The Disney World Parks have changed a lot since COVID-19 shut them down.

It’s been nearly four years since the closures, yet some of the major changes put in place still remain. While things like park pass reservation requirements, park hopping restrictions, and lack of the Disney Dining Plan were removed on January 9th, 2024, there are some changes that seem like they’ll be around for a while, and our readers aren’t too happy with some of those. We asked them on Facebook to share with us what they thought the most FRUSTRATING new Disney World change has been, and the answer wasn’t at all surprising.

Our readers are frustrated with Genie+. Even though it’s been around since 2021, a lot of Disney fans still aren’t over it! Plus, for folks who don’t make it to the parks a whole lot, the change is relatively new. Previously, the theme parks operated using the Fast Pass+ system, which allowed folks with a valid park ticket to make up to three Fast Passes in advance to skip the long lines at Disney World. Yep, it was included in your ticket and yep, you could do it in advance. Plus, you could even add more throughout the day.

Now, Genie+ is the skip-the-line service that allows folks to use the Lightning Lane, which is the former Fast Pass line. It’s not free with your ticket, though, and it can’t be used in advance — at least for now. Here are a few problems that our readers have with it. 

It’s expensive.

Genie+ is a paid service that is not included with your park ticket. There is a Multi-Park option, which is great if you’re park hopping, and then there are single park options if you’re only visiting one of the four parks. The problem? All of these are pretty expensive. Plus, the prices are uncapped and can surge based on demand. The Multi-Park option and Magic Kingdom option reached record-high prices over the holiday season at a whopping $39 per person.

Our readers miss the added luxury of having a skip-the-line service included in their ticket. If you’re in the same boat and are looking for ways to navigate the long lines without paying the hefty price, we recommend rope dropping, or showing up to the park as soon as it opens. The lines also tend to get shorter right before the park closes, so you can try then, too!

It’s tricky to use — and time consuming.

Learning to use Genie+ is definitely a learning curve, even for seasoned visitors. It’s located within the Disney World app, and it requires you to spend a lot of time on your phone. You can book two Lightning Lanes at a time, and you can’t book more unless you scan in for those Lightning Lanes or two hours pass — whichever happens first.

So, all day long, you’re kind of glued to your phone. It drains your phone battery and your patience at times. We’ve found a few hacks for the service, so check those out below!

Click here for all of our best tips to make Genie+ a breeze.

You can’t do it in advance.

With the Fast Pass+ system, you could book your attractions way ahead of time so that you didn’t have to worry about anything on the day of your visit. Now, you’re glued to your phone all day like we mentioned. You can purchase the service as early as 12AM — midnight — on the day of your visit, but like we said, you can only book two at a time.

We don’t have much advice here other than knowing ahead of time which order you want to ride your rides in, but a lot of folks have their fingers crossed that Genie+ booking will soon be available in advance.

Well, there you have it! What do you say? Are you included in our readers who wish Genie+ would go back to the lamp? We’ll be sure to keep you updated with more Disney news and tips, so make sure to follow along for more.

Click here for changes we’re LOVING at Disney World! 

What do you think about Genie+? Let us know in the comments! 

The post Fans Are FRUSTRATED With This NEW Disney World CHANGE first appeared on the disney food blog.