Disney Genie announcement

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Okay, I attended the TA webinar today and I was struck by the use of "based on limited availability" when referring to Genie+. It was A LOT. So I think the real test will be the people using it those first few weeks. They will be the ones who help us learn. Disney will NOT be the one to teach us.

I've seen the "limited availability" phrasing before, but the fact that they're underscoring it like that feels a little worrisome. It will be very interesting to follow how this plays out.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

yeah, the subject to availability/limited availability is what catches my eye as well. How limited is it going to be? If they sell 10,000 G+, are there only 1000 LL per ride available? How will we even know that? I was less upset when we couldn’t get a FP (although we loved FP+) because I wasn’t paying for it. If I am paying 15$ then I expect to get something in return. I though based on the verbiage I am seeing am sure that Disney thinks I should get much in return for my 15$. Maybe all their disclaimers are just CYA? And maybe LL availability will be on par with prior FP: standby ratios?

I honestly can't imagine how they will even get away with charging for this if the availability is really going to be so limited. This is why I am so glad I'm not going until the spring.

 

[CWTC]

I honestly can't imagine how they will even get away with charging for this if the availability is really going to be so limited. This is why I am so glad I'm not going until the spring.

I’m super cynical so hopefully I’m wrong about my suspicions regarding their word choice.

 

[Disturbia]

100%

We were considering DVC while planning for our canceled Corona virus 2020 trip. Now that we are finally going on this trip, next month, we have zero desire to explore DVC. It's a one way street with Disney. Never more obvious than right now.

If we didn't have ticket and DVC rental credit from 2020, I don't think we would have re-booked after the non-stop barrage of loss of on-site benefits / up charges.

I've never had the feeling I haven't spent enough, while planning for a trip this expensive / restrictive (limited ADR availability, park reservations, hopping, etc). I don't like it. I am all for paying extra for something I see value in. But paying for things that are so obviously designed to drain your wallet, is just tiresome.

We were booked at Riviera for 40% off with Disney Visa card March 2020. I had all my FP and dining (SDMT, FOP; Oga’s, CRT, BOG, Ohana, Topolinos). We were also looking into buying DVC (Riviera or AKL) as we have an infant and have been going to WDW at least once a year for a decade.

I feel Disney could have built more things for younger kids while parents wait-an interactive meet and greet with a young Navi or banshee; Pandora play area, interactive elements in the FOP and Navi queue etc.

Im still a bit hopeful that things will improve once the creative CMs are rehired.

 

[Disturbia]

BTW I just spent 25 mins at 2 pm ESt booking a dessert party because the payment area was blank (on my iPad). I had to keep logging in, had a code sent to my email, I knew to keep going back to the payment screen and refreshing (saw Donald and no access screen many times).

Finally I had to open my app and after the 4th time of searching again and again, the reservation time showed up and i was able to proceed (logging in, entering code from email etc) and the saved payment was populated. This is a bad sign for the LLIA payment at 7 am.

 

[JenSop]

did it clarify anything we didn't already know? Like when you can purchase the second ILL?

We learned nothing new. Nothing. And It just makes me more worried by the generous usage of "limited availability" on their part.

 

[JenSop]

Just adding.... As an "afternoon park person" I wonder if our $15 Genie+ will get us anything. A 5pm slot for Star Tours?

 

[Disturbia]

Just adding.... As an "afternoon park person" I wonder if our $15 Genie+ will get us anything. A 5pm slot for Star Tours?

I’m thinking it will be like the printed fast pass times, so if you’re booking in the first hour of booking window (7-8 am) you should be able to score Soarin for the afternoon and maybe one other ride when you’re in the park for $15 genie+.

 

[JenSop]

I’m thinking it will be like the printed fast pass times, so if you’re booking in the first hour of booking window (7-8 am) you should be able to score Soarin for the afternoon and maybe one other ride for $15 genie+.

That's my fear as well.

 

[Turksmom]

Molly with AllEars.net is very good, and she noted in her recent Genie video that they will be doing lots and lots of videos on Genie once it launches, including free Genie, Genie+, and ILL$, and they will give honest opinions. Unfortunately, DH and I are genie-pigs, as we will be at WDW starting 10/17 for the full week. We will be at HWS on launch day, and that is one of the two parks we might consider using G+ for. We won't buy ILL$. The parks will be loaded with bloggers/vloggers, so maybe we will see Molly, which would be a silver lining in this cloud!!
Here is a link to her Genie video: (She calls ILL$ rides "Fancy Rides".)

We'll be Genie Pigs together! I'm also at HS on the 19th.

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

We'll be Genie Pigs together! I'm also at HS on the 19th.

I tried to come up with a g-pig t-shirt but that fell flat. Then I saw a small guinea pig plushy and thought “I could give it a top hair tuft, goatee, and gold earring… glue it to a headband…but my DH gave me that look…never said anything…,walked out of room…don’t think he is amused by this whole Genie thing. So no genie pig headband either. You would probably have been able to recognize me in it, though!

