Disney Genie announcement

[meremac]

When we say virtual que we are referring to the boarding groups for Remy and ROTR right? We assume it’ll be the same as how ROTR runs?

Correct, that's the assumption. It also sounded like a couple of other attractions resort-wide may be moved to VQ as well. That will be a wait-and-see thing.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My understanding was all guests could join virtual que at 7, but onsite guests could make + and LL reservations at 7, offsite guests had to be in the park.

I’ve read G+ could be made at 7 am for everyone but that’s was just rumors on blogs. Disney hasn’t released any info regarding that. There’s so much info floating around.

What @meremac is posting makes sense and would be better for us on-site folks.

 

[Heather07438]

Well - that happened all the time with the paper fastpass system which was based on distributing the next available time and also allowed one at a time. Not sure why you seem to think that won't happen here when they're also be removing the 2-3 most popular rides from the system in each park putting that much more traffic on the rest of them as far a reservations go.

With a cool down it could work like this (and who knows, they may do a shorter cooldown for onsite vs offsite, 90 vs 120mins):

I ropedropped MK and have done a mix of standby and g+, decide to go take a pool/nap break shortly after 12pm noon. I find a BTM for 5pm and take it. Around 2pm get a 6pm for Jungle Cruise. At 4 pm find a HM for 7pm. If onsite gets the 90min advantage we could squeeze in one more selection before returning to MK around 5pm. Plus we'd still be able to keep selecting thru the evening.

We'll need to see how all this works in practice. Some people are saying the devil is in the details but maybe the angel is in the details.

 

[meremac]

What @meremac is posting makes sense and would be better for us on-site folks.

It would be a HUGE onsite perk. I hope that's how it ultimately works out!

 

[meremac]

With a cool down it could work like this (and who knows, they may do a shorter cooldown for onsite vs offsite, 90 vs 120mins):

I ropedropped MK and have done a mix of standby and g+, decide to go take a pool/nap break shortly after 12pm noon. I find a BTM for 5pm and take it. Around 2pm get a 6pm for Jungle Cruise. At 4 pm find a HM for 7pm. If onsite gets the 90min advantage we could squeeze in one more selection before returning to MK around 5pm. Plus we'd still be able to keep selecting thru the evening.

We'll need to see how all this works in practice. Some people are saying the devil is in the details but maybe the angel is in the details.

That is how I'm envisioning it as well. If the system ends up working like that, it could be really awesome. Fingers crossed!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Well - that happened all the time with the paper fastpass system which was based on distributing the next available time and also allowed one at a time. Not sure why you seem to think that won't happen here when they're also be removing the 2-3 most popular rides from the system in each park putting that much more traffic on the rest of them as far a reservations go.

They were also free back then. Let’s see how it goes when you have to pay. Hopefully they don’t go as quickly.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

With a cool down it could work like this (and who knows, they may do a shorter cooldown for onsite vs offsite, 90 vs 120mins):

I ropedropped MK and have done a mix of standby and g+, decide to go take a pool/nap break shortly after 12pm noon. I find a BTM for 5pm and take it. Around 2pm get a 6pm for Jungle Cruise. At 4 pm find a HM for 7pm. If onsite gets the 90min advantage we could squeeze in one more selection before returning to MK around 5pm. Plus we'd still be able to keep selecting thru the evening.

We'll need to see how all this works in practice. Some people are saying the devil is in the details but maybe the angel is in the details.

Im hoping for this. And will be watching trip reports and reading blogs to see the strategies. The experts will have it figured out. Lol

 

[meremac]

This conversation is just making me so excited!! I can't wait to see what this new system brings!

 

[Heather07438]

They were also free back then. Let’s see how it goes when you have to pay. Hopefully they don’t go as quickly.

Absolutely genie paid options will be significantly different than FP distribution.

 

[RoseGold]

For on-site 7AM to be an advantage, G+ has to be very limited. And even if then, 7AM and $15, oof.

FP used to take estimated 70-80% of the capacity of the ride. If LL, which is not free, really fills up fast, it won't be anywhere near the scale of the FP. That's good news for standby, because it means the lines will be moving.

I do think there will be an on-site advantage, I just don't think Disney even knows what it is yet. A 7D LL would be enough for many.

 

[Orsino]

To add to what others are saying, I think it's possible that some of the more popular Genie+ (not LL$) attractions may quickly have return times well into the afternoon.

I disagree. My feeling is that any ride that *would* be so popular as to have late afternoon return times in the early morning will be a paid LL (LL$ I like that designation. Good way to distinguish from regular LL).
Back in the Paper FP days, TSMM was the ride that went nutso in the morning with all FP distributed by 11AM. I think in Epcot, Test Track and Soarin' might have had popular distribution too, but nothing compared to TSMM. I'm trying to remember if MK had any Paper FP that went super quick.

Of course, the flip side is that when you remove the top two rides from Genie+ and make them LL$, something else will be the most popular Genie+. In MK there is enough spread out that I don't forsee a problem. Epcot, DS and AK have a dearth of Genie+ options that might cause a concentration, but I also think Genie+ uptake will be smaller in those parks as well.

I'm excited to see what will happen. Is this what watching NASCAR is like?

 

[meremac]

I disagree. My feeling is that any ride that *would* be so popular as to have late afternoon return times in the early morning will be a paid LL (LL$ I like that designation. Good way to distinguish from regular LL).
Back in the Paper FP days, TSMM was the ride that went nutso in the morning with all FP distributed by 11AM. I think in Epcot, Test Track and Soarin' might have had popular distribution too, but nothing compared to TSMM. I'm trying to remember if MK had any Paper FP that went super quick.

