Disney Genie announcement

[shawthorne44]

For people that used MaxPass in DL or DLP, was one person able to reserve for everyone in their party, like with boarding groups?

 

[TiggerBouncy]

RotR is not a part of Genie+. It will have two options. The same boarding group process it has had, or purchasing the IAS for it.

The main difference is before (right now) if you do not get a boarding group, you are SOL and can't see the ride.

With IA$, you will at least have an OPTION if it's important enough to you.
My concern is that with rides like RotR, Free Boarding Groups will sell out by 7:00:02 and IA$ will sell out by 7:00:03.

 

[luv2cheer92]

The main difference is before (right now) if you do not get a boarding group, you are SOL and can't see the ride.

With IA$, you will at least have an OPTION if it's important enough to you.
My concern is that with rides like RotR, Free Boarding Groups will sell out by 7:00:02 and IA$ will sell out by 7:00:03.

My plan for my solo trip at the beginning of next year is to try for the boarding group and if I don't get it and can't get the IAS then oh well, I've been on it a few times and it's not the end of the world. But when I go later next year with my dad who is a huge SW fan and hasn't been on it, I'm just going right for the IAS without even trying the free route.

 

[boilermakeric]

Any thoughts yet on how late-arrivals will work with IA$? Are the windows really likely be ~1 hour like FP+, and you get denied if you are more than 15 min late? Would hate to be the CM telling a group that their late bus pickup from the resort just made their IA$ purchase expired and non-refundable.

 

[sjmac42]

For people that used MaxPass in DL or DLP, was one person able to reserve for everyone in their party, like with boarding groups?

Used MaxPass at DL and FP+ at WDW. Yes, one person could organise fastpasses for the entire party. Everyone did have to be scanned in at the turnstiles first but that could also be done on one phone. MP worked really well and was superior to FP+ imo and was worth the cost at DL. We will wait and see how similar Genie+ actually is to MP as the big advantage with MP was the ability to “stack” fastpasses throughout the day. Maintaining this feature from MP in Genie+ would be a big factor in how successful and usable it would be.

 

[shawthorne44]

We will wait and see how similar Genie+ actually is to MP as the big advantage with MP was the ability to “stack” fastpasses throughout the day.

If this isn't possible, I will be much less excited about G+. I like the cooling off period or using it to get the next one.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

My plan for my solo trip at the beginning of next year is to try for the boarding group and if I don't get it and can't get the IAS then oh well, I've been on it a few times and it's not the end of the world. But when I go later next year with my dad who is a huge SW fan and hasn't been on it, I'm just going right for the IAS without even trying the free route.

sounds like a great plan. I’ve seen it a few times, so I’ll probably try for the boarding group, but if I don’t get it, I won’t sweat it.

I hope your dad gets to enjoy it. It’s truely a next level ride!

 

[sjmac42]

https://www.wdwmagic.com/other/disn...nie-training-ahead-of-the-upcoming-launch.htmReports that cast training for Genie has begun at WDW (and seperate reports for DL as well). Hopefully further details are not too far behind.

 

[Figment1990]

I've just spent the last several days learning (and trying to forget everything I knew from the last 2 decades) about planning for our November Disney trip. Thank you to everyone on the Dis for the really excellent sharing of info. This whole everything unknown is driving me totally bananas! I had things down to a science. Now my old spreadsheets are practically useless! I'm such a planner that this is making it more stressful for me, not less.

I hope they release G+ and IA$ (I like that, I used to call it Genie Plus Plus...) details soon and start it soon so I have some info to work with before November. I might be willing to pay for some IA$ depending on how the details work out. And it SURE would be nice if I could plan them ahead at some time that isn't 7am day of as one reason I would like to use it is so I don't have to get up at dawn to rope drop FoP!

At this point, after seeing the pricing for Space 220, and the Very Merry After Hours Party, I'm starting to think that my plan might end up being pay for G+/IA$ and just skip eating entirely.

 

[shawthorne44]

I'm starting to think that my plan might end up being pay for G+/IA$ and just skip eating entirely.

That is somewhat my plan. I've cut all "eating in the park just because we are hungry" meals.

 

[crazymomof4]

Disney has been radio silent on the subject of Genie+ and IA$ since the announcement on August 18. There have been reports that it will start on October 4th but those are unconfirmed.

Oh... LOVELY!!! (if this turns out to be true)
We arrive the 6th, first park day is the 7th.
Can you say "Guinea Pigs"?

