To rub the lamp or not? Disney’s Genie+ is the latest incarnation of the “FastPass” helping guests to maximize time in the park by eliminating longer waits for certain attractions. There are definitely pros and cons to this option, so let’s see what the big, blue guy offers, shall we?
Genie+ is a ticket upgrade that can be purchased daily via My Disney Experience and the Disneyland app. For the time being, it’s also a Disneyland ticket upgrade that can be purchased for the length of ticket instead of day by day. Your Genie fee does fluctuate by date, so you’ll be able to decide each morning if the potentially lower waits are worth the price.
How do we get those magical lower wait times? Lightning Lanes. These are like the express lines of the parks. Skip past the stand by lines and get straight to the fun stuff.
How it Works:
Once you’ve got Genie+ on your side, you can make one attraction selection at a time throughout the day. After you’ve used it, you can grab another one, and so on. If your first selection is more than two hours away, though, you are able to make another selection at that two hour mark. So, if you make that first selection at 8:00 but could only snag Space Mountain for noon, you get to pick another attraction at 10:00.
Now, Genie+ doesn’t cover every single attraction. Some of the most popular rides, like Rise of the Resistance or Flight of Passage, have their own separate Individual Lightning Lane selections. They will require an additional fee on top of your Genie+. Again, these fees fluctuate based on date.
Is it Worth the Extra Cost?
Of course, this answer depends a lot on your personal preferences and budget, but here’s how we weigh whether or not we’ll plop down the ducats.
What are the crowds like? If you’re not visiting during peak season, you can easily leverage early mornings or late nights to your advantage and hop on your must-dos with short waits. If it’s spring break, you might want to consider working that cost into your budget.
How are you touring? If we’re just out for a casual park day, we might skip it and just ride anything with under a half hour wait. If we’re Dumbo-or-bust touring and want to make the absolute most of our time, it may be a Genie+ day.
What park are you visiting? Epcot and Animal Kingdom don’t really have enough attractions to make Genie+ a must-do for us, especially if we’re not park hopping. Hollywood Studios can be done pretty well with Genie+ and Magic Kingdom almost always has plenty of Genie+ availability due to the abundance of attractions.
In the end, whether or not Genie+ is worth the extra cost depends on your priorities and budget. If you’re all about maximizing park time, conquering attractions and have some extra cash to spare, then Genie+ can be a good tool. On the other hand, if you’re more of a go-with-the-flow Disney fan and don’t mind a few lines, then you might want to save your dollars for those iconic Mickey-shaped treats instead. Just remember, Disney is all about the magic, and whether you choose Genie+ or not, you’re bound to have an enchanting experience that’ll leave you with memories to cherish.
One Last Note…
If you do shell out for Genie+ and it ends up being a bust, stop in and chat with guest services. We purchased it for Magic Kingdom, and the stars just didn’t align for our morning. We were planning to hop over to Epcot for dinner and could only snag one reservation for early in the day. We skipped using it all together, and guest services refunded the day’s cost for Genie+
Now, go forth and decide whether you’re ready to unleash the power of Genie+ or embark on your Disney adventure the old-fashioned way. Either way, may your Disney dreams come true, and may the lines be ever in your favor!