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.
Yes. This.
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.
That wasn't my take away at all.What I understand based on the rumors is that the pass will come in 2 flavors. First will be something similar to what fast pass+ was but you will pay one price, per person, per day… kind of like what universal studios does… so you will wait in shorter lines. But then there will be a + version of the pass where you pay a high fee per ride to basically skip to the front of the fast pass line….
Now if they include something for delux guests the way that universal does. Or still include 3 rides a day like they did before the pandemic, it might not be as bad… although a lot more confusing.
I see your point! My confusion comes from the bolded. I mean this genuinely: what is it that you loved about Disney that is going away? Surely your love of Disney wasn’t free Fastpass, or that Disney is a good place to take a budget minded vacation.
What I love about Disney is the immersion, it sparks my imagination, it’s a place the people in my life like to gather together, I like that it feels inclusive ie my entertainment, dining, leisure are all right there.
This is exactly how I feel. Do I think it will be all sunshine and rainbows? Of course not, but I'm not gonna dwell on it and think the worst possible scenario until I know more about it.I think the app will be as good as the user. Many of us on the boards were able to utilize the FP+ system in a way that worked to our benefit, and that required a large sum of guests to be uninformed at the same time. We always got the FP’s we want booked in advance no problem and were able to grab additional ones all day (great ones too, not just people eaters).
With the new Genie app, I suspect people will attempt to find ways to maximize their experience just like they did with the old system. Some of us will be able to use Genie to help us have a better experience and others won’t. And some people will rave about Genie and others won’t.
I’m not optimistic or pessimistic about it, but I’m definitely curious as to how I can use it to maximize our park time at the most reasonable cost for us. We really won’t know what it’s offering until it’s made public.
There's a massive different to me between bringing up possible concerns vs the few that immediately dismiss anything before info is even announced and just rant. FWIW, I truly value and look forward to reading your posts and points of view, that is not at all the kind of posts I've been referring to, not in the slightest.Exactly this. If you love WDW and it's been a part of your life for decades, massive changes that could possibly end all that for you is concerning and discussing the possibilites with like minded people is helpful. It would be nice if people could do that and not be labeled as complainers and being negative all the time just as it would for those who never find anything Disney does to be concerning (that's ok with me too) weren't labeled as pixie dusters- a name I used to get labeled with a lot around here.
That wasn't my take away at all.
From all of the articles that I've read lately, there is not going to be anything akin to Universal's Express Pass. You will not pay one price and get FOTL access for the entire day.
Lightening Pass will operate like the legacy (paper) FastPasses but there will be a charge to acquire one. You will get a return time when you purchase (presumably, you will get to choose from among a few options) and you will proceed through the old FP line, bypassing the standby queue.
Lightning Pass Plus will function similarly to Lightning Pass except that it will have a higher price tag and will allow the purchaser immediate access to the old Fastpass queue.
And while I think Disney should offer some sort of incentive to stay onsite such as 1-3 "wishes" per person per day which could include a LP, I don't think that they will do it.
I see your point! My confusion comes from the bolded. I mean this genuinely: what is it that you loved about Disney that is going away? Surely your love of Disney wasn’t free Fastpass, or that Disney is a good place to take a budget minded vacation.
What I love about Disney is the immersion, it sparks my imagination, it’s a place the people in my life like to gather together, I like that it feels inclusive ie my entertainment, dining, leisure are all right there.
Disney is going to change decade upon decade. And for sure, it is a corporation, they are trying to make a ton of money. I’m okay with that so long as I’m trading my dollars for a product I enjoy. (I can appreciate that maybe this product doesn’t sound appealing to you personally, though.)
I loved legacy Fastpass, loved FP+, I think there’s a fair chance I’m going like at least some elements of the next iteration.
This is atrociously bad that I have to to wonder if Disney is doing it on purpose.
So, if I am following, there will be a standby line until it gets too full, in which case they will stop people from walking up and joining the standby line and direct them to join the line virtually from their phone. That "virtual line" will notify guests when they have an opportunity to come back and wait in line (i.e. join the standby line) ?
In addition to this, they will have the option of paying for a lighting pass. Which will give guests a window of time in which to return, but when they return the wait will not be as long as it would from a Virtual Line. Do you get this return window right away upon purchase, or it will be randomly sent to you when available?
