Genie+ Lightning Lane Advance Booking Coming to Disney World
Along with the release of 2024 vacation packages, Walt Disney World has teased pre-planning capabilities coming to the Genie+ service and Lightning Lanes. This post covers what little we know so far, plus extensive commentary about what this could mean, why it’s happening, winners & losers, and more.
Walt Disney World recently made several updates to add more value and flexibility to vacations, including bringing back free overnight self-parking at Disney-owned resort hotels, adding on-ride photos to the Genie+ service, and more.
Disney indicates that it’s continuing to listen to guests, and has just announced 5 exciting updates coming in 2024 to improve the guest experience. The biggest surprise on this list concerns the Genie+ service…
According to Walt Disney World, the company has heard from guests and is working on ways to help guests plan with the Disney Genie+ service and Individual Lightning Lane selections in response to those requests. This would mean guests being able to make ride reservations before their visit so they can spend more time with friends and family once inside the parks.
No other details are provided about when in 2024 this will happen or what form it will take. It’s our understanding that this is one of several changes being considered for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes, and that an official announcement with specifics is still several months away.
In terms of commentary, it’s first and foremost interesting to see Walt Disney World tease this without a concrete plan or any details. Even though they’re not committing to specifics–or even anything at all–this means that some sort of changes are coming. Walt Disney World would not this kind of non-announcement announcement unless something significant were being planned. It’d be like teasing that the Disney Dining Plan is returning soon only to remain unavailable for another 2+ years. Wait a minute…bad example!
More than anything else, this suggests to me that Walt Disney World has received a lot of complaints about Genie+ from vacation planners. So many that the company feels compelled to signal that “we hear you and will fix this.” This is not the kind of tease that occurs unprompted and out of the blue–that’s not Walt Disney World’s standard way of dealing with this sort of thing.
For those who think this might be a case of confirmation bias or that I simply might be “hearing what I want to hear” in the announcement, that’s pretty far from the case. To the contrary, the many (MANY!) of you who have bemoaned the lack of advance booking with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes have received fairly similar replies from me.
In a nutshell, the conversation has gone like this. Certain commenters have indicated that they could deal with the change from free FastPass to paid Genie+ if they were still able to pre-plan their first couple of Lightning Lane selections ahead of their trips. Many other readers have chimed in to agree with this sentiment, indicating it’s the biggest stumbling block with Genie+ for them. Others still see all of these comments, and conclude that it’s the consensus among Walt Disney World visitors.
In turn, I’ve replied that this is a matter of selection bias. That disproportionately, Walt Disney World visitors reading blogs like this one are ardent planners. That diehard Walt Disney World fans are not representative of the general park-going public, many or most of whom don’t know much about Walt Disney World until arrival.
This might sound like a weird argument I’m having with myself and oddly publishing for the world to see, but I swear that this exchange has played out repeatedly–almost exactly like this–in the comments of past posts about Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. And it’s one that would happen again in the comments here if it weren’t proactively addressed. (It’ll probably still happen.)
Among other things, casual visitors previously did not know you could make ride reservations at all, let alone a month or two in advance under the prior FastPass+ system. They would first learn about FastPass, ADRs, virtual queues, and so many other things upon arrival at Walt Disney World. Unsurprisingly, this led to frequent complaints among first-time visitors about the FastPass+ system.
(Now, many of these same people learn of Disney Park Pass upon arrival, which caused its own problems when capacity was constrained. Many others don’t buy Genie+ until ~9 am, after seeing others use it in the parks or asking a Cast Member at an attraction, “what’s with the ‘fast lane’ over there?”)
All of that was and is true about first-timers and infrequent guests. That’s one of the reasons Walt Disney World moved from FastPass to Genie. The other, obviously, was $$$$$$. But that explanation is hardly a secret to anyone.
Still, if increasing revenue had been the only goal or issue that Walt Disney World was seeking to address, they simply could’ve monetized the existing FastPass+ service. That would’ve been simpler, with less investment and far fewer growing pains over the last couple years. The fact that Disney did not do that should be pretty conclusive that there were other issues at play.
It’s also true that vacation planners really miss the pre-planning aspect of FastPass Plus, and have complained about that to Walt Disney World. Repeat visitors and diehard fans are hardly an insignificant portion of the visitor base, and they are arguably the type of guests that Walt Disney World should want to please most. (The status of the rite-of-passage or one-and-done guests is right there in their name!)
