Genie+ has GOT TO GO!

[Gludfssr]

Wow, you guys are all over the place.
Genie+ is the worst thing to happen, yet if you want to get on rides you need it. Bring back fast pass it was much better, yet it is the same concept as Genie+ except it was free and you had to walk to each attraction. Disney is too expensive, yet they should charge more so less people will be able to afford it, which in turn should lower crowd levels.
Then you have the most hilarious comments of all, I am not going back again, sure you won’t.
The main problem with the parks are that people like them, and will go no matter the price or obstacles they have to endure. Disney knows this as well as an intelligent business person, so why change anything, would you?
So until a sizable amount of people stop going will anything ever change to whatever people think will be as good as the past was.

 

[Curiousporpoise]

We are huge Disney fans and have been going to the parks for years. The best time ever was August 2021 - there was no max/fast pass, no annual passes, and Disney was also reducing capacity - though they wouldn’t say to what level. Disneyland was super clean, the lines were short, everyone had an equal opportunity to ride everything and it was the least amount of people I had seen in decades - if I had to guess they were at 50% capacity.

We went again in July and the crowds were crazy. You had to buy genie+ or you wouldn’t be able to ride anything, toontown was closed, Nemo was closed, rides were breaking down all day long, and you just had to work around it to make your own fun.

Disney could easily resolve these issues, they could use their reservation system to reduce capacity, fix or eliminate genie+, get on top of their maintenance issues, bring back shows at the Hyperion, and parades at night….but they are choosing not to do any of this.

 

[lowlight]

This comes across so condescending and elitist.

I was just thinking this about your past two posts in this thread.

 

[irlandaise]

This comes across so condescending and elitist. Many people go and have a great time. You think only magic key holders deserve to go and be happy with their experience.

I got just the opposite impression of SoCalMouseMommy's posting. She's obviously grateful that if her family has a not-so-great day at DL, they can easily come back another time and play the odds of having a better experience. But families who come only once or rarely and have a bad experience will have that memory forever, or at least for a long time. She wants everyone to have a wonderful time at DL, not just Magic Key holders who can go there frequently.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I got just the opposite impression of SoCalMouseMommy's posting. She's obviously grateful that if her family has a not-so-great day at DL, they can easily come back another time and play the odds of having a better experience. But families who come only once or rarely and have a bad experience will have that memory forever, or at least for a long time. She wants everyone to have a wonderful time at DL, not just Magic Key holders who can go there frequently.

Thank you very much for saying this. That is precisely how I feel!

 

[tlovesdis]

Just a reminder everyone to stay on topic and be nice! This thread is being watched and points will start to be given out and things will get deleted if we don't stay on topic!

Thanks!

 

[Aurora0427]

People who have been on trips recently are giving honest feedback. They are giving their opinions, and their experiences. Everyone has to decide for themselves what to do, if anything, with that information.

This thread is about Genie +, and Genie + has some major issues that are causing a lot of guest dissatisfaction. October 2019 was really busy, but it was still enjoyable. October 2022 has been absolutely crazy, and has brought out into the open some issues that really should be addressed to improve guest experience. Does that mean the magic is completely dead? No. I’ve said numerous times on these boards that what keeps us coming back are the incredible interactions we still have with the characters.

You can still have fun on a Disneyland vacation, if you, like Katy Ringo did a few weeks ago, know how to plan and execute that plan inside the parks. I mean, a tough day at Disney for us is better than not being at Disney. But we’re local and pass holders. Someone spending thousands of dollars coming in from out of state may or may not feel differently. It’s all a matter of opinion.

 

[Tksolomom]

I think that there are 2 things which make the Universal express passes better.
1. You can go on a single ride only once, but you don’t have to book a time. This means I can do things in the order I want, and not have to worry about a 9:00 PM return time, or it interfering with dinner, or even a ride broken down temporarily.
2. They cap their fastpass sales. I don’t know if Disney does, but it seems like they don’t. Because it is overbooked, that makes the standby lanes even longer. Making this more expensive would reduce the number of people who want to buy it, which would make the standby lines more reasonable.

 

[GatorChris]

I think right now, a lot of people are looking for substitutes. It seems like Universal Orlando is successfully stealing guests from Epcot and Animal Kingdom. So more people are choosing to do one day in Magic Kingdom and possibly Hollywood Studios before going to Universal rather than all the WDW parks in a vacation.

But Universal Hollywood isn't good enough yet for more people to make the switch from Disneyland. Interestingly, I've been hearing reports lately of unusually high attendance in Northern California theme parks on the weekend lately. So it seems like some former Norcal Magic Keyholders may be starting to abandon Disneyland for local parks. When the West Coast gets a good substitute for Disneyland is when I think we'll see fewer people at Disneyland.

