Good! My family and I did spend the extra money to get the Genie+ . Sure it was nice to be able to use my phone to schedule our ride times, and when one ride was finished we scheduled another ride. What really pissed me off… was the money I spent on the Genie+ ( mind u fast pass at Disney used to be free) and then had to turn around and dish out MORE money if I wanted the “fast fast pass” for rides like Guardian of the Galaxy, ratatouille, the seven dwarfs mine ride, etc! Are frickin’ kidding me?🤷♀️ I spend 150.00 for Genie plus fast pass and another 15.00 for the fast fast pass for what Disney thinks is the best rides. A multi million billion co. And they need to charge even more money to be first in line. I took my chances in the que, but I made sure I was right on top of the time for when the ques were open! My trip to Disney was tripled in price to years past. Now I realize prices go up, but what cost me 5000.00 before, cost me 15000.00 last year, and prices are going up again. I feel really bad for the families who just can’t afford that kind of money, but really wanted to give their kids a magical vacation. This isn’t what Walt Wanted. He made Disneyland and World for ALL families… not just The Rich! Disney has lost its Magic for me. Ive loved Disney since birth. My favorite character was Mickouse as my parents used tell me I pronounced it at as a child. No more Disney for my family…Universal has ALL my business now! They are Waaay more Fun than Disney World!
We just got back from our first ever trip to Disneyland, I was so disappointed. We spent 800 on just tickets for 3 to get in ten we couldn’t even ride but 4 rides. We didn’t get one single ride at CA adventures because we wouldn’t have had time for anything else. We won’t be going back. My hopes were so high and was let down
Disney Parks are no longer affordable. On top of that, the chance of even getting on all the rides are very slim now. Disney is milking every last dollar out of families once they get on the property. No more for us! We use to go every year to Disneyland or WDW.
I agree with all those that are now seeing the Evil Empire for what it is. I weaned my kids off Disney years ago. As much as I enjoyed Starwars in the past, no more for me. As a business owner having to deal with Disney will ruin your business. Doing an event for Disney and one of their employee stole a $20,000 piece of equipment. First they reported all equipment arrived and was logged for the event. Then when the equipment was moved to the event site they reported a piece was misplaced or lost. Then a week later they claimed there was a mistake, that the item never arrived in the first place. They are just scum.
In addition to the extra cost, after already high entrance fee, the whole idea of jump in front of the line is just totally UNFAIR. WHY SHOULD the rich get to ride ahead of the common people, especially for WOKE company? Oh, money talks!
What once was Walt Disney dream for family to be able to enjoy a place of happiness has become Walt Disney (GREED) World.The resorts (which we usually stay at) is now charging quest if they drive TO DW to park there.TOTAL RIPOFF!!!!!.The cups which were once given freely as a perk for staying at a resort now have to buy.TOTAL RIPOFF!!!!! The express from the airport once Free now you pay extra for. TOTAL RIPOFF!!!The so called brains of D.W. haven’t figured out they are offering no advantages or perks to stay on property.
Ours too. It’s sad. Years of saving as well. We can’t even get refunded for days missed during the hurricane when they closed- will allow us to use them another day- but- we can’t afford to go back- airfare, food, cars, etc.
I had an AP for 30 years. As I am disabled it gave me the flexibility to go on days I was well enough to enjoy it. I don’t know in advance. So I haven’t been back. It’s a shame, I can’t be the only one.
It is but the difference is that you actually get to use it to go on rides multiple times so it pays for itself. I used it during the Christmas season 2021 and I stil got to use it lots of times. That’s not the case with Genie +
Also I stayed at a Universal Premium hotel so my stay included Universal Express, you don’t get that either at the Disney parks, it’s another extra. That’s why people are abandoning Disney in droves.
LOL the comments on the Woke Disney ripping off innocent kids and fams is spot on.
So much for inclusion, this is Big Corporate Capitalism at its finest. Love Classic Disney, but Walt would be spinning in his grave. Unhappiest Place on Earth now
And now half the time it’s not even worth it because the amount of people faking DAS to skip the lines turns it into basically paying for a second line
You sound so uneducated and rude – invisible disabilities are real I don’t have to disclose my childrens nor my own to you in line or online . Disney is amazing to its community with special needs!
Let me just say that although I’m missing a limb & another one malfunctions all the time doesn’t mean I’m inflating the severity of my issues but let me just say that people with your attitude will STILL glare at me like, “how dare you”🤦🏽♀️
Yeah I have been to both several times these people are being honest I loved Disney but Disney just cares about the bottom line Walt believed in the family
DAS is not used for physical disabilities. It is only for people with psychological reasons why they cannot wait in the regular line. It is very rude and insensitive for people to say things like that.
Genie + is a rip off! The day we tried to use it, all 4 rides we were interested in were “temporarily down”! Sometimes after we acquired a time slot. The fact that you had to do everything from your phone, was ridiculous! Even getting a cup of coffee! My battery was almost dead, so didn’t dare get off the monorail, at Downtown Disney, for fear of not getting back in, since my ticket wouldn’t be retrievable! Ripped off!
Good nobody cares to hear about you and your husband’s failure at creating children and for your own selfishness are torturing them. You should be a shamed.
Getting the DAS pass is a long process. Hours of waiting on the phone and 2 separate web interviews. Sure, some people fake it (someone I know admitted to me that she lied and said her kid was autistic to get the pass) and I am sure many others do. My child has a real disability. Hopefully Disney can weed out the fake ones because it is frustrating!
The fast pass system they had before covid was great. Go online, pick one class A ride and (I think) three class B rides, all for free. Better than the old fast pass system with the tickets, which was a hassle, (and which people forged). Walt Disney wanted to build a place for families, not the elite. He is spinning in his grave at what his company has become.
WOW… just wow! My son has Myasthenias Gravis Disease. The shorter version is its the weakening of the muscles. No one would know if he was struggling to walk, stand in line etc. Not all diseases/illnesses are visible. Shame on you for your ignorance
There is a whole website on the dark web that people give tips on how to use DAS. People on there brag about how they use it and teach others. It like the difference between Aervice Sogs and Animal Support Dogs. Sadly people who really need these services are going to eventually lose because the programs will be a thing of the past due to these people abusing the system.
Agreed, perhaps, Walt Disney would have wanted as many people as possible from all walks of life to enjoy those amenities. It would be nice if everyone could take their family, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. Now, my kids are older so they schedule their own vacations and yes, Universal is where they go!
You are so right! Walt would not have liked what Land and World are doing. My son wants to go back to Disney World. But, there’s no way we can afford to go.
You can have “Magical” holidays in many other different ways. The “Magical” part is family spending enjoyable moments together. New Disney sounds like too much stress to me. More money, more time in lines and it all leads to less fun and spending quality time together. Standing for hours in line or stressing about the budget does not sound like anything good to me.
We went to Disney world in November paying for five of us I spent around six thousand alone on Disney 14 day passes and Halloween and Christmas party ticket so refused to pay a single penny on lightning lane so we wasted hours every day on queueing for rides worst holiday we’ve had in Florida or which we’ve been 12 times will never go back until lightning lane is removed
Ditto. Well said. Genie+ was meant to use computer algorithms to “workflow manage” paying guests through their desired “must hit” activities, but couldn’t deliver.
Plus, try constantly explaining to your kids to do things in a certain order.
I don’t see a solution other than to keep the reservation system in place and keep the number of guests to a reduced maximum…. but that’s just going to jack up the prices more. Pre-Covid Disney always controlled attendance with prices. Post covid, that same tactic is going to become very elitist.
I could not agree with you more!! No more Disneyland for us! Overpriced and a total rip off when it comes to Genie+!!! Disney is not about family anymore! Universal studios was so much better!!
15k to go to disney??? I went in the 80s and promised my child she could see the castle with fireworks. I’m on a fixed income single and disabled. I guess I could sell my car…
I just got back from taking my family of 14 to 8 day disney trip. How bad was it…when you have a 7 year old saying they rather stay at the pool at the hotel…DISNEY YOU FAILED…but there is Genie +…lol. I did Genie + for everyone…after staying up after 12 am ti purchase them…then getting on at 6:57 am to lock the first ride in…then by next time…none of the good rides left…what????…paid over $400 extra for 1 ride….wait times…2 hrs to 6 hrs…each day we rode around 3 -4 rides…for how much per ride $$$….first time Disney family of 14 and until things change our last!! $30,000 trip to wait in line and try to find rides walk and walk ba k because you can’t pick your times…we walked…walked…walked…waited…and waited…and spent $$$…to reduce wait which really was just walking back and forth in the park to save 20 minutes because the good rides was not available for LL which I laid $400…not worth it…so disappointed in Mickey and Minnie Mouse…what con artist….I am a Continuous Improvement Professional…Disney needs help to re instore magic again. My 6 grandchildren was miserable…we ended up going 4 of the 8 days I paid for because they wasn’t enjoying walking, waiting and couldn’t ride any of their rides they wanted….so sad…shame on you Disney!!!!!
You’re living in fantasyland. Genie+ is the most profitable service that Disney has ever instituted. They’re only doing this so that they can raise prices whenever they want.
Need to eliminate the lighting round also. It causes high length time in line to build and build. Also the animosity in the lines is unbelievable. Hatred towards Disney, hatred to people that are rich and can afford those things and hatred for the hurt feelings people have as they get priority because they can afford e. NOT WHAT MR W DISNEY HAD IN MIND WHEN HE BUILT THE PLACE!!!!!!
I’ll still a believer in the fast pass as everyone has the chance to obtain one. Some people save to have a Disney experience but cannot afford the extra for Disney+ or lightning lane. There is usually 5-8 of us that go and none of us want to spend that kind of $$$ for a ride that was free before! Disney you are robbing us 😠
Dump them altogether.
Bring back fastpasses.
I’m from the UK and Disney is paying more and getting less.
I’ve been over 30 times since 1999 and I’m NOT going back anytime soon.
Book for Sept 2023 and doing Universal only
There should be a more premium option. Genie+ only let you reserve one ride at a time often hours out. Universal let you pay $60-200 per person and skip all lines all day. I would 100% pay $200/person at disney to get a premium pass that let’s us skip all lines unlimited all day
Agree, Universal’s system is so much better, you just hop in line, that’s it. When you are ready to ride a different ride, you just hop in the express line. So simple and user friendly, versus having to log on at 7 am in hopes of getting to use your Genie +, and if the really popular ride isn’t available until hours later you are stuck riding standby and can’t even use your Genie+ until 2 hrs after park opening to ride something else. And what’s more about half the attractions at Disney don’t event have a lightning lane to begin with so if you want to ride those rides you’re stuck in standby even though you paid for genie+. At least with Fast pass you could have 3 fast passes per day that you could reserve in advance, so now there is no ability to plan your day ahead of time to reduce the amount of zigzagging you have to do, or where the heck in the park you will be when it’s lunch time, etc. Also, with fast pass, once you used your first 3 you could book more as long as they were available, including for the same ride. Now you are paying for fast pass that you can only reserve same day one at a time, and can’t book one later for the same ride.
I, too, would pay more for skipping lines all day, for all or most rides. I have a 2 yr old and so we will be stuck in standby in fantasyland all day because they don’t offer lightning lane.
Why? They should have a paid option – Genie+ just sucks, but if they had a paid option that worked and was user friendly (like Universal’s) it would be good. Space in a theme park is a finite resource. The demand has gotten so crazy that they have to increase prices on order to stave off shortages and worst experiences for everyone. Yes, it sucks that they’re getting so expensive now but it’s literally supply and demand. If the demand for their services wasn’t so strong and supportive of the insane prices and continuously going up, then they wouldn’t be able to charge the higher prices.
Yes you are right but its not for people on a budget. They are left out having to wait in longer lines. Especially when this feature use to be free to everyone. Quit sticking up for their greed or sugar coating it i guess. Its ridiculous. I mean you now have to pay for parking per day when you stay at one of their resorts.
Yes, no-one is saying that – the problem is not everyone can afford it, so it creates a 2 tier system where the rich get on rides in little or no time, while the rest of us schmucks have to queue for 2 hours. Just come back from 2 weeks there with 10 of us, it would’ve cost something like 3 grand extra for us all to have Genie+ everyday. Fastpass was fair and equal for all, I highly doubt it but I hope they’ll see sense and bring it back.
It’s actually a 3-tier system. You “shmucks” are on the tier above those who coul never dream of affording a Disney park, much less for two weeks. You can afford more than them, so you get more.
You honestly think they’ll drop their streaming service?? What does that have to do with the park? The article is about genie+ not their streaming service Disney+, regardless, neither of them are requirements, just don’t buy them. They aren’t going to care if there are 50 of you, your money is a drop in the ocean.
stealing your money!?
I suppose your wages are stolen from the people that frequent your workplace?
or you don’t have a job and want the world to provide for you.
Our son has got additional needs so the option of the Genie + worked fantastically wellfor us as a family. It would have been a very different / negative experience without it.
Good thing your son has rich parents, Disney is like”screw the poorer kid’s families they can suffer”. If Disney would just use the reservation system to limit the number of guests in ,it wouldn’t be filled to where there are 2-hour waits in line. Disney would still make tons of money but they’re too greedy to give up every little penny. So they’ll keep cramming people in and laughing about it.
Same here. I will not go. Disney plus may as well be Disney robbery. I have been to Disney over 300 times as a pass holder. I stopped when they started genie plus.
I am with you, Brian. From upper Midwest US, have been to Disney World maybe 15 times, but once this pricing nonsense started, costing much more for less, not interested in going at all. I pray Iger helps right things. Chapstick was AWFUL. Never should have been left in charge. My jaw dropped when they re-upped his contract!
People complain about genie+ because they haven’t seen how bad the other systems are. Just because it was better before doesn’t mean that this one is bad. Try the universal system and then you will appreciate genie+ and wonder why universal doesn’t use a system as good as genie+ :p
Truth! Universal was horrible! Adding on the passes DOUBLED our ticket prices, and you couldn’t use it on certain rides.
I’m not a fan of Genie+ either, but it is definitely better than Universal
How is paying one price at Universal for your entire trip worse than paying up to $29 per person per day at Disney? Especially when the Universal cost covers all but a few rides and there is no virtual que or reservation system at Universal?
I wondered why disney didnt give a system like universal. I’m going back to universal next time because I could pay $200 each to skip all lines all day and it was worth it. I 100% would have paid $200 a person to skip all disney lines all day but couldnt and it was lame. Even with genie plus we did like 4 things in 5 hours. I would easily pay more to skip lines and get to do more
Yes, BUT, that is a one time only price and is for UNLIMITED line skipping for your entire stay. We used the Universal system for the first time in 2022 and I can definitely say it is far superior to Disney’s BS Genie+ system.
