Disneyland Resort is home to many iconic attractions and experiences.
With visiting both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, Guests are treated to an immersive experience that includes attractions they won’t soon forget like Haunted Mansion, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, Radiator Springs Racers, Jungle Cruise, and many more.
Recently, the Orange County Register conducted an interview with Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock and asked him many questions pertaining to the Disney Parks currently and looking forward to the future.
One, of course, was about the controversial implementation of Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane services that have received much backlash from some Guests.
Despite that backlash, Potrock said that Disneyland is finding that those who use Genie+ and Lightning Lane are having the “opportunity to do everything they wanted to do.”
“It’s been pretty extraordinary. We’re getting very high take rates. A large percentage of the guests are wanting to use it. One of the things that we’re finding is that those that use it are feeling that their experience was better and that they had an opportunity to do everything that they wanted to do. That’s really important.
Still, Potrock said Disney is working to improve its free Genie service and that it won’t forget about the Guests who aren’t wanting to purchase the added services of Genie+ or Lightning Lane.
“At the same time, we can’t forget about guests that aren’t wanting to use it. We’re working very hard to improve the Genie service, which is the free service that helps navigate people through the park more effectively and efficiently. That’s going to be very valuable as well. Ultimately, all boats need to rise.”
In the interview Potrock also shared that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway would be enhanced and explained why Fantasmic! is opening so much later than the other Disney nighttime spectaculars, as well as much more.
More on Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane
Disney Genie was recently added to the My Disney Experience app, which is a new way for Walt Disney World Resort Guests to plan their day. Disney Genie is meant for those who are unsure on what they should do while at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and gives them a variety of specifically catered options. On top of that, Disney Genie also has a Disney Genie+ feature. For $15.00 per day per Guest, you can skip the long standby queue by making a Lightning Lane reservation (new FastPass) and returning at that time.
At each Disney Park, however, there are some attractions that Guests would need to purchase a separate Lightning Lane ticket for if they wanted to skip those lines. Those Walt Disney World Resort attractions are:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Expedition Everest
Disneyland Resort has this available as well, but at $20.00 per day and only three attractions in the “a la carte” section of pay per ride at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Disneyland Paris also has a pay-per-ride system with Premier Access, and now, it seems that the Disney influence is traveling to more local-based theme parks, which can end up driving up the cost of the theme park experience for Guests looking to spend less than they would at Disney.
What has your experience been like with Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane? Let us know in the comments!
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disney World’s water parks, four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district! Or, how about a trip to Disneyland Resort to experience the Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure and the iconic attractions found in Disneyland Park, as well as the Downtown Disney shopping and dining distrct!