Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane a la carte purchases have been active for a few days. We already knew the basics of Disney Genie before it launched, but now that we have a several days of experience, we have learned a few things along the way.
Let’s take a look:
1 – Lightning Lane A La Carte Sells Out
We didn’t know if Disney would limit or cap the number of Lightning Lane a la carte rides to be sold. We still don’t know how many they sell (and may never know it), but we do know that it is not unlimited. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, an incredible and incredibly popular attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, regularly has standby lines of two hours or more. On Tuesday and Wednesday, October 19 – 20, 2021, the Lightning Lane A La Carte slots for the attraction, at $15 per person per ride, sold out.
2 – Magic Kingdom Guest Experience Teams Returned to Podiums
Just as there was a learning curve for all guests for Disney technology offerings in the past, like FastPass+, it will take people time to understand and learn how to use Disney Genie, not to mention the impact on an updated process for Disability Access Service.
Also, most all new systems have shakedown periods when the first launched.
Disney World parks have Guest Experience Teams, which offer a similar service to Guest Services, but focus on My Disney Experience, MagicBands, and wait times.
While Guest Experience Teams at EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are typically in fixed locations under blue umbrellas, the team at the Magic Kingdom most recently roamed the park. Now, the Magic Kingdom team is once again stationed at podiums so that guests could more easily get help with questions about Disney Genie.
3 – Genie Provides A Grace Period for Early and Late Arrivals
Lightning Lane a la cart provides guests a one-hour time window to show up at an attraction and experience it with a limited wait. As was the case with FastPass+, Disney generally allows guests to arrive up to 5 minutes early or up to 15 minutes late. However, Disney Cast Members have the final judgment on the use of grace periods.
4 – Guests Can Ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Twice in One Day
While Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance did away with its virtual queue before the launch of Disney Genie, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction in the France pavilion at EPCOT continues to use a virtual queue instead of a standby wait. Guest can purchase a Lightning Lane a la cart access to Remy as well as get a virtual queue, allowing guests to ride twice.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is one of the two attractions in EPCOT that allows an a la cart purchase, with the other being Frozen Ever After.
It is possible this is a technical glitch or a loophole, so this situation may not last.
5 – You Have No Recourse If Wait Times Are Not Accurate
We have known for a long time that Disney’s posted wait times are not always accurate.
Part of this situation is that measuring wait times can be hard to do accurately
However, another part of this situation is that Disney historically seemed to inflate wait times as a guest satisfier: If the wait time is listed as 45 minutes and you get to ride after 30 minutes, you are happier than if the wait time is listed as 20 minutes and you get to ride after 30 minutes. In either case, you ride after 30 minutes, but the first situation exceeds your expectations, while the second situation doesn’t meet your expectations.
When purchasing Disney Genie options, guests must accept the terms and conditions of the application and the purchase and agree that they will not make decisions based on posted wait times. However, don’t most people make the Genie+ or Lightning Lane a la cart purchase with the hopes of saving time – typically measured as avoiding the posted wait time?
If the posted wait time is 45 minutes, you purchase Genie+ or a Lightning a la cart pass, and then you realize the real wait time was just 10 minutes, you may not be happy. However, there is no recourse in situations like this.
6 – You Can Buy When You Don’t Need To
While Disney vacations are amazing, they can be confusing. People who don’t study up and plan for their Disney World trip might end up spending money on Genie+ or Lightning Lane A La Cart purchases when they don’t need to. Sometimes the parks are less busy, and sometimes the attractions you want to ride don’t have very long wait times. In cases like this, you may not get much or any benefit from purchasing Genie+ or a la cart slot. However, the My Disney Experience app might still offer a Genie+ or Lightning Lane purchase.
Be careful that you don’t spend money when you don’t need to.
Are you clear about, and happy about, how Disney Genie works?