As another option, guests could also purchase a Lighting Pass, in which case they can immediately enter the Lighting Pass line and ride instantly.
People are going to be furious mostly with the confusion involved in not being able to simply just stand in line physically "the old fashioned way"
BTW, am I the only one struggling with this? As the primary Disney planner for my family, I now find I have to almost constantly be on my phone as we navigate the parks. Mobile order even if someone just wants a soda, trying to snag reservations to sit down in some air conditioning or checking wait times/ride closures. I'm struggling with phone battery life (because I also want to take pictures) and the general annoyance of not being able to just enjoy the time with my family. This development seems awful - even more mandatory phone time while in park.
Rubbish. If it was PowerBar odds you'd have to go months. maybe years without any BPs being given out.Right now, I hate the vq. Unless you have a bot, a super computer, and a lag free network connection to their server, you have a better chance at winning the powerball jackpot.
If genie could provide you with a vq for that must do ride at least once during your trip, I think you would find greater acceptance of the app and happier guests.
.I remember one summer we vacationed on the Jersey shore with our 2 little (then) boys. We had to buy tickets for each individual ride on the boardwalk. We bought the paper tickets in bulk but I figured the per ticket cost and then said to my husband, "This is ridiculous! We are paying $2 each (so $4) for those kids to ride around in a circle for about a minute!! By the end of the week, it's going to make a day in MK seem like a value! You pay ONE admission and have unlimited access to quality attractions!"
You people need to quit giving them ideas.When they start charging extra to stand in a shorter line at a QS restaurant or to get an ADR,
It’s true that the change has the potential to take the magic out of the WDW experience, especially for us long-timers. It also has the potential to improve it in other ways.
What’s one feature the app could have that would make your trip experience better?
For example, would you like the app to send you a notification that the White Rabbit was going to make an appearance near you in the next 5 minutes? Or maybe as you walk past Pirates you get a notification that says “Immediate complimentary FP available for your party for POC, would you like to claim them?”
I’m asking this with the assumption that we can opt-out of these types of notifications or can navigate the parks without the app.
What feature would actually create magic for you?
Disney used to be like that. You'd buy a ticket book with A, B, C, D, and E tickets in it. That's where the "E-ticket ride" comes from. The E tickets were for the best rides and there were fewer of them in the book than the other tickets, so you'd end up buying more E tickets. But, IIRC, this was all you bought--you didn't buy admission to the park PLUS the ticket book. Someone who remembers this better than I do will no doubt chime in..
We do the same at our local county Fair, you buy tickets for each ride. I kind of expect more from Disney, but it seems like they are going that direction.
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1) NoAre 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.
It’s not negativity. It’s reality. It’s coming and it stinks.Ahhhh, yet another positive-based thread that people like to fill with negativity...
Options 1 and 2 are no additional cost. Options 3 and 4 require you to buy FPWow I never thought about that, I was thinking it would be 1 paid option - but 2 paid tiers, one just to be able to get in the standby line right away and have the right to wait ~60 mins immediately (omg I can't believe you'd have to pay to wait 60 mins) and then another tier to pay for the right to use the old Fastpass line that will have a much shorter wait... That is crazy and it sounds awful.
Free will only be for if the standby line is short enough or a virtual line where you can wait until your time is provided...
That is awful, especially if you can only get 1 virtual line at a time. I can imagine getting only 1 or 2 rides done per day if it is really crowded.
I wonder how DAS would work, thinking about how it works today - I could see a lot of abuse of DAS if they let you jump into the Fastpass line after waiting ~60 mins.
Lets hope it isn't that bad - like the horrible assumptions people were making about the Disneyland AP replacement and honestly Magic Key isn't as bad as many had thought it would be.
I was thinking it might be paid Fastpass with "free" Fastpasses for on site guests - maybe Genie would grant you 3 free Fastpasses if you are staying on site for example (or 1 for value, 2 for moderate, 3 for Deluxe).
What you're suggesting (and Len's article) is a lot different than what we're used to - and it would explain why Genie is taking so long to roll out (there was an entire post where an insider was talking about Disney's testing of the new system and Fastpass and the difficulties integrating the new system with the new Fastpass system).