Disney World’s Genie feature is officially live in the parks now.
Scanning our card to get in a Lightning Lane
Guests can buy Genie+ for $15 per ticket, per day to skip the line for most Disney World rides. But the two most popular rides in each park have a separate fee to skip the line. These rides use Individual Attraction Selection (or Pay-Per-Ride), and the fees range in price from $7 to $15 right now. So how long would the wait have to be for you to pay to skip the line? We asked our readers, and here’s what you said.
If you buy Genie+, you can make reservations to skip the line on most Disney World rides throughout the day, and they’re all included in the $15 per ticket, per day that you pay at the beginning of the day. But you can only skip the line on those Pay-Per-Ride attractions by paying an additional fee.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Lightning Lane
Of course, you can always wait in standby for any Disney World ride, unless it’s using a virtual queue. Right now, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is the only Disney World ride with a virtual queue. The boarding pass for the virtual queue is also free, but spots are limited, and it can be a little tricky to use.
Click Here to Learn How to Use the Virtual Queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
We asked our readers on Instagram how long the wait time would have to be for them to pay the extra fee on those popular rides, and we got a LOT of responses.
Instagram Poll
Probably the most popular response was 60 minutes or more. A lot of people said one hour was about their limit: “I can do an hour, but after that I will consider buying one.”
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Another reader said any ride that had a wait time “consistently over 60 minutes,” so they’d keep an eye on the times throughout the day and shell out the cash if it didn’t drop.
Space Mountain
Some people were willing to wait in standby a little longer before paying to skip the line. One person said “Over 2 hours, and it would have to be for a ride I couldn’t miss (like Rise of the Resistance or Flight of Passage).”
Rise of the Resistance
Several other people agree that it “depends on the ride.” One reader “would only buy for Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage, or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.” These rides were listed several times as ones that people would be more willing to pay for.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in particular was popular, since the only other way to get on is through the virtual queue. One reader said they’d pay “for the one with a boarding group that I don’t want to stress about.” It can be tough or stressful to get the boarding group (your spot in the virtual queue), so the Pay-Per-Ride might be a good back-up option for some families.
So pretty!
A lot of people said that it depends on the situation. One reader said “With two young kids? 40+ minutes.” And we saw that sentiment in other responses, like this one from another reader: “We have a toddler, so anything over 30 mins and I’m buying.”
Lightning Lane sign at Frozen Ever After
It might also depend on how many people are in your group. Pay-Per-Ride can get expensive fast when you’re buying passes for a lot of people. One reader said, “Anything over an hour probably, but I only have two people to pay for.”
Expedition Everest
For some readers, they thought the price was worth it for some rides no matter what. One reader said, “Making sure I get on the ride? Worth it.”
Rise of the Resistance
Others were adamant that no matter the wait time, they would not buy Pay-Per-Ride reservations. We had responses like “I wouldn’t ever,” “No limit; will never pay for lightning lanes,” and “Never going to pay for this.”
Standby Line Sign
In a poll on YouTube, we found that the responses to this same question — how long the wait has to be for you to pay to skip the line — were very even! “Over 60 Minutes,” “Over 120 Minutes,” and “Standby for me no matter what” all had the exact same percentage at 27% of respondents. “Over 90 minutes” had a little fewer, at 19%.
YouTube Poll Results
In general, we found that our readers are very split on this question. A lot of the responses showed that it depends on the situation. If people are traveling in a small group or with young kids, they might be more likely to buy Pay-Per-Ride reservations, even if the ride’s wait time isn’t super high. Other people will wait for much higher times before paying the extra fee to skip the line, or they will choose standby no matter what.
So where do you stand on this question? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! And keep following DFB for more updates and news as we try out Genie, Genie+, and Pay-Per-Ride in Disney World.
Click Here to See Our 6 Biggest Takeaways from the First Day of Disney Genie
All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection
BIG Genie+ Changes Being Planned For Disney World
FULL List of Rides Included With Genie+ in Disney World
3 Tips to OUTSMART Genie+ in Disney World Right Now
Please Stop Skipping These Genie+ Hacks in Disney World (They Really Work!)
Genie+ Tips for the Most Crowded Days in Disney World and Disneyland
Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie
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How long would the wait time have to be for YOU to pay to skip the line? Let us know in the comments.
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That is what Disney is wondering, more than anything else – what is the threshold. The wait times will slowly but surely increase, “mysteriously”, during peak moments. Hmmm, I wonder why that would happen, hmmmm ?
