Updated October 23 Read First Post Genie+ In WDW Summary To Give Disneyland People An Idea Of What To Expect

[BadPinkTink]

This is a summary of how Genie+ and Individual Attraction Lightning Lanes are working in Walt Disney World. Obviously some of this info is specific to Florida, however it is a good indication of how things may be in Disneyland California

UPDATED OCTOBER 22

• Genie+ can be added at midnight for day of
• Genie+ can be for length of trip
• Genie+ first booking of Lighting Lane =7am
• Booking of Individual Attraction Lighting Lane Onsite Starts At 7am, both Individual Attraction Lighting Lane passes can be bought one after another
• Booking of Individual Attraction Lightning Lane Offsite Starts at park opening time, both Individual Attraction Lighting Lane passes can be bought one after another
• Genie+ Lightning Lane Stacking can be done
• Genie+ Lightning Lane pass is once per ride per day, if you want to go again on that ride, you will have to join the standby line
• If a ride goes down and you have either booked a Genie+ Lightning Lane or paid for an Individual Attraction Lightning Lane, you will get an anytime pass for that ride.
• If an Individual Attraction ride that you have paid for does not restart before the park closes, the cost of that Individual Attraction will be automatically refunded to the original payment method.
• If you have paid for an Individual Attraction and it goes down and you can not wait to see if it will restart, you can go to Guest Services and a get a refund.
• The touring plan gets up dated according to your location and the info you input such as dining reservations and must do rides
• Pay once for Genie+ and use across all parks in one day as long as you have a park hopper ticket and a park reservation
• Individual Attractions can choose a specific time for Lightning Lane Return depending on availability
• Rides included in Genie+ choose next available time Lightning Lane Return depending on availability
• No cancellations of Individual Attraction Lightning Lane, use it or lose it
• Genie + Lightning Lane can be cancelled
• If the return time window has opened, you can not cancel Genie + Lightning Lane pass, a either scan it and don't ride or wait it out until next pass available
• You can only pay for 2 Individual Attractions Lightning Lane passes in one day. That’s across all parks i.e. you’ve paid for Space Mountain and Mine Train at Magic Kingdom so you can’t make a third for Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom.
• You don't need to buy Genie+ to buy Individual Attractions Lightning Lane passes. You can just use the free Genie touring plan and buy 1 or 2 Individual Attractions Lightning Lane passes in a day
• You can book a Lightning Lane pass for after 2pm for the park you plan to hop to after you have entered your first park. For example if you are in Epcot in the morning and decide to hop to Hollywood Studios and select a Lightning Lane for Slinky Dog Dash for 5pm, when you enter Hollywood Studios after 2pm you could select another Lightning Lane attraction as it's over two hours before your Slinky Dog Dash selection.

• Photopass is included with G+ at Disneyland. WDW does NOT have photopass included. WDW has audio experiences and photo enhancements (think snapchat).

 

[Matrixleos]

Maybe it's just me but this sounds complicated and you'll need a PhD degree just to try to understand it.

When I go to Disney, I want to relax and not stress out.....this seems like the opposite of that!

 

[BadPinkTink]

Maybe it's just me but this sounds complicated and you'll need a PhD degree just to try to understand it.

When I go to Disney, I want to relax and not stress out.....this seems like the opposite of that!

um, not complicated at all, its basically Maxpass with the addition of being able to pay for optional individual rides and a touring plan.

 

[vacay77]

Maybe it's just me but this sounds complicated and you'll need a PhD degree just to try to understand it.

When I go to Disney, I want to relax and not stress out.....this seems like the opposite of that!

Same. It sounds so different from the Express Pass at Universal. There, you can buy a pass that includes all the rides and you can go on the rides whenever you want. If Disney is going to charge for front of the line passes, which these basically are, I wish they had a similar pass.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

um, not complicated at all, its basically Maxpass with the addition of being able to pay for optional individual rides and a touring plan.

While similar, it’s not the same as MaxPass. The one ride per day is a big downgrade and does change things, even with planning when to ride things.

That said, people will get a better feel for it when it actually rolls out here. Or we even get more specific answers for this coast. I totally understand why people are overwhelmed by it.

 

[ironband74]

Thanks for the great summary @BadPinkTink
Do we know the rules for Stacking G+LL? Like when you can make a new G+LL reservation? Is it 120 minutes or after you scan in to an attraction?

I'm very conflicted over the change. It definitely isn't MaxPass. But, to quote my eldest son after riding Space Mountain for the third time in a row on cancelled maxpasses that we picked up during Christmas week while the standby line was 150 minutes +: "MaxPass is OP" (Over-Powered). As we passed the same people waiting in stand-by for a third time as we zipped through the fast pass lane, I did feel a little dirty for just a moment. But then...SPACE MOUNTAIN BABY!!!!

