Genie+ Per-Park Pricing Debuts at Disney World (…And Already Dropped on Day Two!)
Walt Disney World has announced per-park pricing is coming to the Genie+ service starting this summer. This post offers details and our commentary about all of these changes, the amount of cost jumps, motivations for the new approach, and more. (Updated June 28, 2023.)
Let’s start with the press release from Walt Disney World announcing the change:
As we recently shared, we are working on ways to simplify the Disney Genie+ service, including offering the ability to plan before the day of your visit, which many Guests have asked for.
We plan to share more news in the future, but in the meantime, we also want to improve the experience for guests using the service as it exists today, so we will be making an update as we continue to listen to guests.
Beginning June 27, Guests at Walt Disney World will now purchase Disney Genie+ service based on how they want to visit. Guests will be able to select either a single-park option or a multiple-parks option, subject to availability.
With this update, prices may now be lower at some Walt Disney World theme parks compared to others. Guests will continue to be able to purchase Disney Genie+ service through the My Disney Experience app on the day of their visit.
We will continue to listen to guest feedback, and look forward to sharing more information about updates to Disney Genie+ in the future.
Here’s a look at costs for the first two days of per-park Genie+ pricing at Walt Disney World:
Note that pricing for Genie+ was $25 on June 26, when crowd levels were 7/10. That was down to 4/10 on June 27 and real-time crowd levels (subject to change since the day isn’t over) are 5/10 on June 28, 2023. Despite this, pricing for all parks decreased from $27 yesterday to $25 today, with Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios also each dropping by $2, while EPCOT and Animal Kingdom are unchanged.
Obviously, this is just two days and it’s premature to draw any definitive conclusions. Our expectation is that prices increase over the holiday weekend and maybe through Independence Day (although with the weird weekend and holiday trends, there’s no guarantee that those days will end up being busier) before dropping again on July 5, 2023.
Prior to per-park pricing, Genie+ costs in the last two months (since April 23) have ranged from $15 to $25. This per-park pricing is higher than that for Magic Kingdom and all parks, about equal for Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the high end, and average to below-average for Animal Kingdom and EPCOT.
On another note, it appears that guests can purchase any version of Genie+ so long as they have a Park Pass reservation or are not required to have reservations–meaning Annual Passholders or those with 4-Park Magic tickets. (Note that we use the wiggle word “appears” because it allowed us to proceed through the purchase process without an error message–but we did not actually complete the transaction.)
In any case, the true test of Genie+ per-park pricing will be when Walt Disney World is actually busy. As has been discussed in our recent crowd reports (and by Disney executives), Walt Disney World is in the midst of a slowdown as compared to last summer. It’s probably safe to say that Magic Kingdom will exceed the current $35 high water mark come Columbus Day, Veterans Day, or Thanksgiving week.
Turning to commentary, how you feel about this announcement is going to be a bit of a Rorschach test. My strong suspicion is that most Walt Disney World fans will react negatively to this news, because that’s basically the baseline for any changes to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. Any news is bad news. At least, in the eyes of fans who yearn for the days of free FastPass and won’t be satisfied with anything less than a return to that.
We’ve tried to be a bit more objective about Genie+ than that, recognizing that it’s here to stay and that constant complaining is unproductive. There is no going back to free FastPass–the genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no putting it back. There comes a point where you accept reality, and either adapt or move on. Against that backdrop, our reaction to this change is that it’s mixed to (mostly) bad.
Walt Disney World is already spinning this as saying that prices are going to be lower at some parks. Because of course they are. It’s likely that they’ll also claim this offers maximum “flexibility” and “customizability” to guests as they can simply choose to visit where and when Genie+ is less expensive and save. We know this will be how it’s marketed because we’ve seen this movie before.
This is exactly how per-park date-based pricing for tickets was spun ~7 years ago when it was introduced. More recent press releases and comments from Disney spokespeople strike the same familiar notes about date-based pricing for Genie+ and other price increases, mirroring this language.
This is quite literally a page out of that playbook. You might notice that each year when ticket prices increase, Walt Disney World highlights how 1-day admission still starts at only $109. To Disney’s credit, that has been the base price since the introduction of the date-based system back in October 2018. That’s a long time for the starting price to remain unchanged, especially as inflation and all other prices have increased.
