Disney Genie announcement

[Jrb1979]

Has nothing to with sucking for planners. It has to do with the fact that Disney will now be able to charge them for giving them back the ability to plan. That is not something Disney will pass up.

If they wanted to do that they would have already. With the way they are rolling out the LL on a rolling basis and not being able to pick your time it wouldn't work to book in advance. I really don't see the big deal of booking day of.

 

[ZeeWP]

I have hard time believing that a free touring plan option, would really be for the guest experience and not a GENIE+ and Lightning Lane upsell opportunity for Disney.
Why would Disney show or tell someone how to get on a Top Attraction with a low wait Stand By line when they are trying to sell Genie+ and LL.

They should just have stuck with Genie+ (aka new MaxPass) and skip the idea of LL. But Disney could not help their greedy selves.

This is why I am gonna stick with Touringplans subscription unless that starts giving me same recommendations as Genie.

 

[itf]

Besides annual passholders, though?

It seems annoying if you now have to get up even a little earlier so you can add G+ and be sure it is in place by the 7am window opening.

I'm in the UK and I've got a 2 week ticket that is just any 14 day period between x and y...

 

[cdurham1]

This is why I am gonna stick with Touringplans subscription unless that starts giving me same recommendations as Genie.

Yeah, plus on the video, Genie plus only tells you if its suggestion for the next attraction is "longer than usual" or "shorter than usual" for wait times. I want an actual time estimate. I will 100% be sticking with Touring Plans. I think this will turn out to bring a lot of business to Touring Plans. Plus, I can't help but to think Disney is going have it programmed to spread out the crowds more evenly, not necessarily do the best thing for you as an individual.

 

[cdurham1]

I'm in the UK and I've got a 2 week ticket that is just any 14 day period between x and y...

I am not familiar with the UK tickets. How narrow is x and y?

 

[Jennasis]

I do have to wonder how things will shake out regarding the 7am cattle call...errr...PAID cattle call.

Maybe there will still be decent availability after 9am or 10am for those who prefer a later start to their day. Time will tell.

 

[Chris_T]

14 days from the first day you use it generally

 

[MakiraMarlena]

they will have to clarify, but it appears that unless you are an annual passholder, you can add it to your account ahead of time, and you don't have to buy it for every day. APs have to add on the same day they want to use it. and you do not have to make your first attraction choice at 7. So far we don't know whether waiting until 8 or 9 or even later will result in being unable to book "anything good," at which point WDW will hear a lot about it. It'll be interesting to see what happens in practice.

however, if you want a spot in a virtual queue and the booking time is 7, you definitely have to be online at 7.

 

[Chris_T]

I am not familiar with the UK tickets. How narrow is x and y?

Sorry, new to this, 14 days from the first time of use

 

[TwoMisfits]

I think they should have made Genie+ part of the ticket price for everyone. And then just raised ticket prices by $10-$15/day or so. We would have been a little more excited about G+. We would have complained about ticket prices going up, but we are used to that. This is an "add on," which feels different than just a price increase.

10-15 * 365 for APs would have been a helluva AP price increase...and that's where the biggest "gain" is sought - getting minimum spend by APs per day before they full reinstate the program...

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

10-15 * 365 for APs would have been a helluva AP price increase...and that's where the biggest "gain" is sought - getting minimum spend by APs per day before they full reinstate the program...

Ah - so we think they rolled this out in advance of the AP's being able to purchase new tickets, so the new T&C were clear that add-ons like Genie+ or LL were not a breach of that agreement...Oh, that's devious.

 

[Jonfw2]

Epcot opening at 11 is our one chance to sleep in…

WAS our one chance to sleep in.

 

[itf]

I am not familiar with the UK tickets. How narrow is x and y?

Not narrow - mine are 01/01/2022 to 01/14/2023, any consecutive 14 days.

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

Too many new acronyms !

IKWYASACA!

 

[Turksmom]

I figured out why I don't like it (besides spending money and getting up early on vacation). I don't gamble. I don't find it enjoyable. In fact, it really stresses me out. What if I pay $75 (family of 5) and the rides we want are unavailable? What if I pay it and the wait times are low? What if I think we don't need it and everyone has a miserable time because of the long waits?

