Which one will I regret the most?

[CarolynFH]

Yes, to all of this, but the poster I quoted literally said, "You don't even have to turn it on." Which made zero sense to me and is what I was asking about.

Sorry I got carried away! Hopefully my extra information will help someone reading this thread in future.

 

[disneygeek401]

This is probably a hot take but I don't think Genie or anything ties someone to their phone. Make your first reservation, put your phone away for 2 hours. Make your next reservation when its time, rinse and repeat. Unless you want to nonstop modify times, no need to be on your phone all the time.

I personally think mobile ordering is vital, they usually have like 1-2 registers staffed now. It doesn't take a ton of time, and it is so much better than waiting in line. I have seen massively long lines for ordering food in person.

To me, time is money on vacation and if I can spend 5 minutes on my phone to make a food order which will save me 20-30 minutes, its worth it. Or taking a minute to make a Genie+ reservation that will potentially save me 1-2 hours.

 

[Skippyboo]

I like the magic band. It’s especially useful when going to the pool. I like having it my wrist. I have walked out of my hotel room got all the way to Citywalk security station and then realized I left my lanyard with my ticket, hotel key card in my hotel room at Universal Orlando.

Mobile ordering while waiting in line is useful. It’s quite a time saver. Plus the app, it’s the best source of information for shows, parade, characters meet and greet times and wait times for attractions. It’s takes seconds to click on the map, filter what park you’re at and see what’s happening where. Instead of walking halfway across the park to find the character you want to see stopped 20 minutes ago or a ride is down.

 

[cruising spud]

As someone who is on the older side of life, I am going to embrace technology on our next Disney trip. I believe it will make our trip better, not worse. I am already watching videos on the best way to use Genie Plus. Does the entire concept of Genie Plus annoy the heck out of me? Yes! Am I going to use it? Yes!

 

[Miffy]

OP, You are going to be there in the broiling heat of August, so I think the thing you'd miss the most is Genie+, since standing in outdoor lines will be excruciatingly difficult unless you love standing on a hot pavement with very little shade in 95+-degree direct sunlight.

Even with rope-dropping, you can't hit all the main attractions in the half hour of ETPE. It's just physically impossible. Since you've never been to WDW before, it's hard to imagine the sheer size of each park. It's quite a walk from, say, Soarin' to Frozen Ever After. To get them both in at RD you'd have to (a) get very lucky and (b) sprint. Even then, you'd probably end up waiting 45+ minutes for one of them.

As far as mobile ordering is concerned, you don't have to mobile order everything, but there are some QS restaurants that you'd be pretty unhappy to stand in line waiting for your food. Woody's Lunchbox is the one that comes to mind immediately. So don't think of mobile ordering as an all-or-nothing proposition.

If you do decide to get G+, you are going to need your phone. I was wondering from your first choice if perhaps you don't want to carry a phone with you, but a phone is handy even without using mobile ordering or G+ since you can look at your phone and see wait times--invaluable info.

A MB is unnecessary but convenient and since there are 5 of you, it'll take you longer to tap in to the parks, to your LLs (assuming you'd get G+), etc., since you'd have to get out your cards, etc., etc., With the MB, you'd all just have it on your wrists. But plenty of people don't use MBs anymore, especially since the new ones (and the old ones are apparently not available anymore) are so expensive.

 

[sponica]

My sister visited for the first time last summer.

She picked up KTTW cards at the resort instead of using magicbands as they were planning a one and done trip and she couldn't cost justify the magicband costs.
She did not use Genie+ but it did result in some pivoting when Test Track didn't open with early entry. They did ride pretty much all the rides they wanted to ride. The only ILL they bought was for Rise of the Resistance, because it's too unreliable.
She might have mobile ordered, but I'm not sure as they drove a camper so probably had a ton of snacks with them.

For me, if my kids were older, and my husband a little more patient, I'd probably do without Genie+ at least until they announce how the preselections will work for onsite guests.

But mobile ordering is a time saver.

We have a treasure trove of magic bands. But I think 2 sets were free?