In reality, that low starting price is only available at Animal Kingdom, and only for a scattering of weekdays two months out of the year. What isn’t mentioned is that the maximum ticket price has skyrocketed for all parks and the distribution of dates has skewed towards the higher end of the spectrum. Meaning that most guests who are doing a single day in the parks (or multiple days) are paying more. It’s likely that 1-day tickets to DAK don’t account for a tremendous amount of ticket sales, so the ‘static base price’ talking point is largely marketing. (We discuss this phenomenon in Disney Doesn’t Want Lower Crowds if you want to read more.)
It’s a very similar idea here, except even more exaggerated. Although that $109 ticket starting price is almost illusory and more about marketing, it’s undeniable that you can spend $109 and receive something of value–admission to Animal Kingdom. Sure, it’ll be during a slow weekday in August or September, but it’s not nothing.
By contrast, the argument could be made that the value of Genie+ at Animal Kingdom on those same slower days is totally illusory. I’ve done Animal Kingdom during the fall off-season–the crowds are nonexistent. Aside from Avatar Flight of Passage, Lightning Lanes are practically useless (and Flight of Passage isn’t included in the Genie+ service, anyway).
Even on busier days, you do not need Genie+ at Animal Kingdom with even a scintilla of strategizing. Regular readers of this site know this, as we’ve hammered home time and time again that Genie+ is a waste of money at Animal Kingdom. This is discussed in countless posts, including in our Best Time-Saving Strategies for Walt Disney World, which says all you need to know for DAK is “don’t go during the middle of the day and stand in long lines.”
Seriously, that’s about it. Arriving early or staying late work perfectly fine for beating the crowds because most guests still treat it like a half-day park and attendance is significantly lower at Animal Kingdom than any other park at Walt Disney World. As a result, a lower advertised base price for Genie+ by virtue of Animal Kingdom is almost meaningless. You shouldn’t be wasting your money on Genie+ there in the first place. It’s the paid equivalent of a “Bonus FastPass” for PhilharMagic. It might make you feel good, but you’re arguably being played.
Additionally, as the above graph from Thrill-Data demonstrates, Walt Disney World has done a couple of ‘soft resets’ on Genie+ pricing in advance of this per-park pricing change. Obviously, there was the introduction of date-based pricing last year that increased costs above the board. That’s not what we’re talking about, as that was an actual reset.
If you look closely at that graph and compare wait times from peak season last year to this spring break, you’ll see that the ceiling was raised–despite comparable (and often lower) crowd levels. Look again at the low to moderate wait times since Memorial Day weekend and contrast those with last fall or this winter on dates with comparable crowds. You’ll see that the floor has also been adjusted upwards.
That’s part of the “flexibility” that date-based pricing offers to Walt Disney World. It was a big story over spring break when the maximum price of Genie+ increased to $35. As it should’ve been. Genie+ had reached a new high and still sold out despite that. (In retrospect, it almost feels like that was laying the groundwork to “justify” this change.)
However, it’s equally as significant that the average price has increased in the last month despite lower crowd levels. There’s been scant coverage of that since it’s more difficult to explain–and doesn’t make for as punchy of a headline. (We’ve mentioned this trend in a couple of crowd reports and I don’t recall anyone even commenting on it–whereas the increased maximum garnered a ton of reactions.)
Basically, the change to per-park pricing for Genie+ is a price increase in disguise. Where and when Lightning Lanes are useful, the cost of using Genie+ is going to increase. The average guest will spend more, not less, on Genie+ over the course of their Walt Disney World vacation. The company can spin it how they want–that’ll be the most likely outcome in practice.
As with date-based pricing on Genie+ or park tickets, rolling out per-park pricing gives Walt Disney World the ability to adjust average pricing upwards at the parks where demand is highest: Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
This will effectively amount to a price increase on Genie+ at those two parks. Anyone who is more inclined to purchase Genie+ at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or when Park Hopping is likely to pay more, on average, for Genie+ than in the absence of the per-park pricing scheme.
Our expectation is that EPCOT prices will be more or less unchanged as compared to earlier this year. Maybe its average price will decrease slightly as compared to pre-spring break, which would amount to a win for guests who use Genie+ at EPCOT but no other parks.