Yip, this! If UniHolly had Escape from Gringotts and maybe a cool coaster, we'd be there A LOT! Disneyland would finally get the business-policy-punishment it deserves. That said, next year we're looking at USO trip instead of a Disneyland trip. Even with stupid-expensive flights.

It’s a little ironic that there are so many complaints about families being priced out of Disneyland (and having an almost class system where people who can pay more are the ones able to have a better experience) and most of the sentiment in this thread is that Disney needs to raise prices more to fix the parks. I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong, I just find it interesting.

Not from this guy! Prices are too much as it is. It's making us look at EVERY other option for vacation. And with Disney's inability to provide consistently gluten free food for my wife, things are looking very non-Disney in the future.

This thread is about Genie +, and Genie + has some major issues that are causing a lot of guest dissatisfaction. October 2019 was really busy, but it was still enjoyable. October 2022 has been absolutely crazy, and has brought out into the open some issues that really should be addressed to improve guest experience. Does that mean the magic is completely dead? No. I’ve said numerous times on these boards that what keeps us coming back are the incredible interactions we still have with the characters.

Same here. Last October, even without FP and having to wear masks indoors was a better trip for a lower cost than what we just did last week. The magic isn't dead. It's just not what it used to be. A few more E-tickets from Universal and Disney will lose a lot of our money in the future.

 

[chezcurrie]

Hmmmm, been watching this thread wondering how to respond. I actually am grateful for Genie+. Do I like it better than MaxPass? No way. Do I like that it now is almost double what we used to pay for a better product (or even its first version)? No way. Did I just purchase it for my solo day visit with my DS6 in November? Yup, yup I did.

I think a lot of the dissatisfaction (aside from crowd levels and how that affects G+) is due to unrealistic expectations. I treat Genie+ like the old FP system at WDW. It‘s a 3 ride FP. It’s not an “unlimited ride everything as much as you like straight to the front of the line” pass. Granted for $30 that *is* pricey at $10pp a ride (easier to justify at $5/ride), but to make the most out of a visit and have those top 3 rides have a shorter line and I am there.

As an example, for my upcoming DL day my plan is to do Pirates and FL rides in the AM while lines are short, and stack my G+ LL in the afternoon/evening for: Haunted Mansion Holiday, Big Thunder, Space Mountain as these are my son‘s top 3. Anything else I manage to grab will be frosting on the cake.

My only real frustration is I wish it allowed re-rides. That would up guest satisfaction and make it “worth it” for those who don’t want to tour commando style/or have littles that wouldn’t use all the E-ticket rides. It almost forces you to try and “do it all” to get your $ worth vs “do what you enjoy.” That’s been the biggest difference I have witnessed at DL and at WDW (more so at world, which I am just back from) - there seemed to be a desperation or fever pitch to try and get your $ worth. Value is, as always, in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Astylla]

The reality is that Disney parks were the last holdout for free "fastpass/express line" among all major theme parks.
This was never going to last forever , but was it a combination or CEO change , covid-19 excuses or more ? Only those behind closed doors will ever know.
Given that is where it stands now - EVERY GUEST has the option to choose what value the parks provide( if any) in addition to what value G+ holds( if any) , and that is completely individual.
You will never convince me that having G+ is 100% necessary to tour the parks successfully, however it can make it EASIER.

If I had one piece of advice now given the changes I would usually say 3 days is enough , but without Genie plus I'd say 4 days is more ideal. Even if you spend one dedicated G+ day per park ( assuming 1 park per day ticket) , you could make the best of it.

On the topic of AP's/Magic Keys : Disneyland absolutely depends on the locals and MK holders. Anaheim isn't what people consider a vacation destination , it's typically only part of a California vacation. Now take WDW where it is considered a worldwide resort destination from people all over the world.
They are two completely different demographics and will never align together. I love both for different reasons , but when we as consumers and the company treats them the same , it starts to be apparent what works in one place doesn't translate to the other. That said I feel G+ works better in DL/DCA as it stands now.

 

[Bossy22]

Wow, you guys are all over the place.
Genie+ is the worst thing to happen, yet if you want to get on rides you need it. Bring back fast pass it was much better, yet it is the same concept as Genie+ except it was free and you had to walk to each attraction. Disney is too expensive, yet they should charge more so less people will be able to afford it, which in turn should lower crowd levels.
Then you have the most hilarious comments of all, I am not going back again, sure you won’t.
The main problem with the parks are that people like them, and will go no matter the price or obstacles they have to endure. Disney knows this as well as an intelligent business person, so why change anything, would you?
So until a sizable amount of people stop going will anything ever change to whatever people think will be as good as the past was.

It might be funny but we are NOT going back unless things change, and this is true for a lot of people from far off. From Canada we are just not going to pay the huge prices for the crappy experience. It use to be well worth our hard earned dollars. That is NOT the case anymore. You might find it funny and not believe us but we will not be back for the forseeable future. Do I still love DL? I love how it was and I hope I can love it again, but right now I will pass.

