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When letting Disney’s free service decide your entire day at the Parks, many may wonder, what could go wrong?
The release of Disney’s Genie and Genie+ services has been controversial, to say the least. From the high cost to the sometimes restrictive choices to the complicated launch at Disneyland, Disney’s newest revamp to its FastPass system is becoming questionable to some of Guests. Recently, one Guest decided to let the free Genie itinerary planner make all of their decisions for an entire day at Disneyland and reported on it.
On Twitter, Darren, a dog like (@tai_nugget), posted a thread where he Tweeted a play-by-play experience of letting Genie decide everything they did for an entire day. The day was off to an interesting start as Genie only lets you prioritize eight attractions out of 60+. The Guest voiced this frustration saying, “Apparently [Genie] doesn’t think the Disneyland Railroad is worthy of prioritizing. It is not on the list. Genie also doesn’t understand park-hopping. You cannot prioritize from more than one Park.” See the full thread below:
Good morning. Today I am going to Disneyland and letting Genie, Disney’s free in-app itinerary planning service, tell me what to do. I will do everything it tells me to up until midday or so. Folks, I am excited. pic.twitter.com/Qr75bOdb3x
— darren has a dog (@tai_nugget) December 12, 2021
The thread continues as Genie decides for the Guest to rope drop Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, which is not exactly a high-demand attraction to rope drop. “They may be surprised to see me,” jokes the Guest. Later on in the thread, the Guest notices Genie trying to upsell them and offers them the ability to bypass standby lines with Genie+ for $20.00.
After making it into the Park, the Guest tweets that Pinocchio’s Daring Journey isn’t even open yet, even though Genie told them to head there first, “Genie has guided me to a ride that did not open with the Park. I even refreshed Genie, and it is still telling me to go there”.
Related: Disney Genie+ Service Launched, But Plagued By Troubles
This issue comes up again in the thread; the Guest states, “Genie has finally noticed that Pinocchio’s Daring Journey is temporarily closed and revised my itinerary to direct me to Casey Jr., another ride that is temporarily closed. You simply cannot make this up. Battin’ 1000, Genie! My first 15 minutes in the Park and Genie has gotten me on absolutely nothing”.
Related: Disney Genie App Confirmed to “Reimagine Guest Experience”
The Guest also highlights how often Genie tries to upsell them for expensive products, such as a $200.00 Lightsaber from Savi’s Workshop or a $100.00 custom Astromech Droid at the Droid Depot in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The issue of suggesting a ride or attraction that’s not even open comes up a lot with the free Genie service, as it tells the Guest to head to Davy Crocket Explorer Canoes, which was also not open at the time.
At the end of the day, the Guest opts to get rid of Genie, saying, “I am finally breaking up with Genie. No. No, I say. I am DONE. Going on Thunder” In the end, the Guest was able to ride 18 rides, only hitting 3/5 of the priorities they selected at the beginning of the day. While this is a first-hand account and entirely anecdotal, it does make you wonder if Disney’s Genie services are truly designed to help. The Guest makes one final Tweet saying, “Finally, and obviously, you don’t HAVE to do what I did. Genie doesn’t force you to take its suggestions. And it’s free. But due to its limitations, it’s not a great planner, free or not.
Have you used Genie or Genie+ while at the Parks? What was your experience like? Let us know below!
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney District. Or what about Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district?