Disney Genie announcement

[Cabius]

So, let me get this straight? The initial park ticket is just to get in the gates. Then if I want to ride anything I have to pay for each of us to ride one time.

That's not quite accurate...

Standby is still free, though it remains to be seen what those queues look like based on up-take of Genie+.

So for most attractions, you can still get in line for and ride for free, or pay a flat fee per day for Genie+ in order to book Lightning Lane passes (previously FastPass).

For the top-tier attractions, you can ride Standby OR pay a separate fee per ride to use the Lightning Lane. This likely applies to 10ish "E-ticket" rides across the resort, such as Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, etc.

Finally, for attractions that utilize a Virtual Queue (Rise of the Resistance and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure) you can either book a free Virtual Queue boarding group, or pay for access per ride. Presumably free boarding groups will become harder to get since they have to remove capacity to make room for those who pay per ride.

Long story short: that may be true for Rise and Remy, if you aren't lucky enough to get a free boarding group. For everything else, Standby is still an option, and Lightning Lane access may be a flat fee or pay-per-ride depending on the attraction.

Dead simple, right??

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Paying for any ride once I have already bought a ticket that costs hundreds of dollars per person is ridiculous. We couldn't even get the tickets for the Star Wars ride at 7am. We are ride family. That is what we go to do. If I can't ride every ride I want as many times as I want on a trip then there is no point in going. Thanks for the heads up. It will be Europe every year from now on.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

Paying for any ride once I have already bought a ticket that costs hundreds of dollars per person is ridiculous. We couldn't even get the tickets for the Star Wars ride at 7am. We are ride family. That is what we go to do. If I can't ride every ride I want as many times as I want on a trip then there is no point in going. Thanks for the heads up. It will be Europe every year from now on.

To be fair the Star Wars ride is the only one that is like that (I think, is the rat one a boarding pass thing too?).

All the other rides have standby. As of now anyways. Standby is an option.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

To be fair the Star Wars ride is the only one that is like that (I think, is the rat one a boarding pass thing too?).

All the other rides have standby. As of now anyways. Standby is an option.

Yes, Ratatouille will also be boarding passes.

 

[bunkerchump]

Haven't been following too closely over the last week or so... Any word on whether Disney is acknowledging the negative feedback and/or plans to modify things - or maybe they just feel they will take their lumps then all will be forgotten in time by the time it rolls out?

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

Haven't been following too closely over the last week or so... Any word on whether Disney is acknowledging the negative feedback and/or plans to modify things - or maybe they just feel they will take their lumps then all will be forgotten in time by the time it rolls out?

I would be surprised if they acknowledge it beforehand, if they get a ton of complaints post-implementation they will probably adjust but I can't see them not at least putting the new system in place to see if the uproar dies down once people actually experience it.

 

[ThistleMae]

I think it will get tweaked as implementation presents whatever problems may exist. It will be frustrating for folks who are first using it, if problems arise, because it will take time to go to whomever you need to in order to get a refund or courtesy LL passes. I hope they roll it out sooner rather than later. Perhaps they will have a two week limited trial or something like that to sort things out before getting it up and running. Don't they sometimes do this?

 

[bunkerchump]

Being a Guinea pig is fine when its free, but once you are paying it is not acceptable.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Yes, I understand how a for-profit corporation works. My point was not that Disney owes us a free FP system. Rather, my point was that they cultivated this “free FP included with the price of your ticket!” mindset for 20 years, so the backlash is hardly a surprise.

And I agree that Disney has had tons of people examining and studying the feasibility of Genie before they made a commitment. That said:

1.) I know a lot of MBAs; some of them are not that smart; and that degree doesn’t make them any less prone to error, confirmation bias and overconfidence than anybody else;

2.) Even the best marketing minds can only do so much if they are getting poor directives from upper management; and

3.) I think we all have seen, either first-hand or in the news, a lot of big companies, similarly employing a lot of “smart” people with a lot of letters after their name, that still screwed things up royally.

In short, Disney’s not infallible. I’m not saying they haven’t crossed “t”s and dotted “i”s with Genie+/LL, but they still could be mis-calibrating our appetite for it.

And of course, if they are wrong, they’ll never admit that. They’ll just create new “magical offers” of some sort (e.g., free LL passes for Deluxe resort guests) that makes it look like they’re doing us a munificent favor vs. outright cutting prices on anything.

Disney could have charged all of us the extra 15 dollars a day with higher ticket prices, and give you your free fast pass, or what they did do, which was leave the ticket price alone and charge only those that wanted it…..

if Disney charge an extra 20 dollars per day for the tickets, but gave you a free fast pass would you be happy?

 

[pigletgirl]

Haven't been following too closely over the last week or so... Any word on whether Disney is acknowledging the negative feedback and/or plans to modify things - or maybe they just feel they will take their lumps then all will be forgotten in time by the time it rolls out?

I think they need to come give us answers. It's clear that we all don't fully understand this new process and if they intend to roll it out in the next 30 days (in time for the 50th), then they need to get going. It's frustrating to hear/read all the negativity and angst about one of our favorite vacation destinations. I don't have a trip planned till next spring and who knows how this will all be then.

