Disney Genie announcement

[leeniewdw]

So I have a question on this. Heading down in two weeks and we’re not keen on being up and out of the room between 7 and 8 AM. Thus I was starting to like this idea of in the morning booking something I really want to ride for late afternoon at my “park hopper park“ first. Maybe for 4 pm timeframe. Say that is Epcot. Then at 9 AM start booking for my first park (ie MK) and shoot for an 11AM attraction perhaps. Arrive at MK by 10 AM, do one or two standby rides and then after tapping in at 11 am start making additional LL’s at either park. Would that be a reasonable plan?

The flaw with this is that you can't be sure that 4pm is going to be the time available to reserve at 7am. It will be 2pm or later, but may not be 4pm. You can't pick the time with regular LL.

What you are describing is the way it should work. If the return time for Soarin is 1:25 that's the time that a person with a park hopper should see too. If you have a Park Hopper you will have to play the waiting game too. If that means waiting til 12 to find something that fits you schedule so be it.

Perhaps disney meters how many post 2pm LL are available to park hoppers. That would seem like a fair alternative. If I've paid for Park Hopper AND G+, they know I intend to go to > 1 park, well, because I paid for that feature. If my entire touring plan is based on hitting multiple parks in 1 day (my trips are usually short, 2-3 days) and I'm willing to pay for that, I want to be able to schedule that time.

I totally get what you are saying, but if my priority is riding headliner X in the park I have to hop to, then I'd like the chance to reserve that first thing in the morning. FP+ didn't let you do this (multiple park FP+s on 1 day), but FP+ was free.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

A big yes to that!! I always rope drop because I've been up for hours anyway and why waste time when I could be Disney-ing! But, I also always refused to do MK on arrival day because the magic of the park opening show. That first walk up to the castle when it's already crowded mid-day is not for me, I'll go to Epcot.

We have always used "arrival" day (it's a 3 hour drive for us) as our time at Disney Springs. The though of driving 3 hours and jumping right into mid day park chaos is not something that seems very fun.

 

[js]

Tapping in means:
1. When you tap into a ride that you have a LL booked for. When you tap into a ride - you can make your next reservation.
2. When you tap into a park. You have to tap into your reservation park in order to be permitted to hop to another park. So correct - your family cannot just meet you at Epcot at 2pm without either going to MK first or changing their reservation.

As for your first statement - the 120 minutes does not start to run until a park opens even if you make a reservation at 7am. If you make a 7am reservation with an 11:30 return time, you can make your second reservation at 11am. You can still make your second reservation if you have not tapped into the park. If you enter the park and tap into your 11:30 reservation, you can then make another reservation after you have tapped even though you also have the reservation you made at 11.

Hi. I think I am fairly smart but this whole 120 minute wait has me questioning my sanity, I cannot understand what to do with this 120 minute information.

Is below almost correct:

I can go online at 12:01 and purchase G+ for the "next" morning of my reserved park.
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?
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?
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?

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+?
Can I book a 10-11 am G+ (if park opens at 10 am) at 7 am and also a 2 pm, G+?
If so, when can I book my next G+? After I tap in at 10:01 to my first G+?

Thank you SO much!

 

[Jrb1979]

Perhaps disney meters how many post 2pm LL are available to park hoppers. That would seem like a fair alternative. If I've paid for Park Hopper AND G+, they know I intend to go to > 1 park, well, because I paid for that feature. If my entire touring plan is based on hitting multiple parks in 1 day (my trips are usually short, 2-3 days) and I'm willing to pay for that, I want to be able to schedule that time.

I totally get what you are saying, but if my priority is riding headliner X in the park I have to hop to, then I'd like the chance to reserve that first thing in the morning. FP+ didn't let you do this (multiple park FP+s on 1 day), but FP+ was free.

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.

 

[ucfknight]

Rope drop has always been successful because most people don't do it....G+ and ILL won't change that. Most people will arrive later in the morning/day.

G+ and ILL won't change that because Early Theme Park Entry already has. "Rope drop" is already no longer successful. Killing Extra Magic Hours in the evenings, having Extended Evening hours only for Deluxe resorts, and having ETPE at every park every day is creating much longer lines early in the morning than have been historically seen. Most likely part of a strategy to build lines quickly to sell more Genie+ and ILL. Rope drop is dead.