It feels like the may have nerfed the system a little hard with Genie.

I am going to miss doing MaxPass roulette late in the day when all the attractions are "sold out" to see what passes come up. And I'm going to miss surprising the family after their nap with my amazing MaxPass grab for another ride on Guardians when we return to the park in the evening.

But I'm going to appreciate not being on my phone refreshing each time we scan in to a ride or while the family is napping (maybe I'll nap too? riiight). And I'm very curious to see just how standby lines are affected by the change. I don't know how many people were working the system like we did, but it may have been enough of us to make a difference. In theory, with every guest limited to one trip down the lightning lane for a given attraction each day, stand-by times could drop by a small to fair margin verses pre-CoViD data. Time will tell.

I guess this levels the playing field a little and takes those of us who were "power gaming" the system off the top tier. At the same time, the number of us doing that were probably pretty few. And we're likely to come up with a new system within the new rules that gives us the edge, because that's what we do. But the golden era of MaxPass will be forever in our hearts.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Thanks for the great summary @BadPinkTink
Do we know the rules for Stacking G+LL? Like when you can make a new G+LL reservation? Is it 120 minutes or after you scan in to an attraction?

Yes it is 120 minutes / 2 hours for stacking, similar to how Fastpass and Maxpass worked.

I guess this levels the playing field a little and takes those of us who were "power gaming" the system off the top tier. At the same time, the number of us doing that were probably pretty few. And we're likely to come up with a new system within the new rules that gives us the edge, because that's what we do. But the golden era of MaxPass will be forever in our hearts.

If you were able to power game Maxpass then you will have no problem with Genie+ . Its the WDW people who have never paid for Fastpass+, who never power gamed and never stacked who are now having a freak out.

 

[ironband74]

If you were able to power game Maxpass then you will have no problem with Genie+ . Its the WDW people who have never paid for Fastpass+, who never power gamed and never stacked who are now having a freak out.

Yeah, but the once per attraction hurts the power gaming aspect and makes the system less useful later in the day. I do wonder if we will find that power gaming Genie+ means not doing too many passes in the morning in order to be in position to pick up cancelled passes in the evening, but then again with one ride per day there will be far fewer cancelled passes...I don't know. But we'll come up with something. Normally we go at Christmas, but this year we're taking a 25th anniversary trip to Ireland (your neck of the global woods!), instead to fulfill my wife's dream of going to the land of her ancestry. We're looking at a possible Easter trip to DLR, so I'll have plenty of time to learn the ins and outs of the new system.

 

[2tinkerbell]

Is PhotoPass available with Genie+? I read somewhere that is isn’t at WDW. That is a game changer for us.

 

[Disney Dudette]

For me, I don't want to have to live on my cellphone while in Disneyland! From what I've watched on youtube from WDW, it sure looks like a lot of app usage! I prefer how simple regular ol' fastpasses used to be Not only that but now I have to pay extra!? No thanks.

 

[ktlm]

Is PhotoPass available with Genie+? I read somewhere that is isn’t at WDW. That is a game changer for us.

Supposedly photopass will be included at DLR, but not at WDW.

For me, I don't want to have to live on my cellphone while in Disneyland! From what I've watched on youtube from WDW, it sure looks like a lot of app usage! I prefer how simple regular ol' fastpasses used to be Not only that but now I have to pay extra!? No thanks.

I kept an eye on a lot of the reports yesterday and I saw several that it REALLY drains your phone. I think Kenny The Pirate even has an article already saying that if you plan to use Genie + you need to bring a portable charger with you.

 

[lcp9]

Ew the one ride per day is really obnoxious. It kind of adds to the state fair "pay per ride" feel of the whole thing - how many genie+ rides are there? so like $1 per ride, plus $10/ride for RSR and ROTR? Ew.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Ew the one ride per day is really obnoxious. It kind of adds to the state fair "pay per ride" feel of the whole thing - how many genie+ rides are there? so like $1 per ride, plus $10/ride for RSR and ROTR? Ew.

NO, thats not how it works

You can pay for Genie+ $15 a day across both parks, just like Maxpass was
Just like with Maxpass you can book Genie+ Lightning Lane passes throughout the day without paying anything extra.
Just like Maxpass you can book your next Genie+ Lightning Lane pass 2 hours after booking your first, OR when you use your first, whichever is sooner
Just like with Maxpass, Genie+ Lightning Lane passes are next available time

However if you use Genie+ to book a Lightning Lane pass for Buzz Lightyear, if you want to re-ride you will have to use the standby line. That is different to Maxpass.

