Disney Genie announcement

[MomEadon]

thank you

We are a family of stroll in at nooners (3 kids ages 5, 4, and 2)

We still paid the same ticket price and same G+ added cost. Why should we be at a disadvantage? thats so silly

That is impossible under the system they wanted to create. You're not allowed to go into the park until 2pm so it makes no sense to allow people to make ride reservations for a time they are not permitted to use and it would cause MAJOR headaches for Disney cast members. You are proposing a massively inefficient system to satisfy your own whims on who you would like to favor. You keep using the word "advantage". It's not an advantage to anything but your own narrow sense of how you personally would like to system to work and how you personally value things. I have already pointed out that to do any of these things you are both gaining and giving up. Your own subjective weighing of those is irrelevant. Even your statement about people who stroll in at noon should be at a disadvantage is a very selfish statement. Why? I'm sorry, did I miss the discount available to those who stroll in at noon? Your whole argument is based on how YOU want to tour the parks. And, they are at a disadvantage - the lost three hours of prime park time and have less time to tour the parks and have lost opportunities to book LL they would have had if they were there are rope drop. I'm not sure what sort of false scenarios you're creating in your head on how this system favors them over other people but they don't exist.

As for mid-day breaks - yes - it is a hell of lot less convenient now to take a mid-day break or go to the parks later and I have been pointing that out since they announced this whole system. But that has absolutely nothing to do with being able to make a reservation for a park you want to hop to.

 

[Disturbia]

I just looked at changing tickets; so for 4 riders at $15.98 for 7 days is $447.31;

On top of this, lightening lanes would double this price. But you really need to only book one and rope drop the other.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Heh-- Everest is really one of my faves, so I'm so bummed it'll be down when we are there. One of my kids rode it like 10 years ago and the other has not at all (they are in their 20s). It would have been a really fun ride for all of us to do together!

Ours too...we didnt even make a park ressie this trip. May catch an ILL for FoP and make an afternoon there but thats about it.

 

[PepperjackDragon]

I think the idea was to have two per park, although AK is kind of hurting for ILLS-worthy attractions. Everest this week barely broke 20 minute standby lines.

THey weren't 20 minutes either. In person they were actually 10-12 and most of that was just because it took so long to walk through the physical line, not even stopping until the middle of the final room simply because they had to start asking group sizes/etc.

However, it is definitely building momentum. The first day iphone did not push out the update, I manually updated mine but my wife didn't. Then yesterday it was pushed out as an auto update. Today I saw 2 families on the bus purchasing ILL$. One of them was talking loudly and saying frantically that the last ones they could purchase were for 840pm, the mom was frantic saying they couldn't buy it until they were in the park, then the dad proclaimed he had just got it and you would have sworn they just won the lottery. Don't know what ride it was (they looked dressed for MK, but hopefully the excitement was over ROTR). Either way, from what I have seen, people are more than willing to pay up.

People were using it at Epcot yesterday, though were pretty visibly horrified when we-a line of one family with no one else behind or in front of us-were stopped to let them in front on Spaceship Earth. It was a pretty funny Lightning lane. Nothing funny about the actual wait times at MK today, though.

 

[DisneyFive]

Ours too...we didnt even make a park ressie this trip. May catch an ILL for FoP and make an afternoon there but thats about it.

Yeah, agreed. Animal kingdom has become our least favorite park by quite a margin. There just is not a lot of repeat factor there for us anymore. As much as we love the shows they just don’t mean as much to us anymore. Still love FOP and EE, and Dinosaur to a lesser extent but that’s about it. The layout of the park is just so discombobulated as well. We did love doing the animation class again in Rafiki‘s planet watch. That was a really nice addition this year. In our 10 days at WDW this summer, we only spent approximately half a day at animal Kingdom. G+ has the least amount of value at this park in my opinion

Dan

 

[PepperjackDragon]

Ours too...we didnt even make a park ressie this trip. May catch an ILL for FoP and make an afternoon there but thats about it.

Might not need to. We went on the 19th, it said 45 or 50 minutes, but it was a straight walk up to the final room. LL would have saved us 8 minutes. If they don't sell out, might be worth it to wait until you are there and just see what it looks like.

 

[Disturbia]

1. You can book any IA$$ rides in any park with the caveat that if it is not the park you have a reservation for - you will only be offered times after 2pm.
2. When you tap in at 10:05 am you can make your next reservation. 120 is not a limitation - it's an exception. This is how to think of it - you can make your next reservation at the EARLIER of (1) when you tap into your prior reservation or (2) 120 minutes after you made your prior reservation.
3. Yes - if your return times are close together you can keep going like that all day subject to the one LL per ride rule.
4. Apparently yes - you can book a reservation for your second park post 2-pm at 7am. How that affects you depends on what rides are available 2 hours after your first park opens. Say you get a 2pm reservation for Test Track. Well - at 11am in MK you're going to be limited (not technically - just due to your time contraints) to picking a ride with a return time probably up to 1pm or so to ensure you can get to Epcot in time. One strategy people are discussing is just to book LL at your second park for the afternoon at 7am, 11am, and 1pm (for a 9am opening park) and just do standby in your first park starting at rope drop.
5. You can book a 10-11G+ in your first park. But if the park opens at 10 you won't be able to book in your second park until you either tap into the first ride or at noon - which ever is first.

