The Genie Usage, Tips and Strategy ONLY Thread

[Stephy811]

We go mid-May, two adults and I’m on the fence about Genie+. I’ve been “practicing” here and there by checking tip boards at various times of the day to see what’s left etc. I usually refresh for a few minutes to see what pops up. Even refreshing for a short time (less than 5 minutes), times almost always pop up…I’ve seen SDD, MFSR, MMRR. My question is how hard is it to snag these refresh options? Since we aren’t actually there I can’t go beyond the next screen. Is it pretty much you click on it and you get it or are there error screens possible? is it a case where so many people are refreshing that you hardly ever actually get them? Just trying to gauge how useful refreshing is from people that have actually used this method successfully.

 

[ScarletFire]

I learned about REFRESH from Molly and she gets a lot of views on youtube.

There were times when we selected the refresh option only to have it unavailable once we got to the final screen. Other tries we got an acceptable return time. We mainly used the refresh option later in the day. But, had we known that earlier times were available at 7am, we would have used it then too. My DD24 rode all the headliners at the Studios during spring break using Genie+ and early entry.

 

[T'Lynn]

We go mid-May, two adults and I’m on the fence about Genie+. I’ve been “practicing” here and there by checking tip boards at various times of the day to see what’s left etc. I usually refresh for a few minutes to see what pops up. Even refreshing for a short time (less than 5 minutes), times almost always pop up…I’ve seen SDD, MFSR, MMRR. My question is how hard is it to snag these refresh options? Since we aren’t actually there I can’t go beyond the next screen. Is it pretty much you click on it and you get it or are there error screens possible? is it a case where so many people are refreshing that you hardly ever actually get them? Just trying to gauge how useful refreshing is from people that have actually used this method successfully.

It really just depends. A couple times I saw a LL pop up and got it and a couple times I saw a LL and got the "there are no more LL available" message. It is hit or miss!

 

[HydroGuy]

A tip for G+LL #2 for the "2 hours after park opens" slot. I experienced this at DHS on March 25.

For LL#1 I got MFSR at 7AM. No issue there. It was for a 12:15-1:15PM window. So the two hour rule applied for LL#2.

DHS officially opened at 8:30AM. So LL#2 opened at 10:30AM for me and 10,000+ other people! We were sitting in the Indy Stunt show at 10:30AM. I really wanted to try and snag ToT for LL#2.

So, right before 10:30 I was ready using all the tips from here. And I tried for ToT but it was immediately sold out for the day as often seen on Thrill Data. So I could not get ToT. But before committing to another LL#2 I hesitated to see if a ToT LL would come back. It didn't. Eventually I booked LL#2 for RnR (6:15-7:15PM window) at 10:31 or 10:32.

Here is the thing. That now set my time for the LL#3. It was 2 hours after LL#2. Since I hesitated that 1-2 minutes at 10:30 that put my LL#3 slot at 12:31-12:32. And everyone else gobbled up the remaining good LL's right at 12:30. I did not quite realize that at 12:30 - I was trying to get a LL#3 and MDE would not let me. It said I was not eligible. That changed at 12:31-12:32.

Obviously, if I could have gotten LL#2 for a window before 12:30PM I would not be subject to the 2 hour rule. Or even LL#1 before 10:30AM.

Moral of the story - especially for DHS. When getting LL#2 at the 2 hour rule, try and grab something ASAP. Hopefully you will get your first choice. But if you wait to see if something else pops up you will hurt any chances for a good LL#3.

 

[js]

Hi.
Is there a drop for MK for off-site guests?
On April 20, MK opens at 9 am so 8:30 am for resort guests.
I will be at RD for the Splash, Haunted and Pirate area but was hoping to possibly get
a 7DMT for three people.

Thank you.

 

[HydroGuy]

Based on experience last week during sold out days (April 1 and 2) I will confirm what many others have said - that G+ works really well for MK and is not generally worth it for Epcot.

At MK (April 1, last Friday, park officially opened at 9AM) I was able to get LL#1 at 10:25-11:25AM for JC. That was my goal and it happened. I wanted JC for LL#1 and I wanted it before the 2 hour rule would kick in at 11AM. So I wanted a window that opened before 11AM. Mission accomplished.

There was so much availability for LL#2 and I ended up getting HM at 10:50-11:50AM as we wanted to ride that before lunch.

In the end I got like 7 or 8 LLs that day. As we stayed at the Dolphin we were able to get SDMT at 7AM as an ILL$ with a window of 6:05-7:05PM.

