Walt Disney World veterans might be wondering — what happened to FastPass? And was it really as wonderful as we all remember it? Now that we’ve been using Disney Genie+, let’s look back at some FastPass history.
The FastPass lines are now called Lightning Lanes
Certainly, your park morning might look different now. Once upon a time, many of us would get up early in order to be at our first park of the day before rope drop. Then, the fastest family member was tasked with walking very quickly (and yes, there might have been some running!) to pick up FastPasses for the attraction that typically boasted the largest wait times throughout the day.
Paper FastPass tickets were used all around the world, including at Tokyo Disney Resort
Fastpass Distribution Area for Tower of Terror
If you ever did this for Magic Kingdom’s mountains (Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, or Splash Mountain), EPCOT’s Soarin’ or Test Track, Animal Kingdom’s Everest, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, or Toy Story Midway Mania, you know what we’re talking about.
Big Thunder Mountain
Next, we mastered our touring plans with the debut of the FastPass+ system. And we liked it. We no longer had to be rope drop warriors!
EPCOT rope drop in the summer of 2021
And then… poof! Just as we had our touring plans perfected, Disney changed things up. Let’s quickly examine the history of this transition from paper FastPasses to the current Disney Genie+ system.
History of FastPass to Disney Genie+
1999: Paper FastPasses are launched.
August 2, 2012: My Disney Experience app is introduced.
December 2013 – January 2014: Transition to FastPass+.
July 2017: Disneyland Resort Max Pass was the trailblazer for the paid FastPass concept.
2019: The Disney Genie service was initially announced at the D23 EXPO, boasting customized itineraries and real-time tips.
March 16, 2020: Disney World closes due to the pandemic.
July 11, 2020: Disney World begins a phased reopening of the theme parks. Park capacity is limited; thus, crowds are low. Disney uses this opportunity to shift the guest experience upon park reopening. First, FastPass+ is discontinued, and only standby lines are available.
August 2021: Disneyland Paris was the next to initiate paid FastPass after park reopening.
October 19, 2021: Walt Disney World rolled out new Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selections.
Genie+
The transition from paper FastPasses (Legacy FastPasses) to FastPass+ coincided with the introduction of the MyDisney Experience app. This meant guests no longer had to run for FastPasses, but were able to reserve up to 60 days in advance (if staying on property). All others could reserve up to 30 days ahead.
Selecting attraction FastPasses
With FastPass+, Disney World visitors were only allowed to make a reservation for the same ride once per day. If you wanted to ride your favorite attraction again, you had to get in the standby or single rider line. This was a disappointment to guests visiting the parks to ride certain attractions.
Space Mountain
Thrill-seekers were dismayed by only getting one reservation per day for their favorite rides. Space Mountain, we’re looking at you!
An overview:
- Legacy FastPass was relatively fair, it was free, and you did not have to plan weeks in advance. However, you were not able to choose attraction return times and if you park hopped, all FastPasses for the day could be gone when you got to the second park.
- With FastPass+ guests were restricted due to attraction tiers within the parks, and reservation parameters for resort and non-resort guests. While it took away the spontaneity of your day because you had to book attractions weeks in advance, you also could plan your touring day ahead of time and didn’t need to be in the park to do so. If you weren’t a morning person, you could still plan a wonderful park day.
- Disney Genie+ is a paid service and can get quite expensive, especially with surge pricing. To utilize this service, you must wake up early. Also, it takes some to learn how to make the most of the system. Many guests dislike that there is no option to preplan.
You can do so much with the My Disney Experience app!
Disney Genie, Genie Plus, and Lightning Lanes: Here’s EVERYTHING You Need to Know!
Why Did Disney Get Rid of FastPass+?
So, we’re still left wondering… why did Disney get rid of FastPass+? The company has stated that it was to improve the guest experience through managing overall park attendance and specifically lines at attractions, which looking at our above analysis is slightly misleading. It seems as if increased revenue may have been a more important factor. Has it really improved guest experience? It depends on who you ask!
That’s our look at Why Disney Got Rid of the FastPass System! Keep following DFB for the latest Disney news!
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It’s terrible! Not family friendly and ALL about Disney making MORE money at the expense of “common” people. If you have babies or toddlers who need to nap or you just want a middle of the day rest. You end up spending $15-$35 for EACH person in your group and maybe getting 1 or 2 rides. VERY, VERY unfriendly system!
