Lightning Lanes v. Genie+ at Disney World
If you’re confused by the differences between the free Genie feature, paid Genie+ service, Lightning Lanes, and individual attraction selections at Walt Disney World, this comparison and explanation is here to help. It breaks down what each are and offer, along with an analogy and further explanations.
This is intended to supplement our Lightning Lane and Genie+ at Walt Disney World FAQ. Recently, we’ve been receiving questions that confusion Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and it’s absolutely fundamental and foundational knowledge that you understand the differences. Otherwise, you won’t get the rest of it. Honestly, what’s covered here should have been the very top of that FAQ, but I assumed too much. That’s my bad–not yours. This is incredibly convoluted and confusing, and the way Walt Disney World has rolled it out has left a lot to be desired from a guest education perspective.
I do want to reassure you that this all gets easier to understand over time. As a thought experiment, try to assume a veil of ignorance about FastPass+ at Walt Disney World. Now consider all of the different tiers, the 30 day v. 60 day rule, the check-in extension rule, 4th FastPass+ scenarios, refresh strategy, Park Hopping hacks, same-day drop times–the list goes on and on. Most longtime Walt Disney World fans take FastPass+ for granted, but it had a steep learning curve. Which is part of the reason fans loved it–the barriers to entry and confusion created meant FastPass+ was easier to leverage for power users than average guests.
Many fans are confused by Genie+ and Lightning Lanes right now, and that’s absolutely understandable given that you’ve never used them and Walt Disney World still hasn’t announced all of the specifics. There are a ton of absolutely legitimate complaints about this. While certainly not the only criticism, the cost of the once-free service is far and away the most valid of those. (If you’re upset, we’d recommend emailing Walt Disney World and respectfully articulating how Genie+ will impact your future business with the company.)
“It’s too complicated and confusing” is not a particularly persuasive complaint. At least, not coming from fans who mastered FastPass+, the most unnecessarily complex ride reservation system at any Disney theme park in the world. Ask anyone who used both FastPass+ and MaxPass (again, the Genie system is built around MaxPass) more than a couple of times which was more user-friendly. I’d hazard a guess that over 75% would respond that MaxPass was easier to use and more laid back.
If you have an advanced degree in Walt Disney World vacation planning, the Genie system is only intimidating because it’s new and unknown, and currently an abstraction. It’s the type of thing you need to play with to understand. Give yourself a couple of hours with the app feature–you’ll be fine. Of course, that doesn’t wave away all of the many other complaints, but maybe it offers a little peace of mind?
But I digress. Back to the basics, with an explanation of what each component of this new system replacing free FastPass+ at Walt Disney World entails…
Lightning Lanes
Lightning Lanes are the new name for FastPass+ entrances, meaning they are actual queues or lines. Something guests who purchased Genie+ or individual attraction line-skipping access will use.
To illustrate, the Lightning Lane is the entrance on the left in the photo above. The standby line is the entrance on the right. In the coming weeks, expect FastPass+ entrances to get new signage as they’re converted to Lightning Lanes.
Lightning Lanes exist in the physical world. Disney Genie+ is a service that exists in the digital world–on the Grid. You can walk through a Lightning Lane–you can scroll through the Genie+ service with your fingers.
Free Disney Genie service
The free Disney Genie service in the My Disney Experience app will “maximize your park time” via a personalized itinerary feature that will “quickly and seamlessly map out an entire day.” It will also offer forecasted wait times throughout the day and attraction suggestions, so you can save time in line.
While Walt Disney World highlighted the free components of Disney Genie in its announcement, no one else is focusing on this for a few reasons. First, Disney IT doesn’t exactly have the best track record, so there’s considerable skepticism that this will work as advertised. Second, Disney promised similar features with My Disney Experience almost a decade ago, and none of those features materialized. (It’s a good day when the app works without crashing!) Finally, even if the free Disney Genie service works, it’s more likely to benefit the company than guests.
Maybe Disney will prove everyone wrong and deliver a free service that changes the game. Given past precedent, I’m not willing to give Walt Disney World the benefit of the doubt on that. Accordingly, we won’t be devoting any attention to the free Disney Genie service until it actually arrives–and works as advertised.
Disney Genie+ service
Disney Genie+ service is an option you can purchase in the My Disney Experience app for $15 per day that will give you priority access via the Lightning Lane at a variety of attractions, like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, Spaceship Earth, Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and many others. It’ll offer line-skipping access to approximately 40 attractions in total–minus two highly-popular headliners in each park.
The Genie+ service is essentially a digital version of paper FastPass, which was used prior to FastPass+ at Walt Disney World. Except instead of walking around the park to obtain paper slips with day-of return times, you do that via your phone. (More accurately/recently, it’s a modified version of the MaxPass service at Disneyland.)
