The Genie Usage, Tips and Strategy ONLY Thread

[elgerber]

It sounds like at SDD and MFSR are the quickest LL to go at HS. What would be the next attractions to have more limited availability and later arrival windows?

TSMM and MFSR.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Per the title of this tread, it was created with the intent of sharing Genie+ tips and strategies.

Please keep discussions on topic. After this, posts discussing things you may like changed about the current system, will be removed. They may be valid ideas but those are better discussed in a new thread in the Community sub-forum.

Thanks.

 

[g-dad66]

It sounds like at SDD and MFSR are the quickest LL to go at HS. What would be the next attractions to have more limited availability and later arrival windows?

ToT and RnRC

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

What would you consider to be the top Genie+ rides at MK?

Jungle Cruise & Peter Pan seem to be the ones that go the quickest.

 

[suzymouse724]

We just got home, and used Genie + most days. One interesting thing we discovered that I have not seen posted is if a ride goes down during your return time you will get an anytime lightening lane for most rides. However, if you are trying to stack and want to stack - you need to use your anytime lightening lane during your original return window. Otherwise you loose your ability to stack. We were with my cousins, but our Genie + were not linked. We both had slinky LL (but slightly different return times). The ride was down all morning. We eventually decided to use the anytime LL for rockin roller coaster. Both my cousin and I already had a LL for toy story that we made 2 hours after HS opened. After we tapped in to Rockin Roller Coaster, I was able to make another LL but my cousin was not. The only difference was we were still in the return window for my original slinky LL (and she was not).

 

[wisblue]

It sounds like at SDD and MFSR are the quickest LL to go at HS. What would be the next attractions to have more limited availability and later arrival windows?

I have been following this, and I would put them in this order:

1 SDD (and nothing else is close),
2/3. MFSR/TOT
4. RNRC

Today, for example, I have been checking every few hours. SDD was at 5:35 just after 9 and was out the next time I checked at 10:40.

MFSR was at 6:10 at 3:10 and out sometime before 6:10.

TOT was at 4:40 by 11:15 and out by 1:25. On other days MFSR has been running out sooner.

RNRC still had availability at 8:20 the last time I looked at 6:10. TSMM had a return time of 7:20 at 6:10.

In general, standby lines seem longer and disappearance of LL times seem faster than they have been up to now. We may be getting a taste of bigger crowds, and the experiences that people had in the first week or two of Genie+ may not be repeatable right now. Crowds from the half marathon weekend and the beginning of Jersey Week might be a factor.

 

[wisblue]

Jungle Cruise seems to be the one that has return times the latest in the day quickest. I would rope drop that one and then keep picking the earliest time available for rides after that. I would never pay $15 and use it for 3 rides.

If you literally kept picking the earliest time available you would be picking all of what I would lump into the category of the non headlining Fantasyland rides (Dumbo, Barnstormer, tea cups, etc.) They frequently have LL availability with return times about 5 minutes out, but they are also near or actual walk-ons for much of the day.

You would get a lot of rides in with LL but wouldn‘t be saving yourself much time.

The strategies people are discussing here are generally trying to find a balance between quantity and quality that lets them use Genie+ to enjoy their favorite attractions while minimizing time spent in lines.

 

[michaeldorn1]

This question is gonna show my tech ignorance: I've seen many posts from others suggesting "refreshing" their MDE app to over come some tech issues with . But, I can't figure out how to "refresh" it on my phone? Any advice?! Thanks for any help here.

 

[trompettecon]

What if you are doing EE? Rope dropping JC would be a waste no?

 

[g-dad66]

What if you are doing EE? Rope dropping JC would be a waste no?

JC not open during EE.
Only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open.

 

[wisblue]

JC is not open during EE. But going there shortly after full park open before the line gets too long would not be a waste.

 

[mom2cinderella]

Does removing Genie’s recommendations from your day only “stick” once you are in the parks?

They are going poof , until I log back in…

 

[cjlong88]

I have been following this, and I would put them in this order:

1 SDD (and nothing else is close),
2/3. MFSR/TOT
4. RNRC

Today, for example, I have been checking every few hours. SDD was at 5:35 just after 9 and was out the next time I checked at 10:40.

