Genie+ park based priced!

Can someone please verify for me that now you not only pay for Genie +, but you also pay for it in each park you go to? So if you go to 2 parks in a day, you pay for Genie + twice? And if there's any refund coming to you (Let's say for the purpose of example that it's a big sum like $5), it is YOUR responsibility to go stand in line at GS (thus wasting some of the money you've spent) to get your big refund? Sounds to me like a Chapek idea.
From what I read, you will have to pay the full G+ multi-parks price, then go to Guest Services to get a refund. For example: say you already paid $16 for AK's G+, but change your mind midway and now want to use G+ at Epcot. You will have to pay an additional $27, then go to Guest Services for the $16 refund.

I sincerely hope that's not how this system is going to run. Hopefully they'll figure out just to charge the $11 difference.
 
I seen this coming, but not having to pay more to hop, but we never park hop so I guess that's why. I don't think they will rest until it's in the ball park of what Universal charges.
 
I seen this coming, but not having to pay more to hop, but we never park hop so I guess that's why. I don't think they will rest until it's in the ball park of what Universal charges.
I think the backlash will be even more severe if Disney still kept the glitchy Genie+ system that requires you to get up at 7 am but it cost the same or more than Express Pass where you can scan into any ride (minus Hagrid's) in any order you want.
 
Remember folks, they can mess with the prices and charge us more, but we MUST wait until early 2024 for something remotely " changing " with genie plus as they announced a few months ago. Blah blah blah
 


I seen this coming, but not having to pay more to hop, but we never park hop so I guess that's why. I don't think they will rest until it's in the ball park of what Universal charges.
Doesn't Universal give their deluxe resort guests Express Pass? Would WDW? Or would they but then start charging $1,200/night for the rooms that already cost $800/night?

My head is spinning.

If this is WDW's plan, they are going to start losing a lot of long-term customers. But maybe that's what they want.
 
Doesn't Universal give their deluxe resort guests Express Pass? Would WDW? Or would they but then start charging $1,200/night for the rooms that already cost $800/night?

My head is spinning.

If this is WDW's plan, they are going to start losing a lot of long-term customers. But maybe that's what they want.
Who knows? I know they like the once in a lifetime guest far more than regular guest.
 
Who knows? I know they like the once in a lifetime guest far more than regular guest.
They did say that back in Chapek's time.

Maybe getting rid of the parking fees, restarting AP sales, and having some room discounts is as far as Iger's going to go. I mean, I have no idea.

Besides the dollar aspect, I'm unamused by how every time something's changed, a new complication arises.
 


So...if you have a PH ticket and you do want genie+, but you don't plan to park hop that day, do you still have to buy the PH Genie?

I bought non-refundable PH tickets. With this change, I now wish I hadn't.
I doubt it. That would mean that AP with PH add-on people would always have to buy a multi-park G+ theoretically. So assuming it is up to you as to one or more parks per day. But we'll know soon...
 
Doesn't Universal give their deluxe resort guests Express Pass?
Universal does at their 3 deluxe resorts. WDW will never do this . The number of deluxe rooms at WDW is significantly higher than Universal even with twice the parks. I suspect it could overwhelm ride capacity. The standby line would barely move.
However, I LOVE when we stay at Universal and get our "free Express pass". It makes planning next to nothing other than meal. SO much easier than planning WDW.
 
Universal does at their 3 deluxe resorts. WDW will never do this . The number of deluxe rooms at WDW is significantly higher than Universal even with twice the parks. I suspect it could overwhelm ride capacity. The standby line would barely move.
However, I LOVE when we stay at Universal and get our "free Express pass". It makes planning next to nothing other than meal. SO much easier than planning WDW.
We are long-time disney fans, but last month went exclusively to Universal. Bought AP's, stayed at Portofino Club Level for $372/night, walked to the parks each day, AND enjoyed express lanes at every single ride except Hagrid's. NO planning at all! It was Amazing! Very relaxing. I used to feel that way about Disney, somewhat, but nowadays it's too much planning, too much confusion, and too much stress trying to get on rides without waiting hours. Hoping when they implement changes in Jan 2024 it will make Disney easier so we can relax and enjoy again.
 
Universal does at their 3 deluxe resorts. WDW will never do this . The number of deluxe rooms at WDW is significantly higher than Universal even with twice the parks. I suspect it could overwhelm ride capacity. The standby line would barely move.
However, I LOVE when we stay at Universal and get our "free Express pass". It makes planning next to nothing other than meal. SO much easier than planning WDW.
Agreed 100%. I have the highest AP at Universal which gives me Express after 4 pm. I find Universal WAY more chill than WDW - I go on rides in whatever order I want, whenever I want. I haven't stayed at a hotel that gives Express since it's way out of my budget for a weekend trip (I saw almost $700 for Hard Rock in July) but even staying at Cabana Bay or Aventura it feels very relaxing.

