Scathing report from Frommer's on Genie+/LL

[MonocularVision]

Yep. I don't think the division is MK holders vs. regular ticket holders. It's more like LOCAL MK holders vs. non-local MK holders vs. regular ticket holders.

That’s a fair distinction but I would still be the local MK’ers numbers dwarf the non-local MK’ers.

 

[Lisa24jks]

That’s a fair distinction but I would still be the local MK’ers numbers dwarf the non-local MK’ers.

Oh, for sure! It’s much easier to justify the cost of a MK when it’s right down the street or freeway from you.

The only reason I can justify it from out of state is because I have a friends & family rate at Hilton properties. And I had to do a bit of math to make sure it was worth the cost. (It has been!) Most others I know around here who are Disney people go once or twice a year if they are able to, so MK isn’t worth it to them.

 

[Nonsuch]

...If you think it's that bad here you should give micechat a try.

Every thread on MiceChat is similar to this one, at least before I abandoned MC years ago.
MC does publish excellent weekly articles -- often see Dusty Sage roaming the parks.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

Disney used to be something that worked incredibly well for our vacations, which is why years ago we bought into DVC. We would go stay in a villa for 7-8 nights. Annual passes and multi day tickets were much more reasonably priced, so we would either have AP or 7 day tickets. We would do the park most days, but usually only for maybe 5 hours total. We could do our 3 fast passes, hit a couple smaller rides or a show, and eat a table service meal. The rest of the time was relaxation at the resort. If we went to the parks and they were really crowded, we’d stay shorter. I loved Disney that way. It was relaxed. It was fun. It was the mix that worked for us.

Now, you pay so much for a single day ticket, not to mention Genie or LL andd on’s, and the whole week deal is nothing like it used to be. So you do one day, maybe two during a week’s stay. You feel you have to get there at opening and stay until closing since it’s one of your only days. You’re exhausted, tired, and done with the fun long before the park closes. Plus instead of your 3 fast passes you booked months ago, you’re on your darn phone trying to book Genie - or up at 7 to get a LL or Que ride. And, if the one or two days you picked turn out to be bad weather, it’s worse. I think a lot of people feel like this and that’s why the parks feel so crowded. Everyone trying to do everything in a day. You can get a heck of a lot more people in a park with less wait time if they only stayed for half the park hours. But outside of the ‘parties’ there are no half day half the price tickets.

Disney is no longer fun like it used to be. We still use our DVC and just stay at the resort outside of a day or two. And we stopped bringing extended family as we don’t want to face the complications and costs to do park trips.

I agree with Frommer’s that Genie is a disaster, and I hope Disney changes things so those of us who stay onsite and want the option of the half day parks for a reasonable price can go back to those.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Just sold another DVC contract today, so now two in ROFR. AP's dropped last year. Sold two contracts at the end of 2023...movin' on Disney but your suits don't care, obviously. We still have several contracts including direct for now. Cancelled 2024. Just not feeling the love.

 

[starlite_]

Disney is no longer fun like it used to be. We still use our DVC and just stay at the resort outside of a day or two. And we stopped bringing extended family as we don’t want to face the complications and costs to do park trips.

I feel like that sentence should be followed by "for us". Disney is no longer fun for you, and that it super valid. But's it's not a general statement, Disney is still fun for lots of other people.

 

[Pluto468]

When I walk into CarsLand, I feel like I'm actually in the world in which the story takes place. It is a familiar place that I know and love from the movies. The same is true for the Harry Potter sections of Universal Orlando. It's the strong sense of, "I know this place and now I'm here and it's awesome!" I don't get that from the overall land of Galaxy's Edge. I was expecting something we had seen on-screen in a previous Star Stars movie.



This is exactly how I feel 1100%. They wrote the book series more or less to justify the park's existence in universe. To build on @StarlitNight05, it's like if instead of taking place in Radiator Springs, CarsLand was set in a town you never saw in the movies, but was mentioned once on a sign or in a line of dialogue from a spin-off book. Batuu is not something a casual fan is going to know or be familiar with. They went with something completely new and unfamiliar, which was a huge problem/disappointment for me.

If they insisted on setting the land during the sequel series, set it on Tatooine and anything that isn't 100% accurate to the 1977 movie can be explained away with "its decades later and things change."

Everyone in my family loves Star Wars and we always spend time in Galaxy's Edge, but I was so disappointed/surprised when "Star Wars Land" (as we called it before we knew it was Galaxy's Edge) wasn't on Tatooine.

I really hoped it would be like walking into Mos Eisley. It would make much more sense and I think it would be even more popular.

I've read alot of the books and while there are plenty of cool SW planets out there, nothing is as cool at Tatooine (For me.)

 

[NorCalFanatic]

I feel like that sentence should be followed by "for us". Disney is no longer fun for you, and that it super valid. But's it's not a general statement, Disney is still fun for lots of other people.

Agreed, we love the DLR (and Aulani). Go several times a year to DLR and have lots of fun. Will be there again next month and cannot wait!

 

[MillauFr]

Never knew that Frommers is still a thing in 2024...

 

[Minnie1222]

Genie+/iLL may not be popular with Frommer's and some guests, but they're well-liked by our family. Our trips are usually booked 2 to 4 weeks before arrival, hence we really appreciate the spontaneity of G+/iLL. Most people I know do not book Disney trips far in advance. As a matter of fact, our friends are looking at hotels right now so they can join us next week.

