SET TIME: 7 A.M.

MIND SET: DISMAL

The Genie character in Aladdin frequently celebrates his freedom by shouting, “I’m free! I’m free!” I thought about how one can approach an article dissecting the ins and outs and controversy over the newest roll out of Disney’s Genie Service. It’s so broad; discussing the retirement of FastPass+, saying goodbye to the old and in with the new. How we all lost our minds over the overwhelming new information about the “optional mandatory” Genie program at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

The service is optional because we can choose to not pay to play. It’s not “free” as the Genie often declares; how ironic. Mandatory because, hey, is it really optional? I have no idea. We could talk about how much is too much, where you draw the line, and comparisons to Universal’s options. The perks and extras that we all get with Disney Genie, the options have been laid out for you already, the intense technology conversations about virtual queues, and whether or not the IT hold up to the new offerings. We could really spend much time on these issues.  

But let’s narrow us down, reign us in to the elephant in the room we are all really discussing:

SEVEN A.M. !!! 7 A.M. !!! WAKE UP!!!

So if you don’t already know, Disney wants you to wake up at seven a.m. ON YOUR VACATION. If you weren’t already up and out at rope drop before, you’re getting up now! Luckily we can now “pause” our early wake up call for retrieving Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group times on their virtual queue system. Yay! However, it’s not all over yet! If you weren’t up already grabbing a morning breakfast mobile order service time for your babies sleeping in the resort room, you will be up now!

The new Disney Genie+/My Disney Experience app will be having you wake up at 7 a.m. to do the following:

–Retrieve Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure new attraction virtual queue

-Pay for your day’s select E-Ticket Lightning Lane attractions, if you are a resort guest at 7 a.m.

-Pay for Genie+ offering Lightning Lanes for lower tier attractions, resort guests at 7 a.m.

-Retrieve Web Slingers attraction virtual queue if you are in Disneyland Park

-Wake up to rope drop

-Wake up extra early to benefit from thirty minutes early park admission for resort guests

Now, while everything we are learning is still so new, there are rumblings unofficially that you may be able to purchase the Genie+ service at midnight, not the actual selection of a ride reservation, the night prior to your park pass admission. If you have a vacation package, or a date-based ticket, you may even be able to purchase Genie+ service when you purchased that package or ticket.

Disney wants us up and out. They want us to leave our rooms early for revenue, to be on property for breakfast and pay to play. They want to balance the weight of afternoon/evening guests surging into concentrated areas. I don’t mind paying for extra perks, that’s my choice, but I do mind the set time, and the mindset. And I’m actually an early riser! I do rope drop, I do breakfast. I’m the first on my resort bus to the parks. But I want to enjoy my mornings. I want to do my thing. I don’t want to “think” or compete, or concentrate; I want my coffee. And some people, perhaps it’s you, want to sleep in on vacation!

If you choose to sleep in, you may do so. However, you are at a parks disadvantage. You may not be able to utilize the Genie + service because the system may be at capacity. And remember, sleeping in may not offer you the guaranteed Do Not Disturb bliss. They do, at anytime, enter rooms for security and safety policies implemented in 2017.

When I go to sleep, I do not want to have all this swirling around in my head. Will I have FOMO (fear of missing out) if I don’t participate? Will I be awake in time, meaning BEFORE 7 A.M.? Will I wake everyone else up fumbling around for my phone? Will I actually “win” my Remy boarding group, call back times, paid programs? And if I don’t, how will that affect my mindset for the rest of my day? Shoot, I forgot to charge my phone. Ugh, the alarm will wake my toddler. Which attractions will I choose for the Lightning Lane anyway? Will my kids now start fighting because they can’t agree on the two I’m allotted? So now I have to just fall asleep I guess thinking these random thoughts wondering why I can’t just do this at 10 p.m. or whenever I really want?!!! Stressful indeed.

When I go to Disney, I like my planning to be done. I love the pre-planning process. Then when I step foot off the Magical Express bus…(oops….) I mean my car service (because the free bus is gone soon, too), I am worry-free, planning done, and now I can just enjoy my time with my family. No more planning. But instead, I will be up at 7 a.m. (did I mention the time yet in this article?!) and PLANNING. And if I don’t, and I am a planner? That won’t work.

For all the moms just trying to get their kids up and out, adding this to the morning resort chaos and refillable mug treks for Dad back and forth, good luck to you, you will need a morning break by 9 a.m., and good luck to your teens. That will be fun, especially if you need their help with the technology! Waking up a teen, yay!

Oh Genie from the wishing lamp, how I wish…

1.) you would let me sleep.

2.) you would let me be.

3.) understand I am a human on a vacation.