In October of 2021, Disney introduced Disney Genie and Genie+, a new way of navigating the Disney Parks. The Genie+ service is $15 a day and allows you to reserve a spot in the Lightning Lane of specific attractions. Disney Genie is the free version that can assist with your day by recommending rides, restaurants, and more!
Disney Genie+ can be a big help if you use it right!
With any change that comes to the Disney parks, there are gonna be people who love it, and people who hate it (as well as a couple people who don’t really have a strong opinion on it, but for the most part, Disney fans are pretty passionate. We saw what happened with the Figment buckets.) If you have thoughts on Genie+ that you need the Disney execs to hear RIGHT NOW, then you’re in luck!
This Disney Genie survey popped up for us recently in the My Disney Experience app, after clicking into the service earlier that day. Genie has garnered some mixed reactions, but it looks like Disney wants to check in and see what guests are thinking. The questions are about the recommended itinerary plan that Genie customizes for you, and how well it works.
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Disney wanted to make sure that the attractions that you selected as your top picks are actually showing up in the itinerary that they recommend for you.
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Disney Genie can seem scary, but once you get into it, it’s not too bad. We’ve created guides upon guides on how to use the platform so you can optimize your time in the Disney parks! We have a printable that you can use, a 500 word summary, and videos explaining what we’ve learned!
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Disney also recently put out another survey that asked about character experiences, crowds, and health and safety measures in the parks. We’re always staying up to date on all things Disney, so stay tuned to DFB for more!
A FULL Guide to Using the FREE Version of Disney Genie!
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As a long time visitor to WDW, I did not find the Genie+ app to be helpful. Following the recommendations on the app would have had us crisscrossing the park multiple times throughout the day. Something that, if you are an experienced park goer, you know can make for very sore feet and muscles regardless of how comfortable your shoes are. We also discovered that unless you are staying on property, it is extremely difficult to score a time for your favorite rides as you have to be in the park to make selections for both Genie+ and Lightning Lane if you are not staying on property. Which means you can’t make selections until the park opens. Our son came to join us at the park and couldn’t use the option as he continuously received the message that no times were available. However, being Disney veterans, we followed our tried and true methods for catching rides and managed to ride everyone’s old favorites and the new rides, albeit with a wait of 60+ minutes for Remi but the ride went down so often that day that even those with Lightning Lane passes ended up waiting that long for the ride too.
Having visited the parks in 2020 before the closure, in 2021 after reopening in the middle of COVID, and now in 2022 for the 50th anniversary, I feel like Disney is making up for lost dollars from the closure as the crowds were unbelievable. I find it hard to believe that they are limiting capacity at all.
Went to 3 parks, Tues thru Thur, Jan 4-6. Bought a Lightning Lane morning of the first day. That went smoothly except that I had to type in all my credit card data including address in spite of my card being shown on the site. For third day, at 7AM sharp, I tried to buy Genie + for Hollywood. That too showed my Disney credit card in the site but made me enter the entire card data yet again. Then I accidentally hit Alien Swirl. That took me about 10-15 minutes to figure out how to cancel. Net result: Slinky and Minnie and Mickey gone, Millennium only available at 6PM conflicting with our dinner reservation. For $30 we got to ride Toy Story, Star Tours, and Indiana Jones – a total waste of $30! Went then to buy lightning Lane Rise. Yet again had to redo all credit card data just to learn it was gone for the day. Give us back Fast Pass!!!!
The Genie app itself is fine and helpful. The issue people have is with Genie+ (pay to play). Not only to you now have to pay for head of the line privileges (where as FastPass was free), rides are often limited and/or booked as well as a lot of down time in-between ride reservations. Not to mention additional fees for the so-called premium rides.
Genie is Not Conducive to our way of having a thought out, planed day in the Park’s. We Long for the Fast Pass to Return, and don’t think we will return under the Current System. Fast Pass was Sooo much Better in putting together a plan of Rides & Dining for an Enjoyable Park Day. This Same Day Of Genie stuff is Terrible !
You hit the nail on the head with your final comments. It is definitely an income generator for Disney. They are in an income recovery phase because of lower guest attendance. Fewer people thru the door is off set by higher ticket prices. Higher ticket prices along with paying for former Fast Past benefits with Genie and Lightning is the answer. They have raised the door price as much as they can with the current level of guest discomfort, now the extra add on access options raise the price of the ticket price without rising the ticket price. Smoke and mirrors Disney style.
Since parks re opened in 2020:
1. Don’t like having to make a park reservation. It does not appear this is limiting crowds at all so why does one need to make this extra step.
2. Do not like Genie or Genie Plus. Not helpful. Fast pass was free. Genie Plus is elitist.
3. Going to the parks is getting way to complicated and not fun any more. Too much being on the cell phone.
Wake up Disney, you are destroying the experience for your loyal fans. Bring back Fast Pass! Charge a minimal fee for it for everyone if your greedy bean counters feel you must. Let us make dining and Fast Pass reservations 30-60 days in advance of our trip like we used to so we don’t spend half our vacation on our cell phones. Please bring back some of the magic! You are breaking our hearts with so many of the changes that have been made! They are just NOT working.