Credit: DisneyGenie+ prices have been skyrocketing during Walt Disney World’s busy Spring Break season – and later this year, we could see them go even higher.
When the Walt Disney World Resort reopened following its pandemic closure, a lot of things changed. One of them was the removal of the beloved Fastpass+ system, which allowed Guests complimentary access to the Fastpass line for select attractions throughout their visits. All Guests were eligible for it, and it was included with admission, meaning Guests could preselect three attractions prior to their trip and cut down on their wait times.
What is Genie+?
Fastpass+ was replaced with Disney Genie in October 2021 – more specifically, the Genie+ service. Unlike its predecessor, Genie+ is a paid service that Guests can purchase on the day of their Park visit. With a Genie+ purchase, Guests got access to the Lightning Lane for multiple attractions, which was essentially the same as the Fastpass+ line. However, you still have to reserve attractions beforehand, meaning you only get access to about 2-3 Lightning Lanes per day.
Additionally, Guests can purchase Lightning Lanes a la carte without the full service, including some attractions that required an additional Lightning Lane purchase regardless of whether you had Genie+ or not. These are headliner attractions like TRON Lightcycle / Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Avatar Flight of Passage. Guests are not fond of the new system, as many find it confusing, needlessly complicated, and not worth the money since Disney is now charging for a service that used to be free without any additional perks.
How Much Does Genie+ Cost?
Genie+ prices fluctuate depending on the day and season. For example, during the slower times of the year, Genie+ prices start at $15 per person. However, as of this week, the service’s prices have been breaking some records. Prior to this week, the highest the service has ever peaked was $22, but Genie+ has been priced at $35 for two days in a row this week, and it’s sold out both times. In fact, it sold out the fastest it ever has, selling out before 10 a.m.
This is in response to Guest demand and just how busy the Parks are during this crucial week. Yesterday, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance peaked at a 315-minute wait time – that’s over five hours if you’re counting. Christmas is an even busier time of year for the Walt Disney World Resort, so it’s not unlikely that we could see Genie+ prices go even higher during that time. After all, Guests have shown that they’re willing to pay for it.
Does Genie+ Work?
Obviously, Guests have shown they’ll use Genie+ on busy days, but what happens when the service sells out and too many people use it?
Well, many have complained that Genie+ in general has slowed down both the Standby and Lightning Lane queues. It does this due to the number of Guests and the line ratios; because you have to pay for Genie+, but not astronomically so, a lot of Guests opt to use it. The more people are in the Lightning Lane queues, the longer the wait time will be there – but Disney doesn’t want Guests waiting TOO long, since they paid for the service. Therefore, they will send a much larger ratio of Lightning Lane Guests through the queue than Standby Guests. On extremely busy days like yesterday, that can bring Standby to a standstill.
Will Genie+ Prices Go Up?
It wouldn’t be at all surprising if we saw Genie+ priced even higher than $35 during the holidays. But some argue that’s actually a good thing – and the service should be MORE expensive in general. Why would anybody suggest that?
It goes back to line ratios. The fewer people use Genie+, the shorter Lightning Lane queues are going to be. The shorter Lightning Lane queues are, the faster Standby queues are going to move. So not only will it have a positive impact on Guests who don’t use it, but Guests who DO opt to purchase it will have even shorter wait times. After all, if a Standby queue is five hours long, it’s not like you’re going to be waiting 15 minutes in the Lightning Lane.
What do you think Disney should do with Genie+?