food IS a theme park
Despite the perception that literally EVERYTHING costs an arm and a leg in Disney World, there are in fact NUMEROUS free things to do in the Most Magical Place on Earth!
Cinderella Castle
As we enter a new year, we’re pleased to report that Disney freebies DO still exist for 2022! We’re breaking them down. [Read more…]
Hello and welcome to another weekly round-up of the BIGGEST Disney news from this week!
Let’s Go!!
Whether you’re planning to visit Disney World soon or are just curious to know what’s been going on in the world of the Disney parks and beyond, we’ve got you covered. From a huge announcement about another replacement service for Disney’s Magical Express to COVID-19 updates, read on for all the Disney news you need to know!
Disney Genie recently launched at Disneyland Resort — it’s a free planning tool that can help you map out your day through the Disneyland app.
©Disney
Also launched with Genie was Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes. Genie+ replaced the old MaxPass system with a paid system. It costs $20 per day, per person to have access to reservations to skip the standby lines at rides around the parks using their new Lightning Lanes (old MaxPass lanes). There are also a few high demand rides not included with Genie+ that you can pay for individually to skip the standby lines. And, the prices for those Individual Lightning Lanes just went up for the holiday season.
It’s the week of Christmas, and you know what that means — Disney World is BUSY.
It’s the holiday season in Disney World!
We saw high crowd levels in Disney World for Thanksgiving week, and we already got a hint of the Christmas crowds last week in Disney Springs. If you’re visiting Disney World for the holidays, we’re here to tell you that the holiday crowds have officially arrived!
Disney World is known for change. Walt Disney’s wonderland has ALWAYS been about innovation and evolution, but never have we seen the kind of change Disney World went through in 2020 and 2021!
Main Street crowds
Through ALLLL the ups and downs over these past two years, there were a LOT of game-changing moments and epic changes like never before. This leaves us wondering what the future holds… .
Disney World recently launched its new planning tool, Genie, in the My Disney Experience app.
©Disney
The tool is free to use and can help you plan your day in the parks. Also launched with Genie was Disney Genie+, which is a paid replacement for FastPass+. Genie+ gives you access to make reservations to skip the standby lines of 46 attractions in Disney World through the Lightning Lanes (old FastPass lanes). There are also Lightning Lanes at certain high demand rides that are not included in Genie+, but instead, access to the lines is able to be individually purchased. But, this morning we experienced something a bit odd with the pay-per-ride system.
If visiting Disney World is on your list of 2022 resolutions, then you’ll want to be prepared for some big changes in store! From new rides to new hotels to major changes in the way we plan (and budget for) our vacations, a trip to Disney World in 2022 will be unlike any trip you’ve taken before!
Magic Kingdom
There are ten big changes on the way in the new year — let’s recap those changes today so you’re prepared to do Disney World a little differently than you have in the past!
We got a sudden surprise earlier this week when the announcement was made that Disney Genie and Genie+ would launch in just two days at the Disneyland Resort! The complimentary planning tool, along with its paid counterpart that officially replaces FastPass+, was rolled out in Disney World back in October.
Hello, Genie!
Since then, we’ve learned all of the ins and outs of both of these new programs, including how to use the free version to its full potential and which rides you should book first! Let’s see what Disney Genie and Genie+ are like in Disneyland, what the major differences are, and any NEW tips we may have learned along the way!
FastPass+ will not be returning to Disney World. In its place is the new, paid Disney Genie+ system and the related Individual Attraction Selection (or pay-per-ride) system.
Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane
When Genie+ was first announced, there were a lot of…feelings about it. When we reached out to our fantastic DFB readers back in August of 2021, over HALF of them said that they would NOT pay for the Genie+ service. Genie+ has now been available in Disney World for a number of weeks (since about mid-October 2021), and we’ve worked on testing it in all kinds of different ways. So, now that Genie+ has been out for a while, we wondered…have feelings about the system changed?
Disney Genie is a new service offered to Disney World guests, and it has both free and paid options.
Genie+ ©Disney
With Genie+, guests can “skip the line” just like we did in the past with FastPass+ — except now, it costs money. And as we’re experiencing the first super busy season with Genie+, we’ve noticed a trend we think you should be aware of before visiting and before purchasing Genie+.
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