Honestly, this about-face is what I did not see coming. When it was announced, my prediction was that Genie+ “favorability” among WDW diehards would increase over time. To those points, what follows is my original commentary from the announcement nearly two years ago…
The initial response [to Genie+] will be overwhelmingly negative, just as it was at Disneyland when MaxPass was announced. In addition to being upset by something previously being free now costing money, many will lament the loss of pre-planning their FastPass+ selections and having the peace of mind in knowing they have certain popular attractions “locked-in” prior to their trips.
To be sure, there are FastPass+ power users and diehard planners who will remain entrenched in that belief. Those Walt Disney World fans likely are disproportionate readers of blogs like this one. However, that’s a vocal minority of all guests–far from a majority. Most average guests plan days in advance–or even upon arrival–not 6 months ahead of time.
For first-timers, Walt Disney World vacations are a morass of convoluted policies and things to know. These guests will likely favor Genie+ as it levels the playing field to a degree. To them, a paid system will be better than a free one where they’re shut out of most popular attractions because they’re not seasoned on the ins and outs of FastPass booking.
Nevertheless, we’d expect many ride or die FastPass+ fans to eventually give Genie+ a try and come around on it. No matter how staunchly anyone might oppose Genie+ now, history bears this out. At Walt Disney World, the original FastPass was controversial among fans in 1999, before becoming beloved. FastPass+ was likewise a reviled replacement among fans who had mastered the paper FastPass system.
Disneyland’s launch of MaxPass is an even better example given the similarities between Genie+ and that. The initial announcement was met with outrage and complaints, but its use and popularity quickly increased as Disneyland diehards used it in the parks. We know because that was us! After hating it, we actually used MaxPass, were hooked on it, and became MaxPass cheerleaders.
I got at least some of that right, but other parts wrong. For one thing, I underestimated just how half-baked Genie+ would be at launch. My expectation was that Walt Disney World was getting MaxPass, but with a different name. Part of that was on me, as I overlooked the ride capacity disparities between Disneyland and Walt Disney World (minus Magic Kingdom).
Even more of that was on Walt Disney World, though. So many features present in both FastPass+ and MaxPass were missing from the Genie+ service, it was buggy and clunky to use, and so forth. If you used Genie+ prior to late summer or early fall of last year on a moderately busy (or worse) day, you already know all of this. No point in rehashing it.
To Walt Disney World’s credit, plenty of positive changes have been made to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes in the last several months. However, many of those should’ve been present from launch and others have essentially obfuscated issues rather than fixing them. So the underlying problem still exists, it’s just hidden from view.
Oh, and the average price has increased significantly during that time, going from $16 on a daily basis, and is now $20 to $25 on average (with a low price of $15 and high of $35). Given all of that, we probably shouldn’t pat them on the back too much.
From what we’ve seen here, complaints from Walt Disney World regulars have decreased in frequency and volume. That alone doesn’t mean that Genie+ “favorability” among fans has improved, though. People are also less likely to voice complaints about things that are older and more established. (The same reason we’re hearing more complaints about TRON Lightcycle Run’s duration than we do about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster!)
If you ask WDW planners, many or most of them will still lament the loss of pre-planning ride reservations. It does not seem like, as a whole, this demographic has “come around” and embraced Genie+ or Lightning Lanes in that way. Buying it doesn’t mean people are enjoying it. (Genie+ is unquestionably exceeding original sales forecasts, but that’s also not an endorsement. Many visitors feel they have no other choice and will spend more money to ensure a “good” vacation, as we’ve covered at length in other recent commentary.)
The point of all this is that Walt Disney World is in a tough position between the preferences of planners, who represent a demographic of diehards and repeat customers–and the past complaints of first-timers and infrequent visitors. That the company intends upon making changes to accommodate pre-planning with Genie+ suggests that Disney is hearing their most loyal fans.
That’s great news, and exactly what we expected/predicted when Iger returned. (Everyone who claimed that Iger is “no different” than Chapek might want to reevaluate that stance. Between the 5 changes today and the 3 earlier this year, plus Iger and D’Amaro’s bullishness on future expansion…it’s safe to say that there are material differences in leadership now!)
The unanswered question is whether Walt Disney World will try and thread the needle to make both sides happy, or reverse course and cater to the planners. Frankly, I have no idea. I’m honestly not sure Walt Disney World does either–if there were already a concrete plan, I think we’d be hearing that instead of a tease.
If forced to guess, I think we’ll see a compromise solution that tries to find the middle ground. Booking Lightning Lanes 30 to 60 days out is probably too far in advance. On the other hand, booking at midnight the day before might be insufficient to appease the planners.