 

[Smugpugmug]

It might be funny but we are NOT going back unless things change, and this is true for a lot of people from far off. From Canada we are just not going to pay the huge prices for the crappy experience. It use to be well worth our hard earned dollars. That is NOT the case anymore. You might find it funny and not believe us but we will not be back for the forseeable future. Do I still love DL? I love how it was and I hope I can love it again, but right now I will pass.

I feel the same way. I was planning on going next fall with my sister but we decided not to after seeing what the experience is like right now. I love Disneyland and really enjoyed my two trips before the pandemic but I don't think it's worth it right now. Especially since I'm not local and/or a Magic Key holder.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Hot take; SIX FLAGS has a better pay-for-cuts than Disney does. Reason being, it's so expensive that almost nobody uses it. Disney has gone to great lengths to maximize profit - pricing G+ at just the right tipping point so that most people pay the most they would ever spend. At least when you go to Six Flags an hour long line takes an hour and the line moves that entire hour. Can't say that for the Disney standby lines right now.

 

[serendipityaey]

I feel the same way. I was planning on going next fall with my sister but we decided not to after seeing what the experience is like right now. I love Disneyland and really enjoyed my two trips before the pandemic but I don't think it's worth it right now. Especially since I'm not local and/or a Magic Key holder.

I’m so sorry you had to change your plans! Things are so difficult now. Disney has always been a special place for me and my sister as well. As shown by some recent great trip reports, I think there are ways to make the best of Genie+ how it is now that really work well. But there are lots of other wonderful places to travel to as well! I hope you can find something fun and memorable to do with yours next year!

 

[Aspencreek]

I think that there are 2 things which make the Universal express passes better.
1. You can go on a single ride only once, but you don’t have to book a time. This means I can do things in the order I want, and not have to worry about a 9:00 PM return time, or it interfering with dinner, or even a ride broken down temporarily.

This would be heaven to me! The current form of Genie+ ends up with me trying to do all kinds of mental calisthenics trying to get the best results and not screw up the day. But worst of all it ends up with our family going back and forth and back and forth across the park constantly trying to not miss a LL time. How fantastic would it be to just get a set number of fastpasses (4, 6, 8?) that are good any time all day? Then we could leisurely stroll and do all the rides we want in a land (or not) and then mosey on to the next.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I’m so sorry you had to change your plans! Things are so difficult now. Disney has always been a special place for me and my sister as well. As shown by some recent great trip reports, I think there are ways to make the best of Genie+ how it is now that really work well. But there are lots of other wonderful places to travel to as well! I hope you can find something fun and memorable to do with yours next year!

It's okay. We know we'll be back someday; just not next year. Instead we plan on not doing anything big next year and save money to go to Japan + Tokyo Disneyland in 2024. I don't think the "magic is gone" but for a non California resident (or even someone that doesn't live on the west coast) it's not something I'm keen on doing right now. Just today I saw a video on Twitter where the ILL line for Radiator Springs went past the entrance to Cars Land. I know how to navigate crowds and long lines, but it's just too much for me atm. No judgement for those that still see value and go to Disneyland. I hope you enjoy it for me : )

 

[serendipityaey]

It's okay. We know we'll be back someday; just not next year. Instead we plan on not doing anything big next year and save money to go to Japan + Tokyo Disneyland in 2024. I don't think the "magic is gone" but for a non California resident (or even someone that doesn't live on the west coast) it's not something I'm keen on doing right now. Just today I saw a video on Twitter where the ILL line for Radiator Springs went past the entrance to Cars Land. I know how to navigate crowds and long lines, but it's just too much for me atm. No judgement for those that still see value and go to Disneyland. I hope you enjoy it for me : )

Tokyo Disney is a big must for us too! That will be so fun. We will definitely be taking a break from everything to save money for that as well! My daughter is just getting to the age where I feel good about those longer trips!

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

It’s a little ironic that there are so many complaints about families being priced out of Disneyland (and having an almost class system where people who can pay more are the ones able to have a better experience) and most of the sentiment in this thread is that Disney needs to raise prices more to fix the parks. I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong, I just find it interesting.

Disney is a luxury not a right, just as getting fast passes is a luxury now. It sucks, as someone who wasn't able to afford a pass until 2012 and went almost my whole childhood without going to Disneyland that things are expensive but kids will survive not going to Disney.

 

[NewbieMouse]

I loathe Genie+ and agree with OP 100%. it is such a downgrade from Maxpass, which I was happy to pay for to avoid walking around for fastpasses.

This - along with the crowds and continual price increases - means that (as others have said) an enjoyable trip is out of the question for many families. It's sad.