Disney’s new Genie app will soon make its debut and as you can imagine, Disney fans sure have a lot to say about it. That’s because many people are disappointed that the popular FastPass feature will soon be retired to make way for Genie, which is basically the same thing, but with a fee. In a nutshell, Disney’s Genie+ will allow guests to access the “Lightning Lane” for $15 at Disney World and $20 at Disneyland.
Critics Sound Off: Here’s What People Really Think About Disney’s New Genie App
The Genie app will include a personalized itinerary feature that will quickly and seamlessly map out an entire day. From specific attractions, foodie experiences and entertainment, to general interests like Disney princesses, villains, Pixar, Star Wars, thrill rides and more
Some of the features include:
- Get Itinerary Updates from Morning to Night:Disney Genie will continue to update your itinerary throughout your day, so you can be more spontaneous and go with the flow.
- Find Your Favorites at a Glance:Create your very own personal tip board to instantly see your favorites. It will display current AND forecasted future wait times, helping you predict when you might experience quicker entry to attractions.
- Enjoy More Flexibility and Fun: Disney Genie brings existing planning features together in one place. Join a virtual queue at certain attractions, make dining and experience reservations, mobile order food at many locations, get help from a virtual assistant and more.
And while this all sounds like great fun, many people are upset that they have to now pay for a service that was once free – and on top of Disney’s already sky-high ticket prices. The app has already been heavily downvoted on YouTube. Some comments from disgruntled Disney fans include, “I am almost 50 years old. Disney has been our family’s treasured vacation since I was 3 years old. Now I’m done. This is sickening. Chapek et al has managed to rob all the magic,” along with, “No more magical express, no more magic band, no more free fastpass, no more disney for me and my family. The cost of everything piles up for a family of four. It was fun while it lasted.”
Another critic wrote: “Ya, NOPE. No way we are paying for this. DVC members 10+ years and Passholders. This is a disgrace. I’m all for add-ons but it is NOT exciting to pay for a service we all enjoyed for years for free. “Great news, we’re raising prices and removing services you’ve had for years to make you pay more money.”
How do you feel about this?
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Not at all happy with the change!! I have been an Annual Passholder for several year s and this past year they did away with airline tags so luggage could be delivered to your room and you didn’t have to worry, did away with airline check in at the resorts where you could check your bag, get your boarding pass, and when you got to the airport all you had to do was go through security screening. Also doing away with Magical Express after December, so now you have to pay for ride to resort. They talked about the high speed rail coming in 2023-2024 but that would drop you at Disney Springs with all your luggage that you would have to carry on a resort bus to your particular hotel. No Mousekeeping other than swapping out towels every two days. Now you will have to pay extra to ride popular rides, and pay even more to ride some really popular rides. Not such a MAGICAL place anymore in my opinion. Not sure I will renew my Annual Pass when it comes due!
Hopefully, Mousekeeping comes back soon because a room gets really dirty after a week. I find the Genie system confusing and I don’t want to wake up at 7am to book my day either.
Honestly, I can’t even begin to fathom how quickly Disney has turned from a fun, enjoyable vacation to a stressful money grab. In the span of maybe a year and a half all the magic has been sucked out of my childhood paradise. I am disgusted with the new scam called the genie+. Every morning I have to wake up at 6:45 to be ready to secure one lightening lane for my family after paying 15 dollars per person. The system is a shot in the dark with no guarantees. One day, at Hollywood Studios, I purchased the genie+ assuming I would get to use it three or four times during the day. Well, I was mistaken. I was able to reserve a lightening lane for Toy Story Mania at 11:50. As soon as the process opened at 7am all the popular attractions, even the additional cost ones, were taken. By the time my family finished our first lightening lane everything aside from show reservations were taken. For a family of 5, we paid 75 dollars to ride Toy Story Mania. It feels like a total scam and betrayal. I have been a DVC member and annual pass holder since 2008 and I loved the dining plan and fast pass system since it allowed me to pre-plan my days and structure them ahead of time. Now the whole system adds unnecessary stress that take away from the once magical experience I enjoyed since I was a kid.