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Credit: DisneyIn 2021, Disneyland and Walt Disney World bid farewell to their shared queueing system: FastPass. Its replacement, Disney Genie, was described as a way to “make planning easier and more fun by providing Guests customized itineraries.”
While Disney Genie is free, its pricy add-on – Genie+ – is the thing that gets Guests quicker access to their favorite attractions via Lightning Lanes. Unlike FastPass, Guests reserve a timed slot to ride everything from Space Mountain to “it’s a small world” on their phones. Easy, right?
Turns out, not so much. Since its launch, Disney Genie+ has been plagued with complaints. For many Guests, it’s simply too confusing, limiting, and expensive compared to the old FastPass system.
Some even feel like it makes the Disney Park queue situation worse rather than better – which is incredibly frustrating considering that, for many Guests, this was the issue with FastPass, something Genie+ was supposed to take, improve, and make beneficial to the average parkgoer’s trip.
For now, Disney seems committed to making the system work on both coasts. But to do so ignores one fact: Disney fans do not like it.
Reddit user 12345Burrito recently asked fellow Disney Guests how, if given a chance, they’d improve Genie+. If Disney wants to salvage the system in the eyes of its most loyal fans, these are the most popular solutions.
Make it more expensive
User Muckl3t thinks it’s simple: just copy Universal. On both coasts, Universal Studios offers Express Pass – a paid pass that gives Guests express access to each attraction in the Park.
While the cost of Express Pass and Genie+ both fluctuate depending on the day and season, the difference is that Express Pass starts at a much higher price point. In Hollywood, this ranges from $199 to $319 per person, while Orlando’s costs anything between $89.99 and $349.99.
It’s rare for a Guest to wish Disney would make things more expensive, but Muckl3t argues that this is necessary to fix the greatest flaw of Genie+: crowd control. “Make it wildly expensive so not many people get it, which will help keep standby moving steadily,” they wrote.
Get rid of return windows
Also comparing Genie+ to Express Pass, user keeflennon43 pointed out how they prefer Universal’s system of giving you one-time access to every ride at any point in the day – without needing a return window.
“I think my favorite part about Express is I’m not having to check an app all day to book things,” they commented. Genie+ requires Guests to make their reservations for each ride on their phone – which can be stressful and time-consuming when you can’t find the one you want. Not to mention, extra mandatory screen time isn’t exactly the Disney experience you expect.
“Disney used to be a place to just unwind and get lost in the moment. With the need to be so in tune with the mobile app to reserve rides, order food, check waits, etc., you are CONSTANTLY on your phone, and it takes the fun out of everything, especially if you’re the ‘planner’ of your group.”
Replace it with MaxPass
In 2017, Disneyland Resort introduced Genie+’s predecessor: MaxPass. This was offered in tandem with the free FastPass option but gave Guests the advantage of letting them book a slot on their phone from anywhere in the Park.
Like Genie+, MaxPass wasn’t free. Guests had to pay $20 per day to benefit from the system. The difference, however, is that keeping FastPass leveled out the playing field.
User forlorn_hope28 believes bringing this system back is the best solution. They commented: “Bring back MaxPass for $25 a day or whatever with the ability to book within an hour and the ability to book an attraction more than once a day. Get rid of individual Lightning Lanes completely and just have those be included in the paid MaxPass. This way Genie+ becomes what it was intended to be – because everyone will be spread out with their Genie+ selections that they got for ‘free.'”
Sell less
The Walt Disney World Resort can (and does) sell out of Genie+ , while the option is unlimited at Disneyland. User Sleepygrumpydoc thinks this needs to change. They suggest that Disney simply slashes the number available and doubles the cost, so there’s “no money lost on Disney’s end,” and Guests don’t feel the burn of hefty Lightning Lane lines. Everybody wins.
Get rid of Genie+ completely
The ultimate solution? “Get rid of it,” as user SwiftwindAlacorn wrote. “Lines moved faster and there were less complaints when there were no cuts.” As he and several other commenters pointed out, queues were much more peaceful when the Parks reopened after the pandemic, as ride attendants didn’t need to prioritize FastPass, MaxPass, or Genie+ Guests over others. “As it stands now, everyone is a VIP,” they wrote, “but some are more VIP than others.”