If you’re all about skipping those (sometimes) long standby lines, there’s a Disney World update you need to know about.
Disney Genie+ is the paid system that replaced FastPass+ in Disney World. Over the last several months, since Genie+’s debut, we’ve seen a number of changes made to the system including the official recognition of the 120-minute rule, changes as to what rides are available through the service, and more. And now another change is on its way!
Just as a quick recap, with Genie+ you can pay a set amount ($15 per person per day in Disney World) to make Lightning Lane reservations at some of your favorite rides in the parks. When your Lightning Lane return time arrives, you skip the standby line and get to use the Lightning Lane instead. You can make 1 Lightning Lane selection at a time.
But not all rides are available through the standard Genie+ service. To skip the lines at some of Disney World’s most popular rides (like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) you have to pay for certain Lightning Lanes individually. That’s called pay-per-ride or Individual Attraction Selection.
During certain times, Disney has changed things up a bit and offered certain Individual Attraction Selection rides through the regular Genie+ service. Most recently, Disney made several rides that are normally available through Individual Attraction Selection available through the regular Genie+ service through August 7th. This included Space Mountain, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Expedition Everest.
The Disney website previously noted that all of these would only be available through the regular Genie+ service until August 7th, 2022. The expectation was that after that time, they’d likely return to being offered through Individual Attraction Selection (or pay-per-ride) once again. But now things have CHANGED.
Disney has revealed that Space Mountain, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Expedition Everest, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will all REMAIN standard Genie+ offerings after August 7th, 2022. That’s right folks, these rides are NOT going back to being pay-per-ride selections. To skip the standby lines at these spots, you won’t have to pay for them individually anymore. Instead, you’ll just be able to reserve a Lightning Lane for them through the standard $15 per person per day Genie+ service.
If you visit the Disney World website now, you’ll see that the disclaimer about these rides only being available on the standard Genie+ service through August 7th has been removed, and they are now listed under the standard Genie+ offerings.
Here’s a look at the updated list of offerings for EPCOT…
…Disney’s Hollywood Studios…
…and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Disney later sent a message to travel agents on this matter, saying that they have made this change to the Genie+ offerings to continue providing Disney World guests with more options when using the Genie+ service.
They also noted that the GEnie+ service is subject to availability and that Genie+ offerings can change depending on the day (and are subject to closure).
Of course, things are subject to change again. Genie+ selections and the arrangements with Individual Attraction Selection have changed in the past and could again in the future. But, for now, you’ll have even MORE rides to pick from in the standard Genie+ service and fewer rides you’ll have to pay for individually to skip the standby lines.
Want to learn more about Genie+? Click here to see our page FULL of details. You can also click here to read about the BEST and WORST of Genie+, or click here to learn how to avoid the biggest Genie+ mistakes in Disney World.
We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more Genie+ news and we’ll let you know what we find. Stay tuned for the latest updates!
Click here to see how buying Genie+ in Disney World has CHANGED
All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection
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FULL List of Rides Included With Genie+ in Disney World
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Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie
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What do you think about this Genie+ change? Tell us in the comments!
Kim S. says
I think I like PCDev’s description of this “a money grab” …. Walt, I’m sure, is turning over in his grave.
Steve says
This is absolutely terrible news; Disney makes things harder again. At first you may think this is a good thing but it’s not. Now you have less of a chance to ride the best rides without waiting forever. Let me explain, before I could buy 2 lightning lines and add a third with Genii+ giving me 3 top attractions just like I would have with the old FastPass system. Now I can only guarantee 2 of the best rides and the rest is hit and miss. Sure I have to pay a little extra, three of us times $15, about $45 or so but I’m already paying $6,000-$7,000 for the vacation. I can just buy 2 less t-shirts and it covers it. Having so many attractions on Genii+ is just a smoke screen by Disney making it seem more valuable, in reality you don’t need Genii+ for most of the rides.
FL-Dad says
Genie+ is a ripoff. It needs to go away. The only way we send a message to Disney is to STOP USING IT. When the money from it dries up, they will get rid of it. Money is all Disney understands or cares about these days. So speak their language and STOP using it. Unless of course you want it to stay around… I haven’t spoken to anyone in the parks who wants Genie+ to stay…
Ira says
What a joke. And rip-off.
Jan H. says
Disney Just stop! We are so tired of the changes “paid ride” one day and not the next. Just admit this was a foolhardy system and go back to pre-covid. You have upped the price of admission, price of food and cut down on portions, souvenir prices are absurd and hotels………astronomical prices. You are going to lose your entire fan base including me. My family has been annual guests every year since 1974 and we are sick of it. An already planned trip next Spring will be my last.
Marya says
I think this all stems back to annual passes. They bit off more than they can chew. Maybe they should’ve used the money to build a 5thWDW and 3rd Disneyland park. They’re trying to manage crowds now. There is only so many things you can do. And price ppl out is one of them.
Don says
Even with genie plus we only got on three rides. Still had to wait in long lines at full capacity. I even asked cast members if this was full capacity and was told it was only 80 percent. We’ve been there lots of times- never as bad as this July. With two small children it was horrible!! Doubt we will return!
Karen Van Sickle says
It would be helpful if the original date of the article was next to the author. Here is it November and this article came up in an email today as “changes to genie +” and it looks like this is from August….we’re there changes?