FastPass+ will not be returning to Disney World. In its place is the new, paid Disney Genie+ system and the related Individual Attraction Selection (or pay-per-ride) system.
Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane
When Genie+ was first announced, there were a lot of…feelings about it. When we reached out to our fantastic DFB readers back in August of 2021, over HALF of them said that they would NOT pay for the Genie+ service. Genie+ has now been available in Disney World for a number of weeks (since about mid-October 2021), and we’ve worked on testing it in all kinds of different ways. So, now that Genie+ has been out for a while, we wondered…have feelings about the system changed?
We reached out to our fantastic followers on Facebook recently with this very question. Before we get to their responses, let’s do a quick Genie+ recap. We worked on a post a while ago that explained Disney Genie in 500 words or less. You can read that full post here, but we’re dropping in some of the key things below.
First, we have Disney Genie. Disney Genie is a FREE planning service built into the My Disney Experience App. You will tell Disney Genie what you want to ride, what types of things you like, etc., and Disney Genie will create a personalized, flexible itinerary for you.
Hello, Genie!
With Genie, you’ll be able to see forecasted wait times, mobile order your food, see walk-up waitlist availability, make restaurant reservations, adjust your plans, and more. Plans will continuously update to help you get the most out of your day.
Click here to read about our experience using the FREE Genie planning service.
Next, there’s Disney Genie+. Disney Genie+ is a PAID FastPass-like service. It costs $15 per day, per ticket at Disney World. If you pay for this service, you’ll be able to see when the next available time is to use various rides’ Lightning Lanes (i.e. FastPass+ lanes). You will select the next available time to use the Lightning Lane for whatever ride you want, and when your time arrives, you can visit the ride and use the Lightning Lane (skipping the standby line).
©Disney
Once you’re done with that ride, you can make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection — 1 ride at a time, throughout the day (though there are some special timing rules you should know about). Over 40 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disney World. But, NOT all attractions will be available through Genie+.
You cannot make a Genie+ Lightning Lane selection until the DAY OF your trip. At Disney World, guests can make their first Lightning Lane attraction at 7AM on the day of their visit.
Click here to see more about how to book and pay for Genie+!
Lastly, there’s Individual Attraction Selection or pay-per-ride. Select, highly popular attractions (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT, and other select rides) will NOT be listed on Genie+. Even if you pay for Genie+, you will NOT be able to select a time for/use the Lightning Lane at those attractions.
Space Mountain Lightning Lane
Instead, if you want to use the Lightning Lane for those attractions, you’ll have to pay for the attractions INDIVIDUALLY. You can only purchase a maximum of 2 of these pay-per-ride selections per day.
Click here to see what thousands of fans had to say in terms of what pay-per-ride attractions are worth the cost!
As we mentioned, Genie+ has been “live” for a little while now, meaning guests have had the chance to test it out and see whether it is or is not something they’re a fan of. During their 4th quarter earnings call in 2021, Disney actually noted that nearly a third of Disney World guests are buying Genie+ for their vacation.
So, we reached out to our followers on Facebook and asked “Now that you’ve seen Genie in action, have your feelings changed towards the service at all?” We got hundreds of responses and got to hear things from both sides. Here’s what they had to say.
Yes, But Not for the Better
Some followers have changed their opinions, but it wasn’t for the better. One individual said, “I had high hopes for it, but used it last month on a friend trip. We didn’t feel it was worth it, but also felt we didn’t have a choice.” They shared that they spent a lot of time looking for Lightning Lane times in the app and felt like they were able to ride more simply by visiting the rides while the fireworks were going on (a time when many guests tend to be watching the show rather than riding the attractions).
But, they did note that they liked the ability to purchase individual lightning lanes (pay-per-ride selections).
Lightning Lane
Another said that they hated it even more after using it, particularly because they had to pay for it and wake up early to get those first Lightning Lane selections at 7AM.
Others said that they felt like Genie+ has made the stand-by lines longer than before.
Would You Buy Genie+?
Another shared that Genie+ was not worth it for them, and that every time they wanted to get it for a ride, the return time was too late in the day for them. But, they shared that they purchased the pay-per-ride selection for Rise of the Resistance and felt that it was worth it.
