The Genie Usage, Tips and Strategy ONLY Thread

[katyringo]

You have to wait until 2 hours after official park opening to book your second G+LL.

IF your 1st return time is more that 2 hours after park opening.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Great strategy you set up for yourself there! Let me ask you, when you picked your second attraction at 11:00 AM what was the return time that you got? Were all of your rides spaced two hours apart or were you able to still carry 2 even though some were within 2 hours?

It's been 24 hours and I am now sitting in the airport but I'll try and remember my times best I can.

JC booked for 10:55 at 7:02, Pirates booked for 12:10 at 11, Peter Pan for 2:10 at app. 11:15 after riding JC (couldn't get wifi in the line or around it), went to Tiki Room, Small World for 1:50 at app. 12:10 after checking into Pirates. Road stand-by Mermaid, had ice cream, Big Thunder for 4:30 at 1:50 after checking in for SW, 4:45 for Haunted Mansion after checking in for PP, had lunch at Crystal Palace at 2:45, rode BT at 4:30, and booked Buzz for 5:05, rode HM at app. 4:45 and booked Speedway for 5:30. Went to the Poly for eum Dole Whip, returned and went back behind the castle for fireworks, and then rode mine train stand-by at 8:15. Boo Bash after.

You have the check through the second checkpoint of a ride before the LL opens for you, but other than that 9-11 2-hour window time no longer mattered.

 

[Disturbia]

You have to wait until 2 hours after official park opening to book your second G+LL.

This is incorrect. You can book say Jungle cruise 9-10 am at 7 am; then at 9:15 ride and book Big Thunder 9:15-10:15; then say it took 15 mins to scan; book Pirates 9:30-10:30 and at 10:30 you could only get Monsters at 5-6 pm (depends on availability; as Genie+ is next available only) Now you have a cool down period of 2 hours FROM booking time so 10:30-12:30 pm. AT 12:30 pm you can book another pass for whenever - 12:30-1 (let’s say you don’t choose this) or you can book 6-7 pm whatever. If you do stack again and book 6-7 you’re giving up riding currently with Genie+ and have another 2 hour cooling period (so no rides 12:30-2:30);

https://allears.net/2021/10/21/how-can-you-stack-multiple-disney-genie-reservations/
the people who are waiting till 11 am are doing am standby and trying to stack everything in the PM or late afternoon

 

[Disturbia]

Per allears:

One of the most complicated aspects of Genie+ is the two-hour cool-down rule. When you book a Lightning Lane with Genie+ you can book a new one either when you use your existing Lightning Lane or two hours after selection time.

This two-hour rule won’t go into play except with high-demand attractions. For instance, say you wake up at 7AM and select a 7PM Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane. That doesn’t mean you’re locked out of Lightning Lanes all the way until you use that one at 7PM.

 

[ZeeWP]

The stacking and being able to overlap make the strategy SOUND really fun. BUT BUT, on busy days, will there be enough passes to make it worth it?

I worry that during Thanksgiving break next year, if I get G+, I will be able to use it only for SDD and that's it. by the time the two hour passes, all the good ones (MFSR, ToT, RRC) will be gone. So basically it will be the same cost as Rise to ride SDD.

I am probably getting overly anxious too soon...

 

[Disturbia]

In the allears example they couldn’t get anything at 9 (when they tried booking at 7; exaggerating) that they wanted (and booked an evening pass), so now they ride standby until 2 hours from park opening when they can book another pass

OR

now if you had a 9 am pass (and scanned second turnstile at 9:32) and booked the late afternoon pass at 9:32 am; you can start booking more at 11:32 am (2 hour cool off starts from when you booked the pm pass).

 

[Disturbia]

 

[kranzaldua]

MMRR up $2 today to $10
Avatar up $3 to $14
Frozen and Remy each up $2 to $11
7DMT up $2 to $12
SM up $2 to $9

They weren't lying when they said prices will change.


You aren't waiting in line so it's a big savings. Why use G+ for a headliner. Why not do it during early entry? Here is my plan. At 7am I book my first LL for Test Track for park open. Then at early entry ride Soarin. With that both headliners age done and use G+ for everything else

MMRR up $2 today to $10
Avatar up $3 to $14
Frozen and Remy each up $2 to $11
7DMT up $2 to $12
SM up $2 to $9

They weren't lying when they said prices will change.

Already?! Wowzas!!!

 

[randumb0]

Are people really paying for Genie + for everyday of their trip?

 

[Bullseye]

Are people really paying for Genie + for everyday of their trip?

I know, I think I will only use once at each park over six day tickets.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Already?! Wowzas!!!

Some of the ILL$ prices went up because it's the weekend. When they gave examples at the media event a few weeks ago, they indicated prices for some rides would be higher today (Saturday) than on Tuesday. I would expect most, if not all, of those increased prices to be reduced again (to Tuesday's prices) on Monday.

 

[PinkPixel]

I plan to purchase G+ every day (maybe not AK) because our favorite rides, FOP and EE are ILL. That leaves VERY little reason to purchase G+ there.

I plan to book my first G+ for, hopefully, about 30 minutes after park opening (this will have a window of 30 minutes to 90 minutes after park open) That way when rope drop crowds build I have a G+ to use instead. Then I will book the heck out of my day using as many G+ I can.

