The Genie Usage, Tips and Strategy ONLY Thread

[cheshiregoofy22]

How does one "set SDD (or any specific ride) at the top of your tip board"? I'm using the App on Android and I can't see how to do that. I see the list of attractions for a park on the Tip Board tab but they are shown in alphabetical order.

My android will let me set selections at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom only. With those two parks, at the top of the page it says "To customize your Tip Board, use Disney Genie service to select your top experiences." And beneath those words in blue it says "Edit Selections."

 

[scrappinginontario]

For arrival day at MK does this make the most sense:

7 am - book JC for an afternoon time. I’ll have to refresh a bit but hoping for around 2 pm.

Around 8 am - take off for Orlando. Land around 10:30

11 am - book PP for afternoon/evening

Hope to be in the park around 1.

The one challenge with this method is that there's a good chance PP will be full for the day by the time your 11 am PP booking window opens. I would recommend choosing the ride JC/PP that is most important to you at 7AM.

 

[snikki]

The one challenge with this method is that there's a good chance PP will be full for the day by the time your 11 am PP booking window opens. I would recommend choosing the ride JC/PP that is most important to you at 7AM.

Wow. I didn’t realize PP books that quickly. Good to know!

 

[GBRforWDW]

How does one "set SDD (or any specific ride) at the top of your tip board"? I'm using the App on Android and I can't see how to do that. I see the list of attractions for a park on the Tip Board tab but they are shown in alphabetical order.

This only works if you have a ticket and park reservation, unfortunately.

Not specifically for today though. A future reservation should still allow you to access the edit selection link.

 

[jbish]

Our upcoming trip will be during the week leading up to Easter (Tue-Sat). I'm mentally prepared for it to be the worst crowd levels I've ever experienced so I'd love some insight for those that experienced the Christmas/New Year's crowds this year as it relates to G+. I've never been during this week of Spring Break - we had a trip in 2020 planned maximizing things like DAH and stuff, but, as you know....

Anyway, conventional wisdom here and on trusted blogs would say that G+ is not worth it for EP and AK. But for this particular week, do we think it would be worth it? Our arrival day, for example, we have a PR for EP. Maybe start stacking LLs for the day as we're en route to Orlando? (We land at MCO at 8:30 am and estimating we'd be in the parks by 11-12).

Re-upping my question again - would love some insight for thoughts on using G+ for EP and AK during the PEAK week leading up to Easter. Will it be worth it? I fear that we won't even be able to maximize the number of LLs for HS/MK given the sheer volume of people who will likely be paying for G+ that week. But better 2-3 rides through LL than none at all?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Wow. I didn’t realize PP books that quickly. Good to know!

Not as quickly as things like Slinky Dog Dash but in the 4 hour window between 7AM and 11AM, it may fill. I just looked at Thrill Data and from the heat map PP appears to fill around 11 AM so you may have an opportunity to grab it when your second booking window opens.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Re-upping my question again - would love some insight for thoughts on using G+ for EP and AK during the PEAK week leading up to Easter. Will it be worth it? I fear that we won't even be able to maximize the number of LLs for HS/MK given the sheer volume of people who will likely be paying for G+ that week. But better 2-3 rides through LL than none at all?

For AK and Epcot, it really depends on how you want to do the parks. If you want to maximize your time walking around non ride areas, while still doing rides, it's nice to have Genie+. If you're just there for the rides and don't mind the wait in lines, then you could probably get by without it.

When we went Christmas week, I found myself waiting past the 2 hour window for some rides wanting them to get to a workable time for us for those parks. We had a lot of non ride things we wanted to do, so it was nice to have to go straight to the front of the line.

At AK, we got G+ passes for:
7:00: Na'vi River Journey for 1pm
10:30: Festival of the Lion King for 12
12:45: Dinosaur for 5pm
2:45: Kilimanjaro Safari for 3pm

The smaller attractions still had availability later in the day as well.

