Genie+ And Ticket price increase 10/11/2022

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I added the Genie Plus when I bought my tickets in September along with parking as well.

Yes you can buy tickets with Genie+ included but once you buy tickets *without* Genie+ you can’t add it until you scan into the park.

 

[ClaudiaKincaid]

No one is forcing anyone to buy Genie+. Thr parks will still be crowded no matter how much prices go up!

I would argue that they are, in fact, forcing it; I’m just back from five days in the parks, and brother, whatever you don’t rope-drop is gonna cost you BIG in terms of time in standby - 150 minutes for RSR, 80 for space mountain, 45 for Ariel - without G+, all you’re gonna do, literally all day, is stand in line.

 

[Shinji4u]

Ok, this Halloween trip will be our official last Disney USA vacation. We are coming from Europe once or twice a the year, but the price increases with lower service and downfall of the parks combined with the poor exchange rate from Euro to dollar we have to pay around twice as much as pre Covid. With the higher energy costs and inflation, we can not afford any more trips to Disney US in the future.

 

[StormyCA]

It is what it is, I just feel for the families who are seeing their costs increase so much. I guess I should be glad that my future DL visits will be solo since nDH doesn't 'do' DLR.

But it's increased the cost for G+ for our WDW trip next year to $300.00, a bit over $100 more than my original figure. I'm budgeting at $25/day just for the two of us* rather than the 'base' price of $15.00. Although, considering the overall cost of a WDW trip, I guess it's just a few more 'drops in the bucket.

*since there is no apparent cap on G+ I'd rather budget high and cross my fingers.

<deleted>

 

[Epicnemesis]

I just don’t understand why a non pass holder would come to Disneyland at this point. The experience just doesn’t support the price of a single or multi day ticket.

 

[Steven G]

I'd still rather they go to $100+ and have a Universal Studios Express Pass (and even more expensive Unlimited version) equivalent. When it was free, Disney's system made sense, but now with the chance that you will miss out on rides, or have to wait hours before you can join the LL line, I don't like it. Plus that version wouldn't require you to be as glued to your phone either. Disneyland Paris can do it, why can't we have it?

With this plus ILL prices going up so much, we are actually getting closer to that, but with none of the benefits.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Disney doesn’t bare all the blame here. It’s every consumer who decides to pay for all this “price gouging” and keeping the parks crowded. You don’t haveto buy Genie+. If anything, the entire point of the paid fast pass system is to be more expensive. If it wasn’t, then too many people would pay for it and the whole system would be useless. Also, why is everyone blaming Chapek? This is all Josh Dmaro. But like I said. This new change won’t make a difference. The parks will still be packed, no matter how many people leave for Universal. And with their new 3rd gate, it won’t be long until Universal makes some huge price increases too. It’s coming.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

I just don’t understand why a non pass holder would come to Disneyland at this point. The experience just doesn’t support the price of a single or multi day ticket.

I come from Hawaii and it's still worth it IMO. A 5-day park tickets on average cost $70 per day. That is comparable to when I had the Magic Keys and made 3 trips out of it. Could it be better. Sure. I really wish Disneyland offered more than 5-day tickets. Like 6-10 and decrease the average cost more.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Hey everyone, I cleaned up this thread from off topic and combative posts. Please note that this is a family-friendly forum when posting your comments.

 

[Mseplover]

Please delete

 

[camille4750]

A one day hopper with genie+ the week of Christmas will be close to $175 per person (if my math is right.) Yikes. And extra yikes for larger families. And then if you add $25 pp to ride ROTR. . . .

 

[serendipityaey]

A one day hopper with genie+ the week of Christmas will be close to $175 per person (if my math is right.) Yikes. And extra yikes for larger families. And then if you add $25 pp to ride ROTR. . . .

My mother in law paid 224 before the rate increase for a one day hopper on a weekend date for November.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

A one day hopper with genie+ the week of Christmas will be close to $175 per person (if my math is right.) Yikes. And extra yikes for larger families. And then if you add $25 pp to ride ROTR. . . .

One-day tier 6 hopper with Genie+ is now $269.

 

[aporthole]

We are going Dec 11-15. I bought 4-day PH tickets a few weeks ago from UT and figured we would add on G+ day by day depending on crowds and need. After today’s announcement I was kicking myself for not just buying the tickets with G+ included. I was able to buy new tickets (PH w/G+) through UT at the old rate and they are processing a refund for the original tickets I had bought. The price difference from when we bought a few weeks ago until now actually works out to just under $19 per person per day with the bundled G+ all 4 days.

 

[twodogs]

I just returned yesterday from the parks and OBB. The other poster above is correct, if you don't have G+, you will get done what you can at RD (Early Entry for resort guests was also very helpful for us to get in a few rides on SM and then be at the rope for the rush to HMH at actual RD), and then you will be in VERY LONG lines all day. For everything. Even with G+, refresh and all the tactics, the LL lines were sometimes quite long; the SB lines were atrocious. Breakdowns and lack of entertainment made it worse.

