BREAKING: Walt Disney World Introduces Date-Based Variable Pricing for Genie+ Service

[scrappinginontario]

Disneyland is getting 25 Dollars for Rise ILL.

One hundred dollars for a Family of 4

WOW

Yup - WOW!! We will continue to ride at park close when wait times are normally inflated. It doesn't always work for us (e.g. was closed 1/2 evenings we were there in Jan) but, it's our plan of action.

 

[fla4fun]

So, how will we know how much Genie + will cost for our timeframe? Is it impossible to know until the day of?

I am wondering, once it goes into effect and we get some feedback, if we won’t be able to use the ticket prices as a guide. For example, perhaps the days that have the highest prices for tickets will also have the highest Genie prices and then based on the ticket prices, we can have a fairly good idea of where Genie prices will fall.

I think it’s really bad to have a flexible price item that you can only buy day of, but can’t price out ahead of time. How is a family supposed to budget around that? Tickets we can find out in advance, hotels, even dining for the most part (apart from the occasional surprise increase). Guests should have this information available in some form. It would help if they would even post a range, like Dates for XX through XX will be $15-$18, based on demand, and Dates for XXY through XXY will be $19-$22, based on demand. There has to be a way they could give a guideline and have flexibility at the same time.

 

[Vaughn4380]

How is a family supposed to budget around that?

If you have to budget, Disney does not consider you the "target market".

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I am wondering, once it goes into effect and we get some feedback, if we won’t be able to use the ticket prices as a guide. For example, perhaps the days that have the highest prices for tickets will also have the highest Genie prices and then based on the ticket prices, we can have a fairly good idea of where Genie prices will fall.

I think it’s really bad to have a flexible price item that you can only buy day of, but can’t price out ahead of time. How is a family supposed to budget around that? Tickets we can find out in advance, hotels, even dining for the most part (apart from the occasional surprise increase). Guests should have this information available in some form. It would help if they would even post a range, like Dates for XX through XX will be $15-$18, based on demand, and Dates for XXY through XXY will be $19-$22, based on demand. There has to be a way they could give a guideline and have flexibility at the same time.

It's sorta a psuedo way right now with EP over at Universal. You can purchase ahead like Disney used to be so not speaking towards that, but the day of pricing can be different day by day and you won't know until that day, it varies based on the crowd level and the amount of people who have already purchased it. I'm not saying I like that aspect (but it does already exist) if I were to outright pay for EP and wait to purchase it at the gates but that has been an often talked about point over at the Universal side. The advice can be to wait and hold off until you get to the parks with the understanding the price can increase from what it was if purchased in advance and you will not know that amount ahead.

 

[Dznefreek]

Welcome to Disney Price Increase Day!

I think I see a new anual event in the works!

 

[leeniewdw]

Is there anywhere that will show the cost for G+ and ILL on a calendar? The links I've clicked today just basically say that G+ is going up and ILL are going up. Or is this like ticketmaster's "dynamic" pricing and you don't know until the time to click/buy?

 

[MillauFr]

Yup, this lack of others' perspective on money seems to creep up anytime a price increase is talked about. There's a lot of "fine by me, less peons to clog up the line" attitude. It's great that some are so wealthy, but Disney wasn't supposed to be the playground of only the rich. The reality is it's going to happen whether we protest or not- Chapek is in charge and he's clearly voiced his disgust for the unwashed masses treating his parks like a playground.

He couldn’t care less if they are unwashed. He only cares about how much they spend

 

[MillauFr]

Welcome to Disney Price Increase Day!

I think I see a new anual event in the works!

I would prefer if they moved to dynamic pricing like the airlines do

 

[nlenguyen]

I just wish that we could see a potential calendar for budgeting purposes

 

[MillauFr]

We know from Disney's insiders regarding satisfaction polls that they do not, in fact, love G+.

But they keep buying it anyway

 

[nlenguyen]

We are headed in January and only 2 days with park hopper, trying to make the best of the price increases

 

[PaladinButters]

Yup, this lack of others' perspective on money seems to creep up anytime a price increase is talked about. There's a lot of "fine by me, less peons to clog up the line" attitude. It's great that some are so wealthy, but Disney wasn't supposed to be the playground of only the rich.

We are FAR from wealthy but also recognize that Disney is a business and their mission is to make more and more money every year (like every other business). Far too many people think a theme park is some kind of human right to visit (and almost always bring up what "Walt would have wanted" like he has not been gone from the conversations about how to run the park for 50 years).

 

[fla4fun]

If you have to budget, Disney does not consider you the "target market".

Even a person with a budget that is unlimited wants to make sure they get value for their money. Most people, in any income bracket, prefer not to waste money but get a good return for what they spend.

But, yes, I understand Disney does not follow that mode of thinking. They want the nouveau lottery jackpot winner who can’t spend fast enough.

 

[xdan0920]

We are FAR from wealthy but also recognize that Disney is a business and their mission is to make more and more money every year (like every other business). Far too many people think a theme park is some kind of human right to visit (and almost always bring up what "Walt would have wanted" like he has not been gone from the conversations about how to run the park for 50 years).

I own a business. It’s not my mission to gouge my customers.

 

[mjonis]

I'm asking on behalf of my sister, so please don't abuse me too much. haha

I had read the previous sticky about Genie +, she couldn't add it online and called the # today and got a recording that basically said that you can only buy it the day of (ie, if you're going to the park on say, 10/23, you buy it the morning of 10/23).

So I take it that it's now (or maybe always has been?) a per-day purchase that you can only buy the day of?

So if say, you're going 10/23 - 10/25, you'd need to buy it on 10/23, and then again on 10/24, and then again on 10/25. And the pricing is now variable.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm asking on behalf of my sister, so please don't abuse me too much. haha

I had read the previous sticky about Genie +, she couldn't add it online and called the # today and got a recording that basically said that you can only buy it the day of (ie, if you're going to the park on say, 10/23, you buy it the morning of 10/23).

So I take it that it's now (or maybe always has been?) a per-day purchase that you can only buy the day of?

So if say, you're going 10/23 - 10/25, you'd need to buy it on 10/23, and then again on 10/24, and then again on 10/25. And the pricing is now variable.

This changed in July. Genie+ can now only be purchased day of, beginning at midnight.

 

[jimmymc]

Sure! This has been the case, when, exactly?

This is a popular, and normally reasonable line of thought.

However there is nothing to back it up. Look no further then the insanely priced Halloween and Christmas parties. There is no meaningful cap on attendance, and the price point is legit outrageous, and it just doesn't matter.

There is 100% a meaningful cap on parties and normal park days. I spent Easter Saturday in Magic Kingdom and it was a pretty good day. 7 Dwarfs had a long line, but everything else was 60 minutes or less, and some of those moved faster. Same with the sold-out after hours events. Bigger rides had maybe a 10 minute wait, and most of the park was a walk on.

 

[cluce]

I just wish that we could see a potential calendar for budgeting purposes

Honestly, I plan to budget for the high end and worse case scenario, I have some extra snack/drink money. Unfortunately this seems to be the only way to budget it out without knowing the exact nature of what you'll be spending.

 

[Airb330]

This company needs to figure out sometimes complexity costs business. So done with Disney lately.

 

[jimmymc]

I agree. frustrating. specially since even with genie plus, you need a bit of luck and strategy to reserve highly sought rides. if someone is not a "tech savvy" person, they might get genie plus and still miss out on popular rides

Even if you are tech-savvy, the whole race to open an app and click through it stupid to begin with. Either set up a lottery in advance, or set up a virtual line, or require people to pick up wait times in person. Anything other than what they do would be better.