We were so bone tired after MK (we got back to our room at about 11:20PM) that decided to sleep in a bit Saturday morning rather than try and get to Epcot ETPE at 8AM rope drop. I did set my alarm for 6:55AM so I could grab a TT LL and an ILL$ for Remy. That worked great. We got a TT LL for 9:25-10:25AM and Remy for the afternoon. Then went back to bed. We left our room at about 9:30AM and headed to use our TT LL. When we tapped in I started looking for LL#2. And everything was available for an immediate window except for FEA which we were not planning on. I grabbed a Soarin LL. Everything else I just grabbed a LL right before we went on the ride.

While G+ worked for us because we slept in, and was worth it for us for that reason, the line for TT was not that bad at 9:45AM when we got to TT. Like 50 minutes. If we had made rope drop, then G+ would have provided no value at all.

Remy was valuable as we skipped a 75 minute line to ride it at 1PM.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi.
Is there a drop for MK for off-site guests?
On April 20, MK opens at 9 am so 8:30 am for resort guests.
I will be at RD for the Splash, Haunted and Pirate area but was hoping to possibly get
a 7DMT for three people.

Thank you.

Yes, of course. For offsite it is best to use your RD on rides not already open for ETPE. Splash/Pirates/HM are thus perfect.

Getting a 7DMT LL as an offsite guest will be tough unless there is a late drop.

 

[HBGdancermom]

Hi everyone!

My trip is coming up! YAY! I will be booking our arrival day ILL$ and genie+ from the airport. I know when I book the ILL$ it will give me a variety of times to choose from that day. Will the genie+ rides only show the earliest time listed or more times? If so do I just keep refreshing since you can no longer modify a time. My goal is to book SDMT ILL$ for around 12 and Jungle Cruise for 12:30ish.

Thanks!

 

[NJlauren]

If I have genie plus and I’m staying on site, but I’m visiting with someone who is not staying on site, can I purchased paid LL for the person off site at 7am as well?

 

[dmunsil]

If I have genie plus and I’m staying on site, but I’m visiting with someone who is not staying on site, can I purchased paid LL for the person off site at 7am as well?

Only if you're willing to add them to your reservation. If you have room on the reservation to add their name, that's a perfectly fine way to go - you're paying for the room, you can fill it up any way you want.

Keep in mind that Disney charges a per-night fee for each adult over 2 for most room types (campgrounds and DVC resorts do not charge this fee).

 

[NJlauren]

Only if you're willing to add them to your reservation. If you have room on the reservation to add their name, that's a perfectly fine way to go - you're paying for the room, you can fill it up any way you want.

Keep in mind that Disney charges a per-night fee for each adult over 2 for most room types (campgrounds and DVC resorts do not charge this fee).

That’s what I was worried about, we are 4 already and my dad may come for a few days but won’t be staying in the room. Will need to figure it out, thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi everyone!

My trip is coming up! YAY! I will be booking our arrival day ILL$ and genie+ from the airport. I know when I book the ILL$ it will give me a variety of times to choose from that day. Will the genie+ rides only show the earliest time listed or more times? If so do I just keep refreshing since you can no longer modify a time. My goal is to book SDMT ILL$ for around 12 and Jungle Cruise for 12:30ish.

Thanks!

You can choose your desired time for ILL$ so have some control over that. But Disney still can move it around on you. And once they set your window you are stuck with it. I thought I was choosing a 5PM window for ROTR and got 1PM. I thought I was choosing a window for 7DMT at 10:30AM and got 6PM.

For G+ you have to take what is currently available. For super popular rides (which is JC at MK right now for some strange reason) the window will move out quickly. It will be hard to get that for the window you want. Good luck!

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Based on experience last week during sold out days (April 1 and 2) I will confirm what many others have said - that G+ works really well for MK and is not generally worth it for Epcot.

At MK (April 1, last Friday, park officially opened at 9AM) I was able to get LL#1 at 10:25-11:25AM for JC. That was my goal and it happened. I wanted JC for LL#1 and I wanted it before the 2 hour rule would kick in at 11AM. So I wanted a window that opened before 11AM. Mission accomplished.

There was so much availability for LL#2 and I ended up getting HM at 10:50-11:50AM as we wanted to ride that before lunch.

In the end I got like 7 or 8 LLs that day. As we stayed at the Dolphin we were able to get SDMT at 7AM as an ILL$ with a window of 6:05-7:05PM.

We were so bone tired after MK (we got back to our room at about 11:20PM) that decided to sleep in a bit Saturday morning rather than try and get to Epcot ETPE at 8AM rope drop. I did set my alarm for 6:55AM so I could grab a TT LL and an ILL$ for Remy. That worked great. We got a TT LL for 9:25-10:25AM and Remy for the afternoon. Then went back to bed. We left our room at about 9:30AM and headed to use our TT LL. When we tapped in I started looking for LL#2. And everything was available for an immediate window except for FEA which we were not planning on. I grabbed a Soarin LL. Everything else I just grabbed a LL right before we went on the ride.

