Thank you to everyone for posting / answering questions over the last few years. It took every bit of that information to make it through last week.
The GOOD:
We started off for 3 days / 2 nights at UO. Stayed at Royal Pacific for the Express Passes. What a great perk those are! We were able to take our time and pretty much do all of our "must dos" multiple times. The parks were crowded, but we never really saw any EP lines over 20 minutes. The crowding is a problem though. You really can't stop and take both of the Harry Potter worlds in. There's always a group behind you ready to bump into you, if you stop.
That being said, my kids (and the adults with us) loved it there! We were able to take time to practice spells / enjoy performances / grab HP themed treats. While all that would have still been possible without the EP, the EP made it much more enjoyable. It was really nice to be able to answer "dad, can we go on that again?" with a "yes".
We then moved over to Disney World. We rented points and stayed in BLT. We booked a lake view, but had a great view of the MK too! Great for watching fireworks away from the crowds. The room was still considered a Lake View, but, IMO "just barely".
The BAD:
Going to bed late, knowing you have to wake up at 6:50am and immediately start your day off in a stressful situation. It sucks. I would wake up constantly, worried I would sleep through my alarm. Rinse and repeat for all 6 Disney park days. It's also very hard to get back to sleep (at least for me) once that situation is over. The adrenaline is still there.
The UGLY:
The MDE app couldn't handle the influx of requests each morning. The first morning, I was lucky enough to get Jungle Cruise at 10:30am. The app then became non-responsive for about 10 minutes after that. I would get security code after security code. I guess I was lucky to get JC / anything at all.
The GOOD:
I was able to use tips I learned on here to let the JC LL expire first in order to book another LL. We then checked into JC, which allowed me to immediately book another LL and start stacking. We were able to have a very productive / enjoyable morning / afternoon at MK.
The BAD:
We then hopped over to Epcot for dinner / Harmonious / Deluxe hours. Everyone in our party was disappointed with Epcot. Once Harmonious ended (we were in Italy for a prior late dinner), we started walking over to Soarin' to take advantage of the Deluxe hours. It takes so long to walk to the main attractions within the park, by the time we finished Soarin' / walking over to and riding Test Track we had to run to make Frozen before midnight. 3 rides (barely) in those 2 extra hours. On a side note, the Frozen ride was a total letdown. 90+ minute waits for that during the day / paying for a IAS?! Just crazy. (I'd put PP and Na'vi river journey into this mix too)
Epcot is a nightmare with all the construction. After those Deluxe hours, we avoided it like the plague. Glad we didn't waste any park reservations on it. We missed Remy, but nobody was disappointed.
The UGLY:
The next few mornings, MDE crashed hard. I received 60+ verification codes on Tuesday and 30+ on Wednesday. I was able to get MFSR for 6:30pm, but ROTR and SDD were long gone within seconds.
The VERY GOOD:
We got into the standby line for ROTR and while my wife waited with the kids, I went over to the Guest Experience Team. I basically said "I know it's all about who's fast enough, but we didn't even have a chance to be fast" and then I scrolled through the 60+ emails from Disney. They were blown away by how ridiculous that was. They gave us an anytime IAS for ROTR! I thanked them for doing the hardest job in the park. The lines were fairly long at these tables all day. No doubt due to MDE crumbling under the pressure.
The GOOD:
Hopping into SDD at park close is absolutely the best way to ride it. The wait time is way off (90 minutes) and we waited maybe 25.
The BAD / UGLY:
MDE crashed again the next day. I was lucky enough to grab a FOP IAS before being locked out, but the late time wasn't ideal for our dinner / park hopping plans. We had to adjust some things, but in the end, made it work. This is also the day, the loopholes in Genie+ were closed down. With no notification, of course. I spent so much time on my phone that day trying to make things work for another LL after checking into my current one. It just kept telling me I'd be allowed to make another one in 2 hours. Read about the change later that night here and on other boards.
The AWESOME:
Hopped over to MK for Deluxe Hours. This was, by far, the most fun we had during the trip! Started in Tomorrow Land and knocked out rockets / space mountain (including a rider swap). Hit IASW, PP, HM, BTM and SDMT. We finished our first SDMT ride with 2 minutes left in the park. We ran around the exit and were able to get in line again as the last guests. Leaving the park that night, with it being almost empty was AMAZING. We really were able to take it all in.
The GOOD:
On Thanksgiving we took it slow since the night before was a late night. We did pool and I monitored things to set up some LL at MK later in the day. We also popped into SDMT right at closing. 90 posted, 30 actual.
