Is anyone feeling positive?

[luv2cheer92]

Have you used maxpass before? The thought of pre booking my fastpasses, choosing their times 60 days ahead, trying to align all that with dinning isn’t how we like to enjoy the parks.

Yep, sure have multiple times. I love planning though, so that was never an issue.

 

[raidermatt]

Folks sharing their disappointment and being upset are completely valid. I am not trying to deminish that..

but is anyone else out there like me who is feeling more positive about these changes? We already used maxpass at Disneyland so this extra $ for genie isn’t a big deal. I really feel like this will make the experience better for how my family and I enjoy the parks.

as for the up charge rides.. that kinda bums me out but then again I just treat it like other things at the parks that I don’t afford. And I feel fairly confident in my abilities to use the free virtual que or stand by line.

Im just looking to see where my positive minded folks might be or am I all alone?

The issue isn't so much each individual decision, its the sum of all these changes.

Sure, by itself, $15/20 per day per person isn't fun, but many have it to spend, so why care? And the extra $?? for the premier rides? Ok.....

Then there's the reduced evening extra magic hours for all on-site guests, and the elimination of this benefit entirely for Value/Moderate guests.

Elimination of Magical Express.

After hours parties are scaled back, but the prices are scaled up. (Don't get me started on Disney shaming Scarlett Johansson for wanting to be paid during a pandemic while Disney does things like this.)

Annual Passes at DL feature higher prices and more blackout dates. Certainly the same is coming to WDW.

And that doesn't even consider the escalating prices lately for food and merch in the parks.


Kinda hard to be positive about all these changes, unless we are just throwing rational thought out the window. Now, maybe your situation is such that the higher cost and reduced benefits just don't matter to you. That's valid. You can certainly be neutral based on that. But positive? Hard to see that.

 

[katyringo]

The issue isn't so much each individual decision, its the sum of all these changes.

Sure, by itself, $15/20 per day per person isn't fun, but many have it to spend, so why care? And the extra $?? for the premier rides? Ok.....

Then there's the reduced evening extra magic hours for all on-site guests, and the elimination of this benefit entirely for Value/Moderate guests.

Elimination of Magical Express.

After hours parties are scaled back, but the prices are scaled up. (Don't get me started on Disney shaming Scarlett Johansson for wanting to be paid during a pandemic while Disney does things like this.)

Annual Passes at DL feature higher prices and more blackout dates. Certainly the same is coming to WDW.

And that doesn't even consider the escalating prices lately for food and merch in the parks.


Kinda hard to be positive about all these changes, unless we are just throwing rational thought out the window. Now, maybe your situation is such that the higher cost and reduced benefits just don't matter to you. That's valid. You can certainly be neutral based on that. But positive? Hard to see that.

I don’t disagree but while your feelings are valid my feelings about feeling positive about genie plus and how it could change our experience is also valid.

 

[VandVsmama]

I said a version of this already and this may shock some..

this change actually makes my family more likely to come to WDW then when fastpass plus was an option.

I fee the same way.

I hated FP+. I really disliked the pressure to book 3 FP's ahead of time. and yeah yeah, I know the argument about "You don't HAVE to book them ahead of time," but we all know that if you wanted to get on certain rides like Peter Pan, you had to be online at 7 am Eastern time 60 days before the start of your trip.

We used Max Pass at DL on 3 different trips before COVID started. There was a lot of angry ranting & raving online in between the Max Pass announcement and when it officially started. But Max Pass was great.

So Genie+ won't let you "stack" the rides. Meh, ok, big deal. What you do, then, is after you've used your Lightning Lane to get on a ride, while you're walking through the queue to get ON the ride, you go on the app on your phone to select a Lightning Lane return time for the next ride. That's exactly what we did with Max Pass and it worked out great.

 

[sbbwdw]

For the people who like and used MaxPass, didn’t it include all the rides? Or was it just tier 2 type rides like this new Genie+?

