Disney Genie announcement

[Jrb1979]

I remember when they had the paper tickets for the fast pass lanes at WDW and we had a blast using these. It sounds to me like Genie+ will just be a digital version of this but not all rides are included. For my situation which is usually 5 days at Disney with 4 people the cost would be $300.00 for all 5 days. But, if I am reading it right ( Please correct me if I am wrong) photopass and memory maker are included. If you deduct the $170 cost for memory maker it would be a $130.00 difference for my family of 4 to have unlimited LL access on all rides except for the 2 most popular rides in the park.
Sounds pretty good to me. I will say, I hope Genie+ does not lead to paid access to restaurants. For instance, Genie+ always takes a certain percentage of tables at the most popular restaurants like CRT and BOG and allows you, the day of in the app, to pay per person and “magically“ unlock those tables. Reservations are hard enough to get already.

Memory Maker is not included at WDW. Photopass is included at DL.

 

[neverenoughtime]

Pics are only included at DLR.

So wdw does not include memory maker or photopass?

 

[Violetspider]

So wdw does not include memory maker or photopass?

Nope!

 

[ZeeWP]

Yeah, plus on the video, Genie plus only tells you if its suggestion for the next attraction is "longer than usual" or "shorter than usual" for wait times. I want an actual time estimate. I will 100% be sticking with Touring Plans. I think this will turn out to bring a lot of business to Touring Plans. Plus, I can't help but to think Disney is going have it programmed to spread out the crowds more evenly, not necessarily do the best thing for you as an individual.

Yeah, I can't see how it's in Disney's best interest to tell people to go to 7DMT at rope drop when they can sell it. They might--just because it's so obvious--but I think it's to Disney's detriment to give away "low busy" when they can have the same people buy it. More likely, the plan will say "Hey look, Astro Orbiter has a low line! go ride that now." rather than "Oh it's only 20 minutes at 7DMT.go ride it now."

 

[luv2cheer92]

So wdw does not include memory maker or photopass?

No. BTW, photopass is free. Thats just the service of the photographers taking your pics. Memory maker is the package to buy those photos.

 

[natieya]

I am a little confused by the "If guests have a date-based ticket or vacation package, they will be able to purchase Disney Genie+ as part of the package." I thought pretty much everyone had date based tickets now.

Some of the discounted armed forces tickets don't have specific dates attached initially.

 

[Jmljasmine]

I remember when they had the paper tickets for the fast pass lanes at WDW and we had a blast using these. It sounds to me like Genie+ will just be a digital version of this but not all rides are included. For my situation which is usually 5 days at Disney with 4 people the cost would be $300.00 for all 5 days. But, if I am reading it right ( Please correct me if I am wrong) photopass and memory maker are included. If you deduct the $170 cost for memory maker it would be a $130.00 difference for my family of 4 to have unlimited LL access on all rides except for the 2 most popular rides in the park.
Sounds pretty good to me. I will say, I hope Genie+ does not lead to paid access to restaurants. For instance, Genie+ always takes a certain percentage of tables at the most popular restaurants like CRT and BOG and allows you, the day of in the app, to pay per person and “magically“ unlock those tables. Reservations are hard enough to get already.

I thought memory maker/photo pass was only included in DL so you can't subtract that when considering WDW.

 

[MickMick]

I am going to pay for the Genie+ and probably the two LL's.

But I'm a solo traveler. I will pay for the convenience. However if I had a spouse and children, we would vacation elsewhere.

 

[Poor Gail]

I remember when they had the paper tickets for the fast pass lanes at WDW and we had a blast using these.

I remember them with great loathing. They were a lot more strict about the return times back then. You got to go all the way to the ride, trying not to get run down by speedy youngsters acting as their family runner, get the paper, then lurk in the area so that you didn't miss your time. Unless the time was hours away, you rarely had time to go stand in another line and risk missing your pass, so you wound up haunting gift shops. Great for Disney, I'm sure, but frustrating.

 

[quandrea]

I am going to pay for the Genie+ and probably the two LL's.

But I'm a solo traveler. I will pay for the convenience. However if I had a spouse and children, we would vacation elsewhere.

And I think you are the guest Disney is seeking these days. They don’t want middle aged people like me with a whole crew of kids. We can’t, and won’t pay for this, and we don’t do the add ons. We are AP holders, but once you scale up all these add ons by a factor of five or six, it gets crazy.

