Not excited for this trip at all…

[Jason2015]

This has been an interesting read. What it seems like, the planners (most people on this forum) are a bit apoplectic because their ability to plan what ride they want to be on 60/90+ days out is gone. Yet, those like me, lets plan a week or less out to go, find this system intriguing. Seems like an overly complicated MaxPass. The greatest thing about Disneyland under MaxPass was the ability to get rides throughout the day without the plans so far out. Don't get me wrong, I played the FastPass+ game but always hated how it dictated a trip. What if I woke up in the morning and it was poring rain and I wanted to change the day I wanted to do my nonDisney day? Moving my FastPasses to a different day meant not getting the A rides. What if I saw the wait times at MK were lower than expected but had my Safari FastPass at AK and couldn't then book over at MK? Heck, I don't know what I want to eat today or tomorrow-how the heck am I know if I want the Beirgarten 90 days from now. (I know not a Genie+ thing-but still the ubber planing thing). The Genie+ sounds like it gives the day some flexibility-something the planners are unsure of. I understand the frustration of the rides selling out in the first 15 minutes. MaxPass saw this early on as well. It'll take a little time for the AI software to dial in to park crowds and people movements. But my guess it'll get better with time. Though the shift to favor us "fly by the seat of your pants type" will be hard to balance for the 60+ day planners.

 

[Bullseye]

This has been an interesting read. What it seems like, the planners (most people on this forum) are a bit apoplectic because their ability to plan what ride they want to be on 60/90+ days out is gone. Yet, those like me, lets plan a week or less out to go, find this system intriguing. Seems like an overly complicated MaxPass. The greatest thing about Disneyland under MaxPass was the ability to get rides throughout the day without the plans so far out. Don't get me wrong, I played the FastPass+ game but always hated how it dictated a trip. What if I woke up in the morning and it was poring rain and I wanted to change the day I wanted to do my nonDisney day? Moving my FastPasses to a different day meant not getting the A rides. What if I saw the wait times at MK were lower than expected but had my Safari FastPass at AK and couldn't then book over at MK? Heck, I don't know what I want to eat today or tomorrow-how the heck am I know if I want the Biergarten 90 days from now. (I know not a Genie+ thing-but still the ubber planing thing). The Genie+ sounds like it gives the day some flexibility-something the planners are unsure of. I understand the frustration of the rides selling out in the first 15 minutes. MaxPass saw this early on as well. It'll take a little time for the AI software to dial in to park crowds and people movements. But my guess it'll get better with time. Though the shift to favor us "fly by the seat of your pants type" will be hard to balance for the 60+ day planners.

I get what you're saying but you really can't be as spontaneous as you'd like anymore because now you need park reservations. So you still need some idea where you are going to be that day. The last time I was there (June) you couldn't get park reservations same day. Knowing what park I'm going to be at, it was nice knowing I had three rides locked in and one of them was a primo. I'm sure I will manage fine with Genie+ though once we get acclimated.

Dining on the other hand needs to be planned . I don't need to know what I want to eat sixty days from now to know that when I'm in WDW 60 days from now... I want to dine at specific TS restaurants. I can't wait until I get there to make those reservations because there's a great chance I won't get in at all and then I'll be bummed

 

[Figment1990]

This has been an interesting read. What it seems like, the planners (most people on this forum) are a bit apoplectic because their ability to plan what ride they want to be on 60/90+ days out is gone. Yet, those like me, lets plan a week or less out to go, find this system intriguing. Seems like an overly complicated MaxPass. The greatest thing about Disneyland under MaxPass was the ability to get rides throughout the day without the plans so far out. Don't get me wrong, I played the FastPass+ game but always hated how it dictated a trip. What if I woke up in the morning and it was poring rain and I wanted to change the day I wanted to do my nonDisney day? Moving my FastPasses to a different day meant not getting the A rides. What if I saw the wait times at MK were lower than expected but had my Safari FastPass at AK and couldn't then book over at MK? Heck, I don't know what I want to eat today or tomorrow-how the heck am I know if I want the Beirgarten 90 days from now. (I know not a Genie+ thing-but still the ubber planing thing). The Genie+ sounds like it gives the day some flexibility-something the planners are unsure of. I understand the frustration of the rides selling out in the first 15 minutes. MaxPass saw this early on as well. It'll take a little time for the AI software to dial in to park crowds and people movements. But my guess it'll get better with time. Though the shift to favor us "fly by the seat of your pants type" will be hard to balance for the 60+ day planners.

