Okay, I've been thinking about this since yesterday and now have my thoughts in order.
1. There is absolutely NO WAY in the world that we will pay per ride for ANYTHING. Absolutely no way. We have ridden all the rides numerous times already and NOTHING at the parks is worth paying separately for.
2. I don't mind the basic premise of
Genie+. Seems similar enough to Maxpass that I'm not offended. I suspect that return windows will have to remain within the hour to 90 minutes in order for guests to remain satisfied with their purchase, so I suspect Disney has engineered a way to make this so. I imagine a set number of Genie+ slots will be available per ride per hour and they will pulse them out periodically rather than releasing all availability at park opening. The language about needing to redeem your G+ selection before getting another one mirrors the
DAS, which gives you a return time equal to the standby wait. I wonder if the Genie+ will work the same way.
3. I also suspect that part of Genie "suggestions" points to the idea that Disney may PHYSICALLY CLOSE standby lines when they get "full", as in, when they reach a predetermined endpoint, rather than allowing them to spill into walkways. You have to believe that Genie+ will NOT be purchased by a majority of park visitors, but also, you can't have lines snaking into walkways when people decide to just wait. We already know that people WILL wait 150+ minutes for RSR, which has happened numerous times still at decreased capacity. If the parks increase capacity, those standby waits will swell even more. So, I have to think Disney will find a way to steer people away from the busiest attractions. I even think, using location services, they might send you a push notification if you approach a LL enabled attraction offering you the ability to "ride now" at a discounted price (i.e. less than what a LL reservation would have cost if you pre purchased access). So, let's say you passed on paying $30pp to LL RSR, but as you approach the entrance to be greeted with a 180 minutes standby line, the Genie pops up and says "wow, this wait is very long right now! Would you like to gain entry right now for $15 per person?" I can honestly see that working from a psychological standpoint. I feel like they would get more takers that way because it seems like you are being offered a deal.
4. We will be buying the Dream Key. We will NOT purchase Genie+ on a per day basis. Now, we do have DAS for our son, but I often go to the parks without him (either just with my husband or solo, or with friends). I won't give in. I will hold out for the inevitable "magic key add on" which I suspect will cost at least $200 this time around. Considering we go much more than 10 times a year, I will purchase it as an add on at this price point, although I won't if it's over $200. I have a feeling the Key holders will reject this en masse, and Disney will relent within a month.
5. The DAS changes are the best thing to come out of this announcement. Having to go to the kiosks and wait in more lines was always a hassle. I have always wondered why we couldn't just make new DAS selections via the app. It seemed like such am easy thing to implement. Now, I do NOT like the idea of making an advanced DAS selection prior to visiting, because it sounds like you have to pick your ride time and stick with it, and we can't keep to such a strict schedule. Luckily this doesn't seem to be a requirement, just a new benefit of you CHOOSE to pre register in advance. We will stick to obtaining the DAS in person every 60 days. We are using that interaction as a way to encourage our son to be a self advocate, and zoom interactions are not the same as real in person ones, so I am glad both options will now be available. I do also appreciate the strong language about how lying to obtain a DAS will be harshly punished. It should deter the dishonest people at least somewhat. The idea of a lifetime ban from Disney parks and the revocation of your pass or ticket media without a refund is exactly the type of punishment that will keep dishonest people out of the system. The penalty won't be worth it.
Overall, it's not ALL bad, but the pay per ride option is indeed, quite disgusting. I feel like that option should ONLY be in place for the rides that require the Boarding Group lottery. I think a lot of people would be willing to pay for ONE ride in each park, if they didn't end up with a BG. But paying for Space Mountain when Big Thunder is a Genie+ selection doesn't sit right at all.