The 120 rule is Not after you made your reservation, it’s from park opening IF your reservation is later in the day

https://allears.net/2021/10/19/the-confusing-120-minute-disney-genie-rule-you-need-to-know/

 

[DavidNYC]

The 120 rule is Not after you made your reservation, it’s from park opening IF your reservation is later in the day

https://allears.net/2021/10/19/the-confusing-120-minute-disney-genie-rule-you-need-to-know/

Correct - I missed that one additional caveat that if you make your first reservation prior to park opening, the 120 clock doesn't start ticking until park opening. But the general rule is still no more than 120 minutes from when you made your reservation other than a first reservation made prior to opening.

 

[Disturbia]

I can go online at 12:01 and purchase G+ for the "next" morning of my reserved park.
- You can. I wouldn't and would just wait until the morning but you can
Let's say the park I chose opens at 10 am.
I can go online at 7 am and book my first G+ for 10 am - 11 am.
I can also then pay for IA$$ at that time and book for the park where I have my reservation.
***QUESTION: Can I book IA$$ for my park where I will hop?
-Yes, you can book both ILLs and they can be in any park, reservation there or not
If I book my first GP for 10-11 am and tap in at 10:05 am, can I book my next G+ or do I have to wait 120 minutes?
-Yes, as soon as you "second tap"
If I do not have to wait, I can just keep trying all day for different attractions using G+ as soon as I tap into my G+ attraction?
-Yes

If I know I am hopping that day (I have AP and a resort stay), can I book at the second park for a 2 pm G+ at 7 am (if available)? If so, how does that then matter to my first park G+?
-Yes, it means the first G+ reservation you can make in your first park can only be made 120 minutes after it opens
Can I book a 10-11 am G+ (if park opens at 10 am) at 7 am and also a 2 pm, G+?
-Not at the same time, no
If so, when can I book my next G+? After I tap in at 10:01 to my first G+?
-After your second tap at your first reservation

If you have a 2 pm G+ booked at 7 am, you can get a Genie + 120 minutes from opening, so 10 am opening means 12 pm. That’s how I understand the 120 min rule (so basically you‘re planning to standby 10-12pm)

The other option is at 7 am, book a 10 am pass, ride by 10:05, book another..and another… and another until noon and then book a 2 pm at 12 pm and break for lunch (Standby/lunch 12-2 pm)

 

[LSUfan4444]

Might not need to. We went on the 19th, it said 45 or 50 minutes, but it was a straight walk up to the final room. LL would have saved us 8 minutes. If they don't sell out, might be worth it to wait until you are there and just see what it looks like.

Good point...it's a low crowd right now and 4:15 but the ILL return time is 6:20 pm and the standby posted is 55. At $11pp ($33 total), is that worth less than an hour?

ETA - they also have everest running now to help with crowds and they wont on our next trip in january

 

[Disturbia]

I get what you are saying. My issue is why should somebody with a park hopper get an advantage over the person who made a reservation for said park. It should be the same availability for everyone. If anything the people that get an advantage are those you get up at ,7am and rope drop.

They paid $60 for a park hopper

edit: we havent purchased one in years; it’s variable starting at $65 and 4-10 day tickets are $85!

 

[DavidNYC]

I'm not saying let people reserve times before 2pm. I'm saying only show return times after 2pm when it's available. If that means it takes til noon for 2pm times show up so be it. The more they get away from FP+ the better.

Not sure why you're obsessed with trying to punish a certain segment of the Disney crowd based on your own personal preferences when Disney has clearly made a decision to allow some flexibility to those who BOUGHT park hoppers. They've taken away enough flexibility with this new system. At least with this they've allowed people with hoppers to use the Genie+ which they also BOUGHT, in whichever park they want to. Just in the same way you could have used your 3 FP+ reservations in your second park of the day. I mean, really - you're seeking to make life harder for a big demographic for no reason that you think some people should be disadvantaged compared to others who paid the same amount and simply choose to tour the park differently. There is not a single element which is objectively unfair in allowing this. I've outlined exactly why this makes sense and affects no one negatively in the aggregate while offering flexibility to many. You can only point to a subjective unfairness without pointing to anyone harmed by it.

 

[Disturbia]

Let’s not get into arguments. its not worth being banned for 10 days

 

[acarsme123]

I’ve been playing around on the MDE app trying to understand this LL system prior to our March trip. Seems like all the LL windows are so far out that you might as well just stand in the standby lines.

 

[acarsme123]

I don’t understand the point of this 120 minute rule. Why is Disney punishing you for making your first LL selection for a later time after opening? If you made your first selection at noon or later, why shouldn’t you be able to make a LL selection for another ride that may have an earlier window?

 

[Grasshopper2016]

For better or for worse, the changes Disney has been making for some time now, and especially lately, seem to reinforce the idea that Disney doesn’t really care about the long time, loyal, repeat guest. I’m sure they’ve done analyses that show the new, once in a blue moon visitors spend more per person per day at WDW than the frequent repeat visitors. If they can fill reservations with such higher revenue guests it bolsters the revenue numbers and bottom line. Is that a sustainable long term strategy? Who knows….

