In today’s Q3 earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said, “Guests will spend less time in line and more time having fun.” Chapek discussed the “guest-centric services” that Disney has been developing for years, including the new Magic Key pass program for Disneyland and the upcoming Disney Genie app.
Specifically, Chapek noted a significant investment into Disney Genie to enable guests to “more easily and efficiently navigate everything [the] parks have to offer” and promised more details soon.
The company hopes to provide a user-friendly app allowing for a more personalized and customized experience for guests, putting them in control with more flexibility and choice. Chapek said Disney Genie is “transformational,” calling it the MyMagic+ program “on steroids.”
It will use “consumer preferences, given what we know from them, blended with industrial engineering data based on how our park is operating that day to make suggestions on the fly.” He also noted it will lead to substantial commercial opportunities.
It has been long rumored that Disney Genie will recommend rides with shorter wait times or paid opportunities, possibly like the new Premier Access program at Disneyland Paris. Premier Access is a replacement for the free FastPass program, offering guests the chance to pay for access to shorter wait times.
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Can’t come fast enough, just got back from D, it was great and all and I am very appreciative of them open…but waiting in all the lines got old, especially since we were so use to fast pass being around before.
If Chapek is excited about, I’m worried.
Yep, price gouging, nickel and diming the guests. Hmmmm, I wonder how Walt would have felt about treating the guests that way. It’s funny, even though he knew it’s a business, he also would be considerate to his guests.
Except he had a ticket book A-E tickets in it. Those poor people were being nickeled and dimed!
My husband refuses to use a smart phone. Will I be able to set up rides for both of us on my smart phone? If not, it is a system that fails the elderly and non tech savvy.
I’d think so, based on the current app, you create your party members when you make your reservations, can be done on a computer before your trip. Then you just add members to each of the rides in the app with one click. I couldn’t see that changing, so you should be good to go.
I am sorry but Disney don’t you think we already pay enough to come to your theme parks and now we would have to pay MORE to ride the rides. When will it be enough, it is already a stretch for me to be able to come to the parks but at this rate i will not be able to afford it anymore 💔
No paid fast pass.. please
Product Managers fall into the trap that apps constantly need to change in order to justify their job. The only real problem with the current app is that they stopped using it. Predictive recommendations will benefit the guests that don’t bother to plan, but I imagine the guests that already know how to manage the parks will find a way to bypass the AI and continue to manually book their plan.
Key words here…”Guests will pay” and “paid opportunity “
I fear that so many things at Disney World are becoming paid add-ons, as in no more Fast Pass included with park admission. That’s confirmed with statements like “substantial commercial opportunities” when referring to the new Genie app. I remember how much Disney marketed Fast Pass when it first came out…they made a big deal that it was included in park admission. Just my opinion, but that’s they way it should stay.
This sentence by Chapek says it all: “He also noted it will lead to substantial commercial opportunities.” This translates into we want you spending every last cent you have on food, snacks, drinks, and souvenirs instead of standing in a ride line. You won’t be riding more rides in a day…you’ll just be bored waiting for your ride call-back and want to pass the time munching and going into the shops and hopefully buying more of their overpriced souvenirs. And, for those that don’t want to wait for your callback..we will take hundreds of extra dollars from you to get in what used to be known as fast pass line. Yes, fun times…not. Looks like we will be utilizing our DVC at Vero and Hilton head for awhile until someone gives ol’ Chapek the royal boot out the door!
Never been and probably at my age never will, but it sounds like the people that are fortunate enough to have higher paying jobs will have a better time than the regular Joe’s. But that’s everything in life.
Sounds like they mean to make more rides have virtual queues. Honestly, ALL the rides should. Why physically stand in line if the app can hold my spot while I go eat and shop? I’ll have more time to spend money, big win for Disney. Won’t have to offer a paid FP experience, because they’ll make more from guests taking time to eat and shop.
I go to Disney to disconnect and shut off my phone for a while. They are making it impossible to do that. Really unfortunate. It’s becoming too much work to have a nice Disney time.
I guess Disney watched the money that Universal made by using a “fast pass”. Last time we went to Universal the lines were painful. I refused to pay for a fast pass for 11 of us. Just disgusting Disney is doing this as well.