Disney Cast Member Publicly Blasts Genie+, Calls It "A Trap" - Inside the Magic

Things have definitely changed ta the Disney Parks in recent years, especially with how its reservation systems work as well as crowd levels seemingly always increasing. COVID-19 also changed the Disney Parks in ways we will still be seeing for years to come but perhaps the biggest overhaul of the Disney experience was with its FastPass system and what it was replaced with.

Related: Disney Genie Continues To Confuse and Frustrate Guests

Originally, Guests used a paper ticket to use the FastPass line. When the ticket was used up, the Guest simply went to another machine and got another one. This system was altered and tinkered with until we arrived at FastPass+, a similar system except it was all digital and you could only make three passes at a time. This was changed again last year to what Disney calls Genie+ and Lightning Lane.

The reception to Disney Genie and Lightning Lane has been mixed, to say the least. When visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or any of the Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide, there’s one thing you can count on doing, which is waiting in line. Because of the popularity of the Disney Parks, millions of Guests visit each year, meaning you’ll more than likely have to wait in a few lines to ride and experience your favorite attractions. But after Disney released Genie+ into the Disney Parks, many are starting to wonder if Disney makes a profit off of its long lines.

Related: Disney Guest Stalks Cast Member For Days, Finds Her at Multiple Locations

A story shared online highlights this struggle Guests and even some Cast Members have with the new system. In a post made on Reddit a few days ago, one Guest details their experience of riding the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland recently. The Guest says they were about to board the ride vehicle when a Cast member working in the attraction said “Quickly now! Don’t worry, there aren’t any traps. The only trap to fall for is Genie Plus!”. The Guests were stunned by the comment, as a Cast Member publicly criticizing Disney’s Genie+ system would surely shock anyone.

In the comments, the users discussed how they feel about Genie+, with some openly criticizing it as well. One user said, “See now when I went to Disney a few weeks back, genie plus really did help… But the problem is that genie plus helps with the problems that genie plus creates”. Another called the new system “greedy”.

Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane were released last year to much criticism and frustration, leaving many Guests feeling confused by the service. In theory, this paid service should enhance Guests’ experience at the Parks, but in practice, it seemed to just be an expensive itinerary planner. These paid services allow Guests to skip lines for a price, meaning Disney now has a financial incentive to have long lines. At Disney World, 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.

The implementation and release of Genie and Genie+ at Walt Disney World and Disneyland has been rocky, to say the least, with many Disney World and Disneyland Guests wondering if Disney Genie+ is even worth the price. Some even deducted that Disney might be artificially inflating wait time so people feel pressured to purchase Genie+ or the Lightning Lane add-ons. One example of this recently popped up on Twitter with a Guest pointing out the descrepency between what Genie+ says and what the actual posted wait time of the ride was.

Have you ever used Genie+? Let us know in the comments below. 

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