The big G+ rides at HS gone by 1:07!

[Delirium]

We used Genie+ and planned it so we didn’t runaround like that. We booked SDMT for the evening and Genie+ JC (10:30 or 11 am) in the morning.

When we entered the park (around 9:30 am) we did POC standby and when we tapped into JC we booked Big Thunder right away. Rode JC then standby magic carpets, lunch at Pecos bill, watched the Mickey & Friends calvacade infront of Country Bears and ate popcorn and headed back to our resort.

During our break we were able to book PP, IASW and Haunted Mansion for the evening; so when we came back we had those in hand on top of the SDMT. After fireworks everything was min wait in Tomorrowland so we did a few more rides.

When was your trip?

 

[Disturbia]

When was your trip?

Nov during a very busy Jersey week.

 

[cm8]

Feb 15 2021, no availability left by 1:07 for:
SDD
MF
RnR coaster
ToT
Mickey Minnie Railway (ILL)

If I were there now, paid for G+ and was only able to get 3 of the big rides (by booking at 7, 11, and 1) I’d be

Disney needs to do something to fix this mess.

the standbys for all of those are 80 minutes or greater.

boy how I miss the old days of scheduling FPs (generally) when I wanted them, having it included in my highly priced ticket, and also being able to re-ride with FP at times!

I remember before Chapek, they cared about guest experience and studied how many “experiences” guests needed in order to want to come back. Something tells me that paying for G+ to skip the line on just a few rides that really need it ain’t it. At least not for my family.

this is the pits

Facts! This is what we experienced on Friday as well and I was very upset!

 

[DisneyFive]

You can book RotR at 7am if on-site…park opening for everyone else. Essentially, you can pay thousands more to pay for an $ILL for RotR or you can save thousands to wait 90 minutes to ride it. The $ILL will be sold out for offsite guests by the time the park opens.

You are correct, there's no doubt you can get better accommodations offsite versus onsite for the same money. However it's a stretch to associate all of the premium cost solely to getting RoTR $ILL's??? We're staying Deluxe onsite (renting DVC studio) this summer and RotR isn't even on our radar. Rode it 3 times last visit. LOVED it, but won't pay to go on it. We might try to find a time at the end of the night when we can get in line with a shorter than average wait. The whole onsite/offsite cost discussion is interesting but not really on topic.

I thought I read that additional $ILL's get added at some points, like 9am, in the day so that offsite guests have a chance to get them as well for RotR? I could be wrong about that.

Dan

 

[DisneyFive]

But wasn't this just Disney prior to Fastpass? It just equalises everyone. The select few get on without a wait - ah well, that's capitalism right - work hard, splash big cash, get a benefit! The vast vast majority wait in line like we used to - but if there aren't many people using the Lightning Lanes, that will make standby lines shorter. Frankly, I want them to go back to Fastpass one. That worked so well, but didn't make Disney any money of course.

I think we need to remember, way back in the day, that FP was put in place for a reason. It was a huge hit ever since the paper version was introduced.

Having done standby-only last summer, when park attendance was lower than it is currently, I can say without a doubt that standby-only is not sustainable. Doing away with FP, FP+, or G+ certainly may reduce standby waits, but not like you would expect. They may drop from really really really long, to really really long. With paper FP and FP+, we never waited in lines anything like we did last summer. It was like a completely different park experience, literally a different Disney World, in a very negative direction.

As much as I complain about G+, a lot of that comes from how effective FP+ was for us. I was reserved to the fact that Disney would eventually charge for the line skipping service, but didn't expect such a large downgrade.

G+ is certainly better than nothing, but it's painful when it's such a big step backwards, especially when you now have to pay for it.

Dan

 

[Westerner]

.

 

[Disturbia]

Genie+ is essentially designed to save you about 3 hrs of line waits (per allears.net). It is forcing you to do a few standby rides by spacing out the rides. I calculated 4k less steps nov 21 vs jun 21.

I don’t know if anyone tried to book as you go in the morning until SDD neared sell out.

 

[ckelly14]

L a

Genie+ is essentially designed to save you about 3 hrs of line waits (per allears.net). It is forcing you to do a few standby rides by spacing out the rides. I calculated 4k less steps nov 21 vs jun 21.

I don’t know if anyone tried to book as you go in the morning until SDD neared sell out.

Great post. I really like it when someone uses a real, measurable experience in their argument.

