It’s been well over a year and a half since guests visiting Disney World could “skip the line” at popular attractions across all four parks, but, today it is BACK — it just looks very different!
Earlier this year, Disney announced that they would be retiring FastPass and FastPass+ in Disney World and replacing it with two new PAID services called Disney Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection. And, as of today (October 19th, 2021), these services are LIVE and we’re bringing you along for our first day using them — let’s get to it!
What is Disney Genie and How Much Does It Cost?
Before we dive into what it’s like to purchase and use the new services, let’s first cover what exactly they are!
Disney Genie is a brand new feature that can be found directly in your My Disney Experience app. It is broken down into three different pieces — Disney Genie (which is free to use), Disney Genie+ (which is an additional cost), and Individual Attraction Selections (which is also an additional cost).
The FREE version of Disney Genie is filled with tools that are made to help you plan your day and maximize your time in the park. It’s basically your one-stop shop for everything from wait times, dining reservations, mobile ordering, entertainment, and more.
Click HERE to Learn How to Get the Most Out of the Free Version of Disney Genie
Plus, it’s got some pretty cool features that Disney has never offered before!
Disney Genie+ on the other hand is one of the new FastPass+ replacement services.
Disney Genie -- WDW
It provides guests with access to new Lightning Lanes (aka the old FastPass+ lanes) at 46 different attractions across all four parks for $15 per person, per day. Disney Genie+ will park hop with you, but unlike FastPass+, you’ll make your Lightning Lane reservations one at a time (meaning you have to scan into a Lightning Lane to select another).
Disney Genie+ -- WDW
Individual Attraction Selections is the second paid service that is replacing FastPass+ in Disney World and it provides access to Lightning Lanes at 8 different rides throughout all four parks. These attractions are NOT included in Disney Genie+ and are each separately priced (with prices that vary based on date, ride, and park).
Individual Attraction Selections -- WDW
Here’s a look at the pricing that we’re seeing today (note that these prices will change, increasing during peak times of the year and potentially decreasing during less busy times)… .
It’s #DisneyGenie day! Here are some of the fancy ride ™️ prices we’re seeing this morning. These are subject to change.
Rise of the Resistance: $15
Runaway Railway: $8
Remy’s: $9
Frozen Ever After: $9
Space Mountain: $7
7DMT: $10
Flight of Passage: $11
Everest: $7 pic.twitter.com/KbqrJjhf4Q— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) October 19, 2021
Here’s a quick breakdown of which rides are included in each service:
So, let’s dive into these new features, shall we?
We Answered Your BIGGEST Questions About Disney Genie+
Purchasing Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selections
Disney Genie+
There are TWO ways to purchase Disney Genie+. Guests who are booking a vacation package can purchase Disney Genie+ in advance of their trip, though they will be required to buy the service for every day of their vacation this way. So, for example, if you’re purchasing a 7-Day Theme Park Ticket, the cost will range from $223.64 to $447.30 per person depending on what ticket level you’re purchasing.
So, if you’d rather pick and choose which days you use Disney Genie+ or if you’re just heading into the park for one day, you can purchase Disney Genie+ beginning at 12AM that same day.
We opted to purchase Disney Genie+ on the day of, so we updated our app (which you’ll need to do too!) and hopped onto the My Disney Experience app at 12AM to get started. And, the first thing that you’ll do when purchasing is open up the Disney Genie portion of the app (which you can navigate to from the home screen) and click “Get Disney Genie+ Service.”
Next, you’ll be led to a screen with a quick overview of the service and you’ll select those in your party that you’d like to buy Genie+ for. Note that you do NOT need to purchase it for everyone in your party that day.
Next, you’ll confirm your party and that will be it! You’ll be led to a confirmation screen with details on your total. Keep in mind that Disney Genie+ does have tax, so your total will actually be $15.98 per person, per day.
Click HERE to See Why Disney Genie+ Will Cost You More Than You Thought
For everyone who has opted to buy Disney Genie+, they can make their first Lightning Lane selection at 7AM. And, that’s when we opened the My Disney Experience app this morning! Depending on which park you have a Park Pass Reservation for, Disney Genie+ will only show you Lightning Lane options for that park. We had a pass for Magic Kingdom, so it pulled up the earliest return times available in that park.
Once you select the Genie+ Lightning Lane that you want, you’ll be led to a page where you confirm your party, and then it’s booked!