Others shared that they weren’t happy about the fact that you can only use it once per ride and that you have to use your phone a LOT. Some complained that it also took away from the magic as they constantly felt like they were looking for their next ride selection and not enjoying the ride they were on. Another called it “beyond stressful.”
Scanning into Our Lightning Lane
Some commented on the cost and how it might be okay for a small group, but not for a larger family. Others didn’t like that it was an additional cost at all.
Others felt like the selections they wanted ran out too quickly, or that by the time the afternoon came around, there weren’t enough selections left.
Can a Genie+ ride sell out? See more details here.
Actually, Genie+ Isn’t So Bad
Others felt like their experience with Genie+ has shown that it isn’t so bad. One reader said they used Genie+ in Magic Kingdom, and while they missed FastPass+, they did feel like Genie+ was worth the money. They noted that they were able to ride 7 attractions with it and saved tons of time.
Lightning Lane
Another shared that they used it during Thanksgiving time and that their family member was able to do everything they wanted and they never really waited for anything, making the service worth it for them.
Another also said they used it during Thanksgiving and “felt so accomplished” because they got to ride many rides using it.
Expedition Everest entrance
One said that they loved it (especially at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios) and even said that one person they were with shared they wouldn’t do Disney again without it!
Several others echoed the same sentiments and shared that they were able to go on a lot of rides with little to no wait thanks to Genie+.
Click here to get our FREE DFB printable to help you make sense of Disney Genie!
No Change
Some said that their opinions wouldn’t change as they felt like Genie+ wouldn’t impact their trips since they travel during slower times.
One put it very simply for their view: “Nope. Still hate it.” 😂 Well, there’s definitely some honesty there!
It’s Complicated
Some noted pros and cons about the service. One commenter felt like the service (combined with their Disability Access Service) made their days at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios seamless, but felt like it wasn’t worth it for Animal Kingdom.
Another felt like it wasn’t needed for Animal Kingdom or EPCOT.
Tower of Terror Lightning Lane
One said that they felt like it was useful in Hollywood Studios, but that they felt like it wasn’t good for park hopping as they felt like it didn’t let them do too much in the parks before hopping.
Another shared that their experience with Genie+ was “a bust” but that they’d be giving it another try!
Lightning Lane Entrance
Others shared that they liked Genie+ but were not fans of how it functioned on the My Disney Experience app. Others mentioned the app experiencing issues as well, so that’s something to keep in mind and just be prepared for.
Some had mixed feelings and had great experiences with Genie+ one day and terrible experiences the next. One also shared that it might not be needed for regular park goers, but could be helpful if you’re visiting Disney World for the first time.
Soarin’ Lightning Lane
Some suggested improvements, like allowing guests to book select times in advance to help with planning, rather than having to just book 1 at a time on the morning of their visit.
Click here to see our thoughts on whether you should park hop with Genie+ in Disney World!
What About Free Genie?
Some also commented about the Free Genie planning service. One said that they felt like it was of no use to them and felt like it made recommendations that were not that intuitive.
Another said that while they felt the free Genie planning service wasn’t good, they did feel like Genie+ was a must-do for Magic Kingdom.
©Disney
This is just an overview of the MANY comments we got about Disney Genie. A huge thank you to our readers for sharing their thoughts with us. It seems for some, Genie+ has worked out well, while others have had less-than-positive experiences with it.
Read MORE about Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection here.
What are your thoughts? Now that you’ve used Genie or seen others using it, has your view changed? Tell us in the comments below!
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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Have you used Genie+? Has your opinion of it changed? Tell us in the comments!
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If I go to Disney World in the new future I will not be using the genie app because I don’t need it telling me where I should go because I can do my own planning. I feel that genie plus and lightning lanes are going to disappear in the future because people are going to get upset about having to pay for something that used to be free such as fast passes. I feel that free fastpasses will return to Disney World within the next two years as well as extra hours at night for all hotel guests of Disney. Universal is going to overtake Disney if Disney does not start bringing back all the things that made fans want to come there in the first place.
I loved genie plus and lightening lane. Once I figured out how to really utilize the app and the services, it worked so well. I will pay to play.
Go back to the Fastpass system. No fees, easy to use and worked great.
When I come to Disney, I want to disconnect and enjoy. Tying me to my phone all day is the same at being at work, I need a mental break. Forcing mobile ordering is really not appreciated and the Genie just makes it worse.
