Is anyone feeling positive?

[cjlong88]

I'm feeling positive that this could end up being a good experience and I really hope that I will be able to utilize Genie+ so my family continues to have great vacations at WDW. I also just like to stay positive in general. I only get to live this life once, and I don't want to spend my time in a prolonged state of anger caused by things outside my control.

I wasn't thrilled about a paid system coming to WDW, but I am adjusting my perspective to find the ways I can engage with the service so that it may (hopefully) enhance our vacation in the way we would like.

 

[disneylover102]

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?

I’m super excited about the changes! Fastpass+ sucked because it was so hard to get what you wanted but now there will be less people! And honestly I’m excited about the up charge rides because you can have those in ADDITION to your other passes

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I never said it was a good value. Disney vacations are where we choose to use our money to splurge. We are frugal in other areas so that we can afford to go to Disney and vacation the way they want.

 

[twinboysandalulu]

I disliked having to book rides so far in advance. So I’m very optimistic about this change, even with paying for it. Will I have to pick up a few extra shifts at work to cover the cost of some of it, absolutely, but to me it’s worth it knowing we will be able to plan on a daily basic rather than 2 months prior.

 

[DisLiss]

I will say that one thing I view as a positive is that they are not making you purchase the $15 all day pass PLUS the 2 individual ride passes if you do not wish to do so.

Because I could totally have seen them saying that one had to buy the all-day pass before they were allowed to buy the 2 pay per ride choices each day. So I feel that they fact that they didn't make us double up on these paid lightning lane choices is one nice thing.

I also like that we no longer be forced to use up certain tier FPs before moving on to new FPs. That used to mess us up as a family sometimes if only certain people wanted to ride a ride, because then only certain people would have fulfilled their ride tier requirements.

 

[wagster92]

My wife and I have a couples trip in a week and a trip with my in laws booked for February.

August Trip:
We are absolutely pumped, we haven’t been in over a year and this will be our official honeymoon. We aren’t purchasing tickets for the boo bash because of sticker shock, and we’re slightly bummed we don’t have the dining plan; but overall the positives vastly outweigh the negative.

February Trip:
A little more apprehensive, but overall still positive. We are fortunate enough to afford Genie+, so we’re looking on the bright side: After the buy in its old school FP, which I prefer over FP+. DW has also only been to the parks in the FP+ era so I’m excited for her to experience the spontaneity the LL’s will allow.

All that said, for our trips I’m excited because we will be able to take advantage of Genie+. However, I do strongly feel that Genie+ is a spit in the face to guests and a money grab. It’s not too bad as a whole, but it’s not free, and part of the magic of Disney used to be all of the free perks that came along with the price of admission.

 

[tony67]

FP+ was once of the reason I didn't go to Disney, Ill have to see how this plays out but it might get me back for a day or two once we can park hop without a reservation

 

[travelingfam57]

Even though I enjoyed planning out our trip ahead of time, it did really feel limiting sometimes when we actually arrived. This new system makes it easier to have your resort days be on the days you actually feel like relaxing instead of the days you think you will feel like relaxing 2 months ahead. Those days I'll just sleep through that 7am wake-up call

 

[Heather07438]

Even though I enjoyed planning out our trip ahead of time, it did really feel limiting sometimes when we actually arrived. This new system makes it easier to have your resort days be on the days you actually feel like relaxing instead of the days you think you will feel like relaxing 2 months ahead. Those days I'll just sleep through that 7am wake-up call

Yes. We're going to gain more freedom to do what we like in the moment. That difference is likely to be huge improvement for my family. I won't have to decide if we want to do Peter Pan at 4:10pm on a Tues 60 days in advance (180 days in advance if you consider the need to plan FP+ around ADRs).

Another big point for us as DVC/onsite guests is less need to rely on paid features. We'll probably only opt to buy g+ for a couple days of our trip and it may end up well worth the relatively small amount spent.

 

[Lilsia]

I always try to remain positive but I have the luxury of time and freedom. I have gone so many times to WDW that the rides are not a big focus for me. I just like being there. I also go solo for most of my trips since my kids are adults now. The $15 a day is not that big of a deal for me financially, but that does not mean that I like it. I think that they are being overly greedy with this. I can forgive a lot, but things are going downhill at such a fast rate now that I believe that, unless things start to change, they are going to alienate their biggest fans.

 

[WVU Disney Fan]

I’m pretty positive about the news. Really was hoping some form of fast pass would be back by our late November trip and that looks to be the case. I was really dreading being there over Thanksgiving without some form of FP. So even though it’s an up charge I’m pretty positive on it.

I also have been following these boards so figured something like this was coming and it could definitely have been worse than this. I guess we’ll just have to see the new system in action.

