People love Disney Parks. People also love to complain about Disney Parks. And so fans are indulging one of their passions right now in a big way following the announcement that both Disneyland and Walt Disney World are replacing the previous FastPass and FastPass+ systems, that were free ways for guests to skip some lines, with a new option that costs money. As much as one might be able to understand the rationale behind such a change, nobody likes spending more money, and people are letting their frustration be known.
The video posted to YouTube announcing the Disney Genie, the new app service that does a lot more than offer a paid FastPass, is getting inundated with negative responses. A week after the announcement the video is sitting at 17K dislikes vs. only 1.5K in the like column, and the comments echo that same feeling, with comments like...
“Introducing Disney Genie+” aka ol’ Bobby Chapek wants a new bigger house.
Current CEO of the Walt Disney Company Bob Chapek has been getting the brunt of fan dislike since he was the head of the Parks, Experiences, and Products division, and while he's now CEO, overseeing a great deal more than just theme parks, he's still the one getting all the blame.
And it's understandable why many people are upset. Nobody likes to spend more money and vacations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World are already expensive. At some point people are going to reach a point at which they simply can't pay anymore, as one commenter pointed out...
I just realized that having to pay extra for certain rides means that I will have yet another thing to tell our kids that we can't do because we didn't have the money for it. Inside the Disney parks, everyone used to be equal. Those with more money could stay at nicer hotels and visit fancier restaurants, but inside the parks we were all the same: CEOs, custodians, doctors, and teachers WERE all valued Disney guests.
Many commenters say that they had trips planned for later this year or next year that they are now cancelling over the issues of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. And the use of the Genie from Aladdin to make this whole idea work rubs a lot of people the wrong way, as some are saying out loud.
I don’t remember Aladdin paying genie to grant him the 3 wishes
To be sure, the old FastPass system wasn't perfect. Especially at Walt Disney World, people staying on property, in what are generally more expensive hotels than what is usually the case off-property, got an advantage in making FastPass reservations, often making the most popular rides impossible for anybody else to FastPass.
And while the idea behind Disney Genie is that it's supposed to make planning a trip easier, many don't see it that way...
This is NOT about “simplifying & maximizing my fun” this is about MAXIMIZING YOUR PROFITS! And honestly, I’m so utterly disappointed in this move. Don’t dress up a cash grab in this way, it’s completely obvious what this is about.
At this point, nobody knows has Genie+ will actually work, so maybe it will be worth the price, but many apparently aren't willing to give it that chance.
