Disney Makes MAJOR Changes to Early Theme Park Entry and Disney Genie+

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Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom

Credit: Disney

Guests planning to visit Walt Disney World Resort in the next few weeks have some important updates to consider.

Disney World is making significant changes to its Park policies beginning December 19 and running through January 3.

Magic Kingdom New Year's Eve fireworks
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney Genie Continues To Confuse and Frustrate Guests

During this period, Disney World is extending its early Park entry for Hotel Guests from 30 minutes initially to 60 minutes. This will allow Guests who are staying onsite at a Disney Resort to get into the Parks even earlier. In addition to its change on theme park entry, Walt Disney World Resort is also making changes to its Genie+ experience.

Four attractions that have operated as “Individual Attraction Selection” with added fees will now join Disney’s  Genie+ during this period. Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom), Expedition Everest (Disney’s Animal Kingdom), Frozen Ever After (EPCOT), and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) will all be available for selections on the Disney Genie+ app rather than Guests having to pay a separate fee to gain express access to the line queue.

Mickey and Minnie´s Runaway railway billboard
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney Genie+ Now Offering PhotoPass Augmented Reality!

These changes are being made to provide a better Disney Park experience for Guests who are visiting during one of the busiest times of the year.

Disney Parks describe Genie+ like this:

 For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day – from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability). This convenient option is the next evolution of the fan-favorite Disney MaxPass service from Disneyland Resort. Disney Genie+ will also include Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories – augmented reality lenses for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day if you are visiting Disneyland Resort.

Crowd at Main Street, U.S.A. Magic Kingdom
Credit: @3BridgesNick

There have been some hiccups along the way with Genie+ since its introduction at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, including outages and glitches, but some Guests are beginning to come around to the app.

Allowing Guests the opportunity to book these four popular attractions with the purchase of Genie+ and use the Lightning Lane, in addition to the attractions already available in Genie+, should give an extra incentive for those planning their trips in the next few weeks to try out the new service.

Have you used Genie+ while at the Parks? What was your experience like?

Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney District. Or what about Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!

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