As discussed above, the average price will likely decrease at Animal Kingdom. In our view, that is completely illusory. There’s a reason the price of Genie+ is going down at DAK, and that’s because the service offers far less value and far fewer people use it there. With that park already struggling and no prospects in the near or medium term, that’s one park where Walt Disney World should just bring back free FastPass+ if they really want to get people through the gates! (Obviously, that isn’t going to happen, but that would actually be the kind of change that’s needed there–not ~$10 off Genie.)
With all of that said, in the interest of fairness, guests who only purchase Genie+ at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom will likely come out ahead with the change to per-park pricing. You won’t spend less money on the paid FastPass service than you did at the same time last year when it cost $16 everywhere–or four years ago when it was free everywhere–but you will pay less as compared to 2-3 months ago, on average. So that’s a win for probably about 4% of all Walt Disney World guests!
Beyond this, there’s a certain amount of price inelasticity when it comes to paid line-skipping. This is something we discussed at length when explaining past price increases and the record-setting $35 price for Genie+ over spring break, so I don’t want to beat a dead horse.
In a nutshell, my position is that demand for Genie+ is relatively inelastic with incrementally higher prices for the line-skipping service. This is because Genie+ is still a relatively minor cost in the grand scheme of the price of a Walt Disney World vacation for current guests. This isn’t being dismissive of the expense–Genie+ increases the cost of a vacation significantly and it all adds up.
Instead, think about it this way: if you already spent $8,000 for your family to visit Walt Disney World and were willing to pay peak season room rates for hotels and tickets, are you going to balk at paying even more to avoid long lines and crowds? Or are you going to spend ~$80 more (on top of what you already budgeted for Genie+) for your family to have Genie+ and “ensure” your experience is good and that $8,000 wasn’t wasted?
As was demonstrated over spring break, plenty of people are going to pay the extra money. That was evident with Genie+ selling out on some of those $35 days, and it was apparent to us based on our days in the parks, seeing the lengthy return lines for Lightning Lanes, and the high standby wait times.
However, as we’ve also discussed, there are limits to this. One likely applies to those who are not already on vacation, and balk when pricing out the trip. That group can do the math on Genie+ and also can see the trajectory of price points before making a decision about even booking a vacation in the first place.
For those already on vacation, there’s also the strong possibility that the satisfaction scores of Genie+ are low and people are less likely to purchase on subsequent days of their trip as a result. This is partly based on observed patterns on Monday and Tuesday versus later in the week, and partly theoretical.
Personally, I can’t imagine dropping $35 per person (plus tax!) for Genie+ at Animal Kingdom on a day when crowd levels were 3/10 for that park (that happened April 9). Or even dropping $20+ any of the many days since when crowd levels have been 1/10 or 2/10 in Animal Kingdom. Experiences like those, and the resulting assumption that Genie+ is “useless,” have probably hurt sales at Magic Kingdom and DHS–where Genie+ actually is useful!
In various ways, we’ve seen all of this play out for years with date-based pricing at Walt Disney World. Per-park pricing is just a different spin on the exact same underlying idea. Both are effective ways for the company to accomplish its desired optimizations at Walt Disney World. There are certain places and times that experience higher demand for a number of reasons–school schedules, seasonal events, weather, etc.
Charging incrementally higher prices where or when possible allows Walt Disney World to capitalize on and profit from that inherently higher demand. That’s the goal–not preserving the guest experience, offering maximum flexibility, or whatever the talking point might be. It’s a way to price with surgical precision, capturing more revenue where demand allows.
Turning to other impacts, this will likely result in reduced Park Hopping away from EPCOT or Animal Kingdom. Think about it–if you purchase Genie+ at one of those parks at a lower price point, you will have a financial disincentive to leave. That’s good for Walt Disney World, which wants to keep people in DAK longer because of its attendance woes. Per guest spending is also likely higher at EPCOT because of festival booths and booze, so it’s also good for them there.
Conversely, there will be the incentive to leave Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios–the two parks that struggle the most with crowds–because those guests have already paid the premium pricing for the Genie+ service. My guess is that the impact of this will be slight, but it won’t be nothing. (Perhaps one silver lining of this change will be that it paves the way for the restoration of full Park Hopping! Instead of that rule being “needed” to limit movement, the per-park pricing of Genie+ will indirectly accomplish the same.)
