The new Disney Genie system will debut on October 19 at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney announced today.
Disney Genie is a free, automated itinerary planner for people visiting the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks. It uses a genetic algorithm to generate an optimal schedule for park visitors, including attraction and dining times. Disney Genie also will include a real-time tip board with current and forecast wait times during the day, as well as a new screen with all restaurants' mobile order wait times, for people who want to continue to plan their own way through the parks.
To learn more about how to use the new system, please read our post, How to Use Disney Genie and Lightning Lane.
While Disney Genie is free to use within the official My Disney Experience app, Disney is offering a paid upgrade called Disney Genie+ for $15 per person per day. That upgrade works like Disneyland's old MaxPass system, allowing guests to pick one attraction at a time to visit through the Lightning Lane, which is Disney's new term for the old Fastpass queue. For a complete list of eligible attractions, please visit our "how to" guide.
Disney Genie+ also includes special audio experiences where Imagineers talk about select locations in the parks, as well as exclusive AR lenses, which basically work like Disney-themed Snapchat filters within the My Disney Experience app.
Whether you upgrade to Disney Genie+ or not, park visitors also can use Disney Genie to buy one-time access to the Lightning Lane at select attractions in each of the four Disney World theme parks. Prices will vary by date and attraction, and you can buy up to two of these Lightning Lane uses per person per day, but only one at each attraction.
Eligible attractions for individual Lightning Lane use will be Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After at Epcot, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom. Access to the Lightning Lane at these attractions will not be available through Disney Genie+.
While the Disney Genie system will debut October 19 at Disney World, the start date for Disneyland will be announced "very soon," according to Disney officials.
* * *
We wanted you to read this article before we make our newsletter pitch, unlike so many other websites. If you appreciate that - and our approach to covering theme park, travel, and entertainment news - please sign up for our free, three-times-a-week email newsletter. Thank you.
I can't wait to see what Genie suggests to frequent WDW visitors. I anticipate bloggers and DVC guests posting some pretty hilarious suggestions and itineraries that Genie spits out.
The meme-potential of Genie could break the internet.
I could see it now…Genie says go to The Hall of Presidents…for the 6th time in a row.
Disney says that Genie will consider what you've done before and try to steer you to new stuff.
Can't wait to hear, "C'mon kids, we've got to make our 3:20 time to look at the Cinderella Castle mosaics!"
This was a substantial financial investment so it will be interesting to see. If the reaction is bad, I think they are going to have to be transparent about what they will need to do to fix it.
I do not like the Disney genie but i understand that would be a very good ($$$) way for Disney to engage new comers to the park, and speak in their own language. These are new times and we ALL have to adapt or be left in the dust. Disney is betting in the brand strength and new attractions so older guests Will bite their tongue and come anyhow. In any case frequent visitors Will have the genie tamed in no time and new park visit strategies Will be posted as soon as the system is implemented. Some rides don't actually need this ( same way they did not need fastpass ). I AM surprised soaring or test track were not taken for individual ligthing lane, but frozen did ( i understimated that ride popularity ). I AM going to Say it. If i go to Disney i would get the Disney genie if the park is packed and i only got 2 o 3 days. For a longer stay we'll see.
As a visitor from the uk its pushing the limits of what people can afford, our last visit cost us almost £20k for 2 people staying off site. We could only plan for 30 days ahead so still had to use standby for FOP, & SDMT and on most days tower of terror, space mountain splash mountain.. Flights form the uk have already increased and predicted to rise further so the increase in cost for genie plus is definitely putting us off returning.
@debsboy1971
Seriously, how did you manage to spend 20k? I've done florida several times, most recently staying in an over priced villa for a relatives wedding, miami beach for a few days prior, and Key West for a few days afterwards, and spent nowhere near that amount,so I'm genuinely curious.
And I thought optimizing the fast pass system was a puzzle and a challenge...
I think I'm going to need a few PhD.s to master this thing, and use it to avoid horrendous wait times. Somehow, I'm not too optimistic.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
Don't ya sometimes just sort a wish Disney would go back to the A,B,C,D,E ticket books? I know, I know...that will not happen, but things were so much easier and enjoyable without all these hoops to jump through. Honestly, it's just exhausting.