Whats changed in last 2 years?

[longtimedisneylurker]

Yes I am logged in and with the same account I used on the DL website. I have the physical ticket printed out so we will just figure out the app when we enter the park. We are doing DCA today. A full day at DCA is new for us. We usually park hop so I’m not worried about time today. I know we will get everything we want done.

Hmm ok. You can try scanning the ticket with the phone app or manually entering the barcode. Go to tickets and passes in the app and select link tickets and passes. Maybe that will do it.

 

[coaches24]

Hmm ok. You can try scanning the ticket with the phone app or manually entering the barcode. Go to tickets and passes in the app and select link tickets and passes. Maybe that will do it.

We are back home from our trip and it went really well, but we found out what the ticket issue was. So back story, We had 3 tickets. One was bought two years ago and never used. I called several weeks back to pay the difference for todays ticket price and get it reactivated which I did. Then I bought two other tickets and made the 3 reservations for our trip this labor day weekend. I printed out the two tickets I had bought new as a precaution. Well when we went to scan in those two tickets did not work. The reason they didn’t show up in the app is because they were voided a week after I bought them. Turns out disney sent me an email about it with new tickets a week after I bought them. It didn’t say they were voided, just here are your tickets and action is needed. I didn’t pay attention to that action needed part. The CM at the ticket booth told us the computer showed our tickets were voided on Aug 9 which is 7 days after we bought them. That made me go back in my emails and find a disney email from Aug 9 and look at it to see the action needed part. Clicked on it to see the tickets and realized the number on the ticket was different. The CM printed the tickets for us so we could add them to the app. Then we tried to scan in and it said we didn’t have reservations for that day. So I had to do that at the turn style which wasn’t an issue since the reservations weren’t full this weekend. So they canceled our original tickets but not the reservation that came with them because on my account it showed I had 3 reservations still even though my tickets weren’t good anymore. So that was pretty confusing and frustrating way to start the trip. I’m glad it was our DCA day though because we were still able to do all the rides without a problem.

So lesson learned. Always actually read the emails that disney sends when you are planning on going on a disney trip lol. Even when you think you already have everything set.

 

[coaches24]

Now about our trip. The genie plus was showing as 50 dollars per person per day the days leading up to our trip. But when I looked at the app after scanning into the parks it was half that price so we got it both days to try it out.

Honestly I don’t think we needed it at DCA. The only ride it was really helpful with was GOTG. The rest of the rides we were able to ride without it. What I did learn though is that the later into the day it gets the less genie + helps. The lightning lanes get super long at night for the popular rides like GOTG. Yes it moves faster than the standby but still not worth it imo. There were times throughout the day when we were able to catch rides with short wait times in standby. But at the end of the night when GOTG had a 3 hour stand by the lightning lane line was almost to the exit of the ride after being too long for the que.

But including genie we rode gotg 3 times including twice in the monsters after dark version. Incredicoaster a handful of times with most being single rider but a couple of times as a group.

TSMM once (i really dislike this ride and was reminded why I usually skip it)

Monsters inc

LMM twice

Maters twice

RS 4 times with single rider

WS once (also not my favorite ride, guess I don’t like these kinds of rides)

Fam did GSS twice

Soaring once

GRR once, though DW was about to go again later when it broke down as she was walking up for single rider.

Our DL day was really good. We rope dropped ROTR and it was up and running so we lucked out there.
We genied IJ
rode POTC and BTMRR
all in all by the end of the day we rode BTMRR 3 times
Pirates 4 times
HM once with genie +
IJ once with indy+ though DD went again in stand by with friends that were with us.
Space 4 times with SR for all but one
MH twice
Mickeys run away train once with genie +
WFRR once as it opened just as we were getting in line for mickeys so some of us walked on before the line started

Dumbo once
Yea cups once
JC once

MF some in the group did a couple of times but I find it boring so I skipped it.

