Pop is perfect when you are spending the majority of your time in the parks and want a pool to soak in. I enjoy staying at pop for runDisney races. It is super convenient. There are always buses running and the skyliner gives it that extra +.
As for the ToT and GotG (DL) debate. The GotG(DL) is super cool and I love how they have synced the video screens to your up and down movement. The music they have during the ride is great. To me it seems they needed this musical accompaniment to try and make the ride more than it is. It will always be less than ToT for me.
I have been spoiled with the trackless ride into the realm of sight and sound in HS. As an interesting tid-bit… During Marathon Weekend we rode ToT with our finisher medals on. Every time there was a drop, the medal would float up off of my chest and hover in front of my eyes. That goes to show you they are pulling you down at a rate faster than gravity.
We use the imperial system in this country, bub. I think one metric crap-ton equals a butt-load, but it’s been a while since I’ve done metric/standard conversions.
True, none of the older two-story moderate buildings (all of CBR and the Alligator Bayou section of POR) have elevators. But thankfully the higher or newer moderate buildings (all of CSR, all of POFQ, and the plantation mansions sections of POR) do have elevators. CBR and POR are also older than CSR and the values, which got a bit taller (up to 4 stories) and have elevators. I am so glad many of them have elevators now. - whether for strollers, ECV’s, or older knees and hips.
I’m just going to come out and say it: Genie+ worked well for me. Keep in mind that it was an extremely busy week with Spring Break. Obviously I was one of the most educated people at the parks on Genie+ so if I couldn’t have used it effectively, that would be very bad news for anyone else. Knowledge of the system is key to maximizing it. There are so many complicating factors. If you haven’t read the lead post in my Genie thread, study it carefully before you go. I am a firm believer that anyone can use it effectively with preparation. A few things that helped me:
The 7:11am (Genie+) and 7:17am (ILL) drop times are absolutely critical if you want morning return times. The other drops may be helpful in certain contexts, but not necessary. Check out the pinned Drop Time thread for more info.
Genie+ works best if you’re skipping the morning and arriving in the afternoon. But I also used it in other combinations successfully: morning and evening, morning through afternoon, and evening only.
It’s important to be flexible and know your options. A ride may go down, there could be weather delays, a return time may not quite work with your plans, etc. It takes a lot of mental energy to determine the best use of your LL reservation.
I used a Calendar alert to remind me to book another LL. I would keep rolling it forward two hours every time I booked one, with an alert “at time of event.”
Genie+ is best for MK and HS. You don’t need it at AK or EP, but it doesn’t hurt to have if your budget is loose enough.
At MK, you can do nothing but ride LL rides if you are on the ball. I only waited in Standby for PeopleMover and Splash Mountain. Riding SDD just before park close is a good alternative to ILL (they lie about wait times at park close!!! Super inflated.)
At HS, you have to make tough choices, because return times don’t cycle fast enough to get on every ride with LL. But you can do LL for one bundle, then rope drop another one or two, and grit your teeth in standby for the rest. Something like LL: SDD, TotT, MMRR, TSM; RD: MFSR; ILL: RotR; Standby: RNRC, ST.
At Epcot, the only ride I needed Genie+ for was Frozen Ever After (could fix that with Rope Drop or after hours) because I could single rider TT. My LL wait for Soarin’ was about the same as standby, both times. Remy was a great investment for ILL.
At AK, if you can show up at 7:00am (early entry during busy times like this week) you could ride everything without using LL by lunchtime. But since I arrived at 8am, having Genie+ did help for NRJ and KS. And ILL was a great time saver for FoP.
All of the above seems like a lot, but the little bit of extra stress can save you multiple hours in line. It would not be an exaggeration to say there were some days that I saved 6 hours in line, maybe more, using LL and ILL (and I wasn’t even at the parks all day). You could save some or all of that time by Rope Dropping or staying till park close or for extra hours, but if you plan to be at the parks from 10am - 9pm, you will wish you had Genie+.
The system can absolutely be improved. As others have mentioned, perhaps the worst part of the entire program is having to wake up at 7am to get your first selection. Booking in advance would be nice, but there are downsides to many of the options (too far in advance makes it hard for last minute trips. Too close to your trip makes it hard for people with long stays - they may already be at Disney by the time some of their days come up. Also the time of day may be problematic for people not on Eastern time. etc.)
I’ll be interested to see what changes Disney makes this summer when they are purportedly planning to roll out changes in response to their first six months of surveys.
To all travelers heading to WDW and planning to use Genie+, good luck!
(Ok I had to use that gif and it is true, but I want to reiterate: you can do this! I promise.)
I have heard recommendations for both options. Half of the LL’s can be early bookers and the other half save for day of. Best of both worlds and you catch your planners and your last minuters.
