In the theme park world there are basically two things you can set your watch by. First, Disneyland or Disney World will introduce something new, which will result in many opinions on Twitter. Second, the Universal Orlando Resort Twitter account will make their own comments about whatever it is Disney did in a way that, no matter your opinion, is usually pretty funny. And of course, it's happened again. Following the reveal of the new Disney Genie, and more specifically, the paid add on options, Universal has thrown their own shade-- though perhaps in a more limited way.
The major issue at hand is the introduction of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. These will be replacing the FastPass system at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, but they'll be replacing the previously free service with a new one that has costs attached. For Disney guests that essentially means that without spending more money, you'll get less from the park, while Universal tries to point out that it has more to offer.
The tweet from Universal is, as per usual, having a bit of fun at Disney's expense, while also promoting themselves, because that's sort of the point of the whole thing. A lot of what Universal does on Twitter is try to position itself as the better alternative to Disney World, and this is basically a list of all the reasons one might want to go to Universal Orlando Resort instead. And they're valid points. Except possibly the churros. Disney World usually has a lot of churros too.
There are certainly a lot of opinions about Genie+, the replacement for the FastPass system. And not all of the responses are negative. But nobody likes having to spend more money on what is already a fairly expensive vacation. And even if the new paid systems work as intended, there's a feeling from many that Disney is just looking for new ways to charge guests.
And the fact that the new paid system is part of something called Disney Genie is certainly a little weird. Normally Genie's gives us things we want and I can't imagine any guest wishing for this. Something else that Universal's Twitter account pointed out.
Universal Twitter can be a little harsher when it comes to the jokes it will make at the expense of Disney. Of course, in this case, there's one major joke that Universal can't make because UOR already has its own Express Pass, a paid option that allows guests to skip the line. Disney is actually one of the last parks to start charging for its line skipping option, most other places have been making money on that for years. Still, people have a lot of expectations when it comes to Disney. And Universal is more than happy to reinforce those ideas. Whether or not Genie+ and Lightning Lanes will be better or worse for guests, and whether they'll be worth the cost, remains to be seen.
