Credit: Inside the MagicIt’s an oddly busy time of year this year, with larger-than-normal crowds swarming the Walt Disney World Resort during President’s Day Weekend and runners flooding in for the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend this past weekend. However, it’s caused an increase in complaints about the Genie+ system and Disney’s lackluster Lightning Lanes, resulting in demands for the return of paper FastPasses and a more selective system.
Several videos featuring large crowds and long lines have been shared across X (formerly Twitter), with several following winding Lightning Lane queues across several attractions and areas of the parks. Blog Mickey shared a video following the Lightning Lane queue for Peter Pan’s Flight earlier this week, sharing that “The Peter Pan’s Flight Lightning Lane is insane. It starts in the walkway between Pan and small world, heads toward Carrousel, and then makes a u-turn before utilizing the intended extra queue past the tappoint Genie+ sold out before park open, but that was probably too late.”
Two days later @hhn_jacob shared a similar video from Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which showed guests queuing through an area not often used and back out into the main thoroughfare of Sunset. The video was reshared by former Walt Disney Imagineer Jim Shull, who had a stern opinion on Disney’s recent use of the Lightning Lane system. “Fast Pass was touted as a guest service which if used would ensure they would wait no more than five minutes. For a free reservation service. This is not that.”
Fast Pass was touted as a guest service which if used would ensure they would wait no more than five minutes. For a free reservation service. This is not that. #WDW #longqueues https://t.co/KnomajL1gs
— Jim Shull (@JimShull) February 23, 2024
Under both posts, the comments were flooded with responses saying Disney’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane services don’t work. Many complained that Genie+ is often oversold, with too many people utilizing the “express” service thereby negating its intended purpose. Despite Genie+’s already high prices, which currently differ depending on the time of year, day, and park and haven’t dropped below $23 since October, even coming close to $40 per person per day just last week, were meant to keep the service more exclusive. In theory, the service would only be purchased by those who could afford it and wanted to skip some of the longer waits during the day.
In reality, Genie+ has become all but necessary for a trip at Walt Disney World, with many guests feeling pressured to buy it in order to experience Lightning Lanes now that FastPasses are no longer freely offered. Instead, this creates a bottleneck issue throughout the parks as long Lightning Lanes result in even longer standby lines, inflating wait times and creating downright chaos for guests. As one comment said, “if everyone has Lightning Lane, no one does.”
It seems as though guests are starting to tire of the unfortunate reality of Genie+ and the new Lightning Lane system, with many calling for a return to the old paper system or for Disney to fix their current offering. Each weekend seems to be busier than the last, with many already mourning the loss of a “slow season” at Walt Disney World. As crowds continue to grow, it remains to be seen if Genie+ and Lightning Lane are something that can keep up with the continued cycle or if they’ll fall behind.
What do you think about the Lightning Lane system? Is it worth it or does Disney need a better service? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.