The only positive I can take out of this is that DH and I will be traveling with DS and DD, both "twenty-somethings". They will pick up the use of the Genie addition to the app very quickly. A clear advantage over some other poor guests who aren't tech-savvy and/or don't have anyone in their group who is.
So so so glad we only have 2 park days in this one week trip! I honestly wish it was only ONE park day!

 

[crazymomof4]

It would be nice to know a start date. It would be nice to know which attractions will be included in IA$. It would be nice to know what kind of price range we're looking at for IA$ attractions.

So if WDW is the "host" and we are their "guests" this "radio silence" is like someone invites you to their home, tells you it will be "sometime next week", giving no date or time. You wait. You cannot back out. You still don't know if you are invited over for dinner or lunch or brunch or just dessert or maybe just cocktails. You don't know if it's going to indoor or outdoor, formal or casual, or if you will be asked to bring a dish to this gathering. The time passes you hear no further info. The day for the event you feel is drawing near but there's no way you can reach this host for more info. You grow anxious.
At this point, what are your feelings toward this host and how likely is it that you will ever accept another invitation from this host?
That is the closest thing to how I'm feeling right now. I'm a planner. Planning is fun and I like feeling going into a vaca with a solid framework to go off of and modify as we go. It reduces anxiety while on the trip.

 

[Kbrb]

Why would they announce anything about the cost of IA$?
Since surge prices are being used, they don't have to plan in a top end price at all. Do you want them to say that IA$ reservations could cost '$1.00 or more'?

I know that this group is trying to model this agains the system in Disneyland Paris but really this is its own thing. The price could be anything.

They should use that as the tag line “come to Disney the happiest place on earth where the price could be anything”

They have to have price ranges announced from 5 to 30 for example. To just say “meh you can find out on the day” wouldn’t be a great plan and add to the hatred of the system.

Let people plan for the worst case and if it’s not then happy days.

 

[pigletgirl]

Any word at all on when this launches? Why has Disney been so mum about it?

 

[Poohsmommi]

I hope this available on the 1st. for the 50th.

 

[DLgal]

Any word at all on when this launches? Why has Disney been so mum about it?

The rumor mill is saying Oct 1.

Disney is being mum about it because they don't want to give any more opportunities for people to skewer them on social media before the grand reveal.

 

[DisneyByMarriage]

I think I’m in the minority with my group. We are a multigenerational family going (AP DVC grandparents, son/DIL with 3 kids, and the no kid auntie). I don’t think we will pay for Genie, but there are two rides my kids all want to do - Slinky and Rise. I’d pay about $15 pp to know I could ride those without a wait, offsetting that cost with something else. The peace of mind is have knocking them off the list and not worrying about rope drop or late night rides for those two things. My children wake up at 6:05 every single day, and since they are young boys, as long as they have a clean shirt, underwear, shorts and socks they will be ready by 6:15. Matching or combing hair isn’t something on their radar. So we are always ready way before everyone else, and the 20 minutes we spend waiting to see if anyone else in the group is actually ready to leave with us is the most stressful wait of the trip. I know we will hit all the other rides we want to do utilizing a rope drop strategy. And then after we pay once to do them, it’s unlikely we’d ever do it again.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

It's weird, I don't even have a WDW trip planned, but I still had a stress dream about Genie +, where I got to the park after having made my selections only to discover that my phone was on 5% battery and the Lightning Lanes no longer used Magic Bands, so without my phone I had no proof of my reservations. I do hope, at the very least, that they keep the old FP+ kiosks for Genie + and Magic Bands so that those of us who don't want to be glued to our phones the whole day, or bring multiple backup chargers, have the option to just scan our bands at the kiosks when we want to make or change a reservation. I really loved not being on my phone all day on previous trips, I would just check screenshots to remind me about my FP and ADR times, and that was all. And my kids loved holding their magic bands up to the FP touchpoint to watch the Mickey turn green. Maybe some will think it's stupid, but little things like that felt magical and special. Since they're now charging for Magic Bands, I have to assume they plan to keep them instead of phasing them out, but they've phased out other things before.

 

[goofynut41]

The main difference is before (right now) if you do not get a boarding group, you are SOL and can't see the ride.

With IA$, you will at least have an OPTION if it's important enough to you.
My concern is that with rides like RotR, Free Boarding Groups will sell out by 7:00:02 and IA$ will sell out by 7:00:03.

So you will still need to do the lottery at 7:00 you just have to pick which one and still might not be able to ride it?????

 

[twincruisers]

Let's not forget that VQ rides have a 1pm release too that has a higher chance to get a BG. Of course worst-case scenario's will sound very bad, but we should see how everything goes the first few weeks before passing judgement.