Not sure if this has been discussed here. I am fairly new here so bear with me please.
While pondering “things that make me go hmm”, I wonder why Disney strategically chose to offer G+ for a $15 fee. They had to expect only a certain percentage would buy it and also should have expected the backlash with the apparent “nickel and dime” treatment and the “in game purchase” feel to play since you cannot buy when you buy your ticket.
I wonder, if they assume 66% will buy, why not charge EVERYONE 66% of $15, thus $10 more for a ticket at time of purchase and everyone could use it?
Really if a ticket cost $135 instead of $125, you spit out your frustration for how much a ticket cost but you are not being “asked” per say, to pay more later, creating the animosity of the “haves and have nots”
Seems they already had a working system in FastPass to allow for reserving some selections that was open to all. Surely we had to think this service was not “free” in the past as it was part of the cost of doing business. We were not asked to pay “extra” for it on the day of a visit causing anxiety as to whether or not it is worth it and then killing the “Magic” when you are on standby and your kids are asking why that other line is moving faster.
It seems odd that they chose this uncharge method. There has to be a good reason that would warrant all the negative attention G+ gets, (at least in my household).
The people who are in the know about the decision making here (including Jim Hill of the Disney Dish podcast, and the excellent video on FPP by Defunctland) have insinuated that Disney implemented Genie+ in order to balance the interests of two basic types of guests:
Guests who thought FPP was too complicated, didn’t want to plan in advance, or otherwise ended up not having a good experience with the program.
Guests who want to have a way to skip the lines. (Typically those who knew how to maximize FPP but couldn’t afford VIP tours.)
There is simply not enough attraction capacity to give every guest 3 good FPPs. So there will always be some “losers” in the FPP system - those who end up with mostly Parade and Meet & Greet FPPs instead of headliners.
So in order to accommodate both types of guests, they needed a system that could allow some guests to bypass some lines without adversely affecting guests who preferred to wait standby or didn’t want to deal with the system. Standby lines needed to be “tolerable” so that those guests have a satisfactory experience. (@DWJoe explained it very well here.)
By making guests pay explicitly for Genie+ (rather than including it in the price), it decreases the percentage of guests that use it. They made additional headway in this area by removing the option to purchase for all days in advance - you can only purchase one day at a time. By forcing guests to make a decision to purchase or not purchase each day, fewer guests end up forking out the dough.
It’s counterintuitive, but this is exactly what Disney wanted: for fewer guests to buy Genie+. Because they are trying maximize satisfaction across both types of guests (Standby and Genie+ purchasers).
It should be noted that when FPP existed, all guests were paying for it. The cost of the system was baked into their ticket price. Pricing of theme park tickets is very complicated because Disney is a quasi-monopoly, so it’s impossible to say what WDW ticket prices would be without FPP+ (or if Genie+ didn’t exist, for that matter). Disney is covering their costs and their margin one way or another. They are charging what the market allows in order to maximize their profits.
In my opinion, it is in guests’ best interest that they can opt out of the “nickel and diming.” It feels gross, but it can actually be better for those who prefer “a la carte dining” to a buffet.
One impetus was Disney thought offering early access to FP+ to on site guests would drive up revenues by getting more people to stay on site. Now with Disney filling hotels pretty easily even without any direct benefits such as FP+, FP+ became a cost rather than something generating revenue indirectly. So, switching to a paid system in G+ was just a way to drive up revenues.
If those people thought FPP was too complicated, they will never figure out G+. I remember churning FPPs and walking past standby lines and my husband was like, “why do those people wait in lines?”.
There are things I like better and things I don’t. For example, I liked making selections in advance, but 60 days was difficult for last minute trips, and also the 60+10 rule was hard to navigate for regular users. Also I would end up with one or two throwaway FPPs, often for the afternoon. I like that with Genie+ I can immediately focus on the attractions I want, not settle for a bundle.
So maybe a adding the ability to secure one LL in advance, maybe at 30 days, would be nice.
And ability to select your return time and have it stick. And the ability to modify.
I’d say make it even closer - 2 weeks out, you can select your first LL of the day and buy any ILLs for length of stay (resort guests); non resort one day at a time (just like dining/old FP)
