Disney Genie service deeply unpopular among fans before it has launched

ApolloAndy:

If the guest experince is lacking, it’s not because of some vague operational reason. It’s because you’re not paying enough.

Truth!

Here's a post by.....checks notes.....me from a different but similar thread in August of 2021.

"Anecdotally, we just returned from a week in the world. Didn't know what to expect with no line skipping service, but we never waited more than 45 minutes for anything. The lines were physically long, often into the midways, but they absolutely flew. Posted waits were heavily exaggerated. We easily rode everything we wanted with enough time left to let our daughter pick our park for the last day. I was fine with the FP+ era, but now I think I'm glad it's a thing of the past."

We're headed back next year, and I'm sure we'll give Genie+ a try at some point. I hope the value matches the price knowing how much I enjoyed not having it before. And I don't mean value as just a money thing either. It was nice having less of a schedule and doing things when we felt like it, save for a few headliners we hit first thing each day.

For the record, I have no issue paying to skip lines and have done so at other parks. I just feel like other skip the line programs come with more freedom. The problem (unique to Disney) seems to be that they can charge almost anything and too many people will buy it.

Attendance wasn't back to normal yet at that point, so I wouldn't rely on that trip as a reference if you went back today.

However, I do wonder if demand is starting to soften a little, but all I have is anecdotes as well. We were at DHS yesterday (Easter), and it was "crowded," but not the way I'm used to. Rise had a 90-minute wait right after re-opening from an extended closure, which in the old days would have been twice that. We have not witnessed particularly full parking lots, both yesterday and at Epcot on Friday. Pass sales are resuming and some reservation requirements are being relaxed for passholders. Some hotel deals are coming back as well. Perhaps post-pandemic demand has been satisfied, or pricing dynamics have settled, or maybe something else.

The return of WDW APs suggest to me that they were forecasting a soft summer.