First off, I want to thank all of you for posting the info from your experiences. That is great information for those of us who have upcoming trips and are planning.
I am a seasoned Disney vacationer. I love/lived for the planning process. I even would plan trips for family and friends for free..... it's a hobby. But having read pages and pages about this new system, I am confused and frustrated. I updated my app, tried to get things set up for future trips.. only to find out that as an AP holder, everyone else in my group and I can't plan Genie + or ILL$ together. What a hassle. The app is clunky and confusing. I don't think I will use it at all when we are there on our next trip. We have decided that we won't be forking out any $ for this new service. It just doesn't seem worth it in time, money and satisfaction. I don't want to be tied to my phone all day. I don't want to be chasing rides across the parks. I don't want to be worried about maximizing my money's worth from Genie +.
I am happy for those that see this as a benefit for them and the way that they do the parks, but for me and our group of friends and family, this is not an upgrade at all. I would happily pay for something that was going to enhance my vacation... and have done so in the form of many parties, tours and experiences. This just isn't going to be one of them.
My next research is to really see how stand by lines are truly effected by all of this once the initial frenzy dies down. We generally don't mind waiting in line for the things we like to do. We use the time to play heads up, meet new people, chat about life, plan our meals for the day etc.