Genie+ is theoretically unlimited. More practically, average guests will be obtaining new Genie+ return times every ~90 to 120 minutes. Like its predecessors (legacy FastPass and MaxPass), Genie+ will have internal rules inherited from those systems to ensure guests are not being shut out of subsequent selections by virtue of delayed return time windows. Those rules have not yet been announced by Walt Disney World.
Individual attraction selections
Individual attraction selections allow you to schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day, again via the Lightning Lane entrance, like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
This is pay per ride access for up to 2 attractions in each park, as opposed to the ‘bundle’ of theoretically unlimited access offered by the Genie+ service. Attractions will either be included in Genie+ or sold as individual attraction selections–not both. There is no overlap between Genie+ and individual attraction selections. The latter will be sold at approximately 7-8 attractions in total across Walt Disney World.
Pricing for the individual attraction selections option will vary by date, attraction, and park–and will be announced closer to launch. Pricing for the comparable Premier Access at Disneyland Paris ranges from €8 to €15 (~$10 to $18) depending on the attraction and day of visit. Think of it like Express Lanes on highways—dynamic pricing that increases with demand.
Individual attraction selections are likely the source of most consumer confusion, as they don’t have a catchy name. Our guess is that many fans are conflating Lightning Lanes (physical queues!) with individual attraction selections, which is inaccurate–but an absolutely understandable error. For a company that is so good at branding and marketing, it seems like a pretty big oversight to not give “individual attraction selections” its own catchy name.
I’m inclined to start calling the individual attraction selections “Magic Carpet Access,” which would make sense, avoid any confusion, create clear product distinctions, and fit with the Aladdin-inspired branding.
All options in practice
1. Standby or Virtual Queue (all attractions, $0)
2. Genie+ via Lightning Lane (~40 attractions, $15 per day and theoretically unlimited)
3. Magic Carpet Access via Lightning Lane (~8 of the highest demand attractions, unknown cost per ride)
All attractions will have #1. Most if not all previous FastPass+ attractions will have 2 or 3, but not both.
I love a good analogy, so think of this all like the diamond lane on the highway (or carpool/HOV lane, depending upon where you live). That fast lane often has various rules for eligibility–hybrids, motorcycles, public mass transit, or vehicles with two or more occupants can use it to facilitate more efficient use of highways.
In that example, Lightning Lanes are the diamond lane–the physical infrastructure on the highway, or in this case, the attraction’s queue that bypasses the gridlocked standby line. The different types of vehicles that can use that physical fast lane are Genie+ or individual attraction purchases, plus things like DAS and Rider Switch. The only material difference in the analogy is that the same Lightning Lane will not give access to both Genie+ and individual attraction purchases–it’ll be either/or.
Okay, with that foundation in place, we can now get to the other 1,248 questions about the Disney Genie+ system and Lightning Lane physical infrastructure. Again, it’s intimidating now, but it’ll make sense over time. Just like driving a car on the highway, it’s a lot easier to grasp when you’re actually doing it as opposed to reading about it on the internet.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have any questions we didn’t answer with the above? Still confused by how Genie+ or Lightning Lanes will work? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Other thoughts or concerns? 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 know that Genie+ will be available for purchase beginning at midnight on the day of your visit to any of the parks, but do you know if it will be available as a daily add-on selection (similar to park hopper) when purchasing tickets in advance? Wondering if I should purchase tickets now for our trip next year (Nov. 2022), or wait and see if Genie+ becomes available as an add-on before purchasing our tickets. I’m guessing it’s probably best to purchase tickets now before typical ticket price increases occur, but wanted your feedback. Thanks!
@Melissa
I have no experience using a system like this in WDW because such a system simply hasn’t existed before (it can only really be compared to a digital version of the ancient kiosk-based paper system), but I do have experience with MaxPass at Disneyland, and there you could absolutely tour in the manner you describe (i.e. make your selections based on location as opposed to running a marathon). I’ve done that several times, kind of making my way around the park getting selections for rides where I’m going to be, not necessarily where I am currently, and avoiding zigzagging across the parks everywhere. Again, the system is new to WDW so I can’t say for sure, but the specific example you describe (getting Jungle Cruise at 7AM, wanting Pirates next which would be at 9AM), sounds very doable. At most, after riding JC you might just have to wile away some time at Magic Carpets or Tiki Room or Country Bear first, before your Pirates window opens. I would imagine that the more popular rides like Splash, Thunder, Peter Pan etc. are going to have those higher, harder-to-get windows as the day wears on, so it ends up as sort of a trade-off. Do I want to get a Lightning Lane for Splash that’s not due for 4 hours (and therefore I wouldn’t be able to make another selection for two hours), or do I want to get a sequence of easier to get selections and then just bite the bullet for Splash standby or maybe ride it in the evening when it’s cooler and less crowded? The old MaxPass system (which Genie+ so far resembles) was always a matter of trade-offs like this. BUT, that means you can tour the way you want to and not be so dependent on your first 3 FP+ selections and lucky pass drops later in the day.