Lightning lane is not a value for me… I will not pay for it. There are other ways to reduce wait time.
We signed up for the virtual queue for Remy on Tuesday 10/19, signing on at 7 am. Stood in line for the queue for over an hour. Don’t think that is the way it is supposed to work. Also Remy was much better than Resistance or Runaway train!
I wouldn’t pay for any ride! Disney already gets enough of my money as an annual passholder! I’m old school FREE fast pass! Pretty soon no one will be able to afford a trip to Disney World!!
I will NEVER pay extra to ride. As much as I hate to say this, It may be that I never go to Disney again. We don’t need the stress of technology just to visit a Disney Park and to ride attractions. We can use the expense of a Disney trip in much better ways.
I’m really close to joining the DONE WITH DISNEY club
Is WDW cashing in more and more .
They are in danger of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
Just heard that parking charges are going up.
Soon will be uncompetitive.
We are a party of 3, going in December when it will be busy. It will be our first time going, and honestly, probably the only time. So we would definitely pay to ride some rides. Hopefully allowing us more time to just take in everything.
Never, ever,. We just won’t go anymore after a lifetime of going year after year. Currently switching out me January family reunion trip to Universal.
I betcha people will be angry if they pay $15 for Remy. The ride is VERY short and not worth it considering how long they had to build an EXCEPTIONAL ride. I’m an annual passholder. I won’t pay for this service.
I would pay for an add-on to my annual pass. But as it is now, it’s a terrible deal for passholders.
It’s very disheartening that Disney has become so greedy. Soon families will not even be able to consider a trip to Disney.
Just like everyone else they found yet another way to such more money put of their guests. We pay alot of money to get into the park. There should not be all these extra fees. People should not do it so Disney realizes it is a bad idea & stops it.
I think Disney has a nerve charging additional fees to get on rides faster. We are a family of 5 that live in Canada so paying $15/person per day over our 8 day stay would be about $700 US extra for our trip, NO THANKS DISNEY!!!!!! Perhaps lower the cost of the Park Hopper tickets and I would consider it. Our annual Disney trip is now about 10K per year less food and souvenirs, at some point they have to stop bleeding their guests.
Disney is feeling more and more like Six Flags. We have been going to Disney once or twice a year, but we’re thinking of making that once every 4 or 5 years.
Unless the entrance fees are greatly reduced, I will not pay to ride an attraction. I will do what I have always done, decide whether to move on to something else or wait on the line. If pay to ride becomes the norm, I will go to another park. Many I know have already decided not to renew Disney annual pass and get Universal, SeaWorld, or Bush Gardens passes instead.
What is wrong with first come, first served? Just wait in line like everyone else.
Numbers are just that, numbers. The same number of guests will be on the ride whether they wait in line to ride or pay to skip a line (a line that they already paid for once that they are now foolishly paying for again). I see this as just a waste of money. Those that complain the most about the high cost of Disney will be the first to pay for this. So there you go, Disney wins again…
I don’t know if I will ever go back. It is cheaper to fly to Europe for a week or two than go to Disney World. And now they want me to pay per ride? It’s like the Bob twins have turned into Eric Cartman and want the park all to themselves.
Would only pay for individual rides if they reduced the price of the entry tickets. Already getting too expensive to take children and I’m pretty sure the cost of rides has already been built into entry tickets, so they are wanting to charge twice. 2022 will be our last trip to Disney as coming from UK is bad enough with air fares and accommodation and food costs.
This will be our 3rd Family trip to Disney World in May 2022 and likely our last. There are a lot of other places we can get great value for the same money.
I was a fan of Maxpass. Will consider the pay-per-ride in order to ensure we get to ride the headliners at least once but Genie+? Not sure yet – don’t like the one ride limit or the cost. Will be watching how it’s rolls out and morphs.
Seems to me that the new Disney big corporate has lost the vision of Walt Disney for the the average person. They are catering to the wealthy and bleeding the average guy to pay or he won’t be able to ride much if this is a trip they have saved for years to make.
I will probably drop my annual. I can’t just walk into a park and enjoy my self without watching MyDisney Experience all day.
I sadly will pay for ROTR when I go to Disneyland in Nov. I know Genie + will kick in by then and that is the only ride that my family really want to ride. So for 1 time and 1 time only we will pay the extra $15 so we don’t have to wait in standby nor rope drop that ride then after that never again.
Paying Disney to CUT-IN-LINE is unacceptable to my standards and to those already in line waiting.