For instance, our park passes are good all year. The express pass is also good for the entire time. I would much rather pay the $129 per person for two Universal parks for the entire year than $120 per person per DAY for my 5 day stay at Disney.
I agree Universal has a better plan. And if you stay in certain Universal resorts, the passes are included. I hate the fact that you have to get online at 7:00 to purchase a ride and/or Genie+. We didn’t decide we wanted to purchase 7 dwarfs till it was too late. They took away the purchase ahead so they can change the price on any given day. Disney should offer free Genie+ for different resorts if you’re staying on property. There should be some perks but sadly most of those have gone away.
My point exactly. Universal gives the express pass away for free when you stay at a resort. Disney doesn’t do that anymore. Even when they did, you were limited to 3 fast passes. Universal has no limits.
Have you tried the fast pass system at universal? It costs a lot more than genie+ and doesn’t include several popular attractions! Saying you don’t agree with genie+ is one thing, but saying that you are only going to universal because of it.. That’s not a good argument!
This is based on my knowledge of passholder information so take this with a wee grain of salt.
But Disney Passholders still have to pay the Genie+ fee to get fast passes which is a lot considering out of state passholders are paying up to $1,300 for a pass. Meanwhile at Universal if you’re a premiere passholder which is equivalent it’s a much smaller price but after 4 pm you get unlimited fastpasses. And I think before 4pm you have a limit of only 2 free ones but I’m not sure. Now some rides may not even have a fastpass line but that’s still an infinitely better deal than Disney cause passholders aren’t getting many perks with their passes while the playing field is equal for just every so often guests.
Wrong. Universal Express pass costs $129 per person and is good the entire trip and has unlimited ride access. The only rides NOT on the system are Velociraptor coaster and Hagrid’s Magical Ride. That is it. Everything else is included.
Disney will cost you up to $30 per person per DAY the entire length of your trip. If you go solo, that is still $180 for a 5 day trip AND you only get one ride access at a time. PLUS there are a lot of rides you have to pay extra (Lightening Lane) for and that still doesn’t cover rides that need that virtual cue.
Universal Express is good for the entire day. If you buy the pass on Day 1 but go 4 days in a row, it only is good for all 4 days if you buy it for 4 days. The $129 is a daily price and varies based on the time of the year. The express pass is available as once per ride per day or unlimited per ride per day, the unlimited is a higher price, usually about $50 more in my experience on lighter days in the park.
I get express passes for Universal about half of the time I go to the parks. I rarely splurge on the unlimited rides bc once per day is enough for most of the rides.
Yes, but. Genie+ only works on some rides (rides that previously had fast pass) so that means most of the family rides only have a standby queue (most of fantasyland, for example) whereas at Universal all rides are express lane except for the two newest rides (Hagrid’s and Velocicoaster). What’s more you just get in line you don’t have to worry about a cumbersome and stress -inducing reservation system that might ultimately mean you don’t even get to use your Genie+ for more than 2 or 3 rodes the entire day. Universal’s system is much better and more user/guest friendly.
Your coworkers are having to work harder at WalMart or Subway or Target while you’re riding rides. Be thankful you’re at Disney and not there slaving away too.
I get it Brian! We’ve been about that many times since 2010, were AP holders. I refused to get one when they jacked the price up in 2019, then covid happened. Our next trip will also be to Universal. I have no desire to go back with the changes they’ve made 😒
Bring back Fast Pass! You’ve already raised ticket prices and this pay more for rides is ridiculous! Plus not even guaranteed! I don’t want to be competing at 7 am while on vacation! Not doing it!
Disney would not refund our useless genie plus. We went for Christmas after going several times before, but this is our last trip to Disney. It lost its Magic.
Have traveled from the UK with my children yo WDW around 20 times. Was looking forward to visiting with grandchildren. But extra expense makes us second class citizens as well as booking rules. Used to use a 21 day hopper pass
I already knew that Disney was making people get up at the crack of dawn to purchase Genie plus daily. I hate the system. I have chosen to go when people normally don’t go. February. Genie plus is a gamble. It may be good/bad. You are doing well if you get 3 lightnings a day. Which is what we used to have with fastpass for resort guests.
Well, nothing has really changed. Iger has the opportunity to listen to Disney patrons and eliminate this ridiculous system. But he insists on keeping it. Altering when one can purchase is a lame compromise. It’s time to bring back the system that worked, no charge, and get rid of park reservations. What a mess!
Exactly!!! Petter model would have been to start with the three free ones, then pay a fee if you wanted to continue making three at a time….. they should have gone with this route…..
Of course it didn’t change. Chapek ran Disney for less than a year without Iger actually being CEO, and Iger was on the payroll the entire time. Everything happening is Iger’s long term plan for Disney.
It is actually the truth. Genie+ was Iger’s nightmare plan. So was the Disney+ project. All this stuff came from Iger and Chapek was the one taking the heat when a lot of it failed. Not saying Chapek was good. He was awful. But Iger is partly to blame.
This is an obvious money grab. Mot letting you get genie+ ahead of time means they can change the price how they please. “Oh its going to be a busy day tomorrow, let’s make genie+ $35”
This is just so they can make sure when they jack up the price of it, they didn’t miss anyone. Pre-bought could have been cheaper than on-the-day. Just more greed from the supposedly great Iger.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to get rid of everything? No fastpass, no genie plus, no medical exemptions. Simple, you want to ride, you wait like everyone else. Period.
Medical exemptions just means we wait the amount of time we would stand in line waiting to ride. I use a wheelchair, and am happy to use the queue when the line is accessible. I do not want anything extra. I wait a bit longer, as the posted time is what I must wait, line is usually shorter (not complaining, just noting that posted time which is what is used is almost always longer, ime). This is rise and abelist of you! Why should I be punished, not be allowed to ride, because that is what happens if you don’t allow DAS. I miss the lines, it is part of the experience. What extra do you think we get? I do not double up and get another wait time while waiting for a ride, my guess is most do not (takes too much time and effort). But really, what do you think we get that you do not? I miss the line, but wait longer to ride than you do. I wish I was not disabled, like you, so stop being jerky about it. Disney 20 years ago let us just waltz right on rides (which I thought was wrong back then when I was temp in a chair after an MVA), but it has been at least 17 years since that BS went on! Please stop being a jerk about the disabled!
Yeah but then I would say you should seriously reduce capacity to your parks and actually do it. Like during COVID when they said they were doing it but really only did it for the first year and eventually stopped. So either bring back fastpass or actually turn down ticket sales to parks. Actually set a cap that will allow good flow through the parks without long lines.
People who are disabled or have medical issues do wait like everyone else, just in a different spot. Even if they did get priority, who cares? Being wheelchair bound or having a severe medical condition is enough punishment. So what if you get to skip a line and I have to wait 3 more minutes, small price to pay to be able to walk on my own two feet… You may be the first person I’ve ever come across who hates disabled people. Kinda gross behavior.
Thanks for your comments Matt! Since my brain cancer was removed, I’ve become reliant on a scooter because my left side drags… and I’ve never seen so much hatred towards people who are bound to chairs -like we asked to be disabled to the point of needing a mobility device. I’d give anything to not have to lug it around, be bound to it so much, and be stared at as if I’m just a fat lady who’s too lazy to walk – it’s disgusting and I’ve never seen the bad behavior as much as since I’ve had my “vehicle” – and I don’t use DAS But Genie+ worked well for us in Dec. I’m not rich and have limited funds, but we saved for a long time to afford our vacation for 9!
Yes thank you . I spent my younger years there and they had tickets for the rides that you could buy upon entering the gate and you had to pick and choose what rides you wanted to use your tickets for and that was it. Then they got rid of the tickets and you could ride anything for one price. They should get rid of all of fast pass and genie + and lighting lane and go back to waiting in line I never got to ride space mountain because the line was always so long and didn’t have a fast pass anyway.
Universals express pass is worth every penny and you can ride every ride in two parks in one day if you really want to. Genie plus is expensive considering you only have time to use it for about 3 rides per day. And who wants to wake up at 7am every single day of vacation??
What? Why charge more they already have more than enough money and gouge people as it is. That is so not fair for the people that can’t afford it already.
Universal Express Pass is so much better. None of this reservation nonsense with setting up stuff months in advance. You get the pass, go to the park, and access any ride you want, (with a few exceptions), as many times as you want, through the express pass lane. The price you pay is good for your entire trip. None of this wake up at the crack of dawn and pray you get a quick pass to the ride you want.
Everyone hating the system either didn’t know how to use it or haven’t even been to Disney world since it came out. The system was amazing and 100xs better than fastpass!
Made our week at the busy parks a breeze!!
Ss. You must be a Disney lover bc everyone can see how this is about money and nothing else. They system sucks and so does the reservation but no matter what disneys does there will be crazy people out there that love it and will still go with all the fights and drunks so enjoy
I third this sentiment. And I’m shocked at how many defend this cash grab, which only makes the experience more miserable for the ones who can’t afford it/don’t want to pay it.
First of all, Disney did not get rid of anything. The article clearly states that wdw is no longer selling tickets bundled with genie+. You now are required to purchase it the day of the visit. Have a great day 😊
I used to work there. Some of the disabled people I saw really needed das because they would literally panic or have a seizure once on the ride cause it was too much for them so their ride had to be stopped. One kid my coworker had could only see the que of a certain ride sit in the seat take his picture and walk out because his disability was not safe conditions to ride. Invisible disabilities are real. Taking away das would not be good but I wish they required drs notes as proof to weed out the fakes trying to take advantage. And I agree the Disney+ registration in the morning at 7 is ridiculous but I don’t think it should be cheaper. If it was much cheaper everyone would have one and now there’s no lightning lane. I loved my job and making magic for guests but they need to bring back the max pass because that was amazing to use and the lines were practically 10min long even when I went on space mountain. They need a higher tier pass that includes unlimited lightning lanes for all rides except Rise that line still gets too long.
You just want something you’re not willing to pay for. If you want equality, give your tickets to any of the millions who can’t afford to attend a park at all. You just want to be equal with the people who have more than you, not those who have less.
Terrible and I know how to use it. The idea of it is highway robbery. How much did you spend on the genie+ over fast pass? Right a lot more because fastpass was free and it kept the standby and fastpass lines low. You sound drunk sir go home.
Wish they would go back to the fast pass way! Luck of the draw & everyone had a chance to get in! If anything keep the purchase as you go “lightning lanes” for like 7 dwarfs, pandora, rise & leave everything else as the old fast pass system!
I think Genie+ is awful and agree with the majority who miss the old fast pass system. Its incredibly expensive for a working single mother of 3 to even afford to take my kids to Disney. To spend your hard earned money to treat your kids to a fun filled day in the park(s) should be plenty enough without having to come out of pocket for the opportunity to essentially cut in line is shameful. Atleast with fastpass it allowed everyone a fair chance to get on some of their favorite rides, Genie+ is a cash grab and caters to the rich or frivolous and should be abolished.
I’m here now. It’s terrible. I have to stay up till 12am to purchase. Then up 6 hrs later to make the first LL. I’m even more exhausted then normal. Plus you pay for a system that glitches. At least four times on this trip we’ve tried to schedule at the 2hr window and the system won’t let us until we were 2-3 minutes passed the two hr window. Very frustrating for such and expensive vacation.
Oh, my. You poor thing. Have to stay up until 12?! LOL Why not just queue like everybody else?? Disney is expensive as is. Get rid of the crap that makes the experience for people, who can barely afford it, even worse, only so some well off people don’t have to queue with the mob.
Queue like everyone else? Because i can afford to not have to wait in lines. Why anyone wouldn’t pay to skip lines, i have no idea. I think they should raise the prices. We did Disney for a week last month, not a single wait.
Some days that happens, no lines, but that is rare now. And if you have kids, waiting in a 2 hour line is not the answer. If you are a Disney Adult and older, standing and waiting for 30min to 2hrs for a ride, again is not the answer either. Fast Pass worked for years. Crowds did not exist in off times of the year either. Record crowds now and check the Disney app on your phone, most of the “E” ticket type rides are long wait times.
It’s not the point that not everyone would want to skip the lines. It’s the point that it is a rip off in an already expensive park and that not everyone can afford it and the ability to skip lines makes the experience even worse for those who can’t afford it. But I get it, you’re selfish to the max, only care about yourself and are not bothered to be fleeced for every cent you got.
There in nov/dec2022 parks run down, not keeping attractions clean and repaired, drunk patrons, looks as though it being asset stripped it by not, all money being channeled into New rides. Magic gone. Need to pay twice for same ride. Not going back any time soon. Protesting with my feet and $$$
So lets compare. Universal 109.00 all rides but 2.
Disney 20 to 30 per ride depending on crowd levels and demand. 5 rides is 150? How is Disney cheaper?
It isn’t. People are just being conned into thinking it is because they would not have to pay for Gene+ each day if they did not want to. I will take Universal any day over the Genie system.
But it’s not per ride, overall. There are a handful of rides that you would need to purchase separately if you wanted them, at $15 each. But there is per day flat rate for all the other rides. I went in Feb 2022, I paid the extra per day flat rate and found it very useful. I used it about 4 times average per day, and bypassed several hour+ wait times.
They need to bring back the fast pass system that was free. It KEPT THE LINES MOVING. Sure you still had your long lines but after your third or final fast pass you could book another one while you waited in line. It wasn’t limited to rides either it went on to meet and greets as well. It was a perfect system that they screwed up. If they wanted to charge for the fastpass they could’ve charged a one time all day fastpass access instead of doing the genie+ ticket for each ride on top of the theme park tickets. That’s like trying to charge a cover fee for a carnival, plus the tickets you have to use for rides, plus money for food and games. It’s highway robbery and most people would rather wait out the hours. Which is the biggest problem with going to Disney World right now is the fact you spend all this money for your Disney vacation on the ever increasing prices on plane, my own rides to and from the airport, Disney hotel resorts, food, souvenirs, theme park tickets. Now Disney wants me to pay extra per ride just to get in front of line even for the small rides such as it’s a small world. Like get out of here Disney. I’m not paying that. I would however pay for a REASONABLY priced all day fastpass access set up just like the old fastpass system because that was the best. You want tensions lower for guests stop trying to make them pay more and people deciding they’re going to wait in lines instead and tensions grow hotter because they’re paying so much money as it is, they’re standing on their feet all day with little to no sleep on these vacations as it is. Now you have to deal with other people in line where you’re packed like sardines for hours in the heat. Tensions will run high if they don’t do something like this to keep the lines moving. Also bring back the dining plans as well that was another great system they got rid of. April 2018 was my last best Disney trip. The crowds were low, lines were short, perfect weather, food was good, fireworks I thought were better and you could get a good spot without having to wait for hours, prices were reasonable and I didn’t feel like I wanted to punch the person next to me in line. Not that I would, just saying the feeling wasn’t there.
