Is anyone feeling positive?

[MakiraMarlena]

I agree I don't like the idea where if you don't get lucky in the virtual queue, your only option is to buy the ride. Not so much for me because I will be back, but it kind of sounds like taking advantage of the trip of a lifetime type visitor.

The paid fastpass I don't really care about. It was inevitable, and I won't use it much. Genie + is also better than I thought it would be.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

If the next available time for the ride you want is late in the day and you have to use it before you can get another, guests could theoretically only get a few rides in using this system.

This is my main concern. If I get genie+ and only use it on 2 or 3 rides all day, then I just paid $5-$7.50 a ride for a shorter line. To ride Pooh. I don't like that.

I'm hoping we can use it like this:

Rope drop and head on over to Adventure land to ride Jungle cruise before it gets mobbed and Pirates. While there, set up a spot at say Haunted Mansion at 11ish. Gives us time to enjoy Adventure Land and since we don't ride anything with the word mountain in it anyways, we go there. While in line, find another, maybe PP, at like 1:30 or something. Make way to Fanatsy land and ride Small world and exploring the area until time for Pan, then while in line for Pan set up....etc.

If it can work something along these lines, we can make it work.

 

[SuzErwin]

My husband likes the sound of the changes. Our WDW vacations were rarely planned more than sixty days out so we played the stressful “refresh phone hourly every day prior to leaving“ game to get FPs and ADRs - and even then we had to rope drop FoP and 7DMT if we wanted to ride them. I was never that successful at pulling the mythical fourth FP primarily because by the time we booked, the FPs were mostly in the late afternoon/evenings. So having more flexibility to plan the day of suits our park-going style (while acknowledging not everyone shares that style).

Disneyland is our home park and we moaned and groaned about MaxPass’s introduction. We had a very reliable game plan for paper FP, especially since DCA and DL were on separate systems at the time so it was possible to hold passes for both parks at once. But we ended up really liking the convenience of booking passes on our phone and the shorter waiting period (MaxPass cut the time between pulling passes from 120 minutes to 90 minutes). Since Genie+ sounds like MaxPass but with an upcharge for the more popular rides, we’re pretty copacetic about the change and hope it results in a more flexible, relaxed day for us. We’ll see!

 

[Pookie9922]

I'm glad there's something! It's better than nothing. As a DL person, this feels like MaxPass with a more expensive entrance ticket. Saves the running around getting a paper card. (Which I cannot imagine how that worked with legacy FP!) I'm bummed they've excluded E-ticket rides. Praying those aren't crazy expensive. However, I thought the greatness of the FP+ was being able to plan out each day to minimize walking. At DL & DCA it's not a big deal to criss-cross to whatever FP comes up next. (it literally takes <5 minutes to get from one side of DCA at a easy jog) And using FP+ on our first trip, the planning helped me figure out what we could and couldn't do. It'll be interesting how the nuances play out - if it really is like maxpass and you can get more if your return time is later, if they expire, etc.
I think it will make rope-dropping even more crucial. And we're staying at a deluxe, so it could make those hours even more crucial too.

 

[luv2cheer92]

Definitely feeling positive here! Gotta say its been really hard reading through so many negative posts the last couple days. Its like sucking the joy out of me. Definitely hasn't even come close to changing my opinion (which is optimistic, but still willing to wait until its actually active), but its always good to see those that are at least willing to wait and see how things shake out before being so heavily against it.

 

[MrWonderful]

Yes, I'm very positive....
I'm positive Disney execs have lost their minds in greed
I'm positive Disney just totally screwed over the type-A planners.
I'm positive I just cancelled 4 Signature meals for 9 people.
I'm positive we've now scheduled all our nicer meals offsite.
I'm positive we have decided not to fork up for the AH party.
I'm positive we wont be shelling out crazy money for IAS.
I'm positive I won't be up at 7 am on my vacation.
I'm positive I'm not happy to have to participate in a crap shoot in order to ride certain rides.
I'm positive I wont have my face buried in my phone all day on my vacation.
I'm positive we have decided to spend half our stay at UO now.
I'm positive that the house of Mouse if going to make far less than usual from our group on this trip.
I'm positive this won't make a bit of difference to Disney because they do no care about the Guest or guest experience anymore, just the size of your wallet and how much they can fleece you.
I'm positive if they had simply raised the entry ticket price and actually limited the amount of people to a firm and reasonable number, with staffing and capacity all in line and in harmony, then none of this nonsense would be necessary, and they would have banked $.
I'm positive had the above line been implemented, long term, guest satisfaction would have soared. Rather we have this cluster, and lots and lots of unhappy folks.
I'm positive I should be CEO None of this would be needed.

I'm positive I'll get over it. Maybe, maybe not.

First world problems for sure

 

[disneyseniors]

Yes, I''m positive our whole family won't be back, not unless they start giving ROI.
Yes, I'm positive that all of this negative feedback on the relentless upcharges and diminishing guest experiences, will start giving WDW a very bad image from now on.
Getting back a good reputation and image is very difficult to do. Just ask Sears, for one.

