Disney Genie revealed - Walt Disney World's next generation of FastPass with pay-per-ride options

Aug 18, 2021 in "Disney Genie"

Forum Forums Tweet Share Tweet Share

Posted: Wednesday August 18, 2021 4:24pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

After years of speculation, Disney has finally taken the wraps off its Genie project and revealed how it plans to reshape the Walt Disney World theme park experience.

Disney Genie was originally announced back in 2019 and now Disney is revealing how it will work

Disney has today announced that Disney Genie, part of the My Disney Experience app, will arrive at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in fall 2021.

Genie+ will be available at Walt Disney World for $15 per person per day, and will include access to the Lightning Lane (previously the FastPass line), for one attraction at a time, with a designated arrival time. In addition, top tier attractions not included in Genie+ will be available for individual purchase at a price not yet announced. We understand from various sources that Disney will be asking between $4 and $24 per person, per ride, depending on the category of attraction.

Most attractions that were previously part of FastPass+ will be included in the flat-rate Genie+, but top-tier attractions and new attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure will require an individual purchase for Lighting Lane access.

Disney Genie overview

According to Disney, "Disney Genie service will maximize your park time, so you can have more fun. It includes a personalized itinerary feature that will quickly and seamlessly map out an entire day. From specific attractions, foodie experiences and entertainment, to general interests like Disney princesses, villains, Pixar, Star Wars, thrill rides and more – just tell Disney Genie what you want to do and it will do the planning for you."

Disney Genie features

Disney Genie will offer a number of free features that do not require the $15 Genie+ option, including:

Get Itinerary Updates from Morning to Night: Disney Genie will continue to update your itinerary throughout your day, so you can be more spontaneous and go with the flow.
Find Your Favorites at a Glance: Create your very own personal tip board to instantly see your favorites. It will display current AND forecasted future wait times, helping you predict when you might experience quicker entry to attractions.
Enjoy More Flexibility and Fun: Disney Genie brings existing planning features together in one place. Join a virtual queue at certain attractions, make dining and experience reservations, mobile order food at many locations, get help from a virtual assistant and more.

The Lightning Lane

The Lightning Lane entrance replaces the FastPass line, and is available for purchase via two services:

Disney Genie+ service (available for purchase): For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day – from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability). Disney Genie+ will also include Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories – augmented reality lenses for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day if you are visiting Disneyland Resort.

Individual attraction selections (available for purchase): Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance – like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure park (subject to limited availability; attractions not included with Disney Genie+). Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch.

Disney has not yet provided a list of attractions that will be part of the individual purchases, but we expect to see Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Test Track, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, Flight of Passage and Kilimanjaro Safaris to not be part of Genie+ and instead require an individual purchase.

For all guests at Walt Disney World, the first Genie+ selection can be made at 7am on the day of the visit. Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels will be able to make individual Lightning Lane attraction selections at 7am, ahead of day guests who will not be able to make selections until the park opens.

Lightning Lane access to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will be priced individually and not part of the Disney Genie+ package

Lightning Lane selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks. Attractions will continue to offer a traditional standby queue, or a virtual queue at certain attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Star Wars Rise of the Resistance will be available for individual Lightning Lane purchases at a price to be announced

Disney is also making some enhancements to the Disability Access Service (DAS) program, including new options to enroll in the program pre-arrival and for DAS participants to select attractions directly in the app. These options will be available in addition to the existing, in-person DAS program.

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders will be able to add Disney Genie+ for $15 on the day of use, but there will not be an option to add it to the pass for use throughout the year.

Detailed overview of how Disney Genie works

Disney Genie, Genie+, Lightning Lane Frequently Asked Questions

See our Disney Genie FAQ for answers to common questions about the new service.

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

bwr8271 minute ago

When you used to enjoy WDW, did you find paying for tickets magical?

Epcot81Fan2 hours ago

Just curious, did they find paying extra for a convoluted line skipping service and then individual charges for rides per person on top of daily tickets “magical”?

MickeyLuv'r2 hours ago

It isn't just purely knowing how to use FP+/G+/MPLL, but also knowing or being willing/able to use the peripheral park hours, and maybe making a few sacrifices. It also isn't just us learning the latest system, but also how Disney tweaks each system over time. Early FP+ and early G+ both lacked the ability to modify. When FP+ first started, the only way to modify a pass was to stand in line- 20minutes- for an in-park kiosk. And that was to get an 8pm FP for the Teacups. People lost more park time in the line to get the FP than they saved by using it.

MickeyLuv'r3 hours ago

This is what I want to know, and this thread doesn't have many first hand accounts. An aspect of G+ that was frustrating was the way times would jump around when choosing a pass time. You had to know to ignore the times offered until you got to the last screen just before confirming the time. I wonder if the new version has a similar issue? In this case, it sounds like the times offered on the tip board do not match what is actually available to book. People reported seeing say a 10am Buzz on the tip board, but they could not book it. Then when they refresh/go back to the tip board, it still says 10am Buzz is available. Might be a temporary glitch, or just something we need to learn about the new system.

MickeyLuv'r3 hours ago

Mostly I agree, but that depends what = a use. I could always get a pass for Philarmagic, but it was 100% useless. So sure, I could always 'use' a Philarmagic pass. Remember back in the days of paper FP, if you pulled a pass for Pooh, you also got a 'bonus' pass for Philarmagic. That wasn't actually a FASTpass, it was an ad- to steer people into Philarmagic so there were fewer vacancies. That's still true today. WDW should add Hall of Presidents to the lineup of available passes!

Ayla3 hours ago

Thank you, that is what I thought.

Ayla3 hours ago

Yes, that is how I understood it, but the wording was throwing me off.

GoofGoof3 hours ago

Once per day. If you purchase LLMP on a different day for the same park you can reserve the same ride or rides again.

Saskdw3 hours ago

It can only be used once per day on each ride.

Ayla4 hours ago

Thank you for the reminder. He won't be a problem, anymore. :)

bwr8274 hours ago

It’s gotta be once per day, just like Genie+.

MickeyLuv'r4 hours ago

To some extent, WDW is always seeking ways to charge higher prices for further rationing of their product. To some extent, every new version of FP succeeds, at least for a time, because people buy it to try it out, or they fear missing out (favorite rides) This new version benefits WDW too because it is non-refundable. In the past, we might not have bought G+ if the weather looked iffy or we didn't feel up for a busy park day. And many of us would not have bought ILL's if we got a VQ. Now VQ's are in opposite land. If you don't buy the SPLL, then you are at the mercy of luck in getting a VQ. That a reversal of sorts.

Ayla4 hours ago

I want to clarify the bolded ~ with this new system, you are only allowed to bypass an attraction once for the entirety of your ticket?? That can't possibly be correct.

bwr8274 hours ago

And when I talk to people who’ve returned, they are using “magic”. Anecdote vs anecdote. But, fewer people can afford the trip. And the extra costs for things like LL.