Standby quicker than Genie+ ?

[DisneyMama811]

I just downloaded the MDE app to start exploring it and learning how it works, I'm looking at wait times and Genie + availability at Magic Kingdom... for the vast majority of rides it seems like the standby time is shorter than the Genie return time...for example to Meet Mickey at Town Hall the line is a 35 min wait....or you can get G+ for 1230... so why not just wait in the line??

 

[Marionnette]

I just downloaded the MDE app to start exploring it and learning how it works, I'm looking at wait times and Genie + availability at Magic Kingdom... for the vast majority of rides it seems like the standby time is shorter than the Genie return time...for example to Meet Mickey at Town Hall the line is a 35 min wait....or you can get G+ for 1230... so why not just wait in the line??

Mostly because those wait times will increase as the day goes on. So, someone who is planning to leave around 1:00 or so might want to grab that 12:30 G+ for an attraction at the front of the park and then head on over to an attraction with a relatively low SB wait time.

 

[Orsino]

While waiting for genie+ you can do other things. Standby you have to wait in the line.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Ideally we leverage it as a combo play (the same way we did with FP+ and FP before that). You rope drop and do standby for what you want (relatively short for most things) and then you have a G+ or ILL for mid to late morning e.g., so that basically you are going from one thing to another without waiting around for any extended periods of time.

 

[Disney mac]

Disney will do whatever they can to make people think they should give more $$$ to them, including faking the wait times.

 

[Disneylover99]

I just downloaded the MDE app to start exploring it and learning how it works, I'm looking at wait times and Genie + availability at Magic Kingdom... for the vast majority of rides it seems like the standby time is shorter than the Genie return time...for example to Meet Mickey at Town Hall the line is a 35 min wait....or you can get G+ for 1230... so why not just wait in the line??

The point is, to try and avoid the lines. Most people don’t want to wait in lines.

 

[MainMom]

We have done a few standby lines this week while we waited for a G+ or ILL or at rope drop. We haven’t gotten in a line longer than 30 minutes though.

 

[StageTek]

for example to Meet Mickey at Town Hall the line is a 35 min wait....or you can get G+ for 1230... so why not just wait in the line??

An excellent question. Some people would rather do something else during that time. Even if it's longer.

For example: it's 1PM and the stand-by line to Big Thunder is 50 minutes. The G+ has a return time of 2:30. I think I would not just wait in line but go get lunch and hop on an attraction that has a short line.

 

[3gr8boys]

While waiting for genie+ you can do other things. Standby you have to wait in the line.

This! I would much rather explore a country's pavilion, sit and enjoy a pretzel bread pudding in Germany and then wait 5 minutes for FEA than wait 60 minutes for FEA. Much of what we experienced during our recent trip wouldn't have been possible if we had spent time in lines. Over 6 park days we waited in two significant lines, 45 minute MMRR and 40 minutes to ride AstroOrbiter during fireworks. I reflected on having time to really enjoy things in previous post.....

Post in thread 'Is it even "possible" to do Disney without being glued to your phone?' https://www.disboards.com/threads/i...ing-glued-to-your-phone.3884647/post-64040356

ETA FWIW whether or not posted wait times are accurate really doesn't matter to me. I could see the lines I was bypassing in April. Did I save 45 minutes or 90 minutes either way, it was time I got to spend doing something else.

ETA For context- our visits are about 4 years apart. This trip both Toy Story Land and Galaxy's Edge were new to us. We did not want to follow a touring plan or have a timing strategy for avoiding lines...so genie+ was a great fit for us.

 

[Dug720]

One thing to keep in mind is that (unless WDW is vastly different from DL) they will likely pull the G+ line first and fill in with stand-by when the G+ line is either empty or after a certain number they'll let some stand-by in. Usually it works ok, but if something that has multiple sides has one side go down, the stand-by can grow exponentially because priority is given to G+. I know when I was at DL, when Mission Breakout went down to one or 2 gantries, they would start filling the room with one party from the stand-by and then fill it with G+.

Like I said, maybe it's different at WDW and they just keep whatever pattern they have regardless, but I'd be prepared for stand-by to go even slower should something happen that cuts down on the operational portion of the rides.