Another disappointment of this change is the complexity it adds to the already overly complicated and convoluted Genie+ system. Lately, there’s been far less confusion and fewer questions about all things Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. This is partly due to the guest-friendly changes that Walt Disney World started rolling out last fall. Many of those were positives, and made paid FastPass more intuitive and easier to use. We repeatedly praised Walt Disney World for continuing to iterate upon and improve Genie+ with those changes!
It’s also likely in part because Walt Disney World regulars have taken trips in the last couple of years, “learned by doing,” and as a result no longer have the same trepidations and worries as before when Genie+ was still an unknown quantity to them. But the reality is that, even now, there are thousands of people using Genie+ for the first time ever each day, and they are every bit as confused as Walt Disney World regulars were back in Fall 2021.
Per-park pricing reintroduces more complexity to the Genie+ system, and is a step in the wrong direction as a result. Walt Disney World is already way too confusing and complicated–especially for first-timers–and this is absolutely something that is coming up in guest surveys. The company should be doing everything possible to reduce friction points at Walt Disney World, rather than introducing additional opportunities for headaches.
In fact, the removal of problem-points has been exactly what has been happening since CEO Bob Iger returned to the helm. It was pretty clear that Bob Iger wasn’t wild about how things had gone under dearly departed CEO Bob Chapek and the degree to which there was disillusionment among fans.
A little over a month after returning, he started moving on that sentiment by announcing 3 Big Changes at Walt Disney World to Improve Guest Experience & Value. A few months later came the announcement of 5 Major Improvements for 2024 at Walt Disney World. Those were all major steps in the right direction, and moves that helped to win back fans. Iger and D’Amaro had been doing so well this year!
Until now. This Genie+ change is at odds with all of that. It might seem minor or insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it kills the momentum Iger had established and undermines the narrative of positive changes under the new Iger regime. If Walt Disney World needs to win back diehards with “revenge travel” winding down, this is the exact opposite of how to accomplish that.
Ultimately, moving to per-park pricing is frustrating to us, but it will also help with some of the capacity issues that have plagued Lightning Lanes…while conveniently padding the company’s bottom line. As we’ve said before, there’s no easy fix to the Genie+ issue for Walt Disney World. No perfect solution exists that balances supply and demand in all of the parks and keeps everyone happy (both those who purchase Genie+ and those who opt against it).
There’s also the company’s obvious short-term desire to maximize revenue and profits, which is precisely how it ended up on the current path–going from free FastPass to Genie+ costing $16 to date-based pricing with Genie+ maxing out at $35 to per-park pricing with ??? being the maximum Magic Kingdom and all parks cost.
If a family visiting for summer vacation spent $10,000 on the trip as a whole, I don’t think ~$100 extra is going to be the balking point for many of them. Now, what could happen is that those visiting any park that is not Magic Kingdom or DHS end up feeling like Genie+ was a waste of money, and opt against purchasing it on future days. Maybe lower prices for Animal Kingdom and EPCOT will “help” offset that.
But who knows. Maybe that added cost for Magic Kingdom, DHS, and Park Hopping finally will be what results in enough families hitting their breaking point, and perhaps higher per-park pricing will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and hurts numbers–whether it be Genie+ sales or vacation packages. Given what we’ve seen thus far with Genie+ pricing, that feels like wishful thinking (if not fully delusional). I can hold out hope, though.
We’ll “sign off” this post the same way we’ve done for many previous changes to the Genie+ system. The real solution to all of this is building more attractions. This once again lays that bare, as both Animal Kingdom and EPCOT offer fewer compelling reasons (read: popular rides) to purchase the Genie+ service and, unsurprisingly, it’s less popular and less valuable at those parks.
Beyond that, queueing is a zero-sum game. No approach to lines–not all standby, not paper FastPass, FastPass+ or Genie–changes capacity. The only meaningful way to alter the equation is by actually increasing capacity. That’s done by adding entertainment, attractions, or extending operating hours. Everything else is a matter of rearranging the deck chairs, and having different guests or demographics come out ahead or behind.
Here’s hoping that Bob Iger actually is serious about wanting to build big park expansions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland–and ones that have more than just a single E-Ticket and upcharge offerings. At the end of the day, capacity-adding additions are precisely what’s needed at Walt Disney World.
