Genie+ has set a brand-new, all-time file excessive worth at Walt Disney World for Festivus 2023 (December 23), doubtless resulting in extra visitor airing of grievances. Lightning Lane costs rising in a single day on Park Hopping, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom. This submit covers crowds, the probability of the line-skipping service promoting out regardless of the upper value, and different commentary on the paid FastPass service.
For starters, let’s discuss crowds. It’s not going to shock anybody that that is going to be a busy week. Crowds at all times construct in mid-December, and it’s sometimes the case that the weeks main as much as Christmas and New Yr’s Eve are two of the busiest of the yr. Extra of a shock to lots of people is that the primary full week of January is commonly simply as busy, which is as a result of confluence of winter break for Central Florida colleges, lifting of Annual Cross blockouts, and WDW Marathon.
Essentially the most variable of these in relation to crowds is definitely this week, with attendance pushed by the day of the week of Christmas. This yr, it’s on a Monday. In consequence, we anticipated crowds consolidated into the week between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve, together with the encircling weekend–which means yesterday, at this time, and Christmas Eve. We already mentioned this at size on this week’s earlier submit about Peak Season Christmas Crowds Arriving at Walt Disney World.
In opposition to that backdrop, listed below are the costs for Genie+ at Walt Disney World for December 23, 2023:
- A number of Parks (legitimate with Park Hopper tickets): $39
- Magic Kingdom: $39
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $35
- EPCOT: $32
- Animal Kingdom: $29
For these maintaining rating at residence, under are costs from this week previous to at this time:
- A number of Parks (legitimate with Park Hopper tickets): $29
- Magic Kingdom: $29
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $26
- EPCOT: $21
- Animal Kingdom: $18
Listed here are prior all-time excessive costs final seen throughout the week of Thanksgiving:
- A number of Parks (legitimate with Park Hopper tickets): $35
- Magic Kingdom: $35
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $32
- EPCOT: $28
- Animal Kingdom: $25
We all know the worth will increase are vital and we’re not downplaying them. Nonetheless, roughly the following two-weeks will see peak season plus attendance, with crowd ranges of 10+/10, for lack of a greater time period.
That won’t make full sense, however final yr’s peak week between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve is an efficient illustration. December 20 was a ten/10 crowd stage day with a median wait time of 54 minutes–that was just one minute greater than a 9/10 crowd stage. In contrast, December 29 was the worst day of final yr, additionally with a ten/10 crowd stage however a median wait time of 67 minutes.
That’s a 13 minute unfold–which is completely large–however the very same crowd stage. Nowhere else on the size (besides, I suppose, 1/10 because it may theoretically begin at 0 minutes–however that by no means occurs in apply) has that vary. Often a crowd stage has a variety of some minutes earlier than it strikes up or down. Not 10/10. It may be 54 minutes, 67 minutes, 80 minutes, and so forth. Therefore the ten+/10 crowd stage.
Hope that is sensible. Even when not, the salient level is that there are various levels of ‘dangerous’ crowds and that 10/10 isn’t a static stage of awfulness. Proper now’s fairly dangerous, however subsequent week will nearly actually be means worse. On the plus facet, the parks might be working in ‘most effectivity’ mode, which presents extra alternatives for beating the crowds in case you’re keen to work a bit.
We’d extremely suggest studying Making the Most of Midnight in Magic Kingdom & Beating Peak Season Crowds! That’s a latest submit that I put a ton of labor into primarily based on my midnight expertise, and it was comparatively missed by readers (I most likely ought to’ve accomplished the hours updates separate from the technique. Reside and study.) In any case, the ideas there can prevent a ton of time and stress in case you’re visiting Walt Disney World within the subsequent few weeks.
We anticipate $39 to be the Magic Kingdom and Multi-Park worth by means of New Yr’s Eve. On January 1, 2024, it’s doubtless the worth will fall again to $29. Don’t be shocked if Genie+ sells out a number of occasions within the days and week to return regardless of this.
Apart from earlier this week when it was “solely” $29 and offered out at Magic Kingdom, each time Genie+ has offered out, it has been on the peak worth. In case you’re questioning, the final time Genie+ offered was a number of days throughout Thanksgiving week and through Easter week earlier than that.
