We previously shared the news that Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resorts will soon be introducing the Disney Genie. This mobile app is complimentary and is said to “maximize your Park time”. Unfortunately, with the news of the Disney Genie – we learned Disney would be removing the former complimentary FastPass service which allowed Guests to skip the standby line at no extra cost. Instead of bringing the FastPass program back after the COVID 19 closures, Disney is introducing two upcharge services called the Disney Genie+ and the Lightning Lane.
Disney Genie+ will cost each Disney Park Guest using the service one set fee of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort. You will be able to choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of the less popular attractions such as Haunted Mansion or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. In addition to this service, Disney is introducing the Lightning Lane pass. This is where Guests can purchase one individual attraction selection at a time for the more popular attractions like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Pricing for the individual attraction purchase with Lightning Lane will vary by date, attraction, and Park which Disney has yet to reveal. If it’s anything like Disneyland Paris’ charges for a similar service, we can expect Lightning Lane attractions to cost anywhere between $10 – $18 per attraction. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT will offer both Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane access.
While we honestly had hoped Disney would hear the plea of Disney fans asking them to not take away the complimentary FastPass service, our dreams didn’t come true. Instead, Disney is rolling out the signs for the Lightning Lane entrance at select attractions as they prepare for the big launch of the new service which date has yet to be revealed.
Theme Park YouTuber,Kyle Pallo, took to Instagram stories to share a couple of images of two new Lightning Lane signs now up at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park. First up – you’ll see in the image below that ‘”it’s a small world” now has what looks like a “Lightning Lane” sticker placed right on top of the former free FastPass:
Another image captured was of Tomorrowland Speedway’s new “Lightning Lane” sign as shown below:
It has been a long FIVE days since Disney announced the new Disney Genie making its way to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort this fall. While we haven’t heard many complaints about the complimentary Disney Genie app, we have heard many (MANY!) complaints about Disney replacing the former complimentary FastPass program with new paid Disney Genie+ and the Lightning Lane. We’re hearing it’s complicated, it makes no sense… and most of all, it’s more money to be spent at a Disney Park. Well, if you’re feeling disappointed in Disney’s decision to roll out the Disney Genie and added upcharge for the former free FastPass, you aren’t alone. In fact, fans have spoken and there is an overwhelming dislike when it comes to the new Disney Genie rollout.
In the Disney Parks YouTube video reveal you’ll see in the screenshot below, the massive number of dislikes Disney’s post received compared to likes. OUCH.
And the YouTube video isn’t the only spot where Guests are obviously not happy about the change. Just check out any one of Disney’s social media networks to see a large number of comments and angry faces about the Disney Genie. For example, the Facebook angry face takes over Disney Parks Blog Facebook post as shown in the screenshot below:
With the reveal of the Disney Genie, we also learned more news that seemed to disappoint the Disney fan world. EPCOT’s newest attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, will be a virtual queue only OR you’ll be able to pay to ride. Just like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, there will be no standby line for these two attractions. But you can pay to ride if you don’t get a virtual queue in time.
The big question is what are you willing to pay to better your Disney experience? Would you pay one set fee for multiple individual attraction selections such as Haunted Mansion (Disney Genie+)? Or how about a one-time fee per person for a more popular individual attraction selection such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park (Lightning Lane entrance)?
We’ve been waiting to hear when FastPass+ would be returning and today we finally have an answer regarding its future. FastPass+ will be retired and replaced by a new paid offering this fall as part of a new digital service called Disney Genie.
From a Disney Cast Member;
We’re almost ready to let Disney Genie out of the lamp!
Coming this fall to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, Disney Genie is a complimentary and convenient new digital service designed to create your best Disney day. We’ve been listening to your feedback – you want planning to be easier, you want more flexibility and you want better tools to help you make the most of your visit – and that’s exactly what Disney Genie is here to do. We’ve made significant investments in this cool new technology, which guides you through our theme parks with tips that can help you reduce time in lines, discover magic around every corner and take the guesswork out of “what’s next.”