I will never pay extra for Lightning lane and Disney Genie +. I am a cast member and also an annual passholder .My cast member pass is often blocked out and out annual passes are even more expensive now. I don’t if we will renew them or not. It’s just too expensive anymore.
I’m DVC legacy and I haven’t been to Disney since 2019.
The last time my family went, it felt like a scam. The whole experience felt so mercenary and rickety, and that was even before genie plus.
We also didn’t like how horribly paid the staff are, especially given how hard they work and the predatory cost of even the smallest snack or souvenir.
My kids want to go back, but we don’t think they’re prepared for the overcrowding going on either, or the fact that we are not willing to pay extra for their favorite rides.
We’re taking them on other vacations until Disney gets their poop back together.
I will say, that the one thing that keeps me from writing Disney off completely, is the fact that their brands and media efforts are proudly inclusive — empowering for women and respectful to LGBT. White girls aren’t locked into princess roles, white boys aren’t exclusively given
all the superhero roles. That matters immensely to us as a plus.
Sometimes it seems a little ironic that Disney is managing to make everyone mad — homophobic folks are screaming anger at every LGBT/minority/female representation.
Human rights folks are disturbed by Disney’s greedy treatment of staffers and guests.
And yet the parks remain full, no matter how bothered many people become.
Genie+ is just a varation of the fast pass. A better one, in my opinion, and cheaper. Never waited in a line once for an entire week around halloween. It was only $45 a day for my family of three. Typical amusement park fast passes are $40+ a person. Most of this is just whiney locals
Some people say the system works, but it did not work in Feb 2022 when we went. The times are taken up almost immediately at 7am, and if you have dining reservations, scheduling can be exhausting.
The old system of 3 rides, not 2 was the best, and if you could not make the time, you were not out $20 per person for that day. For people who have never been to Disney prior to 2015 it is their normal, but for folks like ourselves, live time Disney, this is almost like work to enjoy days at the park. Go back to the old system, the parks are the only Disney entity that is making $$$. Parks are supporting Disney+ broadcasting.
At Disneyland, the old Fast Pass and Max Pass system worked better. The fast pass system was free and Max Pass was $20. If you opted for Fast Pass, you would go to the machine, get the paper fast pass and then wait in a standby queue. Typically by the time you were done waiting in the standby queue, you can draw a new fast pass and go ride the attraction which you drew the first fast pass. You could do this all day and you would have to wait in a few standby queues throughout the day.
Now if you don’t pay to play, the wait in standby queues can be crushing. I waited in a “30 minute” standby line for Space Mountain which turned into 2+ hours. My assumption, Space was closed for a while so Genie+ people rushed to ride space causing massive delays. Most other standby lines were longer than posted on my trip. It got real old waiting in lines that never moved. It got so old, we cancelled our last day at the parks and returned home. Something we have never done.
When there were no Fast Passes or Genie+, the lines moved and made the park experience so much better. Genie+ needs to be tweaked and/or there at least needs to be some sort of free version to help balance out the day.
We usually take two trips a year to Disney and as it stands, we are not planning on returning in 2023.
It’s a bummer u can’t have it paid before you go.an do I love it over just the 3 fast passes. Being able to do every ride without waiting more than 10 minutes maybe is epic. Time is money I absolutely pay that 15 for the star wars ride.
I used to have annual passes had them for 8 years plus another 5 years before we had to take a break ..so about 13 years total.well covid came and we didn’t renew because we didn’t know what to expect. But we still went at least 3 or 4 times a year .but we haven’t gone in almost a year and it’s about time we do again ..problem is it’s getting more and more expensive to go and with 4 kids you can imagine..disney is out pricing most families..it’s getting to the point where we are considering other parks wich was never a topic of discussion before ..Bob Igor please help get these prices under control..or we might be forced to stop going because of cost ..I can deal with some change ..but we shouldn’t be limited on things we used to do and have to pay more for things to be made harder and more expensive..help!!
The whole genie system stinks. I will not go back until it and the park reservation system is eliminated. If it never is,then so be it. Disney has regressed,magic is gone…
It was awesome when there wasn’t lightning lane and fast pass. During the past few years when fast pass was paused, the lines moved fast and the wait was very little.
y’all be tripping thinking this means Disney is going to drop G+. Bundled G+ was the only way to get around dynamic surge pricing of the G+ on day of visit. Now instead of $20 pp, you are stuck paying $25+ buying G+ on the same day, especially for busier days.
The title of this article states that Disney got rid of the genie plus entirely. But that’s not true, you just can’t buy it until the day of your visit. They need to get rid of it entirely because it’s a bad system. Their other system worked better with the fast pass. And other theme parks, do an even better job with their various “fast pass“ implementations.
My family and I were there dec 28th and 29th. I purchased the Genie + both days. Omg what a complete waste of money and time. It states you can plan your day but that’s complete bs. You can only plan ” a ride”. If we booked a ride for 12pm. The system would not allow us to book the next ride at 130. It said enelgible/ too soon. I wish there was a way to ask for a refund. Also nothing worse than booking a ride just to be told it was temporary closes.
Nice to see Disney is listening to their fanbase. Since they are getting rid of Genie-. Now end Splash Mountain’s retheming and bring back fast passes.
The genie + does have its advantages since you pay a litte extra for it. However there is room for improvement. The genie pass should be could for any ride any time of the day. Please eliminate the reservation times. They are difficult to manage and enjoy the park at the same time. Lets be real, not everybody goes to the same ride at the same time. You are going to stand I. Line either way, but at least it won’t be for an hour. Change the genie +, not eliminate it.
The past 2 times I went I spent 100+ on genie plus and lightening lane. Rise kept breaking down we never even got on or a refund and the same thing with RAR. To be honest the more that I spend getting in to the park and the more I’m nicked and dimes for things like rides, parking and photo pass the less I buy merchandise. Not to mention the value for staying in a resort hotel has plummeted. There’s no perks to staying there anymore $400+ a Night for what? No free parking, no magic morning or on 30 mins on select days but no rides are open only merchandise locations, the give the same pin and lanyard the last 2 years and you have to take a cupin and you room key to world of disney to get it when that plus a luggage tag, your tickets and a few coupons would be mailed to you before your trip. I just don’t see a point in going and spending so much money for so little.
This isnt new. It was like this when we were there in November 2022. We booked the trip in October and there was no option to purchase genie + until the day of. It wasn’t a problem for us. We made very good use of it each day. Is it overpriced? Yes. Everything Disney is overpriced. But not having it would have meant doing far less and spending way too much time standing in lines.
Actually, people originally had to purchase etickets when MK first opened. It only changed in the 90s. So, if anything, they are looking to find a solution that has a fair compromise between those olden days and the more modern days.
I definitely took a LONG time to save up for just me n my hubby for the holidays and I calculated the Genie+ into it because I knew we couldn’t last in the lines with his ACL injury and my weight issues. The Genie+ allowed us to REALLY get our money’s worth. And I’m aware that my next trip to Disneyland probably won’t be for another three years. So I’m telling you it was a huge blessing.
I just went and I looked at it like this, I already paid $2300 for 3 days with hotel and tickets for 4 people, not counting food, that was just tickets and hotel, we did genie for 2 days, cost an extra $120. So I paid 5% more and was able to double or triple the amount of rides I went on. Why not if people are not smart enough to figure that out, it was still cheaper than paying for a hopper and an extra day or 2 to spread it out. Happy with my decision
If they’re still having it, customers should be able to purchase before hand with their ticket. The “a la carte” is BS & is the ultimate money grabber. it cost almost $30 at peak times for at least 1 ride per park. Purchase the Genie+ and its worth the money if you choose to use Genie+. We have a party if 11 going and I’m the only one that knows how to utilize it. This will not work at 7a to purchase 11 of them & get rides for each of us.
We go every year and will not go back until it’s gone. It already cost $600 to go not including another $2000 for food. I refuse to pay that per person. Plus pay to park at the restaurant per day. Disney has sucked the fun out of it with Genie Plus. Not only is it expensive it’s too time consuming. I want to enjoy my vacation not stay on my phone.
If Disney is going to continue to offer Genie+, then I would much prefer to pre-purchase it as part of my ticket price, like I did for Disneyland this past October. I don’t want to get to a park on the day, and find out then, that it’s sold out, or the price is now higher. It’s my understanding that Disney World had some on the day sell outs this holiday season.
Was so disappointed when I treated my adult daughters to a DW adventure last February and chose the Genie+ option to maximize our time and ability to get on more rides and experiences. This trip was a reward for us getting thru some difficult times and our success of hard work and pushing thru difficulty when life seemed hopeless years before. We were sooo excited. The Genie+ option was a disaster. Here I thought it was similar to the fastpass. What a lie. The problem with Disney World is they allow too many people in at one given time. The dream of Disney is lost. They need to scale back to what’s necessary. Charge what it is to run the theme park so people feel they are the luckiest person in the world when they are there … cut the number down so the dream can happen. But the way it’s run now I’d rather spend my time weeding my garden to raise the prettiest flowers for my girls instead. DW needs to change how they run their park … it’s as simple as that!
It’s clear Disney never thought it through past how much more money they could make off us. If they must continue with Lightning Lane, they should run it like they do those with disabilities. Run them through in groups at a time. LL means you get through the line faster, not first. Those waiting have paid a handsome price to do more than stand in line as LL users keep coming through.
I quit going to Disney years ago. Disney is no longer Disney and hasn’t been for a long time. There’s no magic feeling when you go there. Disney lost its charm & it’s not clean. I’d have more fun at a flea market than going to Disney. It smells like rotten wood, vomit, and stinky feet. There’s no fun at Disney whatsoever. I need to just shut the park down and tear it down because it’s not worth paying what they’re asking. There’s no parade anymore the food is cheap made but cost of Fortune. I wouldn’t buy any kind of food at Disney anywhere because of the way it smells and the way it’s filthy. Nothing’s been repaired or replaced. Don’t waste your money. The executives are getting their enormous paychecks to do absolutely nothing but run Disney into the ground. Well they’ve succeeded because Disney is disgusting. The magic that was once Disney is completely gone. Walt Disney is rolling over in his grave crying because his beloved Disney has been destroyed. So again I tell you don’t waste your money.
My husband and I went to Disneyworld on our honeymoon in 1972. We took our kids many, many times. We took high school bus loads of students . We went back this year to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The magic is not there. Too costly–too difficult to get those genie rides–rides were in poor condition and kept breaking down. We hated the reserve park system and not being able to use hopper until after 2 pm and yet paying for the hopper system. Food was ridiculously priced and the quality is poor. We used to love the meal package–pricey but you got quality food and plenty of it. My family consisted of 9 people and none of us plan to go back anytime soon. I think Walt would be extremely unhappy with the changes at Disney. I’m glad Iger is back but not sure he can correct the mess left behind. This greatly saddens me because it used to be the most magical place to go.
As a technician I serviced Fastpass machines during Mission:Space opening. One day they were down and and I was getting the usual grief from disappointed guests, when one day I talked to a man and wife who had two teens in tow. After expressing his grievances I pointed out waiting in line keeps his wallet in his pocket; Fastpass let’s you all shop. He turned on his heels, grabbing a teen under each arm and queued up.
Oh! The hell with in Disney entirely. The people who run Disney have ruined this company. It’s always one issue every other month about something else. People need to grow up and get on with life and stop worrying about Disney so much.
Anyone who thinks that Disney is eliminating their most profitable service ever is a deluded fool. They only did this to enable them to charge whatever they want at the last minute, when people are impulse buying to avoid the huge crowds.
Meanwhile, the parks just had their most profitable month ever, thanks to Genie+.
Disneyland Paris does not use this system and the lines go much faster as everyone is in ONE queue line…pure equal! We didn’t wait more than 40 minutes for ANY attraction and some were less!
Genie + is a ripoff. Hardly got on anything, and they raised ticket prices?? Since it’s unlikely that Disney will return to the Fast Pass system, then they should return to the original pricing for Extra Magic Hours – fifteen dollars per person.
The stock continues to underperform and seventy percent of the public thinks that Disney has lost it’s magic. Iger better channel Walt Disney fast, or this company may finally fail.
Very sad with my visit to Disney parks, Dec/Jan 2023.
Huge crowds, 3 hour lines for 3 minute mediocre rides. Everything is extra money. Lightning lane is only for the rich. Magic is gone, and I’ve been visiting since I was 5. Now I’m 45. My kids didn’t really enjoy it. Dining is too expensive, wifi is really bad and you spend 80% of your time making lines. Lucky if you get into 4 rides in 12 hours. Bye Disney forever…
I was in Disney the 2nd week of December ( slowest time of year ) people are NOT abandoning in droves. It was packed. And Genie plys got us on 4 rides at Hollywood studios, 3 at magic kingdom and 5 at epcot. Less than $10 per ride to jump the line.
I wish they would just go back to fast pass and having it included in some tickets, as it worked and wasn’t as expensive and would encourage more people to visit if they concerned about profits so much
Sounds like socialism. Read the definition and practice. It’s great example to teach our children.
I’m not being a snob nor rude. Please do the comparison.
Disney Park is dead. Can’t even take the family there without going dead broke. What happened to taking the family in a trip and being happy. Now nothing but worrying about how much it is. Prices are ridiculous. Boycott Disney. I’ll even get rid of Disney plus this is bad
I used genie+ right before Christmas at Magic kingdom and it worked out for me I was able to hop on rides fast and I only paid $16 for the day. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about? Maybe they should do a regular fast pass and the genie+
I’ve used genie plus half a dozen times on trips. I think it’s great. I don’t know people really understand it. Similar to every parent seems to dislike common core but it makes sense when you take the time to learn it
Just got back from Disneyland and had the same experience as many here. Spent $1,650 for tickets alone and waited in long lines to go on rides. Never again! Disney wants you to spend more money for genie and those people that purchased genie ares still waited in lines because the parks are packed way beyond capacity. Pure corporate greed. My advice, your money is better spent going to Hawaii for the same price. I’m done with the Disney thing!
Honestly Disney was synonymous with family enjoyment and fun. No one usually dared to criticize them as a company and if they did were shot down or could be explained away. The genie+ and other fast lane systems brought out the ugly capitalist sight of Disney that most willingly ignored bc of how much it offered. That is no longer the case. They may be getting money now bc those with money or that hate lines pay more, but their losing dedicated customers that have been loyal for a very long time. They have now also ruined the image Walt Disney made for the brand. People can now openly criticize them without strong backlash which I feel will end up damaging the company and possibly profits later on, no matter how much rich people that are willing to pay for the fast lane are willing and capable to make up for it
This has also begun affecting other theme parks too. Universal is packed much more now bc old dedicated Disney fans went there. This causes issues were before I could ride my favorite rides multiple times, but now my friend went and it was too packed the lines were not worth waiting for and they couldn’t even find food because they’d run out everywhere except one less liked location. They couldn’t even try a butterbeer. Which means they will have to change their system now bc of Disney’s decision. Hopefully they get rid of it too avoid lasting after affects but I know companies are about profit so I have doubt they will ever completely remove it.
