Using Genie+ for NON-headline attractions?

[leebee]

Background: Right now, Disney has almost $600 in ticket money "on hold" for a trip in 2021 that we had to cancel due to Covid. I am contemplating a solo trip the summer because I no longer trust that my money will still be there, available to me, by the time we do a big family trip (probably Jan 2024). I also have always wanted to do a solo trip, so this seems like a good excuse! SO... I have severe vertigo and suffer greatly on anything that goes around, has falls and drops, or uses a screen. I am OK on Big Thunder, have my moments of motion sickness on Dinosaur, TSMM, and MMRR. This means no headliners for me! I was wondering what the queues are like for non-headliner attractions. Would it be worth buying Genie+ to skip queues for non-headliners? I guess the "biggest" attractions I'd do are PP, HM, BTMRR, Soarin, Safari, MMRR, and the Lion King and BatB shows, and I can handle a 30minute line.

 

[Miffy]

I guess the "biggest" attractions I'd do are PP, HM, BTMRR, Soarin, Safari, MMRR, and the Lion King and BatB shows, and I can handle a 30minute line.

PPF: There is always a relatively long line for this attraction. You can RD it, but unless you're at the front of the RD line and then basically run to PPF, you will still have to wait 30 or 40 (or more) minutes for it.

HM: In case you didn't realize this, only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open for ETPE (early theme park entry), so HM doesn't open until the official park opening time. If you're there then, you probably won't have to wait long. The rest of the day is a toss-up.

BTMRR: Can't speak on this one but for sure someone else will chime in with info.

Soarin': If you can get to Epcot for ETPE, then you're good here. No wait for Soarin'. G+ unnecessary if you do this.

MMRR: RD or prepare to stand in a 60+-minute line, outdoors, in the sun and heat.

Shows: Not sure about Lion King (we haven't done that recently) but BatB if you get there early enough, you can get a decent seat. But the really good, close seats are G+ reservations. So here it depends on what you want.

 

[DisneyCare]

We walked in 5 minutes before the BatB show last week and had a great view. We weren’t in the front rows, but my family of 5 had an entire bench to ourselves on the right side of the middle-level seats.

 

[3gr8boys]

I would also be considering the summer weather factor....with the discomfort of heat and humidity, skipping even a moderate standby line can make a difference in your day (in my opinion).

 

[rangerxenos]

Depends upon when in Summer you'll be going, and what crowd levels will be like. I recently returned from a 9 day solo trip and didn't use Genie+ at all, I didn't need it, I just rope dropped and stayed until park close.

A lot of rides don't need Genie+, and if you aren't going to do the headliners just keep an eye on wait times. I suggest taking posted Disney wait times with a grain of salt, overall I found them to be severely overstated. I used Touringplans Lines app, yeah, it's about $20 but well worth the money IMHO.

 

[leebee]

I'm thinking of going down mid-to-late August but would have to be home by the 27th. I've been to WDW many times in the summer, so I know what to expect from the heat. However, I don't have a cell phone, so Genie+, mobile ordering, etc. won't be something I can do. Hence the question of whether it's "worth" the trip without Genie+, considering the types of attractions I'd be doing (or not doing!).

 

[Anna131517]

The biggest downfall to not having a smart phone at WDW right now is you can’t check ride times. If you go without Genie+ but can check ride times on Genie then you can go to rides you like when their lines are lower. That can be especially useful in Epcot where ride times can really fluctuate.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Does anyone in your family have an old cell phone not attached to a cell provider? You should be able to use that on Disney wifi to access MDE and Genie+

 

[Tom_E_D]

Does anyone in your family have an old cell phone not attached to a cell provider? You should be able to use that on Disney wifi to access MDE and Genie+

Not just any old cellphone would do. You need a fairly recent one in order to download the MDE app. I discovered that last year when I couldn't find the MDE app on the Google Store because my operating system was too old for it. I found a disneyworld.com webpage indicating what you need (see below). I'm not sure this is up-to-date. Older versions of MDE do not for the most part have Genie+.

 

[DebLovesPooh]

Some of the rides you really want are not the headliners, but can get decent lines if they’re not rope dropped. If you’re going to do them first thing, I don’t think you will need genie+. But the safari can have an hour+ wait after it opens, PP seems to have a long line all day, MMRR can easily be 45 later in the am.

 

[wiggy500]

I don't have a cell phone either and I have used a tablet in the parks. That's another option if you have a fairly new one. Personally, I would much rather pay to skip the lines. Waiting in line alone isn't that fun unless a random eight-year-old starts chatting you up.