The Disney World Parks have changed a lot since COVID-19 shut them down.
Magic Kingdom
It’s been nearly four years since the closures, yet some of the major changes put in place still remain. While things like park pass reservation requirements, park hopping restrictions, and lack of the Disney Dining Plan were removed on January 9th, 2024, there are some changes that seem like they’ll be around for a while, and our readers aren’t too happy with some of those. We asked them on Facebook to share with us what they thought the most FRUSTRATING new Disney World change has been, and the answer wasn’t at all surprising.
Our readers are frustrated with Genie+. Even though it’s been around since 2021, a lot of Disney fans still aren’t over it! Plus, for folks who don’t make it to the parks a whole lot, the change is relatively new. Previously, the theme parks operated using the Fast Pass+ system, which allowed folks with a valid park ticket to make up to three Fast Passes in advance to skip the long lines at Disney World. Yep, it was included in your ticket and yep, you could do it in advance. Plus, you could even add more throughout the day.
Now, Genie+ is the skip-the-line service that allows folks to use the Lightning Lane, which is the former Fast Pass line. It’s not free with your ticket, though, and it can’t be used in advance — at least for now. Here are a few problems that our readers have with it.
It’s expensive.
Genie+ is a paid service that is not included with your park ticket. There is a Multi-Park option, which is great if you’re park hopping, and then there are single park options if you’re only visiting one of the four parks. The problem? All of these are pretty expensive. Plus, the prices are uncapped and can surge based on demand. The Multi-Park option and Magic Kingdom option reached record-high prices over the holiday season at a whopping $39 per person.
Genie+
Our readers miss the added luxury of having a skip-the-line service included in their ticket. If you’re in the same boat and are looking for ways to navigate the long lines without paying the hefty price, we recommend rope dropping, or showing up to the park as soon as it opens. The lines also tend to get shorter right before the park closes, so you can try then, too!
It’s tricky to use — and time consuming.
Learning to use Genie+ is definitely a learning curve, even for seasoned visitors. It’s located within the Disney World app, and it requires you to spend a lot of time on your phone. You can book two Lightning Lanes at a time, and you can’t book more unless you scan in for those Lightning Lanes or two hours pass — whichever happens first.
Genie+
So, all day long, you’re kind of glued to your phone. It drains your phone battery and your patience at times. We’ve found a few hacks for the service, so check those out below!
Click here for all of our best tips to make Genie+ a breeze.
You can’t do it in advance.
With the Fast Pass+ system, you could book your attractions way ahead of time so that you didn’t have to worry about anything on the day of your visit. Now, you’re glued to your phone all day like we mentioned. You can purchase the service as early as 12AM — midnight — on the day of your visit, but like we said, you can only book two at a time.
Genie+
We don’t have much advice here other than knowing ahead of time which order you want to ride your rides in, but a lot of folks have their fingers crossed that Genie+ booking will soon be available in advance.
Well, there you have it! What do you say? Are you included in our readers who wish Genie+ would go back to the lamp? We’ll be sure to keep you updated with more Disney news and tips, so make sure to follow along for more.
Click here for changes we’re LOVING at Disney World!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
What do you think about Genie+? Let us know in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Genie + sucks the life out of me. Time consuming, expensive, as far from a vacation vibe as one can get.
I’m probably one of the few people that prefers Genie + to the previous Fast pass + system, but that’s after spending a lot of time learning Genie + to the point that it’s nearly second nature. Genie + evens the playing field for those who take spontaneous trips or didn’t know that you could book Fast passes up to 60 days before arriving. Those individuals were at a distinct disadvantage and were shut out of Fast pass altogether. I think Genie + also works so much better than Fast pass at Magic Kingdom because of the number of rides available and it’s definitely easier to use than at the other three parks. In terms of phone usage, I don’t spend more than 5 minutes on the phone looking every two hours for Genie +. Some people may feel the need to keep refreshing their phone to find better Genie + options, but I set an alarm for every two hours and pick my highest priority attraction, then I don’t look again until I’m eligible.
I don’t love the idea that something that was free before now costs money, but in general I believe Genie + to be a superior product with more freedom and flexibility than Fast pass so that’s worth something in my book.
I despise waking up before 7:00 on vacation just to book the rides
Especially if we’ve had extra magic hours in Magic Kingdom or somewhere the night before and we do not get in the bed until 1:00 am
It’s ridiculous!!!
Hate Genie plus!!! If Disney wants more money just charge it up front. This is like hotels that compete with low room rates only to pile on resort fees and parking fees at checkout . So annoying. Disney is essentially using their big data trying to squeeze out every last cent they can. Instead of fixing a park ticket price they get a base amount and then adjust what you actually pay through Genie+. We see what you’re doing Disney. Not that sneaky. When fast pass came out it was a simple here’s how you get more value for your expensive ticket and that worked. The only hope we have is more competition from universal and new theme parks to make Disney stop sucking ppl dry and bring back the value/magic.
Just thinking of Genie + gives me anxiety and a headache. Thankfully, we have lately been traveling to DisneyWorld with our son and his family. He has a pretty good handle on Genie+, but there is still anxiety. There’s a bit of time committed to planning your day at the Parks. We couldn’t manage the trip without him.
