Walt Disney World Resort has increased its prices again.
“The Most Magical Place on Earth” has become nothing more than a mere dream for many who have hoped to visit. Walt Disney World Resort– home to Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney Springs, and much more– draws in millions of Guests each year, but prices continue to rise as demand shows that there is a major desire for families to visit the Parks.
Disney Parks offer all kinds of entertainment options for Guests to enjoy. Classic attractions like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jungle Cruise are always fun. In addition, Guests can enjoy entertaining shows– like Beauty and the Beast Live On Stage–, meet their favorite Disney characters, enjoy exclusive snacks and merchandise, and end their nights with three epic nighttime spectaculars: Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom, Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT Forever. Of course, the biggest complaint that many Disney Guests have had over the years is the increase in prices. From upcharges for snacks and merchandise to Park Ticket price increases, it seems that Disney has become less accessible than ever before.
One of the biggest changes has been the introduction of Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane. Disney Genie+ is a new service introduced by Disney that enhances the theme park experience for visitors. Launched in 2022, Disney Genie+ provides Guests with a digital tool to optimize their time, plan their day, and enjoy a more streamlined visit to the Disney Parks. With the use of this tool, Guests can better plan their day and make the most of their visit.
One of the key features of Disney Genie+ is the ability to make Lightning Lane selections. Lightning Lane is a virtual access pass that allows Disney Guests to skip the regular standby lines for select attractions. With Disney Genie+, Guests can make Lightning Lane selections for up to two attractions at a time throughout the day, depending on availability. This feature significantly reduces wait times and allows visitors to experience more attractions during their visit. Disney Genie+ is available for a daily fee per ticket, which may vary depending on the date and park. This means Disney can change the prices for Disney Genie + daily.
WDWMagic tweeted that Disney Genie + has increased by $4.00. While this seems like a slight price increase, families with large groups paying the increased price will likely pay more than $20.00 for the service just based on the day. Of course, this isn’t the highest that Disney Genie+ has ever gotten, as the service soared to $35.00 back during spring breaks.
Genie+ gets a $4 price increase today at Walt Disney World https://t.co/SI9oCdi9hu
— WDWMAGIC.COM (@wdwmagic) May 15, 2023
Of course, this increase comes on the heels of Disney CEO Bob Iger admitting that they had been charging Park Guests too much.
“I always believed that Disney was a brand that needs to be accessible,” Iger said. “And I think that in our zeal to grow profits, we may have been a little bit too aggressive about some of our pricing. And I think there is a way to continue to grow our business but be smarter about how we price so that we maintain that brand value of accessibility.”
Disney World makes these price changes due to the number of Guests heading to the Parks and events such as spring break, summer, and many more events.
Would you pay for Disney Genie for your next trip?