Built right into the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps, Disney Genie service will maximize your park time, so you can have more fun. It includes a personalized itinerary feature that will quickly and seamlessly map out an entire day. From specific attractions, foodie experiences and entertainment, to general interests like Disney princesses, villains, Pixar, Star Wars, thrill rides and more – just tell Disney Genie what you want to do and it will do the planning for you.
Here are a few more features:
Get Itinerary Updates from Morning to Night: Disney Genie will continue to update your itinerary throughout your day, so you can be more spontaneous and go with the flow.
Find Your Favorites at a Glance: Create your very own personal tip board to instantly see your favorites. It will display current AND forecasted future wait times, helping you predict when you might experience quicker entry to attractions.
Enjoy More Flexibility and Fun: Disney Genie brings existing planning features together in one place. Join a virtual queue at certain attractions, make dining and experience reservations, mobile order food at many locations, get help from a virtual assistant and more.
For even more convenience and flexibility, there are two other options for enjoying our theme parks, through a queue we are introducing called the Lightning Lane entrance that also saves you time in line:
Disney Genie+ service (available for purchase): For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day – from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability). This convenient option is the next evolution of the fan-favorite Disney MaxPass service from Disneyland Resort. Disney Genie+ will also include Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories – augmented reality lenses for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day if you are visiting Disneyland Resort.
Individual attraction selections (available for purchase): Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance – like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure park (subject to limited availability; attractions not included with Disney Genie+). Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch.
Lightning Lane selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks, great for those who love the Park Hopper option. Attractions continue to offer a traditional standby queue, or a virtual queue at certain attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – to maximize flexibility.
While the FASTPASS, FastPass+ and Disney MaxPass services will be retired, we’re incredibly excited about the flexibility and choices Disney Genie service provides. You can choose from all of our new options, a mix of them or none at all, and continue to have a great experience no matter how you decide to plan your best Disney day.
We are also making some enhancements to our Disability Access Service (DAS) program, including new options to enroll in the program pre-arrival and for DAS participants to select attractions directly in the app. These options will be available in addition to our existing, in-person DAS program. Visit our Services for Guests with Disabilities page DisneyWorld.com and Disneyland.comfor more details.
In yesterday’s Q3 earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said, “Guests will spend less time in line and more time having fun.” Chapek discussed the “guest-centric services” that Disney has been developing for years, including the new Magic Key pass program for Disneyland and the upcoming Disney Genie app.
Specifically, Chapek noted a significant investment into Disney Genie to enable guests to “more easily and efficiently navigate everything [the] parks have to offer” and promised more details soon.
The company hopes to provide a user-friendly app allowing for a more personalized and customized experience for guests, putting them in control with more flexibility and choice. Chapek said Disney Genie is “transformational,” calling it the MyMagic+ program “on steroids.”
It will use “consumer preferences, given what we know from them, blended with industrial engineering data based on how our park is operating that day to make suggestions on the fly.” He also noted it will lead to substantial commercial opportunities.
It has been long rumored that Disney Genie will recommend rides with shorter wait times or paid opportunities, possibly like the new Premier Access program at Disneyland Paris. Premier Access is a replacement for the free FastPass program, offering guests the chance to pay for access to shorter wait times.
A new digital offering that will enhance the way guests plan and experience a trip to Walt Disney World will debut in late 2020. The revolutionary new digital app, Disney Genie will make planning easier and more fun by providing you with customized itineraries. For example you can pick an itinerary geared to princesses, thrill seekers, foodies, families and more.
Sometimes you may know exactly what you want to do, but may not know the best time or order in which to do it. You’ll be able to tell Disney Genie what you’d like to experience, and it will quickly evaluate the options and provide you with the perfect plan for the parks. If you change your mind for any reason, Disney Genie will be able re-optimize your day.
Disney Genie can also send you real-time tips and updates. As you walk through the park Disney Genie can give you recommendations for experiences it thinks you’ll love, helping you navigate the theme parks with added convenience.
If you don’t want to worry about making reservations in multiple steps, Disney Genie will take care of that for you.
As soon as there are more developments about this new digital offering we will bring it to you!
