Disney, if you are reading this, get Genie+ out now! Seriously, you can't have the parks this crowded without something!

[CaliforniaGirl09]

If they could make G+ the exact mirror to MaxPass that would be perfection. The G+ with the one ride per attraction is really a buzz kill too. I am wishful thinking that changing the G+ on west coast for re-rides may have been a reason for the delay. A girl can dream!!

I'm dreaming right there along with you, especially after going through all the G+ threads for WDW. It sounds like a disaster there. It's definitely exacerbated at WDW by not having enough rides per park and the distance for hopping (not issues at DLR), but also by taking the premium rides out of the G+ selection, it puts more strain on the others. During peak periods last week, LL selections were gone in mid-morning to midday. And--to really put a cherry on it--WDW was still selling G+ to unsuspecting people who had no idea there weren't any selections available. Speculation is that they didn't put notices up since they know a certain percent of people won't wait in lines to get a refund.

 

[Drewski77]

Park capacity and visitation patterns are different than they were before. Demand for travel and entertainment is way up. They are still hiring to fill positions and get all the entertainment back up and running. The idea they could just slap MaxPass back in and it have a similar result as before seems far fetched. There is no reason to assume that MP would have better results than Genie+ and as I explained above, the differences between then would probably result in MaxPass/FastPass return times being gone for most rides faster than they will with Genie+.

Disneyland was plenty busy before Covid, and had not one, but two Fastpass options, and it worked extremely well.

Disneyland and WDW are not the same, and previously had two different Fastpass systems among other things.

Perhaps the rush to line both parks up with the same Fastpass system is causing issues.

Regardless, companies are judged by results and right now the lack of any Fastpass system at Disneyland is a downgrade, and something that in my opinion was unnecessary when there was a working system.

Genie+ at Disneyland is basically a solution in search of a problem…MaxPass was not broken and didn’t need to be replaced.

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

I'm dreaming right there along with you, especially after going through all the G+ threads for WDW. It sounds like a disaster there. It's definitely exacerbated at WDW by not having enough rides per park and the distance for hopping (not issues at DLR), but also by taking the premium rides out of the G+ selection, it puts more strain on the others. During peak periods last week, LL selections were gone in mid-morning to midday. And--to really put a cherry on it--WDW was still selling G+ to unsuspecting people who had no idea there weren't any selections available. Speculation is that they didn't put notices up since they know a certain percent of people won't wait in lines to get a refund.

My thoughts exactly. Even when G+ launches, need to wait several months for them to tweak it. Not worth it now in WDW. Will only cause additional frustrations if the launch is the same in DL. I'm looking at 2023 for our next trip.

 

[By-Tor and Snow Pup]

So I posted my opinion on another Disneyland forum elsewhere on the internet that Disney should get Genie+ out now and I was met with a downpour of negative feedback. It seems that the population of visitors who go super regularly are very negative about Genie+. Those who go multiple times a month or even weeks are not going to pay $20 every visit. This group is a vocal bunch, so I am wondering if this is the reason Genie+ hasn't been released yet at Disneyland. Personally, I am local-ish, I live about an hour and a half from the park and I have a Dream Key. I go about once a month. My personal experience the last few times was that the park was it was super busy with unrelenting lines. These reports of 45 minutes lines really only being 20 minutes has not been my experience. It seemed to me even the opposite. It seemed to me if an attraction had a low reported wait time throngs of people would rush there and lines would be very long very quick. I am bummed because I bought tickets for visiting family members in December and right now it is not very pleasant time for the full rate paying tourist. If I were a full rate paying tourist I would not be happy at all with the current conditions. That's me. I personally thought the previous Fastpass system worked pretty well and they need it back or a replacement... now.

 

[MonocularVision]

Disneyland was plenty busy before Covid, and had not one, but two Fastpass options, and it worked extremely well.

Disneyland and WDW are not the same, and previously had two different Fastpass systems among other things.

Perhaps the rush to line both parks up with the same Fastpass system is causing issues.

Regardless, companies are judged by results and right now the lack of any Fastpass system at Disneyland is a downgrade, and something that in my opinion was unnecessary when there was a working system.

Genie+ at Disneyland is basically a solution in search of a problem…MaxPass was not broken and didn’t need to be replaced.

My original comment was to folks who were saying “Genie+ is a disaster at WDW because all the return times are gone too early, so they should just release MaxPass instead”. The problem with such a statement is that Genie+ is essentially a less generous MaxPass and if it had the same problems at Disneyland then MaxPass would be even worse. I am not sure how one could argue with that.

 

[Drewski77]

My original comment was to folks who were saying “Genie+ is a disaster at WDW because all the return times are gone too early, so they should just release MaxPass instead”. The problem with such a statement is that Genie+ is essentially a less generous MaxPass and if it had the same problems at Disneyland then MaxPass would be even worse. I am not sure how one could argue with that.

Well, this is a Disneyland thread, and the argument is MaxPass is proven at Disneyland not WDW.

I’m not sure how anyone could argue with that.