 

[DavidNYC]

Agree that rope drop is still going to be huge numbers. Not only for the above mentioned reasons, but also you are going to have people who try to book their first G+ reservation as close to opening as possible so that they can book their next reservation right after and hopefully catch windows that that are not too far out so that they can book their third one right after that. The people with that type of strategy, book as many as possible in a day, will definitely be at rope drop. At this point, this is what we are considering doing when we go in January. Early and often is the strategy.

I "mostly" agree with on the early and often - however, with the limitation on one per day, I'm not sure I'd book my first one as close as possible to opening if the standby for that is likely to be very short. Can't see for example booking a 9am Big Thunder Mountain when I know if I go right there I'll walk on and then can use my LL for that later in the day. But - as long as you have the hour window - what I'd probably do is book it for 9:30 and hit at least 1-2 others at rope drop that I could do with minimal waits. Had you not had the one per ride limitation it would be one thing - but using a reservation on a ride with that only has a 5-10 minute standby basically wastes the use (but again - depending on your schedule for the day it might not matter . . .)

 

[leeniewdw]

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.

I don't see it as an advantage, I see it as getting full use of G+ and park hopping (which costs more). If they meter what is available, it really no different than allocating some RotR slots for hotel guests at 7am and then more at park opening for everyone else (which is what TP is reporting). If a portion of the allocation is going to people who paid extra to hop, then I don't see the big deal. If the post 2pm LLs are completely full before single park people have access, yes, that would be an issue. Has that been reported thus far as an issue?

 

[js]

I "mostly" agree with on the early and often - however, with the limitation on one per day, I'm not sure I'd book my first one as close as possible to opening if the standby for that is likely to be very short. Can't see for example booking a 9am Big Thunder Mountain when I know if I go right there I'll walk on and then can use my LL for that later in the day. But - as long as you have the hour window - what I'd probably do is book it for 9:30 and hit at least 1-2 others at rope drop that I could do with minimal waits. Had you not had the one per ride limitation it would be one thing - but using a reservation on a ride with that only has a 5-10 minute standby basically wastes the use (but again - depending on your schedule for the day it might not matter . . .)

Can't I use LL for say, BTM and then ride standby?
Would above work?

 

[DisneyFive]

There are still going to be HUGE numbers of people who know the only way they'll ride FoP or SDD or RoR or several others without paying is to do rope drop. And there will be large numbers of people who want to do certain rides multiple times and the only way they can do that is rope drop. Even with FP+, there were huge crowds at rope drop for the most popular rides. But also as I said, if rope drop and hit the 2nd tier rides - you can get 3-4 in before the times get to that 30+ minute mark. Rope Drop is a way of life - those who do it will continue to do it. The reasons and benefits are all still there whether it was FP+, standby only or LL. Nothing has changed. It won't be horrible now because we're still relatively light crowds but expect to see the 2+ hour standby lines for those headliners early in the day before they level off.

Agree that rope drop is still going to be huge numbers. Not only for the above mentioned reasons, but also you are going to have people who try to book their first G+ reservation as close to opening as possible so that they can book their next reservation right after and hopefully catch windows that that are not too far out so that they can book their third one right after that. The people with that type of strategy, book as many as possible in a day, will definitely be at rope drop. At this point, this is what we are considering doing when we go in January. Early and often is the strategy.

I'm not saying rope drop won't have large numbers, it always has... but not like what we experienced this summer.

Those of you that visited this summer when capacity restriction were eased know that rope drop was way different than in past years. Overall crowd levels were like previous years, but there was a marked shift of guests getting to the parks early. Opening the parks 1 hour early to everyone, combined with the only way to ride attractions being standby, rope drop was more critical than the last 5-10 years. Guests knew that if you missed that short morning period with lower waits, the lines stayed LONG all day, tapering off towards park close. Early park arrival was critical and the the early morning crowds showed it. By the time the parks officially opened they were WAY more full than previous years. We've visited many days the same time of year with FP+, heck even paper FP, and rope drop had less guests back then.

There are things that will hopefully help out rope drop now. First, onsite guests. We stay onsite so I love the 30 minute early entry. Secondly, having the ability to purchase ILL and book G+ before you get to a park can only help relieve the pressure of getting to the parks so early versus what we experienced. Will they be low in the morning? No. I just hope they shift back closer to how they were in previous years.

Dan

 

[DavidNYC]

Hi. I think I am fairly smart but this whole 120 minute wait has me questioning my sanity, I cannot understand what to do with this 120 minute information.