Fastpass was another perk of staying at an on property hotel as you could make all those fast pass reservations (3 per day per person) 3 months in advance. They were on your magic band, no paper needed.
Yes they were worth in and much better than Genie.
With Fastpass there was no cost and of the ride was broke you were not out money. Unlike now. You pay $15.00 extra for a single ride per person and if the ride is broke down you are out of luck. No Refunds, Happened to us last trip with the rat at Epcot. 1st time we got to the head of the line waiting to board and broke, we got a cast member to get us a new reservation on our bands, while having dinner at Coral Reef we were called via MY Disney Experience and told the ride was working again, We finished dinner walked back to the French Pavilion boarded the ride went 20 feet and behold, it broke down again. Now it is almost 10pm. Least we say we did not get to experience the ride. Genie sucks.
Experience ruined
Wallet ruined
Fast pass+ felt so much more fair. I feel I now pay anything up to $30 a day, per person for a few queue jumps on the less popular rides.
Disney have in the classic sense, tried to please everyone, which means they’ve disappointed everyone at the same time.
Either make it free for all but limit your options or make a premium paid-for queue jump that includes everything
I think it was better before any form of line skipping was created. Lines moved at a relatively fast pace. Genie + is awkward because of it’s application. It is a money maker and controls where people are in the park.
All businesses are in business to MAKE MONEY. Disney is no exception. This notion that Disney owes something to any of us is not fair. Do people feel the same way about movie theaters (ticket price are high)? How about professional sporting events? Isn’t that prohibitively expensive for families?
I love fast pass+. I’m now constantly on my phone and can’t enjoy any experiences. I have to go to be super late to buy it and wake up super early to book it. It is just not enjoyable!!
Disney did Genie + to help recoup revenue lost because of covid. I believe it’s the reason for taking all the perks away and raising prices across the board. Crowd control, that’s just BS.As long as people are willing to put up with it Disney will continue to do it.
I’d go back to the old fast pass system in a heart beat. The Genie+ system is just another money maker for Disney.
You no longer need to be there to get a fast pass for free. Instead, those with money can just sit back and buy their spot, while all the regulars suffer.
As long as people will pay, they will keep jacking up their prices, and regular folks will be left to looking in from the outside.
Fastpass + may not have been perfect but all Disney has done with Genie + is make it intensely more difficult to have fun and then charged us an arm and a leg for the privilege. If, at the very least, they went back to allowing those who stayed on property to reserve Genie + and Lightning Lanes in advance, the system wouldn’t be quite as horrific.
When Disney first introduced fastpass it was stated “that it was a way for a family to plan their day with rides, shopping and dinning throughout their park visit. No more early park arrival if you didn’t want to be in the rope drop. You have to get up early to TRY and get the Genie+ purchase which can become confusing if you are not tech savvy. If you are 60 or older, which is possibly a large part of the Disney patrons, all this new technology can be confusing. I have been a DVC member since 1992 and do not like the path Disney is taking.
We just came back from our trip. And to put it quite frankly my whole family HATE HATE, HATED the genie + lightning lanes situation. FastPass was STILL far more easier and you didn’t just spend all this money only to not even be able to book the attractions you want to at one time. This was so much more about money than making it easier for guests. So inconvenient , so unnecessary… Fastpass was straight to the point, either you got and made it to your ride or you didn’t. You didn’t have to financially commit even more, but with no guarantees… Going forward only going during off-peak season, so hopefully we won’t have to use them on anything.
AJ we loved all the advice you gave out. We studied your videos lol, and shared them among each other. Yet still, we were 1000% dissatisfied with Genie+ …
We’ll still be staying posted with you! And we love Disney Food Blog – our favorite source for all things Disney.
I have no problem with Genie+, As a parent with little kids, I was always the designated runner. My girls would be in Fantasyland with their mom and I would be running back to Splash Mountain to PHYSICALLY get a reservation and then running back to find them. With Genie + you can make a reservation anywhere at any time. On 2 occasions I lost one of the pass cards at a Fast Pass machine and then wasted time going to Guest Services to get a replacement card. Genie + is much more efficient. When we rope-drop we typically get reservations for at least 5-6 rides during a given day. The solution is, if you don’t want to spend the money for it then just wait in the lines. Also, Disney is a business. This is Capitalism. Disney owes us nothing. You have the freedom to decide to go to Disney or to spend your money elsewhere.