 

[MonocularVision]

Well, this is a Disneyland thread, and the argument is MaxPass is proven at Disneyland not WDW.

I’m not sure how anyone could argue with that.

That wasn’t the argument I made or was responding to. But cool.

 

[Bossy22]

maxpass with free fastpass worked well, better than genie is my guess!!!

 

[mommabo]

Why would one think that Genie+ at Disneyland will have LL reservations running out super early in the day like WDW but MaxPass would be fine? If anything MaxPass would be way worse with its 90 minute cool-off period.

If anything I think Genie+, with the 2-hour cool-off, no free option and inability to re-ride will result in a better situation around return times compared to MaxPass.

I see the point Monocular Vision is trying to make (or as I understand it)

First, I loved MaxPass. Love it at $15. Really loved it at $10. Would have loved it $20.
Genie+ is a watered down version, but I’ll take it. Unfortunately it will likely come with some problems, but some of these problems would be there even with MaxPass

While one could argue MaxPass functioned well before the pandemic so it would function well now, isn’t taking into consideration the new restrictions Disney is dealing with (self imposed or not) and these apply no matter the pass system:
*Staffing is still not up to prepandemic levels
*No shows/parades to eat up crowds
*High demand for parks after prolonged shutdown

Let us also remember, even in the golden age of MaxPass, it wasn’t uncommon for headliner rides to “sell out/run out of passes by early in the day. If it happened when Disneyland was running like a well oiled machine, it would definitely be happening in this post pandemic, sand in the gears, era we find ourselves.

I suspect that when Genie+ debuts they will be distributing fewer passes than prepandemic
due to the above mentioned staffing shortage and lack of people eater events. Fewer passes would likely have been distributed with MaxPass as well for the same reasons. Fewer passes, fewer opportunities to ride. With Genie+ limiting to just one ride per pass, and no free FP option, I think this will extend the distribution time a bit longer than what MaxPass would have afforded since re-rides would have been possible and a shorter ‘cool off’ period.

One key for Disney, and based on WDW they have not addressed, is not to sell more Genie+ than they can reasonably accommodate based on the number of passes their staffing can support. Thanksgiving week by all accounts has been bad on both coasts. I‘m not convinced MaxPass would have been the magic bullet. Until the above issues are resolved, I think demand will outpace supply No matter the pass system or lack thereof.

 

[jujubiee4]

Yikes, that is truly horrible. So basically, if RotR is selling out in 1-2 minutes, it’s NOT an improvement over VQ because 1) you have to try in the same frenzied manner as the VQ but if you “win” you also have to fork over money whereas VQ is free, and 2) if you’re not staying on site you’re not even able to try to win. Hmmmmmm…. So how is this better than VQ I wonder? (This is a rhetorical question and not directed at you OP!)

It is an improvement for Disney because they are getting paid for something they use to offer for
free. Having just got back I'm a bit surprised at the number of people buying Genie+ let alone the
ILL$. After all the social media backlash every one we talked to at the parks bought it. No one was
really happy. It will be interesting to see their next earnings report because everytime something sold
out I thought KA-CHING!

We are going back in Jan Feb to WDW only because it is after a cruise. I will be curious to see if all
this demand dies down at all.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I think that the average WDW guest visits less frequently than the average Disneyland guest. So if a WDW guest isn't likely to return in the next year anyway, the fact that they had a bad experience with Genie+ doesn't really affect future revenue very much. But at Disneyland, many more guests plan to go multiple times in a year. A bad experience with Genie+ could lead to them never purchasing it again or worse, them choosing to stop going to Disneyland as frequently.

Genie+ can be an improvement over Fastpass+ for people who couldn't plan that far out in advance such as locals who are now making up more of WDW attendance due to travel restrictions. But Genie+ is clearly a downgrade compared to Maxpass.

 

[Dory92130]

Many locals prefer standby only. There was a significant cheer of FP/MP being suspended earlier this year. FP maybe free, but it was a hassle and ran out pretty early for many rides. MP shined at the end of the night for savvy users grabbing random drops for multiple rerides. Genie+ not going to happen.

Monocular is right -- Genie+ is more restrictive and if implemented at same conditions with MP comparison, Genie+ will be smoother availability since: 1. 2 hour lockout; 2. no rerides. That simply makes the bucket of slots that many more available to users.

Today's environment - MP would perform quite poorly because with rerides, the same denominator exists throughout the day. Not so with Genie+

It really is a supply/demand issue -just like reservations. If there's a max 10,000 slots for Tier 1 ride; they should not sell more than a total of 10,000 Genie+ Really shouldn't be overselling a product with no seat available. That's just plain awful.

 

[alvernon90]

I’m sure the pent up demand plays a big part right now. Longterm we will see if Disney can keep delivering less and charging more.

I've been on these boards a long time and around the Disneyland internet even longer, so I know that these things tend to go in cycles. It depends on what you mean by "delivering less" in many ways, but the "charging more" part is a constant. The parks have better and worse cycles, but as a general rule they have been delivering less and charging more since at least the 1990s. It's just not linear -- sometimes things get better for a while in some ways (like new DCA) but the trend is always downward.

