In the Earnings Report for The Walt Disney Company, it was revealed that Disney Parks had a phenomenal quarter — a record breaking quarter. One way that spending has gone up for guests in the parks has been the adoption of Genie+, a lesser version of the previously free FastPass system. We know just how “successful’ that program has been thanks to an interview performed by CEO Bob Chapek with CNBC.
Watch the CNBC Interview with Bob Chapek
This would seem to mean that the roll-out of Lightning Lanes, premier attractions, and Genie+ has been a financial success. And short term, it certainly is. But Disney and Bob Chapek should be very careful about thinking this is a winning strategy.
The success of Genie+ in the past quarter is not good in this author’s opinion. It’s for a very simple reason:
Genie+ and Lightning Lanes are mostly a rip-off.
As I said in my review of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, most people are burning money when they subscribe to Genie+ at Disney World:
Surprisingly, it seems that Genie+ really doesn’t save guests all that much time, unless you’re really good at using it. While you can still use the system with impressive efficiency if you’re an aficionado, just like people once did with FastPass, for the average family it’s going to be very difficult to shave a lot of time off. Most groups try to book the big rides, and often those have huge waits that make sure you don’t use your Lighting Lane again for two hours or more. Most people don’t know that if you just show up when the park opens, you’ll likely be able to get on those uber-popular rides in half an hour. For a family of four, that’s going to save you at least sixty dollars per day, or more than two-hundred dollars for a typical vacation.
https://thatparkplace.com/genie-lighting-lane-passes-may-not-be-worth-it/
It’s not just me that thinks this. Other Disney World aficionados have discovered that there’s very little gain, if any, from buying Genie+.
We’ve also documented on this site that Disney has wait times that often do not accurately depict the true time that guests will wait in line. As a result, guests may feel they’ve saved far more time than they actually did when purchasing Genie+. In October, we found that Disney was featuring wait times that doubled, even sometimes tripled, the actual duration. During a peak crowd weekend in January, we actually studied just how Disney was reflecting wait times using reporters in the park:
Haunted Mansion:
65 Minute Posted Wait Time, 41 Minute Actual Wait
Flight of Passage:
75 Minute Posted Wait Time, 40 Minute Actual Wait
Kilimanjaro Safaris:
30 Minute Posted Wait Time, 24 Minute Actual Wait
Soarin’:
50 Minute Posted Wait Time, 35 Minute Actual Wait
Test Track:
45 Minute Posted Wait Time, 25 Minute Actual Wait
Rock’n Roller Coaster:
65 Minute Posted Wait Time, 71 Minute Actual Wait
Toy Story Midway Mania
55 Minute Posted Wait Time, 31 Minute Actual Wait
We also did some end-of-the-day checks at the Magic Kingdom. Here is what we found:
Pirates of the Carribean:
20 Minute Posted Wait Time, Walk-on Actual Wait
Space Mountain:
35 Minute Posted Wait Time, 5 Minute Actual Wait
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
45 Minute Posted Wait Time, 20 Minute Actual Wait
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin:
25 Minute Posted Wait Time, 14 Minute Actual Wait
Are Wait Times Accurate at Disney World? Here’s What We Found
So yes, Disney executives are likely pleased with the adoption rates of Genie+ and the financial gain. And yes, this is definitely an anti-consumer move that is only succeeding because guests are buying into it. But how long can Disney make money off of a service that we have documented provides very little gain? How long can this go before knowledge breaks into the mainstream? If you use inaccurate wait times to trick people into thinking they’ve really gained value, I suppose it can go on for quite a while longer.
It will be interesting to see if people continue to purchase Genie+ in the next quarter (if we even find out). It’s sad to me because I know that most of those families are paying hundreds of extra dollars for almost no benefit. But at least readers of this website will know what’s up.
In this case, please share this article with people you know who are going to Walt Disney World. While there are times that paying makes sense (bypassing Rise of the Resistance for example), it’s no fun to think that friends and families are spending more money than the need for a service that gives very little in return.
For all the latest on the Disney Parks, keep checking out That Park Place. And, please, share with us your experience with Genie+ in the comments below.
