The Genie Usage, Tips and Strategy ONLY Thread

[Orsino]

So Question #1) When we are booking G+ LL, can we have everyone's tickets linked in my account so I can make reservations for the group but unselect them if they are not with us BUT not let them book anything for us (ie we are not booked in their account)?

My understanding is that MDE is a two-way street. If you enable yourself to see their plans, they can see yours (and book stuff). However, you don't have to worry about your group messing up a stack by booking something. You build a stack by booking a new G+ LL as soon as possible when you are eligible. If you book immediately when eligible, your group members will never be able to book a G+ LL for you. If it happens that they book a G+ LL before you do when eligibility comes up, this is not a problem as it will NOT break a stack for you as they would have built a stack for you. You can cancel what they did and make a new G+ LL reservation*. The exception would be if a LL got converted to 'anytime.' I don't know what would happen in that case, but I've read that 'anytime' passes can break a stack.
However, they could mess with your plans by deleting something you didn't want deleted, but that seems less likely.

Question #3) What time (if at all) are FOP $ILL's selling out? I expect BIL/SIL will need to utilize that if they want to ride it, so I want to at least give them a reasonable window they have to wake up by.

Since FoP ILL$ is paid for separately, it gives you the option to select a time. Booking as soon as possible (7AM if staying on property, park open if not), will give you the most times to select from. In other words, you don't have to 'time' your booking since you can pick from a list.
On a busy day, FoP can sell out in the morning (11 November data shows it sold out around 9:30, with sporadic reappearances later in the day). On less busy days it doesn't sell out as fast, and since you want later in the day anyway, you would be in good shape; but booking sooner will give you the most choices.

 

[woody5]

The stack comes if I pass the 10am mark, make a new LL reservation and then tap in to the first LL within the 15 minute grace period? I could then book another LL once I tapped in and therefore now have the stack?

 

[Sjm9911]

The stack would come 2 hours after opening. So if you book something for 1100ish. Then at 1101 make a second G+ selection , then you will have 2. You can not use your first one before selecting the second or the timer will reset. ( unless your raking the glitch thing that I have no idea about. ) thats for a MK opening at 9 am. The early opening does not count. Its park opening.

The stack comes if I pass the 10am mark, make a new LL reservation and then tap in to the first LL within the 15 minute grace period? I could then book another LL once I tapped in and therefore now have the stack?

 

[woody5]

So to get a stack started, I want my first LL time to end around 11? So 10-11 LL fir a ride, at 11:01 make second LL. Ride first LL during grace period. Make another LL as soon as I tap in to 1st LL? Now I have a stack of 2.

 

[Sjm9911]

You are mixing the glitch thing up with stacking. To get a stack of 2 LL. You need to chose the first one for like around 11 am. It could be from 11 to 12 Then at 1101 before taping into your first LL, chose a second one. Now you have a stack of 2 LL. The other thing i have no idea about and didn't try it. This works because you are allowed a second LL at 2 hours after park opening.

 

[Sjm9911]

I will confirm that if you LL window expires, and you did not use it, the ap will not let you select that rode again.

 

[woody5]

Thanks for your help! Will be using at MK in December.

 

[Sjm9911]

We did ok if you get there at opening and 7DMT isnt down. Pay for 7DMT if you want to ride it. The 3 days we just went it was always 60 mins or more the whole time.
We did, PPF , Its a small world, HM, big thunder, splash and pirates. Then hit our first LL at JC. From there you can just pick the others with your 2 LL and have them done and wait on space later in the day. Usally 30 mins for us. We did basicly the same plan all 3 days, road almost all the rides, and did a show or 2.

 

[JETSDAD]

The stack comes if I pass the 10am mark, make a new LL reservation and then tap in to the first LL within the 15 minute grace period? I could then book another LL once I tapped in and therefore now have the stack?

Yes, you can wait until you are in the grace period, make a 2nd LL selection, then tap into the first one during the grace period, then make another LL selection. No need to wait until 2 hours after open. If you want to get a really good stack going, make that first ride one with 2 tapstyles.

 

[lynzi2004]

So does the grace period thing work the whole day? Meaning you could essentially get 2 LLs each time? Once for the 120 minute time and one for using your LL during your grace period?

