Walt Disney World's Genie Upgrade Adds Character Meets

Sweet lord and baby jesus, now rich people are allowed to jump the line at character meet and greets, too? What's next, they're allowed to spit on my children when they pass by?

Disney has been fleecing my family for years, but we were okay with that, because everyone was getting fleeced equally. But now Disney is going to sneer down its nose and turn us into second-class citizens, too? "The poors" over in the standby line??

This is too much, I've never felt disgust for the Company the way I do now.

Not surprised this is happening at HS since a Genie+ user could expect to use the service only 2 or 3 times on rides on a moderately crowded day. It would not surprise me to see more meet and greets added to the other two parks to increase G+’s usefulness (or, at the very least, perceived usefulness).

Without being able to give hugs or autographs, I have a hard time seeing the value in using a Lightning Lane for these.

Well maybe instead of an autograph, Disney will sell you your meet-and-greet character photo as an NFT.

oswald the lucky rabbitcoin rolls right off the tongue!

I’d say this is unbelievable but……..

Oh my what will Disney do next - cloak Cinderella’s castle and allow private viewings to the pay mores ? Gasp ??

Oh brother, thecolonol is still ranting about "rich people" using a $15 a day service. Sure, you have to be a billionaire to shell out an extra $15!

I think this change is a plus for anyone using LL for rides, since it will reduce demand for those attractions. More people will use LL for meet and greets if that's a priority for them (mostly families with young children).

Most parks have a "pay extra to skip the line" add-on. It's just Disney decided to make theirs as complex as possible. My family and I just got back from a Disney World trip we had been planning for a long time. I enjoyed maybe 20% of my time in the parks (the time we were on actual rides). WallCOT is a mess. Hollywood Studios is too loud and overcrowded. Magic Kingdom is still OK (though Starbucks had the longest line in the park), and I still do like Animal Kingdom (mainly because it's the one park with shade and plenty of places to sit down or escape the crowds). As Disney hotel guests we went to the parks early only to find out that rides aren't actually open early, you just get to stand in line first until they open the park for everyone. But the thing I liked the least is Genie/Genie+/LL and mobile food ordering. It felt like we spent the entire trip on our phones trying to decide what to next and very little time just enjoying the parks. I go on vacation to get away from my phone. It's too bad. Disney still has great theming and lands--I like Galaxy's Edge more than most people. It's just that you're too busy on your phones to look around and enjoy it. I think we'll stick to Universal, Busch Gardens, Carowinds, Dollywood, and other parks we like for the near future. Just one person's opinion.

Oh, and after a week in Disney, if I never hear the word "magic" again, I'll be completely fine with that.

I'm with you, Pete, it's too much money for all that aggravation. My money says Universal is now the best, most customer friendly park in Orlando.