Since FP came out, we have heard a number of people post that the best thing Disney could do is go to standby only at every ride. Certainly Disney does not agree.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

You can book RotR at 7am if on-site…park opening for everyone else. Essentially, you can pay thousands more to pay for an $ILL for RotR or you can save thousands to wait 90 minutes to ride it. The $ILL will be sold out for offsite guests by the time the park opens.

If the wait was only going to be 90 minutes, I think far fewer people (especially off-site guests) would stress about it as much. But if wait times are consistently 180+ minutes, those who can't or choose not to pay extra are relegated to spending multiple hours in line for it.

 

[Disturbia]

FYI: Current waits; star tours is 45

 

[JulieODC]

FYI: Current waits; star tours is 45
View attachment 649090

It’s been a rough day at DHS. MMRR went down just as our ILL time came up, and our plans have us leaving immediately after. So we had to take a refund - so no MMRR, and for genie + we ended up getting on Star Tours only. Feeling pretty frustrated with this system.

 

[Disturbia]

All headliners already sold out!

 

[Disturbia]

It’s been a rough day at DHS. MMRR went down just as our ILL time came up, and our plans have us leaving immediately after. So we had to take a refund - so no MMRR, and for genie + we ended up getting on Star Tours only. Feeling pretty frustrated with this system.

Did you go to the GET blue umbrella? Did they offer anything else like an anytime pass? One ride is not how this should work. And you paid extra for park hopping!

 

[Mango7100]

All headliners already sold out!
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That’s unacceptable. You are paying $15 to pretty much get 2 rides. We are going over Easter and while we used Genie in November and found it worth it, I’m questioning if we will even both with it next trip at HS. Maybe just buy ILL instead.

 

[Disturbia]

That’s unacceptable. You are paying $15 to pretty much get 2 rides. We are going over Easter and while we used Genie in November and found it worth it, I’m questioning if we will even both with it next trip at HS. Maybe just buy ILL instead.

MMRR is not included. That is extra $$$. Our Nov experience was much better and HS was sold out. They probably increased capacity. We’re going Spring break and now this has me worried.

 

[JulieODC]

Did you go to the GET blue umbrella? Did they offer anything else like an anytime pass? One ride is not how this should work. And you paid extra for park hopping!

Nothing. They offered us to wait around and hope that MMRR starts working (but with 2 little kids, we need to stick to our mid-day break in order to have any hope of making it to the extra evening hours at MK tonight from 10-12. Just hoping we can get some G+ in MK, or else we’ll have paid $60 for our star tours ride).

And when I asked the CM if we had any hope of getting SDD, ROTR, and MMRR tomorrow (our 2nd planned DHS day) he said “no comment.”

 

[Mango7100]

MMRR is not included. That is extra $$$. Our Nov experience was much better and HS was sold out. They probably increased capacity. We’re going Spring break and now this has me worried.

Same. In November we got 4-5 rides at HS, rope dropped MMRR, and bought Rise. This next trip I’m not paying $45 to get 2 rides. We may just buy either MMRR or Rise and rope drop the other. I think we can make it worth it at MK because of the sheer number of rides. If it saves 15 minutes on some minor attractions and we get 6-7 then I am ok with that

 

[scrappinginontario]

It’s been a rough day at DHS. MMRR went down just as our ILL time came up, and our plans have us leaving immediately after. So we had to take a refund - so no MMRR, and for genie + we ended up getting on Star Tours only. Feeling pretty frustrated with this system.

To me your frustration is well warranted and why so many feel frustrated.

In the past when FP+ was included I was disappointed when a ride went down but just kinda moved on.

Now that I’m being forced to pay if I want this additional service then it implies a level of service, reliability, availability that’s often just not there.

Prior to 2020 we visited WDW an average of 2-3 times a year. After this visit, while we had a great trip, we’re looking to try DL next rather than heading back to WDW as we normally would.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Except that there have been documented experiences in this very thread that explain how people have paid to get more and didn't.

I am not following.

If you pay for a LL$ you get to ride.

If you pay for Genie+ you get Genie+ passes. Maybe you mean someone buys it after the Genie+ passes are gone for the day? that would be consumer error...although I would agree maybe there is a way to notify someone (kind of like you can't buy a movie ticket for a movie that has already shown).

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

All headliners already sold out!
View attachment 649094
View attachment 649091View attachment 649092

This was always the case with the original paper FP system as well. And FP+ now that I think about it.