Today is The Walt Disney Company’s Q1 earnings call, and we’ve already found out some interesting new information.
©Disney || Bob Chapek
Guest spending is up in the parks, we have an updated subscriber number for Disney+, and we got a premiere date for the highly anticipated upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. We also got some updates about Disney Genie+ in Disney World and Disneyland, and they might surprise you!
More than 1/3 of domestic guests purchased Disney Genie+, Individual Attraction Selections, or both in the first quarter.
©Disney
And, during the holiday period, more than 50% of guests bought Genie+, IAS, or both — whoa!
Lightning Lane sign at Princess Fairytale Hall
Disney said that they actually had lower attendance than they did in 2019 and still made more money.
Holiday Crowds
Disney Genie+ costs $15 per day, per person in Disney World and $20 per day, per person in Disneyland. Buying Genie+ gives you access to make reservations for Lightning Lanes, which let you skip the lines of rides like FastPass lanes used to. Individual Attraction Selections are the select rides NOT included in Genie+ that you can pay for individually to skip the line. The prices vary by ride and have surge pricing depending on demand.
Disney Genie+ info
Stay tuned to DFB for more news from Disney’s Q1 earnings call.
Click here for more from the Q1 earnings call
Did you buy Genie+ in the parks recently? Let us know in the comments.
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Hmm 1/3 is not the majority. I’d wager that if they polled those who purchased during the holidays a lot would say they wouldn’t again. Most were desperate to beat the crowds, and in fact sometimes waited even longer than they thought even with Genie plus.
It will be interesting to see how it trends over time. We tried it on 2 of our 9 days last trip to see how well it worked. From our experience, it was a one and done.
Wonder if that is Disney’s advertising twist on the subject or actual intel? Unfortunately, I don’t trust most of what Disney says anymore.
We visited in late January, usually a slower time, which is why we choose to go then with our APs. The lines seemed unusually long compared to the crowd levels. It became obvious why when we were waiting in line for Toy Story Mania. We headed to the ride when the wait time was listed on the app as 30 minutes. It was 45 minutes by the time we entered the standby line. The wait time really went up when half the ride broke down while we were waiting in line.
Our frustration grew when we got to where the standby and lightning lane lines met. Cast members were letting 50-60 people in from the lightning lane for every 5 or 6 from the standby lane. No wonder the wait times are so much longer!
We’ve been APs for quite a few years now and the effects of the changes are not a positive for us. If we keep seeing long standby wait times we’re probably not going to renew. Waiting in lines that are 3 times longer than they used to be is getting old fast. It’s not like we can’t afford it, but we’re not ready to pay for Genie+ every time we go, which is probably 10-15 days a year….it’s the principle of the matter at this point.
More money but less guests is only a win for money though, its a loss for disney magic ?
We did not use genie + on our recent Disney trip but did use lighting lane for fop and rise. This seemed to work well for as we had 2 late night do to staying at Saratoga springs
My guess is that the 1/3 includes those who purchased an IAS one time! Or Genie Plus one day of their trip. So the 1/3 is extremely misleading. I would possibly purchase a single IAS … most likely for Flight of Passage or ROTR, but will NEVER purchase Genie Plus. I refuse to be constantly tied to my cell phone AND have to get up at 6:30 AM on each day of my vacation! It’s not just the $15 per person that turns me off…..
If they keep increasing capacity many will gear toward purchasing Genie + to avoid the long lines. Yes, they will be making more profit, but customer satisfaction will decline. Imagine spending some much money in lodging, tickets, food and transportation, and not being able to enjoy it. Not worth it.
Disney should just raise admission by $15 and advertise “free lightning lane access”. They’d get fewer complaints. I sure hope that no one buys Genie+ next October during our trip. We’ll be the couple walking by to ride while you’re standing in lines for an hour. Genie+ worked great for us last October, as well as the individual lightning lane rides. I was worried that I’d fail at getting a Rise of the Resistance boarding group, but was able to easily purchase an ILL pass the morning we went to Hollywood Studios. Walked right on, no issues.
We used it about half of our days during an 8 full day trip in Dec. and also did several random IAS too- Will continue to do it on days that make sense for any trip we do. We also used the Holiday party and the late night hours to our advantage to maximize things as much as we could.
I hope that these extra charges come back to bite them, because the guests DON’T.
DVC members, but we have not been back since 2019, with all the changes I know I will be so disappointed. The way I view it, why would I pay twice to go on rides in the parks, that’s what I have paid for when I purchase a park ticket.
Disney had a great system before with everyone getting a chance at fast pass, why fix something that’s not broke.
Disney is just a rip off. No magic left.