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I just got back from an amazing week. I rarely used my phone except to book Genie +. I will say that mobile order saved me time twice. I got to the restaurant and got in line. And waited, and waited. And then pulled up mobile order on my phone just to see. I was able to order and get my food before the people in front of me even placed their order both times. Can it be done without? Sure. But even those few minutes meant getting to sit sooner which my poor body appreciated.

 

[robinb]

Even if you plan on waiting in line instead of using G+ you’ll need your phone to review wait times before you choose which line to strand in.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

We just got back Saturday from our trip.
Genie + & rope drop made it possible to ride every ride in the parks ( MK, Epcot & AK) with no wait time. And we even repeated a few rides.

The only waits we had was our VQ TRON , VQ G of G & our 2nd time we rode FOP later in the day.

I don’t think that would be possible without ropedrop & Genie +.

We did have magic bands & I like using them.

We did not mobile order- we stood in line but it never took us very long when we did.

 

[Shughart]

You'll never catch me standing in a QS line. I have my gift card info saved in my notes app to copy and paste to pay for our order and I'm ordering it in line for a ride/show. It's literally the easiest thing.

 

[Tigger's ally]

Even if you plan on waiting in line instead of using G+ you’ll need your phone to review wait times before you choose which line to strand in.

Yeah, using MDE to check ride times is one thing I couldn't do without.

I go to the mountains (not a beach guy) if I want to get away and have no phone. Can't imagine doing away with it at Disney, but I don't take calls unless it is an emergency. I do use it for MDE and Ills. We eat at TS so no mobile order although we did at Disneyland. Worked great there.

 

[spewey]

Here's another person chiming in debunking the idea that you have to be "tied to your phone" to use Genie+.

Note - I am the guy that HATES tech, was the last person ever to get a smartphone, and is one of those "get off my lawn" types. I am also an uber-planner, obsessive about all aspects of a trip, trying to maximize our time at all times. Not a good combination, right? In other words, I am the test case for someone despising the current set up, feeling like I'm forced to do something I can't stand (use my phone) to do something (plan plan plan) I want/need to do.

But you know what? Like many others above have said, it's not so bad. I mean, you could stare at your phone all day, refreshing and constantly trying to modify, but there's no need to do that. Me, I'll check the wait times of nearby rides when I'm in line, as there's always a few seconds to do that (and frankly, the lines aren't THAT interesting that I can't take ever my eyes off them), but that's about it. You can only make a Genie selection every two hours (or after tapping in), so that's not really a burden.

For the OP, I assume you'll be using your phone to at least check wait times? You'll be doing that far more often than any Genie+ stuff. And like others said, what's the downside of ordering food in advance? It might take a few minutes, but it could save you a TON of time in line, in that unworldly August heat (we'll be there too that week, across the bay at the Boardwalk).

Having said all that, assuming lower crowds that time of year, with a solid attack plan and rope drop, Genie+ may not take up much of your time, but it might not be worth the money. That to me is the bigger question.

 

[ShannyMcB]

In terms of genie+ and checking wait times....go in with your must dos in mind. Once you have those on genie+ or the wait times on those are low do them and then forget the phone...let the rest of the day play out organically.

 

[whuffiepoor]

Great question! As many have replied, you really do probably want to bring your phone. But you can still minimize the need to use your phone or phone chargers.

Key to the World cards will get you into the park, etc.

Another option if you have one lying around (or can find an unmapped one on eBay): retro version 1 and version 2 MagicBands (i.e. not the newer, power-hungry MagicBand+'s.) The RFID chips inside last approximately forever, and should do everything a Key to the World card will. Older MagicBands are also lightweight and water-proof.

You can test them by checking if they'll unlock your hotel room door.

Just be aware that, once mapped, it seems MagicBands cannot be transferred to another owner.

When I visit the parks, I wear a MagicBand v1 and I keep my phone tucked away in the outer pocket of my fanny pack. I generally only take it out to take pictures, check on ride wait times, or to text my friends and make them jealous that they aren't there with us