You’ll now see your Genie+ reservation in your “My Day” tab and you’ll only be able to make a second Lightning Lane reservation once you’ve scanned in for that first one.
Click HERE for a Step-By-Step Guide to Purchasing (and Booking) Disney Genie+
Individual Attraction Selections
When it comes to Individual Attraction Selections, there is no option to make your purchases in advance and all guests must make their selections the day of.
Guests staying at Disney World Resort hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin, or Shades of Green are able to purchase up to two Individual Attraction Selections at 7AM on the day of their visit.
Is it WORTH Staying at a Disney World Hotel for the New Pay-Per-Ride Perk?
And, all other park guests will need to wait until the park opens to make their selections.
We were staying at a resort, so at 7AM (after reserving our Genie+ Lightning Lane) we pulled up the My Disney Experience app to make our selections!
Click HERE to See Why 7AM Just Became the Worst Part of Your Day in Disney World
There is not a separate section in the app for Individual Attraction Selections and instead, they can be found on the “Tip Board” with other Lightning Lane selections — so you’ll have to do some searching.
Once you’ve found the ride that you want to purchase as an Individual Attraction Selection, you’ll click the “LL” symbol and then be led to a screen where you can select a return time at any point during the day.
One thing to note is that the Tip Board will only pull up suggestions for the first park that you plan to visit (aka the one you have a Park Pass Reservation for). So, if you’re planning on park hopping and want to purchase an Individual Attraction Selection there, you’ll need to search for the ride in the My Disney Experience app or change your park at the top of the Tip Board to find it and buy a Lighting Lane return window.
Click HERE For More Details on How to Purchase a Pay-Per-Ride Attractions!
Individual Attraction Selection Availability
While it seemed that most Individual Attraction selections were available bright and early at 7AM (for Disney World Resort hotel guests only), a few attractions started to book up around 9AM for the remainder of the morning.
For example, at 9AM, the earliest reservation window for Rise of the Resistance was 4:05PM, though Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was still available as early as 10:35AM (note that both of these are Individual Attraction Selections).
Current Lightning Lane windows for Hollywood Studios
Earliest remaining times for fancy rides ™️ are:
💫 Rise of the Resistance 4:05 PM
🚂 MMRR 10:35 AM pic.twitter.com/n0crDtTlKL— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) October 19, 2021
However, we spoke with a Cast Member who shared that the Individual Lightning Lane was currently closed on the app, though they would likely be releasing more availability later in the day (though they shared that likely wouldn’t occur until around 1PM or 2PM).
Learn More About the Pay-Per-Ride Options That Have Sold Out in Disney World HERE!
When it comes to Genie+ return times, some were booking up early as well! In fact, by 9:20AM, the earliest return time for Slinky Dog Dash in Disney’s Hollywood Studios was 6:30PM.
There is still one way to skip the lines for FREE in Disney World though! We noticed that many of the rides that previously had Single Rider Lines had these lanes open with little to no wait. This included Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Test Track at EPCOT.
Learn More About the Single Rider Wait Times We Saw today HERE!
Now, Disney Genie+ does allow guests to book a Lightning Lane reservation at another attraction if the next return window is more than 120 minutes out (2 hours), but there is a catch — the 120 Minute Rule.
What is the 120 Minute Rule?
Previously, Disney had shared that guests who select a Genie+ Lightning Lane return time that is more than 120 minutes (2 hours) away would be able to select a second Lightning Lane for earlier in the day. And, while this is still true, we’ve now learned from using the app that you’ll need to wait 120 minutes to make the next selection (regardless of what time the other Lightning Lane reservation is for).
So, for example, when we made our first Genie+ Lightning Lane selection at 7AM, we selected a return time at a ride that was at 12:45PM on the same day. And, because of the 120-minute rule, we now had to wait until 11AM (which is 2 hours after the park opens) to make a second Lightning Lane selection with Genie+ and could not “skip the line” at any attractions earlier than that.
Learn More About the 120 Minute Rule HERE!
How Lightning Lanes Work
When we first entered the park this morning with Disney Genie in hand, we didn’t notice any new signage indicating that the features had rolled out in the app. But, all of the new Lightning Lanes were open!
And off we go! ⚡️Lightning Lane ⚡️ for Pirates of the Caribbean pic.twitter.com/cT7BEMHqOz
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) October 19, 2021
Over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we had purchased an Individual Lightning Lane return window for Rise of the Resistance between 10:45AM and 11:45AM. But, when we went to scan in at that time, Rise of the Resistance was down — so, what happens next?
