There’s something new coming to Disneyland and DisneyWorld this fall! Disney is launching a new service called Disney Genie and Disney Genie + that will be taking the place of the old Fastpass and Maxpass systems. Disney is also adding Individual a la cart option for select attractions(paid feature). More on that below. There’s a lot of aspects to the Disney Genie Pass and it can seem a little confusing and overwhelming. Don’t worry! I’m going to break it down for you so you can decide if the Disney Genie Pass is right for your family. There’s pros and cons that you’ll need to understand before you make your decision. If you’re looking for Disney vacation planning help, I’ve got lots of info for you! Check out my Complete Disneyland Planning Guide and My Complete DisneyWorld Planning Guide for everything you need to plan the perfect vacation!
The Disney Genie Pass will have two options. Disney Genie is complimentary and included with the price of your ticket. Disney Genie + is a paid upgrade. There’s some really great things included with both services. I’ll break down both options so you can see what they entail. Both services will run through the Disney app and My Disney Experience. They are designed to help you maximize your park time.
I’ve got a podcast episode all about the Disney Genie! You can find it here if you listen with apple podcasts. It’s also available on all the other podcast platforms. Just search for Mix In Some Magic.
Disney Genie(Free)
This version is included with your park ticket at no additional cost to you. It features a personalized itinerary feature that will quickly map out your entire day in the park. You’ll be able to choose specific things like attractions, dining experiences and entertainment or it can plan your day based on general interests like “Disney Princess” or “Star Wars”. You’ll just tell Genie what you want and he’ll do the planning for you. Here’s some additional features.
Itinerary Updates All Day
Disney Genie will continue to update your itinerary all day, so you’ll always know where to go next and hopefully avoid the longest lines.
Highlight Your Favorites
Create your own personal tip board to save your favorites. It will display current and forecasted wait times to help you decide when to visit each attraction.
More Flexibility
Disney Genie brings all the planning features available together in one place. You can join a virtual queue for certain attractions, make dining reservations, mobile order food and get help from a virtual assistant.
Disney Genie +(Available for purchase)
Disney Genie + is available for purchase as an add on to your Disney day. It’s priced at $15 per ticket, per day at DisneyWorld and $20 per ticket, per day at Disneyland. This system will essentially work like the old MaxPass system at Disneyland. You’ll be able to choose the next available ride time to select attractions and enter through the “lightning lane”(previously fast pass lane) to avoid waiting in the stand by line. You can make one selection at a time throughout the day. You can make your first selection as soon as you enter the park.
Included Attractions
Disney Genie + pass will include 15 attractions at Disneyland and 40 attractions at DisneyWorld. No word yet on which attractions will be included at each park. I’ll update this with more info as soon as it’s released. Disney Genie + is compatible with park hopping.
Photo Features/Audio Experiences
Themed audio experiences and photo features are included with the Disney Genie + pass. Photo pass will be included for Disneyland guests and augmented reality lenses for DisneyWorld guests.
Disney Hotel Guests
Disney Genie + is not included for guests staying at Disney resort hotels. There is no discount for hotel guest. Hotel guest can make their first attraction reservation at 7am from their hotel room. They do not have to be in the parks to make their selections.
Individual Attraction Selections(A La Cart)
This new feature will allow guest to schedule(purchase) up to 2 highly demanded attractions each day and enter the attraction using the lightning lane. You can add this option without using Disney Genie +. Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and has not been announced yet. Essentially, you’ll be able to pay an additional fee to ride the most popular attractions(2 per day).
Stand By Lines/Virtual Queues
Stand by lines and virtual queues(for select attractions) will still be available and included with your ticket.
Pros
There’s lots to love about the new Disney Genie pass options! Access to rides with shorter wait times is a huge bonus. I love that you’ll be able to pay for big ticket attractions individually if you’re not able to get a spot in the virtual queue. Lightning lane lines will likely be shorter than previous fast pass lines because there is no longer the free fastpass option.
It’s a great change for DisneyWorld guests because they used to have to make their fast pass reservations 60 days in advance and the most popular ones were hard to reserve.
Cons
There is no longer a free Fastpass system available. The Disney Genie Pass costs extra money. This may make it hard for some families to afford it. I’ve got lots of ideas about how to save money for your Disney trip here. Stand by lines may be longer on crowded days because of the Genie + pass.
Is It Worth The Extra Cost
That’s the million dollar question! Is the new Disney Genie + pass or the individual attraction selections(a la cart) option worth the extra money. My answer is: maybe. It will depend on each individual situation. I love the idea of the shorter wait times by using the lightning lanes, but they extra cost will be tough to swallow for our family of 6. My solution will probably be to purchase the Disney Genie +, but spend 1 less day in the parks. That way, we can take advantage of the new system and shorter lines but not blow the budget.
There’s a lot of things that we just don’t know yet about how they Disney Genie pass will actually work when it’s put into action. I will keep you updated so you can have the best Disney vacation experience possible! I’ve got lots of tips to help you. You can find my Disneyland tips here and my DisneyWorld tips here. Follow me on Instagram for all the latest Disney info and vacation planning tips!