As an APH, I know my way around well enough I don’t need it. Perhaps if some family is planning a trip it could be kind of helpful but its a rollback from the Fast Pass system. The only logical reason to roll back (meaning it isn’t as friendly, flexible, or robust) was to monetize it. Beyond that, there is no advantage to the new system.
As for the guests willing to pay to ride hard to get on attractions, I get it. But is feeding the beast if we all keep giving them money, they will ask for more. At some point we just have put on our big boy pants and be willing to wait in line and let Disney offer us something better, and for free!
GENIE PLUS is the WORST thing that Disney has ever done. Seriously thinking of not renewing our annual passes because of it.
what i didn’t like about is that if you weren’t staying at disney resort you couldn’t pick your LLs until the parking opening! my last trip i wasnt staying on property and I was taking my parents to Hollywood Studios for the first time. I felt so bad that we had to get up at 7 AM to be at the park at 9 to get passes for Rise Of Resistance. We ended up just standing in the stand by lane for about 2 hours. I would have loved to have had been able to have LL+ for it. I did enjoy it for the rest of the trip.
Just returned from WDW. Disney Genie was a BIG disappointment. I hated being tethered to my phone well the time to check it. There were times I paid for +, or a ride that I never got to use (because of scheduling limitations and other reservations made-like fir dinner). Spending extra money is annoying. Being forced to use the paid system to get on rides was down right exasperating.
I’m someone who designs user interfaces for a living, and whoever designed the phone version of the My Disney App, particularly the Genie portions, should be shown the door immediately. While I had NO trouble at all finding what I wanted to do in the desktop version of My Disney, it took me over an hour trying to figure out where to go to buy Genie + and Individual Rides. Since I was doing this at 6:45 in the morning, that meant that by the time I figured out how to do it all the individual rides I wanted and the times before late afternoon on the Genie + rides were gone. So, the money I spent my first day on Genie + was essentially wasted.
I know, I should have read the DFB step-by-step instructions, but I thought I’d be able to figure it out without any trouble.
After the first day, I discovered that I was ending up using Genie + for about one ride a day, so I stopped buying it.
I’ve found Genie (the free app) beyond useless. It doesn’t seem to pay any attention to my preferences (despite the time and effort involved entering them). Touring Plans is a much better (and more effective app) despite the small, one-time charge for using it, and I found myself ignoring Genie after the first day in favor of Touring Plans.
I’d be THRILLED if Disney would just go back to the old paper ticket method for Fast Passes. It was simple and completely intuitive. I know that’s not going to happen.
I can’t imagine dishing out money for Genie + again (or using Genie again). My feelings on the individual rides, however are mixed. I paid semi-willingly for Rise of the Resistance, Remy, Runaway Railway, and Expedition Everest (since it was my only way of avoiding lines for Rise that (on the Friday after Thanksgiving were over 4 hours long at times). I still resent the fact that I’m being squeezed like this, especially given how much Disney is charging me in every other way, but I’ll probably still continue to pay it.
Am I happy about this new system? Definitely the polar opposite!
Oh yes, and like many other commenters, I found being tied constantly to my phone a real joy-killer. Not how I wanted to spend my time in a theme park.
My problem with Genie+ is the times! The pay for attraction worked very well – you selected a time, then you got to verify that time (and even adjust it as necessary) before it was locked in.
For regular lightning lane rides – there was no verify or adjustments. And they did not necessarily provide you the same time you booked. I booked 2:00 PM and the system said “congrats you have a lightning access from 2:15 – 3:15” (Okau, I guess i can live with that. but For Peter Pan’s flight, we were eating breakfast in the Castle (ie., nearly right next to the ride. It was 9:00 AM we were wrapping up breakfast so I booked Peter Pan Lightning lane at 9:20 AM (nice leisurely stroll to the ride). System said “Congrats you have LL for Peter Pan at 10:55 AM” !!?????? Destroyed the whole planning aspect and really threw us a wrench into other plans that day. We all lived, had a great time, but the Genie+ was annoying!!! And there’s no way to drop the LL (without going to the 1-hr wait at customer service!) UGH! ADD THE VERIFICATION TO LL!!!!!!
