MAJOR changes to Genie+!

[acgardne]

I don't know how I feel about this change. I honestly loved using genie plus this past trip, even if I didn't use it at Epcot (but paid the I'm lazy fee and pre bought it).

We pre-bought as well, and that exact issue of just buying for an entire trip makes it difficult for Disney to determine how many people actually want to use it for a given day. I agree with everyone else that this is the first step in limiting daily availability.

How that will work with park hopping is anyone’s guess!

 

[Miffy]

It's priced too low if that many people are buying it.

That's one way of thinking of it. Another way is that whatever the price there should be a cap on the number sold.

Please, people, stop suggesting to Disney that they raise the price on yet something else! Thank you!

 

[reddog21]

I bolded your point about free Fastpass+ because I feel like a lot of people forget how awful the standby lines were even when Fastpass was free (not pointing you out or anyone specifically, I'm talking about in general). I remember standing in lines in 2017-19 where they didn't move even a single centimeter meanwhile the Fastpass line was breezing on by. I feel like in terms of Genie+ it works the worst in HS. I remember seeing posts on here and on WDW Facebook groups I'm in talking about how everything except for the shows and Star Tours was gone for the day by 11 am. It's difficult to stomach paying $60 plus tax for a family of four during a busy period to only get one ride.

How is this different than any other them park anywhere that has a version of "lightning lane" which every theme park has? I feel like Disney World fans live in some kind of bubble and don't realize that Disney is doing that same thing as every other theme park except somehow they always seem to make it more difficult.

 

[gracelrm]

My daughter will be there June 4-10 and hasn't purchased it yet. Can she still do advanced purchase right now for June 5-7th?

 

[Smugpugmug]

How is this different than any other them park anywhere that has a version of "lightning lane" which every theme park has? I feel like Disney World fans live in some kind of bubble and don't realize that Disney is doing that same thing as every other theme park except somehow they always seem to make it more difficult.

It's not. I was just pointing that out because for some reason a lot of people seem to misremember Fastpass+ in that long lines didn't exist with it when that wasn't the case at all. I see it all the time on here and on other Disney discussion pages. Genie+ and Fastpass+ clog up the standby line in the exact same way and you get the added bonus of Disney making their system more complicated and frustrating. For other parks, I noticed that Universal did a better job balancing the Express vs standby line.

 

[Marionnette]

How is this different than any other them park anywhere that has a version of "lightning lane" which every theme park has? I feel like Disney World fans live in some kind of bubble and don't realize that Disney is doing that same thing as every other theme park except somehow they always seem to make it more difficult.

It used to be that Disney was an industry leader. They've become an industry "follower". They were once set apart and above other theme parks and lately they have acted like #justanotheramusementpark.

 

[bbeagle]

One good thing about this switch is that starting January 1, 2023 - nobody will have Genie+ pre-paid on their tickets.

Disney can easily switch up what Genie+ does or costs or who can get it any day they'd like to after this. This could be their whole plan. Need to get the grandfathered people off of it, or have a very low number of people on it, and then we can change it completely.

I'd imagine the number of people with Genie+ who are going around Christmas will now be around 10% instead of 50%.

 

[ericbansemer]

You were able to get them to honor your original ticket price? I purchased before the price increase and when I tried to add Genie + on MDE, it wanted me to pay almost $200! it should be about $130 to add genie to our 8 day tickets.
If they did honor your price, do you mind me asking what # you called?

Yep and I called +1 (407) 939-5277

 

[k5xs]

So now guests can stay up past midnight to buy G+, and awaken the next morning at 6:50 so they can try to buy single LL attraction access at exactly 7am.

Chapek must have discovered coffee sales were lagging.

 

[HopperFan]

I’m so confused on how G+ isn’t working because “too many people are buying” it when they used to give fastpass for free to all for 3 rides and less people are buying G+ than those that received fastpass. Is it because people aren’t getting thr G+ rides they prefer? Or people want 5 rides for $15 instead of 2-3 rides? Or the lines aren’t fast enough? I’m lost.

You aren't lost, you are correct. FP+ = 3 passes in advance and rolling them all day for free. It worked. Most people didn't bother so they sat in SB lane. Genie+ isn't working because it's inflexible and they are using it to force people around the park how they want offering limited times. (I've never heard of anyone saying they couldn't buy it - I don't think there is a cap on selling it, just a cap on return times).

I think it boils down to (1) it's a clunky, inflexible, step back system that needs work! I could see them pulling folks back from including in their booking to lower expectations and complaints, perhaps during this time trying to figure out improvements. (2) They are looking at dynamic pricing and are not prepared to commit to prices in advance like Universal.

Bottom line I think overall the Genie+ is a crappy system, they know it (all but admitted in DL) and hopefully they are working on something - which would explain their sudden non-commitment to future days.

As I've said - two weeks in two months using the LL lane and they weren't as busy compared to FP+. We got no advantage better than FP+, still the same stand still points. Again, when they reported the G+ income they chose their words carefully and never really provided facts - much like Disney does with all numbers they report. If the last QT the sales went down (there's been enough negative PR) perhaps they decided to step back from commitment and work on it.

