I’m planning a trip for a large group of 14. We’re staying at SoG and taking advantage of military tickets (6 Salute and 8 MYW). Price is a factor for some in the group. Would rather you do: 1) 4-day park hopper with Genie+ OR 2) 5-day no hopper w/ ILLs? We have access to both types of extended hrs.
If you do 4 days, I wouldn’t waste money on park hoppers. 5 days, I would be more inclined to get hoppers…but I also would be inclined to not buy Genie+ nor ILLS unless absolutely necessary.
I guess it depends on your goals for the trip. Planning something to make 14 people happy will be a chore. Throw in the complexity and constant in park planning that G+ and ILLS require would be a non starter for me.
So…is 5 day park hopper an option? If not, pick 5 day normal tickets, and everyone has to agree what park to hit twice.
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5-day MYW hopper is in a very similar price range as the other two MWY options w/ add-ons. The Salute tickets already have park hopper built in. What’s your thoughts on hopping as an advantage to genie+ and/or ILLs?
Well, I haven’t seen a single report that seems to think Genie+ is worth it, except in very specific situations. It is added cost without much actual benefit. ILLS might be more worth it for specific rides, but you might do just as well with ETPE and EEH.
As such, I do see that having hoppers with a fifth days gives you MORE flexibility (whereas G+ gives you LESS flexibility…meaning, you are at the whims of availability to make use of it).
With four days, hoppers waste part of your time in switching between parks…unless you are staying at a Crescent Lake resort perhaps. As such, hoppers kind of devalue the tickets. Instead, focus ALL of the time to a park each day and don’t waste time on transportation.
With five days, the hoppers still might not add a lot of benefit, but does give some added flexibility in doing all of each park. If you managed most of MK and HS, but still had more you wanted to do, then hopping on that fifth day gives you the option to hit both. But again, if you want to save the money, and you can agree which park to hit a second time, go ahead and do so.
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One more thing…having “choice” with a large group is sometimes a problem. It is better to limit choice to keep everyone focused and in agreement. No arguments over whether to hop to Epcot for Harmonious versus staying later to ride FOP in AK if there isn’t even an option to do so!
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On WDW Chat there are many reports from Lines users that Genie Plus is worth it. Lines
TP’s Becky Gandillon has some fantastic blog posts as well. How Much Time Can I Save with Genie+ at WDW? | TouringPlans.com Blog
Here’s an overview of her findings as well-
I would argue that some ILLs are worth it especially on a short trip where time is of the essence. I’m thinking in particular of ROTR and Rat, or any of the ILLs that are a top priority and rope dropping them all is not an option
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I don’t disagree.
Her article is entirely theoretical, so the time saved is unlikely.
Point is, there is the “theoretical” benefit. But then there is the actual benefit. I’ve now seen a bunch of vloggers report on using it, and reviews have not been good. The best use of it (G+) seems to be at MK. And while it CAN possibly save on ride waits, it is at the expense of having to keep on top of availability and pseudo-planning well ahead of time in hope that you can actually get the times you want/need.
The only report that came close to being positive was from Tim Tracker…but as he showed us his experience with it (since he showed each line and wait time), the savings was minimal at best…and sometimes no savings at all, and yet G+ had him running around the park back and forth. In reality, I think he only saved actual wait time on a single ride. His “glowing” review, however, seemed more like an attempt to get back on Disney’s good side.
To use G+ to your advantage does not come easily, nor without some sacrifices. But if you DO want to use G+ an attempt some of that savings, the best bet is at MK, and second is at HS. Reports have almost universally been that it is definitely not worth it for EP and AK.
Well, with both park hopping and G+ you have the chance to stack G+ at the afternoon park. I can’t speak from experience since my trip starts Friday. I also wonder if your average guest wouldn’t see more benefit than an experienced liner, since the average guest wouldn’t know what to do when.
I would shy away from G+ if cost is an issue. And you have 14 people. That may be a bit of a challenge. If G+ works like Fastpass did it could be difficult to find a slot that fits that many people. Without being able to easily modify and wonky return times my vote would be a no-go on G+. Now purchasing ILLs for one or two attractions per day might be worth it for a short 4 or 5 day trip. Also with only four or five days Park Hoppers might not be a great value. You can lose valuable time Park hopping. And there should be more than enough to do in each Park to cover one full day. Personally I would do five days no Park Hoppers and plan on buying ILLs.