The GOOD:
Took advantage of Early Entry on Friday at HS. Totally lucked out and were able to hop on a bus just about to leave for HS as we arrived at the bus stop. Breezed through security / tapped into park and made our way over to GE. We were queued right outside the tunnel and they started letting people into the land before 8 to queue up for Rise. We really never stopped moving! They started the ride up right away! We were on and off by 8:20. Hit MFSR right after. On and off by 8:45am. Hit TSM and Alien SS after that. Somehow lucked out (during the 7am cluster) and got a SDD LL for 10:10am. So by 10:30 we were done with GE and all the Toy Story rides! Hit ToT, Oga's and Star Tours before leaving to head back to the hotel for a (much needed ) break. Had dinner at California Grill and finished the night at MK. Popped into SDMT at parking closing. 80 posted, on and off in 20.
On our final day, I purchased IAS for my wife and older son on Space Mountain (his favorite) and me and my younger son on SDMT (his favorite). We also did Splash and BTM via standby.
Then it was off to the airport.
Final Thoughts:
We ended up having a very good time***. Memories that will (hopefully) last a lifetime, were made. However, I really don't see us going back (for many many years, at least). It really is just too much work / too many restrictions and too much luck is involved for what it costs. It is also just too crowded. If you stop to take things in, you get bumped into or hit with a stroller / ECV. The Genie system is very flawed. The major one being only able to choose the next available time. If that time doesn't work for your schedule, you either have to roll the dice and pick another ride or keep checking until the times get later. Also, not being able to "modify" a time is a real drag. The only way to change a time is to cancel / hope the better time is available when you go to re-book. It's a big risk. Genie is also a complete waste at AK and EP. The headliners are IAS, so unless you plan to hop out, I would skip it there. Mobile ordering is great, but make sure you pay attention (especially for places like Woody's) as the pick up slots can climb into early afternoon pretty quickly. But once you get your food, you still have to then try to find a table amongst the crowds.
It is VERY expensive and everywhere you turn, there is an another opportunity to spend more money. You never really feel like you've spent enough and I didn't enjoy that feeling at all.
If your kids like bigger / more advanced rides, you're really limited. We were able to get them to go on once, but they had no desire to re-do rides like: Pirates, IASW, PP, Na'vi, Frozen, Tomorrowland speedway, Barmstomer, etc.
***Again because of these boards / Disney blogs. I can't imagine trying to navigate those parks / Genie / park reservations etc with very little prep. I can't tell you how many times we saw a group tap into a LL entrance only to be told by the CM "I'm not seeing a LL pass for you. Did you make a LL reservation?"
So again, THANK YOU ALL!
This was the first true Genie+ test (sold out parks) and we survived. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer.
The GOOD:
We started off for 3 days / 2 nights at UO. Stayed at Royal Pacific for the Express Passes. What a great perk those are! We were able to take our time and pretty much do all of our "must dos" multiple times. The parks were crowded, but we never really saw any EP lines over 20 minutes. The crowding is a problem though. You really can't stop and take both of the Harry Potter worlds in. There's always a group behind you ready to bump into you, if you stop.
That being said, my kids (and the adults with us) loved it there! We were able to take time to practice spells / enjoy performances / grab HP themed treats. While all that would have still been possible without the EP, the EP made it much more enjoyable. It was really nice to be able to answer "dad, can we go on that again?" with a "yes".
We then moved over to Disney World. We rented points and stayed in BLT. We booked a lake view, but had a great view of the MK too! Great for watching fireworks away from the crowds. The room was still considered a Lake View, but, IMO "just barely".
The BAD:
Going to bed late, knowing you have to wake up at 6:50am and immediately start your day off in a stressful situation. It sucks. I would wake up constantly, worried I would sleep through my alarm. Rinse and repeat for all 6 Disney park days. It's also very hard to get back to sleep (at least for me) once that situation is over. The adrenaline is still there.
The UGLY:
The MDE app couldn't handle the influx of requests each morning. The first morning, I was lucky enough to get Jungle Cruise at 10:30am. The app then became non-responsive for about 10 minutes after that. I would get security code after security code. I guess I was lucky to get JC / anything at all.
The GOOD:
I was able to use tips I learned on here to let the JC LL expire first in order to book another LL. We then checked into JC, which allowed me to immediately book another LL and start stacking. We were able to have a very productive / enjoyable morning / afternoon at MK.
The BAD:
We then hopped over to Epcot for dinner / Harmonious / Deluxe hours. Everyone in our party was disappointed with Epcot. Once Harmonious ended (we were in Italy for a prior late dinner), we started walking over to Soarin' to take advantage of the Deluxe hours. It takes so long to walk to the main attractions within the park, by the time we finished Soarin' / walking over to and riding Test Track we had to run to make Frozen before midnight. 3 rides (barely) in those 2 extra hours. On a side note, the Frozen ride was a total letdown. 90+ minute waits for that during the day / paying for a IAS?! Just crazy. (I'd put PP and Na'vi river journey into this mix too)
Epcot is a nightmare with all the construction. After those Deluxe hours, we avoided it like the plague. Glad we didn't waste any park reservations on it. We missed Remy, but nobody was disappointed.