On another note, being able to order food from the application is AMAZING. No standing in line to order, The food is ready when you get there. Once again saves a ton of time and at Disney World, Time is Money.
Genie+ is nothing but a money grab disguised as a Disney experience. Executives in a back room looking for a new cash cow instead of raising ticket prices again, hey let’s take a perk that works great and charge park guests more money!! Chapek was a monumental disaster for Disney! How to ruin something fun for the family by making it more expensive!!
I am not a fan of the Genie + system. It is just an opportunity for Disney to make more money. I always liked the fact that Fast pass was free whereas Universal was charging for their passes. Now Disney is no better than Universal. ☹️
Genie paid service is horrible. Go back to the free fastpass system and make everyone happy again.
No issue with monetizing fastpass. The BIG issue is that genie plus is garbage.
One person pointed out that many events are too expensive for families. The difference with Disney is that they are marketing themselves as being family entertainment. Families (used to) plan ahead and come as a group and everyone got to participate. Its getting to the place now that non-rich families cannot afford to go to Disney at all.
I’ve used both versions and because there is only 2 of us, I can afford it but I hate that I can’t plan my fast passes and dining ahead of time to make the day less stressful. I didn’t have my head in my phone all day like I have to now. If I had a big family, it would really stink. We use to come every year but those days are over. So sad.
I agree that Genie and Genie + are awful. At least with fast pass everyone had the ability to get on at least one ride quickly. And for the average person/family, fast pass was free. Now you have to be making 5-6 figures to get on rides without straining your budget. After all, a one or two-day ticket is very expensive to begin with and Genie + might be the extra expense that many cannot afford.
Also with this new system you cannot have a spontaneous experience. Everything must now be timed to the minute. In the past we could pick our park and then book fast passes if available. Now that experience has gone the way of the dodo.
I guess for Disney execs who never have to wait in a line, this system makes sense. But for those who have to save up and hope they can afford to get the experience they want, it sucks.
The answer to this question is GREED. Plain and simple.
I agree with another comment that, yes. Disney is in the business to make money. However, GOUGING people at every opportunity does not play into their “family friendly” ethos. Most of us when planning have a budget and are very savvy about making the most of our vacation. But now I need to plan for an extra expense up to $30 a day per person to enjoy the rides I ALREADY paid for when I booked my trip? I feel like they’re double dipping here. I’m also appalled reading the comment about the ratatouille ride, no compensation for their breakdown. At least with the past systems they would hand you another FP to return later in the day when the ride was running again. It’s not my fault the ride broke, I shouldn’t have to bear the expense (again) to ride. *You* actually owe me.
We did the paid FastPass years ago in DL for one day, it was ok. We got to go on the rides we wanted, but it wasn’t as crowded as the parks are now.
We are waiting to go back to WDW, hoping some prices go down 🙁 we are still big fans and supporters of Disney- but with everything costing so much these days, we’ll just have to wait and fondly remember past trips.
I’m sure I’m in the minority, but I hated FastPass+. The rush to get premium rides wasn’t any better than it is now, and I loathed having to plan my day months in advance. Plus not being able to get two passes for the same ride kinda sucked. It also felt really unfriendly to new people, if you didn’t know about FastPass before coming, you basically couldn’t utilize it. At least if you learn about Genie+ on day 1 you have a chance to use it for the rest of your trip.
I used Genie+ on our last visit in September and it was great. We rode rockin’ rollercoaster 3 times with Genie, and made it to every ride in the park at least once for all but magic kingdom. While the cost isn’t the best, it’s clear that Genie plus is aimed at those who don’t make it out very often and are willing to splurge to get more out of their once in a lifetime or once a decade trips.
In the 1990’s, Disney was the best, care free, no pressures, you just went from attraction to attraction and waited in line. Fast pass was added, and viola. Life at Disney parks was great. Fast forward to days, long lines, pressure to react, on your phone all day to even get a glimpse at maybe riding that special attraction. It is just not as fun any more and the prices are. Pre then doubled.
