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Credit: Disney Parks BlogWalt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort introduced just a few months ago Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lane.
Ever since the inception of the new services, Disney Guests have had mixed takes to say the least. The controversial paid service is $15.00 per day per Guest at Walt Disney World Resort and $20.00 per day per Guest at Disneyland Resort.
Guests who purchase Disney Genie+ are then able to book reservations for some of their favorite attractions, though some of the most popular attractions are only available a-la-carte through Lightning Lane.
As plans for non-distanced Disney character interactions are put in place, it seems that it will not utilize the Lightning Lane for these interactions.
According to a report from the Orange County Register, Disneyland Resort does not plan on using the paid service for these character interactions. That means all Guests will wait in the same standby queue to give Olaf a hug, Mickey Mouse a high-five, or pose for pictures with their favorite Disney princess.
In addition, the report notes that Disneyland plans on beginning non-distanced character interactions on Monday, April 18.
Walt Disney World Resort added four character interactions to Disney Genie+ back in January, which include Mickey Mouse in Town Square Theater, Cinderella and Tiana in Princess Fairytale Hall at the Magic Kingdom, as well as Olaf in the Celebrity Spotlight venue at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Standby line queues still remain at no charge for these character interactions, as well.
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!