Credit: Disney Parks BlogAs Guests prepare for a crowded week, Disney has been doing the same, raising the price of a paid service back to an all-time high.
Disney’s latest solution to crowds at Disney came in the form of Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane back in 2021. These new services replaced the old FastPass system Disney had in place previously, with Guests now doing everything on their phones. Disney Genie is free, but Genie+Â service comes at a cost, and sometimes it can be quite a pricy addition to an already pricy vacation.
Due to the popularity of both Walt Disney World and Disneyland’s collection of rides and attractions, Guests will for sure be waiting in long lines. With rides like Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and Expedition Everest, Guests are in for a treat with whatever Disney Resort they choose to visit, as long as they’re ok with the crazy amount of time they will be spent standing in line.
This was the goal of Disney Genie, to allow Guests to spend less time waiting in line and spent more time actually doing the fun thing they planned on. However, results may vary. One of the major problems with Disney Genie+ specifically comes with the price, as it can fluctuate based on what time of year Guests decide to visit.
Disney Genie is free, but for an extra charge, Guests can upgrade to Genie+, which allows them other access to reservation systems and the option to purchase individual Lightning Lanes for rides, essentially letting them pay to skip the usually-long standby queues.
As we’ve covered here at Inside the Magic, this new system has been met with lots of frustration and criticism from new and long-time Disney Guests alike.
The previous highest amount we had seen the service reach was $29 per Guest at Walt Disney World. This record was achieved for the third time at the Walt Disney World Resort just a few days ago. At Disneyland, we’ve seen the service reach $30 per Guest, and now, it’s back to that same price.
This makes sense as Spring Break crowds are about to be unleashed at the Disney Parks and Resorts, but we still have to say $30 per Guest is a steep price.
For more on Disney Genie, click here.
Have you used Disney Genie, Genie+, or Lightning Lane at Disney? What did you think?