Disney has revealed more about its new Genie Service for Walt Disney World and Disneyland and the new paid Genie+ and Lightning Lane system that is set to replace FASTPASS, FastPass+, and Disney MaxPass in Fall 2021.
As detailed on Disney Parks Blog, Disney Genie is a new digital service that is built into the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps and includes personalized itineraries that can help you plan each day at the parks, a way to join virtual queues at certain attractions, the ability to make dining and experience reservations, and much more.
Guests can tell Disney Genie what their "wishes" are for a trip, whether they include Disney Princesses, Star Wars, certain types of foods or restaurants, etc. The service will then help plan out a day, and it will update throughout the day so you know exactly what's next. It also has forecasted wait times, restaurant waitlists, a virtual assistant, and more.
For those who want a bit more out of their Disney experience, there are paid options to help guests ride the rides they want in a less stressful way. Genie+ will be available to Walt Disney World guests for $15/ticket/day, while those at Disneyland will have to pay $20/ticket/day. Once purchased, this will allow guests to make one ride selection at a time throughout the day - "from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run."
As to why there is a price difference between the two parks, Disney Parks, Experience, and Products chairman Josh D'Amaro shared the reasoning on D23.com.
"When we went into the pandemic, at Disneyland MaxPass was priced at $20, and we know that was working well," D'Amaro said. "So we are starting with Genie+ at $20. At Walt Disney World, the product is just coming in so it’s new for a lot of our fans. We also know that the length of stay at Walt Disney World is longer. So we’re thinking about pricing as related to all those factors."
Those who purchase Disney Genie+ will also gain access to Disney parks-themed audio experiences and "photo features to capture your memories - augmented reality lenses for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day if you are visiting Disneyland Resort."
If that isn't enough, there will also be Lightning Lane selections that come with another charge on top of Genie+. Highly demanded attractions, including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure, will soon feature a Lightning Lane entrance for guests who want to pay extra. While pricing hasn't been revealed yet for these, Disney did say that guests will be able to book two of these attractions per day and that "pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch."
Lightning Lane selections are made on the same day as your visit, and can be used across parks. Some rides, like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will continue to use a traditional standby queue or a virtual queue.
Disney is also making changes to its Disability Access Service (DAS) program, and will allow guests to enroll in the program before they arrive and for DAS participants to select attractions within the app.
For more on new things headed to the Disney parks, be sure to check out Disneyland's new Magic Key Annual Pass program and the latest information and the first official look at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a two-night Star Wars experience headed to Walt Disney World in Spring 2022.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
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As detailed on Disney Parks Blog, Disney Genie is a new digital service that is built into the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps and includes personalized itineraries that can help you plan each day at the parks, a way to join virtual queues at certain attractions, the ability to make dining and experience reservations, and much more.
Guests can tell Disney Genie what their "wishes" are for a trip, whether they include Disney Princesses, Star Wars, certain types of foods or restaurants, etc. The service will then help plan out a day, and it will update throughout the day so you know exactly what's next. It also has forecasted wait times, restaurant waitlists, a virtual assistant, and more.
For those who want a bit more out of their Disney experience, there are paid options to help guests ride the rides they want in a less stressful way. Genie+ will be available to Walt Disney World guests for $15/ticket/day, while those at Disneyland will have to pay $20/ticket/day. Once purchased, this will allow guests to make one ride selection at a time throughout the day - "from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run."
As to why there is a price difference between the two parks, Disney Parks, Experience, and Products chairman Josh D'Amaro shared the reasoning on D23.com.
"When we went into the pandemic, at Disneyland MaxPass was priced at $20, and we know that was working well," D'Amaro said. "So we are starting with Genie+ at $20. At Walt Disney World, the product is just coming in so it’s new for a lot of our fans. We also know that the length of stay at Walt Disney World is longer. So we’re thinking about pricing as related to all those factors."
Those who purchase Disney Genie+ will also gain access to Disney parks-themed audio experiences and "photo features to capture your memories - augmented reality lenses for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day if you are visiting Disneyland Resort."
If that isn't enough, there will also be Lightning Lane selections that come with another charge on top of Genie+. Highly demanded attractions, including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure, will soon feature a Lightning Lane entrance for guests who want to pay extra. While pricing hasn't been revealed yet for these, Disney did say that guests will be able to book two of these attractions per day and that "pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch."
Lightning Lane selections are made on the same day as your visit, and can be used across parks. Some rides, like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will continue to use a traditional standby queue or a virtual queue.
Disney is also making changes to its Disability Access Service (DAS) program, and will allow guests to enroll in the program before they arrive and for DAS participants to select attractions within the app.
For more on new things headed to the Disney parks, be sure to check out Disneyland's new Magic Key Annual Pass program and the latest information and the first official look at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a two-night Star Wars experience headed to Walt Disney World in Spring 2022.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Continue reading...