There was quite a bit of confusion and frustration from guests when Disney first introduced Genie+ last year. And for some, there still is. In addition, Disney has had some growing pains of its own in implementing the new system.
Initially, Genie+, the paid replacement program for FastPass, was available for guests to purchase ($15/day/guest) in advance of their trip. Then starting at 7:00 a.m. on each day of their trip, guests can begin booking their first attraction. Guests then had to wait two hours before being able to book their next selection. Guests could also “stack” reservations with a virtual queue and a paid Lightning Lane for other attractions, but that is for another discussion.
Then last month, Disney announced that starting today guests would no longer have the option of purchasing Genie+ in advance of their trip, regardless of their status. Now, guests can only purchase Genie+ starting at midnight on each day of their visit. The start time of 7:00 a.m. to make a reservation remains the same.
Disney has also updated the Walt Disney World website to officially reflect all the changes.
How to Purchase Disney Genie+ Service:
- From the main menu in the My Disney Experience mobile app select “My Disney Genie Day”.
- Select the “My Day” tab, then tap “Get Disney Genie+ for Today.”
What Are the Rules?
- Make sure you have valid admission and a theme park reservation to the same park on the same day.
- Disney Genie+ service Lightning Lane selections can only be made one at a time. You must redeem an existing Disney Genie+ service Lightning Lane selection or wait 2 hours—whichever comes first—before making another Lightning Lane entrance selection through the Disney Genie+ service. Please note: the 2-hour wait to make another selection begins when the park opens, even if you made your first booking at 7:00 AM.
- All attractions and experiences are subject to availability.
- Guests may be able to purchase Disney Genie+ service the day of their park visit and make their first Lightning Lane selections at 7:00 AM.
Disney Genie+ service, attractions, and experiences may vary by date, are subject to change or closure, are limited in availability and are not guaranteed, and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time you make a selection. Price, terms, and entitlements are subject to restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice.
Please Remember: To enter a theme park, both a valid admission and theme park reservation for the same park and same date are required. Parks and park reservations are limited, subject to capacity and availability, and specific dates or parks are not guaranteed.
The other important change is that guests are not guaranteed that Genie+ will be available to purchase on any given day of their trip. Previously, last October during a webinar with travel agents, Disney had said that they would not restrict Genie+ sales, nor would it ever sell out. However, after its launch, many guests who purchased the pass were unable to book many of the more popular attractions. This was generally believed to be because of the sheer number of Genie+ purchased.
In response, Disney has since instituted a limited availability of the service.
Individual Lightning Lane passes have their own set of rules and differences. Individual Lightning Lane passes are another way guests can purchase a “FastPass” for select attractions.
One of the differences is that guests do not need to be a part of the Genie+ program in order to buy an Individual Lightning Lane pass. Unlike Genie+ where guests have a large selection of attractions to choose from for one price, the Individual Lightning Lane attractions are limited to just a handful with varying prices.
Individual Lightning Lane attractions at Walt Disney World are Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain*, EPCOT: Frozen Ever After*, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure*. Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway* and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain*.
However, Disney has made a slight change for the summer. Until 7 August 2022, Lightning Lane entry selections for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Space Mountain, and Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain will be offered through the Disney Genie+ service and will not be available as individual (à la carte) purchases. After that, it is expected they will move back to an individual paid option.
The second difference is that Walt Disney World Resort guests have priority over non-resort guests when they can begin purchasing Individual Lightning Lane attractions. Resort guests can start making purchases starting at 7:00 a.m. on the day of their park visit whereas other guests must wait until the park opens before making their first selection.
According to the Walt Disney World website:
You may also purchase individual—or à la carte—Lightning Lane entry selections for specific attractions that aren’t offered through the Disney Genie+ service. Purchase individual Lightning Lane entry for up to 2 experiences per day, one at a time. Guests may purchase this option with or without the Disney Genie+ service.
What’s the Price?
Pricing and availability vary by attraction and park. Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app on the day of your park visit for current prices and attraction availability.
How to Purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections
- From the main menu in the My Disney Experience mobile app, select “Tip Board”.
- Select an Individual Lightning Lane experience and follow the prompts to purchase.
What Are the Rules?
- Make sure you have valid admission and a theme park reservation to the same park, on the same day.
- Purchase this type of Lightning Lane entry for up to 2 different experiences a day, one at a time. Please note: each experience’s Lightning Lane entrance is available once per day, per Guest—but traditional standby queues are also available for most attractions.
- All attractions and experiences are subject to availability.
- Guests of a Disney Resort Hotel and other select hotels: make your first selection at 7:00 AM on the day of your park visit (includes Guests of Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, and Shades of Green Resort®). All other Guests can make their first selection when the park opens.
Attractions with Lightning Lane entrances may vary by date, are subject to change or closure, are limited in availability and are not guaranteed, and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time you make a selection. Price, terms, and entitlements are subject to restrictions and change or cancellation without notice.
Other Disney Parks, including the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim and Disneyland Paris, have all implemented some form of a paid “FastPass” system. Instead of making them all work the same way, as the retired FastPass did, they each have their own set of rules, leading to more confusion for visitors used to one system.
Last year, Disney Premier Access replaced FastPass at Disneyland Paris. This enabled guests to purchase individual passes to select attractions. However, they did not offer a version of the U.S. Parks’ Genie+ that included a selection of attractions to choose from.
Starting tomorrow, 9 June 2022, Disneyland Paris will change the name of Disney Premier Access to Premier Access One and introduce Premier Access Ultimate.
For €90 per person per day, guests who purchase Disney Premier Access Ultimate will be able to join the fast lane of the following attractions whenever they want – there are no time slots.
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
- Autopia
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
- Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
- Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Phantom Manor
- Crush’s Coaster
- Ratatouille: The Adventure
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Cars ROAD TRIP
In addition, this pass can be bought in advance or day of and is good for one-time use on that day.
Adding to the confusion, Disneyland Park’s Genie/Genie+ system operates the same way Walt Disney World’s system did before the changes.