While G+ worked for us because we slept in, and was worth it for us for that reason, the line for TT was not that bad at 9:45AM when we got to TT. Like 50 minutes. If we had made rope drop, then G+ would have provided no value at all.

Remy was valuable as we skipped a 75 minute line to ride it at 1PM.

Sounds like it worked really well at Epcot also? Why did you think it was not worth it?

 

[js]

Yes, of course. For offsite it is best to use your RD on rides not already open for ETPE. Splash/Pirates/HM are thus perfect.

Getting a 7DMT LL as an offsite guest will be tough unless there is a late drop.

Thank you. Yes, I was asking if there have been notes of "late drops" for MK at Park Open for ILL.
Thank you.

 

[Mango7100]

Has anyone done evening G+/iLL$ stacking for late afternoon/eve hours recently? I'm fairly familiar with the system but have not stacked for evening and know it can be done with a good bit of constant refreshing for later times but anyone have recent experience at DHS doing that? Just saw that the hours for MK on our park day prior to DHS are now 11pm close and EEH are till 1am, which I love but won't love the next AM. I am now leaning to us sleeping in on our DHS day and trying for ROTR at park close, risky I know given it goes down or just wake up for 7am and see what time we might get for iLL$ and hope for a late in the day Rise time.

I know DHS does empty out a ton in the evenings so we're looking forward to that but just curious if anyone's had recent tidbits they can share on late afternoon/evening stacking. TIA!

We recently stacked over Spring Break On a sold out HS day. Started at 7 am and did every 2 hours after park open while we drove down. We entered HS at 545 (park closed at 9) and had MMRR, SDD, TSMM, and Saucers stacked for the evening. Also got a MFSR once we used a LL. So we did 5 LLs and rode MMRR again standby right at close in about 3 1/2 hours.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We recently stacked over Spring Break On a sold out HS day. Started at 7 am and did every 2 hours after park open while we drove down. We entered HS at 545 (park closed at 9) and had MMRR, SDD, TSMM, and Saucers stacked for the evening. Also got a MFSR once we used a LL. So we did 5 LLs and rode MMRR again standby right at close in about 3 1/2 hours.

Thank you for the feedback. I suppose I'm at the mercy of whether or not we get a Rise iLL$ and at what time.

 

[HydroGuy]

Sounds like it worked really well at Epcot also? Why did you think it was not worth it?

It was worth it for us because we wanted to sleep later that morning and not rush out for rope drop. I guess it depends which day you are there but it was a sold out day so I assume it is considered as a crowded day.

If we had made EPTE rope drop we could have done easily TT through Standby then Soarin SB with a short wait. Even at 10AM the Soarin wait was still 10 minutes. All other rides were literally had LL availability right away. E.g., as we were walking to SSE we grabbed a LL as we approached which was for 5 minutes away. Since you can use LL 5 minutes early, we just grabbed it then walked to LL and went in. The SB line was short like 5 minutes. So hardly worth it.

 

[MinnierellaMama]

It was worth it for us because we wanted to sleep later that morning and not rush out for rope drop. I guess it depends which day you are there but it was a sold out day so I assume it is consdiered as a crowded day.

If we had made EPTE rope drop we could have done easily TT through Standby then Soarin SB with a short wait. Even at 10AM the Soarin wait was still 10 minutes. All other dies were literally had LL availability right away. E.g., as we were walking to SSE we grabbed a LL as we approached which was for 5 minutes away. Since you can use LL 5 minutes early, we just grabbed it thne walked to LL and went in. the SB line was short like 5 minutes. So hardly worth it.

While I agree that most Epcot rides don’t have long standby waits, we found the value for Genie+ for our Epcot day to be in being able to stack rides for our hop to MK or HS that evening. On our Epcot day, we used G+ for a LL for TT, then Soarin’ and then Frozen and got all three done plus standby waits for Nemo, Figment and Mission Space all by 1pm. Then at 1pm, I started stacking for our evening at MK. I pulled Peter Pan, Pirates, Small World, and Ariel for my crew. (Splash Mtn, Space Mtn and BTMR were all still available at times as well but my crew didn’t want to ride them that night.) So I think the real G+ value comes if you have park hoppers. Just my two cents…

 

[pens4821]

We found value in genie+ for our Epcot day. We did soarin (posted 45 minute wait), mission space (60 for orange which is what we did), se (30 but it went down so we came back and when we used it it was almost walk on), nemo (25 but not sure if it was actually that long).

 

[T'Lynn]

We also found it had value at Epcot. We used it for Test Track and Soarin' and saved 45 minutes plus on both. We also were able to skip several 15-30 minute lines as well. Overall, it saved us time and let us really enjoy the park with almost no waiting!