We visited Magic Kingdom last week with our two toddlers (2 and 3). I purchased Genie+ and we will never go to MK again without it! It gave us the ability to enjoy more rides than ever before with our kids! There was plenty availability for lightning lanes and it directed us to rides/character experiences with low standby lines in between our lightning lane slots. It was a busy day at the park and we really felt like we got the most out of our day because of Genie+! My husband and I agreed that it was our best day at Disney EVER!
I just returned yesterday from a Universal vacation with one Disney day. The friend who went with me had never been to Disney and wanted to do MK and Epcot. I warned her that less than a full day for each of those parks was way too ambitious, but I’d do my best to try to make it work.
Bought Genie+ for the two of us to try to do as much of MK as possible before hopping to Epcot. It was very largely worthless. I couldn’t book anything in Epcot because that would lock us out of booking anything at MK. Most of the MK selections were later in the afternoon after we would already be in Epcot. Making me pay $15 per person then not being able to book more than one ride at a time and then only in the evening? Never again!
But with that said, what really got me fired up was trying to buy a spot for Remy. Because Epcot didn’t open til 11, I couldn’t book it til 11. 11 is not normally a Disney time that sticks out in my mind, so I’d forgotten by the time it rolled around. Remembered at 11:04. All passes sold out for the day!
Universal already gets all of my hotel business, since I can stay at a very nice resort with free express passes for less than a value Disney hotel. Portofino is my goto, and their bathrooms are bigger than some Disney rooms I’ve stayed in. After this trip, I’m about to cut Disney out of my life entirely until there’s a complete regime change. My AP is up next week and I really don’t see a reason to renew it.
Rant: During Thanksgiving, the Genie+ was very glitchy and did not work properly most of the trip. The MyDisneyExperience app closed out several times during my 0700 window and would not accept facial recognition to login. After 16 minutes and 14 emails with passcodes, I was finally able to buy the Genie+ and secure 1st lightening Lane at 1130 (earliest Jingle Cruise as no better rides available before noon by that time). Once in the park, multiple errors with the “Tip Board” and unable to view ride times (or any thing). This was only at Magic Kingdom as I could see the other parks on the tip board. The wifi was saturated several times during the day and I have T-Mobile (the worst) so the getting into the app was a nightmare.
It was so bad one of the days, I waited in a long guest experience and requested a refund. It was already after 3pm and I had success with 1 Genie+ Lightening Lane. Part of this was due to being evacuated from haunted mansion and wasted time stuck on the ride (this was my second lightening Lane and didn’t get to ride).
Two other days of Genie+ were still terrible, but I accepted it knowing what I was getting into (glitchy app/interment wifi or cell avail) as I needed to buy it to have any success in getting at least a couple of rides without much wait.
For the paid rides, I bought the Remey ride and it was broke until after my window expired. The cast member was great and we isn’t have a problem.
I hope the Genie+ gets better because I will likely still buy it next Fall, but with knowing it may be a frustrating experience.
FYI – I will never again pay for Genie. As a previous person commented, I felt like going to the park became a job. Only a boss would require an employee to be up and online at 7am when work starts at 9am. Only a boss would tell you that even though you are paying for a benefit, I, the Boss will tell you when you may use it. If it were free like FastPass I have no problem with any restrictions you want to put on it, but as soon as you charge for it, then I decide if it’s worth the money for the service.
By the way, we ordered on-line for pickup at the Pineapple Express. The app texted us within a minute to come NOW. We ran there from Thunder Mountain and then had to wait 28 minutes on the pick-up line.
I will not support Genie because then we are just asking for more changes that benefit Disney and not the guest. Fortunately I’m an APH even though I’m from NY and a DVC member, so I will leverage those advantages to go where I want without Genie. I can’t imagine how a family with 4 kids, driving from the mid-west can cope with all these guest-unfriendly changes.
I bought Genie + to spend 1 day. I feel that it was not worth having to check on the phone all the time instead of enjoying the park. Ride wait times in standby lines were not bad.
Personally will NEVER pay $10-15 just to ride on the most popular rides
However, the photo filters are really fun
Complete waste of money. The free Genie is fine but we paid for 1 day of Genie+ and hated it. We had better luck with stand-by lines. We are DVC and AP and have decided we won’t be renewing our APs after this particular change, simply not worth the money any longer.