I’m just sayin…. Whether you like to plan 90 days, 60 days, 1 week or 1day out, Genie really doesn’t let you plan anything. It was near impossible to plan even the night before what we wanted to do the next day. Let alone the morning of. Hopefully that will change somehow, but currently, it’s not real easy to be spontaneous or plan! Basically I guess the only thing u can do is have low expectations and make the best of whatever happens. But it helps to understand all of disneys new rules and systems going into booking the trip. Not just genie but things like being required to check into you first park before hopping to your second (even if it’s raining) because there isnt any park reservation availability. Or knowing that you’re not going to get a SDD G+ Or RotR ILL If you sleep in, might help you decide not to book a DHS reservation on a day following a late night.

 

[gharter]

I’m just sayin…. Whether you like to plan 90 days, 60 days, 1 week or 1day out, Genie really doesn’t let you plan anything. It was near impossible to plan even the night before what we wanted to do the next day. Let alone the morning of. Hopefully that will change somehow, but currently, it’s not real easy to be spontaneous or plan! Basically I guess the only thing u can do is have low expectations and make the best of whatever happens. But it helps to understand all of disneys new rules and systems going into booking the trip. Not just genie but things like being required to check into you first park before hopping to your second (even if it’s raining) because there isnt any park reservation availability. Or knowing that you’re not going to get a SDD G+ Or RotR ILL If you sleep in, might help you decide not to book a DHS reservation on a day following a late night.

Totally agree. As a hard core Disney planner, Genie + totally screws up the planning. But I miss being able to plan a lot at 2 months out.

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

I have such happy memories of my family’s trips to DW the last 6 years. I was always excited about the next time we could go back. For the first time, I’m not excited. I’m really actually dreading this trip. Just when I had FastPass strategies down that worked for our family, they go and implement this horrible new system. It feels like a blatant rip off from everything I’m reading. Congratulations Disney, you made your parks something I couldn’t wait to get back to, to something I’m going to be extremely hesitant to spend my money on going forward after this next trip. I hope this new Genie+ backfires spectacularly on them.

I completely agree with this. I was always the planner but I am just giving up planning and we are leaving in a few days. This trip was the backup to the cruise that didn't happen due to family COVID fears. We are still going but this is it. We have always stayed on property but now can't afford it even if there was Value Resorts open when I booked. Between pay for parking, Genie+ and $LL and probably won't even be available for ROTR the only one we want.... ugh. Yes we could cancel but the there would be no family trip for 2 years in a row.

 

[popy]

well if ya don’t want to be cheated don’t go!
not much to loose if you ever been before, but you will lose your hard earned money for a lot of heat, crowds, standing in long line for. 5 min. Rides.
disney any more is designed for suckers.

 

[Lisa_lvspplmvr]

Seriously people ? Go and have a good time . Everyone else is stuck at home . Figure it out and make the most of it . Yes you need to plan but it’s still a vacation. People would kill to be in your shoes . Don’t ruin the magic , make the magic !

 

[Delirium]

Seriously people ? Go and have a good time . Everyone else is stuck at home . Figure it out and make the most of it . Yes you need to plan but it’s still a vacation. People would kill to be in your shoes . Don’t ruin the magic , make the magic !

This is a significant game-changer for people that have gone to Disney in the past and have enjoyed it. Disney had a business model that was working well. But instead of just tweaking it to keep up with the times, they went and blew it up, and that was after taking away perk after perk over the last 2-3 years.

And, no, I'm not stuck at home. But, I am choosing not to consider Disney for the foreseeable future because it's not the same place I fell in love with.

 

[gharter]

This is a significant game-changer for people that have gone to Disney in the past and have enjoyed it.

Very true. Disney and all other parks are not what they used to be.
We went this spring before Genie rolled out and it was different than all the previous trips. We were there when Genie rolled out and it did make a significant change.
For better or worse, Disney is going to continue to change.
We went with the expectation that things would be different and we were going to enjoy it and have fun and we did.

 

[Jrb1979]

Very true. Disney and all other parks are not what they used to be.
We went this spring before Genie rolled out and it was different than all the previous trips. We were there when Genie rolled out and it did make a significant change.
For better or worse, Disney is going to continue to change.
We went with the expectation that things would be different and we were going to enjoy it and have fun and we did.

Disney may not be what they used to be. Other parks have become better. Universal for one and a lot of the regional parks are doing things to make them more family oriented.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I have such happy memories of my family’s trips to DW the last 6 years. I was always excited about the next time we could go back. For the first time, I’m not excited. I’m really actually dreading this trip. Just when I had FastPass strategies down that worked for our family, they go and implement this horrible new system. It feels like a blatant rip off from everything I’m reading. Congratulations Disney, you made your parks something I couldn’t wait to get back to, to something I’m going to be extremely hesitant to spend my money on going forward after this next trip. I hope this new Genie+ backfires spectacularly on them.