After decades of WDW trips (twice a year), a DVC memebership, four (4) Disney cruises and many, many annual passes, I now end my vacation time there for something else.
I look forward to Bob Chapek’s final day as CEO.
Done with Disney and it’s jacked up prices. Only thing left is to charge to go to the bathroom.
I’m so conflicted over this whole pay to ride. On the one hand Universal does it at a lot higher cost which I’ve never paid but have considered it. On there other hand, Disney was dong Fastpass for years w/o an upcharge, so why now?
While $15 a day doesn’t seem that bad, after a week for just 2 people it adds up quickly. I don’t think I will pay for the Fancy Rides TM, I’ve been on all of them and don’t think any of them (including ROR) are worth the upcharge. If the free version of Genie works the way it should you may not need to pay for Genie+.
My husband and I will be going to WDW this spring so I will be watching to see if Genie+ will be worth the extra cost.
I will pay extra for some, especially since this will be my first time at WDW, but others I will wait for or just pass on. Since I’m a huge Star Wars fan. ROTR is a must, but Remy’s is a whatever.
I feel like Disney is already expensive enough so we shouldn’t have to pay to get on a ride faster. Disney is taking away all the perks for staying on property so it’s already getting a lot more expensive. The new CEO is all about the money not the Disney fans!!!
The old fast pass worked great. The price you pay to get in the park is to expensive. We have been passholders for years,disney credit card holders, and DVC members,but we will not be coming to parks as long as prices for everything you do goes up. We can’t afford to bring our family of 16.
Used genie plus and lightening lane as soon as it was available. As Disney dollars go the price is reasonable. We had our adult children and 4 grandchildren, 8 of us in total and the price was well worth the smiles on those little faces.
What happens when so many people pay for Lightning Lane that the wait time for Stand-by is less than LL?
I find it funny that Disney is all about pc. But, sets up a rich/poor line system. Im a lifelong Disney fan but its costing too much to go with any frequency.
I think adult pass holders are less likely to buy Genie+ since we know better than to go when it’s busy. Of course this only applies to no little children visiting. The pay per ride is different and, depending on the situation, might be a go.
Disney World is getting so expensive and complicated, I am not sure if I will shell out mega-bucks to be stressed out over what should be a fun and enjoyable trip, sorry but for me it seems Disney is trying to milk every last dollar from their customers. I was told by a cast member a few years ago that Disney wanted to market to only the top 10% of income, seems the longer it goes the more it seems true.
What is going on with Disney management? I’m sure Walt would not be happy the way things are being done. They are doing too many things at once which causes a drain on cash flow. Proper management means not expecting families to pay more for financing their aggression!
I won’t pay. My husband and I are on a limited income due to his disability. We have a toddler and to pay $45 for the Genie+ or have to pay for the rides and have the prices fluctuate by day to day basis, is absurd.
Never. As many people have thought or said, it is not worth additional $$$ on top of the prices you’re already paying. This will be our last trip to Disney World for a long, long time. Happy our little family experienced the park prior to 2020.
Does anybody else feel that WDW is getting ridiculous? It already cost $100 plus per day per park, and now to have to pay extra for the opportunity to actually experience a ride (rather than stand in line for hours), a ride already paid for in your daily pass price. WDW has absolutely no incentive to streamline the system because it is now profiting quite nicely by in effect , up charging on popular rides. The average family is now unable to afford the “luxury” of WDW. Seriously rethinking a future WDW visit …
Walt must be turning over in his grave trying to get out! His idea of Disney was an AFFORDABLE place for families to be together. It is no longer that! It is no longer affordable for two people let alone a family! I would NEVER pay more to get in a quick line. I am handicapped and used to get in a special line that was supposed to be quicker but NOT by much time. It was easier to get on the rides though. We are no longer able to afford a trip to Disney!
I’m not happy with these changes. We were annual passholders before the pandemic. We’re not renewing those anymore and a multi-visit a year has ended. It doesn’t feel like the WDW I’ve been visiting since working there during my college years at UCF. It feels more like let’s squeeze as much money out of these fans as possible. We were fans as we even ponied up the money to get married on disney property!
Until the proverbial “Haides freezes over and the devil wears ice skates.
I think it would also depend on how much time you have to spend in a park. For us as Florida residents we have the opportunity to visit the parks often so not riding a particular ride during a visit is not too much of a let down. because I know we will be back again. If I had traveled to the parks from another state or another country and if I knew we would not be coming back anytime soon or ever it would be worth it to pay extra to ride all the rides.
