 a night including tax at Portofio for Club Level and its food offerings, plus express passes for 4 people. During Christmas no less when prices often double.

“Guests staying at Club Level enjoy added amenities including a Club lounge serving continental breakfast, snacks during the day and hors d’oeuvres in the evening. Coffee, tea, bottled beverages and a selection of beer, wine, and desserts are also available throughout the day. Schedules vary by hotel, so check with your concierge for exact times.”

For someone who wouldn’t visit during a busy time without Express Pass and would buy beers/wine regardless, the room and food offerings is almost free. It’s a nice resort and the value could really be maxed out.

 

[Genie+]

Standard Club Level room at Boardwalk is ~$1,300 a night the last 2 weeks of December.

Gran Destino is the only WDW moderate that offers club level. ~$900/nt those dates.

 

[gharter]

Still quite a deal over Christmas. $450 a night including tax at Portofio for Club Level and its food offerings, plus express passes for 4 people. During Christmas no less when prices often double.

“Guests staying at Club Level enjoy added amenities including a Club lounge serving continental breakfast, snacks during the day and hors d’oeuvres in the evening. Coffee, tea, bottled beverages and a selection of beer, wine, and desserts are also available throughout the day. Schedules vary by hotel, so check with your concierge for exact times.”

For someone who wouldn’t visit during a busy time without Express Pass and would buy beers/wine regardless, the room and food offerings is almost free. It’s a nice resort and the value could really be maxed out.

Where are you finding that price? Looking at the Universal site, for Club level Portofino room (over Christmas) plus tickets as you must have them to get express pass, I'm seeing about $1100 a night.

 

[bbeagle]

Where are you finding that price? Looking at the Universal site, for Club level Portofino room (over Christmas) plus tickets as you must have them to get express pass, I'm seeing about $1100 a night.

Exactly. $450 is just a hotel room with express passes. No park tickets, and no club level food.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Having stayed at all the Disney Deluxe and Portofino, Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, Portofino definitely is in line with the Disney Deluxe resort. While the lobby is not as fancy as GF, the rest of the resort stacks up very well. And its lobby is just as nice as Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Club, Poly. It is designed to look like Italy and fits that theme extremely well.

I still think the theming is better at Disney, but I guess i could see your point. the problem that i have is that there are what i would call "tiers" for deluxe hotels at Disney, so maybe Portofino would more closely align with a lower Deluxe tier at Disney, say Boardwalk. I don't want to break down all the amenities between the two, i just don't see it in the same weight class as the GF