Disney Genie Plus service, made it soo complicated… First you spend money on it and then you get to stare at it for yoyr whole vacation. Its like your’e not touring disney world but the diney app. Gosh!
Genie + has taken all of the magic away from anything Disney! It was h-ll trying to get to each ride with no time to look at the splendor all around or mosey around the shops and treats! Fast pass was perfect!
Disneyline? Is that what you’re referring to? That’s what I call them ever since we went about ten years ago. Never going back. I started saying that to the staff there. They’d ask in their fake cheerful voice, are you enjoying Disneyland, I’d rely, you mean Disneyline? They’d be snippy and reply is my 5 year old daughter enjoying it? I’d reply, she is 5, she enjoys going to 7/11. If she understood what a ripoff it is I’m sure she rather have that money to buy herself many other things. So Disneyline is happy they can fool children. Great for them.
A big sell for my family was the dining plans our last trip in June 2022 was less than desirable. Quick service food was horrible and way to expensive and they didn’t seem to care. We won’t be going again until they fix their problems.
Absolute joke of a park. We saved for years and than come for 3 days and rides are out , than they charge extra on top of our genie pass to get in front. On top of that , the food price is a joke. 3 hot dogs for $38 wtf, a place that’s been open for so long and yet still can’t get the ques right , spend money and build extra lanes, staff were struggling , rude, what a joke, 4K spent on what , u need to refund if you close most of your rides that’s not in the package , you are stealing from family’s ,
I loved the ability to enjoy not waiting in line. Me and my family never waiting in one line ever. Disneyland is the king of parks. It’s just like everything else in life, you have to learn how it works.
WHAT BLOWS MY MIND IS… the woke/left wing people don’t realize that Disney (extreme-woke/left) are the BIGGEST CAPITALIST ON THE PLANET! “9.50 per/Water bottle! Lol I’m not complaining personally, I just can’t believe how easily people on the left are manipulated. LOL “Sheep” is the accurate definition
What about no trams quite inconvenient after along day in the park. Who want to walk another 1/2 mile after a full day and maybe not find your car. Not buying anymore tickets for Disney. There are plenty of other attractions in and around Orlando.
Disney lost its magic for me last year after being there for 12 years on new years, we had an awful experience trying to get on Soarin. We paid for genie + and additional lightning lanes. We had a nasty cast member at the second “check in” point of Soarin demand we scan our phone again and when it didn’t work instantly she accused of us of not checking in, meanwhile we had already done so moments prior. She was absolutely obnoxious and called me “sweetie” while the line behind us became impatient and told us to move aside. Moments later we tried to scan the phone again and it worked, and instead of it being our fault as the cast member claimed it was something wrong with their technology. We never got an apology and were mortified after spending over $400 for one day to be treated like that simply trying to enter a ride. I approached the cast members outside the ride after and they stated they had problems like that all day! Yet they offered us nothing for being humiliated and stopped after scanning in multiple times. We decided then and there that would be our last disney trip. We do not miss spending thousands and definitely won’t be back!
That’s wonderful! However, they just need to go back to the Fastpass system. You shouldn’t have to spend extra money after you have paid an arm and a leg for the initial ticket.
I am so glad Disney Genie is going away. We were in the Lightning cues last week, and I felt so bad for all of the people in the standby lines. They stood for hours to ride one ride. It was unfair to make them pay to ride the rides after making them pay $200 for a ticket and $25/day to park.
Wasted my money. We could only reserve two rides at a time than there was a time out period! I like the unlimited express pass at universal better! The fees were high but totally worth it for me and my family!
Why haven’t they made a Disney in the midwest yet? Probaby make everyone happier, esp Californians and Floridians. It would relieve pressure off of those two parks, esp if all a family gets to go on are 4 rides and then the teacups on the way out.
Couldn’t agree more. We’ve gone to Disney every other year almost our entire life. Totally Disney family, but after this last trip…not sure we will ever go again. My husband was so upset about how every little thing was about how much more money they could squeeze out of us.
We ended our trip at universal, thank goodness or the trip would have been a complete fail. We are a universal family now! Halloween nights, so fun and the resorts WAY better.
Too late for me. After attending Disneyland at its opening week, and WDW Orlando shortly after it’s opening day and many times over the years I AM DONE WITH DISNEY anything. My trip into WDW MK and discovering that park hoppers don’t work all day as well as that stupid App I’m forced to make reservations with for anything, it is not worth the frustrations I had. It was not magical at all. Disney is now simply a very expensive tourist trap. So sad 😞
No longer worth it! Thankfully, I went in 2018 with my wife and in 2019 with our granddaughter using the FastPass system. It worked perfectly and no issues. These new and discombobulated systems have made us rethink our future vacations, and none include our beloved, and now lost, WDW.
How does a free service like fast pass make Genie+ and Lightning Lane such failures? I paid $25 for each person in my family to only be able to use Genie+ twice. That was basically a donation to Disneyland. They should do away with it completely and being free fast passes back. Come on Iger!
I went with my kids in November and had the worst park experience of my life. First of all i tried to get gennie + and the app was crashing over and over. Finally I was able to get it, just to find out that i wasn’t even able to get tickets to guardian of the galaxy because they gave preference to people staying at Disney hotels, who booked all spots available. They I tried other rides, and they were charging additional money to get lighting passes. So double dipping here already. I manage to get a lighting pass to one of the rides, but before getting there the ride crashed and was suspended. It was fixed later, and even though they reimbursed my lighting pass, I was not able to use it for that ride because the app was telling me that it was already used for that one. What a disappointment and a bad experience. Completely ruined my kid birthday and our vacation. Disney is far from what used to be.
Stayed at Grand California Disney hotel last month, $11,000 for 4 nights on a 2 bedroom suite, plus $10,000 for the “Veranda” food voucher for 4 days inside hotel for 10 people and its finger food only and this is not the nice restaurant food access. Plus the Disney entry tickets for $6,000. This was all paid as a birthday gift by a family member but I feel horrible for regular families, it’s all ridiculously overpriced but is always packed so they keep raising prices.
Oh, and after paying an arm and a leg, self parking or valet are both extra $35 or $75 per day per car.
We went for Christmas and they no longer offered the meal plan, ok fine but then we had to buy Genie plus on top of extra money to get on certain rides or you would not get to ride at all or waste your whole day
waiting. Why did we buy the Genie plus then? They don’t offer to send your souvenirs back to the rooms for you so you have to carry them all day. We spent more time waking up early and setting timers on our phone to get on the app to even get a chance to ride the rides. It killed alot of the experience for us.
That doesn’t exactly fix the problem. It may fix people getting it ahead of time (which is kind of nice to be able to get head of time) vs people who may need to make sure it’s in the budget the day of. But regardless, it’s still charging more this way.
To truly fix it, either have it included by charging less for the ticket 🎟 and the Genie being included with a slightly more expensive ticket so that one doesn’t get hopes up that they c can visit for $90″ when in actuality it’s well over that price. $90 is fair to begin with, and theoretically $105 if they get the Genie service.
Universal definitely handles their tickets much better.
Seems the title of this article is a bit deceiving. Genie+ has not been eliminated! The only change is when you can purchase it.
Disney tried fixing what was never broken! Now we are stuck with an inferior system. I think Disney is enjoying how they can micro manage our vacations while reaping the monetary benefits.
Mr. Iger will have to do a lot better than this before my family goes back!
Thanks for your comments Matt! Since my brain cancer was removed, I’ve become reliant on a scooter because my left side drags… and I’ve never seen so much hatred towards people who are bound to chairs -like we asked to be disabled to the point of needing a mobility device. I’d give anything to not have to lug it around, be bound to it so much, and be stared at as if I’m just a fat lady who’s too lazy to walk – it’s disgusting and I’ve never seen the bad behavior as much as since I’ve had my “vehicle” – and I don’t use DAS But Genie+ worked well for us in Dec. I’m not rich and have limited funds, but we saved for a long time to afford our vacation for 9, and this helped us get on rides as a fmily ithout the long waits. I know it’s not free like the Fastpass systen use to be but lots of things are different than before – we just try to educate ourselves better before we arrive!
We too have been going to Disney for over 20 years every year. I loved the fast past system but I am not a fan of the Genie + at all. I don’t like the now wait until you get there and then have to purchase it separately. I am a planner and I try to plan for my financial part of my trip but Disney is complicated that. I too have noticed that I once could ride all the rides I was interested in and now I’m lucky to be able to ride 3 or 4 rides at each trip. That makes each ride average $40 per ride!!!!! Wow!!!!! I love eating at Disney and purchasing souvenirs but I’m thinking eating breakfast at my room and a sandwich, chips and such for lunch – then maybe eat one meal. They are definitely more interested in their money so I need to be just as careful spending my money. I do love Disney but I am looking at what ways to save money for my family too.
Comments for Disney Finally Eliminates Genie+ Feature Entirely
Steve
Hopefully this indicates an intention to eliminate it entirely. Since this is modern Disney, that probably isn’t the case.
Amber
Good! My family and I did spend the extra money to get the Genie+ . Sure it was nice to be able to use my phone to schedule our ride times, and when one ride was finished we scheduled another ride. What really pissed me off… was the money I spent on the Genie+ ( mind u fast pass at Disney used to be free) and then had to turn around and dish out MORE money if I wanted the “fast fast pass” for rides like Guardian of the Galaxy, ratatouille, the seven dwarfs mine ride, etc! Are frickin’ kidding me?🤷♀️ I spend 150.00 for Genie plus fast pass and another 15.00 for the fast fast pass for what Disney thinks is the best rides. A multi million billion co. And they need to charge even more money to be first in line. I took my chances in the que, but I made sure I was right on top of the time for when the ques were open! My trip to Disney was tripled in price to years past. Now I realize prices go up, but what cost me 5000.00 before, cost me 15000.00 last year, and prices are going up again. I feel really bad for the families who just can’t afford that kind of money, but really wanted to give their kids a magical vacation. This isn’t what Walt Wanted. He made Disneyland and World for ALL families… not just The Rich! Disney has lost its Magic for me. Ive loved Disney since birth. My favorite character was Mickouse as my parents used tell me I pronounced it at as a child. No more Disney for my family…Universal has ALL my business now! They are Waaay more Fun than Disney World!
Becky
We just got back from our first ever trip to Disneyland, I was so disappointed. We spent 800 on just tickets for 3 to get in ten we couldn’t even ride but 4 rides. We didn’t get one single ride at CA adventures because we wouldn’t have had time for anything else. We won’t be going back. My hopes were so high and was let down
Lee
Disney Parks are no longer affordable. On top of that, the chance of even getting on all the rides are very slim now. Disney is milking every last dollar out of families once they get on the property. No more for us! We use to go every year to Disneyland or WDW.
Savanna wise
Love Disney World
Todd
I agree with all those that are now seeing the Evil Empire for what it is. I weaned my kids off Disney years ago. As much as I enjoyed Starwars in the past, no more for me. As a business owner having to deal with Disney will ruin your business. Doing an event for Disney and one of their employee stole a $20,000 piece of equipment. First they reported all equipment arrived and was logged for the event. Then when the equipment was moved to the event site they reported a piece was misplaced or lost. Then a week later they claimed there was a mistake, that the item never arrived in the first place. They are just scum.
Undisclosed
In addition to the extra cost, after already high entrance fee, the whole idea of jump in front of the line is just totally UNFAIR. WHY SHOULD the rich get to ride ahead of the common people, especially for WOKE company? Oh, money talks!
Paige
That’s capitalism dude, the opposite of whatever you think woke means this week
Duh
Because that’s literally how the world works you should be used to it.
PS
Exactly. It’s total bs. And not only that. Those line jumpers make everything more miserable for those who barely can afford to get in.
Joseph
What once was Walt Disney dream for family to be able to enjoy a place of happiness has become Walt Disney (GREED) World.The resorts (which we usually stay at) is now charging quest if they drive TO DW to park there.TOTAL RIPOFF!!!!!.The cups which were once given freely as a perk for staying at a resort now have to buy.TOTAL RIPOFF!!!!! The express from the airport once Free now you pay extra for. TOTAL RIPOFF!!!The so called brains of D.W. haven’t figured out they are offering no advantages or perks to stay on property.
Chris
Planning is essential for a trip to Disney parks. Knowing what time of year and days of the week to visit will help immensely.
Laura
Ours too. It’s sad. Years of saving as well. We can’t even get refunded for days missed during the hurricane when they closed- will allow us to use them another day- but- we can’t afford to go back- airfare, food, cars, etc.
Lynn Gistafson
I had an AP for 30 years. As I am disabled it gave me the flexibility to go on days I was well enough to enjoy it. I don’t know in advance. So I haven’t been back. It’s a shame, I can’t be the only one.
Adrian
You definitely are not. This is the 1st time ever I let my AP go! It broke my heart! But I can’t do it!
Davidhhh
You do understand that Express pass at universal is $160 per day, right?
Maccy
It is but the difference is that you actually get to use it to go on rides multiple times so it pays for itself. I used it during the Christmas season 2021 and I stil got to use it lots of times. That’s not the case with Genie +
Maccy
Also I stayed at a Universal Premium hotel so my stay included Universal Express, you don’t get that either at the Disney parks, it’s another extra. That’s why people are abandoning Disney in droves.
Paige
The parks sold out this week lol.
Jayne1955
The park is packed.
Kyle Young
Only pn busy days, slower days it’s way cheaper than $160.
TXMom
Actually, the price is based on how busy they are (supply and demand). It was over $200 person when we went at Halloween.
Doug
LOL the comments on the Woke Disney ripping off innocent kids and fams is spot on.
So much for inclusion, this is Big Corporate Capitalism at its finest. Love Classic Disney, but Walt would be spinning in his grave. Unhappiest Place on Earth now
Steve
A completely clueless Disney defender expecting people to be ignorant of reality to take them seriously.
Universal, at worst, is a 50/50 ratio. At Disney, practically the entire “lightning lane” goes in front of “standby”. They also offer single rider.
Devin
And now half the time it’s not even worth it because the amount of people faking DAS to skip the lines turns it into basically paying for a second line
Stacy
You sound so uneducated and rude – invisible disabilities are real I don’t have to disclose my childrens nor my own to you in line or online . Disney is amazing to its community with special needs!