 

[JETSDAD]

So does the grace period thing work the whole day? Meaning you could essentially get 2 LLs each time? Once for the 120 minute time and one for using your LL during your grace period?

The grace period is instead of the 120 minute rule. Instead of waiting for 120, getting another LL, using the first LL, then adding another LL you're waiting until the grace period, getting a LL (because the first LL shows as expired), then using the first LL, then adding another. Both end up working the same. But yes, each time that you choose to wait until either of those and time it properly then you should be able to add 2.

 

[lynzi2004]

The grace period is instead of the 120 minute rule. Instead of waiting for 120, getting another LL, using the first LL, then adding another LL you're waiting until the grace period, getting a LL (because the first LL shows as expired), then using the first LL, then adding another. Both end up working the same. But yes, each time that you choose to wait until either of those and time it properly then you should be able to add 2.

Ok thank you!

 

[acarsme123]

I don’t understand the concept of stacking. Can someone explain this?

I believe there is also a school of thought to use G+ to stack LLs for an afternoon park. So you can sleep in a little...

 

[Tiggr88]

I don’t understand the concept of stacking. Can someone explain this?

It means having more than one G+ reservation at a time. here is a simple example with a 9AM park open:

At 7AM (or anytime before 9AM), get a G+ with a return time that goes past 11. Say Peter Pan with a return time of 11:30-12:30.
At 11AM , you are eligible for another, so you get one for Ride B with a return time of 1-2.

You now have two G+ reservation, Peter Pan from 11:30-12:30 and Ride B from 1-2.

What's nice about this is that when you tap into Peter Pan you can get a third. When you tap into ride B, you can get a 4th. And on and on all day. You are in essence managing two G+ return times throughout the day now instead of just one at a time.

Voila, you're 'stacked'.

 

[acarsme123]

It means having more than one G+ reservation at a time. here is a simple example with a 9AM park open:

At 7AM (or anytime before 9AM), get a G+ with a return time that goes past 11. Say Peter Pan with a return time of 11:30-12:30.
At 11AM , you are eligible for another, so you get one for Ride B with a return time of 1-2.

You now have two G+ reservation, Peter Pan from 11:30-12:30 and Ride B from 1-2.

What's nice about this is that when you tap into Peter Pan you can get a third. When you tap into ride B, you can get a 4th. And on and on all day. You are in essence managing two G+ return times throughout the day now instead of just one at a time.

Voila, you're 'stacked'.

Ahhh, understood. So since we are staying on-site and will be able to do the 30 min early entry, it would almost be beneficial to not make a genie+ until past the 2 hours after opening? We used to do this with the Fast Pass system. We normally didn’t even utilize fast pass until around 11am cause we were able to do a decent amount of walk-ons early in the day. Then when afternoon hit we were able to use all 3 fast passes and that got us through the afternoon and almost at dinner time, which is about the time we’d be done with the park for the day.

 

[Tiggr88]

There are nuances to it that can make it better, but that is the basics.

For example, your first ride A can have a return time that starts before 11 in the above example as long as it extends past your 2 hour rule limit (in this case 11AM). So if it were available, you could have selected peter pan from 10:30-11:30. At 11AM, you can still get your second G+ as long as you haven't tapped into your first before 11M. So in order,:

At 7AM (or anytime before 9AM) select Ride A with return time 10:30-11:30.
At 11 AM select Ride B with return time 12-1
Between 11 and 11:30 ride Ride A with G+. Make sure you do step 2 before step 3 and you will be good.

After tapping into Ride A, select Ride C with return time 12:30-1;30.
After tapping into ride B, select ride D.
And so forth.

 

[acarsme123]

It means having more than one G+ reservation at a time. here is a simple example with a 9AM park open:

At 7AM (or anytime before 9AM), get a G+ with a return time that goes past 11. Say Peter Pan with a return time of 11:30-12:30.
At 11AM , you are eligible for another, so you get one for Ride B with a return time of 1-2.

You now have two G+ reservation, Peter Pan from 11:30-12:30 and Ride B from 1-2.