MFSR was at 6:10 at 3:10 and out sometime before 6:10.

TOT was at 4:40 by 11:15 and out by 1:25. On other days MFSR has been running out sooner.

RNRC still had availability at 8:20 the last time I looked at 6:10. TSMM had a return time of 7:20 at 6:10.

In general, standby lines seem longer and disappearance of LL times seem faster than they have been up to now. We may be getting a taste of bigger crowds, and the experiences that people had in the first week or two of Genie+ may not be repeatable right now. Crowds from the half marathon weekend and the beginning of Jersey Week might be a factor.

This is excellent info. Thank you! We are starting in EPCOT for F&W festival and will be only going to HS from 5-9pm so our goal is to hit as many attraction as possible. Sounds like I should stack in this order: SDD, MFSR / ToT (whichever has later return times goes first), RnRC, anything else...yes?

Because I'm booking my first LL for HS, will the 120 minute rule begin at 9am or will it begin at 11am because I have an EPCOT reservation?

 

[wisblue]

Someone should confirm this but I think it starts at the opening time of Epcot. That might not leave you with a lot of choices.

But, yes, you’d have to start right at 7 to get something for SDD for later than 5. It won’t take long for the return times to be out that far.
Then at 1 and 3 you’ll have to see what’s available depending on the times and your favorites. If all are equal for you then, yes, take the latest first.

 

[nurseberta]

Thrill data shows that times book up for ToT and then RnR next on the G+ Popularity of bookings but that does t happen until much later into the day.

 

[nurseberta]

This is all 100% correct, to the best of my understanding. I do not have any special insight into how Disney actually implemented things. I'm an experienced software engineer and based on my observations of how things work, I would bet that the internals are pretty close to this.

I ran a bunch of tests looking at various combinations of overlapping stacked reservations, booking and canceling reservations in different orders, etc., so this is all based on my observations, not other people's reports. Keep in mind that Disney can change this at any time, so this is how it was working last week. Disney has tweaked every version of FastPass at least once or twice, so it's entirely possible some of this may change. Mostly Disney will be analyzing whether there are people hogging too much of the attraction capacity. If that happens, expect Disney to take action.

Anyway, Genie+ is what we call in computer science a "state machine". It's a simple implementation that keeps track of a state or states and simple rules for transitioning between the various states.

In this case there are only two states for each guest: 1) Eligible to book a Genie+ reservation, or 2) Not eligible to book a Genie+ reservation.

There is one (or maybe two) field(s) in a database tracking your status all day.

You begin the day in state 1, "eligible."

When you book a reservation, you go to state 2, "not eligible" and an eligibility time is set for when you'll be eligible assuming nothing makes you eligible before that point. (Much of the time, something will happen, like tapping into a reservation, and the eligibility time is moot.)

The eligibility time is set like this:

• If the park that the attraction is in is not yet open, eligibility is the earlier of the end of the arrival window and 2 hours after park opening.
• If the park that the attraction is in is open, eligibility is the earlier of the end of the arrival window and 2 hours from the current time.

Examples:

• It's 7:02. Park opens at 9:00
  • You book a 9:30-10:30 reservation. Eligibility time: 10:30 (end of arrival window)
  • You book a 10:30-11:30 reservation. Eligibility time: 11:00 (2 hours after opening)
• It's 10:02. Park opened at 9:00
  • You book a 10:30-11:30 reservation. Eligibility time: 11:30 (end of arrival window)
  • You book an 11:30-12:30 reservation. Eligibility time: 12:02 (2 hours from right now)

You can always view your eligibility time by trying to book. If it succeeds, you're eligible now. If it fails, you will either be shown when you will be eligible again, or you'll get a screen with an "Edit" button you can tap to see when you'll be eligible again.

When you tap into a reservation (including during the grace period), you move to state 1, "eligible."

When you cancel a reservation (including during the grace period, though your cancellation grace period seems to be shorter), you move to state 1, "eligible."

When a ride goes down within or just before your arrival window, and you haven't already ridden, you get a multi-attraction pass and you move to state 1, "eligible."

Whenever you become eligible for any reason, the eligibility time is cleared and is no longer relevant.