While my father would prefer if everyone just used standby, I would be perfectly happy if they did one of two things:
1. Bring back paper FastPass.
OR
2. Get rid of Genie+ and ONLY use the Individual Lightning Lane for the most popular attractions like they do now.
I will only go back to wdw when genie + rides can be reserved at least 30 days in advance.
No way am I waking up on vacation at 7am and stressing over an itinerary
Money Money Money ! That’s why they did away with Fast Pass ! Yes they’re in business to make money but U pay out the nose for park tickets and the cost of food so why have to pay to ride ?!! This is crazy and I will NEVER pay extra. I pay too much already 😡
We use Genie+ for stacking reservations to our late afternoon park hop.
We may reserve one or two in our first park, but generally if you arrive at rope drop or with early admission you can get loads done. We then start booking for our 2nd park, using the modify feature to push them further out.
We enjoy an afternoon swim & chill with lunch whilst we continue to make new reservations every 120 minutes. We entered Hollywood Studios and 6.45pm with LL reservations for Slinky, Smugglers, Mickey & Minnie, Toy Story Mania and picked up Tower of Terror as soon as we had ridden TSM – by 8.30 we’d ridden 5 attractions and were able to do Alien Saucers and jump in the end of day Stand By for Rise of the Resistance with just a 15 minute wait to first show room.
It’s only worth while for Studios & MK but when you learn how to use it to its best advantage it can be great .
Fact is this was all about money. Genie+ made standby lines longer, so for Disney to say it was to help with guest experience, they lied. Disney executives don’t care about the costumers. And unfortunately with the changes they make people blame the cast members who are only doing what they are told to do. I do understand that Disney is in the business to make money, but with some of the changes they are making, their reputation is going down hill. It isn’t about what they can do to help guests enjoy the parks, but how much they can charge the guests.
It isn’t about making the experience better for the guest but to make more money for the big CEOs and Board members with their yearly over-the-top bonuses. We already pay to get into the park but now aren’t guaranteed to ride anything unless we spend more money. Disney should follow Universal with their Express Pass and include it for free if you stay at one of the premium resorts. No one has to get up at the crack of dawn or stay up past their bedtime and you can pick and choose your attraction as you see fit during the day.
Simple. Fast pass didn’t make the riding any money.
When we went in the early 2000’s fast pass was awesome. Went again last year and it was awful. Not only did we have to pay to get faster access but the park reservation was a nightmare too, gone was the spontaneity. My daughter and I went to one park early and then my wife and other daughter joined us at a different park in the afternoon. The hassle we had because they hadn’t been with us to the first park was a pain.
Still….can’t wait to go back.
Just one more way to squeeze every penny out of the guests. Loved fast pass +. It was a perk for staying on property and included in the price of the tickets/annual pass. Used to visit from CA twice a year for 2-3 weeks at a time. Had the system down to a science. Haven’t been back since the pandemic closure. Just seems like too much trouble being tied to the phone all day, not to mention the exploding costs. BTW, haven’t been to Disneyland since that time either, and I’m only 15 miles away!
Money grab just like everything in Disney now….
It’s all about the MONEY! Certainly not good for th people
It’s a disgusting money grab – I’m going to Universal this year. Free express pass with my hotel room.
Definately did not improve this customers experiance!
Not family friendly and it is expensive.
Disney might not owe me anything, but when ticket, hotel, meal prices continue to rise and then take all the free perks away which now cost us more money. This all adds up to a bad customer experience.
“So, we’re still left wondering… why did Disney get rid of FastPass+?”
Uh, to make money on what was previously free for people who don’t want to wait in 90+ minute lines? lol
Genie + just a money grab for Disney and in no way does it make it easier for the people visiting Disney. Fast pass + was great. Paying to stay on property gave you 60 days in advance to book 3 rides. Yes it had to be at the same park but you could pick your times so it gave you some leeway. Whoever thought that getting up by 7 in the morning was a great experience for people who are suppose to be on vacation. Never mind the cost to get a pass. I will use my DVC membership a couple more years so my youngest granddaughter can visit when she is 4 after that I will sell it. Bring the entire family down 1 more time when she comes 16 in total and then say good by to Disney no longer worth the money. The magic is gone. As Chapek said they don’t want the people that come a few times a year, since in his opinion when he made changes, we don’t spend enough money. I will spend my money elsewhere.