Of course, the flip side is that when you remove the top two rides from Genie+ and make them LL$, something else will be the most popular Genie+. In MK there is enough spread out that I don't forsee a problem. Epcot, DS and AK have a dearth of Genie+ options that might cause a concentration, but I also think Genie+ uptake will be smaller in those parks as well.

I'm excited to see what will happen. Is this what watching NASCAR is like?

I think you could be right too. I'm leaning heavily on my experience with MaxPass at DL because that feels the most similar, but I know it's a whole different ballgame at WDW. I agree with you about being excited!! I can't wait to see what happens.

 

[TankFamily]

I think that Disney will be exercising big data analytics with the Genie and Genie+ (even more so than they currently do with MDX). For those unfamiliar with big data analytics, all mobile devices with the app can be used as "sensors" to provide more accurate wait times and thus recommendations per your itinerary...we'll see. If that is the case, then the more devices that use Genie/Genie+ the more accurate the recommendations provided will be.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I agree with the thoughts in the last few pages that this will likely be just like paper FP in that return times will be pushed out just like they were for TSMM and Soarin and TT back in the day.

The difference here is $$. Not everyone will spring for the Genie+ so demand will fall. And if it doesn't fall far enough...they can always raise the price.

Same for LL. they can control supply with price.

 

[dominiondad]

Because they have to throw some kind of bone to onsite guests so that they feel that the inflated resort costs have value. Can you imagine the advertising?

"Plus as a guest of a Walt Disney World Resort*, you have the ability to purchase AND book your Genie+ ride reservation BEFORE entering the park!"

Doesn't that like something that will make people forget about the loss of DME and EMH?

Sigh. It sounds like Disney is doing the forgetting. In the past 20 years I've taken my family to WDW at least a dozen times, 10 of which we stayed on-site. Add to that two Disney Cruises, a trip to DL, a Disney credit card, countless movies, toys, and clothes. But Walt forbid I should decide that an on-site booking is simply too expensive for a 10-day trip for 8 people, I'm now a second class citizen because they aren't getting enough of my money. I'm starting to think that Congress and Disney use the same financial advisors.

Perhaps instead of basing perks like Genie+ bookings on the "what have you done for me lately" model, Disney should have a loyalty club that rewards long-term customers who funnel their paychecks to Disney in many ways over many years. You get a point for every dollar you spend at Disney, whether it's on a cruise, in a Disney store, a DVD, a vacation, etc... and then those points could be used to purchase the perks that are most important.

 

[jimim]

I forgot how paper fast pass worked? You get one for 8 am ride say. Say you were off by 830. When were you able to get another paper pass? Could you have more than 1 in hand? I think no for that second part but I can’t remember.
All I remember was raked the most efficient path to the soaring building to get a pass. Lol. And oh those toy story mania morning. Classic craziness and ill mannered adults. Lol. Those were the days. Such simpler times. Such cheaper times. Ahh the good ol days.

 

[jimim]

Sigh. It sounds like Disney is doing the forgetting. In the past 20 years I've taken my family to WDW at least a dozen times, 10 of which we stayed on-site. Add to that two Disney Cruises, a trip to DL, a Disney credit card, countless movies, toys, and clothes. But Walt forbid I should decide that an on-site booking is simply too expensive for a 10-day trip for 8 people, I'm now a second class citizen because they aren't getting enough of my money. I'm starting to think that Congress and Disney use the same financial advisors.

Perhaps instead of basing perks like Genie+ bookings on the "what have you done for me lately" model, Disney should have a loyalty club that rewards long-term customers who funnel their paychecks to Disney in many ways over many years. You get a point for every dollar you spend at Disney, whether it's on a cruise, in a Disney store, a DVD, a vacation, etc... and then those points could be used to purchase the perks that are most important.

then I should have life time season passes for the 100k in wdcc porcelain I have sitting in my front room. Lol

I think I got a free lanyard out of it. Actually wdcc forged all my extended Disney family I have today from all the signings and events.

 

[NuJoy]

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[meremac]

I’m getting confused. I thought only LL$ was on a reservation system, where picking an exact time might be a option. Everyone is talking like G+ will unfold all the times for all rides and at 7:00am on-site guests will get a smorgasbord of options to select from. That’s not how the released info read to me. I invisioned the Genie app telling you what is available “right now” only. Choose it or keep refreshing for something else “right now”. Ride that ride, then select another ride that is available “right now”, so on and so on.

No. Genie itself will tell you which attractions have low standby waits "right now" and make recommendations based on that (and on your interests). That is free. Genie+ is $15/person per day and will allow you to make Lightning Lane reservations for most attractions (except for the LL$ attractions that aren't included in Genie+), one at a time.

 

[Cabius]

No. Genie itself will tell you which attractions have low standby waits "right now" and make recommendations based on that (and on your interests). That is free. Genie+ is $15/person per day and will allow you to make Lightning Lane reservations for most attractions (except for the LL$ attractions that aren't included in Genie+), one at a time.

Yes, but NuJoy is questioning the assumption that (like FP+) Genie+ will allow guests to choose a return time throughout the day.

Disney's published descriptions suggest that return times for G+ will just be "next available". So at 10AM, if the next available LL window for PotC is 11:15AM, you can take it or leave it, but you can't skip over it and book 12:30 PM instead like you could have for FP+.