So Long, Free FastPass. Hello, Genie.
This week Wednesday, Disney made an announcement some saw coming, and was alarming to others. It was an announcement about Disney Genie, which if you read this blog, you knew was coming soon. But contained in that announcement was news of an additional PAID service that will replace FastPass Plus. Let's break it down.
"I'm History. No, I'm Mythology. No... I Don't Care What I am!"
FastPass is not coming back. Not as FastPass Plus, which Walt Disney World visitors could use for free to reserve up to three rides per day up to 60 days ahead of time. Not as regular FastPass, which Disneyland visitors could use for free to visit ride kiosks and use the faster line at a given return time, one at a time. And Not as MaxPass, which allowed Disneyland users to avoid running around to all those kiosks and just get their FastPasses on their phone for $15/day.
Disney Genie, on the other hand, will be released "sometime this Fall" at both United States Disney parks. Disney Genie itself will be free, and will use user's preferences to recommend attractions and even plan itineraries. It will also be used to book dining and mobile order. Disney says it can be used to forecast wait times throughout the day and save you time in line. Once it plans an itinerary, it will continue to use live information to modify the itinerary to save you the most time. This base service is actually part of the MyDisneyExperience app.
This all sounds great, and it could be. But we also expect that Disney is going to use the app data plus whatever tracking data they have on each guest and disperse crowds. Expect to be directed to underappreciated rides and attractions a bit more often. If you're like me and just want to ride Avatar: Flight of Passage or Soarin' three times in a row, well, I'm going to guess you're going to break the itinerary.
"Sorry, Kid, I've Got a New Master Now"
In addition to the base features of Disney Genie, guests can spring for Disney Genie+ which is going to allow guests, among other options depending on the park, to use the Lightning Lane to ride the ride at the next available time slot. From what we know, we believe this will work similar to MaxPass at Disneyland California, where guests can use their phone app to obtain one pass to skip a standby line at a ride at a time. Unlike FastPass, however, the reservation is for the next available time slot. If you like it, take it. If not, choose a different ride. You won't have the option to select a time from a list anymore, at least at launch. When you tap in to your current ride, get on the app and get another. And so on. Disney Genie+ is a paid service. So basically, if you want to use a faster line at rides, you will now be paying for it.
Additionally, some rides like Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be exempt from the basic service and will require their own, additional, Lightning Lane pass for an additional fee. Two of these can be made per guest per day, if available, and they must be for different rides. Pricing for individual Lightning Lane purchases will be dynamic, based on supply and demand. At Disneyland Paris, which piloted a program similar to this, prices ranged from $10-$18. And if you just dropped your bucket of popcorn at that pricing, remember that the standby line is always there, so each family needs to make their own decision whether to wait it out for free or pay to skip the wait.
There is no crossover between rides available for individual Lightning Lane purchase and those covered by the Disney Genie+ base fee, and at this time, we believe that an individual Lightning Lane purchase will not prevent you from making a Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation for another ride because the systems are independent of one another.
However, once a Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation is made, you must either tap into the attraction (OR rumor has it, wait 120 minutes even if you haven't tapped in yet) before you can make another Disney Genie+ Lightning lane reservation.
Guests using individual Lightning Lane purchases or Disney Genie+ will be able to begin making reservations in the morning. For guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort, these can be made at 7am. For guests not staying at a Walt Disney World resort, they can be made only upon the park you are visiting opening. Selections after the first ride will follow the FastPass rules you might be familiar with (tap into the current reserved ride, and then you can make another selection).
"Uh, Princess Jasmine, You're Very... Punctual"
If the ride uses a virtual queue, like Rise of the Resistance currently does, those entering the virtual queue will use the standby line, and those using an individual Lightning Lane purchase will use the former FastPass line.
As far as booking goes, since both the virtual queue and the Lightning Lane individual purchases are able to be made at 7am or park opening, we recommend trying to get in a virtual queue first. Virtual queues are free, are often obtainable, and won't sell as quickly as paid reservations. Do your paid Lightning Lane purchases after this, if you wish to use them.
"Phenomenal Cosmic Powers... Itty Bitty Living Space"
Disney Genie, remember, is free. It does not include access to the Lightning Lane (only Disney Genie+ does). For Disney Genie+, guests can purchase this as part of a vacation package for all days of their vacation, or purchase it at 7am on the day they intend to use it.
For whatever days it will be in use, it will cost $15 per guest per day at Walt Disney World and $20 per guest per day at Disneyland. Compare this to MaxPass which was at Disneyland and cost about $15 per day, the Disneyland crowd may be more accepting of this cost than the Disney World crowd.
There are perks to Genie+ in addition to Lightning Lane, and those vary by park.
At Walt Disney World:
-audio features
-augmented reality lenses
At Disneyland:
-audio features
-Free Photopass downloads
"But Oh, To Be Free"
I believe I've been through all the stages of grief over this announcement. My most angry reaction, believe it or not, was that the Genie, played by actor Robin William's, who I adored and whose lines as Genie are sprinkled in this article, is now the face of this new way of doing business that feels, well, harder for the average family, and in turn feels against what Walt would have wanted. But we've known for some time that Disney has become a money making machine. I do wish, though, for families who struggle to pay the already extensive costs of a Disney vacation, there was some consideration. It is yet to be seen whether Disney Genie+ is looped into promotions (we hope so).
On the other hand, somewhat selfishly, we also realize this is a lot more of a blow to Walt Disney World fans than it is to Disneyland fans who already were willing to pay for MaxPass. In fact, throw free Photopass downloads in with MaxPass features for an additional $5, and that's a STEAL. And since yours truly is currently in the process of planning a Disneyland vacation, I'm happy to use the Genie+ service. At Disney World, though, it is not comparable to any other system. We never paid for privileged access there.
And I think that's what rankles the most.... "privileged" is an apt word. If this were about superior planning or even chance, I would be behind it. I would find a way to make it work for me. But superior planning of the customer doesn't grow a corporation. Money does that. And I do hate this has to be yet another expense for the guest. In fact, it's starting to feel like I'm not a guest, but rather a pocketbook. Which, I suppose, in reality, I've always been. And when taken in comparison to what other theme parks are doing, it is right in line and not unusual at all.
And that's everything we know right now. Given the announcement was just made, we're sure more details are coming. And as we do plan to use this service this Fall, provided it is out, we'll share our thoughts. What do you think of this news? Tell us on our Facebook page where you can Follow us to see when new articles are posted each week.
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