Breaking Down Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane

There has been a lot of new and exciting news coming from Walt Disney World these past few weeks, and nothing has been bigger than the announcement of Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane. Guests were thrilled to learn more about what system would replace the original fastpass+ system we were used to, but this new system has caused more confusion than ever. Although there are still many details and questions around this new system, we have a quick rundown of what we currently know and how it can help you during your next Walt Disney World vacation.

Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane- What Are They?

The new system has three different aspects, which is the part that is causing some confusion. So let’s try to break it down.

Genie: This first option is a FREE planning tool. Genie will provide recommendations, help with both food reservations and the mobile order system. From what we understand, it will be part of the My Disney Experience App and available to all Guests that choose to use it. The goal of Genie is to help Guests have a better vacation by providing tips and tricks on how to spend their days in the parks. Guests will be able to customize their plans based on their goals for the day, and Genie will provide suggestions on which rides, entertainment, and dining shouldn’t be missed and a possible order to do the events in.

 

Genie+: Genie+ is a PAID option that will allow Guests access to the new Lightning Lanes. Guests who choose to pay for Genie+ will have access to Lightning Lanes which are just what they sound like. They are lanes in the queues that will allow Guests to bypass the standby lines. These are the old fastpass+ lines that have been reimagined. By purchasing the Genie+ option, Guests will then access these lower wait queues throughout the day. Genie+ also comes with additional perks, such as special photo and audio experiences.

 

Pay-Per-Attraction Rides

The final piece of this new puzzle is the Pay-Per-Attraction Rides. Some rides in each of the four parks will not be available through Genie+. Instead, Guests will be able to choose to pay for these rides in addition to Genie+ or instead of Genie+ depending on their touring goals. We haven’t been told yet which will be a part of this pay-per-attraction system; however, we assume that these would be those highly popular rides such as Rise of the Resistances and soon to open Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. The other piece we don’t know yet is the cost for this option. Disney has explained that price is fluid, believing that it will be based on crowd levels. This means we anticipate that pay-per-attractions will be more expensive during Christmas, Halloween, and spring break. We will have to wait and see how this piece moves forward.

 

How Will Genie+ Work?

Again, we are still awaiting additional information from Disney when it comes to how exactly Genie+ will work, but let’s walk through what we do know.

Cost:  

Disney has released that Genie+ will cost $15/person/day. This means for a family of four, with a four day ticket, you are looking at an additional $240. This is something that families will have to look into to see if this extra cost will be worth it for them. Guests who have booked a package can choose to book Genie+ ahead of time for their whole vacation. Those who don’t wish to use Genie+ for each day of their trip can choose to pay per day, but this won’t be available to purchase until the morning of.  

How It Works:

A big change from fastpass+ to Genie+ is that Guests won’t be able to book their ride choices ahead of time. With fastpass+, you could log on and book rides and experiences anywhere from 60 days ahead of arrival time. With Genie+, this won’t be the case. Guests who choose to purchase Genie+ will be able to begin booking their first ride at 7 am the day of their Park visit. Now keep in mind, this is only for ONE ride, and it doesn’t mean that ALL rides will be available right at 7 am either. Again- these are some of the unknowns. We are anxiously waiting on more information to help clarify all the additional questions we have.

A big change with Genie+ is that it will be ONE ride at a time. Fastpass+ allows you to carry up to three at a time to start your day, but this won’t be the case for Genie+. Instead, once you have used your first option, you will be able to log back in to see what new options are available to choose from.  

Park Hopping will work with Genie+, meaning if you purchase it, you will be able to use it throughout all four Disney theme parks, but again only holding one ride/experience at a time.

There are still a lot of questions when it comes to Genie+ as well as the pay-per-ride attractions. We still don’t know when Disney World will implement this, but we are sure more information will be coming soon. When looking at it overall, it seems like Genie will be a great free planning option for Guests to use during their vacation, providing suggestions and tips to help with the magic. Genie+ should bring less wait times overall for Guests in both the Lightning Lanes and the standby lines. We look forward to learning more about these new options and how we can use them during our next Walt Disney World vacation. Will you be using Genie+?