 

[saraheliz]

I just downloaded the MDE app to start exploring it and learning how it works, I'm looking at wait times and Genie + availability at Magic Kingdom... for the vast majority of rides it seems like the standby time is shorter than the Genie return time...for example to Meet Mickey at Town Hall the line is a 35 min wait....or you can get G+ for 1230... so why not just wait in the line??

Because you can go on another ride (or two, or three) until your return time, or get a snack, or just sit on a bench in the shade, or go over to Tom Sawyer Island, or buy souvenirs....etc etc etc. There are a lot of things preferable to standing in a line.

 

[mdoc]

I don't really care whether I meet Mickey at 11:30 or 12:30; what I care about is how long I have to keep a toddler entertained in the line to see Mickey.

 

[DisneyMama811]

I realized after posting this was probably a stupid question and couldn't figure out how to delete it

 

[Smugpugmug]

I realized after posting this was probably a stupid question and couldn't figure out how to delete it

I don't think it's a dumb question. I felt similarly when I went to AK and Epcot, two parks I don't think you need Genie as much as MK and HS. I was able to do everything in those parks minus the ILLs without it, though it did take waking up early and a little strategy. I do agree with everyone else in that it's nice to book a LL for a ride you want and use up that time to do something else.

 

[3gr8boys]

I realized after posting this was probably a stupid question and couldn't figure out how to delete it

It's certainly a question planners must ask themselves . Different groups considering whether or not to pay for Genie+ would certainly evaluate the standby line wait vs waiting for LL to open differently based on their attraction goals, budget, available park time, patience with lines etc

 

[AprilsZoo]

I don't think it's a dumb question. I felt similarly when I went to AK and Epcot, two parks I don't think you need Genie as much as MK and HS. I was able to do everything in those parks minus the ILLs without it, though it did take waking up early and a little strategy. I do agree with everyone else in that it's nice to book a LL for a ride you want and use up that time to do something else.

i think maybe this is what you meant, but I just wanted to mention/clarify that you do not need to have Genie+ in order to purchase individual LL access. You can purchase & book ILL times regardless of whether you have added G+ ahead of time or on the day of.

The first time I read the sentence from your quote, I thought you were saying that the only reason you’d have used G+ was to purchase ILL times. As I read it again, I wasn’t sure… so I thought it was worth mentioning because it might help someone else understand.

Many guests mistakenly believe that having G+ is necessary not just to get the regular LL’s (formerly known as FP’s), but to be able to buy any Individual Attraction LL’s (the ones like Rise, or Guardians, that are essentially the premium E-ticket rides*)

* I think these should be called E+ ticket rides

Ok, ok… I guess that would probably just end up being too confusing.
But hey, the term “E ticket ride” is already established in the lexicon…. Seems like it would only make sense to build off of terminology that is already known in pop culture, rather than “[renaming] the wheel”… but that’s just me

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Disney will do whatever they can to make people think they should give more $$$ to them, including faking the wait times.

Good thing folks don’t have to rely on Disney to get their wait times

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I just downloaded the MDE app to start exploring it and learning how it works, I'm looking at wait times and Genie + availability at Magic Kingdom... for the vast majority of rides it seems like the standby time is shorter than the Genie return time...for example to Meet Mickey at Town Hall the line is a 35 min wait....or you can get G+ for 1230... so why not just wait in the line??

Feel free to wait in line. Beauty of it all, we each get to choose to do what we want.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I realized after posting this was probably a stupid question and couldn't figure out how to delete it

Nah, it’s not stupid at all actually.
It’s all a learning process.
Some people would choose to wait in line
Some would like to learn how else to do it.
No right way
No wrong way

 

[Lisa P.]

Shortly after fireworks one evening in June, we got into the SB line for Splash Mtn with a posted wait of either 35 or 45 minutes - can't recall exactly, but we walked quickly all the way through the outside queue to the first covered portion of the queue before we stopped behind other guests. Both the SB line and the LL rapidly grew and the outdoor SB queue filled up.

When we got closer to the loading platform, we started counting the people that were being advanced from each line. Twice, we counted ~100-106 people let through from the LL, followed by 8 or 11 let through from the SB line. Both numbers varied a bit to keep travel parties together but that's about a 10:1 ratio. We asked CMs from 2 other attractions during our week, how many people were let through from each line when both lines are full of people. They confirmed it was ~10:1 ratio favoring G+ LL guests and allowing for the different ride loading processes at the attractions. 10:1. Whew!