 

[monstermash23]

I'm not feeling very positive, but it isn't really Genie+ as much as it is an accumulation of small cuts that are indicative that Disney is more interested in my financial outlay than in my family's experience. It isn't just the Park, I feel that way about the Disney Wish, and I feel that way about their major properties (Star Wars, MCU, etc). The biggest issue for me was the promotion of Bob Chapek as the boss. His professional focus is about maximizing revenue and always has been. And I want Disney to make money and be profitable, of course. But the person running the company should be thinking about the legacy, not the brand. He should be thinking about the customer, not the shareholder. He should have other people thinking about shareholders, balancing his perspective out.

Genie+ is just another instantiation of his philosophy...get the most for the least. Like MDE, or hotel pricing, or ticket pricing. He is coasting on the immense goodwill built up over generations. And I'm not really here for it. I'll always love Disney and treasure our vacation memories there. I look forward to the eventual Second Renaissance or whatever, when the company finds its way again. I'll probably vacation there a time or two in the meantime, but the time spent will be different, as will my relationship with the planning component. I don't like the idea that my Disney vacation is like video games a few years ago...a series of microtransactions built around my FOMO or impatience. No thanks.

Well said. Exactly my sentiments.

 

[MischaOz]

At least with maxpass photos were included, so even if you didn’t get in many rides you could get value from the photos.

 

[DebbieB]

I can’t wait to try it. Beats standby lines. I remember a trip last fall standing in the sun for 45 minutes for Mickey’s Railway.

 

[katyringo]

For the people who like and used MaxPass, didn’t it include all the rides? Or was it just tier 2 type rides like this new Genie+?

it included “all” the “big” rides. So the tier 2 things is new. However at Disneyland rides like PeterPan didn’t have fastpass.. many rides at Disneyland don’t have fastpass that do at WDW.

 

[raidermatt]

I don’t disagree but while your feelings are valid my feelings about feeling positive about genie plus and how it could change our experience is also valid.

Other than my comment about ScarJo, I wasn't talking about my feelings. I was simply stating what is happening.

Yes, if you ignore all the other changes going on, and you focus solely on Genie+, and the money isn't important to you, and you don't mind it excluding the top 2 rides in each park, then yes, you can view that one change as positive.

But you spoke of all the negativity from others, and the reality is that is not solely due to Genie+. It goes in conjunction with all the other changes going on. That's why people are reacting the way they are.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Apparently they listened to guest feedback and one of the complaints was having to plan trips out so far ahead and that guests wanted more spontaneity.

 

[Airb330]

Apparently they listened to guest feedback and one of the complaints was having to plan trips out so far ahead and that guests wanted more spontaneity.

They did, but all they did was change one stressful morning 60 days out to every.single.day.of.vacation instead. Ugh!

 

[Travelgrrl]

I'm feeling positive about our December trip to Orlando because we're not going to Disney. Instead we got what I consider an amazing deal at Universal for tickets and a family suite at Cabana Bay, which I've stayed at before and it's really lovely. Even before all the recent Disney changes (getting rid of Magical Express, charging for Fast Pass/Genie+, etc), I was starting to prefer Universal because the rides are frankly more exciting and I'm a bigger Harry Potter fan than Avatar or even Star Wars fan, and you just can't beat the prices on tickets, hotels and food. In my heart I still felt nostalgic about WDW, and I could ride on Peter Pan (for example) every trip and never get tired of it. Disney magic!

In that light, we planned to get Christmas party tickets - but the price point was ridiculous to me, so we're not. It makes me sad that WDW isn't what is was, and IMO it's nothing to do with COVID, but with an overweening emphasis of squeezing every dollar out of every customer. So yes, I'm chuffed about our trip, and the Genie+ announcement just makes me happy that it's one more thing I don't have to deal with on my trip. Standby and single rider line have worked great for us at Universal - and for those staying in fancier hotel rooms, Express Pass is free.

 

[monstermash23]

Apparently they listened to guest feedback and one of the complaints was having to plan trips out so far ahead and that guests wanted more spontaneity.

You’re certainly not wrong. They definitely did listen to that feedback.