Matt
Oh shut up
Bob Jones
Give me a break. Most people using their “disabilities” to skip lines are full of crap. Many are just too obese to stand in line
RosieRoRn
Let me just say that although I’m missing a limb & another one malfunctions all the time doesn’t mean I’m inflating the severity of my issues but let me just say that people with your attitude will STILL glare at me like, “how dare you”🤦🏽♀️
Shane
Yeah I have been to both several times these people are being honest I loved Disney but Disney just cares about the bottom line Walt believed in the family
Undisclosed
DAS is not used for physical disabilities. It is only for people with psychological reasons why they cannot wait in the regular line. It is very rude and insensitive for people to say things like that.
Mary Eatonary Eaton
Absolutely
Elena
Genie + is a rip off! The day we tried to use it, all 4 rides we were interested in were “temporarily down”! Sometimes after we acquired a time slot. The fact that you had to do everything from your phone, was ridiculous! Even getting a cup of coffee! My battery was almost dead, so didn’t dare get off the monorail, at Downtown Disney, for fear of not getting back in, since my ticket wouldn’t be retrievable! Ripped off!
Rich Myers
They CAUGHT PEOPLE DOING IT.. Apparently..YOU DON’T READ…
Duhhjjibb
Good nobody cares to hear about you and your husband’s failure at creating children and for your own selfishness are torturing them. You should be a shamed.
Tara
Getting the DAS pass is a long process. Hours of waiting on the phone and 2 separate web interviews. Sure, some people fake it (someone I know admitted to me that she lied and said her kid was autistic to get the pass) and I am sure many others do. My child has a real disability. Hopefully Disney can weed out the fake ones because it is frustrating!
Rayna
The fast pass system they had before covid was great. Go online, pick one class A ride and (I think) three class B rides, all for free. Better than the old fast pass system with the tickets, which was a hassle, (and which people forged). Walt Disney wanted to build a place for families, not the elite. He is spinning in his grave at what his company has become.
Jo
WOW… just wow! My son has Myasthenias Gravis Disease. The shorter version is its the weakening of the muscles. No one would know if he was struggling to walk, stand in line etc. Not all diseases/illnesses are visible. Shame on you for your ignorance
Ri
You should shame those who fake it & make things worse for everyone
Katie
There is a whole website on the dark web that people give tips on how to use DAS. People on there brag about how they use it and teach others. It like the difference between Aervice Sogs and Animal Support Dogs. Sadly people who really need these services are going to eventually lose because the programs will be a thing of the past due to these people abusing the system.
B
The old system was awesome, we rode 33 rides in one day. We spent maybe 250 then another 60 for food and drinks.
Moises
ok too much money where are you from have one parent work there and pass sometimes free just 3 😎
Barbara
Yes, we also like universal more it’s not as complicated. We don’t have to wake up by 7 am. I buy Express one time and done 😊
Shar
Agreed, perhaps, Walt Disney would have wanted as many people as possible from all walks of life to enjoy those amenities. It would be nice if everyone could take their family, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. Now, my kids are older so they schedule their own vacations and yes, Universal is where they go!
Celeste
You are so right! Walt would not have liked what Land and World are doing. My son wants to go back to Disney World. But, there’s no way we can afford to go.
Johnny boy
You can have “Magical” holidays in many other different ways. The “Magical” part is family spending enjoyable moments together. New Disney sounds like too much stress to me. More money, more time in lines and it all leads to less fun and spending quality time together. Standing for hours in line or stressing about the budget does not sound like anything good to me.
PS
Well. You’re spending quality time together in line. 😉 You can talk.
Nito
🤔
Bill
Same with me. I’ve been a DVC member for over 30 years but the reservation system has taken the fun away for me. Will not go back.
Roy
We went to Disney world in November paying for five of us I spent around six thousand alone on Disney 14 day passes and Halloween and Christmas party ticket so refused to pay a single penny on lightning lane so we wasted hours every day on queueing for rides worst holiday we’ve had in Florida or which we’ve been 12 times will never go back until lightning lane is removed
Ed D
Ditto. Well said. Genie+ was meant to use computer algorithms to “workflow manage” paying guests through their desired “must hit” activities, but couldn’t deliver.
Plus, try constantly explaining to your kids to do things in a certain order.
I don’t see a solution other than to keep the reservation system in place and keep the number of guests to a reduced maximum…. but that’s just going to jack up the prices more. Pre-Covid Disney always controlled attendance with prices. Post covid, that same tactic is going to become very elitist.
Kelli
I could not agree with you more!! No more Disneyland for us! Overpriced and a total rip off when it comes to Genie+!!! Disney is not about family anymore! Universal studios was so much better!!
Asphalt
15k to go to disney??? I went in the 80s and promised my child she could see the castle with fireworks. I’m on a fixed income single and disabled. I guess I could sell my car…
Graham
I just got back from taking my family of 14 to 8 day disney trip. How bad was it…when you have a 7 year old saying they rather stay at the pool at the hotel…DISNEY YOU FAILED…but there is Genie +…lol. I did Genie + for everyone…after staying up after 12 am ti purchase them…then getting on at 6:57 am to lock the first ride in…then by next time…none of the good rides left…what????…paid over $400 extra for 1 ride….wait times…2 hrs to 6 hrs…each day we rode around 3 -4 rides…for how much per ride $$$….first time Disney family of 14 and until things change our last!! $30,000 trip to wait in line and try to find rides walk and walk ba k because you can’t pick your times…we walked…walked…walked…waited…and waited…and spent $$$…to reduce wait which really was just walking back and forth in the park to save 20 minutes because the good rides was not available for LL which I laid $400…not worth it…so disappointed in Mickey and Minnie Mouse…what con artist….I am a Continuous Improvement Professional…Disney needs help to re instore magic again. My 6 grandchildren was miserable…we ended up going 4 of the 8 days I paid for because they wasn’t enjoying walking, waiting and couldn’t ride any of their rides they wanted….so sad…shame on you Disney!!!!!
Davidhhh
You’re living in fantasyland. Genie+ is the most profitable service that Disney has ever instituted. They’re only doing this so that they can raise prices whenever they want.
Theresa
Need to eliminate the lighting round also. It causes high length time in line to build and build. Also the animosity in the lines is unbelievable. Hatred towards Disney, hatred to people that are rich and can afford those things and hatred for the hurt feelings people have as they get priority because they can afford e. NOT WHAT MR W DISNEY HAD IN MIND WHEN HE BUILT THE PLACE!!!!!!
Joe
That’s literally what the title of the article says…
Susan
I’ll still a believer in the fast pass as everyone has the chance to obtain one. Some people save to have a Disney experience but cannot afford the extra for Disney+ or lightning lane. There is usually 5-8 of us that go and none of us want to spend that kind of $$$ for a ride that was free before! Disney you are robbing us 😠
Brian
Dump them altogether.
Bring back fastpasses.
I’m from the UK and Disney is paying more and getting less.
I’ve been over 30 times since 1999 and I’m NOT going back anytime soon.
Book for Sept 2023 and doing Universal only
Lisa
Until Disney drop Disney plus will not be going and it’s 15 of us
Mart
It’s Genie+ not Disney+ 😆
Chris B
Its called an option. That means you dont have to buy it.
Al
I may not be the majority but I like it, it works because not everyone has it
Jon
Exactly screw the poor. I am able to get on a ride without waiting? Yes please
Lu
“Screw the poor” you’re insane
Jan
Karma. One day whrther ut be in this life or afterlife you will regret that.
RosieRoRn
Let’s just hope you never become one of the poor who you’re so open to screwing
Mac
Exactly, I liked it and had no issues
Devin
Wait until you go back to the parks and see how many people faking disabilities to get on lighting lane
William
It’s an option that should not Exist.
Greg
There should be a more premium option. Genie+ only let you reserve one ride at a time often hours out. Universal let you pay $60-200 per person and skip all lines all day. I would 100% pay $200/person at disney to get a premium pass that let’s us skip all lines unlimited all day
Steve
Over spring break those Universal Passes were almost $600!!!
becky
Mine were $500 each the week after Thanksgiving. But loved it.
Kristen
Agree, Universal’s system is so much better, you just hop in line, that’s it. When you are ready to ride a different ride, you just hop in the express line. So simple and user friendly, versus having to log on at 7 am in hopes of getting to use your Genie +, and if the really popular ride isn’t available until hours later you are stuck riding standby and can’t even use your Genie+ until 2 hrs after park opening to ride something else. And what’s more about half the attractions at Disney don’t event have a lightning lane to begin with so if you want to ride those rides you’re stuck in standby even though you paid for genie+. At least with Fast pass you could have 3 fast passes per day that you could reserve in advance, so now there is no ability to plan your day ahead of time to reduce the amount of zigzagging you have to do, or where the heck in the park you will be when it’s lunch time, etc. Also, with fast pass, once you used your first 3 you could book more as long as they were available, including for the same ride. Now you are paying for fast pass that you can only reserve same day one at a time, and can’t book one later for the same ride.
I, too, would pay more for skipping lines all day, for all or most rides. I have a 2 yr old and so we will be stuck in standby in fantasyland all day because they don’t offer lightning lane.
Paige
Totally agree, I’d do it in heartbeat. I work my ass off so we can these trips, might as well go for it
PS
Ah. You worked your ass off to get ripped off by Disney. Nice.
Kristen
Why? They should have a paid option – Genie+ just sucks, but if they had a paid option that worked and was user friendly (like Universal’s) it would be good. Space in a theme park is a finite resource. The demand has gotten so crazy that they have to increase prices on order to stave off shortages and worst experiences for everyone. Yes, it sucks that they’re getting so expensive now but it’s literally supply and demand. If the demand for their services wasn’t so strong and supportive of the insane prices and continuously going up, then they wouldn’t be able to charge the higher prices.
Todd R Hudson
Yes you are right but its not for people on a budget. They are left out having to wait in longer lines. Especially when this feature use to be free to everyone. Quit sticking up for their greed or sugar coating it i guess. Its ridiculous. I mean you now have to pay for parking per day when you stay at one of their resorts.
Steve
Yes, no-one is saying that – the problem is not everyone can afford it, so it creates a 2 tier system where the rich get on rides in little or no time, while the rest of us schmucks have to queue for 2 hours. Just come back from 2 weeks there with 10 of us, it would’ve cost something like 3 grand extra for us all to have Genie+ everyday. Fastpass was fair and equal for all, I highly doubt it but I hope they’ll see sense and bring it back.
Mike
It’s actually a 3-tier system. You “shmucks” are on the tier above those who coul never dream of affording a Disney park, much less for two weeks. You can afford more than them, so you get more.
Matt
You honestly think they’ll drop their streaming service?? What does that have to do with the park? The article is about genie+ not their streaming service Disney+, regardless, neither of them are requirements, just don’t buy them. They aren’t going to care if there are 50 of you, your money is a drop in the ocean.
Todd R Hudson
Thats the problem if more people would wake up and say you aren’t stealing my money disney things would change to the better
Get Serious
stealing your money!?
I suppose your wages are stolen from the people that frequent your workplace?
or you don’t have a job and want the world to provide for you.
Vix
Our son has got additional needs so the option of the Genie + worked fantastically wellfor us as a family. It would have been a very different / negative experience without it.
Shell
Good thing your son has rich parents, Disney is like”screw the poorer kid’s families they can suffer”. If Disney would just use the reservation system to limit the number of guests in ,it wouldn’t be filled to where there are 2-hour waits in line. Disney would still make tons of money but they’re too greedy to give up every little penny. So they’ll keep cramming people in and laughing about it.
Get Serious
Shell: maybe if you stopped whining and got a better job
Paige
Don’t take vacations you can’t afford and then whine about it.
Mickey
And you and the 15 do not matter, at all
Ted
Same here. I will not go. Disney plus may as well be Disney robbery. I have been to Disney over 300 times as a pass holder. I stopped when they started genie plus.
Tee
I am with you, Brian. From upper Midwest US, have been to Disney World maybe 15 times, but once this pricing nonsense started, costing much more for less, not interested in going at all. I pray Iger helps right things. Chapstick was AWFUL. Never should have been left in charge. My jaw dropped when they re-upped his contract!
Jean
Universal will cost you anywhere from $60 to $200 each to skip the line.
Chris
People complain about genie+ because they haven’t seen how bad the other systems are. Just because it was better before doesn’t mean that this one is bad. Try the universal system and then you will appreciate genie+ and wonder why universal doesn’t use a system as good as genie+ :p
Brian
I have Premier passes and the Universal system is superior.
Jo
Yeah I have tried the Universal system and it is 1000 times BETTER than Genie+
Tiff
Truth! Universal was horrible! Adding on the passes DOUBLED our ticket prices, and you couldn’t use it on certain rides.
I’m not a fan of Genie+ either, but it is definitely better than Universal
Jo
How is paying one price at Universal for your entire trip worse than paying up to $29 per person per day at Disney? Especially when the Universal cost covers all but a few rides and there is no virtual que or reservation system at Universal?
Greg
I wondered why disney didnt give a system like universal. I’m going back to universal next time because I could pay $200 each to skip all lines all day and it was worth it. I 100% would have paid $200 a person to skip all disney lines all day but couldnt and it was lame. Even with genie plus we did like 4 things in 5 hours. I would easily pay more to skip lines and get to do more
Kimberly Linn
I disagree, I absolutely love the Universal System!! Way better than this Genie+ nonsense. Fast pass was better than the Genie+ too.
Steve
Chris: Entitled and clueless. A bad combo.
Jo
Yes, BUT, that is a one time only price and is for UNLIMITED line skipping for your entire stay. We used the Universal system for the first time in 2022 and I can definitely say it is far superior to Disney’s BS Genie+ system.
For instance, our park passes are good all year. The express pass is also good for the entire time. I would much rather pay the $129 per person for two Universal parks for the entire year than $120 per person per DAY for my 5 day stay at Disney.
Dorothy
I agree Universal has a better plan. And if you stay in certain Universal resorts, the passes are included. I hate the fact that you have to get online at 7:00 to purchase a ride and/or Genie+. We didn’t decide we wanted to purchase 7 dwarfs till it was too late. They took away the purchase ahead so they can change the price on any given day. Disney should offer free Genie+ for different resorts if you’re staying on property. There should be some perks but sadly most of those have gone away.
Jo
My point exactly. Universal gives the express pass away for free when you stay at a resort. Disney doesn’t do that anymore. Even when they did, you were limited to 3 fast passes. Universal has no limits.
Sean
Jo, you are spreading misinformation. Universal Express pass is PER DAY, not annual.
It ranges from $99 – several hundred PER DAY / Per Ticket.
There is no way to get $129 for an entire year. The Express pass has to be bought for each day.
Steve
You can get a limited express pass with the higher tier. Otherwise, you are correct.
Chris
Have you tried the fast pass system at universal? It costs a lot more than genie+ and doesn’t include several popular attractions! Saying you don’t agree with genie+ is one thing, but saying that you are only going to universal because of it.. That’s not a good argument!
Kevin
Can you list the “several” because I only know of 3 total ?
