I’ve gone to Disney World four times since it has reopened after shutting down because of Covid. Each time it became busier and busier and then eventually Genie + was introduced. Many were skeptical that a once free service now costs $15 per person per day and doesn’t include every single one of the rides. In each of the four parks there are two rides that are an additional amount in order to use the lightning lane (formerly known as the fast lane)… One of which is the most coveted ride in the galaxy, “Rise of the Resistance.” I decided to go to Disney World over Christmas 2021 and check out what Genie + was all about. Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year so it was a good time to see if Genie + would save time.
The differences:
Both systems allow you to pick an hour timeframe to return to the specific ride. The old fast pass system allowed you to pick three rides in advance (like 30 days in advance). With Genie +, you’re picking the rides the day of… One at a time. You can pick the first ride at 7am the day of, and if that ride is scheduled more than two hours after the park opens, you can pick another ride at that point (two hours after the park opens, whichever park(s) you are attending that day). Then after you ride the ride you selected you can pick a different ride two hours later. It sounds super complicated but honestly once you do it the first day you get the hang of it. As far as the rides that are not included, you can pick those at 7am as well.
The Verdict:
I hate waiting in lines and even on the busiest of weeks I was able to zip through lines no problem. You do want to be on top of your game when it’s time to make another reservation. Also, they can fill up so pick the busiest or your favorites first. I also purchased the separate rides such as Rise of the Resistance and I walked right in. It was the same for Genie + fast pass lines. Gone is the day of just waiting in another line! I zipped right in and it was amazing.
So my advice, I 10/10 recommend you try Disney’s newest fast pass system, Genie +!
