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A Brief Rundown of Disney Genie

Posted by: PaulaK August 19, 2021

A new service is coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland this fall, and already it is causing a lot of confusion. It’s called Disney Genie. The service was first announced at the D23 Expo in 2019, but there had been little mention of it since. Here’s a quick rundown of what Disney Genie will be all about.

Credit: Disney

Disney Genie is not a new app. It will be included in the My Disney Experience App for Walt Disney World and the Disneyland App for Disneyland Resort. It is designed to make planning your day at Walt Disney World much simpler. The idea is to help you to maximize your time. There are three main parts to the new service:

Disney Genie

The idea behind the service is to help you maximize your time each day. How you use it will be up to you! You can pick specific attractions and receive recommendations on the best time of day to ride. If you’re not sure what to ride, pick what categories interest you, and an itinerary will be created so that you don’t miss out. Recommendations can also be made on where and when to eat. If you couldn’t get a dining reservation, you’ll be able to join the Wait List (if spots are available) without having to be physically near the building! If you change your mind on something, your itinerary can be changed. It will also update throughout the day to help you get the most out of your time.

Another nice part of Disney Genie will be the help feature. If you have a question, just type it in. If the answer is in the database you will receive the information immediately. If the question is more complex, a Cast Member will find the answer. Think of Disney Genie as a free virtual assistant.

One other bit of good news is that there will be an update to the Disability Access Service. DAS Guests will be able to enroll through Disney Genie, and they will also be able to select attractions. In-person DAS assistance will still be available.

Disney Genie+

The Haunted Mansion (Credit: Disney)

FastPass+ at Walt Disney World and FASTPASS and MaxPass at Disneyland have been retired. The new option is called Disney Genie+. With Disney Genie+, you can pay a set price per person, per day, for the ability to use the Lightning Lane. You will purchase the service the day of, and you will not be able to make reservations beforehand. Pick your attraction and you will be assigned the next available return time. You can make one reservation at a time, but there is no limit each day as long as there are still times available. They also do not need to be in the same Park. You’ll no longer need to set your alarm at the 60-day mark to make reservations! The system is almost exactly like MaxPass at Disneyland, with one exception. You could still get FASTPASS at Disneyland without MaxPass if you visited the attraction. That will no longer be an option.

If you are at Walt Disney World, Disney Genie+ will cost $15 per person, per day. It will also include augmented reality lenses. With these, you’ll be able to add some of your favorite characters to pictures for no extra charge. At Disneyland, Disney Genie+ will cost $20 per person per day. That is what MaxPass cost before the closure. Disney Genie+ at Disneyland will include all of your PhotoPass downloads. Children under three will not need Genie+.

Individual Attraction Lightning Lane

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (Credit: Disney)

Some attractions will have Lightning Lane available for an additional fee. You can purchase the skip-the-standby-line option for just that attraction. While the list of attractions for this option has not been announced, we do know that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be included. Most likely Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be as well since that will also use a virtual queue. The price for buying just one attraction has not been released, although it will most likely be a seasonal price. Expect to pay more for Rise of the Resistance on Christmas Day than on a random Tuesday in September.

The standby lines are not going away. If a ride currently offers standby, you will still be able to ride that way. You won’t have to purchase anything, you just won’t be able to use the Lightning Lane. If a ride uses a virtual queue, that will still be offered. If you can get a spot you will not have to pay extra.

There are no extras for Annual Passholders at Walt Disney World or Magic Key Holders at Disneyland. Some levels of Annual Pass at Disneyland used to include MaxPass, but that won’t be the case. Disney said that they will evaluate the rollout and that changes could be made at some point.

These are the basics of Disney Genie and Disney Genie+, based on the information released so far. We don’t know when it will roll out, except for “this fall”. We are sure to hear more about Disney Genie in the coming weeks, especially with The World’s Most Magical Celebration just around the corner.

About PaulaK

I grew up in Western Massachusetts. When I was nine my family went to Disneyland and I was hooked. I grew up, attended New England College in Henniker, NH and eventually moved to Virginia. I worked as a disc jockey, married and became a full time mom when our daughter was born. Fast forward several years. In 2010 we moved to Central Florida and my Disney obsession grew. I now work as a freelance writer and spend my spare time in the parks. Under the name Paula Brown I penned the novels Dream Wanderers and The Coffee Cruiser. I also am a co-author of Dining at Walt Disney World: The Definitive Guide. I'm obsessed with Star Wars, so this is a good time to live in Central Florida. I've been a vegetarian for well over a decade, a choice that my daughter eventually made as well. While my husband still hasn't joined us fully he has given up most meats except for seafood. I was relieved to find that vegetarian dining is not difficult at Walt Disney World.