Epcot
7:00: Frozen for 1:30 (downgraded from ILL$ for Christmas)
11:40: Soarin' for 4pm
1:40: SSE for 2:30

We were running around the park and also had the Candlelight Processional for 5 and a Remy ILL$ at 6:30 and a Space 220 ADR at 7:45 so we stopped there with G+ passes, but could have easily gotten for living with the land and Nemo attractions and probably mission space if we planned right.

 

[jbish]

For AK and Epcot, it really depends on how you want to do the parks. If you want to maximize your time walking around non ride areas, while still doing rides, it's nice to have Genie+. If you're just there for the rides and don't mind the wait in lines, then you could probably get by without it.

When we went Christmas week, I found myself waiting past the 2 hour window for some rides wanting them to get to a workable time for us for those parks. We had a lot of non ride things we wanted to do, so it was nice to have to go straight to the front of the line.

Thanks for that insight! Christmas is probably the most comparable week so I am hoping to hear from more people that went this week. So, these "waiting and walking around days" were at all of the parks? Or are you talking about AK & EP? I do think we would do some non-ride things, but I'm just imagining a wall of people, even just walking around the World Showcase during F&G, which might take the fun out of that.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Thanks for that insight! Christmas is probably the most comparable week so I am hoping to hear from more people that went this week. So, these "waiting and walking around days" were at all of the parks? Or are you talking about AK & EP? I do think we would do some non-ride things, but I'm just imagining a wall of people, even just walking around the World Showcase during F&G, which might take the fun out of that.

Yeah, mostly just AK. We had a lot planned for Epcot with 2 ADRs and Candlelight Processional which time wise would compare to the concert series. I edited my post above with our passes and times. We also spent about 8 hours in the parks max most days, so for us the Genie was even more beneficial to get more done in our time frame.

Oh yeah, there were walls of people in certain areas of Epcot. It's a little crazy at the pinch points.

 

[EpcotNerd]

My android will let me set selections at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom only. With those two parks, at the top of the page it says "To customize your Tip Board, use Disney Genie service to select your top experiences." And beneath those words in blue it says "Edit Selections."

Do you have to do this for each day you have a park reservation? I tried editing my selections while practicing (we leave next week) and the next day there were no favorites "pinned" on top of my list. Is this something I'll have to do every morning before 7? So 1. Purchase Genie+, 2. Pin favorites 3. Make selections as clock strikes 7?

 

[cheshiregoofy22]

Do you have to do this for each day you have a park reservation? I tried editing my selections while practicing (we leave next week) and the next day there were no favorites "pinned" on top of my list. Is this something I'll have to do every morning before 7? So 1. Purchase Genie+, 2. Pin favorites 3. Make selections as clock strikes 7?

It appears so to me - also just practicing - leaving tomorrow (woo!) - the favorites that I pin to the top don't appear for more than one day on my phone. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out in real time! Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[GBRforWDW]

Do you have to do this for each day you have a park reservation? I tried editing my selections while practicing (we leave next week) and the next day there were no favorites "pinned" on top of my list. Is this something I'll have to do every morning before 7? So 1. Purchase Genie+, 2. Pin favorites 3. Make selections as clock strikes 7?

It appears so to me - also just practicing - leaving tomorrow (woo!) - the favorites that I pin to the top don't appear for more than one day on my phone. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out in real time! Have a wonderful trip!!

Yes, unfortunately it resets each day. It's pretty annoying. I ended up not fidgeting with the pins on my trip. It's good for 7am, but after that, too much of a hassle as you try to do other things.

My approach to refresh times is to click the ride name to get to the ride details page, then click LL to return. Some like to click the tab to refresh, but I noticed that doesn't always take you back to the same spot.

 

[Chris Anglin]

You cannot have park reservations for 2 different parks the same day. If you have a reservation for a park other than Epcot, and a park hopper option with your ticket, and are staying onsite, at 7 AM you can book an ILL$ reservation for Remy for any available return time later than 2 PM.

I'll have ressie for AK, I do have park hopper, I am staying onsite

 

[Disneymom1126]

found answer in Everything Genie post....disregard thanks!