In terms of being on your phone all the time, all you need ever do is make a quick selection and put your phone back in your pocket. This still saves you a lot of time (and walking!) compared to that old kiosk-based system. I personally recommend your approach of trying to secure your passes based on location. It’s pretty smart, and Genie+ should be able to accommodate that.
Just wondering if you purchase Genie + for $15 and you make your first pass for Jungle Cruise and when eligible you try to make your next ride for one that is close by. But now the earliest pass is for 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I am taking my 80 year old Mom in October and there is no way we can race around the park to try to use a pass. So in realty I might only get 3-5 rides that way for the day. And I do have a smart phone but I am not a fan of pulling my phone out every hour to try and make a pass to get on a ride. I like to enjoy the park instead of always having my face buried in a phone. Thank you for your informative posts. You’re always spot on.
Oops, meant to say *existing* MDE app
The branding of this whole new system is just so stupid. If all these “Genie” features are being built into the additional MDE app, and don’t cost anything extra, why do they need to have a special name? Why aren’t they just ‘new features in the app?’
What they’re calling “Genie+” should just be “Genie”, and what they’re calling “Individual Attraction Selections” should be “Genie Wishes” or “Magic Carpet” or whatever.
But then who thought it made sense to rebrand the FP system to an Aladdin theme, but rebrand the FP entrances themselves with a Cars theme? Just so dumb.
this is a perfect solution for getting exactly what you want WHEN you want it. I would’ve happily thrown a few extra dollars at a choice ride to enter that lightning lane. –
Magic Carpet Access is pure Genie-us! Disney absolutely needs to adopt that ASAP. Start calculating out how much they can pay you for that prefect suggestion.
we travel from Scotland each year to Disney World to give our disabled daughter who loves Disney a holiday. We normally register for DAS and obtain return times for many rides plus use fastpass. Will we still be able to get return times? Will will certainly not be paying for fast passes.
Magic Carpet Access! What a perfect naming!!
I thought the virtual queue would be no longer available for Rise – that’s what some other blogs were saying
Thank you Tom for your informative posts. I’m hoping you can provide some answers to my questions to make the trip we are providing for our kids and grandkids an enjoyable trip.
We are taking a group of 12 in December. Many of the group do not have smart phones. We have purchased magic bands for all 12 of us. My question is can one person (me, the coordinator of taking this group – and I do have a SmartPhone) purchase Genie+ for the day for the 12 people (at $15 per person) (in My Disney Experience, those 12 have already been identified as part of the trip), will the fact that each person has the Genie+ $15 pass be reflected in each person’s Magic Band, similar to how FastPasses were reflected in the Magic Band? Similarly, can I purchase an ala carte pass for, for example Flight of Passage, for all 12 in the group, and it will be reflected on their Magic Band? I sure hope it will work that way, or this new way of “line skipping” won’t be available to us to use. Please add information about how Genic+,, Lightning Lanes, and paid ala carte, will work for groups with a person acting as “coordinator”, as well as how this is reflected in Magic Bands. Thank you.
Thank you Tom for your informative posts. I’m hoping you can provide some answers to my questions to make the trip we are providing for our kids and grandkids an enjoyable trip.
We are taking a group of 12 in December. Many of the group do not have smart phones. We have purchased magic bands for all 12 of us. My question is can one person (me, the coordinator of taking this group – and I do have a SmartPhone) purchase Genie+ for the day for the 12 people (at $15 per person) (in My Disney Experience, those 12 have already been identified as part of the trip), will the fact that each person has the Genie+ $15 pass be reflected in each person’s Magic Band, similar to how FastPasses were reflected in the Magic Band? Similarly, can I purchase an ala carte pass for, for example Flight of Passage, for all 12 in the group, and it will be reflected on their Magic Band? I sure hope it will work that way, or this new way of “line skipping” won’t be available to us to use. Please add information about how Genic+,, Lightning Lanes, and paid ala carte, will work for groups with a person acting as “coordinator”, as well as how this is reflected in Magic Bands. Thank you.
Just one question–is that $15 per person in a group for the genie + –I get that it will be $10-18 per person per ride for the magic carpet treatment
Tom, I think you completely underestimate the complexity issue. Cost and nickel and dime issues grate and phone use is an issue but those won’t kill it. Complexity will. All of us older folks have learned to deal with it to some extent. But even now my kids do the reservations and menu ordering. Yeah. They are more comfortable with it. But I am doing most of the financing. A lot of older folks own DVC and pay fir trips. At some point they just don’t feel it is worth it. Was told that very thing today. Not going to Disney anymore after last experience this summer. Their time share can he used other places. I’m hanging in there hoping more to come will clean it up, but the old enthusiasm is almost gone.