 

[bsmcneil]

Based on someone's post, I had this vision:

I'm in line with two kids and decide, "OK, this is nuts - I'll go ahead and pay the 15(?) dollars to do the LL$." So, I get out of line and go to the other queue. Meanwhile, someone else sees that and thinks, "Well, if he's going in that new line, why can't we?" (but doesn't pay). All arrive at the CM and I can scan in but they can't and they become frustrated (and, what, start at the back of the line?). Or, Guest X says they bought it and show a screenshot of paying - but it doesn't show up in their MDE account (maybe the system glitched, maybe they're using a fake thing, IDK). The CMs get to deal with that, plus the other guests, etc. What if a family doesn't comprehend it and they buy G+ or LL$ for the adults but not the kids - how do the CMs help solve that problem in the moment?

 

[Nick6300]

Apparently, you won't
I'm really surprised they decided to go all VQ with Remy. It doesn't seem to be a ride that would warrant it.

I think many of us are surprised that Remy is VQ, given how Runaway was launched. But maybe this is their way to manage the potential early am crowds at the entrance, and an indicator that we aren't going to see something like 9 am for EP to help spread out crowds, if it were non VQ. Not even sure that makes sense, but I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[taterheads]

I have read a lot of threads, blogs, and news about Genie+ but I have not seen the issue of how it will or can work with magic bands. The system seems heavily built on the use of your smart phone. Here is my question, what about all the magic bands they have sold and shipped for trips that will inevitibly happen after genie drops? It feels like they have sold and are selling something that will be totally obsolete, or at best redundant to the app in the few things it will still be able to do) which must be used because it does things the band can't. So are magic bands going to be trash for fodder and if they are, how do we unlink our reservations to them if they're not going to be used after all, or does it even matter becasue they'll just autmatically dump everyones existing reservations into Genie from MDE. We have a spring trip planned and I prefer not to have my phone out constantly and use a band, but it seems like using a band will just saddle you into having to use both. Also, secondary thought, what about kids that don't have smartphones, they could use a band before, I guess mom will just have to show her phone for everyone? Maybe they just intend to squash bands and start selling phone chargers as upgrades to tickets and packages because everyone is going to have their phone out all day with Genie+. I'm feeling like I was duped buying useless magic bands. What do you think? What are we supposed to do with bands now?

 

[RoseGold]

Based on someone's post, I had this vision:

I'm in line with two kids and decide, "OK, this is nuts - I'll go ahead and pay the 15(?) dollars to do the LL$." So, I get out of line and go to the other queue. Meanwhile, someone else sees that and thinks, "Well, if he's going in that new line, why can't we?" (but doesn't pay). All arrive at the CM and I can scan in but they can't and they become frustrated (and, what, start at the back of the line?). Or, Guest X says they bought it and show a screenshot of paying - but it doesn't show up in their MDE account (maybe the system glitched, maybe they're using a fake thing, IDK). The CMs get to deal with that, plus the other guests, etc. What if a family doesn't comprehend it and they buy G+ or LL$ for the adults but not the kids - how do the CMs help solve that problem in the moment?

Kind of sounds like this is the point. Tired of waiting in this line? Check your Genie and pay for the upgrade and you can use this magical Genie door instead! Plenty of parents who would pay $20 to just get on Slinky Dog now. Maybe.

 

[Nick6300]

My biggest question at this point is how VQ and LL will work together on ROTR and Remy, especially if they are both (presumably) occurring at 7am. As an offsite guest in November, I have little confidence of being able to buy the LL pass since (if I'm understanding correctly), onsite guests are able to purchase those at 7am but offsite has to wait until park opening? I guess I will have to try for the VQ and then if unsuccessful, hope there is a LL pass still available by 10 or 11 when Epcot opens? And to complicate matters further, will you need a park pass to get a Remy VQ like you need for ROTR? So. many. questions.

Think the communication did state park opening for off site guests for purchasing LL. But do we think that it's literally park opening time or when the off site guest actually enters park. If it's the latter, will there be accounting for off site guests with early dining or Jedi training or whatever, or will no one be allowed in early to help reinforce the 30 min advance opening perk.

I currently don't have any EP reservations for upcoming trip with the later start. I'm assuming the 7am availability for onsite guests stipulates your 1st LL selection is tied to your 1st park reservation. So if you have AK 1st with the intention of going to EP later, you would have a very small shot at a LL for Rat., with many people going for it at 7am.