 

[LarryBoy]

We plan on using the tap and book method at MK this weekend, ie I'm hoping to book JC at 7AM and then book a new one when we tap in for that first ride hopefully well before the park has been open for two hours. If we are lucky and continue to get LLs less than two hours away is the only time I can book a new one when I tap in? Am I understanding it correctly that I can only book a second LL once it's been two hours from booking a LL that hasn't been used yet. Also what if the two hour mark falls during an arrival window and I haven't tapped in yet? Can I get one LL before we tap in and a second one after we tap in?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Wow. I didn’t realize PP books that quickly. Good to know!

I remembered today to take a quick look. Right now at 10:40 AM, next available LL for JC is 1:55PM and next available for PP is 5:20. It appears that both will still be available at 11 AM but PP return times will probably be pushed into the evening by then.

 

[snikki]

I remembered today to take a quick look. Right now at 10:40 AM, next available LL for JC is 1:55PM and next available for PP is 5:20. It appears that both will still be available at 11 AM but PP return times will probably be pushed into the evening by then.

Thanks! At 7 am I will get whichever has 2 pm first. Then at 11 am I’ll get the other. We don’t go until November so a lot can change but we will see. It seems those will be my best bet to get for later times.

 

[Brian4891]

We plan on using the tap and book method at MK this weekend, ie I'm hoping to book JC at 7AM and then book a new one when we tap in for that first ride hopefully well before the park has been open for two hours. If we are lucky and continue to get LLs less than two hours away is the only time I can book a new one when I tap in? Am I understanding it correctly that I can only book a second LL once it's been two hours from booking a LL that hasn't been used yet. Also what if the two hour mark falls during an arrival window and I haven't tapped in yet? Can I get one LL before we tap in and a second one after we tap in?

I think you pretty much got it. The only thing that matters is your most recently booked LL. Every time you make a new LL, any prior LL's that you booked earlier do not matter in any way and have no effect on your current situation. When you booked them no longer matters and when you use them no longer matters.

The most recently booked is the only thing preventing you from making a new LL. You can clear that restriction by either 1) Tapping into that most recently booked LL (tapping into a different LL that was made prior to the most recent one does nothing) or 2) waiting the 120 minutes from the time you made the most recently booked LL or 3) Cancelling the most recently booked LL.

In your scenario where your LL falls during an arrival window which you have not yet tapped into, I think you are asking if you will be able to get 2 new LL's, one for letting the 120 minutes expire and one for tapping into the ride. That is not how it works. If your 120 minutes passes and you make a new LL, that new LL is now your most recently booked and is now what is keeping you from getting a new one. Tapping into the previously booked one (the one that you booked over 120 mins ago) no longer means anything because it is no longer the most recently booked.

 

[Bullseye]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/e...lightning-lane-please-read-posts-1-7.3856734/

Thanks! That's what I thought this thread was for. My mistake.

 

[twodogs]

I think you pretty much got it. The only thing that matters is your most recently booked LL. Every time you make a new LL, any prior LL's that you booked earlier do not matter in any way and have no effect on your current situation. When you booked them no longer matters and when you use them no longer matters.

The most recently booked is the only thing preventing you from making a new LL. You can clear that restriction by either 1) Tapping into that most recently booked LL (tapping into a different LL that was made prior to the most recent one does nothing) or 2) waiting the 120 minutes from the time you made the most recently booked LL or 3) Cancelling the most recently booked LL.

In your scenario where your LL falls during an arrival window which you have not yet tapped into, I think you are asking if you will be able to get 2 new LL's, one for letting the 120 minutes expire and one for tapping into the ride. That is not how it works. If your 120 minutes passes and you make a new LL, that new LL is now your most recently booked and is now what is keeping you from getting a new one. Tapping into the previously booked one (the one that you booked over 120 mins ago) no longer means anything because it is no longer the most recently booked.

This is an outstanding summary of how it works. Read this and you will understand it. Read this!!!!