However, many on these boards (myself included) feel that the parks are more and more crowded, and we are hoping for a solution. Since Disney seems to be doing little to control park crowds (they spread it out with park reservations but they always seem to have "room for one more" if you are staying at their hotels, so there is really no cap of attendance until you hit the fire code; if the number of reservations is not high for a certain day, then cut staffing and it still feels very crowded), the only way to lower crowds is to raise prices and drop the demand for the parks (but they would have to keep staffing at high levels to maintain a better guest experience, for this to work for the guests...). Sadly, I think they are likely raising the prices, keeping lines long to drive people to G+, and keep the staffing at the slimmest possible level, just enough so that people won't riot in the parks and might consider a repeat visit. Even if people don't return after a bad first visit, if Disney has enough new families (people have kids every day, and they want to take their littles to Disney, just like I did!) to fill the loss of other guests, they make the same money. I am bummed but not surprised.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

the only way to lower crowds is to raise prices and drop the demand for the parks (but they would have to keep staffing at high levels to maintain a better guest experience, for this to work for the guests...). Even if people don't return after a bad first visit, if Disney has enough new families (people have kids every day, and they want to take their littles to Disney, just like I did!) to fill the loss of other guests, they make the same money.

This is the crux of the problem. The biggest problem with Disney is that they are TOO popular and there isn't enough to go around. Too many people want a finite resource and are more than willing to pay for it. Can Disney expand the parks to alleviate the pressure? I suppose so, but that would mean billions more in capital investment and finding additional staff that's already hard to come by. It would also attract more people and higher pricing. The way I see it is, Disney's main problem is that they're too successful, and have created a too desirable of a product.

 

[asumom]

I'd still rather they go to $100+ and have a Universal Studios Express Pass (and even more expensive Unlimited version) equivalent. When it was free, Disney's system made sense, but now with the chance that you will miss out on rides, or have to wait hours before you can join the LL line, I don't like it. Plus that version wouldn't require you to be as glued to your phone either. Disneyland Paris can do it, why can't we have it?

With this plus ILL prices going up so much, we are actually getting closer to that, but with none of the benefits.

Yes, a much higher price and limited quantity so the once in a lifetime or big spenders can skip the line and the standby lines can go back to normal. Of course, I wish they would go back to free fast pass but they never will. $$$

 

[winklet]

We are going Dec 11-15. I bought 4-day PH tickets a few weeks ago from UT and figured we would add on G+ day by day depending on crowds and need. After today’s announcement I was kicking myself for not just buying the tickets with G+ included. I was able to buy new tickets (PH w/G+) through UT at the old rate and they are processing a refund for the original tickets I had bought. The price difference from when we bought a few weeks ago until now actually works out to just under $19 per person per day with the bundled G+ all 4 days.

I'm in same boat. I bought without genie+ from UT for our trip at beginning of January. I hesitate to cancel the tickets, get refund, then repurchase with genie+ though... I'm in Canada and I'll lose any savings of the genie+ cost to credit card conversion rates and terrible current exchange rate for CAD. I wrote an email to UT asking if there was a way for them to just charge me the additional genie+ cost and add them onto the tickets. Haven't heard back yet...

 

[RoseColored97]

Disney isn't a nonprofit, prices were going to be raised. I'm actually surprised it didn't happen sooner this year. I know people are upset, but no one is being forced to purchase Genie+ or even go to Disneyland. The parks are a premium experience and it comes with a premium price.

The increase of Genie+ is only $5 more if paid for in advance, right? I mean that's a bummer for larger families on a tight budget that want to use it, but it's not as dramatic of a shift as I was expecting from the backlash. Everyone is increasing prices right now, it makes sense that Disney would follow suit at some point this year.

The $35 increase to multi day tickets is higher, but it's really only less than $12 more a day. Many feel that the value is still there. We come from out-of-state and still very much enjoy every minute at our happy place. For $420 you get: park hopper entry into 2 parks across 3-days, 3 nighttime spectacular shows, tons of rides, character meet-n-greets, parades, shows, access to tons of restaurants, and more. Very well worth the cost, but no one has to agree. If you are upset by these changes, take your hard earned money elsewhere so you feel that you are getting the value you deserve.

 

[Aurora0427]

I'd still rather they go to $100+ and have a Universal Studios Express Pass (and even more expensive Unlimited version) equivalent. When it was free, Disney's system made sense, but now with the chance that you will miss out on rides, or have to wait hours before you can join the LL line, I don't like it. Plus that version wouldn't require you to be as glued to your phone either. Disneyland Paris can do it, why can't we have it?

With this plus ILL prices going up so much, we are actually getting closer to that, but with none of the benefits.

I wonder what would happen if Disney went the way of Universal and made genie plus a separate ticket that cost a lot more…. Would the standby lines be better? The lines at Universal can get pretty terrible….. there doesn’t seem to be as many people who buy express there…. So maybe it wouldn’t help at all.