 

[ericbansemer]

You are lucky they honored the old ticket price. It does state somewhere that if you add on Genie plus to your already purchased tickets, if there had been a price increase, you will be charged the difference in price as well as the charge for Genie+.

Yea, I didn’t see that fine print but I guess I am lucky. I got a great CM on the phone and it was her idea to call over guest services to make sure our park tickets stayed the same price because if she tried to do it on her own it would change it to the new prices.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Disney has removed the ability to purchase Genie+ in advance. You can only buy Genie+ day of visit, day by day. And there will be limited availability. So they might sell out on some days.

https://blogmickey.com/2022/05/disney-removing-pre-arrival-purchase-option-for-disney-genie/

https://blogmickey.com/2022/05/disn...ity-starting-june-8th-sell-outs-now-possible/

Awesome, so now in addition to having to wake up at 6 am every morning to make your first selection, you will have had to stay up tilll midnight the night before in order to ensure you don’t get sold out the next day. Bob Chapek reallly really hates disney guests.

 

[CarolynFH]

My daughter will be there June 4-10 and hasn't purchased it yet. Can she still do advanced purchase right now for June 5-7th?

Yes, as long as she adds it to her tickets before June 8, she should be fine. She will be able to add it to all days, not just through the 7th, as long as she does it before June 8 when the change occurs.

 

[ChipTheRescueRanger]

UK is losing the pre discounted genie price

 

[kanerf]

I have here in WDW since last Thursday and when I buy Genie+ it is usually the morning of my visit right before booking starts at 7. I have never not been able to purchase it, so I don’t think that is really an issue.

 

[Mle8308]

Yea, I didn’t see that fine print but I guess I am lucky. I got a great CM on the phone and it was her idea to call over guest services to make sure our park tickets stayed the same price because if she tried to do it on her own it would change it to the new prices.

Good for you!!! I think it was awful that they were doing that to people! Paying full price for Genie+ is fine, but then increasing the price on already purchased tickets - ridiculous, and shows how penny wise and pound foolish Disney is becoming.

 

[MaC410]

I have here in WDW since last Thursday and when I buy Genie+ it is usually the morning of my visit right before booking starts at 7. I have never not been able to purchase it, so I don’t think that is really an issue.

If everything remains the same. If they start capping purchases who knows how quickly it will sell out.

 

[Mle8308]

Probably a marketing ploy to get more people to buy it. Once you make something potentially harder to get, the more people want it. FOMO. Now people will be clamoring to buy Genie+ at midnight just so they don't miss out. Who knows if they will really limit it or are they just creating a false demand for Genie+? I don't think they have thought this out so well. Like many others have said, now they make you think you have to stay up until midnight so as to not miss out, then wake up at 6:55am to try and book LL's. Some vacation! Nope, not for me.

 

[lockets]

I believe that for the casual guest -who isn’t constantly refreshing or read hours of material on it pre-trip - by mid-day, the rides and times available in G+ are disappointing.

During our March trip, I can’t tell you how many conversations we would overhear in lines about this. Someone in the group would be staring at their phone and announce that the next available ride would be some low interest attraction (Nemo, Star Tours, etc.) roughly 2 hours in the future. The rest of the party would mutter an unenthusiastic ok and that was it. So they might get a few rides using G+, but hardly the headliners and times that they would be (somewhat reasonably) expecting.

If they charge more but sell fewer, then the hope would be that for those who purchase it, they could have more selection and more times to choose from.

Gotcha. Makes sense. And after, for example, 4 pm at MK that happened to me too where I essentially felt “all that’s left is crap” as far as ride choices.

I do have to say, though, I’m sketch on this idea that if they sold less and charged more then people would get what they want and be happier.

It’s logical, but…

Unfortunately I don’t trust Disney these days to deliver that.

I think if they did that they’d still under deliver. I don’t think they are opening up enough ride spots. I used G+ this year during packed park days in January and got a lot of rides on it (but the caveat is I didn’t go to Hollywood studios and my understanding is G+ is worse there plus I was on my phone ALOT to make it all work). I did notice that the LL were super fast no matter what the wait time said. Most of them practically walk ons. I think they need to release more spots (be a little less stingy with the ride availability) and it’s ok for LL to go a tad bit slower (15 min vs 5 min for instance) but they don’t want to do that. They just want to take peoples’ money any way they can get it for literally less rides promised (two “to three”) than people used to get for free with fastpass. I mean really you can’t make this #%*+ up!

Any way - every few months they change the system. It’s a constant moving target. Let’s see what comes next…

 

[Praying Colonel]

I worry this is going to be a huge inconvenience for guests. If there's a cap to Genie+, will guests have to stay awake to add this at midnight to avoid being shut out? And then will they have to get up early to make their first reservation at 7am? That...doesn't seem like fun.

I literally lol'd when I read this. Not at @meremac, but that you could say this about virtually every change Disney has made to the guest experience in recent years.