Rills
This is based on my knowledge of passholder information so take this with a wee grain of salt.
But Disney Passholders still have to pay the Genie+ fee to get fast passes which is a lot considering out of state passholders are paying up to $1,300 for a pass. Meanwhile at Universal if you’re a premiere passholder which is equivalent it’s a much smaller price but after 4 pm you get unlimited fastpasses. And I think before 4pm you have a limit of only 2 free ones but I’m not sure. Now some rides may not even have a fastpass line but that’s still an infinitely better deal than Disney cause passholders aren’t getting many perks with their passes while the playing field is equal for just every so often guests.
Jo
Wrong. Universal Express pass costs $129 per person and is good the entire trip and has unlimited ride access. The only rides NOT on the system are Velociraptor coaster and Hagrid’s Magical Ride. That is it. Everything else is included.
Disney will cost you up to $30 per person per DAY the entire length of your trip. If you go solo, that is still $180 for a 5 day trip AND you only get one ride access at a time. PLUS there are a lot of rides you have to pay extra (Lightening Lane) for and that still doesn’t cover rides that need that virtual cue.
kelly
Jo, you are also wrong.
Universal Express is good for the entire day. If you buy the pass on Day 1 but go 4 days in a row, it only is good for all 4 days if you buy it for 4 days. The $129 is a daily price and varies based on the time of the year. The express pass is available as once per ride per day or unlimited per ride per day, the unlimited is a higher price, usually about $50 more in my experience on lighter days in the park.
I get express passes for Universal about half of the time I go to the parks. I rarely splurge on the unlimited rides bc once per day is enough for most of the rides.
Daffy
Universal had paid fastpass before Disney did. And still has it. And it’s more expensive than Disney’s.
I understand the sentiment! But Universal moving to paid fastpass was one of the reasons Disney abandoned theirs
Kristen
Yes, but. Genie+ only works on some rides (rides that previously had fast pass) so that means most of the family rides only have a standby queue (most of fantasyland, for example) whereas at Universal all rides are express lane except for the two newest rides (Hagrid’s and Velocicoaster). What’s more you just get in line you don’t have to worry about a cumbersome and stress -inducing reservation system that might ultimately mean you don’t even get to use your Genie+ for more than 2 or 3 rodes the entire day. Universal’s system is much better and more user/guest friendly.
Scrooge
Why do the poors whine about prices?
Your coworkers are having to work harder at WalMart or Subway or Target while you’re riding rides. Be thankful you’re at Disney and not there slaving away too.
Now wash my car
Paige
Right? This is a luxury experience not a basic human need.
Erica M
I get it Brian! We’ve been about that many times since 2010, were AP holders. I refused to get one when they jacked the price up in 2019, then covid happened. Our next trip will also be to Universal. I have no desire to go back with the changes they’ve made 😒
CathyCychimera@bells
Bring back Fast Pass! You’ve already raised ticket prices and this pay more for rides is ridiculous! Plus not even guaranteed! I don’t want to be competing at 7 am while on vacation! Not doing it!
Disappointedfamily
Disney would not refund our useless genie plus. We went for Christmas after going several times before, but this is our last trip to Disney. It lost its Magic.
Paul English
Have traveled from the UK with my children yo WDW around 20 times. Was looking forward to visiting with grandchildren. But extra expense makes us second class citizens as well as booking rules. Used to use a 21 day hopper pass
Davidhhh
Are you going to pay the $160 that universal charges for Express Pass? That will show Disney!
Joanna
Agree
Teresa Ferris
They need to get rid of this feature. Disney is already expensive enough without having to pay extra not to wait 3 hours in a single line.
Cheryl Franco
Agree
Peggy
Totally agree. We are going in April just my husband and I and I honestly wish I had not even bought park tickets.
Cynthia
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
beautiful gorgeous
I already knew that Disney was making people get up at the crack of dawn to purchase Genie plus daily. I hate the system. I have chosen to go when people normally don’t go. February. Genie plus is a gamble. It may be good/bad. You are doing well if you get 3 lightnings a day. Which is what we used to have with fastpass for resort guests.
Thumper 1
Well, nothing has really changed. Iger has the opportunity to listen to Disney patrons and eliminate this ridiculous system. But he insists on keeping it. Altering when one can purchase is a lame compromise. It’s time to bring back the system that worked, no charge, and get rid of park reservations. What a mess!
Moce
If they’d made genie + like FP in that you could book ahead of time 3 rides I. Would pay.
Sky
Exactly!!! Petter model would have been to start with the three free ones, then pay a fee if you wanted to continue making three at a time….. they should have gone with this route…..
Steve
Of course it didn’t change. Chapek ran Disney for less than a year without Iger actually being CEO, and Iger was on the payroll the entire time. Everything happening is Iger’s long term plan for Disney.
Peggy
Interesting perspective…..
Jo
It is actually the truth. Genie+ was Iger’s nightmare plan. So was the Disney+ project. All this stuff came from Iger and Chapek was the one taking the heat when a lot of it failed. Not saying Chapek was good. He was awful. But Iger is partly to blame.
Ryan
This is an obvious money grab. Mot letting you get genie+ ahead of time means they can change the price how they please. “Oh its going to be a busy day tomorrow, let’s make genie+ $35”
Steve
This is just so they can make sure when they jack up the price of it, they didn’t miss anyone. Pre-bought could have been cheaper than on-the-day. Just more greed from the supposedly great Iger.
Marilyn Donnelly
Get rid of genie+ and lightening lane entirely! It’s the worst! Bring back fast passes!
The Natives
Wouldn’t it just be easier to get rid of everything? No fastpass, no genie plus, no medical exemptions. Simple, you want to ride, you wait like everyone else. Period.
Tee
Medical exemptions just means we wait the amount of time we would stand in line waiting to ride. I use a wheelchair, and am happy to use the queue when the line is accessible. I do not want anything extra. I wait a bit longer, as the posted time is what I must wait, line is usually shorter (not complaining, just noting that posted time which is what is used is almost always longer, ime). This is rise and abelist of you! Why should I be punished, not be allowed to ride, because that is what happens if you don’t allow DAS. I miss the lines, it is part of the experience. What extra do you think we get? I do not double up and get another wait time while waiting for a ride, my guess is most do not (takes too much time and effort). But really, what do you think we get that you do not? I miss the line, but wait longer to ride than you do. I wish I was not disabled, like you, so stop being jerky about it. Disney 20 years ago let us just waltz right on rides (which I thought was wrong back then when I was temp in a chair after an MVA), but it has been at least 17 years since that BS went on! Please stop being a jerk about the disabled!
A
X x I’m with you all the way!
PS
Exactly. Either make it free, so everyone gets a shot or don’t have it at all and make everyone wait.
Nick
Yeah but then I would say you should seriously reduce capacity to your parks and actually do it. Like during COVID when they said they were doing it but really only did it for the first year and eventually stopped. So either bring back fastpass or actually turn down ticket sales to parks. Actually set a cap that will allow good flow through the parks without long lines.
Matt
People who are disabled or have medical issues do wait like everyone else, just in a different spot. Even if they did get priority, who cares? Being wheelchair bound or having a severe medical condition is enough punishment. So what if you get to skip a line and I have to wait 3 more minutes, small price to pay to be able to walk on my own two feet… You may be the first person I’ve ever come across who hates disabled people. Kinda gross behavior.
Laura
Thanks for your comments Matt! Since my brain cancer was removed, I’ve become reliant on a scooter because my left side drags… and I’ve never seen so much hatred towards people who are bound to chairs -like we asked to be disabled to the point of needing a mobility device. I’d give anything to not have to lug it around, be bound to it so much, and be stared at as if I’m just a fat lady who’s too lazy to walk – it’s disgusting and I’ve never seen the bad behavior as much as since I’ve had my “vehicle” – and I don’t use DAS But Genie+ worked well for us in Dec. I’m not rich and have limited funds, but we saved for a long time to afford our vacation for 9!
Scott
It’s my preference to get rid of all fastpass options, free or no. Shocking how well the lines moved without it when it wasn’t an option.
Hill
Yes thank you . I spent my younger years there and they had tickets for the rides that you could buy upon entering the gate and you had to pick and choose what rides you wanted to use your tickets for and that was it. Then they got rid of the tickets and you could ride anything for one price. They should get rid of all of fast pass and genie + and lighting lane and go back to waiting in line I never got to ride space mountain because the line was always so long and didn’t have a fast pass anyway.
Wendi
They only eliminated it as a ticket add-on when you buy your tickets so they can charge more for it on higher-demand days.
PJ
Universal charges for their FastPast. How does it compare w/ Disney’s?
Ann
PJ, Universal Studios Express Pass is $109 per day per person (plus $80 for yhe park pass).
Way more expensive than Disney Genie +
Cary
Yes but you don’t select a certain return time at universal studios. Can walk up to any line and use the express line
Jean
Over $200 during peak times, so far Disney is only $29
Jo
Up to $29 per person, per day. How is that better than a flat fee for your entire trip that has unlimited access and no reservation/waiting system?
Callmemom
Universals express pass is worth every penny and you can ride every ride in two parks in one day if you really want to. Genie plus is expensive considering you only have time to use it for about 3 rides per day. And who wants to wake up at 7am every single day of vacation??
Steve
I think it’s a great system. Allowed those of us who can afford it to not have to wait on lines. If anything, they should charge more!
Hill
What? Why charge more they already have more than enough money and gouge people as it is. That is so not fair for the people that can’t afford it already.
Jo
Universal Express Pass is so much better. None of this reservation nonsense with setting up stuff months in advance. You get the pass, go to the park, and access any ride you want, (with a few exceptions), as many times as you want, through the express pass lane. The price you pay is good for your entire trip. None of this wake up at the crack of dawn and pray you get a quick pass to the ride you want.
Steve
The most important difference is that you don’t need it.
Ss
Everyone hating the system either didn’t know how to use it or haven’t even been to Disney world since it came out. The system was amazing and 100xs better than fastpass!
Made our week at the busy parks a breeze!!
Yamy
I agree with you! We got km 8+ rides! It was great!
Sue
Ss. You must be a Disney lover bc everyone can see how this is about money and nothing else. They system sucks and so does the reservation but no matter what disneys does there will be crazy people out there that love it and will still go with all the fights and drunks so enjoy
Chapek Sucks
Anyone who thinks Genie + was great is a self-absorbed elitist asshat.
Fastpass was about having equal opportunity to save time and get more done each day. Genie+ is about money grab and creating an elitist group.
You got money to burn, go pay for VIP Tour. Otherwise STFU.
Jo
I second this sentiment.
PS
I third this sentiment. And I’m shocked at how many defend this cash grab, which only makes the experience more miserable for the ones who can’t afford it/don’t want to pay it.
Arnold
First of all, Disney did not get rid of anything. The article clearly states that wdw is no longer selling tickets bundled with genie+. You now are required to purchase it the day of the visit. Have a great day 😊
Anonymous ride operator
I used to work there. Some of the disabled people I saw really needed das because they would literally panic or have a seizure once on the ride cause it was too much for them so their ride had to be stopped. One kid my coworker had could only see the que of a certain ride sit in the seat take his picture and walk out because his disability was not safe conditions to ride. Invisible disabilities are real. Taking away das would not be good but I wish they required drs notes as proof to weed out the fakes trying to take advantage. And I agree the Disney+ registration in the morning at 7 is ridiculous but I don’t think it should be cheaper. If it was much cheaper everyone would have one and now there’s no lightning lane. I loved my job and making magic for guests but they need to bring back the max pass because that was amazing to use and the lines were practically 10min long even when I went on space mountain. They need a higher tier pass that includes unlimited lightning lanes for all rides except Rise that line still gets too long.
Rayna
I totally agree. Walt is spinning in his grave.
Mike
You just want something you’re not willing to pay for. If you want equality, give your tickets to any of the millions who can’t afford to attend a park at all. You just want to be equal with the people who have more than you, not those who have less.
Nick
Terrible and I know how to use it. The idea of it is highway robbery. How much did you spend on the genie+ over fast pass? Right a lot more because fastpass was free and it kept the standby and fastpass lines low. You sound drunk sir go home.
Jo
Yeah sure. As a user of the previous fast pass system, I heartily disagree with your assessment.
Diana
Wish they would go back to the fast pass way! Luck of the draw & everyone had a chance to get in! If anything keep the purchase as you go “lightning lanes” for like 7 dwarfs, pandora, rise & leave everything else as the old fast pass system!
Nick
I literally just wrote a whole rant about this down below. Fast pass system was the best.
B. Goodwin
I think Genie+ is awful and agree with the majority who miss the old fast pass system. Its incredibly expensive for a working single mother of 3 to even afford to take my kids to Disney. To spend your hard earned money to treat your kids to a fun filled day in the park(s) should be plenty enough without having to come out of pocket for the opportunity to essentially cut in line is shameful. Atleast with fastpass it allowed everyone a fair chance to get on some of their favorite rides, Genie+ is a cash grab and caters to the rich or frivolous and should be abolished.
Sabrina
I’m here now. It’s terrible. I have to stay up till 12am to purchase. Then up 6 hrs later to make the first LL. I’m even more exhausted then normal. Plus you pay for a system that glitches. At least four times on this trip we’ve tried to schedule at the 2hr window and the system won’t let us until we were 2-3 minutes passed the two hr window. Very frustrating for such and expensive vacation.
Jessica
I recommend you just purchase Genie+ at 6:50am or so- no need to stay up until midnight! They’ve never sold out before park opening yet.
PS
Oh, my. You poor thing. Have to stay up until 12?! LOL Why not just queue like everybody else?? Disney is expensive as is. Get rid of the crap that makes the experience for people, who can barely afford it, even worse, only so some well off people don’t have to queue with the mob.
Steve
Queue like everyone else? Because i can afford to not have to wait in lines. Why anyone wouldn’t pay to skip lines, i have no idea. I think they should raise the prices. We did Disney for a week last month, not a single wait.
David A
Some days that happens, no lines, but that is rare now. And if you have kids, waiting in a 2 hour line is not the answer. If you are a Disney Adult and older, standing and waiting for 30min to 2hrs for a ride, again is not the answer either. Fast Pass worked for years. Crowds did not exist in off times of the year either. Record crowds now and check the Disney app on your phone, most of the “E” ticket type rides are long wait times.
PS
It’s not the point that not everyone would want to skip the lines. It’s the point that it is a rip off in an already expensive park and that not everyone can afford it and the ability to skip lines makes the experience even worse for those who can’t afford it. But I get it, you’re selfish to the max, only care about yourself and are not bothered to be fleeced for every cent you got.
David A
Well said, forget the negative nelly comments below.
