Eagle-eyed reporter Scott Gustin noticed that Disney World updated the text on their Genie+ Lightning Lane website to include an interesting caveat. It seems that Disney is now trying to set expectations about how many attractions guests can expect to experience if they purchase Genie+.
And the answer Disney World is giving… isn’t great.
Walt Disney World added a new line to the Genie+ Lightning Lane website:
"On average, guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day using the Lightning Lane entrance if the first selection is made early in the day." pic.twitter.com/z0p7Q65G4K
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 30, 2022
The Genie+ website now states the following caveat:
“When you take your day to the next level by purchasing Disney Genie+ service, you may choose the next available arrival window for Lightning Lane entrances at select attractions and entertainment. This unique service lets you use our new Lightning Lane entrance at select attractions and experiences at Walt Disney World theme parks. On average, guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day using the Lightning Lane entrance if the first selection is made early in the day.”
An average guest will skip 2-3 lines per day at Disney World with Genie+ Lightning Lane. As many have pointed out, that’s lower than the guaranteed 3 attractions that FastPass+ delivered. And FastPass+ was free!
What is going on here?
Disney is setting expectations for Genie+
First of all, I think it’s important to note that this is about setting expectations. Let’s say you are able to use Genie+ Lightning Lane to at 5 attractions. If you were expecting to only be able to use it 2-3 times in a day, you’ll be really thrilled with the 5 lines you skipped. If you were expecting to use it 10 times in a day, you would be disappointed.
2-3 attractions is a low bar to hit. If most guests can exceed that bar, Disney would get fewer complaints.
But I don’t think that this number is purely due to Disney trying to boost guest satisfaction through lowered expectations.
The average guest is at a disadvantage to someone who has done their research on Lightning Lane.
Secondly, Disney is most likely pulling this from their data of how often guests use Genie+ Lightning Lane after purchase. Unfortunately for the average guest, Genie+ is complicated. We have an entire multi-part guide on how to make the most of Genie+. I’ve written thousands of words on the differences between Genie+ Lightning Lane and Individual Lightning Lane, and intricacies like how the 2-hour rule can be used to maximize Lightning Lane reservations. Even as a Disney expert, it took me hours to fully wrap my head around this system.
If you do your homework, you’ll be at an advantage and be able to get more than the average guest. But most guests won’t research this ahead of time. As Kevin Perjurer said in his excellent Defunctland FastPass documentary, these line skipping systems have winners and losers. People who research ahead of time will be at a big advantage. That’s why I strongly recommend checking out our Disney Genie Guide and Lightning Lane Guide.
The experience of Genie+ at Disney World suffers on crowded days
The last point that this highlights is that Disney Genie is strained by demand right now at Disney World. As Gustin pointed out in another tweet, Disneyland does not have that caveat added.
FWIW, the Disneyland website does not include this line — it says: "When you take your day to the next level by purchasing Disney Genie+ service, you can select the next available arrival window for Lightning Lane entrances at select attractions, one at a time, all day long." pic.twitter.com/SPfVGvZgie
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 30, 2022
That’s because demand for Genie+ is much lower relatively at Disneyland than Disney World. This makes sense, as Disneyland is much more of a local park and Disney World is more of a vacation destination. If you’re visiting a park for a once-a-year vacation, you’re much more likely to spend extra on Genie+ to skip some lines. If you’re visiting multiple times a year like many Disneyland locals do, the Genie+ fee really adds up. So if you’re vacationing at Disneyland, Genie+ actually ends up being well worth it.
But if Genie+ is worth it is a much more complicated question right now at Disney World. Disney is putting this caveat in here for a reason. When the parks are really crowded, there is a lot of competition for Lightning Lane slots. Availability for the best rides often runs out at the beginning of the day.
And if a guest pays extra money to get a lesser experience than what they were getting for free, that is a huge miss on Disney’s part.
So, is it possible to get more than 2-3 attractions with Genie+ Lightning Lane? Absolutely. But Genie+ is not delivering on many guests’ expectations, and that’s a problem that needs a bigger fix than disclaimer text.
We want to know your thoughts!
How many rides have you been able to get on with Genie+? Does this new website text make it less likely that you’ll purchase the ticket add-on? Let me know in the comments below!
More from Guide2WDW
