Can Genie+ Be Fixed? Or Is It “Broken” Beyond Repair?

Disney’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane service has long been one of the most controversial park products, and now guests are so frustrated with it that some are questioning if it’s “broken.”

Genie+ and Lightning Lane have been the bane of some guests’ existence and a “necessary evil” for other guests for a few years now. The paid service replaced the formerly complimentary FastPass+ system—which upset many guests on its own—but since then there have been many who have called out the system for making fans’ lives harder.

Credit: Greg Park, Unsplash

Is Disney’s Genie+ Really Broken?

Recently, Theme Park Tourist explored a very simple question: “Is Disney’s Genie+ Really Broken?” This question comes after multiple posts of long queues at Disneyland Resort and Disney World have gone viral online, with guests expressing immense frustration at the situation, complete with assertions that this is “evidence that the Genie+ system was broken.”

The two primary issues with the system according to the outlet, are the overselling of Genie+ due to its low costs and the inability to plan rides in advance properly.

Genie+ cost markedly less than its contemporaries (Express Pass at Universal Orlando Resort and Quick Queue at SeaWorld) when it was first announced, and even though prices have gone up markedly since then, it’s still not as expensive as other offerings.

FastPass+ allowed guests to plan their day more effectively, allowing them to have a more enjoyable Disney World trip. However, with Genie+, guests have to be glued to their phones, “scrambling” to make day-of reservations for rides.

The Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Of course, senior Disney executives would disagree with you. Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro has made it clear before that the Disney Genie service is one that has proven incredibly useful to the Walt Disney Company and is one that they “believe in.”

It’s important to note that not all fans express the same level of irritation with Disney Genie+, Lightning Lane, and Individual Lightning Lane, explaining that it made their Disney vacations easier. But the reality is that even among that subset of fans, many have acknowledged that it can be overly complicated.

Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Related: Rumors Suggest a Disney Genie+ Tier Pricing System Is on the Way

Changes are coming to Genie+, yes, but is Disney going to finally address the interface and conceptual issues with the app or is this going to be just another price hike? Only time will tell.

What do you think about Disney’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane services? Let Disney Dining know in the comments!