The Pro-Genie App discussion thread - speculate how the app could make your trip next trip great!

[::danielle::]

Are you excited about how the Genie app could make your next trip better, even if that means paying for convenience?

What features do you hope it will have?

This thread is a safe place to discuss why you’re ready and (tentatively) excited for the Genie app to debut.

 

[sjberg79]

Nice try, Bob Chapek.


I'm hoping it's like MaxPass in Disneyland but I suspect it's going to be more like a la cart purchase of fastpasses. Either way, to a point I am prepare to pay.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

1. No
2. I hope it doesn't make my Disney vacations more overscheduled and unjoyful.
3. I wonder why an open forum would be a safe place.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

No I am not excited for the genie app. I agree with above poster.

 

[cakebaker]

As long as I'm not forced to use it, I don't care about it's release.

Just tell me what the price is for a Lightning Pass type of thing and I'll do my own deciding on where to go and what to do.

 

[Farro]

I still can't even figure out what it's supposed to do.

 

[FrannyFrogs]

So we're big fans of WDW and DL planning a first visit to Disneyland Paris next summer. I'm kind of happy about the paid Premier Access option. My plan is to strategically hit the most popular rides at rope drop or closing for no $$$, BUT as a fallback option I'm willing to pay for a short line on one or more rides we just can't fit in otherwise. We have limited days to visit the parks and I want to do all the best things!

I think WDW Genie will give us a similar option. Use timing/strategy to avoid most lines, but use $$$ to avoid the rest.

 

[Marrila]

I'm a hands free magic band person as much as possible. I'll do what I have to with genie..and hope its not just a cute cash register. Ca-ching!
If it assists with plannng the order of a park visit that might be helpful.

 

[Disneylover99]

I doubt if paying extra for something I previously got for free, will make my trip better.

I hope it will be optional and people won’t be forced to use it.

 

[Cynner]

I'm excited to have freaking SOMETHING with Fastpasses on it at this point for Oct 1.
I am hoping for the 'some free wishes' for resort guests (maybe scaled to resort level) and paid 'wishes' above that or for offsite guests.
I'm all for having things easier for folks, though it might take away some of the advantage those of us who already know how to do those things via other avenues, I'm ok with that - we'll figure out another advantage
I'd already bought major iphone charger backups, I run through multiple charges already on a day in the park.

 

[Lewisc]

Guest who want to pay to play will benefit, at the expense of those who aren't.

Biggest Pro is to Disney and not to guests

 

[cantsayNolaf]

It seems most people are gearing up for a letdown regarding the replacement of Fastpass+/Magicband/etc. I read the article on disneytouristblog about the new Genie App and it mentions one rumored "feature" that everyone will love. Any thought/ideas on what it might be???

 

[::danielle::]

I’m one of the few who is looking forward to the Genie app, even if it includes a paid FP option.



Honestly, it fits better with the way our family enjoys the parks. Like everyone, our goal is to ride the bear rides and spend as little time as possible in line.

We visit the parks an average of every 18 months. Between the kids school and sports schedules, our vacation dates are limited to the busiest or hottest times of the year. It seemed inevitable for us to be doomed to line misery.
We’ve resigned ourselves to using the Rope drop and late night strategies combined with FP+ and a touring plan to get us through. It works but on our last pre-Covid visit, we struggled to sustain the excitement we were accustomed to. It seemed we either needed to accept our fate or save $$$ for a VIP tour.
We’re really excited about all the new rides and entertainment at the parks but we know that everyone else is excited too.

The Genie app gives us back 2 things - spontaneity and time. What it takes away is our ability to go every 18 months. We’re going to have to push that out to pay for LP+ upgrades.
I realize that not everyone is excited about this change but for us, this may make our next trip better than the one before.

Edited to add:

I didn’t mention it in the post but, for the record, I support free FP to all with the option to pay for more. If it were up to me, I would prefer that everyone gets the choice between 2 free FP to any ride in any park each day over the 1 Headliner & 2 non-headliner rides.

 

[Marionnette]

Are you excited about how the Genie app could make your next trip better, even if that means paying for convenience?

What features do you hope it will have?

This thread is a safe place to discuss why you’re ready and (tentatively) excited for the Genie app to debut.

Not excited about it at all! I don't need an app to tell me that there's no line for CoP. Or that the Teacups are "only" a 25-minute wait. And Disney won't be seeing me pay extra for line jumping.

