MAJOR changes to Genie+!

[NavyDad]

That's just obnoxious.

That's the major disconnect in these discussions : conflating feelings and emotion towards something we all love (Disney) with actual facts.

Maximizing shareholder value is not some new 21st century construct. It's been around since before WDW was built.

Disney is a publicly traded corporation whose board has legal and fiduciary responsibilities. They are required to act within certain parameters to promote the value of the company and maximize shareholder value. The shareholders then vote to hold them accountable to their job responsibilities. Most of us on these boards have some kind of retirement fund (public or private) that relies on corporate boards doing that to the best of their abilities.

I started planning my first family WDW vacation using this website 14 years ago during a major economic recession. Every single year since then, people make declarations on here like they are fact that Disney has gone too far and NEXT YEAR is going to be the year people stop paying the high prices for "less" service and stop going to WDW.

This is a great place to share opinions and feelings. We all have different ones. If you feel WDW is too expensive and not worth your money - go ahead and share that and stop giving them your money. When someone shares and opinion or an emotional feeling and passes it off as fact, it's OK to disagree with it and point out why it's nonsense.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

Maximizing shareholder value is definitely not a 21st century concept. It was commonly accepted and taught in economics and corporate finance classes in the most prominent business schools in America at least as far back as 1970 and has been a mandated bedrock principle of stakeholder governance by the SEC and other government entities for at least that long.

There is definitely a point to be made regarding the differences between long term shareholder (or stakeholder) value versus short term. In the age of people checking their stocks hourly on a smart phone, cooperate America has certainly gone from being focused on annual reports to quarterly reports to now monthly reports.

You seem to make the point that suggests that Disney is sacrificing long term value for short term profits. I ask this question: where is the proof of that? Is there any proof that the changes that have come to Disney Parks over the last 10 years (Fast pass plus, MDE, Genie Plus, etc...) have hurt Disney's long term value? Other than a global pandemic that was accompanied by some government restrictions to operations has shown a long term trend of strong attendance resulting massive revenue and profits. Even after the same complaints year after year from Disney message board super fans for the last 10+ years the parks continue to be packed, the Disney resort hotels continue to be filled and Disney keeps making money.

People have to realize that just because a Disney super-fan doesn't enjoy WDW as much as they did in the 80's and 90's, that does not mean there are not literally millions of other people lined up behind them that can't wait to take their first ever trip to Disney. Way too many message board Disney fans mistake their own nostalgia regarding the way things used to be for the only way things can be done to make people happy.

For those of us in our 40s, 50's and 60's who have visited WDW 10+ times, we may not like to be on our phones all the time and maybe we would prefer to walk into the park and just walk up to a kiosk to get a fast pass, but there is a whole generation of potential WDW customers for the next few decades that have gone their entire life with a handheld computer in their hands who are very comfortable ordering food on their phone, shopping on Amazon and existing in a world of micro transactions. There is a strong argument to be made that Disney has created a digital infrastructure, and is transitioning to a mode of operations that represents massive value in 2030 even if it doesn't look much like our fond memories of 1975-2005.

(1) Of course maximizing shareholder value has always been an essential pursuit of the corporation. What has changed is: (a) the notion that this is all that matters, and that corporations do not also have substantial obligations to their employees, customers, and communities, and to the general public welfare; and (b) the notion that shareholder value is measured only in the latest quarterly (or as you note) monthly report--as you put it, the idea that "maximizing shareholder value . . . means to make as much money as possible."

(2) As to your other point, I was mostly taking issue with the abstract notion that, because maximizing short-term profits is the sole goal of a corporate board, Disney need not, and perhaps should not, concern itself with the risk of undermining the value of the brand in the long-run.

Do I think that Disney is actually making that mistake? I agree with you that people on these boards tend to overestimate the chances that that is actually happening. And certainly Disney is not entirely blind to that concern.

But I do think that the concern is a valid one.

Disney -- especially the parks division -- relies very much on the goodwill that it has cultivated for generations. Even before the start of the pandemic, Disney seemed to be playing with fire a bit by substantially raising prices and simultaneously cutting back on the quality of the product (slashing entertainment, running rides at reduced capacity, etc.). It's true that people keep coming in record numbers, so these choices haven't yet affected the bottom line. But alienating your long-term, reliable customers, and at the same time providing an overpriced, underwhelming experience to your first-time customers is no way to build long-term brand loyalty. It risks squandering the goodwill that is one of your most precious assets.

Is that really happening? Probably less than it seems to a lot of the die-hards on these boards. Again, I think you're right about that. But it might be happening more than you think.

 

[bakenatj]

We are going in December this year and I am interested in seeing what I think. I am going to hand off the baton to my daughter to be the driver in what ride we do next. I just want to enjoy being with my family all together in our happy place. Not tickled that it will cost me an extra $500 to add this, but from the sound of it, I don't know that we want to go without.

 

[waydownunder]

I agree. And I think the other problem is that people feel entitled to it because it was free for so long. Most of the complaints from people are generally mad because it’s a paid service now so that colors their entire view of the product.

I would happily pay for the old fastpass+ system. Having all my fastpasses and dining booked before I left home so I can enjoy my vacation with my family is priceless to me

 

[lovethattink]

Friendly reminder to please stay on topic

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Any reports on people’s ability to purchase G+ for today starting yesterday at midnight? Any reports on people being able to purchase this morning/sellouts?

