Disney’s new Fast Pass system, Disney Genie has been release! I’m recording a podcast tonight with The Mouse And More and we’re going to get into all the details. Here I'll break down each facet of the new system in Disney World and then give you my analysis of how we can use this to give you a better trip experience.
✨We will see it sometime this Fall, but no date has been announced.
✨ It’s already going to be integrated into your My Disney Experience App - love that!
✨ It’s free! Sort of, but we’ll get into that....
✨ It’s using predictive software to help you plan your day! You will have the opportunity to “like” (we all know how to do that here) your favorite rides, shows, foods (more Dole Whip in my life please), etc. Genie will then map out your day based on your preferences! It will create a personalized itinerary and tip board based on what they want to see, show forecasted wait times, connect you with a virtual assistant and help you place mobile orders, join a mobile dine walk-up waitlist for restaurants, etc AND it will be flexible through the day as things change.
Here’s where it gets tricky:
✨ You will have to the ability to pre-purchase fast passes - now called Lightning Lane - where you can bypass standby lines.
✨Base Genie + is $15 per day per ticket at Disney World. With the base paid version of Disney + you will be able to to select return times (1 ride at a time) for as many of the *included attractions as you’d like. This service can be used in all 4 parks WITH a park hopper. Attractions in the base priced DisneyGenie+ have not been officially announced, but we’ve heard directly from Disney that they will include attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Haunted Mansion. You can do 1 at a time. Once you tap your Magic Band or swipe your key card, you can make your next Lightning Lane selection.
✨Option 2: there will be a second paid option (which is separate from the $15) that will allow guests to select return times for 2 more popular attractions (such as 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Ratatouille or Rise of the Resistance). The price for the popular rides a la carte option will vary depending on the date, attraction and park. These can be a different parks if you have a hopper ticket.
✨ You can pre-purchase Genie + BUT you can only start making your selections at 7AM day of your visit IF AND ONLY IF you're staying at a Disney Resort, Shades of Green or the Swan or Dolphin hotels.
Here are my thoughts so far (and let's give it chance to roll out and see). I love love love that Disney is finally giving guests access to their predictive software! They've been using predictive software for years to help shorten wait times, allocate staff, etc. I think that if guests are thoughtful about feeding Genie their preferences, then they will end up with a great itinerary that can adapt to their changing plans throughout the day. I'm also very interested to see how these preference selections will create a "tip board."
Of course I don't love the surge pricing for popular attractions. I'll be honest though....I think I'll like it better than what we've been doing. Even when we had the option to plan our fast passes in advance, getting Mine Train was a NIGHTMARE! I have certainly thought about how much I'd be willing to pay to have a guaranteed pass to Rise of the Resistance or Mine Train. Standing in line in the heat will make you reconsider if you'd be willing to pay a small fee to to jump to the front of the line!
If ease and convenience is a trip priority for you, then this is the answer to your prayers! Families with limited time will love being able to pre-purchase Genie+ and have guaranteed front of the line access. For all of you who have said that you hated having to plan your day so far in advance, you may end up loving this new option as well. This system does seem to give you more flexibility.
This will change the landscape for a family on a tight budget. However, I anticipate that if Genie + and the paid a la carte option is as popular as I expect it will be, that could loosen up the stand-by lines at more attractions. For my budget-conscious guests I still think this good news. The free version will still help you plan your day by showing predicated wait times throughout the day for attractions, not just the current wait times that we have access to now.
Here's what I know for sure:
1.) Things will change as it rolls out and Disney tweaks it to make it work better.
2.) You will definitely want to take advantage of a no-fee travel advisor like myself who is staying on top of all the changes and can help you strategize how best to use these new options. There are certainly some ways to use these to improve your experience, save you time, money, hassle and stress. I'll be researching more and then talking to cast members and guests on the ground as this rolls out. Having an agent who is on top of these changes and has strategies for you will make all the difference in your trip!
So what questions do you have? I'm here to answer everything I can!