On our arrival day, I will book G+ selections in the park we intent to hop to. That way I can stack a few up. Yes, we will have to tap into our reserved park first and then immediately hop, but I'm o.k. with that.

I can't wait for Tron to open in MK because I can't stand the fact that Space is a ILL selection. I want Space on the G+ list instead.

Dan

You can buy ILL without buying Genie+?

 

[kilik64]

You can buy ILL without buying Genie+?

Yes

 

[dischris11]

This is our first time using MDE and obviously genie. I just noticed that all of my kids say their plans are managed by me but my husbands account does not. He is still listed under my friends and family. Will I be able to make genie+ and virtual queue reservations for all of us including him? Is there anything specific I need to do to make sure all five of us are getting the same ride time? Thanks!

 

[Disturbia]

Yes

To be clear, for only the top 2 rides per park (at launch):

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Well with all the sell outs that it’s constantly pulling in it’s not going away!

I love reading this thread it’s fascinating

 

[PepperjackDragon]

HS to MK park hopping with Genie+ today Saturday Oct 24th

so the basic plan then how it played out.

we have done everything we wanted 2-3 times this week without Genie EXCEPT slinky dog and splash. So the idea was to early entry HS pick up a genie plus for Slinky then triple stack for a 2pm MK arrival.

It worked. I’ll give the final results then a few tips from my experience. Not a pro, just my first time using it but maybe it will be helpful.

7am: SD booked for 1043am
8:15- arrive to park
8:30-910: MMRR then MFSR
9:10-11:00 Plenty of time left for a quick toy story
and saucers. Frozen song along.
11:00- book 1:35pm splash mountain
(considered a noon toy story but
wanted to let kids rest)
11:15 Slinky dog
11:16 book splash at 1:35pm (later changed
to 2pm, must have gone down)
11:30 Hotel bus: worst wait of the day by far
1:16. Book Jungle cruise (daughter request

2pm arrive at MK

here I will just list the LL I got and what they changed to after getting the rides

LL0: Slinky

A1: splash 2pm
B1: thunder mountain 2:20pm
C1: Jungle Cruise 2:50pm

A2irates of Car 3:25
B2: Peter Pan 5pm (had to refresh 5 times to get it here)
C2: Pooh 4pm

A3: Ariel 4:30
B3: Haunted Mansion 7pm
C3: Mad Tea 4:25

A4: Buzz at 815
C4: small world (we also worked small world in but can’t remember which ride I booked it after, did it right before Pan. Something seems slightly off in the transition order actually but very close to how it went down.)

This was the busiest day yet. Everyone of the rides was showing 60+ between 2-5pm when we rode, a few looked to be overestimated but some looked like underestimates. Really long and slow lines.

From 530ish (requested West wing so got delayed-huge mistake imo)-815 we ate at BOG and watched enchantment. I had a dilemma here, I couldn’t book things far enough out about because all except for Haunted Mansion were within 20-40min away and we were eating. Only had stuff like Barnstormer left to get and they just weren’t going to book up in advance. To keep the triple stack LL going I just booked and then canceled and rebooked later. I ended up pushing haunted mansion back until 9pm on purpose. We could have easily risen every G+ Via the triple stack but ended up shopping after eating, rode Mine train and called it the end of the trip.

Frankly it worked amazingly well and really made an excellent last day. However it wouldn’t work as well in HS because they just don’t have enough rides so they get booked pretty far out early on. Might be possible though if you were at AK and triple stacked for a jump to HS, but I doubt it. However it works so well jumping to MK it turns MK into a 1 or at MOST 1.5 day park. If one rope dropped FOP and paid ROTR and for MMR and evening rode Seven Dwarves it might be possible to complete all three parks (Genie+ and ILL rides only) in a single day, assuming smooth transportation especially once they allow hopping prior to 2pm. A stretch but I think it may be possible.

honestly if you add this to a 10 day trip I really don’t think the parks can sustain you for that long at this pace. Will either have to underutilize Genie+ or ride everything 5-10 times. Will edit later with my tips from experience.

 

[rpfennig]

Will either have to underutilize Genie+ or ride everything 5-10 times.

I am okay with the latter.

I tend to think of Epcot as the afternoon part of park hopping but this might push MK into that space. Will be interesting to see if this shifts the way people park hop in ways that Disney didn't foresee.

 

[Kazi7]

HS to MK park hopping with Genie+ today Saturday Oct 24th
7am: SD booked for 1043am
8:15- arrive to park
8:30-910: MMRR then MFSR
9:10-11:00 Plenty of time left for a quick toy story
and saucers. Frozen song along.
11:00- book 1:35pm splash mountain
(considered a noon toy story but
wanted to let kids rest)
11:15 Slinky dog

I thought I was getting this stuff fairly well but maybe not. In the above, at 7 am Slinky was booked for 10:43 and before they tapped in to the ride, they were able to pull a second one at 11:00 for Splash Mountain? I thought you could only pull the second (stacked) one at 11 if your first return time was later.

 

[bluealien626]

Anyway, unless they only show if you have already purchased Genie+ or have tapped into your first park, the statements that later return times are offered to people with hopper tickets may not be accurate.

From what I've heard, you won't be able to see the later times until you book. After you press the button to "book attraction", your assigned time will be 2 or after on the next page regardless of what time was listed on the tip board when you booked.