 

[nurseberta]

no one knows for sure until it rolls out.

but like I had commented early that's exactly how maxpass worked and it's not skirting the rules if Disney lets it happens- it's maximizing the system they give you. The only park opening at 8 is AK..

so give MK with a 9 am opening

I book my first genie + at 7 and get a return time for 9-10am (the first available slot of the day)

since I booked at 7 I can book another at 9. I book another at 9 and get a (10-11) return time.

ive just enjoyed early entry having rode 2-3 rides and now I'm going to go use my two lightening lanes and the park just opened. I use them and can book another. Every 2 hours or when I use a lightening line before the 2 hours I can book another one.

we take an afternoon break- before I take the break I check return times and see some that are later in the evening. I book one more than 2 hours away. We get to the hotel and take a break and since my booking was more than 2 hours and it's been 2 hours I book another one for the evening. My family heads back to the park with 2 booked for the evening.

solid plan!!!!!!

 

[nurseberta]

As an offsite guest I'm definitely worried about being locked out of even paying for Remy / ROTR, even though I resent the idea of paying for them in the first place.

DITTO!!! I'm trying to entice my kids to want to come back because they are die-hard UO fans who always stay onsite and are used to express pass, doing the whole park, laying by the pool, and then doing it again.
I'm going to have to buy it all!! to even compete!

 

[PepperjackDragon]

solid plan!!!!!!

This is how I hope it goes as well! Add in extended evening hours and we won’t even have to pay for the mk/Epcot tier1. The biggest concern right now is that they are going to make them so limited that the plan falls apart (and waking up early enough on the day after extended evenings.)

 

[Disturbia]

That's my fear as well.

For Epcot and since Soarin (Test track is also mostly shaded) is an indoor queue, it probably makes sense to just save the genie+ $$ and pay for LL instead.

 

[Jonfw2]

Disney did a webinar for travel agents yesterday. The “120 minute rule” was not mentioned.

 

[nurseberta]

Keep in mind….it’s quite possible that Genie+ could be more useful to Disney for crowd control than it is to guests for actually enjoying their day. While the concept that Genie will evaluate your likes and location in the park and offer you LL access to things that are convenient and useful to you would be nice…..it’s just as likely that LL options offered could be rides that help Disney (try to) move crowds from one area of the park to a less crowded area of the park. If you can’t pick your ride and your time, and your only option is what they put in front of you….it could be a bust. Only time will tell I guess. I’ve lost any optimism I had that Disney is trying to enhance my experience….

No doubt in my mind this is about crowd control, though if crowd control makes the parks a better experience then that is a win-win for the business and for guests. psychologically, knowing you have the opportunity to skip ahead of the line keeps people around for the long waits because you feel like you got something special. I think everything will sell, and sell out to capacity. people just want less inconvenience and will pay whatever they can for it.

 

[RamieGee]

After trying my best not to worry about this Genie+ thing since the rumors started, I am now all riled up again. Just got an email from my TA asking if we want to add Genie+ to our package for our trip starting on 10/30. That brought all the feelings.

There's a real bait-and-switch aspect for those of us traveling over the next month or so. 2 1/2 weeks out I'm committed to this vacation - my kids are over the moon excited, I've made arrangements with work/school, I've paid Disney an exorbitant amount for my package, airfare is paid for, park reservations made, transportation is booked. And now a system they are suddenly putting in place could potentially significantly change the experience I was expecting when I booked this trip (maybe for the worse if it changes stand-by times beyond what they were historically). We are in the parks 7 days, and for my family of 5, it could potentially cost an additional $1,000 to have the experience I was expecting when I committed to this trip (depending on what is needed with Genie+ and ILL$ not to wait in hours and hours of lines). 2 1/2 WEEKS OUT and there's a surprise potential $500-$1,000 added to my trip. For an experience with so many unknowns.

I was planning this trip for several years, cancelled and re-booked a year ago, and really needed this vacation after a pretty crappy 2 years. And now I feel the pressure that if I don't cough up $500-$1000 more, it might end up being a frustrating trip of long lines and missed rides we were all looking forward. And we don't go frequently at all. These are "big" trips for us.

I'm so disappointed in Disney. To put it lightly, because this is a public forum and I'm a lady. Sigh. That's all. That's the rant.

 

[Turksmom]

I tried to come up with a g-pig t-shirt but that fell flat. Then I saw a small guinea pig plushy and thought “I could give it a top hair tuft, goatee, and gold earring… glue it to a headband…but my DH gave me that look…never said anything…,walked out of room…don’t think he is amused by this whole Genie thing. So no genie pig headband either. You would probably have been able to recognize me in it, though!

We have guinea pigs and I considered sewing Genie costumes so I could put their picture on a T-shirt. Then I realized photoshop would be easier, but my family had the same reaction as your husband

 

[nurseberta]

I am really hoping this is not the case, but it has occurred to me too that it could happen this way. I'll be watching the blogs closely as it all rolls out next week. Genie+ is only worth the money if you actually get to use it for desirable attractions. I'm not spending $60 a day for my family to be herded like sheep onto the Magic Carpets of Aladdin

now that's a low capacity ride........ but you have a G+LL for it!!!