I’ve planned a trip with my family including 3 grandchildren 5 years and under. My daughter has already complained about how complicated and expensive Genie+ is. Here biggest complaint is how much she will have to be on the phone. Do you call that fun??? I’m afraid she won’t want to come back to Disney World so I, the Grandmom, can share it with my grandchildren. I wish the higherups at Disney would WAKE UP!
I’ve never been a fan of Genie+. It’s just a money grab. Now you’re paying for something that used to be free and any day they can make the cost for it higher at their will. We have simply stopped going to Disney World as much as we used to. My family would often visit 3 to 4 times a year. Now we may go every other year, and that’s a big maybe. Plus, getting up at 7 o’clock in the morning on your vacation while you are staying at a Disney resort to book a ride with Genie+ is just outrageous. Where is the fun in that? Where is the vacation in that? Also, being forced to get up at 5 o’clock or 6 o’clock in the morning to rope drop because you cannot afford. Genie + is also outrageous. The whole system is not user-friendly, and as I said before, it’s just a money grab from Disney. They are still trying to get back the money that they lost during the pandemic, and they are getting it back from us, their “guest”.
Well, no guest in my home has to get up at 7 o’clock in the morning to pay for and make a reservation for what they want to do the rest of the day! Disney needs to stop calling us guest and just call us surfs. Just like in medieval times when the surfs served the Lord of the Manor. That’s exactly what we’re doing when we go to Disney, whatever they want us to do and the bad part is we’re actually paying for it! No more for my family and I. We’re looking elsewhere.
Refuse to use it. Horrible idea … all I see in the parks now are people with their faces glued to their phones with no idea where they are walking … missing all the wonderful details around them. Worst change ever!
Ann said it.
Hate it. Have paid for it exactly once since it went into effect, to go on Ratatouille. It is simply encouraging us to spend less time in the parks, and therefore less time in Disney overall, and therefore purchasing less food and merchandise in the shops.
Which I theorize is what Disney is after anyway, given we are Annual Passholders. We know they would like APers to spend less time in the parks. They’d much prefer that we buy our outrageously-priced ticket and then never go in the parks. They’ve made that clear through policy changes making the AP much much MUCH less valuable [reduced benefits across the board], for an insanely high price; and through repeated executive statements about AP holders.
I’ve said it before – just do away with the program already, if you dislike us being in the parks so much. Why bother trying to force us out with doubling the costs and halving the benefits.
Genie+ is apparently a fantastic revenue generator, so I doubt it’s going back into the lamp. By the time it stops “surging” maybe they can make it all easier, and just start charging for a one day ticket, and THEN ask people to buy ANOTHER one day ticket for the same day, if they would like to go on any rides without waiting up to 130 minutes.
I always end up sounding so bitter.
I’m actually just still really really sad about it all. :*(
What concerns me especially is the additional cost to families. Family of four has to buy FOUR GENIE+ passes PER DAY, if the family wants to ride together and not stand in extremely long lines with kids.
AT LEAST let parents buy Genie+ and ADD their kids to it. Don’t make them pay separately for every child. Family of four paying an additional $60 – $120 for one day in the parks with Genie+.
So much for going for five or seven days to generate all that “once in a lifetime visitor income” that they make so more off of than Annual Pass holders.
[sigh. Sounding bitter again.] :*(
We are a couple, if we REALLY wanted to do Genie+ we could completely change our Disney budget and do things differently and make it work. But for families with kids — I honestly don’t know how they even go anymore.
Is there an article about how to use Genie? Not Genie Plus just Genie?
I just cracked myself up — I joked in my last post that rather than Genie+ surge pricing they could charge a one day ticket cost, then charge a SECOND on day ticket cost for the same day, if you want to ride anything without waiting up to 130 minutes+.
Then I suddenly realized they actually already have something quite similar: After Hour events.
Genie is a big reason our family has stopped visiting Disney and started going to Universal. Genie is horrible.
Things are really bad when you are charged exorbitant prices to avoid the long lines when it was free in past years. And on top of that park goers need to be a licensed tour guide to use the complex app. Most people don’t go to Disney often enough to get comfortable with the new system, especially because of the high prices they are asked to pay. Disney has become unaffordable for the target audience they need to attract in order to remain viable. If things don’t change and park goers continue to feel that they are getting ripped off at every turn, Disney will ultimately fail… and it’s already on its way.
I miss Fast Pass+, and not just because it was free. I used to be able to plan a park day so much better when I could book 3 Fast Pass attractions ahead of time, especially at Magic Kingdom. We always plan for 2 days at MK, and I’d book Fast Passes for Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean on the first day, and Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight and Buzz Lightyear for the second. And it was so much easier to plan around dining reservations with Fast Pass+. It was just easier all the way around.
I’ll never use genie+. It sounds like the surest way to ruin a beautiful, relaxing Disney trip. I go on vacation to get away from my daily grind. I’d rather go on fewer rides & have some peace,
May the promise to be able to book Genie+ in advance never come to fruition. The parks need more spontaneity, not less.
Fast pass was one thing but now it’s extra money making for Disney. One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is that now the regular lines are a longer wait. I have annual pass when Disney just open the parks were great. Short lines even when busy lines moved fast. Genie system started and regular lines slow to a crawl. People pay enough money to get in and stay. Ones who can’t afford the genie pass are screwed. Walt must be turning over in his grave on this aspect of Disney. Disney should be ashamed to take advantage of people unlike Walt himself.