cdnSpinalTap
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2007
We recently completed a trip where we tested the beta version of Standby Skipper. For background information, we had already purchased Genie+ for our entire 10 day stay. We were a party of 10 and for the most part, Genie+ worked well for us. We were there in late August so the crowds were probably a little bit lower than the height of summer.
The biggest benefit of Standby Skipper for us was setting up a search for a ride and just forgetting about it, until we got a notice from the Disney App that our ride was booked. This worked on numerous occasions for our party of 10 where rides were showing no Genie+ times for the remainder of the day, but Standby Skipper was still able to book them for us (Test Track, Jungle Cruise, Frozen Ever After, Splash Mountain, etc). The best part about it was that we could "set it and forget it" and did not have to be looking at our phones the whole time. The bookings obviously have to follow the normal Genie+ booking rules, but again, not having to look at your phone and just going about your day was a great. The app allows you to specify the time of day that you would like to try to book for, but we mostly used the "As soon as possible" setting and it seemed to work well.
To be fair, the Beta version was free for us to use on this trip. I am not sure how their pricing is going to work, but it would be an added cost above Genie+. However, the benefit was definitely there for us and it is something that I would be willing to pay extra for, depending on how much it is.
I have seen some earlier comments on security risks associated with this. After a lengthy exchange with Standby Skipper, I am comfortable with the "friend" access they require to make all of this work. Of course, this is a personal decision for everyone, so I am not suggesting just because I think it is okay, everyone else should as well. The app gives you the ability to Unlink the profile at any time.
I should also add that the developers were very helpful and were quick to answer any questions we had. Hopefully they are out of Beta soon!
The biggest benefit of Standby Skipper for us was setting up a search for a ride and just forgetting about it, until we got a notice from the Disney App that our ride was booked. This worked on numerous occasions for our party of 10 where rides were showing no Genie+ times for the remainder of the day, but Standby Skipper was still able to book them for us (Test Track, Jungle Cruise, Frozen Ever After, Splash Mountain, etc). The best part about it was that we could "set it and forget it" and did not have to be looking at our phones the whole time. The bookings obviously have to follow the normal Genie+ booking rules, but again, not having to look at your phone and just going about your day was a great. The app allows you to specify the time of day that you would like to try to book for, but we mostly used the "As soon as possible" setting and it seemed to work well.
To be fair, the Beta version was free for us to use on this trip. I am not sure how their pricing is going to work, but it would be an added cost above Genie+. However, the benefit was definitely there for us and it is something that I would be willing to pay extra for, depending on how much it is.
I have seen some earlier comments on security risks associated with this. After a lengthy exchange with Standby Skipper, I am comfortable with the "friend" access they require to make all of this work. Of course, this is a personal decision for everyone, so I am not suggesting just because I think it is okay, everyone else should as well. The app gives you the ability to Unlink the profile at any time.
I should also add that the developers were very helpful and were quick to answer any questions we had. Hopefully they are out of Beta soon!