It makes me upset that this even exists. Hate it, never used it, will never use it & if we all band together and don’t buy it, it will go away.
Those of us not technically savvy suffer from this horrible new addition. I hate using my phone and never bring it out when at Disney. Why would Disney put something out there for us to buy that takes away the magic instead of enhancing it. Shame on that new CEO for doing this to us.
After traveling to Disney World 4 times in the last 12 years I’m finding it hard to justify going back one last time. They are taking away the free ride to the grounds from the airport. They take away the opportunity to get a fast pass for 3 rides in a park per day and make you get up early to pay for the privilege to ride one and then hope you can get another that you’d want. They have shortened the hours in the park so there is less time to do things you would like to do and see. Add to that the pandemic and all that goes with it. It’s just not worth the trip.
The comments already given have hit on the points I feel are reasons to strongly dislike this new system. Too much time tied to your phone on an app that doesn’t always work properly. What is wrong with Disney’s IT department? Not user friendly. Not efficient. Then there’s the unfair practice of giving hours of time to grab the popular attractions because you can afford or choose to stay at a Disney resort. I pay the same money for my annual pass as they do if they even have one. I visit the park more than once a year so I drop some cash here and feel shut out. If you are lucky enough to score several attractions or shows that you really want to experience, consider yourself blessed by pixie dust. It’s not the norm if you listen to the comments when on line or walking around or are of of the many at a Guest Experience umbrella. Twice in Hollywood I scored ONE attraction I wanted to ride. That was with Genie +!!! Not one I was willing to pay for individually. At least Fast Pass allowed three to start off with. And allowed repeat rides if the times were available. Missing that big time. Virtual cues??? Another nightmare. This isn’t Vegas. We shouldn’t be gambling on whether or not we can enjoy our day with extra fees. A true crap shoot that’s frustrating for those of us who loved Walt’s Disney not this one that feels money driven. As for the comment that Universal will kick butt, just look at the last ten years and what’s happening now. They moved forward while Disney let attractions fall into disrepair and failed to modernize even as their films offered new material. How dare they use the music from Carousel of Progress in their commercials and haven’t touched that last scene in years. At least some of the effects were working again. And it represents the iconic value of moving forward with ingenuity and imagination! It’s what Disney was built on. I suppose I could continue but enough said. With the new CEO we can only hope. She has been around a while. She’s seen the new changes develop. Let’s hope she comes down from the ivory towers and experiences the average person’s day. Will she realize that saving for that magical vacation for a family will take much longer? Will she realize the repeat visitor may have to limit their visits now since they are cost prohibitive and Genie frustrating? How about the Florida residents are reluctant to to attempt those spontaneous visits with all of the preplanning needed to have a ‘ magical” day? Let’s hope for the best that we are all heard…good and bad assessments….and are not judged just by the dollars and cents that are coming . At least for now. Let’s not change magical to disheartened. Mic drop.
Genie is nothing more than a blatant money grab, it ruins the whole experience by forcing your phone to you throughout the day, the fastpass system was sooo much better, I don’t think I can enjoy the Parks as we did in the past with this current nonsense. What a Shame !
Went to MK today and we did 9 rides, 2 meals and watched the fireworks all without paying extra for Genie+ or LL. With the exception of Space Mountain, all standby times were over exaggerated. I overheard many guests complaining about Genie+ to cast members.
Nightmare at Magic Kingdom. Total wasted day in Magic Kingdom as kids Sat on the ground in hours long lines while lightning lane passes went ahead of everyone. Totally unfair , all for Disney to make more money and discriminate against the average family that saved money for years to take their family unknowing that they would not be able to do the things available because of others going around you with a extra paid lightning lane pass. We are telling everyone to skip Magic Kingdom.
Now we realize that P.T. Barnum was right!….every minute…
With these many changes to Disney World, It now seems to be a Vacation destination for the mostly local residents and those of the upper income levels. It seems to me that Disney is pricing out the moderate Family of 4 vacations. I have been a visitor yearly for many years and with these changes I can no longer afford a weeks vacation here.
First they changed ticket pricing per day based on crowd level.
Then they eliminated free parking for hotel guest.
Then eliminated free magic bands for resort guests.
Then the 180 day fastpass selections and dinning reservations.
