Have Feelings Changed Towards Disney Genie?

FastPass+ will not be returning to Disney World. In its place is the new, paid Disney Genie+ system and the related Individual Attraction Selection (or pay-per-ride) system.

Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane

When Genie+ was first announced, there were a lot of…feelings about it. When we reached out to our fantastic DFB readers back in August of 2021, over HALF of them said that they would NOT pay for the Genie+ service. Genie+ has now been available in Disney World for a number of weeks (since about mid-October 2021), and we’ve worked on testing it in all kinds of different ways. So, now that Genie+ has been out for a while, we wondered…have feelings about the system changed?

We reached out to our fantastic followers on Facebook recently with this very question. Before we get to their responses, let’s do a quick Genie+ recap. We worked on a post a while ago that explained Disney Genie in 500 words or less. You can read that full post here, but we’re dropping in some of the key things below.

First, we have Disney Genie. Disney Genie is a FREE planning service built into the My Disney Experience App. You will tell Disney Genie what you want to ride, what types of things you like, etc., and Disney Genie will create a personalized, flexible itinerary for you.

Hello, Genie!

With Genie, you’ll be able to see forecasted wait times, mobile order your food, see walk-up waitlist availability, make restaurant reservations, adjust your plans, and more. Plans will continuously update to help you get the most out of your day.

Click here to read about our experience using the FREE Genie planning service.

Next, there’s Disney Genie+. Disney Genie+ is a PAID FastPass-like service. It costs $15 per day, per ticket at Disney World. If you pay for this service, you’ll be able to see when the next available time is to use various rides’ Lightning Lanes (i.e. FastPass+ lanes). You will select the next available time to use the Lightning Lane for whatever ride you want, and when your time arrives, you can visit the ride and use the Lightning Lane (skipping the standby line).

©Disney

Once you’re done with that ride, you can make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection — 1 ride at a time, throughout the day (though there are some special timing rules you should know about). Over 40 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disney World. But, NOT all attractions will be available through Genie+.

You cannot make a Genie+ Lightning Lane selection until the DAY OF your trip. At Disney World, guests can make their first Lightning Lane attraction at 7AM on the day of their visit.

Click here to see more about how to book and pay for Genie+!

Lastly, there’s Individual Attraction Selection or pay-per-ride. Select, highly popular attractions (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT, and other select rides) will NOT be listed on Genie+. Even if you pay for Genie+, you will NOT be able to select a time for/use the Lightning Lane at those attractions.

Space Mountain Lightning Lane

Instead, if you want to use the Lightning Lane for those attractions, you’ll have to pay for the attractions INDIVIDUALLY. You can only purchase a maximum of 2 of these pay-per-ride selections per day.

Click here to see what thousands of fans had to say in terms of what pay-per-ride attractions are worth the cost!

As we mentioned, Genie+ has been “live” for a little while now, meaning guests have had the chance to test it out and see whether it is or is not something they’re a fan of. During their 4th quarter earnings call in 2021, Disney actually noted that nearly a third of Disney World guests are buying Genie+ for their vacation.

So, we reached out to our followers on Facebook and asked “Now that you’ve seen Genie in action, have your feelings changed towards the service at all?” We got hundreds of responses and got to hear things from both sides. Here’s what they had to say.

Yes, But Not for the Better

Some followers have changed their opinions, but it wasn’t for the better. One individual said, “I had high hopes for it, but used it last month on a friend trip. We didn’t feel it was worth it, but also felt we didn’t have a choice.” They shared that they spent a lot of time looking for Lightning Lane times in the app and felt like they were able to ride more simply by visiting the rides while the fireworks were going on (a time when many guests tend to be watching the show rather than riding the attractions).

But, they did note that they liked the ability to purchase individual lightning lanes (pay-per-ride selections).

Lightning Lane

Another said that they hated it even more after using it, particularly because they had to pay for it and wake up early to get those first Lightning Lane selections at 7AM.

