Disney Changes Genie+ Purchasing Process

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

One of the more controversial add-ons to the My Disney Experience app as of late has been the Disney Genie+ addition. Now, a change is coming.

Disney Genie+, the paid aspect of the system, allows Guests to use the Lightning Lane when their return time strikes — which has replaced the previously free FastPass lane. Then both theme park resorts have a la carte options where Guests must pay varying costs per ride, per person to ride the attraction. Disney Genie+ costs $15.00 per person per day for Disney World Guests and $20.00 per person per day at Disneyland. The cost for Disney Genie+ is slightly more expensive at Disneyland, and so are the a la carte options. Rise of the Resistance has hit costs of $20.00 per person per ride, which would essentially double the daily cost of Disney Genie+ if Guests wanted to Lightning Lane the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction, as well as use the paid system for other attractions.

disney genie in disneyland resort starts soon

At each Park, however, there are two attractions that Guests would need to purchase a separate Lightning Lane ticket for if they wanted to skip those lines. Those attractions are: 

  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  • Space Mountain
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
  • Frozen Ever After
  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
  • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  • Avatar Flight of Passage
  • Expedition Everest
Disney Genie_ Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane

Previously, Guests could pre-purchase Disney Genie+ prior to their theme park day, now some Guests will not be able to. It seems Disney has changed their policy which will affect Guests buying a one-day ticket. Disney Genie+ must be purchased on the My Disney Experience app on the day of their visit. Multi-day tickets can still have Disney Genie+ added on in advance.

Disney genie

It seems that this change is not a major one, but it does mean that Guests looking to utilize the system to its fullest potential will have to be ready to go. We recently also announced the Walt Disney World app had been updated to now include a linking code feature. This means that Guests who travel with a party, whether that be family or friends, can now easily link their accounts to book Disney Genie+, lightning lane, and dining reservations using a simple QR code.

Disney Tries to Fix Galactic Starcruiser Disaster

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Resorts, Hollywood Studios

The Walt Disney Company is facing a bit of a disaster with its newest endeavor, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

For months at this point, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has come under fire for myriad reasons, from the lackluster appearance of the “luxury” Corellian starliner’s staterooms to the $6,000+ cost for a two-night trip.

Some fans have even called the entire situation surrounding the costly Resort hotel “just a mess.”

At one point, Disney even went so far as to remove a particular marketing video following intense backlash. But now, the company has given Disney Parks fans a new first look inside the Starcruiser and it appears that they are attempting to fix everything that went wrong the first time around with higher quality video and iconic background music taken straight from the Star Wars movies.

starcruiser interior guests in bridge

In this new video [below], Lucasfilm Franchise Content & Strategy executive Matt Martin and Walt Disney Imagineer Travis Finstein share details about the experience. The duo noted:

“When passengers come to the Starcruiser today, they will encounter a Halcyon that has been recently restored to its former glory, the way it really looked in the earliest days of its voyages across the galaxy — the way its meant to be seen.”

Although some fans believe the Starcruiser experience is already becoming less immersive before it has even launched, Disney has recently been making an effort to connect the Halcyon luxury starliner to the rest of the Star Wars story with additions like Star Wars: The High Republic novel “Mission to Disaster” by Justina Ireland and the upcoming “The Princess and Scoundrel,” which will feature Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa’s wedding onboard the Corellian ship.

ann morrow johnson in starcruiser bridge

Although Disney continues to assert that they are “pleased with demand” for the Star Wars-themed hotel, cancelations have been pouring in, so this clear effort to fix some of the earlier marketing mistakes for the experience speaks volumes.

Why Are Masks STILL Required on Disney Transportation?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

As previously shared, Walt Disney World Resort has announced they will no longer be requiring masks for vaccinated Guests indoors beginning February 17, 2022. Disneyland Resort followed the Disney World announcement with a face cover policy change as well. But, don’t throw away those masks just yet!

Disney has announced that despite masks no longer being required indoors, including enclosed locations such as Twilight Zone Tower of Terror‘s elevator or Mission: SPACE‘s closed-off rockets, they are still requiring face coverings on Disney buses, the Monorail, as well as the Disney Skyliner.

Disney’s official face-covering policy beginning February 17, 2022, reads: Face coverings will still be required by all Guests (ages 2 and up) on enclosed Disney transportation, including Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner.

Monorail

So, why has Disney dropped masks from ALL indoor locations including up-close attraction experiences… but not on Disney transportation? Well, you can thank the President and the TSA.