ROTR twice as around dinner time we saw the line was only 35 min so we went over quick and got in line.

Buzz 2 times

star tours once

Some went on toads WR

and I think that covers it.

Fun trip overall and we got on all the rides we wanted to do. We had a much bigger group than I was expecting. We knew a couple of families were joining us but it ended up being a group of 15 at some points which was a bit much so we didn’t stay together the whole time.

 

[irlandaise]

Now about our trip. The genie plus was showing as 50 dollars per person per day the days leading up to our trip. But when I looked at the app after scanning into the parks it was half that price so we got it both days to try it out.

Question for Disney regulars: is that a typical occurrence? Should one generally wait to buy Genie+ until after entering your first park to get a better rate?

 

[brightlined]

Now about our trip. The genie plus was showing as 50 dollars per person per day the days leading up to our trip. But when I looked at the app after scanning into the parks it was half that price so we got it both days to try it out.

Maybe a misread? The highest it's ever been at DLR is $30.

Question for Disney regulars: is that a typical occurrence? Should one generally wait to buy Genie+ until after entering your first park to get a better rate?

With the exception of tickets that come with it, you can't buy it in advance - you have to have entered the park first. So the price shouldn't vary - it'll be whatever it was scheduled to be that day.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Maybe a misread? The highest it's ever been at DLR is $30.


With the exception of tickets that come with it, you can't buy it in advance - you have to have entered the park first. So the price shouldn't vary - it'll be whatever it was scheduled to be that day.

Just chiming in with a similar comment. Genie+ has never been $50/day since its inception. $30 is the highest it goes, $25 is the lowest (at this point).

 

[skellinton]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is MSFR? It is mentioned as having single rider lines and I cannot figure out what that is.

 

[brightlined]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is MSFR? It is mentioned as having single rider lines and I cannot figure out what that is.

MF:SR - Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

 

[pindecisive]

DW is against spending the money on genie so what do I need to know about navigating the parks without that?

We were experts at utilizing single rider and fast pass before covid but it sounds like things have changed now? Fast pass wasnt being used 2 years ago.

I am a big time rides person . DW likes shows more. DD is like me with rides but sill stop for shows more than I like to.

IMO, currently DL is very difficult to do (and enjoy) without Genie+, especially if you're a ride person. I personally would not visit DL without it.

Other things that have become prevalent over the last couple years are using the app and Mobile Order. The app gives generally pretty accurate wait times and it's frequently much easier to order via Mobile Order and pickup than wait in line.

 

[skellinton]

MF:SR - Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Thank you! it was the MF throwing me off I guess. I just call it Smugglers Run.

 

[Aladora]

Is there a trick to getting my tickets on the DL app? I see them when i log into the website but on the app it wont let me link them.

I had trouble linking them by scanning the barcode but it worked when I manually typed in the long number on the ticket.

 

[coaches24]

All I know is that when I was trying to look up how much it would be to get genie plus in the days before our trip I kept seeing 50 bucks per person per day for the days we were there. I thought that was ridiculous and likely would not have gotten it.

With that said even at $25 I dont really think it was worth it. With a good plan we could have ridden all of those rides still without a ton of line waiting. Single rider and watching the wait times on the app could have been very productive IMO.

In DCA the only ride we really "needed" genie plus for was GOTG. In DL Indy and Haunted mansion were where it was most helpful. We were able to ride everything else even without genie and didn't have to wait in long lines to do it. I even took an hour and a half break for a fantasy football draft in the afternoon on our DL day or I would have hit more rides. While I miss fast pass, my past knowledge of the parks and rides was still very helpful in getting on the rides I wanted to do. I dont know when we will go again, but as of right now I think I would do park hoppers and not buy genie +

 

[SpaceMan5]

Question for Disney regulars: is that a typical occurrence? Should one generally wait to buy Genie+ until after entering your first park to get a better rate?

Even though I am not a DL regular, I had a couple of thoughts.