 

[Marionnette]

Disney could have charged all of us the extra 15 dollars a day with higher ticket prices, and give you your free fast pass, or what they did do, which was leave the ticket price alone and charge only those that wanted it…..

if Disney charge an extra 20 dollars per day for the tickets, but gave you a free fast pass would you be happy?

What makes you think that Disney won't increase ticket prices too, in addition to charging for Genie+? With the dynamic pricing, it's easy for them to hide increases and the only way to tell is when your ticket for the same time a year later costs more or if you delay making your purchase and find that it costs you more than it would have last week.

Personally, I would have been fine with a modest ticket price increase if they would have continued to offer 3 advance LL and all attractions as a part of Genie+. It's the day-of planning, the lack of a guaranteed number of LL and the money grab for IA$ that rubs me the wrong way. But Disney will increase the gate price (look at the huge leap in AP costs) AND charge guests for Genie+. It's not an "either or" situation. Disney will gouge guests with both.

 

[itf]

Disney could have charged all of us the extra 15 dollars a day with higher ticket prices, and give you your free fast pass, or what they did do, which was leave the ticket price alone and charge only those that wanted it…..

if Disney charge an extra 20 dollars per day for the tickets, but gave you a free fast pass would you be happy?

Well for some of us they've moved the goalposts after we said we'd play. I've got a 14 day 'ultimate' ticket for next year's trip - so I've got admission, hopping and photos - so yes, I'd have been much happier if they included it in the ticket price, as I'd already paid for the tickets!

 

[nkereina]

Paying for any ride once I have already bought a ticket that costs hundreds of dollars per person is ridiculous.

The standby line does not cost additional once you enter the park. Genie+ and IAS are both optional. The cost you pay to use these services is simply for the purpose of shortening your wait time.

If I can't ride every ride I want as many times as I want on a trip then there is no point in going.

You will still be able to as the standby line will still be available.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

The standby line does not cost additional once you enter the park. Genie+ and IAS are both optional. The cost you pay to use these services is simply for the purpose of shortening your wait time.


You will still be able to as the standby line will still be available.

There is no stadnby for sTar wars or remy. If I want to ride and can't get a boarding pass then i have to pay. That is a big fat, h@!! no.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

What makes you think that Disney won't increase ticket prices too, in addition to charging for Genie+? With the dynamic pricing, it's easy for them to hide increases and the only way to tell is when your ticket for the same time a year later costs more or if you delay making your purchase and find that it costs you more than it would have last week.

Personally, I would have been fine with a modest ticket price increase if they would have continued to offer 3 advance LL and all attractions as a part of Genie+. It's the day-of planning, the lack of a guaranteed number of LL and the money grab for IA$ that rubs me the wrong way. But Disney will increase the gate price (look at the huge leap in AP costs) AND charge guests for Genie+. It's not an "either or" situation. Disney will gouge guests with both.

The new annual pass prices came out and the increase was de minimis

 

[Marionnette]

The new annual pass prices came out and the increase was de minimis

That +$400 increase (~45%) for FL residents and DVC members for the Platinum -> Incredi-Pass is de minimus? The 26% increase from Gold -> Sorcerer is a small increase? The shifting and increasing of block out dates should not be a concern? And the removal of Photopass as an included benefit should be ignored when discussing a loss of value?

 

[bunkerchump]

They've been increasing prices all along.... Much more than inflation for years... And decreasing perks and benefits - but I saw an announcement that AP holders will get a new magnet mailed to them - TERRIFIC. Cost of postage will be worth more than the magnet. Genie will be another money grab.

 

[Cabius]

There is no stadnby for sTar wars or remy. If I want to ride and can't get a boarding pass then i have to pay. That is a big fat, h@!! no.

To be fair, before they offered a paid option, if you didn't get a boarding group you had absolutely no recourse, so that problem isn't unique to the new program.

Those rides (or at least RotR) cannot accommodate everybody who wants to experience them, so some people absolutely will miss out.

All that said -- the option to pay for access will decrease the supply of free boarding groups and exacerbate the problem. Even if the new Jafar program didn't create the problem of limited free access, it will certainly make it worse. I get the anger.

 

[elgerber]

There is no stadnby for sTar wars or remy. If I want to ride and can't get a boarding pass then i have to pay. That is a big fat, h@!! no.

But that has nothing to do with Genie +, it's always been that way. Now you have an extra option, if you should choose to use it.

 

[btuftee]

If I can't ride every ride I want as many times as I want on a trip then there is no point in going.

That's a tough standard - does anyone ever go to WDW and ride every ride they want, as many times as they want? I don't think I've ever had that happen on a trip - there is always something left undone, something I would've ridden a few more times, etc. It's about doing and seeing and experiencing enough to make you happy, for the time and effort you put in for the trip. Certainly I get my fill of some rides, maybe even most rides, but if your standard is to do everything you want as many times as you want, no vacation destination can live up to that.