Fastpass covered for a lot of Disney's sins, but they have screwed that up completely now. It remains to be seen if they can continue what they have been doing, but their give less, take more plan has already been in place for the long term.

 

[DizMe]

I've been on these boards a long time and around the Disneyland internet even longer, so I know that these things tend to go in cycles. It depends on what you mean by "delivering less" in many ways, but the "charging more" part is a constant. The parks have better and worse cycles, but as a general rule they have been delivering less and charging more since at least the 1990s. It's just not linear -- sometimes things get better for a while in some ways (like new DCA) but the trend is always downward.

Fastpass covered for a lot of Disney's sins, but they have screwed that up completely now. It remains to be seen if they can continue what they have been doing, but their give less, take more plan has already been in place for the long term.

While it's true they have had a "give less, take more" policy for a long time, but it's been somewhat forced on companies since some decades past (maybe always?) to please shareholders. I also think you'd have to figure in inflation. What companies have not raised prices over the long term? But outside of some dismal periods of poor managerial decisions, Disney has been pretty great about providing new experiences and improvements, IMO, that help offset the increased costs. The money it takes to run the parks and pay the employees is astronomical, and our system of having to please the shareholders isn't limited to Disney but is definitely a reason for decisions that aren't in the interests of the park goers. I do agree that costs have risen and/or things have been taken away, and that that isn't anything new due to economic/societal issues, but I also feel that Disney over the long term has been great about giving us new and fantastic rides and experiences. The fear of many, including myself, is that the current slash and burn is the result of a shift in direction from the top and a systemic change that will have lasting repercussions on the park experience rather than a temporary situation that will improve with improved conditions (supply, number of trained cast members, handling of tickets, pandemic fears, etc). I'm no economist but I see Disney as a highly visible example of current corporate policy in the U.S. I hope that they will recall and again follow the values of honoring the ticket holders rather than viewing them simply as cash cows, because that is what has set Disney apart for most of its existence. I mean, we ARE cash cows, but if you make us feel like you want US to be happy, it makes a huge difference.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Here I am again with my minority point of view, but they should have really limited annual passes/magic keys. I am still shocked they didn't come up with higher prices for the keys. When vloggers have no problems going daily, it is too flexible.

 

[DizMe]

Here I am again with my minority point of view, but they should have really limited annual passes/magic keys. I am still shocked they didn't come up with higher prices for the keys. When vloggers have no problems going daily, it is too flexible.

I'd rather they got rid of vloggers

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I'd rather they got rid of vloggers

An Ebay resellers.

 

[Drewski77]

I see the point Monocular Vision is trying to make (or as I understand it)

First, I loved MaxPass. Love it at $15. Really loved it at $10. Would have loved it $20.
Genie+ is a watered down version, but I’ll take it. Unfortunately it will likely come with some problems, but some of these problems would be there even with MaxPass

While one could argue MaxPass functioned well before the pandemic so it would function well now, isn’t taking into consideration the new restrictions Disney is dealing with (self imposed or not) and these apply no matter the pass system:
*Staffing is still not up to prepandemic levels
*No shows/parades to eat up crowds
*High demand for parks after prolonged shutdown

Let us also remember, even in the golden age of MaxPass, it wasn’t uncommon for headliner rides to “sell out/run out of passes by early in the day. If it happened when Disneyland was running like a well oiled machine, it would definitely be happening in this post pandemic, sand in the gears, era we find ourselves.

I suspect that when Genie+ debuts they will be distributing fewer passes than prepandemic
due to the above mentioned staffing shortage and lack of people eater events. Fewer passes would likely have been distributed with MaxPass as well for the same reasons. Fewer passes, fewer opportunities to ride. With Genie+ limiting to just one ride per pass, and no free FP option, I think this will extend the distribution time a bit longer than what MaxPass would have afforded since re-rides would have been possible and a shorter ‘cool off’ period.

One key for Disney, and based on WDW they have not addressed, is not to sell more Genie+ than they can reasonably accommodate based on the number of passes their staffing can support. Thanksgiving week by all accounts has been bad on both coasts. I‘m not convinced MaxPass would have been the magic bullet. Until the above issues are resolved, I think demand will outpace supply No matter the pass system or lack thereof.

Perhaps not a Magic bullet, but given the line times without any type of Fastpass system, nor things like shows to offer relief, something would be better than no options.

Sort of like having a flat tire: While a spare tire isn’t ideal, it certainly beats having nothing.

 

[DisSurfer878]

An Ebay resellers.

Like, these folks in general. Not just at Disney. These people stink

 

[smeg3030]

I loved fast pass\max pass. It allowed me to help manage my time spent at the parks. I was a signature ap holder and live in NorCal. (But deciding not to get any new ones now.) I'm eagerly anticipating Genie +.

Since I have two young children under 10 it's very difficult to keep them happy in a line for 45 minutes. We did that back in July and it wasn't too pleasant. I really thought they would have rolled it out for Thanksgiving (because that made too much sense...)

I'm wondering if the delay is because of integrating the magic bands into the Disneyland app