Others said that they felt like Genie+ has made the stand-by lines longer than before.

Would You Buy Genie+?

Another shared that Genie+ was not worth it for them, and that every time they wanted to get it for a ride, the return time was too late in the day for them. But, they shared that they purchased the pay-per-ride selection for Rise of the Resistance and felt that it was worth it.

Others shared that they weren’t happy about the fact that you can only use it once per ride and that you have to use your phone a LOT. Some complained that it also took away from the magic as they constantly felt like they were looking for their next ride selection and not enjoying the ride they were on. Another called it “beyond stressful.”

Scanning into Our Lightning Lane

Some commented on the cost and how it might be okay for a small group, but not for a larger family. Others didn’t like that it was an additional cost at all.

Others felt like the selections they wanted ran out too quickly, or that by the time the afternoon came around, there weren’t enough selections left.

Can a Genie+ ride sell out? See more details here.

Actually, Genie+ Isn’t So Bad

Others felt like their experience with Genie+ has shown that it isn’t so bad. One reader said they used Genie+ in Magic Kingdom, and while they missed FastPass+, they did feel like Genie+ was worth the money. They noted that they were able to ride 7 attractions with it and saved tons of time.

Lightning Lane

Another shared that they used it during Thanksgiving time and that their family member was able to do everything they wanted and they never really waited for anything, making the service worth it for them.

Another also said they used it during Thanksgiving and “felt so accomplished” because they got to ride many rides using it.

Expedition Everest entrance

One said that they loved it (especially at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios) and even said that one person they were with shared they wouldn’t do Disney again without it!

Several others echoed the same sentiments and shared that they were able to go on a lot of rides with little to no wait thanks to Genie+.

Click here to get our FREE DFB printable to help you make sense of Disney Genie!

No Change

Some said that their opinions wouldn’t change as they felt like Genie+ wouldn’t impact their trips since they travel during slower times.

One put it very simply for their view: “Nope. Still hate it.” 😂 Well, there’s definitely some honesty there!

It’s Complicated

Some noted pros and cons about the service. One commenter felt like the service (combined with their Disability Access Service) made their days at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios seamless, but felt like it wasn’t worth it for Animal Kingdom.

Another felt like it wasn’t needed for Animal Kingdom or EPCOT.

Tower of Terror Lightning Lane

One said that they felt like it was useful in Hollywood Studios, but that they felt like it wasn’t good for park hopping as they felt like it didn’t let them do too much in the parks before hopping.

Another shared that their experience with Genie+ was “a bust” but that they’d be giving it another try!

Lightning Lane Entrance

Others shared that they liked Genie+ but were not fans of how it functioned on the My Disney Experience app. Others mentioned the app experiencing issues as well, so that’s something to keep in mind and just be prepared for.

Some had mixed feelings and had great experiences with Genie+ one day and terrible experiences the next. One also shared that it might not be needed for regular park goers, but could be helpful if you’re visiting Disney World for the first time.

Soarin’ Lightning Lane

Some suggested improvements, like allowing guests to book select times in advance to help with planning, rather than having to just book 1 at a time on the morning of their visit.

Click here to see our thoughts on whether you should park hop with Genie+ in Disney World!

What About Free Genie?

Some also commented about the Free Genie planning service. One said that they felt like it was of no use to them and felt like it made recommendations that were not that intuitive.

Another said that while they felt the free Genie planning service wasn’t good, they did feel like Genie+ was a must-do for Magic Kingdom.

©Disney

This is just an overview of the MANY comments we got about Disney Genie. A huge thank you to our readers for sharing their thoughts with us. It seems for some, Genie+ has worked out well, while others have had less-than-positive experiences with it.

What are your thoughts? Now that you’ve used Genie or seen others using it, has your view changed? Tell us in the comments below!


All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection

Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie

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Have you used Genie+? Has your opinion of it changed? Tell us in the comments!

The post Have Feelings Changed Towards Disney Genie? first appeared on the disney food blog.