So now they require you to pay for a 7 day vacation about $140 extra for parking
$80 for magic bands (family of 4) and added Disney Genie and Genie+ $15 per person per day $300
You can no longer plan fast pass access for at least 3 rides in a park well in advance of your visit, nor get dinning reservation 80 days in advance. And add to that they now added a per ride fee for certain rides which were free with fastpass in the past.
So now with these extras and on the same day fastpass (Genie ride selections) I need to have my phone as part of my vacation. What is next a fee to use thier WIFI system in parks?
Once you take away the ease of planning a vacation for a moderate income family of 4 and make the vacation a daily job of getting up at 7am to book rides, then you have no assurance of planning you days in advance and have to do it daily, another chore while on vacation. They also took away the perks of staying at a disney hotel since during August when I was last there they close the parks early for the pay for Holloween bashes. So why would I vacation in August if I can’t stay in the park until the usual time of closing at 9 or 11 when now it closes at 7 and you have to pay to stay the rest of the evening for Holloween Bash in AUGUST. I think Disney will see a large reduction on moderate family vacationeers and with that They removed the 1 or 2 hour early admission for Hotel Guests unless your staying in the most expensive Hotels, and no longer have the Extra hours at night where you could stay after closing for an hour or so. So now not only is your one week vacation now costing you about 10% more with about 20% less benifits. Universal is going to outdo Disney with included on site hotel stays that include 1 hour early entry, fast pass for almost all rides. and free trasnportation to park entrances .
This is the worst system. I’ve been a pass holder for 6 years and have never had such a bad experience as we did last week with this new system. Just because you pay for Genie + doesn’t mean you get to ride what you want. In fact there’s a mad dash at 7am each day to make selections and the first one available to us was at 3 pm!! It goes without saying that by the time we were done with that ride the only options available were 2 rides at round 8pm – neither of which my daughter likes. We couldn’t have stayed later at the park anyway without paying $160 per person for the Christmas after hours party. So disappointed with Disney.
Kudos to all who are being honest about their frustrations. Time for all of us to flood the new chairperson of the board, Susan Arnold. As a 15 year board member she has seen the changes and what lead up to them under Bob Iger’s leadership. Now she should face the reactions of he public and adjust her sails before the Disney ship sinks.
I just returned from Disney World and I do not like the app. It kept throwing information in front of the information I was trying to access that I was not interested in and it took more time to scroll down to the rides where I would normally just select fast pass because it was of my choosing. And then it would throw other information in between your day and it was confusing because it would show information for rides I already selected. Major waste of time and drained my phone.
Génie+ only helped in the Magic Kingdom, but we could have accomplished the same thing by managing our time better, not wasting MORE money thrown into the Disney coffers. I am so disgusted with the new and worse than usual money grubbing policies from Disney that I am not sure when we will go back. So sad.
My comment is about my recent experience with the genie system and the other new costly systems at Disney. I went to Disney World last month in November for a week by myself. I am from out of state and stayed in a resort while there. I have been many many times since the year it opened in 1971. I remember the way it was from the start. I can say that my experience with the attractions was the worst it has been. The employees and cast members were as nice and helpful as ever. The crowds were as big as I have ever seen them and bigger I believe than they were the same time two years ago when I went. The larger the crowd, the less enjoyable. The crowds were so large, it affected my enjoyment negatively. The genie system kept me glued to my phone. I had to get on it at 7am to schedule my first attraction. One day I was only able to ride two genie rides at the Magic Kingdom before I just decided to leave. I was not enjoying having to wait around two hours for my next attraction. I wasted my money on the genie. While using it, I had to stay on my phone constantly at the park. When on vacation the last thing I want to do is be on my phone. And what if someone does not have a smartphone? The fast pass system was so much easier and nicer. It was much easier and more pleasant to schedule things way in advance and be able to plan your day. Everything now costs extra. Many things which used to not cost now cost. People have already mentioned many of those things. Another one not mentioned is the savings which you would have declining room service. You used to save 10 dollars a day. They changed that, and now you no longer save. I did not appreciate the genie system at all and think it was a horrible idea. I did not like the large crowds. The lines were about 45 minutes on most things and more on others.