Universal does have it's downsides such as bad quick service options outside of the Wizarding World and too many screen rides, but the lack of planning even for a planner like me is very nice.
 
Edited for clarity and to add: The DHS G+ in the example was only $3 less than the multi-park G+. The only parks where there's a bigger price difference are DAK and Epcot. At this point, I feel that if I have any inclination at all to park hop, I'm going to end up buying the multi-park G+. Here, WDW, take my money. After all, I've never regretted a dime I've spent there--and they probably know it.
I've had G+ glitch on me at 7am. More than once.

foist was in days before modify was added, and we missed out on Slinky. I spent 5 minutes trying to get Slinky. By 7:05am, everything else in HS was pushed out quite a ways. (return times)

We attempted to talk to GS, and they could have cared less. And every minute talking to GS, lines were getting longer. Trying to ask for help, just = sinking further and further.

On another visit, G+ said Remy was down at 7am. In a panic, we grabbed Frozen. The system then allowed me to modify. when I looked, 9am Remy popped up, but somehow between first screen and what we got- the pass jumped from 9am return time to 9pm. This was a pass modified at 7:00:21am.

It was only when we got to Remy - at 9am- that we discovered the pass was actually for 9pm.

Again, CM's could have cared less. The only thing they were willing to do was give us (back) the Frozen G+ pass instead. We tried to use G+ at like 9:02am, then spent 10-15min waiting to talk to CM's, so again ever minute we spent talking to CM's was costing us dearly.

So, both were days where we did not get the full value of G+ at all. Some days, a good chunk of the value of G+ happens between 7am and 7:15am.
 
Doesn't Universal give their deluxe resort guests Express Pass? Would WDW? Or would they but then start charging $1,200/night for the rooms that already cost $800/night?

My head is spinning.

If this is WDW's plan, they are going to start losing a lot of long-term customers. But maybe that's what they want.
Disney already offers something akin to the Universal Express Pass. It is the VIP tour. You can ride whatever you want, whenever you want, via the LL or a back entrance (with a few exceptions, such as you can only ride ROTR once). The cost is not even in the ballpark of what Universal charges, however. It will cost you between $450-900/hour, 7 hour minimum, which covers up to 10 guests (including infants). So that comes out to $4150-6300 for 7 hours (not the whole day, like you get at Universal; if you want that, it is around 11 hours, so the cost goes up to $4950-9900). So if you happen to be able to max out the value by having exactly 10 people on your tour, it is $415-630 per person for 7 hours (not including tip; make that $495-990 per person, if you want the full park day). Most VIP tours that I see (including my own), have between 4-6 people on them, making it even more expensive per person than the figures above.

Thinking that Disney will do anything with the design of G+ or any future skip the line program that would undercut the pricing of the VIP tour is not realistic, IMO. They already get this price every single day. And many, many days, all of the VIP tours are booked up (>90 tours a day during the Christmas season), and there is a long waiting list.
 
Disney already offers something akin to the Universal Express Pass. It is the VIP tour. You can ride whatever you want, whenever you want, via the LL or a back entrance (with a few exceptions, such as you can only ride ROTR once). The cost is not even in the ballpark of what Universal charges, however. It will cost you between $450-900/hour, 7 hour minimum, which covers up to 10 guests (including infants). So that comes out to $4150-6300 for 7 hours (not the whole day, like you get at Universal; if you want that, it is around 11 hours, so the cost goes up to $4950-9900). So if you happen to be able to max out the value by having exactly 10 people on your tour, it is $415-630 per person for 7 hours (not including tip; make that $495-990 per person, if you want the full park day). Most VIP tours that I see (including my own), have between 4-6 people on them, making it even more expensive per person than the figures above.

Thinking that Disney will do anything with the design of G+ or any future skip the line program that would undercut the pricing of the VIP tour is not realistic, IMO. They already get this price every single day. And many, many days, all of the VIP tours are booked up (>90 tours a day during the Christmas season), and there is a long waiting list.
Just adding for those who may not know about VIP tours, the price of the tour does not include park tickets so you also need to factor in the price of a park hopper ticket for each guest aged 3+.
 
Who knows? I know they like the once in a lifetime guest far more than regular guest.

Indeed… that once in a lifetime guest doesn’t know how things used to be so they’re more likely to pay for what used to be free.

“As long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those, that are unable to accept what can be.”
-Thanos
 
I think we must be doing Genie+ with park hopping wrong. We are AP and the times we’ve gotten Genie+ and hopped it’s usually from Hollywood Studios to Epcot. By the time the Studios rides are sold out for the day, the only thing available at Epcot is usually Soarin. I know the difference between the Studios and the multi park is only a few dollars but I just don’t see the point for one ride that has a shorter line at the end of the day anyway. Is everyone else getting a lot of Genie+ rides in their second park? Even if we hop to MK the bigger rides are all filled by then. It seems to make more sense to get the single park when we want it and then utilize the low waits during the end of the day and in extended hours.
 

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