What the heck is Genie +?!?

Okay, so Disney has made some big changes here lately. If you have no idea what I am about to explain and you've never used a travel agent to plan your Disney World vacation, now is probably the time.

The major change I am going to stick with today is the new version of the fast passes. I'm going to focus on three new concepts introduced, but I'm going to keep it short and sweet. Don't worry, if you are client, I will explain in much more detail with the most updated information when you receive your planning documents.

1) Genie- (Complimentary)

Genie is a free app that you can use to help plan your day at the park. It checks the current wait times and makes you a plan of sorts to avoid lines. Keep in mind, this is a free option, so don't expect it to solve all your issues. Odds are you are going to be running all over the park in a large zig zag pattern looking like you are trying to escape a large animal.

2) Genie + ($15 per person/per day)

This is the biggest replacement for the fast pass. This is a reservation system. You can have one "fast pass" reservation at a time. You reserve your spot for one ride or experience you want and you show up for the time they give you. This reservation is for one ride. It isn't a "I can ride as many times during my window" kind of thing. Once your reservation is over, you can make another reservation for a different ride and so on and so forth. Depending on if you are staying on property or not, you can make your first reservation for the day at 7am. Okay, so here's where the exception to the rule thing comes into play. Say you make a reservation and the soonest time you could get was 6:30pm. Does this mean you can't make any other reservations until you ride this thing at 6:30pm? No. If your assigned time is later in the day, you will have the chance to make other reservations in the meantime, two hours after park opening. So while you are waiting on your 6:30pm ride, you could do another reservation and ride, then another reservation and ride, all while you are waiting on that 6:30 reservation. Another rule here, you can only use the Genie + for each ride once per day. So if you love Slinky Dog and you got a reservation, but you want to ride it 100 more times? Yeah, you can only use the pass for one of those. Of course, you can ride it more than once, but you can only use the pass once per day. Think of this in terms of your littles who are addicted to certain rides *ahem* mysonisaddictedtobuzzlightyear *ahem*. So you might want to be more strategic with your plan in these circumstances. You might not want to waste your pass first thing in the morning when the wait might not be that long anyway, you might want to wait until the lines are longer. But here's the thing: You don't get to choose. When you look for your pass, you are getting the first available time. The Genie + program works for most of the attractions available along with some character experiences, with the exception of the two most popular rides at each park, leading us to the individual Lightning Lane program...

3) Individual Lightning Lane (cost varies based on time of day, season)

So what about those two rides per park that aren't included in Genie +? These are the Individual Lightning Lane passes. So the basic concept here is that you are going to pay per person per ride and you can do this twice per day. Price here is $7-$15 per person per ride, depending on attraction, time of day, and season. Again, if you are staying on property, you can make these reservations at 7:00am. You can do both of these first thing in the morning and I highly encourage you to do so. Some of these rides have been known to sell out of passes by 7:05-7:10am. This is part of why I recommend staying on property, if you aren't on property you can't start this until park opening time.

Overwhelmed? Let me know! This sounds like a lot to manage and, it kinda is! There is way to be strategic and get the most out of your trip without anxiety! We will discuss what is important to you and make a plan that will keep the magic alive for everyone! Reach out! I don't charge a fee, and you won't pay more than booking it yourself either.