First, $50!! I didn't think it would go that high?

Second, on our last trip we arrived mid-day and opted for the Genie+ because the wait times were long. When we hit the parks first thing in the morning we waited to purchase Genie+ to see how the wait times were shaping up. We never felt the need to purchase it since the wait times were not that long.

 

[laugard]

Even though I am not a DL regular, I had a couple of thoughts.

First, $50!! I didn't think it would go that high?

Second, on our last trip we arrived mid-day and opted for the Genie+ because the wait times were long. When we hit the parks first thing in the morning we waited to purchase Genie+ to see how the wait times were shaping up. We never felt the need to purchase it since the wait times were not that long.

It doesn't, or at least hasn't up to now. There's an account that posts daily on the Genie+ cost and it's never been $50.

 

[SpaceMan5]

It doesn't, or at least hasn't up to now. There's an account that posts daily on the Genie+ cost and it's never been $50.

That is what I was thinking as well. From what I recall it has been $25

 

[chezcurrie]

I have never seen G+ go above $30. Perhaps that was the total to add it to 2 tickets ($25 each)

For me, the value in G+ is not to “ride everything with no wait” but to “guarantee” our top 2-3 rides. This compounds so for instance not having to wait an hour plus for Guardians (a priority) means we also can ride other things in that time, etc etc, which increases our overall enjoyment of our day. I find it most useful in the afternoon crunch time and evenings, so I typically modify our plans to accommodate that. You can get a lot done in the morning without it, but it’s so nice in the heat of the day or when you have cranky kids/teenagers.

So glad you had a great trip OP!

Edit: G+ price for us has always been between $20-25.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

So far as I know, Genie+ at Disneyland resort tops out at $30 per person. We have been there a few days when it was that price, a couple days this past June and a couple days during Thanksgiving week last year for example. The rest of our visits the price has been $25. We never seem to be there when demand is considered low enough to price it at $20.

 

[pindecisive]

In DCA the only ride we really "needed" genie plus for was GOTG. In DL Indy and Haunted mansion were where it was most helpful. We were able to ride everything else even without genie and didn't have to wait in long lines to do it. I even took an hour and a half break for a fantasy football draft in the afternoon on our DL day or I would have hit more rides. While I miss fast pass, my past knowledge of the parks and rides was still very helpful in getting on the rides I wanted to do. I dont know when we will go again, but as of right now I think I would do park hoppers and not buy genie +

I agree, that I don't think Genie+ is currently needed for DCA, but most people park hop and don't do a full day of DCA.

For us, Genie+ was invaluable because it let us bypass the long line for the popular rides so we had time to ride the less popular rides.

If someone asks me to pay $5 to bypass a 45 minute wait? I'm going to do it. Just like I take advantage of EE and having a shorter walk to the park by staying onsite.

After my experience during our trip in April I consider Genie+ part of our park ticket cost. I could get lucky and hit a slow day, but I'm not going bank on that.

 

[chezcurrie]

I agree, that I don't think Genie+ is currently needed for DCA, but most people park hop and don't do a full day of DCA.

For us, Genie+ was invaluable because it let us bypass the long line for the popular rides so we had time to ride the less popular rides.

If someone asks me to pay $5 to bypass a 45 minute wait? I'm going to do it. Just like I take advantage of EE and having a shorter walk to the park by staying onsite.

After my experience during our trip in April I consider Genie+ part of our park ticket cost. I could get lucky and hit a slow day, but I'm not going bank on that.

Oh definitely for park hopping it is a must for us - you can knock off standby rides in the am while stacking the popular rides for your second park. Works a treat!

 

[Duanerice]

I am so against Genie+. It's basically a paid Fast Pass.... typical Disney. Anyway, we are going for 2 days and unfortunately will buy Genie+. We will be spending too much money to stand around (coming from S Florida). So I get it but it's the old, don't bite your nose to spite your face..... lol