The most recent statement regarding face masks via the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) dates back to December 2, 2021, when the President’s order was made to extend the face mask requirement on transportation. The statement reads as follows:

Following the President’s order and announcement regarding efforts to combat the Omicron variant, TSA, in conjunction with the CDC, will extend the face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the United States, including at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through March 18, 2022.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske has said frequently the combination of vaccinations and face masks work and are highly effective in terms of slowing the spread of the virus in the transportation system, and they make travel safer for everyone. More details about the extension will be available soon.

Disney Bus

Did you catch the keywords in the statement? Commuter bus and rail systems. This would include commuter bus and rail systems on Walt Disney World and Disneyland property which is likely the primary reason Disney hasn’t pulled the mask policy away from its transportation options just yet.

We’re curious to see when March 18, 2022 rolls around next month if Disney will finally have the option to drop masks on its transportation outlets. Even more so, makes us wonder if Disney could then start looking at the return of its pre-COVID Minnie Van service.

Disney Tram

The only form of Disney transportation NOT listed on the new face mask policy beginning February 17, 2022, is the Tram system which returned to Magic Kingdom December 2021 and will return this month at Disneyland Resort. The Tram is not enclosed making it the sole Disney transportation mask exception.

We’ll mark our calendars as maybe come March 19, 2022, Disney will announce the retirement of masks throughout ALL of its property… including Disney transportation.

Disney Makes MASSIVE Change to Mask Policy

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

BIG news coming out of Walt Disney World Resort today, February 15, 2022. Disney has updated its website to announce face coverings will now be optional in almost all parts of the Disney Parks and Resorts.

As COVID cases in Orange Country and Central Florida decline, Disney has reevaluated its face-covering policy. The news comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Disney World’s neighboring theme park competitor, Universal Orlando Resort has dropped its face mask policy.

Now, it looks like Walt Disney World Resort is following suit! According to Walt Disney World: Beginning February 17, 2022, Face coverings will be optional for fully vaccinated Guests in both outdoor and indoor locations. We expect Guests who are not fully vaccinated to continue wearing face coverings in all indoor locations, including indoor attractions and theaters. Face coverings will still be required by all Guests (ages 2 and up) on enclosed Disney transportation, including Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner.

Disney Skyliner

Take close notice that if you plan to use Disney transportation, you will still need a mask on hand as Disney noted Disney buses, monorail, and the Disney Skyliner will still require Guests to wear masks.

While the new policy states that face coverings will be optional for fully vaccinated Guests, Disney will not be checking vaccination records of Disney Guests.

Through Wednesday, February 16, 2022, Guests visiting the Disney property will still be required to use face coverings and follow along with the current policy which states, “Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) in all indoor locations, regardless of vaccination status. This includes upon entering and throughout all indoor attractions and indoor queues and in Disney buses, monorail, and Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status. Face coverings are optional for Guests in outdoor areas.”

The most interesting part of this face-covering adjustment is that while Walt Disney World is dropping its face mask requirement throughout most of its property, Hong Kong Disneyland Park still remains closed due to COVID through February 23.

Capture Your Moment Coming Soon to All Walt Disney World Theme Parks!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Via DisneyDestinations

Disney PhotoPass Service is the best way to capture photos of a Disney experience, and we’re continuing to innovate and introduce fun new offerings brought to life by our talented team of Cast Members. In fact, one of our most popular experiences is growing: Capture Your Moment.

This personalized 20-minute private photo session was so popular at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Capture Your Moment is now expanding to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

EPCOT – Available beginning Feb. 24 
Whether it’s a proposal, first visit, graduation, anniversary or family portraits, EPCOT’s World Showcase is the perfect photo backdrop! Guests can choose one of the following pavilions for their photoshoot: Germany, Italy, The American Adventure, Japan or Morocco.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Available beginning March 21 
Guests can head down to the Hollywood Tower Hotel to take photos around its eerie grounds, capture playful photos with Gertie (Echo Lake’s resident dinosaur), get up close with the incredible details of the Chinese Theatre’s façade, or use the colorful neon signs and art deco architecture of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard to evoke the golden age of Tinseltown.

At all four theme parks, each Capture Your Moment session is $79 and can include up to eight guests. While prints and digital downloads are not included, those with a Disney PhotoPass entitlement such as Memory Maker or Memory Maker One Day, as well as qualifying Annual Passholders with a Disney PhotoPass download benefit, can download the photos at no extra cost.*

Disney PhotoPass Service and our talented photographers are committed to creating fun, unique photography experiences for Guests. Over the past few years, we’ve introduced brand-new services and incorporated unique technology to capture vacation memories in ways Guests can’t find anywhere else.