 

[SL6827]

I remember when they had the paper tickets for the fast pass lanes at WDW and we had a blast using these. It sounds to me like Genie+ will just be a digital version of this but not all rides are included. For my situation which is usually 5 days at Disney with 4 people the cost would be $300.00 for all 5 days. But, if I am reading it right ( Please correct me if I am wrong) photopass and memory maker are included. If you deduct the $170 cost for memory maker it would be a $130.00 difference for my family of 4 to have unlimited LL access on all rides except for the 2 most popular rides in the park.
Sounds pretty good to me. I will say, I hope Genie+ does not lead to paid access to restaurants. For instance, Genie+ always takes a certain percentage of tables at the most popular restaurants like CRT and BOG and allows you, the day of in the app, to pay per person and “magically“ unlock those tables. Reservations are hard enough to get already.

The Photopass is not included, right?

 

[MickMick]

And I think you are the guest Disney is seeking these days. They don’t want middle aged people like me with a whole crew of kids. We can’t, and won’t pay for this, and we don’t do the add ons. We are AP holders, but once you scale up all these add ons by a factor of five or six, it gets crazy.

That just sticks in my craw. I'm middle-aged childfree by choice, and I love seeing children’s reactions to the “magic of Disney.”

Disney will never be Disney without children.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around this. It feels like a money grab. I hate that I can't reserve my rides in advance.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

This is still an option. Just don't buy Genie+.

thanks for the advice!
I will most likely buy the massage …. It is more than the genie would be for my entire 9 day trip and would mean more to me….

 

[squirk]

Does anyone remember when you went to a park and waited in line. Seemed like that was so much less stressful.
If you want to go on the ride you waited and if you didn't you went back to the pool, and hung out. Or went to the spa and got a massage.

Ah, yes. The golden, stress-free days of standing in the August Orlando sun for 60 minutes to get on Rock ‘n Rollercoaster or Peter Pan. Good times.

 

[quandrea]

That just sticks in my craw. I'm middle-aged childfree by choice, and I love seeing children’s reactions to the “magic of Disney.”

Disney will never be Disney without children.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around this. It feels like a money grab. I hate that I can't reserve my rides in advance.

I hope you weren’t offended by my comment since you are child free. I mean no ill will to childless people. I just think Disney identifies single and child free people as bigger spenders. And I think they are courting this demographic. I do things like pack snacks and make dinner in my villa. That kind of thing must drive them nuts.

 

[MickMick]

I hope you weren’t offended by my comment since you are child free. I mean no ill will to childless people. I just think Disney identifies single and child free people as bigger spenders. And I think they are courting this demographic. I do things like pack snacks and make dinner in my villa. That kind of thing must drive them nuts.

No offense. I agree with your statement. I think Disney is headed down the wrong path.

I rarely eat table service. I always go out for a nice dinner. There are great restaurants outside the bubble.

I wonder how this will impact park times. I'm not an all day park visitor. When I'm done, I'm done.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Ah, yes. The golden, stress-free days of standing in the August Orlando sun for 60 minutes to get on Rock ‘n Rollercoaster or Peter Pan. Good times.

Who goes to Disney in August? That seems just silly….. Disney is like oysters, Never in any month without an R …

 

[Violetspider]

I am going to pay for the Genie+ and probably the two LL's.

But I'm a solo traveler. I will pay for the convenience. However if I had a spouse and children, we would vacation elsewhere.

Solo childless traveller as well on half my visits (my nephew's DVC family invites me once a year). I too am going to try G+ for at least one day at MK and one at HS, but I don't think I will need it more than that. I may do one IAS LL for FOP to see how that works, but I won't be partaking after that. I'm 100% at VQ to date, so ROTR and Remy's should be doable at least two times each. I am concerned how the IAS for ROTR will affect that VQ, but if I don't get that one I won't feel too badly. I've been on it multiple times my last three trips.

All that said, I'm seriously considering letting my AP lapse after next year once I've experienced Tron and Guardians. I think it's time.

 

[squirk]

Who goes to Disney in August? That seems just silly….. Disney is like oysters, Never in any month without an R …

I agree with you - I'd never go in August. But I'm pretty sure the numbers are there.

To your larger point, though, I think Disney has been hoisted by their own petard here. We've been trained for 20 years that there's a better way to get on rides than standing in a long line for an hour or more. And we've come to expect this better way to be included in the cost of our ticket.

So with people getting angry or upset, Disney really has no one to blame but themselves. They cultivated this mindset for a long time.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Too many new acronyms !

TMNA, indeed.