What's nice about this is that when you tap into Peter Pan you can get a third. When you tap into ride B, you can get a 4th. And on and on all day. You are in essence managing two G+ return times throughout the day now instead of just one at a time.

Voila, you're 'stacked'.

I guess the thing that I would worry about doing this strategy, is say it’s a really busy day. We’ll be going during spring break time in March. So if I purposely don’t make a genie+ slot until a time 2 hours after park open, is there a risk of the good slots getting all booked up? Seems like this stacking strategy could backfire on a really busy day?

 

[Tiggr88]

Ahhh, understood. So since we are staying on-site and will be able to do the 30 min early entry, it would almost be beneficial to not make a genie+ until past the 2 hours after opening? We used to do this with the Fast Pass system. We normally didn’t even utilize fast pass until around 11am cause we were able to do a decent amount of walk-ons early in the day. Then when afternoon hit we were able to use all 3 fast passes and that got us through the afternoon and almost at dinner time, which is about the time we’d be done with the park for the day.

See my other reply. You can select any return time that goes past 11AM, so your window could actually start earlier. If you want to stack, just make sure you make your second selection before tapping into your first.

There is also a way to potentially get your second stack started earlier but it is a little more difficult to manage.

 

[Tiggr88]

I guess the thing that I would worry about doing this strategy, is say it’s a really busy day. We’ll be going during spring break time in March. So if I purposely don’t make a genie+ slot until a time 2 hours after park open, is there a risk of the good slots getting all booked up? Seems like this stacking strategy could backfire on a really busy day?

That is the tradeoff. What will the standby times be during the first two hours. If reasonable, then you may be better off trying to get two G+ stacked to manage the rest of the day. Or you may be better off getting earlier return times and then just managing the one and getting sooner return times.

Keep in mind this works for any 2 hour window, not just park open. So lets say you do manage to get a few rides in in the morning by not stacking and just using your one slot more earlier and just selecting one at a time. If by 11 or noon the return times are more than 2 hours out, you can simply wait for the two hour rule to apply and start your stack at noon or early afternoon. This is especially helpful if you are going to have a longer lunch break anyway. Basically, any time you can wait 120 minutes since you made a G+, you can make another and have multiple open.

If the crowds are really bad and the return times very far out, don't forget that your not limited to 2. For example:

Lets say at 11 AM you g=et a G+ with a return time of 4-5 PM.
You can now get another at 1PM (2 hours since you made a selection at 11AM). Lets say this return time is 2:30-3;30.
At 3PM, you can make a third selection as long as you haven't tapped into your 2:30-3:30 selection.
Each time you tap into one, you will be able to make another. You now have three stacked reservations you can manage the rest of the day.

Since the return times are so far out to make that work, it really only works if you are planning a long day or want to take a midday break and come back later.

In recent crowds, my daughter never needed to have more than 2 at a time to get on anything. Since we don't know what this will look like with bigger crowds, you'll probably want to monitor Thanksgiving and Christmas to see how it goes.

Hope that helps.

 

[Tiggr88]

Now that you have the basics down, there are some more advanced ways to potentially make this better for you. There is basically a 'hack' that can allow you to start your stack earlier but requires careful management and timing. Same example, park with a scheduled 9AM open.

At 7AM, get G+ for ride A with return time 9-10AM.
At 10AM , your window has expired, so before tapping into ride A, make a another selection for Ride B. This is allowed since the rules are:

Tapped in and used your existing G+​

120 minutes since you made your last or​

your Ride A expired.​

Ride Ride A with G+ before your 15 minute grace period is up at 10:15.

You now have two selections stacked at 10AM instead of waiting until your two hour 11M window. I doubt this is the way Disney intended this to work but it does.

This works only if Ride A has an earlier enough return time to make it worthwhile. For example, getting a return time of 9:30-10:30 only gets you a 30 minute headstart on your stack.
It also requires you to carefully manage your morning to make sure you don't miss your grace period window. If you do, there is a heavy penalty. The system will have considered that ride selected and used whether you rode it or not since it expired. Therefore you will not be able to select that ride again.

Things get a little more complicated if you intend to park hop but that should cover it for staying in one park per day.