With vacation bookings slowing down and resort occupancy decreasing, I think the savviest move would probably be to create an on-site advantage for Genie+ and a separate booking window for off-site guests. I’d be surprised if the longest of those windows is more than a month, with 7-14 days seeming more like a sweet spot. That wouldn’t make everyone completely happy or angry, which is what a good compromise looks like!
Also unknown is the logistics of how this will work. Last year when vacation packages were released, Walt Disney World eliminated the length-of-stay Genie+ ticket add-on. We called this a good move that has improved Lightning Lane availability and the service for those purchasing it same-day, but it was met with considerable fan backlash.
Regardless of whether that was good or bad, it seems like the ticket add-on will necessarily need to return if Walt Disney World is going to allow advance Lightning Lane selections. That would also suggest that date-based prices for Genie+ will be released in advance, becoming less dynamic or responsive to real-time crowd levels. (And they have been to an extent–Walt Disney World has made weekends less expensive as attendance dynamics have changed in the last couple months.)
Suffice to say, there are a lot of moving parts that’ll need to be sorted out between now and January 2024–and it’s likely that these are not the only changes coming! That could explain why Walt Disney World is only teasing a simplified version of Genie+ that allows advance Lightning Lane selections instead of making a substantive announcement!
Ultimately, the solution to all of this is building more attractions. As we’ve said many times before, 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, extending operating hours, adding attractions, or building new lands. (Obviously, some of those things take longer to accomplish than others, and cannot conceivably occur by 2024!)
Everything else is a matter of rearranging the deck chairs, and having different guests or demographics come out ahead or behind. In this case, the “winners” (air quotes) will almost certainly be the dedicated pre-planners and the losers will be Walt Disney World first-timers and those who take a more spontaneous approach to their visits. Hopefully, the right balance is struck so that the winners don’t win too hard and the losers don’t lose too much, though!
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 teasing that Genie+ and Lightning Lane pre-booking? Thoughts on our perspective that this is being done due to decreasing satisfaction among Walt Disney World diehards? Any other considerations we failed to take into account or details we missed/got wrong? Will you purchase Genie+ if it allows for pre-planning and making some selections ahead of your trip? 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!
I was a first time Disney World guest in 2017. My husband, myself, our two children (ages 6 and 4), along with my mother and father-in-law stayed a week in Disney World. I am also a planner. I googled, youtubed, and read many articles regarding the Fastpass+. We used it to our advantage and had an amazing time. I booked our high priority rides 60 days out for the mornings of each of the days, and spent the rest of each day being a little more spontaneous by seeing what was available on the app. It was perfect. We were supposed to go again in April of 2020 and I was all prepared as I had “mastered”, in my opinion, the Fastpass+ system. We weren’t able to go again until April of 2022. I had to go to Genie+ University to figure it all out, but thanks to all the youtubers and bloggers, I managed to plan another wonderful trip, although it stung a bit having to pay extra for a service we hadn’t recently had to pay for. We are hoping to go back in 2025, so I’m excited to see what this pre-planning part of Genie+ will look like. I certainly didn’t like the stress at 7am trying to book our first Lightning Lane. That’s no way to wake up while you’re on vacation.
Any idea when details will be announced? I thought it might be 5/31 when prices were released.
Hi Tom,
Long time reader here who absolutely loves your blog and finds great use of your many tips, strategies and recommendations.
As you mention in this blog you frequently point out that queuing/crowd management systems (e.g. Fast pass+) are a “zero sum game” and that the *only* way to meaningfully reduce congestion and wait times is to increase attraction capacity.
I would please like to ask for your input on an alternate conclusion that perhaps is not as absolute….
As a thought experiment, suppose for a moment there was zero guest flexibility or choice while visiting a park. When you enter Magic Kingdom you are provided with a specific list of attractions you can visit that day and at specific times. All other guests receive similarly structured lists of specific attractions they can visit and when. No exceptions, no changes – Disney decides and effectively controls with precision how many guests can experience any attraction at any moment (and which attractions they *can’t* visit). No pesky guests deciding for themselves which attractions to wait for and which to skip.
An extreme crowd control/queuing plan to be sure – and one that would probably soon run Disney out of business, but it spurs a question (you see where this example is going): Do you believe that armed with that level of military-esque control over guests’ in-park itineraries that Disney could not effect substantial efficiency gains in terms of overall reduced line wait times? (Answer: they could, btw).
Conversely, suppose Disney made no attempts at crowd management whatsoever: no posted wait times, no Genie/Lightning Lanes, no dining or park reservations – guests enter the park, and it is a completely wild and free “let’s see what happens” crowd/queue outcome.
