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Here’s how the upcoming Disney Genie and Genie+ features will work for planning your visit at Walt Disney World and Disneyland!
Last week, Disney officially announced details about its upcoming Genie product. This new feature allows guests to plan their visit while at the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort. Though Disney broke down the overall features of Genie, many future guests are still wondering how it works.
First, the Disney Genie feature is free through the Disney World and Disneyland apps. Guest can start using Genie to plan their time in the park based on Genie’s suggestions. Essentially, it’s a same-day digital planner that uses technology to help you wait less time in lines. You plug in the attractions you wish to experience that day, and Genie tells you which order to do them for the shortest waits. It’ll also give you forecasts for when the ride wait times will be the lowest.
Second, the introduction of Disney Genie also means that there is no more FastPass. Instead, FastPass lines will change into Lightning Lanes. Guests can only use the Lightning Lane is they pay for it. For example, you may pay anywhere from $5-$20 per person at each attraction to skip the standby line. Guests are allowed to purchase two Lightning Lane experiences per day.
However, there’s also an all-day Lightning Lane option. For guests who purchase Disney Genie+, they’ll have access to book a spot in the Lightning Lane for several attractions. Genie+ works very similarly to MaxPass which was first launched at Disneyland in 2017. Guests can book one Lightning Lane reservation at a time (once you’ve used a Lightning Lane, you’re able to book another). Disney Genie+ is $15 at Walt Disney World and $20 at Disneyland per person, per day. The price works for all parks in a single day and Disneyland’s comes with unlimited PhotoPass downloads.
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Finally, it’s important to note that not all attractions will be included in the Disney Genie+ paid option. Its rumored that popular rides like Slinky Dog Dash and Radiator Springs Racers will only have Lightning Lane for those who pay for it. In other words, you might have to pay $15 per person, per ride to skip the line for these rides that Genie+ doesn’t cover. In addition, guests will be able to pay for Lightning Lane at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. So if you miss the virtual queue, there’s at least a second chance option!
So why did Disney create the Genie? Disney states that after listening to guest feedback, they developed a tool that would allow every to experience the parks the way they’d like. Since Genie tells you when the shortest lines will be, guests have a free option of waiting less for attractions. Genie also gives dining, character greet recommendations, and more. In addition, since Genie helps you plan on the same day of your visit, it takes away months of pre-planning your FastPass+ selections.
Nonetheless, guests have had some negative feelings about Genie+. Before, the FastPass lanes were free. Now, guests have to pay to use Lightning Lanes without a free option. In the end, those who can afford for their family to skip the lines—and Disney—are the ones who benefit the most from this. For that reason, we have some reservations about this new feature. With that said, if Genie ends up saving us more time than FastPass did, then we’ll be a lot happier in this choice.
Disney Genie launches this fall at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. To get updates when Disney Genie official launches, sign up for our free e-mail newsletter! You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