Totally unintuitive. Takes all the fun out of planning. Doesn’t work properly unless you use Disney wifi. Stuck staring at your phone all day. Hate it hate it hate it.
Just got back from Magic Kingdom Orlando and I wanted to share a bit about this Genie+. We weren’t going to buy it since we felt we weren’t going during a busy day but we thought we’d try it out. I hated it. I felt like I was looking down at my phone the entire day trying to figure out what to do next at what time etc. I feel like I didn’t get to truly enjoy my time at the park because I was so tied to my phone. It did save us some time in lines, but you’re essentially still waiting just not in a line if that makes sense? It gives you a window time to come back to but if you just get off a ride at say 1:20 and then next ride you have booked is at 2 you now have an awkward amount of time to kill before you go to that ride. It made for some wasted time. Maybe I just wasn’t a pro at it but it just seemed like a waste of money. And the stand by lines were not as long as posted. Haunted Mansion said stand by line was 65 mins and we waited 35 on standby without lightning lane. Same with Big Thunder and It’s a Small World all projecting at 45 mins but really it only took 20ish. I’d say skip the Genie+ and just wing it. Unless you’re planning to go during a super busy time/day, save yourself the headache and phone battery power (mine died twice throughout the day bc I was on it so much). It’s a shame Disney wants to make MORE money off us by buying into this program. Only good thing was mobile food ordering- super efficient and awesome!
Thanks so much for your feedback on Genie+, Stephanie! We always appreciate different perspectives and hope your comment helps someone else when deciding whether or not to make that purchase.
You echoed pretty much the way I felt back in November. Everything you said, I agree with. I was glued to a phone, and I still had to wait for rides in the same way you described it. I did NOT like the genie at all. And it was a waste of my money. I thought the fast pass system was much better, where we could schedule and plan our days in advance. The crowds are terrible right now. How many people can be crammed into the Haunted Mansion loading area? Every time I go, I think a new record is broken. Hundreds of people in the loading are waiting to get in the doombuggies. Maybe the solution to the crowd problem is to build a Disney World in Texas.
Old fast pass system that didn’t exclude the top rated rides was far superior to the Genie Plus money-making scheme. I would far rather that ticket prices went up and everyone stayed on a level playing field, than to allow the wealthiest park goers to get all the benefits–from paying their way onto rides to getting extra park hours by staying at deluxe resorts. I would not think the late Walt Disney would have favored this lop-sided approach.
Signed,
Pop Century Patron without an unlimited budget.
We were at Disney the first week of November. We had 4 adults. I felt the Genie + was not worth it. The day we went to Hollywood Studios, we had purchases Rise of Resistance at 7am, with ride at 5:30pm. When we arrived at 7:45am, they let us in the park. A cast member advised us that Rise of Resistance was open and was a walk on. We walked of the ride at 8:30am, the time of rope drop. We had a 3:45pm for Slingy Dog, but we ended up doing stand by for most of the rides. Toy Story Mania was only 20 minutes, and others were 20 to 30 minutes. I feel Disney is finding anyway to nickel and dime the average visitor.
Genie led us astray from the first moment in magic kingdom. I got steered to buzz lightyear and it was a 45 minute wait. So I consulted the old map and pirates on my preferred list was only 20 minutes. Buzz wasn’t even on the list.
My family and I went in November and were disappointed with Genie+ and the app in general. We stayed on property and we’re early risers anyway, so being up at 7AM wasn’t an issue at all. We found that even with opening the app and starting to search for time slots right at 7AM, we often weren’t able to book anything until quite late in the day. We also found that the posted wait times were inaccurate, for example, on one early morning at Animal Kingdom, the posted wait time for Flight of Passage was 45 minutes. We got in that line and waited for two and a half hours. This happened multiple times over the course of our nine day trip — see a reasonable looking posted wait time, get in line, and then wait two to three times longer than the posted wait.
On the other hand, my daughter and I were there a few months before Genie+ rolled out. There were NO fast passes. We found that even on the most crowded days the lines moved much more efficiently and posted wait times were accurate. Honestly, I wish they’d scrap the whole idea of sanctioned line cutting.
Why did they change a near perfect system? I would have happily paid for FastPass+, but the new system is a mess. Now you have to pay to get less! I regret purchasing annual passes. I still love Disney hotels, but won’t be going into the parks once my APs expire.