Bob
There in nov/dec2022 parks run down, not keeping attractions clean and repaired, drunk patrons, looks as though it being asset stripped it by not, all money being channeled into New rides. Magic gone. Need to pay twice for same ride. Not going back any time soon. Protesting with my feet and $$$
Peter A Fuhr
So lets compare. Universal 109.00 all rides but 2.
Disney 20 to 30 per ride depending on crowd levels and demand. 5 rides is 150? How is Disney cheaper?
Jo
It isn’t. People are just being conned into thinking it is because they would not have to pay for Gene+ each day if they did not want to. I will take Universal any day over the Genie system.
Jay
But it’s not per ride, overall. There are a handful of rides that you would need to purchase separately if you wanted them, at $15 each. But there is per day flat rate for all the other rides. I went in Feb 2022, I paid the extra per day flat rate and found it very useful. I used it about 4 times average per day, and bypassed several hour+ wait times.
Susie Lytal
Still available for purchase on the app.
Nick
They need to bring back the fast pass system that was free. It KEPT THE LINES MOVING. Sure you still had your long lines but after your third or final fast pass you could book another one while you waited in line. It wasn’t limited to rides either it went on to meet and greets as well. It was a perfect system that they screwed up. If they wanted to charge for the fastpass they could’ve charged a one time all day fastpass access instead of doing the genie+ ticket for each ride on top of the theme park tickets. That’s like trying to charge a cover fee for a carnival, plus the tickets you have to use for rides, plus money for food and games. It’s highway robbery and most people would rather wait out the hours. Which is the biggest problem with going to Disney World right now is the fact you spend all this money for your Disney vacation on the ever increasing prices on plane, my own rides to and from the airport, Disney hotel resorts, food, souvenirs, theme park tickets. Now Disney wants me to pay extra per ride just to get in front of line even for the small rides such as it’s a small world. Like get out of here Disney. I’m not paying that. I would however pay for a REASONABLY priced all day fastpass access set up just like the old fastpass system because that was the best. You want tensions lower for guests stop trying to make them pay more and people deciding they’re going to wait in lines instead and tensions grow hotter because they’re paying so much money as it is, they’re standing on their feet all day with little to no sleep on these vacations as it is. Now you have to deal with other people in line where you’re packed like sardines for hours in the heat. Tensions will run high if they don’t do something like this to keep the lines moving. Also bring back the dining plans as well that was another great system they got rid of. April 2018 was my last best Disney trip. The crowds were low, lines were short, perfect weather, food was good, fireworks I thought were better and you could get a good spot without having to wait for hours, prices were reasonable and I didn’t feel like I wanted to punch the person next to me in line. Not that I would, just saying the feeling wasn’t there.
Steve
No, they need to get rid of all line cutting.
Deb
Bring back fastpass, I won’t go back until then!
And WDW is my favorite!
Sandy
I will never pay extra for Lightning lane and Disney Genie +. I am a cast member and also an annual passholder .My cast member pass is often blocked out and out annual passes are even more expensive now. I don’t if we will renew them or not. It’s just too expensive anymore.
Wendy
They need to get rid of the no park hopping until 2pm as well. A park hopper is almost double the one park pass, I shouldn’t have to wait to hop.
Elizabeth
I’m DVC legacy and I haven’t been to Disney since 2019.
The last time my family went, it felt like a scam. The whole experience felt so mercenary and rickety, and that was even before genie plus.
We also didn’t like how horribly paid the staff are, especially given how hard they work and the predatory cost of even the smallest snack or souvenir.
My kids want to go back, but we don’t think they’re prepared for the overcrowding going on either, or the fact that we are not willing to pay extra for their favorite rides.
We’re taking them on other vacations until Disney gets their poop back together.
I will say, that the one thing that keeps me from writing Disney off completely, is the fact that their brands and media efforts are proudly inclusive — empowering for women and respectful to LGBT. White girls aren’t locked into princess roles, white boys aren’t exclusively given
all the superhero roles. That matters immensely to us as a plus.
Sometimes it seems a little ironic that Disney is managing to make everyone mad — homophobic folks are screaming anger at every LGBT/minority/female representation.
Human rights folks are disturbed by Disney’s greedy treatment of staffers and guests.
And yet the parks remain full, no matter how bothered many people become.
Matt
Genie+ is just a varation of the fast pass. A better one, in my opinion, and cheaper. Never waited in a line once for an entire week around halloween. It was only $45 a day for my family of three. Typical amusement park fast passes are $40+ a person. Most of this is just whiney locals
Jo
Please explain how paying for something that was once free is “cheaper”.
David A
Some people say the system works, but it did not work in Feb 2022 when we went. The times are taken up almost immediately at 7am, and if you have dining reservations, scheduling can be exhausting.
The old system of 3 rides, not 2 was the best, and if you could not make the time, you were not out $20 per person for that day. For people who have never been to Disney prior to 2015 it is their normal, but for folks like ourselves, live time Disney, this is almost like work to enjoy days at the park. Go back to the old system, the parks are the only Disney entity that is making $$$. Parks are supporting Disney+ broadcasting.
James
At Disneyland, the old Fast Pass and Max Pass system worked better. The fast pass system was free and Max Pass was $20. If you opted for Fast Pass, you would go to the machine, get the paper fast pass and then wait in a standby queue. Typically by the time you were done waiting in the standby queue, you can draw a new fast pass and go ride the attraction which you drew the first fast pass. You could do this all day and you would have to wait in a few standby queues throughout the day.
Now if you don’t pay to play, the wait in standby queues can be crushing. I waited in a “30 minute” standby line for Space Mountain which turned into 2+ hours. My assumption, Space was closed for a while so Genie+ people rushed to ride space causing massive delays. Most other standby lines were longer than posted on my trip. It got real old waiting in lines that never moved. It got so old, we cancelled our last day at the parks and returned home. Something we have never done.
When there were no Fast Passes or Genie+, the lines moved and made the park experience so much better. Genie+ needs to be tweaked and/or there at least needs to be some sort of free version to help balance out the day.
We usually take two trips a year to Disney and as it stands, we are not planning on returning in 2023.
K
It’s a bummer u can’t have it paid before you go.an do I love it over just the 3 fast passes. Being able to do every ride without waiting more than 10 minutes maybe is epic. Time is money I absolutely pay that 15 for the star wars ride.
Lynne
Disney needs to go back to just fast pass. Fast pass plus started messing everything g up.
Sad disney Cuban fan
I used to have annual passes had them for 8 years plus another 5 years before we had to take a break ..so about 13 years total.well covid came and we didn’t renew because we didn’t know what to expect. But we still went at least 3 or 4 times a year .but we haven’t gone in almost a year and it’s about time we do again ..problem is it’s getting more and more expensive to go and with 4 kids you can imagine..disney is out pricing most families..it’s getting to the point where we are considering other parks wich was never a topic of discussion before ..Bob Igor please help get these prices under control..or we might be forced to stop going because of cost ..I can deal with some change ..but we shouldn’t be limited on things we used to do and have to pay more for things to be made harder and more expensive..help!!
Keith
The whole genie system stinks. I will not go back until it and the park reservation system is eliminated. If it never is,then so be it. Disney has regressed,magic is gone…
Jesus
They should bring back the old Annual pass system and have more benefits for California residents
Michael
It was awesome when there wasn’t lightning lane and fast pass. During the past few years when fast pass was paused, the lines moved fast and the wait was very little.
ben
y’all be tripping thinking this means Disney is going to drop G+. Bundled G+ was the only way to get around dynamic surge pricing of the G+ on day of visit. Now instead of $20 pp, you are stuck paying $25+ buying G+ on the same day, especially for busier days.
Kimberly Linn
The title of this article states that Disney got rid of the genie plus entirely. But that’s not true, you just can’t buy it until the day of your visit. They need to get rid of it entirely because it’s a bad system. Their other system worked better with the fast pass. And other theme parks, do an even better job with their various “fast pass“ implementations.
Dave
You should all be screaming “SCREW DISNEY and their criminal activity” and not go period.
Andrew
My family and I were there dec 28th and 29th. I purchased the Genie + both days. Omg what a complete waste of money and time. It states you can plan your day but that’s complete bs. You can only plan ” a ride”. If we booked a ride for 12pm. The system would not allow us to book the next ride at 130. It said enelgible/ too soon. I wish there was a way to ask for a refund. Also nothing worse than booking a ride just to be told it was temporary closes.
Mason
Nice to see Disney is listening to their fanbase. Since they are getting rid of Genie-. Now end Splash Mountain’s retheming and bring back fast passes.
Steve
Except they aren’t, they’re just making sure you have to pay the per-day price, which is always higher.
Rhonda
The genie + does have its advantages since you pay a litte extra for it. However there is room for improvement. The genie pass should be could for any ride any time of the day. Please eliminate the reservation times. They are difficult to manage and enjoy the park at the same time. Lets be real, not everybody goes to the same ride at the same time. You are going to stand I. Line either way, but at least it won’t be for an hour. Change the genie +, not eliminate it.
Cv
The past 2 times I went I spent 100+ on genie plus and lightening lane. Rise kept breaking down we never even got on or a refund and the same thing with RAR. To be honest the more that I spend getting in to the park and the more I’m nicked and dimes for things like rides, parking and photo pass the less I buy merchandise. Not to mention the value for staying in a resort hotel has plummeted. There’s no perks to staying there anymore $400+ a Night for what? No free parking, no magic morning or on 30 mins on select days but no rides are open only merchandise locations, the give the same pin and lanyard the last 2 years and you have to take a cupin and you room key to world of disney to get it when that plus a luggage tag, your tickets and a few coupons would be mailed to you before your trip. I just don’t see a point in going and spending so much money for so little.
LeonaB
This isnt new. It was like this when we were there in November 2022. We booked the trip in October and there was no option to purchase genie + until the day of. It wasn’t a problem for us. We made very good use of it each day. Is it overpriced? Yes. Everything Disney is overpriced. But not having it would have meant doing far less and spending way too much time standing in lines.
N
Actually, people originally had to purchase etickets when MK first opened. It only changed in the 90s. So, if anything, they are looking to find a solution that has a fair compromise between those olden days and the more modern days.
Crystal P.
I definitely took a LONG time to save up for just me n my hubby for the holidays and I calculated the Genie+ into it because I knew we couldn’t last in the lines with his ACL injury and my weight issues. The Genie+ allowed us to REALLY get our money’s worth. And I’m aware that my next trip to Disneyland probably won’t be for another three years. So I’m telling you it was a huge blessing.
JB
I just went and I looked at it like this, I already paid $2300 for 3 days with hotel and tickets for 4 people, not counting food, that was just tickets and hotel, we did genie for 2 days, cost an extra $120. So I paid 5% more and was able to double or triple the amount of rides I went on. Why not if people are not smart enough to figure that out, it was still cheaper than paying for a hopper and an extra day or 2 to spread it out. Happy with my decision
Todd
If they’re still having it, customers should be able to purchase before hand with their ticket. The “a la carte” is BS & is the ultimate money grabber. it cost almost $30 at peak times for at least 1 ride per park. Purchase the Genie+ and its worth the money if you choose to use Genie+. We have a party if 11 going and I’m the only one that knows how to utilize it. This will not work at 7a to purchase 11 of them & get rides for each of us.
John
I hated disney genie + , because I constantly had to be on my phone and had to download the disney app.
Ashly
We go every year and will not go back until it’s gone. It already cost $600 to go not including another $2000 for food. I refuse to pay that per person. Plus pay to park at the restaurant per day. Disney has sucked the fun out of it with Genie Plus. Not only is it expensive it’s too time consuming. I want to enjoy my vacation not stay on my phone.
Ashly
*$6000
Barbara
If Disney is going to continue to offer Genie+, then I would much prefer to pre-purchase it as part of my ticket price, like I did for Disneyland this past October. I don’t want to get to a park on the day, and find out then, that it’s sold out, or the price is now higher. It’s my understanding that Disney World had some on the day sell outs this holiday season.
Vickie
Was so disappointed when I treated my adult daughters to a DW adventure last February and chose the Genie+ option to maximize our time and ability to get on more rides and experiences. This trip was a reward for us getting thru some difficult times and our success of hard work and pushing thru difficulty when life seemed hopeless years before. We were sooo excited. The Genie+ option was a disaster. Here I thought it was similar to the fastpass. What a lie. The problem with Disney World is they allow too many people in at one given time. The dream of Disney is lost. They need to scale back to what’s necessary. Charge what it is to run the theme park so people feel they are the luckiest person in the world when they are there … cut the number down so the dream can happen. But the way it’s run now I’d rather spend my time weeding my garden to raise the prettiest flowers for my girls instead. DW needs to change how they run their park … it’s as simple as that!
Sherri l
It’s clear Disney never thought it through past how much more money they could make off us. If they must continue with Lightning Lane, they should run it like they do those with disabilities. Run them through in groups at a time. LL means you get through the line faster, not first. Those waiting have paid a handsome price to do more than stand in line as LL users keep coming through.
Cynthia
I quit going to Disney years ago. Disney is no longer Disney and hasn’t been for a long time. There’s no magic feeling when you go there. Disney lost its charm & it’s not clean. I’d have more fun at a flea market than going to Disney. It smells like rotten wood, vomit, and stinky feet. There’s no fun at Disney whatsoever. I need to just shut the park down and tear it down because it’s not worth paying what they’re asking. There’s no parade anymore the food is cheap made but cost of Fortune. I wouldn’t buy any kind of food at Disney anywhere because of the way it smells and the way it’s filthy. Nothing’s been repaired or replaced. Don’t waste your money. The executives are getting their enormous paychecks to do absolutely nothing but run Disney into the ground. Well they’ve succeeded because Disney is disgusting. The magic that was once Disney is completely gone. Walt Disney is rolling over in his grave crying because his beloved Disney has been destroyed. So again I tell you don’t waste your money.
Eric
The Genie + is not perfect, but anything that keeps my family from waiting in lines I’m all for. My time is far more valuable than the money.
Wayne
I say go back to the FastPass+ system!
Diana
My husband and I went to Disneyworld on our honeymoon in 1972. We took our kids many, many times. We took high school bus loads of students . We went back this year to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The magic is not there. Too costly–too difficult to get those genie rides–rides were in poor condition and kept breaking down. We hated the reserve park system and not being able to use hopper until after 2 pm and yet paying for the hopper system. Food was ridiculously priced and the quality is poor. We used to love the meal package–pricey but you got quality food and plenty of it. My family consisted of 9 people and none of us plan to go back anytime soon. I think Walt would be extremely unhappy with the changes at Disney. I’m glad Iger is back but not sure he can correct the mess left behind. This greatly saddens me because it used to be the most magical place to go.
Verenice
Please eliminate this and bring back the old fast passes. We pay a lot for these tickets already. Why pay more?