Agreed. But I'm one who thinks it is not a sustainable long term strategy. It wouldn't hurt Disney to throw the regulars a bone from time to time, just in case I'm right.

I don't think it's a loophole, or something that needs to be fixed. If you select a time further out, you are losing out on opportunities to book rides for two hours. Having two slots from that point forward is to make up for that. I think it's a good thing.

This is an excellent point. It may not even be a loophole at all.

 

[Brewerfan101]

I thought I had most of G+ figured out but now my head is spinning.

Ok I understand that G+ will only show me LLs for after 2 pm if I’m hoping if I put that into my day plans. Got it.

So you’re telling me that if my park reservation is at DHS and I put in G+ that I’m hoping to MK, G+ will let me make a LL at Splash at 7 am for 2:30 pm even though people that actually have MK park reservations can only book next available which would be 9 am???

I thought I would have to wait for the window of 2 pm and after to open for everyone.

I'm with you, confused. Part of the problem is a lot of people on this Thread are not at WDW, and therefor are speculating, best guessing, on how this system works.

I just want to hear from those who are using it this week, and I know many on here are, it's just difficult to glean through some of the "noise" to find that information. What do I want to know?

Regarding Park Hopping, and it seems from the comments above that I can:

Make a LL selection as early as 7 am for my "Hopped" Park. And it will only show those times after 2 p.m., correct?

Example: Park Reservation is Epcot
At 7 a.m. I make a LL Selection for Slinky (HS - my Hopped Park), Slinky Return time between 5:40 and 6:40 p.m. Yes or No

1) Can I do that, (seems so from thread above), do I now have to wait until 2 Hrs after Epcot officially Opens before I can make ANY LL selections, either for Epcot or HS? Yes or No

2) IF I make a LL Selection while at Epcot at 12:01 p.m. (2 Hr Wait), for Tower of Terror, do I have to wait until 2:01 p.m. until I can make any LL selections (regardless of whether for Epcot or HS?) Yes or No

3) Or must I wait until 2 p.m. before I can make ANY LL Selections for HS (my planned Hopped park)?

4) And lastly, I'm in Epcot (Hopping at 2 to HS), have my 5:40 - 6:40 LL For Slinky (as noted above), waited until 12:01 pm (2 Hr Wait time) to make LL for Test Track; once I "Tap" into Test Track, I can make another LL Selection, either for Epcot or HS. YEs or No

And I apologize if this has been asked and answered, I tried to Search on "Hopping" in this Thread, but even that is filled with a lot of info.

 

[Disturbia]

I don’t understand the point of this 120 minute rule. Why is Disney punishing you for making your first LL selection for a later time after opening? If you made your first selection at noon or later, why shouldn’t you be able to make a LL selection for another ride that may have an earlier window?

I think it minimizes the risk of multiple pm passes and kind of forces you to book something earlier. Pushes your 12-2 break to 9-11 am

 

[Disturbia]

I'm with you, confused. Part of the problem is a lot of people on this Thread are not at WDW, and therefor are speculating, best guessing, on how this system works.

I just want to hear from those who are using it this week, and I know many on here are, it's just difficult to glean through some of the "noise" to find that information. What do I want to know?

Regarding Park Hopping, and it seems from the comments above that I can:

Make a LL selection as early as 7 am for my "Hopped" Park. And it will only show those times after 2 p.m., correct?

Example: Park Reservation is Epcot
At 7 a.m. I make a LL Selection for Slinky (HS - my Hopped Park), Slinky Return time between 5:40 and 6:40 p.m. Yes or No

1) Can I do that, (seems so from thread above), do I now have to wait until 2 Hrs after Epcot officially Opens before I can make ANY LL selections, either for Epcot or HS? Yes or No

2) IF I make a LL Selection while at Epcot at 12:01 p.m. (2 Hr Wait), for Tower of Terror, do I have to wait until 2:01 p.m. until I can make any LL selections (regardless of whether for Epcot or HS?) Yes or No

3) Or must I wait until 2 p.m. before I can make ANY LL Selections for HS (my planned Hopped park)? No

4) And lastly, I'm in Epcot (Hopping at 2 to HS), have my 5:40 - 6:40 LL For Slinky (as noted above), waited until 12:01 pm (2 Hr Wait time) to make LL for Test Track; once I "Tap" into Test Track, I can make another LL Selection, either for Epcot or HS. YEs or No

And I apologize if this has been asked and answered, I tried to Search on "Hopping" in this Thread, but even that is filled with a lot of info.

yes for all except no 3; you can hop to either park and book either after test track (most likely limited availability by then)

 

[Jrb1979]

I don’t understand the point of this 120 minute rule. Why is Disney punishing you for making your first LL selection for a later time after opening? If you made your first selection at noon or later, why shouldn’t you be able to make a LL selection for another ride that may have an earlier window?

It's to keep as much availability open as best as possible. They are trying to avoid having a lot of rides booed early.