Disney Genie+ and ILL$ Details & FAQ - Launches 10/19 at WDW, Paid "FastPass" at WDW and Disneyland (date TBD)

[Douglas Dubh]

Pretty sure if you pay for a park hopper and Genie+ then Genie+ will work at multiple parks.

 

[Pens Fan]

The following was copied directly from the Disney Parks Blog Genie announcement (I changed the text color to red for the important part). The way I read that is that both the Genie + selections as well as the IAS$ can be made across all parks if you have a park hopper option.

For even more convenience and flexibility, there are two other options for enjoying our theme parks, through a queue we are introducing called the Lightning Lane entrance that also saves you time in line:

• Disney Genie+ service (available for purchase): For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one 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 (attractions subject to limited availability). This convenient option is the next evolution of the fan-favorite Disney MaxPass service from Disneyland Resort. Disney Genie+ will also include 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.
• Individual attraction selections (available for purchase): Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance – like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure park (subject to limited availability; attractions not included with Disney Genie+). Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch.

Lightning Lane selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks, great for those who love the Park Hopper option. Attractions continue to offer a traditional standby queue, or a virtual queue at certain attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – to maximize flexibility.

 

[shawthorne44]

So rare. Official word on a question.

 

[cjlong88]

The following was copied directly from the Disney Parks Blog Genie announcement (I changed the text color to red for the important part). The way I read that is that both the Genie + selections as well as the IAS$ can be made across all parks if you have a park hopper option.

For even more convenience and flexibility, there are two other options for enjoying our theme parks, through a queue we are introducing called the Lightning Lane entrance that also saves you time in line:

• Disney Genie+ service (available for purchase): For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one 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 (attractions subject to limited availability). This convenient option is the next evolution of the fan-favorite Disney MaxPass service from Disneyland Resort. Disney Genie+ will also include 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.
• Individual attraction selections (available for purchase): Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance – like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure park (subject to limited availability; attractions not included with Disney Genie+). Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch.

Lightning Lane selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks, great for those who love the Park Hopper option. Attractions continue to offer a traditional standby queue, or a virtual queue at certain attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – to maximize flexibility.

Thank you for posting this! I wonder if this will change how guests choose to visit the parks. We have always had PH with our ticket, so limiting everyone to one time per attraction might allow those with PH a chance to snag some great attractions later in the day.

 

[DougEMG]

I don't know how many international guests will be coming even once they can. It's still a lot of work to travel with having to be tested

All the testing to fly international is a huge pain. We ended up cancelling our Nov 2021 trip because of the testing requirements and then not bring able to get on the plane if the test is positive. I'm not willing to take the risk that someone in the party tests positive and either can't go or can't come home.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Skipping the line once seems pretty fair IMO

 

[Garyjames220]

All the testing to fly international is a huge pain. We ended up cancelling our Nov 2021 trip because of the testing requirements and then not bring able to get on the plane if the test is positive. I'm not willing to take the risk that someone in the party tests positive and either can't go or can't come home.

when do u think this rule will change and testing would be needed for usa

 

[Jrb1979]

when do u think this rule will change and testing would be needed for usa

I personally don't think it's going to change for awhile. I have a feeling it's going to be a part of traveling for few years

 

[closetmickey]

MaxPass at DL included both parks for the price if your ticket was a park hopper.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

All the testing to fly international is a huge pain. We ended up cancelling our Nov 2021 trip because of the testing requirements and then not bring able to get on the plane if the test is positive. I'm not willing to take the risk that someone in the party tests positive and either can't go or can't come home.

Getting stuck somewhere is a major concern. This is why as a US resident who can drive to Florida I expect that Orlando will be my family’s only vacation for the next year or so. I can’t imagine what it would be like to get stuck in quarantine for two weeks in a foreign country with covid with your family and kids. That just sounds like a really bad situation.

 

[Mousey0324]

Seems to be a strange but understandable dynamic going on…with wait times. Atleast for today.

magic kingdom mobbed - probably due to everyone wanting to check out the park for the official anniversary. many locals wrapping in a long weekend.

Animal kingdom dead - no new attraction. Not really tied to the anniversary.

Epcot dead - with the exception of ratatouille no new attractions. Mostly a construction site.

Hollywood studios mobbed - everyone still checking out new attractions and lands. Especially with rotr seeing a normal queue

 

[StarrySkye21]

Seems to be a strange but understandable dynamic going on…with wait times. Atleast for today.

magic kingdom mobbed - probably due to everyone wanting to check out the park for the official anniversary. many locals wrapping in a long weekend.