I understand that perspective completely. Without question, Walt Disney World is the most complex destination in the world that we visit.
My point is that was true with FastPass+ and it’ll be true with the Genie+ service. That’s not a distinction between the two–they’re both complex. The only difference is that Walt Disney World veterans currently do not have any experience with Genie+, so it’s perceived as more complex.
To a first-timer, these would both be complex.
(Also, I think over time nickel & diming absolutely will be an issue for Walt Disney World at some point. If I were an executive, I’d cringe at all those “Most Expensive Day” ever shirts. People laugh it off now, but when the next recession hits, that reputation will stick around and people won’t buy the joke-y shirts and visit anyway–they just won’t come.)
I thought that this explained the system well and was very helpful. Thanks for keeping us informed :). I do feel that a lot of people will be willing to pay $15 a day for better access given the already overall high cost of a day at Disney, so I’m not sure that Genie + will be an advantage. I know that goes contrary to what you’ve said in earlier posts, but if you’re already spending $500, what’s $15 more? I’ll be interested to see if the standby lines end up being the better access.
Oh, I think a lot of guests will utilize the Genie+ service. Probably above 33% but under 50% depending upon the day and park (highest at Magic Kingdom). That’s still significantly lower than FastPass+, though. More people will always take advantage of things that are free than things that cost money.
The a la carte selections, on the other hand, I suspect will be significantly lower. (Personally, I’d pay $15 for “unlimited” access at Magic Kingdom or DHS, but not even $4 for a single attraction. Could be wrong, but I suspect a lot of other people have similar perspectives.)
My biggest worry with Genie+ is the ability to get a second or subsequent passes. At the moment the wording from Disney is that you can only get a second ride reservation once you have used the first there is no mention of being able to get a second one 90 to 120 minutes after the time of the first one as Tom suggests. I am hoping this will be the case as otherwise you could be stuck with only getting one or two reservations a day based on availability. That would make an outlay of $15 or $20 a day ridiculous.
@Shan
Yes, when you purchase Genie+ for $15 for the day, it can be used at whatever park you go to if you have also purchased Park Hopper.
@Ty
Yes, you could potentially ride RoR more than once in a day because you can secure a spot via the virtual queue and you could pay to ride it via the Lightning Lane. You can purchase up to 2 Lightning Lane rides per day.
@Jenna
Yes, they are exclusive of one another and the arrival times could overlap.
@Philana
It’s nice to see that some people are happy with the new booking system, but I can’t help but laugh at some of your reasoning. You say that you hated FP+ because you had to book rides in advance at the crack of dawn, but yet you seem perfectly content waking up every day on vacation before 7 AM to book your initial Genie+ ride, Magic carpet access ride, or try to secure a spot in the virtual queue.
I also find it hard to believe that being able to book 3 FP rides in advance would make the trip more stressful, as opposed to not knowing what rides you’ll be able to secure until the morning of. And having those 3 initial FP rides does not take away the spontaneity from the trip since you still can choose rides around those FP’s and book more after you have used them. Or modify your selections as you go.
Lastly, the standby line is far from free. I know what you meant, but it seems funny to say anything at Disney is free when they charge over $100 per ticket to enter the park. It’s just now you need to spend more on top of the base cost if you want to actually enjoy your visit and not wait in lines all day. I get that is what other parks are doing, but Disney takes it to another level. So yes, I’ll be spending more money the next time we go and that was already the case well before they made these latest changes.
To each their own, but I think FastPass+ was far and away the worst ride reservation system at any of the Disney parks–and a downgrade from paper FastPass at Walt Disney World. I’m not surprised people on a WDW planning site would favor it, but it was not nearly as well received by the general public who didn’t understand its many quirks–and got shut out of the headliners as a result–as by its power users. (WDW management loves having people pre-plan, so the fact that this does not include a pre-planning component–when it easily could–should give insight into how unpopular that was with regular guests.)
From my perspective, Genie+ costing money and not including all attractions are the biggest and most valid complaints. Almost all of the rest could apply equally to FastPass+. In particular, I find “being glued to your phone all day” or complexity unpersuasive. Both FastPass+ and Genie were/are complex, and both require similar levels of phone utilization for optimal results. I think once people actually experience Genie+ and it’s no longer an abstraction, cost is the core complaint that’ll remain.
Thank you for the breakdown. Do you know if the per day $15 bundle can be used across parks if hopping or does it apply to only one park per day? Sorry if you’ve answered this question & I’ve missed it.
Does this mean I can ride Rise more than once?