 

[MischaOz]

Not really. PhotoPass is nowhere as extensive and available at DLR as it is at WDW. It made sense to include it in DLR MaxPass and now Genie+ as a way to get the mostly local guests to sign up for it, but it wasn't a huge value add.

I have to respectfully disagree! I found the photo pass system at DLR to be quite extensive. I got a ton of great family photos, especially in DCA. And there are a lot of great ride photos too. I probably used photopass more at DLR than WDW because it was also more accessible with shorter lines.

 

[soniam]

I have to respectfully disagree! I found the photo pass system at DLR to be quite extensive. I got a ton of great family photos, especially in DCA. And there are a lot of great ride photos too. I probably used photopass more at DLR than WDW because it was also more accessible with shorter lines.

My only issue with it was that you have to manually go scan/get your code to add the photo. I forgot on our first ride, since I am used to the magic band picking it up at WDW. However. we have been having more issues with the MB getting it, probably old MBs, and have been scanning the last couple of trips.

 

[SuzErwin]

I have to respectfully disagree! I found the photo pass system at DLR to be quite extensive. I got a ton of great family photos, especially in DCA. And there are a lot of great ride photos too. I probably used photopass more at DLR than WDW because it was also more accessible with shorter lines.

I guess it depends on when you go and what you’re used to! We were in DLR at least once or twice a month on weekends and only saw photographers on Main Street or in the Hub. Don’t think we ever saw a photographer in DCA, except perhaps at Christmas by the tree . And the lines were always too long for we locals to stand in

But being locals, it’s not something we specifically sought out, either. So I easily could have missed photographers. Which is why it makes sense for photos to be included at DLR - it’s a mostly local guests park and locals can take or leave photos as we already have hard drives full of castle images; it’s not something frequent guests would pay for on a regular basis. But the inclusion of photos made MaxPass more palatable when it was first introduced.

 

[KittyKitty]

I hate change..................... ok, got that out of the way.

Disney Parks has never, ever, ever, been inexpensive as long as I've gone, 56 years now.

I am looking forward to see how Genie+ works. I don't know enough to have a negative opinion. But have been going long enough, that most of the time, the changes work out fine. ( I even liked the 25 year anniversary Castle, pink frosting). I like that Disney keeps reinventing itself.

As Walt said. "Disneyland(or WDW) will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.

Here are other quotes from him.
https://www.keepinspiring.me/walt-disney-quotes/
Yes, I have drank the koolaid.

 

[DavidNYC]

Not positive at all. Don’t see any possible way my vacation does not become more stressful, more expensive, with my schedule less dictated my me and more chosen by Disney, and likely resulting in my riding far less and standing in line far more.

 

[VandVsmama]

Not really. PhotoPass is nowhere as extensive and available at DLR as it is at WDW. It made sense to include it in DLR MaxPass and now Genie+ as a way to get the mostly local guests to sign up for it, but it wasn't a huge value add.



The attractions in Fantasyland that don't have FP will not have it added because there is zero room. If DL could have added FP to Peter Pan's Flight, they would have - the queue is very, very, long - but it's an attraction built in 1955. There's barely enough room for one queue.

And if you're a rope dropper and you go to DL on an 8 am park opening day, you could easily get on 5-6 Fantasyland attractions in that first hour. Thus, no need for FP anyway.

But yeah...there's no FP at most of the DL Fantasyland rides due to lack of space (Matterhorn has it though).

 

[DavidNYC]

Will you really need to get up at 7am to grab your Lightening Lane passes or otherwise lose out? I doubt Disney would put a limit on the number of people who can pay for a ride. Paying for rides (on top of admission) actually seems like the ideal situation for them. If Disney knows someone wants to ride Peter Pan but plans to leave the park soon and the projected wait is still over 60 minutes, why wouldn't Disney try to offer them a "spontaneous" LL pass to immediately skip the line?

No doubt in my mind that Disney will expand paid options for a greater fee once they work out inevitable kinks. But because ride capacity is a zero sum game - it means more and more capacity will be taken away from one group and reallocated to those willing to pay. When looking at paid extras - you always have to consider whether it’s a true added benefit or something that has to be taken from another group. If I pay for a dessert party - those desserts aren’t being taken away from other people. When a lot of people pay to get on a ride - those spots are being taken from others who could have ridden.

 

[lynch34]

I live in North Carolina. I can basically go to Greece for 10 days for the cost of Disney World. Now I have loved WDW but cmon.

 

[Marionnette]

I live in North Carolina. I can basically go to Greece for 10 days for the cost of Disney World. Now I have loved WDW but cmon.

Go to Greece. The food is much better!