 

[LKing]

Genie+/iLL may not be popular with Frommer's and some guests, but they're well-liked by our family. Our trips are usually booked 2 to 4 weeks before arrival, hence we really appreciate the spontaneity of G+/iLL. Most people I know do not book Disney trips far in advance. As a matter of fact, our friends are looking at hotels right now so they can join us next week.

Search this forum. You'll find plenty of people planning months to years in advance.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Genie+/iLL may not be popular with Frommer's and some guests, but they're well-liked by our family. Our trips are usually booked 2 to 4 weeks before arrival, hence we really appreciate the spontaneity of G+/iLL. Most people I know do not book Disney trips far in advance. As a matter of fact, our friends are looking at hotels right now so they can join us next week.

Since this was posted on the Disneyland forum, I will say that I planned all of my DL trips about a year in advance. I'm not local so that included flights, hotels, dining, etc. If I ever went back, I would be planning that far ahead too.

 

[NorCalFanatic]

Search this forum. You'll find plenty of people planning months to years in advance.

Being non local and DVC all of our trips are planned 11 months in advance. All our trips for 2024 are already booked and we’re already planning 2025.

 

[ksinniger]

I just wonder what would happen if they got ride of Genie + & Lightening Lanes and just went back to the 80's and everyone got in & stood in line. My guess is that lines would not be as long as they are now.

So, this is what it was like in the first few months after COVID. There were absolutely still really long lines. But they moved. You're much more willing to wait 90 minutes if you can tell you're moving up every time a new ride vehicle loads than if you're watching hundreds of people stroll past you while you stand still. It was GLORIOUS. But there were a lot fewer people in the parks then than there are now, and we all know Disney doesn't WANT us waiting in lines when we can be spending our $$ in restaurants or shops.

 

[starlite_]

Search this forum. You'll find plenty of people planning months to years in advance.

Minnie1222 literally said "Most people I know". She didn't say: No one going to DLR plans in advance.

 

[BrianL]

What I don’t get is why we haven’t seen Batuu in one of the Disney+ series yet.

It has been mentioned, but it is pretty odd that they've never filmed a scene there. I mean, there are several locations where they could film that would look super appropriate. Mando stopping by Blackspire would make total sense.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Being non local and DVC all of our trips are planned 11 months in advance. All our trips for 2024 are already booked and we’re already planning 2025.

Same. Even before we owned DVC, I planned basically as soon as hotels and flights opened up.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I really hoped it would be like walking into Mos Eisley. It would make much more sense and I think it would be even more popular.

Agreed. It's the problem with the land as a whole. Galaxy's Edge biggest problem was the setting is a brand new place people have no connection to. This is going to make me sound like one of those fans and I promise I'm not. I can tell you why it's not like going into the Mos Eisely Cantina, even though it looks almost exactly like Mos Eisley. The first time I went there it looked right but something felt wrong/off. I couldn't put my finger on it until I carefully rewatched the scene. The door is in the "wrong" place if they were going for the Mos Eisley Cantina.

 

[starlite_]

Agreed. It's the problem with the land as a whole. Galaxy's Edge biggest problem was the setting is a brand new place people have no connection to. This is going to make me sound like one of those fans and I promise I'm not. I can tell you why it's not like going into the Mos Eisely Cantina, even though it looks almost exactly like Mos Eisley. The first time I went there it looked right but something felt wrong/off. I couldn't put my finger on it until I carefully rewatched the scene. The door is in the "wrong" place if they were going for the Mos Eisley Cantina.

I've said it before but I still stand by it. I don't think Galaxy's Edge is made for Star Wars super fans. It's not made for those who already love the franchise and would be able to tell the door is in a dif place. It is made to evoke the feeling of Star Wars without actually committing to a in-world location.

It works great in that sense, my parents love it and aren't Star Wars fans. I love it as well, and I'm not a super fan either even tho I really enjoy the franchise. I would never have been able to tell about the door for example.

Honestly not to sounds cliche, but all that sand? No thank you , I am glad they didn't recreate the dump that is in-world Tatooine.

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing I don't know, I just know that everyone I've ever gone to that land with (around 8 dif ppl from 2 dif generations) have loved the place. I just wish there were more things to do in it.

 

[BrianL]

I've said it before but I still stand by it. I don't think Galaxy's Edge is made for Star Wars super fans. It's not made for those who already love the franchise and would be able to tell the door is in a dif place. It is made to evoke the feeling of Star Wars without actually committing to a in-world location.

It works great in that sense, my parents love it and aren't Star Wars fans. I love it as well, and I'm not a super fan either even tho I really enjoy the franchise. I would never have been able to tell about the door for example.

Honestly not to sounds cliche, but all that sand? No thank you , I am glad they didn't recreate the dump that is in-world Tatooine.

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing I don't know, I just know that everyone I've ever gone to that land with (around 8 dif ppl from 2 dif generations) have loved the place. I just wish there were more things to do in it.

I agree with you in general, though my preference would have been to not emulate a "location" at all and rather jsut be a theme park land with a mish-mash of regognizeable Star Wars things.

You're right though - who wants to go to Tatooine!