When Disney Genie was unveiled at Walt Disney World in October, it was designed to be an all-in-one planning system through the My Disney Experience app to help guests chart their day. Although, much to the chagrin of park guests, Disney Genie also replaced the resort’s free FastPass+ system.
Now, instead of FastPass+, guests have the choice to pay for Genie+ for “Lightning Lane” access to skip the lines; but that’s not all. To skip the lines of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World (like Rise of the Resistance or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure), guests must pay per attraction – or Individual Lightning Lane – with prices ranging from $7 to $15 per person.
In short, Disney Genie is a free virtual trip planner that will help a guest skip the lines for a price. Of course, this has been somewhat problematic, as well as controversial; but for Annual Passholders and guests who purchased the Park Hopper ticket option Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lane pose a few additional problems.
But before diving into those issues, let’s address a few need-to-know basics:
At Walt Disney World, guests can begin park-hopping – with a Park Hopper ticket – beginning at 2 p.m. However, guests are required to enter the park they made a Disney Park Pass reservation for before they hop to another park.
Also, while Disney Genie and its customized plans and recommendations are free, Genie+ is $15 per day per person while Individual Lightning Lane attractions (like Rise of the Resistance and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure) are priced separately with costs that vary by date.
Now that’s out the way, let’s get to how Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lane poses problems for park hoppers at Walt Disney World.
Problem #1: Disney Genie Doesn’t Get in a Hurry
Guests who customized their day through the complimentary Disney Genie on the My Disney Experience app and plan to follow its suggestions step-by-step should know that Genie doesn’t always schedule your priorities in a hurry.
While many theme park guests start their day with a plan of attack to maximize every minute, Disney Genie may not think that way, and it may not consider the fact that you will be park hopping even if you added your plan to do so in the app.
In fact, at times, a user may find Disney Genie failing to recommend an attraction or desired entertainment prior to your desired park hopping time.
At the same time, Disney Genie has also been known to continue recommending activities in the park in which you began, even after that 2 p.m. park hop time has passed.
Therefore, if your goal is to tackle all you can at Animal Kingdom before hopping over to EPCOT, Disney Genie may recommend getting a treat or exploring the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail instead of prioritizing your to-do list before 2 p.m.
Problem #2: LATE Genie+ Lightning Lane Return Times
When it comes to making your Lightning Lane or Individual Lightning Lane selections, here’s how it works:
Guests who purchased Disney Genie+ can make their first attraction selection at 7:00 a.m. on the day of their visit. In regard to Individual Lightning Lane purchases, guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel or at other select hotels can make those purchases beginning at 7:00 a.m. on the day of their visit while other park guests have to wait until the park opens.
Here’s the problem. At times, those return times for Lightning Lane attractions – and those Individual Lightning Lane attractions – may not be until after park hopping has begun! For example, your return time for Hollywood Studios’ Slinky Dog Dash or Rise of the Resistance may not be until 4 p.m. or beyond, even though you’re planning to hop to Magic Kingdom at 2 p.m.
On the bright side, it’s worth noting that the Tip Board allows guests to change the park they’re visiting to see Genie+ availability at the park. Plus, you can purchase up to 2 Individual Lightning Lane attractions per day. But at the same time, when it comes to paying for Individual Lightning Lane attractions, your park hopping plans aren’t entirely up to you.
Problem #3: Limited Options for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
At this time, the only way guests can experience EPCOT’s Remy Ratatouille Adventure is via virtual queue or by Individual Lightning Lane purchase.
At 7 a.m., guests can request to join the virtual queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure on the My Disney Experience app. Although, this is inconveniently the exact same time when Lightning Lane selections become available.
In order to join the virtual queue at 7 a.m, guests need to have a Park Pass reservation for EPCOT, even though the park typically doesn’t open until 11 a.m. The virtual queue will open up again for guests at 1 p.m., but only guests who have entered the park can try for a spot.
Of course, the problem is that park hopping isn’t allowed until 2 p.m.; and while it’s possible, the odds of virtual queue spots being open for Remy’s Ratatouille Aventure after that first hour are slim. This means that often the only way a guest can experience Disney World’s newest attraction – without having an EPCOT Park Pass reservation – is by purchasing it as an Individual Lightning Lane attraction.
Problem #4: Disney Genie Doesn’t Allow for Transportation Time
Again, guests following Disney Genie’s recommendations should be aware that the service doesn’t always consider a guest’s time constraints or communicate them to the user.
In addition to continuing to offer recommendations even after park hopping has begun, Disney Genie doesn’t always account for how long it takes a guest to get from one park to another.
Therefore, if a guest has a Lightning Lane return time for 2:30 p.m. at Magic Kingdom, they need to ignore Disney Genie’s suggestions to ride Kilimajaro Safaris at 1:45 p.m. and instead be on a bus or on their way to the parking lot.
If not, Disney Genie may present a whole new issue as Individual Lightning Lane and Genie+ purchases are nonrefundable. Missing a return time for an attraction because a guest didn’t know about the time it takes to get from Point A to Point B isn’t just a lost opportunity but lost money as well.
The moral of this story is that Disney Genie can be a helpful tool, and Genie+ and Lightning Lane can help guests skip those long lines, but guests shouldn’t rely on the service always being an accurate guide. In fact, for guests looking to save time, Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane can result in guests losing time (and money) if they’re unfamiliar with the Walt Disney World experience.
Let’s Hear From You
Let us know how Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane have been working for you! Is it a good genie? Bad genie? Or does this genie just still need to learn a few new tricks?
We’d love to hear your thoughts.
For more about Disney Genie at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, take a look at the article below:
Your Essential Guide to Genie in the Disney Parks (Disneyland & WDW)
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