I just got back from a week long trip to WDW (11/13-11/20). My touring party included my DW, DD5, DD3, MiL, FiL, and my two SiLs (the cool Aunts).
On Saturday 11/13 went to the Magic Kingdom in the evening to ride a couple of rides and shop. Crowd Level was a 7. My daughters picked the first ride, Dumbo, with a posted wait of 40 mins. I hoped that it was an over estimate but it was under with a wait of 45 mins. I did not enjoy being in the playground tent, most wore masks but it felt stuffy and hot. That was the only ride we rode.
On Sunday 11/14, I woke up early to purchase Genie+ and book our first ride, Peter Pan (my kids are too young for thrill rides and my family is not really into them either, except for me). I got a 9:00-10:00am window. I suggest putting only one ride in the “Tip Board” to ensure you get the ride you want. We planned on rope dropping (8:30 park opening) Winnie the Pooh and then riding Teacups, and Tomorrowland Speedway. Winnie the Pooh was down when we arrived, so off to Tomorrowland Speedway, which had a couple of cars breaking down with only one track open, causing a 20 minute wait. Teacups were next and then to Under the Sea, both had short waits. Then we arrived at Peter Pan at 10:01, purposely late. The “Two Tap Hack” is still working. I was able to get two more Lighting Lanes for Winnie the Pooh and It’s A Small World. Subsequently, I would tap in and see if I could get more Lighting Lanes, and I didn’t really pay attention to the timing. I just tried to get more in every time I tapped in, and I did get a couple more for Haunted Mansion and Small World We were out of the park by 1:00 or 2:00, as it was super busy with a Crowd Level 7.
On Monday, I woke up early again to buy Genie+ and booked our Lightning Lane, Jungle Cruise. We arrived late and I tried to work the “Two Tap Hack”, but was only able to get one additional Lightening Lane, Pirates. Not sure why but the hack didn’t work and it also left my FIL off. I think I may have been too quick trying to get the Lightning Lane, as he was in the back of our party. Make sure that all of your party is through the tap. The Pirates Cast Member was great and allowed him in the Lightning Lane with us and said that Genie+ has had some glitches. I was able to get another Lightning Lane for Buzz at 11:00.
My wife and I headed to EPCOT in the evening, and I tried stacking Test Track and Soarin for the evening but was unsuccessful. The times were either for before we were hopping or were all gone for later in the evening. We ILL the Rat and watched Harmonious, which is cool but not worth the barges during the day.
Tuesday, 11/16, we went Hollywood Studios, I again woke up early to buy Genie+ and book TSMM. I also bought ILL for MMRR. We watched the Frozen and Beauty and Beast shows. I got an additional LL for Alien Swirling Saucer but didn’t use it as the kids were getting tired and the crowds were insane.
The rest of the week was similar to the above days.
Overall, I was not a huge fan of Genie+, as it caused some stress and worry about over sleeping. I much preferred knowing my FastPasses in advance and modifying as the day went on. Also, the App would constantly crash or would be slow at 7:00am, causing more stress. It would also log me out multiple times a day and logging in required a two step authorization.
I also noticed rides going down every single day causing longer rides on other rides. I did get an anytime Lightning Lane when Haunted Mansion went down during my window. I was notified through a push notification.
The highlight of the trip was the Capture Your Magic Photo Shoot. We did a back to back session for a total of 40mins. We started just before 8:15 and got some amazing pictures before rope drop. The cast members were amazing and provided some Christmas props. They took 120 pictures during the session.
Overall a fun trip, but I was on my phone way more than I wanted to be. And at times I didn’t think it was worth it. Although my kids get a little antsy waiting more that 20 mins in line.
One more thing, we were in a deluxe resort and I really wanted to take advantage of the Extra Hours at Magic Kingdom. My kids wouldn’t have made it and we were in bed by 9:00. I wish they would have early hours for those of us that are early risers.