Is below almost correct:

I can go online at 12:01 and purchase G+ for the "next" morning of my reserved park.
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?
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?
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?

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+?
Can I book a 10-11 am G+ (if park opens at 10 am) at 7 am and also a 2 pm, G+?
If so, when can I book my next G+? After I tap in at 10:01 to my first G+?

Thank you SO much!

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.

 

[Missmaureen78]

It's funny I always rope dropped but never for some strategic mission to ride more rides. I just love the parks in the morning. Short lines were just added bonus. LOL

We (DH and I) are newbies -- it's been many years since we've been to WDW -- but this is why we're planning on RD. For the experience. We will not be racing to the headliners. We will also not be crisscrossing the park or speed walking everywhere in a mad dash to get everything in. We'll pay for G+ and ILLs as needed and read up on the best way to use them and have a general plan and then...see where the day takes us. It's about enjoying our time not checking off a list. But we also don't have kids to satisfy and we don't care if we miss some things or if we wait in some lines, so I guess we're not very typical (at least not on these boards!

 

[LSUfan4444]

G+ and ILL won't change that because Early Theme Park Entry already has.

Oh, you mean "rope drop" for resort guests?

 

[LSUfan4444]

Can't I use LL for say, BTM and then ride standby?

Yes

 

[LSUfan4444]

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

 

[leeniewdw]

We (DH and I) are newbies -- it's been many years since we've been to WDW -- but this is why we're planning on RD. For the experience. We will not be racing to the headliners. We will also not be crisscrossing the park or speed walking everywhere in a mad dash to get everything in. We'll pay for G+ and ILLs as needed and read up on the best way to use them and have a general plan and then...see where the day takes us. It's about enjoying our time not checking off a list. But we also don't have kids to satisfy and we don't care if we miss some things or if we wait in some lines, so I guess we're not very typical (at least not on these boards!

This would describe us exactly. We even went to WDW in 2018 after not going for over 10 years. We had days left on old hoppers so we couldn't even use FP reservations until we got to the park and exchanged the paper tickets. We did just fine! We returned in 2020 with our advance FP+ and didn't sweat anything else as the days unfolded (other than being there when WDW closed due to COVID!).

Anyway -- I would have this exact attitude about our Feb 22 trip, EXCEPT, our grown kids are coming with us (with SOs) and they haven't been since there were paper FPs. I want to make sure they get on the rides they'd like to experience. At thanksgiving I'll TRY to explain how all this works, but generally just ask them their MUST DOs and focus on ILL$ and G+/LL for those.

My husband and I will def RD, but I'll have to see how early the kids are willing to get up/out as far as the rest! I suspect our ILL$ will be late in the day!!!

 

[DavidNYC]

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.

I don't think Disney sees this as an "advantage". It's just how the system works due to park hopping rules. While you can make a post 2pm reservation at the 2nd park - you have to give up making a reservation at your current park. Whether that appeals to you is completely subjective. In some ways you can even argue it's a distinct disadvantage to do this. If you book a reservation at your hopper park, you will be waiting the full 120 minutes to make your next reservation while those who make reservations at their first park could tap in long before 120 minutes and make another reservation.

Disney has decided that they want to give everyone the ability to make reservations in any park. Whether that qualifies as "an advantage" really depends on your point of view. You're taking a single ride slot in your second park either way. You're not affecting anyone else in the aggregate. You got a 2pm slot that would have gone to someone else but you didn't take that 1pm slot that was available now so it remains available to someone. The person who had a reservation to start the day in the park will have the ability to get afternoon reservations in the later morning (likely after they were able to ride a few other rides with LL). And presumably the people making reservations from park 1 into park 2 will be balanced out by the people making reservations from park 2 into park 1. It all basically balances out in the end.

And everyone with a park hopper has this option. Yes - having a hopper is an advantage over not having a hopper - but that was always the case in multiple respects ever since they introduced hoppers - that's why you pay extra for a hopper.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

We (DH and I) are newbies -- it's been many years since we've been to WDW -- but this is why we're planning on RD. For the experience. We will not be racing to the headliners. We will also not be crisscrossing the park or speed walking everywhere in a mad dash to get everything in. We'll pay for G+ and ILLs as needed and read up on the best way to use them and have a general plan and then...see where the day takes us. It's about enjoying our time not checking off a list. But we also don't have kids to satisfy and we don't care if we miss some things or if we wait in some lines, so I guess we're not very typical (at least not on these boards!