Some fans salivate at the (fictional) prospect of a 5th gate, but what’s really needed is building out the existing parks so they don’t have this type of issue in the first place. Despite significantly higher attendance, there’s a reason this isn’t as big of a problem at Magic Kingdom as the other 3 parks. There’s also a reason why Genie+ will soon cost the most at MK. In short, building more rides is better for guests…and the company’s coffers!
If you have questions about the basics of using–or not using–the paid FastPass service, see our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World & Lightning Lane FAQ for all of the foundational need-to-know info. This whole system is confusing and convoluted, so you might have a question or two-dozen. That answers all of the most common ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Walt Disney World introducing per-park pricing for the Genie+ service? Disappointed that it’s happening, or do you see the upside? Thoughts on our perspective that this is effectively a price increase for Genie+ at Magic Kingdom and DHS? Any other considerations we failed to take into account or details we missed/got wrong? Will you purchase Genie+ going forward, or is expensive for you? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Disney is out of control both behind the screen and in the parks. Iger and his crew of more ons are destroying the experience Walt created. We out. Just had a great trip out West to four national parks. Living in Georgia, I miss the years where we drove down four times a year on our AP, but I will not return in the near future. Maybe after Universal opens their new park and the Disney Parks are officially crushed, I might then return to a more humble, more appreciative (and Igerless) Disney.
They killed Figment
They Killed Figment
I hear you. I keep holding out hope Disney will change. Each new movie is a “here’s your sign” moment. They just don’t seem to care about what Walt built and intended. It’s very sad.
We will continue supporting family friendly places – we loved the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum.
I look forward to a humble Disney. I really enjoyed the picture you painted there!
This was my family’s experience with Genie+:
We booked The Jungle Cruise at 7 a.m., park (MK) opened at 8 a.m. so we could not schedule another ride until 10 a.m. By 10 a.m. every other ride that was at the top of the pick list for hard to get rides was gone, i.e. Peter Pan, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, etc. At MK we did get a decent second ride at 10 a.m., however, The Haunted Mansion.
At EPCOT, there are really only 3 or 4 rides you want to choose for Genie+. By the time we could choose a 2nd option, again 10 a.m., there was nothing to choose from.
With few choices and competing against almost every other person there, the rides were simply taken. MK was the only park we were able to even use a 2nd ride option at 10 a.m.
It was very disappointing.
Also, Disney most definitely needs to bring back perks for people staying at the Deluxe resorts enabling them to schedule either sooner or more than one ride at a time or free Genie+ – SOMETHING! There are options and ALL of these options were what we got in years past.
“Less for more!” Like Tom essentially said; Get used to it! A few years ago I read that the way Disney judged the validity and efficacy of its theme park moves was if they resulted in less profit. So far they don’t seem to see a problem.
For the first time, we are planning a Universal vacation. The increase in prices is like death by a thousand paper cuts. Adding genie- increases the daily price of admission by 15% – 20%. That adds up quickly for families even on a per day basis, and really adds up over a week. Considering the hassle of using genie-, we have purchased it only twice over multiple trips, and aren’t likely to buy it again.
But maybe more significant is the layer upon layer of complexity, both in the planning of the vacation and while experiencing it. I want to rest my brain on vacation, not eat up more mental bandwidth.
There is such a thing as a tipping point, and we’ve tipped over. If we love Universal (and daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan), we will spend our vacation dollars there. So by trying to squeeze a few dollars more from us without any improvement in the experience, Disney hasn’t increased its per guest spending with us; they’ve lost it entirely. While Disney may not care about that single loss, they’ll probably care if they lose enough guests to impact their top line revenue in a significant way, especially because Parks are contributing so significantly to the bottle line these days.
I agree with you on so many points. This definitely doesn’t make it easier on those who are already confused. Personally, I loved using Genie+ when I visited in May 2022 and again in November 2022. We were able to do so many headliners at DHS and still be done with the park by 6pm, including breaks for meals and snacks. I don’t feel like it adds that much more phone time at all. I plan on getting it for some days on my next trip as well. As you said, if you’re only on your vacation once a year, then you’ll more than likely buy it. Absolutely, however I do feel that Disney is pricing some people out. I think in the long run, Disney is going to be begging people to come back to them. This will definitely be even more of a turnoff to some, driving them further from Disney.
