Disney World never ceases to surprise us!

This week Disney made some unexpected Genie+ changes, some characters returned to their regular spot, and a useful form of technology went down temporarily, among LOTS of other news. Check it out here!

Disney Genie

Genie+ Changes to Pay-Per-Ride

In Disney World, you can skip the lines of popular rides and attractions through either Disney Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes, both of which are paid services. These options replaced the previous FastPass+ system, and you can either pay $15 per person, per day for Genie+, or pay a varied amount separately for Individual Lightning Lanes. However, this is now changing.

As of February 25th, three rides that were previously available for purchase as Individual Lightning Lanes will now be part of the regular Genie+ service. This change will last through August 7th, and the affected rides include Space Mountain, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Frozen Ever After.

Read more about these Genie+ changes here!

Genie+ Ticket Changes

Disney has made a change to Disney Genie guidelines for guests who purchase single-day Disney World tickets. Previously, anyone with a Disney World ticket could purchase Genie+ ahead of their visit, but now guests with one-day tickets will not be able to buy Genie+ until the day of their visit.

Now, only guests with multi-day tickets can purchase Genie+ before visiting. If you have a one-day ticket, you can log into the My Disney Experience app on the day of your trip to purchase Genie+ and start making those Lightning Lane reservations!

Here’s what you need to know about Genie+ and one-day tickets!

Annual Passholder Magnets

Disney announced the release of new Disney World Annual Passholder Magnets this week, which will be available in Disney Springs from March 2nd to March 30th at Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories store. But don’t worry — you won’t need to stand in line for hours because Disney will be using a virtual queue!

The magnet design is inspired by Disney World’s 50th anniversary (check out that EARidescence!), and Annual Passholders will be able to join the virtual queue beginning at 9AM on March 2nd.

Learn more about the upcoming Annual Passholder magnets here!

Citrus Swirl Is Still Missing

The Citrus Swirl saga continues in Disney World! In case you missed it, the Citrus Swirl is a Vanilla Soft Serve and Frozen Orange Juice Slushy you could previously get at Sunshine Tree Terrace in Magic Kingdom. It inexplicably disappeared in July 2021, and this week we may have received some sad news.

We recently went and checked on the Citrus Swirl again and sadly it still has not made its return. According to a Cast Member, there is not an exact timeline for its return. But we are hopeful that it will make its way back to the parks so we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any future updates about this fan-favorite sweet treat.

Read more about the Citrus Swirl mystery in Disney World!

Characters

Anna and Elsa

Anna and Elsa are meeting guests again in EPCOT! Before this change, you could really only meet them outside in the Norway pavilion, and it was at a pretty far distance. Now you can once again go inside Royal Sommerhus for a socially-distanced interaction! You can have a chat with Queen Anna…

…and take a socially distanced selfie with Elsa! Or vice versa, it’s really up to you.

Check the My Disney Experience for wait times, but at least the line usually isn’t nearly as long as the nearby Frozen Ever After ride!

Here are more photos of Anna and Elsa in Sommerhus!

Chip ‘n Dale

Just outside of Big Top Souvenirs in the Storybook Circus area of Magic Kingdom, we were surprised to stumble across Chip and Dale greeting guests! Our favorite Chipmunks do not yet have a set meet and greet location, so it was a fun and unexpected surprise to find them. 

As far as other character meet and greets in Magic Kingdom, you can currently meet Mickey, Tiana, Rapunzel, and other visiting princesses at a distance, and you can check the My Disney Experience app for their locations and wait times!

Find out more about meeting Chip and Dale in Magic Kingdom here!

Mobile Order Went Down

Mobile Order went down this past weekend in both Disney World AND Disneyland! When you get used to relying on Mobile Order as an easy and convenient way to get your favorite foods in Disney Parks, it can feel a bit weird to go back to the “old” way of ordering food. 

This issue was resolved quickly and by February 20th, Mobile Order was functioning normally. You can place Mobile Orders through the My Disney Experience app, and it can be a much faster and easier way to get your food in Disney Parks.

Find out more about Mobile Order here!

And that’s all the unexpected news from Disney World this week! Keep reading DFB for more Disney updates, tips, and tricks.

15 Disney World tricks only the insiders know!

Are you surprised by any of the news this week? Tell us in the comments!