Well, when an attraction is down during your return window for an Individual Attraction Selection, Cast Members will instead provide you with a “Redemption Pass” (loaded directly into your My Disney Experience app) that allows you to come back to the attraction at any time on the same day, so long as the ride opens back up. Just note that it can only be used at the attraction you purchased.
If the attraction remains closed throughout the entirety of the day, you can then visit Guest Relations to inquire about a refund.
Learn More About How Ride Breakdowns Affect Disney World’s New Pay-Per-Ride Option HERE!
Wait Times Without Lightning Lanes
If you’re not choosing to purchase access to the new Lightning Lanes, there is still a FREE way to hop on attractions. Each ride still has a standby queue and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is the only attraction that you’ll need to have a spot in the virtual queue to get on.
But, how have the wait times been impacted by Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection? Here’s what we’re seeing!
Click HERE to See a FULL Breakdown of What The Wait Times Are Actually Like for Pay-Per-Ride Attractions
10AM
At Magic Kingdom, wait times were pretty consistent with what we’ve been seeing in the park recently, with the longest lines being for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (which was 50 minutes) and Jungle Cruise (which was 35 minutes).
Scroll through the tip board to see current standby times and the next Genie+ Lightning Lane time slot pic.twitter.com/q4yiiyCdth
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) October 19, 2021
Click HERE to Learn How Rider Switch Works For Disney Genie+ and Pay-Per-Ride Attractions in Disney World
New AR Lenses With Disney Genie+
As part of your purchase of Disney Genie+ in Disney World, you’ll receive access to brand new AR Lenses that you can access through the My Disney Experience app. These can be found by tapping the three lines in the bottom right of the app and selecting “Disney PhotoPass Lenses.”
Here you’ll find FOUR new filters including the Birthday Cake Castle lense (which is known as “Castle Nostalgia” and is a call back to Disney World’s 25th-anniversary celebrations)…
…it even has a feature to slide all the way from when Cinderella Castle was first constructed to now…
“Castle Nostalgia” PhotoPass Filter takes you on a journey through time with Cinderella Castle (included when you purchase Genie+) pic.twitter.com/X90HHJu30G
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) October 19, 2021
…the Lady and the Tramp lense…
…and the Genie lense.
And, while the Castle Nostalgia and Ratatouille lense need to be used when you’re in the parks, you can use the Lady and the Tramp and Genie lense from anywhere. Plus, you’ll have access to them for up to 45 days after you purchase Genie+!
Learn More About the New AR Filters HERE!
Well, that’s it for our first day using Genie in Disney World! Of course, we’ll continue to bring you all the best tips and tricks for utilizing these new features on your next visit to Disney World, so be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest!
Is it Possible to Ride EVERYTHING in Magic Kingdom With Disney Genie+? Learn More HERE!
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Are you planning to use any of the new Disney Genie features on your next Disney World trip? Let us know in the comments!
Should have been called Greedy+. Reduced functionality related to FastPass+ with increased cost, increased complexity, and increased issues. Yes, I have experience with it as I used it for 5 park days with our family of 4. With every industry moving towards simplicity, this is completely the wrong direction and likely the end of our trips to Disney Parks.
So if you purchase a pass for ROTR, for example, and the attraction is down during your window, and it finally comes back up 1 hour before park closing but you’ve already left for the day, do you lose your $15?
Two comments: first of all is see “fancy rides ™” and was wondering if Molly or Disney got that trademarked? lol Secondly, i’m wondering what happens with the 120 minute rule in your scenario. If you are not able to make your 2nd ride selection until 11:00am, which is 2 hours after the park opens… at THAT point, your “next Genie+ selection” is less than 2 hours away (12:45) so it’ll be interesting to see if Genie+ lets you make another one. I can see some major tweaking being needed on this, otherwise, you’ve wasted half your morning because you chose to get a LL selection for a busy ride in the afternoon (ie first available time). I loved MaxPass in DL but i don’t think it had that extra 120 minute wait.
MaxPass had the same rule, but it was 90 minutes. The old paper fastpass had the same two hours as the Genie+.
So the rule is you can make your next reservation at the earlier of “the beginning of your next Genie+/LL return window” OR “Two hours after you made your reservation, but the time you made your reservation is considered park opening if you actually made it before then.”
Don’t they have disability passes anymore