Animal kingdom dead - no new attraction. Not really tied to the anniversary.

Epcot dead - with the exception of ratatouille no new attractions. Mostly a construction site.

Hollywood studios mobbed - everyone still checking out new attractions and lands. Especially with rotr seeing a normal queue

not sure what ‘mobs’ you are seeing today but wait times don’t seem reflect that.
Longest posted wait at the moment at MK is 70 minutes for SDMT and at HS 90 for ROR (TP says actual is 55 min).
Looks like another level 1-2ish crowd to me?

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

not sure what ‘mobs’ you are seeing today but wait times don’t seem reflect that.
Longest posted wait at the moment at MK is 70 minutes for SDMT and at HS 90 for ROR (TP says actual is 55 min).
Looks like another level 1-2ish crowd to me?

I'm not there so I'm just going off other posters' posts and a Disney employee I know but it sounds like those that went on the 1st weren't really riding rides but were there for other things like shopping, shows, etc. It appears attendance was quite high, as everyone expected, despite the relatively low ride wait times.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

not sure what ‘mobs’ you are seeing today but wait times don’t seem reflect that.
Longest posted wait at the moment at MK is 70 minutes for SDMT and at HS 90 for ROR (TP says actual is 55 min).
Looks like another level 1-2ish crowd to me?

They are definitely posted at higher waits vs what was posted this weekend, but not anything crazy, I would say a 4-5 based on posted wait times, but with the inflated times disney seems to keep posting, i would say a 2-3

 

[Mousey0324]

They are definitely posted at higher waits vs what was posted this weekend, but not anything crazy, I would say a 4-5 based on posted wait times, but with the inflated times disney seems to keep posting, i would say a 2-3

im comparing current waits to the last 6-8 weeks. Thunder mountain has been consistently 10-20 mins. Today it’s 40 mins.

it’s mobbed in comparison

 

[luv2cheer92]

not sure what ‘mobs’ you are seeing today but wait times don’t seem reflect that.
Longest posted wait at the moment at MK is 70 minutes for SDMT and at HS 90 for ROR (TP says actual is 55 min).
Looks like another level 1-2ish crowd to me?

Those are definitely not 1-2 level wait times lol. Not a 10 either by any means, but at least 5-6. The max has been like 30min the last few days.
As someone who is *actually* here, it is noticeably substantially more crowded at rides today than the last few days.
Now the overall crowds aren't as bad as they were Friday at MK, but nobody was riding rides that day.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

Those are definitely not 1-2 level wait times lol. Not a 10 either by any means, but at least 5-6. The max has been like 30min the last few days.
As someone who is *actually* here, it is noticeably substantially more crowded at rides today than the last few days.
Now the overall crowds aren't as bad as they were Friday at MK, but nobody was riding rides that day.

How accurate are the wait times, i know they have been "elevated" for a bit now, just curious if they are running more true to posting

 

[luv2cheer92]

How accurate are the wait times, i know they have been "elevated" for a bit now, just curious if they are running more true to posting

Still elevated. They seemed slightly less elevated today than the last few days though.

 

[Tigger's ally]

A lot of the I think was people who had cancelled trips from when the parks were closed. IMO that is over and the travel industry is going into a downturn. Lots of availability for the next few months

Can you tell me when this lots of availability is the first two weeks of December?

 

[PepperjackDragon]

Can you tell me when this lots of availability is the first two weeks of December?

There is definitely availability but it is hard to find a single room type across a weekend and a whole week, and definitely not for two weekends at one room. I think, especially if budget shopping--you would have to book somewhere for Friday-Sunday or saturday-Sunday, and then run a separate search looking at Sunday-Friday or Monday-Thursday etc. Doing that I see a lot of rooms and plenty of value resorts. However, in my experience this changes a lot, and very frequently. Before I discovered the wonders of DVC rentals, I was shopping for my family in October. I ran a search like 20 times in one hour and got different results like every 5 minutes. Looking over the next few days and weeks, sometimes there would be a long stretch with no change, and then changes in availability would start falling like rain. Don't know why, but that is what I was observing.

In my opinion, if using the Disney website, you should book what you can in different roomtypes/hotels. Then search regularly for updates, book when you find a better option and then cancel. After talking to Disney, they had no problem eliminating any fees for cancelations so long as I still had a reservation and was still coming.