Just not sure they are listening to much else at the moment

 

[Carol_]

I've been going to WDW on the average every 2 years or so, since 1991. I went twice as a kid in the 70's too.
WDW has ALWAYS been expensive. In 91, there was no FP of any kind. In 76, you needed a TICKET BOOKLET. Anytime something new arises, the "Disney if pricing us out of a vacation" cries start up.
WDW is magic, but it is also a BUSINESS. I for one do not mind the Genie + announcement. I look forward to not have to fret about FP reservations 2 months in advance. If I want to ride an attraction and do not have the $ for the Lightening Lane surcharge, I'll wait in the line like I did in 91 and 94 and 95, and EVERTIME I have gone. If it's too expensive for you, don't get it. There were years I really wanted to go to WDW, but we couldn't swing it, so we saved and waited a year (or 2).
I am excited for the change, and as a new DVC owner ( finally), I am anxious to see the system and to get back to my favorite place in world.

Exactly this. I’m quite content so far.

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

You’re certainly not wrong. They definitely did listen to that feedback.

Just not sure they are listening to much else at the moment

I suspect they listened/are listening to feedback but, somehow, only the feedback that can improve their bottom line is having an impact. If the feedback had been that people wanted more ability to plan they would have introduced the new Genie+ that, for a fee, allowed guests to set up rides months in advance but, don't worry, those unwilling to pay for the service can still wait until the day of to make their plans...

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

We've been reading your feedback and we hear you loud and clear! You, along with other customers, had expressed a concern for the spiraling ticket prices and would like the option of tailoring your experience to your desires, we want to ensure you have the best experience so we've made some changes! Starting now we are offering new tickets that are $20.00 cheaper than those for standard park admission, you have the opportunity to enter the park in a large bubble and watch others enjoy themselves! You can pay extra if you want to leave your bubble or ride a ride but you will have the flexibility to select your experience! Have a great big beautiful tomorrow!!!!*


*$25.00 processing fee will now apply to any tickets purchase going forward.

 

[ToyStoryManiaMouse]

I’m feeling super excited.

 

[RamieGee]

Apparently they listened to guest feedback and one of the complaints was having to plan trips out so far ahead and that guests wanted more spontaneity.

So hard for me to understand. I felt it was so much easier setting everything up - FPs and ADRs - well in advance, and then have this perfect, beautifully executed plan to follow each day - Hakuna Matata. Each day started so low-stress and full of excitement. I was really darn good at it, too. Those that we travelled with were always impressed at how smoothly our day flowed, and liked that there wasn’t any decision making or stress on the fly. We got done everything we wanted to do. Loved going into our trips knowing that. I was super chill as soon as we hit the airport. That was honestly one of my favorite things about the Disney system.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

So hard for me to understand. I felt it was so much easier setting everything up - FPs and ADRs - well in advance, and then have this perfect, beautifully executed plan to follow each day - Hakuna Matata. Each day started so low-stress and full of excitement. I was really darn good at it, too. Those that we travelled with were always impressed at how smoothly our day flowed, and liked that there wasn’t any decision making or stress on the fly. We got done everything we wanted to do. Loved going into our trips knowing that. I was super chill as soon as we hit the airport. That was honestly one of my favorite things about the Disney system.

I'm in the "so glad I don't have to plan 60 days out" group. I'm the planner for my family. But we like to get up when we get up and then decide what to do that day. So often, the plans I so carefully made 60 days ago got thrown out the window, but at that point it was too late to get a FP for some of the good stuff. I didn't even realize how stressful the planning was for me until we went last August and weren't able to plan anything. It was wonderful!

As far as the charging money: My opinion is that free FP+ was creating line issues--often the FP line was long itself and the standby might as well have been renamed "purgatory." Disneyland was already charging for MaxPass. Universal charges a fortune for its pass. When the parks first opened, you had to buy tickets for each ride, so, no, I don't think Walt is rolling over in his grave.

A thing to like about this is that you pay only if you use it. Disney, like any other company, is going to get as much money as it can. With this plan, the extra is not built into the ticket price or the resort price, so if I'm just there to enjoy the scenery, I don't have to pay. And on days when I do want to use it, I can pay the $15.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the new system works out for people. Thank goodness for YouTube and all my favorite vloggers!

The only thing I don't like so far is the 7am on vacation thing!