 

[TioAdis78]

As a DAS user, I'm very happy with the changes they're making to that program. And I agree, Maxpass was a good experience for us at DL, so I'm hopeful Genie+ will be as well.

Me too. Thanks to a tried and true system of using the DAS, rider switch, touring plans, traveling in the off season, and using whatever FP we could get, our Disney vacations kept getting more enjoyable with every trip.

As for the changes to the DAS, my wife was a bit nervous about the video interview, but I’m down with it. I have an impassioned, lovely speech on behalf of my autistic children that I deliver to the poor CM at Guest Relations, so I’ll just get to do it now on video

 

[soniam]

I am fine with it. Have used Maxpass at DLR on two trips and felt it was worth the price. I like fastpass, maxpass, and FP+, so I am not hard to please. I don't mind planning or getting up early. Having seen maxpass work, I think Genie+ will work better than a lot of people are thinking. We went during the summer and would easily get 5-8 MP/day. One day, I rode TSMM with MP 5 times in a row. I could have gotten more, but my hand was dragging on the ground. Granted, that won't be a typical experience. I think we will buy Genie+ every day. I don't know about the individual rides though. We might pay for some but probably not everyday. We will probably utilize VQ, EE, and PM EMH to take care of some of these. I don't feel any worse or better about my November now. Pretty much unchanged.

 

[WDW4DEMO]

the only positive I can see is Disney continues to price a great deal of the population out of being able to afford a Disney trip. I am blessed, and work very hard to be able to comfortably afford my Disney addiction. While I am not happy to continue to pay more for less.

I am happy this will help to keep crowds down. Hopefully any way.

It makes me very sad to hear this. I can also afford to pay the new prices, but I hate the fact that lower income families will be "priced out".

 

[MakiraMarlena]

that's usually the issue with something that is under great demand. they can't meet the current demand without huge lines for attractions, especially with changes wrought by COVID 19, that's why they are trying to shift around the park population and control the level of attendance. If they lowered prices within reach of the majority of "lower income" families, there would be exponentially more demand to meet.

 

[Airb330]

I'm positive G+/LL helps some people. Not a lot, but some. Those who planned trips less than 30-60 days out, those who couldn't get some Tier 1 rides and sees value in paying $10-$25 a person.

Unfortunately, I am not one of them (no desire to get up at 7AM, pay for G+ and maybe skip some lines, whereas before I had 3 choices). Lots who can afford it still don't see the value in it and I think Disney is playing with fire. I understand they've wanted to monetize MDE since 2012, but monetizing FP+ wouldn've worked better for us.

 

[MikeOhio]

Even if you aren't outraged by the changes, I don't see how anyone could feel positive. They took something that was free for 20+ years and now you have to pay for it separately. By any measure, this is a negative.

 

[DSLRuser]

I can also afford to pay the new prices, but I hate the fact that lower income families will be "priced out".

I agree. But this is the game we are being forced to play. I am going to win. I don't like it also that Disney continues to be priced out for only the top earners, but I am not going to lower my head and claim I did not earn the right to be in that top tier. No privilege for me. I busted my back side to be included, and I am going to take advantage.

 

[soniam]

Even if you aren't outraged by the changes, I don't see how anyone could feel positive. They took something that was free for 20+ years and now you have to pay for it separately. By any measure, this is a negative.

If you are used to Maxpass at Disneyland, then it's not really different. I am not outraged by it, but I have used Maxpass multiple times and felt it was worth the money. Lots of stuff in life goes from being free to being a charge.

 

[Alison S]

My husband likes the sound of the changes. Our WDW vacations were rarely planned more than sixty days out so we played the stressful “refresh phone hourly every day prior to leaving“ game to get FPs and ADRs - and even then we had to rope drop FoP and 7DMT if we wanted to ride them. I was never that successful at pulling the mythical fourth FP primarily because by the time we booked, the FPs were mostly in the late afternoon/evenings. So having more flexibility to plan the day of suits our park-going style (while acknowledging not everyone shares that style).

That's a great point about last minute vacations. I may be booking less than 60 days out in the future and I can see this system being better in that situation.

 

[katyringo]

If you are used to Maxpass at Disneyland, then it's not really different. I am not outraged by it, but I have used Maxpass multiple times and felt it was worth the money. Lots of stuff in life goes from being free to being a charge.

This. This may shock some but fastpass plus was actually a deterrent to us coming to DisneyWorld.. free or not. So I am feeling positive about genie plus..

 

[katyringo]

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.

 

[luv2cheer92]

This. This may shock some but fastpass plus was actually a deterrent to us coming to DisneyWorld.. free or not. So I am feeling positive about genie plus..

I'm really having a hard time understanding how FP+ could be a deterrent?

 

[katyringo]

I'm really having a hard time understanding how FP+ could be a deterrent?

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.