Haven’t finished reading but I noticed you wrote, “There comes a point where you accept reality and either adapt or more on.”
Is this a subconscious way of calling us morons? Spell check strikes again.
LOL. No, not at all.
It’s about playing the cards you’re dealt rather than just complaining and refusing to change. I agree with everyone else that it’s really unfortunate that what was once free now costs money. But I also know that it’s not going anywhere, so it is what it is. That’s precisely why we have so many posts about working with or around Lightning Lanes. That’s an actual “solution,” whereas doing nothing but complaining is not.
(Note that I say nothing but complaining. I do a lot of complaining in this very post, but it’s not what I do exclusively. There’s a difference! 😉 )
I’ve come to.the conclusion that what Disney is doing is, as the “Old Guard” dies off, and face it, those of us who grew up with Walt and his dream are fast on the way out, what Disney is doing is conditioning the next generation of its consumers to the “new normal” of paying more for less. They don’t care that we remember how things used to be, because, unfortunately, there are no longer enough of us to make a financial difference. It’s obviously working. As Lauren Bacall said in “Applause”, and Bette Davis said in “All About Eve,” “Fasten your seat belts, It’s going to be a bumpy night!” And, like Bachmann Turner Overdrive sang, “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet!” There’s going to be LOTS more to come folks!
😉 “more on” vs “move on” is the typo in question. (Waiting for babies is exhausting. Almost as exhausting as Disney’s constant retooling of FastPass, MaxPass, Genie…
Hang in there!
@Big Al – Thanks for the clarification. I can’t believe I didn’t catch that the first, second, etc. time I read the article…or when brought directly to my attention. Still kept reading that as “move on” for some reason.
Sorry for ruining a good joke, Mickey1928, with a matter of fact explanation! 🙂
Hi Tom! Another great post and thank you for taking your time once again to Break it down for us. I have a quick question that I tried to understand on this read but maybe you have a better idea.
I’m planning on going on July 15th and the idea was to start the day at DAK and usd the 2h stack strategy to collect rides for Epcot. In that case, do you think I need the park hopping Disney plus option or just Epcot? And if I chose just Epcot I’m assuming there is a chance I might not be able to schedule rides considering I’m first checking in at DAK and hopping to EPcot at 2pm which kind of sucks if that’s the case. Thank you for the read!
I meant Genie + option, not Disney plus lol.
I haven’t seen Walt Disney World clarify how or whether this will work. I hope what you’re describing is possible, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re required to purchase the all parks option if there’s a ‘conflict’ between the park where you have a reservation and the park for which you’re trying to buy Genie+.
At least…for now. Once reservations are gone in 2024, it seems like you’d be able to do this. I guess we shall see!
I’d rather have it ridiculously expensive but free for specific resorts/times for pass holders like Universal. At least their stand-by lines keep moving.
I’m just enraged at this point; therefore, this is my angry post.
For our family of 4, Genie+ and ILLs were going to cost us about $560 for 6 days, assuming Genie was around the price point of $20 per person. (Literally insane compared to FREE but as you said, that ship’s sailed.) We can’t run the little ones ragged by opening and closing each park every day, so rope-dropping and staying late don’t work every day.
We got park hoppers to take advantage of the low crowds on Halloween party days, so now we will need to pay $27 minimum per person. Every single day we’re there. And we aren’t even going to be hopping three out of the six days. So we’re at $700+ more for a 6 day trip. Cool.
I’ve been a loyal park goer from Wisconsin since I was five years old, obviously courtesy of my parents, and now, my own little family. Do they just not want us to come anymore? Or do they want us to hate coming there? Is that the message? Cuz I’m feelin’ like it is.
People can shove platitudes down my throat all they want, and tell me how poor Disney just needs to make their money, but I don’t give a tiny rat’s behind. At this point, I really want to say screw you, Disney… Thanks for ruining the place I love by out-pricing us at every turn.
well said Amy
Well said. We’ve been going for many years and just finished a trip in April 2023 but it will be our last for some time. The parks aren’t adding any new rides and they continue to nickel and dime the guests. Disney is still great but I can’t justify the costs.
