If you haven’t been to Disney in a hot minute you may be surprised on your next vacation to learn there is no more fast passes. Gone are the days of the ticket stands outside rides telling you when to come back for a shorter wait. Even the app and making fast pass reservations are gone. Well the free version at least. Since COVID shut down Disney World in 2020, the park has come out with a ton of new changes, most notably Genie Plus.
Genie Plus is a paid service that allows you to skip the line on included attractions once per day. The price varies from park to park and day to day, but you can expect this add on to cost between $15-$35 per day. The cost allows you to book available fast passes throughout your day either at one park or multiple. So what are the pros and cons.
Let’s start with the Cons
- Not all rides are available
- If you are expecting to buy Genie Plus to get fast passes for new rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron, think again. These newer rides are not included with Genie Plus and require a separate Lighting Lane Purchase.
- Limited Availability
- You’ll notice with a Genie Plus purchase that some rides are sold out right in the beginning of the day. Popular rides like Frozen fast passes sell out immediately.
- Purchases can only happen once in the park.
- To make the most of your purchase, you are going to have to optimize your park time and start first thing in the morning.
- 1 Reservation at a Time
- Unlike the old app based fast pass system where you could start your day with 3 reservations, you can only have one reservation at a time. Unless you book something that is over 2 hours away, then once you pass the 2 hour mark you can make another fast pass reservation.
- Another Cost
- It Is worth mentioning that this is an add on feature. And while Disney is one of the most expensive vacations people take, adding this level of experience just adds to the already high price tag.
Now for some Pros of Genie Plus
- Time Saver
- If you are short on time or have little ones who struggle to wait in line, this can be well worth your money.
- Park Hopping Freedom
- For the same price as a Genie Plus ticket to Magic Kingdom or Hollywood studios you can do a park hopping version that allows you to have fast pass access at all the parks. If I were to recommend Genie Plus is would be only this feature with Magic Kingdom being apart of your day, as they have the most rides to choose from on the app.
And just a few added tips from my experience using Genie Plus
- Always purchase Genie Plus Park Hopper option to maximize your ride availability
- If you care more about riding new rides and planning your day accordingly, purchase individual lighting lanes at 7:00am.
- If you are holding on to a fast pass for 2 hour or more make sure to book another reservation as soon as the 2 hour mark passes
- Get to the parks early to optimize your time and ride availability
- Must do rides that tend to have long wait or sell out of fast passes like Frozen, be sure to select first even if it is not an ideal time.
- If you want to drop a fast pass, be sure to see a customer experience agent at a blue tent located throughout the park.