Most days when Genie+ has offered out, it has occurred between 9:45 a.m. and midday. To one of the best of my recollection, Genie+ has by no means offered out within the afternoon. Which is sensible–it’s costly, so individuals are shopping for it comparatively early, if in any respect, to maximise their use of the paid FastPass service.
Nothing would shock us at this level, however we truly do not anticipate Genie+ to promote out on December 23-24, 2023. If it does, it’ll doubtless promote out for each single day between now and the tip of the yr. It’s because this weekend truly shouldn’t be the excessive level of peak season vacation crowds–that’ll occur subsequent week.
Nonetheless, it’ll be actually attention-grabbing to see what number of days Genie+ sells out between now and January 6, 2024. My guess is 3-4, presumably on Christmas Day, after which once more later within the week as NYE attracts nearer and crowds crescendo.
Nonetheless, my honest hope is that I’m incorrect and Genie+ doesn’t promote out in any respect. That friends have lastly reached their breaking level. With the pullback we’ve seen in all different types of spending, which will lastly be the case, however I actually wouldn’t guess on it. In that state of affairs, $39 may stand because the record-high worth for the line-skipping service at Walt Disney World–and costs may lastly begin to recede. (Simply as they’ve for Walt Disney World’s resort lodges, which are literally down year-over-year resulting from dramatically higher discounting this vacation season!)
Genie+ promoting out regardless of greater costs truly shouldn’t be a shock. For one factor, there’s a specific amount of worth inelasticity in relation to paid line-skipping. Most friends who don’t balk on the $35 worth level are also unlikely to be dissuaded from shopping for the service when it’s priced at $39. That’s particularly true of holiday makers who pay peak season costs to go to Walt Disney World–they’re much less prone to be cost-sensitive (in the event that they had been, they’d select cheaper dates within the first place).
There’s additionally the sensible actuality that Genie+ is extra invaluable when crowds are greater. As we’ve mentioned beforehand, there’s a “candy spot” for getting the Genie+ service, and you’re arguably higher off skipping it in favor of superior technique when costs are highest resulting from lack of Lightning Lane availability (see When to Skip Genie+ at Walt Disney World).
Nonetheless, that’s not precisely intuitive to lots of people who aren’t savvy planners. On the whole, the extra friends see longer wait occasions, the extra doubtless they’re to wish to skip these standby traces. Worse wait occasions creates the next incentive for bypassing traces, which means greater uptake of Genie+ even when it prices extra. Demand for beating crowds will increase as crowds enhance, and as such, Genie+ will at all times be hottest when it’s most costly. Even when it’s benefit is considerably illusory in 10/10 crowds, since availability worsens and so too do the Lightning Lane return traces.
Finally, there’s no simple repair to this difficulty for Walt Disney World. Within the close to time period, capping Genie+ gross sales is one of the best resolution. Within the medium time period, our expectation is that Walt Disney World’s crackdown on DAS abuse will speed up in 2024, and that alone ought to liberate lots of Lightning Lane stock. (Critically. Judging by the feedback to that submit, a lot of you massively underestimate simply how a lot abuse–not simply correct use–of DAS is going on.)
The transfer to advance-booking of Lightning Lanes may even change issues, however that won’t enhance Lightning Lane availability, as a result of it can’t. It’ll be a reallocation. (It may, nonetheless, have the looks of an enchancment if paired with a DAS crackdown…) Long term, the options are restoring all leisure that’s nonetheless (STILL!) lacking, repurposing underutilized areas of every park, reimagining rides which are unpopular. Oh, and naturally, park enlargement and constructing extra new rides.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study lodges on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every little thing you must know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Genie+ setting a brand new all-time file excessive worth of $39? In the event you’re visiting throughout the weeks of Christmas or New Yr’s, what’s the utmost worth you’ll pay for the line-skipping service? Ideas on our perspective that demand for Genie+ will proceed to be highest on the busiest/most costly days? Every other issues we didn’t take into consideration or particulars we missed/received incorrect? Do you agree or disagree with my evaluation? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