I went a few months ago with zero fast pass and it was amazing as always. Was less stressed and nothing was planned. Lines weren’t terrible. Lines app was much more accurate. No running around. Go into it happy and without stress and you’ll be surprised at how good it can be

 

[meremac]

Go into it happy and without stress and you’ll be surprised at how good it can be

Yes, 100%. I really REALLY think this is 90% of whether or not you consider a trip successful, not just for Disney but for any other vacation. We had a great time when there were paper FastPasses and we had to zip from one end of the park to the other (with TODDLERS). We had a great time when there was FastPass+ and we had to strategize hard or risk waiting in super long standby lines. We had a great time this past summer when it was HOT and we had to wait in ALL of the lines because there was no FastPass (and no parades and no fireworks and etc, etc, etc). And I know we'll have a great time with Genie+. We'll have a great time whether or not we get to ride the "thing we all want to ride", whether or not we get the ADR we were hoping for, whether we get there for rope drop or are a little late because the buses were slow. We just have a great time when we're on vacation, period.

 

[annacali]

I am one of those who just gets frustrated standing in long standby lines that don't move because the LL people get priority. Even more frustrated when I paid for Genie + but all the options were gone after I made my 2nd selection at 11 am. So I didn't think genie+ was an improvement and everything was so crowded last week that "just walk around and enjoy the park" was a challenge too. If I could go in the total off season it would be different but with kids in HS/College school breaks are it for us. Disney has ceased to be fun for us--excited to find new ways to vacation now.

 

[viluvsdisney]

I am one of those who just gets frustrated standing in long standby lines that don't move because the LL people get priority. Even more frustrated when I paid for Genie + but all the options were gone after I made my 2nd selection at 11 am. So I didn't think genie+ was an improvement and everything was so crowded last week that "just walk around and enjoy the park" was a challenge too. If I could go in the total off season it would be different but with kids in HS/College school breaks are it for us. Disney has ceased to be fun for us--excited to find new ways to vacation now.

This - exactly

 

[acarsme123]

I was kind of hopeful that Genie/Genie+ was going to be more fancy and AI driven in that it would know based on everyone’s locations in the park how to streamline passes out. It could have had an algorithm that divides everyone into multiple groups and say people in Groups A will have passes dished out starting on the right side of the park and work their way left, and group B vice versa…so that way there’s not any particular side that’s crushed while another side may be seeing lower waits. I don’t know if that would have been better or not, but it seems like Genie+ is a pretty dumb system and that it could have been done so much better….especially for a multi billion $ company that has unlimited resources it could put towards IT

 

[acarsme123]

I went a few months ago with zero fast pass and it was amazing as always. Was less stressed and nothing was planned. Lines weren’t terrible. Lines app was much more accurate. No running around. Go into it happy and without stress and you’ll be surprised at how good it can be

My coworker who goes to DW a lot said everything would be better if they just eliminated fast passes/genie+ altogether. Lines would move much faster in general for everyone. But of course, that’s a lost revenue stream for Disney

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

My coworker who goes to DW a lot said everything would be better if they just eliminated fast passes/genie+ altogether. Lines would move much faster in general for everyone. But of course, that’s a lost revenue stream for Disney

I just felt like everybody has to wait ( with no fast pass ) , so no point of me complaining and stressing about it while on line

 

[TB'sWidow]

Art of Animation sometimes offers busses to Epcot and Hollywood Studios during busier times. It’s not that far of a walk from Pop. I’m not sure how you’d check before walking over there, though.

Thanks I do have knee issues so at the end of the day not sure I wanna walk it and I brought my friend who is 70 yrs old for the first time and I know she wouldn’t wanna walk it. I did not rent a scooter either. In the future I will not book at any resort that doesn’t have a bus option.

 

[kbelle8995]

You can chose to not go. Or you can do something that you haven't done before. Orlando has many wonderful things to do.

 

[disneyseniors]

You can chose to not go. Or you can do something that you haven't done before. Orlando has many wonderful things to do.

We have chosen not to go. You are right. There are many amazing places to visit in Florida. Sea World is a great park and Universal is absolutely amazing! There is the Space Center, beaches, Silver Springs, Manatee habitat (can't remember where it was because we went with others), Bok Towers park, and St. Augustine, just to name a few. We love St. Augustine area.
Our next trip will be to do these things and more. Disney has lost us due to all the many cuts and take aways, price increases, money grabbing, etc, etc. They also lost all of our family of about 15 but obviously they won't care. Maybe one or two years down the road they will, but who knows?