Now, the implication of all these rules is that you can, in general, wait until the eligibility time arrives, become eligible, book a new reservation, and also tap into or cancel your existing reservation (possibly taking advantage of the grace period), become eligible, and book another new reservation.

It also implies that once you have two outstanding reservations, you can keep two outstanding reservations for the rest of the day, because every time you tap into or cancel one, you can book another. If you forget, and tap into or cancel two in a row without booking in between, you lose an opportunity to book and now have one fewer reservation outstanding.

What you can't do:

• You can't take advantage of both the 2 hour eligibility rule and the "end of the arrival window" rule for the same reservation. They're the same rule - there's just one eligibility time which is either 2 hours away or at the end of your arrival window.
• You can't take advantage of the eligibility time, book something, and then immediately take advantage of the eligibility time for another overlapping reservation you booked earlier. The system only stores one time, which was set the last time you booked a reservation.

I hope this answers every question, and folks can just point people back to this. At least until Disney changes the rules...

Don

I am not talking about the tactic of letting a LL “expire” and then riding during the grace period. That requires some timing that I don’t intend to use.

Others have tried that and say it works. I’m probably going to be less fancy and go for the more straightforward double stack.

The thing I don’t like about attempting this type of triple stack is that it forces you to squeeze the use of that first LL attraction into a 15 minute window.

I want to use early entry and the first two hours after regular opening to do some of our favorite attractions standby and then set up the double stack to be used at least in part at a second park.

In our experience we should be able to do at least 4 or 5 of our favorites at MK before 11. For example: 7DMT at 8:30, possibly PP if we get off 7DMT quickly, then some or all of BTMRR, Splash, POC, HM, and JC when that side of the park opens at 9.

Because JC builds up a standby line faster than the other 4, that’s my logical choice for that first LL.

With a return time of say, 11:10-12:10, we have a window of 80 minutes to ride JC. We might decide to go after lunch depending on how everything else goes. (We generally eat lunch early at the parks because we don’t have a big breakfast and want to beat the rush at the QSR) I don’t want to be somewhere at 10:45 and be hamstrung because we have to make sure to get to and ride JC between 11:00 and 11:15 To take advantage of the ”expire then ride” required by a 10-11 return time.

Would canceling a G + automatically open a new eligibility window? If for example, I booked a G+ at 7am for 5pm,
11am book 4pm then cancel 5pm? Could I book a G + after cAnceling?

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Would canceling a G + automatically open a new eligibility window? If for example, I booked a G+ at 7am for 5pm,
11am book 4pm then cancel 5pm? Could I book a G + after cAnceling?

Yes, you should be able to book a G+ after cancelling. The key is to do that before another window opens. You will lose a “stack” if two of your windows open at the same time.

 

[William B]

This question is gonna show my tech ignorance: I've seen many posts from others suggesting "refreshing" their MDE app to over come some tech issues with . But, I can't figure out how to "refresh" it on my phone? Any advice?! Thanks for any help here.

Try pulling the screen down. This is what does it on my android app.

 

[mab2012]

This is excellent info. Thank you! We are starting in EPCOT for F&W festival and will be only going to HS from 5-9pm so our goal is to hit as many attraction as possible. Sounds like I should stack in this order: SDD, MFSR / ToT (whichever has later return times goes first), RnRC, anything else...yes?

Because I'm booking my first LL for HS, will the 120 minute rule begin at 9am or will it begin at 11am because I have an EPCOT reservation?

Reports have been pretty consistent that the 2h timer for booking a second LL is based on the opening time of the park where you booked your first LL, not the park you have a reservation for.

So if you book your first at HS, you should be eligible to book a second two hours after HS opens, regardless of where you are at that time.

 

[Luisfba]

I’m not sure I have my hands fully wrapped around generating the triple stack of letting the window expire, hitting the 2 hour window, and the tap in.

Does the sequence of the first two (window expire, 120 min window) matter? For example, assuming an 11am eligibility due to the 2 hour rule, does it matter if my window expires at before 11 (10:55 for example) or after 11? (let’s say 11:10).

I guess trying to get a sense for what range of return windows around that 2 hour mark would work for this? If it can be on either side I’m guessing it’s -15 minutes (well, less since Ned time to make LL selections) up to + whatever..?