 

[mom22boys]

Any reports on people’s ability to purchase G+ for today starting yesterday at midnight? Any reports on people being able to purchase this morning/sellouts?

I am wondering the same. Also, this morning the WDW website still has Genie+ priced at $15. I was wondering if/when there might be a price increase???

 

[elgerber]

I am wondering the same. Also, this morning the WDW website still has Genie+ priced at $15. I was wondering if/when there might be a price increase???

I was wondering also. I noticed the Genie + pop up on the app says you can purchase at 7 am. It doesn't say you can purchase at midnight.

 

[Jrb1979]

I was wondering also. I noticed the Genie + pop up on the app says you can purchase at 7 am. It doesn't say you can purchase at midnight.

I don't expect price changes til the end of the year as thats when those who pre-purchased will end.

 

[elgerber]

I don't expect price changes til the end of the year as thats when those who pre-purchased will end.

I was mainly wondering about the time, if it's still at midnight or if it's now just at 7.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I was wondering also. I noticed the Genie + pop up on the app says you can purchase at 7 am. It doesn't say you can purchase at midnight.

That's going to be a hell of a fastest fingers competition if you have to both purchase G+ at 7 am AND make your first selection at 7 am. Holy moly.

 

[Jrb1979]

That's going to be a hell of a fastest fingers competition if you have to both purchase G+ at 7 am AND make your first selection at 7 am. Holy moly.

This is what is posted on the Genie+ page as of today

On average, Guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day using Lightning Lane entrances, if the first selection is made early in the day.

Guests may be able to purchase Disney Genie+ service the day of their park visit and make their first Lightning Lane selections at 7:00 AM.

 

[elgerber]

That's going to be a hell of a fastest fingers competition if you have to both purchase G+ at 7 am AND make your first selection at 7 am. Holy moly.

but if they do start limiting I would rather get it all at 7, then have to be up after midnight and up again at 7.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

I hope that now Genie+ is not available to purchase until 7:00. The notion of staying up until midnight and then getting up at 6:45 everyday is just not sustainable.

If they are making this change, that will give the people who made advance purchases of Genie+ for their whole trip prior to today an advantage in booking their first Genie+ selections. They will be able to book right at 7:00, while everyone else has to buy Genie+ first.

As the year goes by, there will be fewer and fewer guests with that advantage. And by January, everyone will be on the same playing field again. But those of us who bought Genie+ in advance for our trips later this year might reap some (minor) rewards.

 

[Jrb1979]

I hope that now Genie+ is not available to purchase until 7:00. The notion of staying up until midnight and then getting up at 6:45 everyday is just not sustainable.

If they are making this change, that will give the people who made advance purchases of Genie+ for their whole trip prior to today an advantage in booking their first Genie+ selections. They will be able to book right at 7:00, while everyone else has to buy Genie+ first.

As the year goes by, there will be fewer and fewer guests with that advantage. And by January, everyone will be on the same playing field again. But those of us who bought Genie+ in advance for our trips later this year might reap some (minor) rewards.

By January there will probably drastic changes coming to Genie+.

 

[elgerber]

I hope that now Genie+ is not available to purchase until 7:00. The notion of staying up until midnight and then getting up at 6:45 everyday is just not sustainable.

If they are making this change, that will give the people who made advance purchases of Genie+ for their whole trip prior to today an advantage in booking their first Genie+ selections. They will be able to book right at 7:00, while everyone else has to buy Genie+ first.

As the year goes by, there will be fewer and fewer guests with that advantage. And by January, everyone will be on the same playing field again. But those of us who bought Genie+ in advance for our trips later this year might reap some (minor) rewards.

Ah, that is one thing I hadn't considered. That is unfair, I have an AP so buying in advance was never an option for me. They should make it starting at 6:30 or 6:45 or something

 

[NJlauren]

I hope that now Genie+ is not available to purchase until 7:00. The notion of staying up until midnight and then getting up at 6:45 everyday is just not sustainable.

If they are making this change, that will give the people who made advance purchases of Genie+ for their whole trip prior to today an advantage in booking their first Genie+ selections. They will be able to book right at 7:00, while everyone else has to buy Genie+ first.

As the year goes by, there will be fewer and fewer guests with that advantage. And by January, everyone will be on the same playing field again. But those of us who bought Genie+ in advance for our trips later this year might reap some (minor) rewards.

Is it confirmed you can’t purchase till 7? I mean Disney IT is already a mess this just annoys me.

 

[Jrb1979]

Is it confirmed you can’t purchase till 7? I mean Disney IT is already a mess this just annoys me.

According to the Genie+ page that's the rule now.

 

[NJlauren]

According to the Genie+ page that's the rule now.

Oh I don’t read it that way, it says purchase the day of (I read as midnight) and make selection at 7, I would love to hear a real experience.

 

[Jrb1979]

Oh I don’t read it that way, it says purchase the day of (I read as midnight) and make selection at 7, I would love to hear a real experience.

View attachment 674929

It does say guests can purchase Genie+ the day of their park visit. It would suggest to me that you can only purchase it at 7am