If we accept that capacity is *all* that meaningfully matters and that differing crowd management/queuing strategies had truly “zero sum” effect, then would not the two polar-opposite strategies described above produce the exact same crowd/line outcome?
The point is that different queue/crowd management techniques can – and absolutely do – produce more(less) efficient overall use of park capacity in very meaningful ways. Changes made to those techniques certainly must yield non-zero effects on overall efficiency, no?
Warmest Regards,
Mike.
Hey Mike, excellent comment–thanks for that!
As you already know, you are correct. I would hope you also realize I know that, given that I’ve discussed the benefits of manipulating crowd dynamics (https://www.disneytouristblog.com/actual-versus-posted-wait-times-disney-world/, among other posts) in the past. Adding FastPass+ to stage shows and 3D movies are another example of this, as is the Genie (free) itinerary builder.
So it’s not truly a zero-sum game. That’s reductionist on my part to make the point that there’s not a magical way of rearranging the deck chairs to offer a line-skipping system where everyone wins. I’ll try to find a more eloquent way of explaining that in future posts, but my fear is that it’s difficult to accomplish without being verbose.
My only concern is that Disney’s budget cuts in 2023 make it difficult to start a significant new IT effort now and get it done well by early 2024. No matter what it looks like to us, I think there’s going to be quite a bit of money and time required on the backend to make this work (especially if management isn’t exactly sure what all *they* want IT to do).
My prediction is that the return of advanced attraction reservations will involve three tiers of attractions rather than two at the non-castle parks, unless WDW limits guests to two early bookings in order to maintain more same day inventory since those parks are currently quite limited. If not, prepare for yet another system after the next one or more off-the-shelf attractions than DCA 2001.
Reiterating, we did wonderfully with FP+ for all those years. Disney – please do not ask your paying guests to either stay up until midnight or get up at 7:00 am to try and snag ride slots. If not accomplished in the months leading up to the visit, this should be able to be done starting the day before at a reasonable hour that does not cause guests to sacrifice much-needed sleep.
I agree with you!
Disney is eliminating park reservations…but if you preselect your Genie+ rides then you are essentially making a park reservation at that park until 2 pm….I would rather keep Genie as it is and get rid of the 2pm park hopper rule! I’m a planner so I would be happy either way…but the 2 pm rule really stinks.
I love the spontaneous nature of genie+. I really hope that doesn’t change too much. The pre planned fast passes would lock you in to the plan you made 60 days prior. I loved the flexibility genie+ offered since you were making day of decisions. I wonder if this new genie+ system would be similar to how the DAS pass utilizes preselections. I could get behind that.
Just want to say thanks for your blog. As a hard core Disney fan, I have become frustrated with so many blogs that seem to be entirely written by AI or just sensationalising a single guest experience. Your posts are always well informed, but insightful and share your opinion.
I’m one of the people who has come around to genie+. I could never get fastpass+ scheduled right.
I also have figured out we don’t have to buy it every day either.
Let’s not add to the preplanning. Or are they just doing park reservations by seeing where you schedule your fastpass?
I get that guest satisfaction for genie+ is bad. But ugh. I don’t need more preplanning.
As a long time user of Fast Pass +, DVC member and frequent visitor, I would welcome the ability to preplan Genie +, even a paid version. I really dislike spending all that time on my phone and zigzagging across the park trying to navigate least busy rides, etc. On busy days I can tell you more people end up frustrated than are happy bccause they paid money for Genie + and can only book 2 “premium” rides they want unless they are willing to stay in the park from opening until late in the day. I have just as much luck utilizing the early entry, grabbing a ride we want, and waiting in standby the rest of the day. Read your own column that has pages and pages of screen prints and dissects the ways to stack lightening lane access, etc. It makes my head hurt! As for the infrequent visitor and first timer, Disney should include information on pre planning when they make the reservation, if they don’t read it, it’s on them.
THIS. I get that some people are not planners, and that’s okay. But a machine like WDW absolutely requires it, and that’s on Disney. Can’t be bothered? Okay then, but you won’t be eating, riding or experiencing whatever you want, whenever you want it. Disney’s solution to feeling the magic is – pay for it or find it yourself.
BINGO – as a somebody who has been going to WDW since 1975, a DVC member, Annual Pass Holder, and a frequent visitor with over 27 years years in the military (10 active and 17 reserves) I am a planner with a CAPITAL P. I loved Fast Pass Plus and the ability to schedule my Fast Passes 60 days out. Bring it back I say, bring it back as soon as possible if not sooner.