Why Genie Plus is Better Than Fastpass
Why Genie Plus is Better Than Fastpass
Here I want to share my opinions about why Genie Plus is better than Fastpass+. We came up with five reasons we prefer Genie+
Okay! We’ve had time to adjust to Genie+ and all of the cool advantages. After the initial shock of having to pay for Fastpass, we can now objectively look at this new system and see how Genie+ with its Lightning Lane reservations is better than Fastpass+. That’s right. Here I want to share my opinions about why Genie Plus is better than Fastpass. We came up with five reasons we prefer Genie+ based on accessibility and value and how it impacts your total stay at Disney parks.
Before we get started with the edge Disney’s new Genie+ system has over the old system, let’s acknowledge that paying money for Fastpass isn’t a new thing. Disneyland has offered Maxpass since 2017 and Paris has also been charging guests for certain Fastpass packages.
Although we may not like paying extra to gain faster access to rides this change was honestly inevitable. It’s unfortunate timing, but everything is more expensive now, so it is at least understandable even if it’s not the most convenient thing. Be that as it may, Genie+ is an additional cost per person on top of each ticket, so it’s not a foregone conclusion that everybody should spring for this option. We’ll share more about this in our last reason below for why Genie Plus is better than Fastpass.
Day of Reservations
The first reason we love Genie+ as opposed to its complementary predecessor is the day of reservations. Although planning your Fastpasses up to two months in advance was a fun way to plan ahead for your trip, it took away the spontaneity and made it harder to stop and smell the roses.
The other thing we don’t miss about the early reservations with Fastpass is the 30-day advantage it gave to guests staying at the Disney resorts. While resort guests do get a moderate edge it’s a more level playing field for vacationers who may not be visiting Walt Disney World exclusively. So, a wider range of access is our first reason why Genie Plus is better than Fastpass.
No Tier Barriers
With the Fastpass+ system you had to pick two lower-tier attractions before you could make a Fastpass reservation for a second top-tier attraction. With Genie+ you can pick any eligible ride at any time as long as it is available. The only caveat is individual Lightning Lanes.
These are the most sought-after Disney attractions. Mostly, these are based just on being the newest attractions with higher demand. You can purchase these Lightning Lanes separately and they do not hinder your ability to schedule other Lightning Lane attractions. So even though it costs more, it’s another reason why Genie+ is better.
No Three Reservation Limit
Another reason why Genie Plus is better than Fastpass is that you completely skip the three reservation limit. With Fastpass, you could pre-select up to three attractions which turned out to be a little bit of a trap. If you weren’t careful with your selections, you could wind up limiting your whole day. Although you were able to schedule unlimited Fastpasses in a park, you had to use or cancel the first three reservations first. The new Lightning Lane system does away with that and lets you pick new attractions every two hours or less!
You Can Overlap Your Reservations
Ride stacking is another way to boost the value of your Genie+ reservations. With Genie+ you can book attractions in a similar return window, which allows you to experience two or more attractions in a very short period of time. In order to make new Lightning Lane reservations, you need to either enter a Lightning Lane queue for a current reservation, cancel a current reservation, or wait two hours. All three of these options can play into a good strategy for maximizing your experience while you are inside the park using Disney’s posted current and projected wait times.
Disney Genie (The Free Part)
Finally, there is Disney Genie. Disney Genie is free and it really helps out guests who don’t want to pay for Genie+ Lightning Lane access. Genie is designed to spread out crowds and give attention to less popular attractions. That means that wait times, in general, are more tolerable, even in Standby.
Under the Fastpass+ system, standby lanes were terrible and wait times blew up due to the frequency of Fastpass+ users holding up the primary line. This also made Fastpass+ wait times even longer than they should have been. Why Genie Plus is better is that it is a better crowd management tool overall. It provides value to guests who pay for Genie+ and guests who use only the complimentary option.
Do You Agree With My Reasons Why Genie Plus is Better?
Hopefully, you found this post helpful and it made you see the advantage of the new Genie+ system. Not convinced? Let us know your experience with Genie+. We’d love to hear how it impacted your Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacation! We also want to hear your experiences with the AR filters and the behind-the-scenes audio tracks as well.
