The Genie Usage, Tips and Strategy ONLY Thread

[GBRforWDW]

My B,

I wasn't aware there was a limit to how many ILL you could buy, I mean why would they want to limit a persons out of pocket spend?

Haha, I gotcha. Yeah, seems like a weird thing to limit. I mean, limit it to one every 2 hours like the G+ So you could hop and buy more.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Haha, I gotcha. Yeah, seems like a weird thing to limit. I mean, limit it to one every 2 hours like the G+ So you could hop and buy more.

They limit it for the same reason that they limit party tickets which sell out as well. They have a finite supply.

 

[GBRforWDW]

They limit it for the same reason that they limit party tickets which sell out as well. They have a finite supply.

The limit we're referring to is how many passes one person can buy in a day, not how many passes can be bought per day per ride.

If the passes are available throughout the day, there's a thought that if someone wants to spend the money, let them.

 

[Miffy]

Started yesterday at DHS and hopped to DAK.

We were lucky and able to get on MDE at exactly the right moment to get an ILL$ for Rise--after the ILL$ system was down for quite a while starting at 7 am.

At 7am we booked G+ for TSM.

At lunch we booked G+ for KS at DAK for 3:20.

We arrived at DAK around 2:45 or so. Booked G+ for KRR since nothing for NRJ was available--or ever became available. Also, no ILL$ for FoP were available when we decided to hop and none appeared at all the entire time we were there.

The G+ for KRR wasn't necessary. By the time we got to KRR--around 4:15 pm, the standby wait was 5 minutes.

We've been here almost a week and we still haven't figured out how to get all the G+ attractions we want on any given day. The only exception to this is days where we wanted only 1 G+ ride, so essentially paid ILL$ price for it.

If we stayed in the parks from open to close, we would have less of a problem with this, I think, but we don't. Often by 2 hours after park opening, G+ times for desirable attractions are already for times in the late afternoon so, for us, there was no point in our booking them,

Furthermore, we spend a heckuva lot of time hanging around, waiting for the next thing we booked. I can't imagine why Disney would think this benefits them. Does it? How could it?

And we and a huge % of the people around us in every park we've been in are constantly staring at the phone screen.

And for everyone who thinks that WDW made G, G+, and ILL$ to even the playing field so that somehow knowledgable guests wouldn't have an advantage, I have big news for you: Knowledgable guests still have an advantage because, judging by everyone I've spoken to in the last week, hardly anyone knows how these new systems work. I mean, people aren't even aware they need park reservations. And innumerable people I've chatted with had no idea that you didn't need to buy G+ in order to purchase ILL$.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

The limit we're referring to is how many passes one person can buy in a day, not how many passes can be bought per day per ride.

If the passes are available throughout the day, there's a thought that if someone wants to spend the money, let them.

The passes are not available throughout the day. Some of them sell out within seconds (ROTR). 7DMT sells out on busy days before park open, so does Ratatouille. They are limiting them because the supply is finite.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

There are lots of good reasons to complain about Genie+ but complaining when Disney takes an up charge option and essentially lowers the price by including it in Genie+ is not a good reason to complain. If they made that change permanent and not just during Christmas that would greatly improve the guest experience.

 

[Runnsally]

There are lots of good reasons to complain about Genie+ but complaining when Disney takes an up charge option and essentially lowers the price by including it in Genie+ is not a good reason to complain. If they made that change permanent and not just during Christmas that would greatly improve the guest experience.

A less expensive guest experience is different than a better guest experience.

 

[wisblue]

The limit we're referring to is how many passes one person can buy in a day, not how many passes can be bought per day per ride.

If the passes are available throughout the day, there's a thought that if someone wants to spend the money, let them.

This isn’t a strategy point and really doesn’t belong on this thread.

But, If they didn’t limit how many one person could buy, some people with deeper pockets would snap up as many as possible, making it more difficult for people on tighter budgets to get one.

 

[princesslover]

There are lots of good reasons to complain about Genie+ but complaining when Disney takes an up charge option and essentially lowers the price by including it in Genie+ is not a good reason to complain. If they made that change permanent and not just during Christmas that would greatly improve the guest experience.

I am still heartbroken that old favorites like Everest and Space Mountain are now separate paid attractions. I would have like to be a fly on the wall to hear that thought process.

 

[Mesh]

My trip starts Monday so it is during the period where Everest, Space, Frozen, and MMRR will be included in Genie+. I’m wondering how much this changes the best strategy for what to book at 7 am. My daughter doesn’t ride Everest or Space, but I will be watching tomorrow to see how those additions change the ride availability for the rides we will be doing. I now think I will book Frozen at the 7 am for our Epcot day. I am unsure about HS…to go for MMRR or Slinky first.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I am unsure about HS…to go for MMRR or Slinky first

I figure SDD will still go fastest. But will definitely be paying attention. We're at DHS Friday the 24th, but I think my decision will be between MMRR and TSM. Haven't talked my daughter into going back on SDD (also no everest or space). We'll see how she feels after the other parks next week tho.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I am still heartbroken that old favorites like Everest and Space Mountain are now separate paid attractions. I would have like to be a fly on the wall to hear that thought process.