Major
As a technician I serviced Fastpass machines during Mission:Space opening. One day they were down and and I was getting the usual grief from disappointed guests, when one day I talked to a man and wife who had two teens in tow. After expressing his grievances I pointed out waiting in line keeps his wallet in his pocket; Fastpass let’s you all shop. He turned on his heels, grabbing a teen under each arm and queued up.
Lauren Oliver
I really liked free fast pass and ride as individual line.l
ROCK⭐
Oh! The hell with in Disney entirely. The people who run Disney have ruined this company. It’s always one issue every other month about something else. People need to grow up and get on with life and stop worrying about Disney so much.
Davidhhh
Anyone who thinks that Disney is eliminating their most profitable service ever is a deluded fool. They only did this to enable them to charge whatever they want at the last minute, when people are impulse buying to avoid the huge crowds.
Meanwhile, the parks just had their most profitable month ever, thanks to Genie+.
Silverio Rojas
No biggie, I airways got mine day of. I don’t see the issue.
Doug
Disneyland Paris does not use this system and the lines go much faster as everyone is in ONE queue line…pure equal! We didn’t wait more than 40 minutes for ANY attraction and some were less!
DHC
Genie + is a ripoff. Hardly got on anything, and they raised ticket prices?? Since it’s unlikely that Disney will return to the Fast Pass system, then they should return to the original pricing for Extra Magic Hours – fifteen dollars per person.
The stock continues to underperform and seventy percent of the public thinks that Disney has lost it’s magic. Iger better channel Walt Disney fast, or this company may finally fail.
Jose Alfonso Ortiz
Very sad with my visit to Disney parks, Dec/Jan 2023.
Huge crowds, 3 hour lines for 3 minute mediocre rides. Everything is extra money. Lightning lane is only for the rich. Magic is gone, and I’ve been visiting since I was 5. Now I’m 45. My kids didn’t really enjoy it. Dining is too expensive, wifi is really bad and you spend 80% of your time making lines. Lucky if you get into 4 rides in 12 hours. Bye Disney forever…
Elizabeth
I was in Disney the 2nd week of December ( slowest time of year ) people are NOT abandoning in droves. It was packed. And Genie plys got us on 4 rides at Hollywood studios, 3 at magic kingdom and 5 at epcot. Less than $10 per ride to jump the line.
Erin
I wish they would just go back to fast pass and having it included in some tickets, as it worked and wasn’t as expensive and would encourage more people to visit if they concerned about profits so much
Mr
Sounds like socialism. Read the definition and practice. It’s great example to teach our children.
I’m not being a snob nor rude. Please do the comparison.
Justin aragon
Disney Park is dead. Can’t even take the family there without going dead broke. What happened to taking the family in a trip and being happy. Now nothing but worrying about how much it is. Prices are ridiculous. Boycott Disney. I’ll even get rid of Disney plus this is bad
Taylor
I used genie+ right before Christmas at Magic kingdom and it worked out for me I was able to hop on rides fast and I only paid $16 for the day. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about? Maybe they should do a regular fast pass and the genie+
Linda
I’ve used genie plus half a dozen times on trips. I think it’s great. I don’t know people really understand it. Similar to every parent seems to dislike common core but it makes sense when you take the time to learn it
M Petros
Just got back from Disneyland and had the same experience as many here. Spent $1,650 for tickets alone and waited in long lines to go on rides. Never again! Disney wants you to spend more money for genie and those people that purchased genie ares still waited in lines because the parks are packed way beyond capacity. Pure corporate greed. My advice, your money is better spent going to Hawaii for the same price. I’m done with the Disney thing!
Sylvia
Honestly Disney was synonymous with family enjoyment and fun. No one usually dared to criticize them as a company and if they did were shot down or could be explained away. The genie+ and other fast lane systems brought out the ugly capitalist sight of Disney that most willingly ignored bc of how much it offered. That is no longer the case. They may be getting money now bc those with money or that hate lines pay more, but their losing dedicated customers that have been loyal for a very long time. They have now also ruined the image Walt Disney made for the brand. People can now openly criticize them without strong backlash which I feel will end up damaging the company and possibly profits later on, no matter how much rich people that are willing to pay for the fast lane are willing and capable to make up for it
This has also begun affecting other theme parks too. Universal is packed much more now bc old dedicated Disney fans went there. This causes issues were before I could ride my favorite rides multiple times, but now my friend went and it was too packed the lines were not worth waiting for and they couldn’t even find food because they’d run out everywhere except one less liked location. They couldn’t even try a butterbeer. Which means they will have to change their system now bc of Disney’s decision. Hopefully they get rid of it too avoid lasting after affects but I know companies are about profit so I have doubt they will ever completely remove it.
Maira Mubeen
Disney Genie Plus service, made it soo complicated… First you spend money on it and then you get to stare at it for yoyr whole vacation. Its like your’e not touring disney world but the diney app. Gosh!
Beth
Genie + has taken all of the magic away from anything Disney! It was h-ll trying to get to each ride with no time to look at the splendor all around or mosey around the shops and treats! Fast pass was perfect!
Tinkerella66
Just GET RID OF IT PERIOD!!
This is so annoying.
Troy
Disneyline? Is that what you’re referring to? That’s what I call them ever since we went about ten years ago. Never going back. I started saying that to the staff there. They’d ask in their fake cheerful voice, are you enjoying Disneyland, I’d rely, you mean Disneyline? They’d be snippy and reply is my 5 year old daughter enjoying it? I’d reply, she is 5, she enjoys going to 7/11. If she understood what a ripoff it is I’m sure she rather have that money to buy herself many other things. So Disneyline is happy they can fool children. Great for them.
Lisa
Disney needs to go back the way it use to be. Now it seems we’re all competing for tix and not enjoying our vaca .
Fast passes were much easier
Michael
A big sell for my family was the dining plans our last trip in June 2022 was less than desirable. Quick service food was horrible and way to expensive and they didn’t seem to care. We won’t be going again until they fix their problems.
Nate
Absolute joke of a park. We saved for years and than come for 3 days and rides are out , than they charge extra on top of our genie pass to get in front. On top of that , the food price is a joke. 3 hot dogs for $38 wtf, a place that’s been open for so long and yet still can’t get the ques right , spend money and build extra lanes, staff were struggling , rude, what a joke, 4K spent on what , u need to refund if you close most of your rides that’s not in the package , you are stealing from family’s ,
Nate
Oh and 2hr waits for a ride you can only do 3 a day , pure rip off
Jesse
I loved the ability to enjoy not waiting in line. Me and my family never waiting in one line ever. Disneyland is the king of parks. It’s just like everything else in life, you have to learn how it works.
WHAT BLOWS MY MIND IS… the woke/left wing people don’t realize that Disney (extreme-woke/left) are the BIGGEST CAPITALIST ON THE PLANET! “9.50 per/Water bottle! Lol I’m not complaining personally, I just can’t believe how easily people on the left are manipulated. LOL “Sheep” is the accurate definition
Theresa
Jesse,. 90% of the people totally agree with you.. you’re right on.
Linda
I read purchasing in advance has been eliminated so you have to buy it the day you go to the park
Tony
What about no trams quite inconvenient after along day in the park. Who want to walk another 1/2 mile after a full day and maybe not find your car. Not buying anymore tickets for Disney. There are plenty of other attractions in and around Orlando.
Theresa
No eliminate all fast passes. Go back to the booklet and space the rides out. TALK ABOUT PREJUDICE.. ” ONLY IF YOU’RE RICH CAN YOU PARTICIPATE”.
Theresa
No eliminate all fast passes. Go back to the booklet and space the rides out. TALK ABOUT PREJUDICE.. ” Only the rich people are allowed”
Megan Coskot
Disney lost its magic for me last year after being there for 12 years on new years, we had an awful experience trying to get on Soarin. We paid for genie + and additional lightning lanes. We had a nasty cast member at the second “check in” point of Soarin demand we scan our phone again and when it didn’t work instantly she accused of us of not checking in, meanwhile we had already done so moments prior. She was absolutely obnoxious and called me “sweetie” while the line behind us became impatient and told us to move aside. Moments later we tried to scan the phone again and it worked, and instead of it being our fault as the cast member claimed it was something wrong with their technology. We never got an apology and were mortified after spending over $400 for one day to be treated like that simply trying to enter a ride. I approached the cast members outside the ride after and they stated they had problems like that all day! Yet they offered us nothing for being humiliated and stopped after scanning in multiple times. We decided then and there that would be our last disney trip. We do not miss spending thousands and definitely won’t be back!
Janis
That’s wonderful! However, they just need to go back to the Fastpass system. You shouldn’t have to spend extra money after you have paid an arm and a leg for the initial ticket.
Romyeaux
I am so glad Disney Genie is going away. We were in the Lightning cues last week, and I felt so bad for all of the people in the standby lines. They stood for hours to ride one ride. It was unfair to make them pay to ride the rides after making them pay $200 for a ticket and $25/day to park.
Sarah
We paid for a Genie+ pass and when we got in the line the rides were down so we only ever got to use it once!! Waste of our money.
Patricia Johnson
Wasted my money. We could only reserve two rides at a time than there was a time out period! I like the unlimited express pass at universal better! The fees were high but totally worth it for me and my family!
Judy
Why haven’t they made a Disney in the midwest yet? Probaby make everyone happier, esp Californians and Floridians. It would relieve pressure off of those two parks, esp if all a family gets to go on are 4 rides and then the teacups on the way out.
Katy Rahla
Couldn’t agree more. We’ve gone to Disney every other year almost our entire life. Totally Disney family, but after this last trip…not sure we will ever go again. My husband was so upset about how every little thing was about how much more money they could squeeze out of us.
We ended our trip at universal, thank goodness or the trip would have been a complete fail. We are a universal family now! Halloween nights, so fun and the resorts WAY better.
Doug Stracener
Too late for me. After attending Disneyland at its opening week, and WDW Orlando shortly after it’s opening day and many times over the years I AM DONE WITH DISNEY anything. My trip into WDW MK and discovering that park hoppers don’t work all day as well as that stupid App I’m forced to make reservations with for anything, it is not worth the frustrations I had. It was not magical at all. Disney is now simply a very expensive tourist trap. So sad 😞
William Prats-Palerm
No longer worth it! Thankfully, I went in 2018 with my wife and in 2019 with our granddaughter using the FastPass system. It worked perfectly and no issues. These new and discombobulated systems have made us rethink our future vacations, and none include our beloved, and now lost, WDW.
Marion
Same! Not only did I let mine go, but also my son’s, his wife and my grandsons AP’s. We miss Disney…the FUN Disney.
Pat
How does a free service like fast pass make Genie+ and Lightning Lane such failures? I paid $25 for each person in my family to only be able to use Genie+ twice. That was basically a donation to Disneyland. They should do away with it completely and being free fast passes back. Come on Iger!
Yvonne Candia
The WORST experience ever!!! Never going back!!!!
Leon Maldonado
I went with my kids in November and had the worst park experience of my life. First of all i tried to get gennie + and the app was crashing over and over. Finally I was able to get it, just to find out that i wasn’t even able to get tickets to guardian of the galaxy because they gave preference to people staying at Disney hotels, who booked all spots available. They I tried other rides, and they were charging additional money to get lighting passes. So double dipping here already. I manage to get a lighting pass to one of the rides, but before getting there the ride crashed and was suspended. It was fixed later, and even though they reimbursed my lighting pass, I was not able to use it for that ride because the app was telling me that it was already used for that one. What a disappointment and a bad experience. Completely ruined my kid birthday and our vacation. Disney is far from what used to be.
DR
Stayed at Grand California Disney hotel last month, $11,000 for 4 nights on a 2 bedroom suite, plus $10,000 for the “Veranda” food voucher for 4 days inside hotel for 10 people and its finger food only and this is not the nice restaurant food access. Plus the Disney entry tickets for $6,000. This was all paid as a birthday gift by a family member but I feel horrible for regular families, it’s all ridiculously overpriced but is always packed so they keep raising prices.
Oh, and after paying an arm and a leg, self parking or valet are both extra $35 or $75 per day per car.
Kat
It’s about time. The genie was worthless for us when we were there in October for Oogie Boogie that’s for sure.
Kimmie
We went for Christmas and they no longer offered the meal plan, ok fine but then we had to buy Genie plus on top of extra money to get on certain rides or you would not get to ride at all or waste your whole day
waiting. Why did we buy the Genie plus then? They don’t offer to send your souvenirs back to the rooms for you so you have to carry them all day. We spent more time waking up early and setting timers on our phone to get on the app to even get a chance to ride the rides. It killed alot of the experience for us.
Los
That doesn’t exactly fix the problem. It may fix people getting it ahead of time (which is kind of nice to be able to get head of time) vs people who may need to make sure it’s in the budget the day of. But regardless, it’s still charging more this way.
To truly fix it, either have it included by charging less for the ticket 🎟 and the Genie being included with a slightly more expensive ticket so that one doesn’t get hopes up that they c can visit for $90″ when in actuality it’s well over that price. $90 is fair to begin with, and theoretically $105 if they get the Genie service.
Universal definitely handles their tickets much better.
Thumper 1
Seems the title of this article is a bit deceiving. Genie+ has not been eliminated! The only change is when you can purchase it.
Disney tried fixing what was never broken! Now we are stuck with an inferior system. I think Disney is enjoying how they can micro manage our vacations while reaping the monetary benefits.
Mr. Iger will have to do a lot better than this before my family goes back!
Laura
Thanks for your comments Matt! Since my brain cancer was removed, I’ve become reliant on a scooter because my left side drags… and I’ve never seen so much hatred towards people who are bound to chairs -like we asked to be disabled to the point of needing a mobility device. I’d give anything to not have to lug it around, be bound to it so much, and be stared at as if I’m just a fat lady who’s too lazy to walk – it’s disgusting and I’ve never seen the bad behavior as much as since I’ve had my “vehicle” – and I don’t use DAS But Genie+ worked well for us in Dec. I’m not rich and have limited funds, but we saved for a long time to afford our vacation for 9, and this helped us get on rides as a fmily ithout the long waits. I know it’s not free like the Fastpass systen use to be but lots of things are different than before – we just try to educate ourselves better before we arrive!
Tammy
We too have been going to Disney for over 20 years every year. I loved the fast past system but I am not a fan of the Genie + at all. I don’t like the now wait until you get there and then have to purchase it separately. I am a planner and I try to plan for my financial part of my trip but Disney is complicated that. I too have noticed that I once could ride all the rides I was interested in and now I’m lucky to be able to ride 3 or 4 rides at each trip. That makes each ride average $40 per ride!!!!! Wow!!!!! I love eating at Disney and purchasing souvenirs but I’m thinking eating breakfast at my room and a sandwich, chips and such for lunch – then maybe eat one meal. They are definitely more interested in their money so I need to be just as careful spending my money. I do love Disney but I am looking at what ways to save money for my family too.
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