The UGLY:
The next few mornings, MDE crashed hard. I received 60+ verification codes on Tuesday and 30+ on Wednesday. I was able to get MFSR for 6:30pm, but ROTR and SDD were long gone within seconds.
The VERY GOOD:
We got into the standby line for ROTR and while my wife waited with the kids, I went over to the Guest Experience Team. I basically said "I know it's all about who's fast enough, but we didn't even have a chance to be fast" and then I scrolled through the 60+ emails from Disney. They were blown away by how ridiculous that was. They gave us an anytime IAS for ROTR! I thanked them for doing the hardest job in the park. The lines were fairly long at these tables all day. No doubt due to MDE crumbling under the pressure.
The GOOD:
Hopping into SDD at park close is absolutely the best way to ride it. The wait time is way off (90 minutes) and we waited maybe 25.
The BAD / UGLY:
MDE crashed again the next day. I was lucky enough to grab a FOP IAS before being locked out, but the late time wasn't ideal for our dinner / park hopping plans. We had to adjust some things, but in the end, made it work. This is also the day, the loopholes in Genie+ were closed down. With no notification, of course. I spent so much time on my phone that day trying to make things work for another LL after checking into my current one. It just kept telling me I'd be allowed to make another one in 2 hours. Read about the change later that night here and on other boards.
The AWESOME:
Hopped over to MK for Deluxe Hours. This was, by far, the most fun we had during the trip! Started in Tomorrow Land and knocked out rockets / space mountain (including a rider swap). Hit IASW, PP, HM, BTM and SDMT. We finished our first SDMT ride with 2 minutes left in the park. We ran around the exit and were able to get in line again as the last guests. Leaving the park that night, with it being almost empty was AMAZING. We really were able to take it all in.
The GOOD:
On Thanksgiving we took it slow since the night before was a late night. We did pool and I monitored things to set up some LL at MK later in the day. We also popped into SDMT right at closing. 90 posted, 30 actual.
The GOOD:
Took advantage of Early Entry on Friday at HS. Totally lucked out and were able to hop on a bus just about to leave for HS as we arrived at the bus stop. Breezed through security / tapped into park and made our way over to GE. We were queued right outside the tunnel and they started letting people into the land before 8 to queue up for Rise. We really never stopped moving! They started the ride up right away! We were on and off by 8:20. Hit MFSR right after. On and off by 8:45am. Hit TSM and Alien SS after that. Somehow lucked out (during the 7am cluster) and got a SDD LL for 10:10am. So by 10:30 we were done with GE and all the Toy Story rides! Hit ToT, Oga's and Star Tours before leaving to head back to the hotel for a (much needed ) break. Had dinner at California Grill and finished the night at MK. Popped into SDMT at parking closing. 80 posted, on and off in 20.
On our final day, I purchased IAS for my wife and older son on Space Mountain (his favorite) and me and my younger son on SDMT (his favorite). We also did Splash and BTM via standby.
Then it was off to the airport.
Final Thoughts:
We ended up having a very good time***. Memories that will (hopefully) last a lifetime, were made. However, I really don't see us going back (for many many years, at least). It really is just too much work / too many restrictions and too much luck is involved for what it costs. It is also just too crowded. If you stop to take things in, you get bumped into or hit with a stroller / ECV. The Genie system is very flawed. The major one being only able to choose the next available time. If that time doesn't work for your schedule, you either have to roll the dice and pick another ride or keep checking until the times get later. Also, not being able to "modify" a time is a real drag. The only way to change a time is to cancel / hope the better time is available when you go to re-book. It's a big risk. Genie is also a complete waste at AK and EP. The headliners are IAS, so unless you plan to hop out, I would skip it there. Mobile ordering is great, but make sure you pay attention (especially for places like Woody's) as the pick up slots can climb into early afternoon pretty quickly. But once you get your food, you still have to then try to find a table amongst the crowds.
It is VERY expensive and everywhere you turn, there is an another opportunity to spend more money. You never really feel like you've spent enough and I didn't enjoy that feeling at all.
If your kids like bigger / more advanced rides, you're really limited. We were able to get them to go on once, but they had no desire to re-do rides like: Pirates, IASW, PP, Na'vi, Frozen, Tomorrowland speedway, Barmstomer, etc.
***Again because of these boards / Disney blogs. I can't imagine trying to navigate those parks / Genie / park reservations etc with very little prep. I can't tell you how many times we saw a group tap into a LL entrance only to be told by the CM "I'm not seeing a LL pass for you. Did you make a LL reservation?"
So again, THANK YOU ALL!
This was the first true Genie+ test (sold out parks) and we survived. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to try to answer.
Last edited:
That's not how Disney should be. And I will quote the famous line read on here many of times, "Walt is rolling in his grave." 
), but on-site guests staying in value and moderate could receive a discount on LL and maybe deluxe getting free like they do at UO.
Not all resorts at UO get the express pass perk only the 3 (Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, Portofino.) Good gravy for the price of Disney resorts they need to give more perks back. 