I am a full fledged Disney fan. My husband and adult special needs daughter go once a year for 10 nights. We live in NY. Our trip is min 10,000 dollars . Now I have to admit that it is getting to be discouraging to us that Disney is trying so hard to just get more and more money from people and pricing others out. Not to mention it’s so confusing and so much work to try and have a vacation . Why can’t they just be up front with people and raise the ticket prices to what they are trying to get out of everyone ? All these added extras are confusing and just make us feel like we’re being taken advantage of . We literally can only be in the parks for 3-4 hrs max due to our special needs daughter . Sometimes even less. We generally will have 7 park days to our vacation. So to purchase extras for the few hours we are able to be in the parks is just rediculous , not to mention being unable to set things up until last minute. Simple fast passes in advance was the best way to plan your day out. We are just getting to the point where all we can do is walk around the parks and go in 2-3 rides. It’s very discouraging.
I would like to pay an entry fee (of let’s say 100 bucks) and then pay per ride,.. that way I could enjoy strolling around not having to feel I have to get on multiple rides to redeem the expense,. so I suppose this is really harkening back to the original Disney ticket system!! Bring back the coupon book!!
Disney says it is “working on ways to simplify the Disney Genie+ service…as we continue to listen to guests” then follows that up with adding more complication and complexity to the Genie+ service…and with an increased price tag where it matters. What a JOKE! This double speak is gross and an insult to the the intelligence of its customers. But that’s the way of the world these days isn’t it? Say one thing to your face and then do the exact opposite and hope (believe) you won’t notice. It almost makes me miss the days of “we will price gouge you until you say uncle” honesty.
It sounds like you’re right about the pre-planning of Lightning Lanes coming. I hope it’s not too far in advance.
We go to Disney World about every 3 years or so. We’re planning on going next year (June 2024) but are really hoping for some good deals for this next trip. I hope they offer the 4 parks deal again next summer. For a family of 4, that is huge savings! Without the deal, tickets would cost our family $2,300. With the deal, it’s more like $1,600.
This year, the ticket deal wasn’t released until the end of May, but it was available starting June 1! Our plan is to travel mid-June next year, so I’m probably going to wait to buy tickets the last minute in hopes of scoring a ticket deal like this, unless there is an amazing package deal or something. So, having the ability to pre-plan Lightning Lanes will make things more difficult for me. Do we wait to buy tickets last minute in hopes of scoring the 4 parks summer deal, or do we book sooner to be able to guarantee the rides that our family is interested in?
I would wait at least until specifics about pre-booking are announced, although I wouldn’t expect that to happen until fairly late in the year. It may not be what you’re hoping for, and you may want to skip it.
So long as WDW wants to push people towards EPCOT and DAK, they’ll keep bringing back that 4-parks deal. No guarantees, but I think it’s likely again next summer (and other times of the year), but I would not expect much advance notice. Those types of deals are typically last-minute.
“As we recently shared, we are working on ways to simplify the Disney Genie+ service, including offering the ability to plan before the day of your visit, which many Guests have asked for.”
I got the vibe from comments when the return of pre-booking was first hinted at that a lot of people thought it would be included in the normal Genie+ cost. Today’s announcements should put that wishful thinking to rest. I would be delighted if it were a perk for staying onsite but I’m not holding my breath.
And we all knew Genie+ wouldn’t stay at $16 a day but I’m blown away by how quickly the prices blew up to their current levels. Even by Disney inflation standards, it’s pretty astounding.
A lot could change, but the rumors I’ve heard about pre-booking G+ are going to make that a total nonstarter for most people (except maybe at EPCOT). The rules are going to be incredibly restrictive, and how, exactly, it’ll be implemented is still an open question.
Is there no end to this? For decades, Disney did just fine with the park procedures they had in place. Other than increasing Disnet’s profits, I see no justification for this. It is just one more nuisance detail to keep track of, and in no way benefits guests!
I think it’s coming to a point when you’re getting tired of being nickel and dimed for price increases for every other part of the holiday. I think it’s too early to raise the price on Genie+ when many people still haven’t even got to grips with how to use it.