Depending on when your trip is, these are not separate paid attractions from Dec 19-Jan3. Hopefully this bodes well for them becoming non-ILL$ in the future.

 

[GBRforWDW]

This isn’t a strategy point and really doesn’t belong on this thread.

But, If they didn’t limit how many one person could buy, some people with deeper pockets would snap up as many as possible, making it more difficult for people on tighter budgets to get one.

Yeah, you're right, it doesn't belong. It was also only half the point I was making, but since it's not about strategy, I'll stop talking about it in here.

 

[kboo]

I figure SDD will still go fastest. But will definitely be paying attention. We're at DHS Friday the 24th, but I think my decision will be between MMRR and TSM. Haven't talked my daughter into going back on SDD (also no everest or space). We'll see how she feels after the other parks next week tho.

We are flying in tomorrow and figure we may go to HS for a bit in the afternoon. Probably won’t try for ILL at 7 since we have more HS park days later. Does it make sense to buy G+ and get some afternoon rides lined up, and if so, is SDD or MFSR (assuming both are available) the one likely to have a longer standby time?

just concerned whether we’d be able to do much of anything going to HS for a few hours in the afternoon with no G+.

(also if we booked one G+ around 7A could we book another one at 9A (or later, but before riding the G+ pass booked at 7, or has that changed?)

 

[g-dad66]

We are flying in tomorrow and figure we may go to HS for a bit in the afternoon. Probably won’t try for ILL at 7 since we have more HS park days later. Does it make sense to buy G+ and get some afternoon rides lined up, and if so, is SDD or MFSR (assuming both are available) the one likely to have a longer standby time?

just concerned whether we’d be able to do much of anything going to HS for a few hours in the afternoon with no G+.

(also if we booked one G+ around 7A could we book another one at 9A (or later, but before riding the G+ pass booked at 7, or has that changed?)

SDD will go fast, so it is the one you should book at 7am.

HS opens at 8:30 tomorrow, so you will be eligible for your second LL at 10:30 (2 hours after park opening).

You could then book third LL at 12:30.

Three LLs (SDD, MFSR, and either MMRR, RnRC, ToT, or TSM) lined up for afternoon doesn't sound bad to me (but on the other hand, $15.00 per person always sounds bad to me)

 

[GBRforWDW]

Well, just like Disney, 3 out of the 4 rides downgraded to G+ were not available at 7am to select. Only Expedition Everest showing available times. SDD still went in a minute though, so don't think too many thought about MMRR not being available.

Expedition Everest and Navi are keeping up with each other though with their availability.




I'm in central time, so that's why 6am.

 

[wisblue]

Well, just like Disney, 3 out of the 4 rides downgraded to G+ were not available at 7am to select. Only Expedition Everest showing available times. SDD still went in a minute though, so don't think too many thought about MMRR not being available.

Expedition Everest and Navi are keeping up with each other though with their availability.

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I'm in central time, so that's why 6am.

I didn’t look right at 7 AM EST, but they are all available now at 7:15 with return times shortly after park open. So, anyone who wants to select those as their first LL selection should be able to do it.

 

[GBRforWDW]

I didn’t look right at 7 AM EST, but they are all available now at 7:15 with return rimes shortly after park open. So, anyone who wants to select those as their first LL selection should be able to do it.

They must have shown up right at 715, lol. I looked at 714. .

 

[wisblue]

QUOTE="g-dad66, post: 63615073, member: 228864"]
SDD will go fast, so it is the one you should book at 7am.

HS opens at 8:30 tomorrow, so you will be eligible for your second LL at 10:30 (2 hours after park opening).

You could then book third LL at 12:30.

Three LLs (SDD, MFSR, and either MMRR, RnRC, ToT, or TSM) lined up for afternoon doesn't sound bad to me (but on the other hand, $15.00 per person always sounds bad to me)
[/QUOTE]

We plan to do something like this on our arrival day when we come for Marathon Weekend.

As you say, SDD will disappear first and quickly. There is also a good possibility, especially on a crowded day, that MFSR will no longer be available 2 hours after park open as a second pick.

But, IMHO, getting one of SDD or MFSR plus TSMM and one other will still make for a much more enjoyable afternoon/evening than going without G+ at all. If we get both SDD and MFSR I would consider that a bonus.

It‘s a matter of personal opinion whether that extra enjoyment is worth $15 a person.

 

[Miffy]

We've been here since Monday and the only advice I have is this: Book your ILL$ first thing and if there's even one G+ attraction you want, book that at 7 am as well. Consider anything on top of that that occurs at a time that's convenient to you to be a huge plus.