That's usually us. My girls are too young to really care about rides so if we miss some, so. We are Florida residents and usually go every year at least once. One of the best trips I ever had was when we took our almost 2 year old and my wife was 7 months pregnant. We couldn't ride much so we just strolled around and took it all in as it came.

For me, the early morning when it's nice and cool out (as a resident I'll never go near the parks between May and late September) and the pavement is still wet is just awesome. When everyone is mad dashing to the right, take a left. Enjoy the quiet and sip your coffee.

This would describe us exactly. We even went to WDW in 2018 after not going for over 10 years. We had days left on old hoppers so we couldn't even use FP reservations until we got to the park and exchanged the paper tickets. We did just fine! We returned in 2020 with our advance FP+ and didn't sweat anything else as the days unfolded (other than being there when WDW closed due to COVID!).

Anyway -- I would have this exact attitude about our Feb 22 trip, EXCEPT, our grown kids are coming with us (with SOs) and they haven't been since there were paper FPs. I want to make sure they get on the rides they'd like to experience. At thanksgiving I'll TRY to explain how all this works, but generally just ask them their MUST DOs and focus on ILL$ and G+/LL for those.

My husband and I will def RD, but I'll have to see how early the kids are willing to get up/out as far as the rest! I suspect our ILL$ will be late in the day!!!

We have a huge group coming in February from Michigan who haven't been to Disney since the 90's. I'm going to try and learn as much as I can to try and get them on everything they want to go on, which is actually why I've been on here so much lately. LOL I want to learn how to maximize G+ and ILL$.

 

[Jrb1979]

I don't think Disney sees this as an "advantage". It's just how the system works due to park hopping rules. While you can make a post 2pm reservation at the 2nd park - you have to give up making a reservation at your current park. Whether that appeals to you is completely subjective. In some ways you can even argue it's a distinct disadvantage to do this. If you book a reservation at your hopper park, you will be waiting the full 120 minutes to make your next reservation while those who make reservations at their first park could tap in long before 120 minutes and make another reservation.

Disney has decided that they want to give everyone the ability to make reservations in any park. Whether that qualifies as "an advantage" really depends on your point of view. You're taking a single ride slot in your second park either way. You're not affecting anyone else in the aggregate. You got a 2pm slot that would have gone to someone else but you didn't take that 1pm slot that was available now so it now available to someone. It all balances out in the end.

And everyone with a park hopper has this option. Yes - having a hopper is an advantage over not having a hopper - but that was always the case in multiple respects ever since they introduced hoppers - that's why you pay extra for a hopper.

I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to book a LL in your second park until you get there. What I'm saying is when you click on your 2nd park the return times should be the same as some one who is already in that park. IMO the people who like to stroll into the parks at noon should be at a disadvantage to those who rope drop. My guess once the parks get busy taking an afternoon break or going to parks later will be a big disadvantage.

 

[shawthorne44]

Agree with alot of what you said and I'll continue to push the idea that this doesnt have to cost guests more money. Try to find the money in the Disney budget other places...for us, it's less ADRs. Outside of a few exceptions, while the cost has continued to go up and we love the service we just can't justify doing the amount of ADRs we used (usually avg'd one per day per trip). Now, we're lucky if we do three over a week long trip.

This is us too. Our new plan looks very different from what was made pre-lockdown.
On the new plan, our upfront costs are higher because I've added park hoppers and G+ to the tickets. But, the total cost has gone down. I've cut way back on the food budget because Disney won't be getting any money from "We are hungry, what is nearby and edible?" On a 10-day ticket, our Disney food is 3 in-park TS, 2 resort TS, some iconic snacks and LTT if we can go in just for the cake. But, with park hoppers we can make sure to always arrive well-fed. I am much more pleased with the revised plan.

ETA: If more people did like you and I, ADR day wouldn't be so stressful for people.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Most likely part of a strategy to build lines quickly to sell more Genie+ and ILL. Rope drop is dead.

I never though of that, Disney obliterating an effective park use strategy to encourage G+ sales. Thanks a lot! I’ve been trying to be more optimistic and objective, as opposed to the usual arrogant Curmudgeonly crybaby jerk that I am ….but you ain’t makin’ it easy!!!