I will never pay extra to go on a ride. I also will not stand in line for a long time. I am an Annual Passholder. If I do not get on this time, maybe next time. To pay per rider or even just Genie + in addition to the Annual Pass is expensive especially if you have four in your group.
I was in Disney from the 15th – 20th of this month. We were in MK for the 19th and 20th and paid for Genie+ and lightning lanes to bypass the lines. That being said, this will be my last trip as the magic is gone. I hadn’t been since 09 and it is not the same. 🙁
I started out with the no way am I paying for rides. But then I wondered if I would enjoy Disney at all? I hate waiting in lines, or not in lines – killing time. I am at the point in my life I don’t need anymore souvenirs no matter how cute and I don’t enjoy shopping so can’t waste time that way . I used to book my 3 free fastpasses close together with a table service meal in between #2 and #3 so I could be on the tail end of #1 window, hit # 2 next as early as possible, go to my meal, and then #3. I’d hang out awhile, maybe standby for something short, ride people mover and carousel of progress or hall of presidents and then head back to room (DVC) for other fun, then back out (maybe) for dinner and low wait rides.
So then I thought ok. How do I “pay” (as in budget) for paying for rides? I have to cut down eating and drinking. Given no return of Tables In Wonderland, I’m already out of budget. So I will bring my own happy hour items, and luckily (?) we will have a kitchen in DVC villas so I will cook more – especially breakfast. And now probably dinner so we can get lunch in at the park to fill some of that in between time. But it’s a change and not as much of a vacation anymore. And we will have to drive more (from Virginia so it’s a haul around 12 or so hours). If it wasn’t for DVC and my Disney obsessed husband and daughter, I’d be in the Done with Disney camp.
Bottom line: If I feel I have to pay for rides, I will be spending less in other ways at Disney. Already looking at my Disney Visa spending to see if I can get the same or better deal on other credit cards and switching my spending over to those other cards. Up til now, almost everything we used a credit card for went on the Disney card. No more of that.
It does make me sad, I am glad our kids are older now – it would have changed everything if this had occurred when they were younger and we probably would not have bought so many DVC points. I’m now looking at other cruise lines, even with platinum status. Disney wants me to spend more? I will try my best to spend less.
BOOOOO to Chapek and all the execs who went along with this ridiculous money grab and I knew when imagineer Rohde left that it was a bad sign of things to come. Then they ruined Mizners with Enchanted Rose…. But that’s another story….
I hope I can someday recapture that magic of the Iger years.
Hope everyone finds their way to enjoy and afford Disney! Hang on to Walt’s dream!
I will never pay. It is just plain wrong to have to buy a “ticket” on top of an already very expensive ticket. I find it saddening to have to pay more and more for less and less. So much of the magic is just not there anymore. My family ( as many others ) cannot afford an additional $150 per day minimum for Genie+ and individual rides.
With 5 people in our family, I don’t feel like paying the extra is a wise use of our money. If it comes to it..we will skip the ride completely and not lose sleep over it.
I agree. The ticket in is already expensive and now it just feels like price gouging. Not magical, not kind and plain unfair. It’s double dipping
Never never. Never ! I pay too much now just to walk through the gates !! Greedy people are running Disney and putting millions of dollars in their bank accounts !! DON’T do it Disney fans because then it will be something else they want us to pay for. Is the bus service from the resorts to the parks next ??!!! No way !!!!
Our family feels that it is pricey enough and we will not pay anything additional. Very sad that the magic is draining away as profit takes the front seat. Even our early teen daughters say they are ok finding a new vacation spot, we’ve been going every year since 2014 and they became Disney fans. Rethink this decision Disney, also hate being one phones during a trip….magic bands and Fastpass please.
Call me mad but 20 minutes max for me. Quite frankly I have better things to do with my life than wait any longer. Covid taught me that. Life is too short. I will pay. But I won’t pay over the odds.
Annual Passholders don’t need to pay. We’ve been here and still are since last Thursday. Been on every ride we wanted. Not a bad wait for any of them. We tried out the Genie and it was absolutely useless. The information it gives you is not even close. It’s a complete waste of time. We planned our day on our own and did what we wanted. We’ve had a great time! Yes, pricing is a joke but we were prepared for that. So my suggestion to all, it’s typical Disney hype with Genie. You really don’t even need to mess with it. Side note, we’ve been hearing a lot of disappointed comments from people regarding the uselessness of Genie. A LOT. But one of those things I think people will realize they really don’t need once the hype begins to fade.