Touring plan blog and recommendations for using Genie+

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Tinkerbell

touringplans/blog/potent...nimal-kingdom/


They've done a "mock" up of when and when not to us genie plus for AK and Epcot

Makes interesting reading

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Interesting, although it starts with what is perhaps an unusual assumption, at least for us Brits:

"If you purchase a one-day ticket to the park, and you stay for the entirety of the park’s open hours, it averages out that you pay $15/hour to be in the park".

We don't tend to purchase 1-day tickets because they aren't good value. I suspect many people don't.

There are so many assumptions being made in that article that the details all start to become a bit too vague and uncertain. It also doesn't address the idea that you might want to do the same ride multiple times. For example, if I did Navi River Journey 3 times on a low crowd day - once in the morning, once around midday and once in the evening - then I'd save around 1 hour based on their numbers. So Genie+ then becomes worth it on a low crowd day.

Still, the general conclusion is pretty obvious. If you go on a quieter day when the standby wait times are low then there's probably not much point in buying Genie+ and you'll get less benefit from it. Whereas if you go on a busy day when the standby wait times are high then there's more to be gained from getting Genie+ and it's probably worth it. I think we could have all guessed that?

[dan223]

Originally Posted by assos

Potentially in theory, but I think in practice Touring Plans will quickly get a handle on how Genie is effecting traffic patterns and the software will adapt plans accordingly - actually I almost wonder if the opposite could happen - Touring Plans users messing with the Genie recommendations, but I don’t think there would be enough TP users for that?

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It really depends how clever the Genie app is, if it is pretty clever and moves people around TP may have some issue trying to make a difference, obviously it really depends how many people use the genie app to make a difference. I wouldn't think there are anywhere enough TP users to influence the queues.

Originally Posted by Nimbus

Still, the general conclusion is pretty obvious. If you go on a quieter day when the standby wait times are low then there's probably not much point in buying Genie+ and you'll get less benefit from it. Whereas if you go on a busy day when the standby wait times are high then there's more to be gained from getting Genie+ and it's probably worth it. I think we could have all guessed that?

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Agreed, they have such little information to work with it's hard for them to predict anything. But yes as anyone could have guessed, on a crowded day it's going to make more of a difference vs a low crowd day. They are also assuming a lot of things like the amount of people using it will be similar to fastpass, which I would think is going to be far from the case.

[vampiress88]

Am I right in thinking the genie app is basically the same as touringplans?
Then the genie+ is the pay for fastpasses
The there is a la carte for high level rides.

[dan223]

Originally Posted by vampiress88

Am I right in thinking the genie app is basically the same as touringplans?
Then the genie+ is the pay for fastpasses
The there is a la carte for high level rides.

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Correct

[vampiress88]

Originally Posted by dan223

Correct

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Do you think that disney will manipulate the genie touring guide to manage the lines?
Rather than touringplans who are independent so just follow the data

[dan223]

Originally Posted by vampiress88

Do you think that disney will manipulate the genie touring guide to manage the lines?
Rather than touringplans who are independent so just follow the data

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That is what some people have the suspicion off, they will try and move people around the park and balance the park. They also have to be clever about it as a lot of people will probably use it compared to TP, so they don't want to send everyone to the same ride. Though as i said further up in the thread I can imagine if a lot of people use it then it may cause issues for TP to predict in the future.

[loldis]

I would say Genie is 90% about making money by upselling passes at every opportunity, 9% crowd control and 1% improving guest experience. Maybe 80% money and 19% control if I'm feeling generous.

I'll be interested to see if the average guest who knows very little about the parks will actually use it, or if it'll just be another thing they don't know about.

[dan223]

Originally Posted by loldis

I would say Genie is 90% about making money by upselling passes at every opportunity, 9% crowd control and 1% improving guest experience. Maybe 80% money and 19% control if I'm feeling generous.

I'll be interested to see if the average guest who knows very little about the parks will actually use it, or if it'll just be another thing they don't know about.

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I'm not sure, Genie was announced way before LL and screenshots showed it working with the fastpass+ system. I do think they want people to use it for both crowd control, and to keep people out of long lines. I'm sure they will use it for an up sell as well, but I do think the main aim of it is to improve experience and control.

[vampiress88]

Will love to compare a customised touringplan with the customised genie plan in a years time when everything is more normal

[loldis]

Originally Posted by dan223

I'm not sure, Genie was announced way before LL and screenshots showed it working with the fastpass+ system. I do think they want people to use it for both crowd control, and to keep people out of long lines. I'm sure they will use it for an up sell as well, but I do think the main aim of it is to improve experience and control.

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You are far less cynical than me. Had always thought Genie would be the gateway to paid FP since it was first announced. I may give them a larger crowd control percentage once I see it in action and whether it's actually diverting people successfully. But without a doubt, the majority of this system is to benefit Disney, not the guest.

But either way, I can't wait to use it. Mostly out of pure curiosity from working in the AI industry. How they choose to leverage their own data will be fascinating.