Individual Lightning Lane pass are a separate booking system. You do not need to pay for Genie+ to pay for Individual Lightning Lane pass. You are limited to paying for 2 Individual Lightning Lane passes in a day. With Individual Lightning Lane passes you can book a specific time, if it is available.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I mean, it is rather complicated. Anything that takes almost 20 bullet points to give an “overview” of is arguably a bit much for a theme park. At WDW, early reports seem like at Magic Kingdom, it can function in a Maxpass-esque way, but the other parks don't really have enough desirable rides to work out. Hollywood Studios in particular seems to be running out of in-demand attractions before people even get to their second choice. The fact that your 2-hour clock doesn't start until the park opens doesn't help.

NO, thats not how it works

No, what they're saying is this: You can't re-ride, so assuming you ride every ride possible, you're paying for precisely 12 rides at DL, 7 rides at DCA, or 19 rides if you have a hopper.

So, if you're at DL-only, that's $1.67 per ride, at DCA it's about $2.86 per ride, or $1.05 per ride if you have a hopper.** Again, that's assuming everything is open and you wish to ride it all. If re-rides were possible, that would be a different story.

**Fixed this because I originally did my math based on $15, but it’s $20. But also, since Photopass is included, I guess that factors in to some extent, although only really for one person per party…

 

[DizMe]

If the return time window has opened, you can not cancel Genie + Lightning Lane pass, a either scan it and don't ride or wait it out until next pass available

Why would you scan it and not ride it? Does that open it up for you to rebook quicker? So does that mean if you don't ride, you're still able to rebook?

ETA: oh, or does that mean you are then free to book a different G+ LL ride right away?

 

[lcp9]

NO, thats not how it works

...that's EXACTLY how it works. you are paying a flat fee of $20 for a maximum of 19 rides. You are paying a little over a dollar to potentially ride each ride once without standing in standby - even if you don't care about a certain ride, you are still paying that dollar and you can only ride the rides you care about once. Maxpass was a flat fee to potentially ride any rides you wanted, in whatever combination you wanted, as many times as you wanted. I would argue that's a completely different product and far more valuable.

 

[poptart90]

Maybe I’m missing something, but I still haven’t read a clear report that answers what happens when you scan your Genie+LL choice?

Scenario 1 (MaxPass Model):

I scan the fam’s LL passes and we proceed into the former FP line. I IMMEDIATELY can book another Genie+LL choice before I even board.

OR

Scenario 2:

We scan the LL's enter the queue, and STILL have to wait 120 minutes before we can choose another Genie+LL attraction.


Also a big thumbs down to the once a day Genie+LL selection.

 

[CharleneTheDM]

Thank you for breaking this down.
Sigh, I agree that the biggest downside is not being able to go on your fave ride multiple times with Genie+. I used to book Incredicoaster with MaxPass like 4 times a day, since I never wanted to line up in the heat for it. That's with RSR too (but once a day)---but that was included on MaxPass's 20 dollars. Now it will be what, an additional $7 -15 bucks?

As someone who visits once every two years or so, unfortunately I think I might have to pay more to get my rides in, but I find it a bit frustrating that we all have to learn a new system every few years.

I feel bad for those who might not be as tech savvy. Even making reservations for parks was nerve-wracking for me, lol!

 

[gjdjud]

Sorry if this has been asked elsewhere.

Just watching DFB YouTube and I thought AJ said the individual attraction rides that can be bought by people staying onsite at 7am also included guests staying at Good Neighbour Hotels. Is this correct? I can’t see it anywhere. Apologies if this written everywhere, I’ve just missed it!

 

[brenda1966]

you are paying a flat fee of $20 for a maximum of 19 rides. You are paying a little over a dollar to potentially ride each ride once without standing in standby

Seems like a very optimistic view. To me, it's more like you're paying $5 a ride because I'm wondering if I'll even be able to get more than 4 LL rides?! I really can't see anyone successfully grabbing 19 faspasses in a day, so no way they will get 19 LL in a day.

Hollywood Studios in particular seems to be running out of in-demand attractions before people even get to their second choice.

This is discouraging, but also how it is in parks like Shanghai. Basically we got 1 fastpass as soon as we passed through the gate. By the time we were ready to pull a second one, they were either all gone or there was only one undesirable choice left. By late morning, nothing left. Seems like at WDW in the future if you park hop to a smaller park, you need to be prepared for no LL.