The only "feature" that I'd like to see would be similar to P.T. Barnum's "This way to the great egress" that directs the uniformed guest to an unpopular, people eating attraction that you can practically walk onto any time. That means that the clueless will be standing in the Muppets pre-show while I'm in a now-shorter line for Slinky.

And it's naive to think that a discussion of Genie is going to be self-limited to only the Pro position. Welcome to the internet.

 

[ZellyB]

I'm not sure how to feel about it because we really don't know enough yet to feel one way or the other.

Potential pros: I'm an overplanner and like to make detailed schedules for our days in the park. If Genie gives me a nifty app that helps me do that, then I think that's great and I could see myself using it. Keeping track of FP, ADR and schedule all in one place could be very useful. I like using my phone to help make my day easier and unlike many have never minded using it in the parks. I don't think it means I have my head buried in my phone the whole time as people often say. Mostly the things I needed to do on my phone required little time and effort and usually the pay-off (additional FP+ for example) was worth my investment. I hope Genie makes all of that easier.

Potential cons: The pessimistic (and likely realistic) assumption that it will cost money for FP (or Lightning Pass) or whatever it ends up being called. We were always able to use FP effectively along with rope drop to minimize our wait times. Our trip this last February required a LOT more time in lines than anything we've experienced in the past, so I will sorely miss FP when it ends up presumably gone forever. Depending on cost, we MIGHT be willing to pay some money toward it, but with the cost of Disney trips already sky high, there is a limit to my willingness to pay more.

 

[DisneyAuntie12]

Hopefully it will be helpful for Disney fans who are overwhelmed by all of the planning and want to just pop in some basic options and get a reasonable itinerary. I usually travel with my extended family and I'd say that out of the 6 to 9 adults who travel together, it's usually me and maybe one other person who are the 'planning addicts'. I'm always shocked when others, who really love Disney a lot and have gone there for years (with me planning) say things like "Now which of these rides has a long line in the middle of the day? The carousel, or Peter Pan, or the Teacups? I have no idea how anyone could ever figure that kind of thing out!" or "Did we get an EasyPass for this trip?".

I doubt most on this board would be the target audience for such an app, however, because this is a board full of people who research every last nuance, historical line data, walking distance, nearby snacks / hidden Mickey's / little known cool things /etc.... the list goes on and on. From what I understand, Genie will be more about pulling up a "My daughter loves Princesses!" or "My little boy loves adventure!" outline for the day. I hate to say it, but giving the obsessive type of planner an "I love classic rides!" spit-out itinerary is almost going to come across as insulting. Like, have you no respect for my craft, ha ha! Send me access to 5 reams of data about your historical line data cross referenced with the weather and the timing of Easter that year and then we'll talk!

If there was a way to incorporate fun surprises with my pre-existing itinerary, that would be cool. I don't want a pop-up notification trying to herd me to the other end of the park for a supposedly low line because I usually go with a very set itinerary that I don't want to break. But if I'm already going to a restaurant and then I get a code or something for a free dessert? That would be fun.

 

[2wordsforyou]

maybe it'll be like Max Pass was at DL. I'm still holding out hope for that

 

[snowwhite84]

Things that I think the new system will achieve that I will actually like:

1. Easier to get front of line access for headliners like MF, SDD, FoP. I always struggled at my 60 day mark to get everything I wanted and would spend a lot of time in lead up to trips trying to find what we wanted.

2. Ability to cut down on physically standing in lines due to virtual standby.

3. An easier way to secure a RotR boarding pass.

 

[piccolopat]

We would pay for a FP+ option but wouldn't be happy about it. We'd feel bad for the people who wouldn't be able to afford that kind of access or those who don't have or aren't proficient in using smart phones.

The reliance on smart phones for things like getting a boarding pass for RotR leads me to point out something else that Disney should do. We need plenty of places throughout the parks to charge our devices. I try to go light in the parks and don't like having to carry multiple power banks for DH & I to get through the day. How about placing USB hubs and outlets at the tables in restaurants and near all restrooms?

 

[::danielle::]

Like, have you no respect for my craft, ha ha! Send me access to 5 reams of data about your historical line data cross referenced with the weather and the timing of Easter that year and then we'll talk!

We need plenty of places throughout the parks to charge our devices. I try to go light in the parks and don't like having to carry multiple power banks for DH & I to get through the day. How about placing with USB hubs and outlets at the tables in restaurants and near all restrooms?

This is a really great point!