We went in May and it was our first experience with Genie+. After numerous articles read and you tube videos watched, I had a complete understanding of how Genie+ worked and did feel I used it as effectively as I could. We have always bought park hopper tickets but I can honestly say that if I were going to give up something it would be that. I used to plan our day based upon where we got the best fast passes 60 days out. I would start booking for our last day (usually try FoP as that was the newest big ticket ride) and work backwards, sometimes hitting AK every morning if I could get a fast pass for FoP. Now, with having to book your park and only the ability to buy Genie + and select your Lightening Lanes the day of, I see no value at all to park hopping anymore. By the time you got to the second park after 2:00, the LL selection was pretty thin.
We arrive in about 3 weeks so this will impact the budget. We come from the UK. Stay on site and I’d budgeted for the DHS and MK days. It’s a $1000+ Tom. I get your point that this is just a few $more but G+ isn’t just a few dollars more for a family of 4!!! It’s 10% of the holiday! I wonder if Disney have yet to see the overall impact of G+. I am a well above average earner and this year for the first time we will only be doing a few table service meals. 4 – tops. That’s how I am paying for Genie+. It doesn’t net it out but it’s the best option – and the DVC points rental.
Unrelated point – Your photos are brilliant. That Big Thunder Mountain on-board. Brilliant! Love the impression of speed it conveys.
A.freakin’.men.
We have been to WDW the past 2 years in September and there was no need to use Genie+. Per Tom’s recommendations, September is a sweet spot for lower crowds. We are going again this September and won’t be using Genie+ but will likely buy a couple ILL for Guardians and Tron!
You don’t have to buy Genie+ first if you want to buy ILL for rides at the parks?? Is there a list somewhere of which rides offer ILL at which parks?? I try to read all of Toms articles but I think I missed that one. I was thinking I would have to buy Genie+ before I could buy ILL for any rides? Went to WDW every year for many years but have not been since they started park reservations and Genie+ and virtual ques and ILL. HATE the new park hopping rule.
Totally agree! I wouldn’t mind paying extra if I was guaranteed to get something for it, guaranteed to get on the rides I want in return and not have it still left up to chance. Plus, was much better to be able to plan in advance without having to race to login early morning of every day of your vacation to try to book a ride. Universal parks have a fee for express pass but if you buy it you’re guaranteed to be able to walk on to all the very many express rides in the park whenever you get there, no reservations required. Much less complicated, less time consuming and you’re guaranteed what you are paying for. WDWs Genie+ and ILLs are going to end up costing me a lot of extra money and stress for me and my family for every day of our next trip to Disney. After going yearly for many years we had to stop a few years back before all these changes were made and price of the vacations at WDW increased so much. We are trying to save up to go back either Sept 2024 or Nov 2024 after Thanksgiving. Hopefully we can figure out WDWs complicated new system by then and it will not be too busy to get on the new rides that opened since our last WDW trip that we’ve never been on.
Disney has quite a nerve claiming this will “improve the [Genie+] experience for guests.” It’s just one more nail in the coffin of spontaneity.
In their defense (but not really), this could result in fewer people purchasing Genie+ and that, in turn, will improve the guest experience!
Maybe that’s what they meant?!?! 😉
Exactly! A causation is not a vacation if it can’t be enjoyed with spur of the moment changes!
Fastpass+ was a great system, because it was …. free! That said, I don’t mind THAT much about paying for it. Every other park in the world charges for it.
Where I think it could be vastly better would be functioning like Fastpass+. Let me buy it earlier and let me lock in some “Guarantees” in advance.
I’d find way more value in it if I knew for sure I was going to get SOMETHING. Planning the trip out and having an idea of an itinerary ahead of time was half the fun.
You are absolutely spot on here! I want a guarantee. Spending all the money on the trip, let me purchase this 60 days in advance if I want. Great comment.
I agree. I would pay for it ahead of time and make my I what I was able to get. Now I am planning a trip with out it at all. Also with all the increases I am thinking more of planning a Universal trip in the future instead of Disney and I have aways been a huge fan of Disney. They are over complicating trips and that makes me sad. We should be able to focus on spent in the park and not planning so much last minute if we choose to. Instead everyone is left to scramble while in the park to try and plan to get somewhere somehow sometime all at the same time. One thing that I enjoyed about my last trip to Universal Studios was my Express pass was good to most rides no planning. Just show up and get in line.
Anthony, excellent idea. Buy Genie+, lock in itinerary in advance for everyday of resort reservation and rides guaranteed!!!!! Perfect solution!!!