Disney Genie is a disaster. So bad we are not going to Disney this year after going for over 20 consecutive years. Bob Iger needs to kill this fast. Fire the CFO too who no doubt thought this was a great idea.
From reading the comments it appears the vast majority of park goers agree genie+ is horrible and a money grab.
Those in favor are the ones that can afford to pay whatever Disney asks, and as one stated: “it’s simple, if you don’t want to pay, stand in line”. The problem with that is, now the lines are twice as long because all the people with money are allowed to pay their way to the head of the lines. Capitalism, yes, but I wonder what ole Walt would think ?
Ummm, I think everyone forgets that universal was charging for their version for fast passes AND premium parking for YEARS before Disney went for it. Monkey see Monkey do. it is crazy how many people pay 50$ for premium parking everyday and don’t bat an eye. So everyone talks about greed, sure there is that, but it didn’t stop people from going to universal. What makes me very frustrated is that you pay to go in and ride a new ride and they won’t let you stand in-line, now that is wrong.
It’s a horrible system. It takes away the spontaneity and ruins your trip. We have members of our family with severe allergies and it takes a long time to eat because everything has to be made special. You don’t know how long it will take and it is hard to plan for a pass with genie plus. Getting up early when you are in your 70s does not make for an enjoyable trip. Disney can say what they want, but they have ruined the fun and is catering to the rich and is not treating everyone equally. It’s just greed on Disney’s part. They do not care about the guest anymore. Magical moments are becoming rare. Walt would not even like to see his name associated with what they are doing now.
Getting rid of the fast pass means that everyone is constantly on their phones! Something Walt never would have approved as he wanted Disney to be a family experience! Now, when I see folks in the parks everyone is on their phones – not talking to each other or to their kids. Plus, it’s an added expense to a very expensive day.
I’m currently enjoying my first ever stay at Universal. Their system is so much better. No park reservations necessary, fast passes included with your hotel stay, no getting up early, paying extra to ride an attraction that was once free and prices for everything are much lower than Disney. Also, if the Disney ride was down you did not get reimbursed for the money paid for Genie+ that you got up so early to purchase.
Another plus is everything is within walking area – parks, restaurants, entertainment, and the water park is so much better than Disney’s. We spent one day at Epcot and I realized I did not miss Disney at all. Too much work, too much money (everything at Universal is less expensive than at Disney). Universal has won me over.
You’re already planning a DISNEY trip months in advance, it was SO easy to make ride reservations in advance. Made each park day a much more enjoyable experience with attractions planned in advance. I’m on vacation, I don’t want to get up at 7am to try and book an attraction, I don’t want to walk around a park all day with my nose in my phone! If you’re staying on property, bring back the perk of being able to reserve 3 attractions a day, let me have a park plan before I arrive.
Sorry but I really love the new system of genie +, even more with the new « modify » option. You haven’t to choose your park 60 days before. It’s the cheaper of all Disney parks in the world (100 dollars in France per person per day to ride all the rides with the option and no cheaper option…)
Genie + is a watered down version of FP that you pay for. The Genie tip page or whatever they call it was just an excuse to say yea they’re now charging you but giving you something in return. They wanted to make more money off of us and succeeded. The only people that say they like it are the people that do not go to Disney often and don’t know any better.
If you don’t mind waiting for however long it takes to get on a ride that’s fine. Unfortunately if you don’t have a boatload of money to pay for Genie + you spend a large amount of time waiting. My wife and I went every year for many years before covid. Now that my wife and I are retired and have free time for vacations, We will not be including Disney anymore. We both loved it there but it comes a time when you have to draw the proverbial line in the sand and say no more. There are so many great places in this country to explore and enjoy we will not be going back to Disney. Oddly enough — We ae going to Canada this summer. Looks like Disney World has become a very specialized pack of pick pockets!
Wow, lots of comments on this one. I’m not really a fan of Genie+ but I am getting used to it somewhat. If I had any say, I would go back to Max Pass. This came out in Disneyland and worked pretty well. Although you had to pay for it, it worked pretty well and you didn’t have to pay extra for the premium rides so for the money you got a lot. For me, the worst thing to happen is the lightning lane you have to pay for. That’s just the worst.
I’d go back to paper fastpasses if I could.
Absolute greed is why Disney got rid of fastpasses…