A Newbie’s Perspective: First Experience with Genie+ at Disney Parks
As I just shared in my Space Mountain article, recently, we returned to Disneyland Resort for the first time in three years. After using some of Disney’s updated services, we wanted to share an honest perspective of our first experience with Genie+ at the Parks.
Before we moved out of state, we were Annual Passholders for many years. The pandemic hit shortly after our departure.
Photo: Dana Bisbee
That being said, we were used to the old way of things at the Disneyland Resort. We never had to deal with reservations and Magic Keys were not yet in existence.
Formerly, we took advantage of the paper FastPass system at the Parks. To ensure quicker access to a favored attraction, you had to physically visit a kiosk near the ride, and pull a ticket.
Photo: momrewritten.com
Upon doing so, you’d be given a return time. You were only able to get one FastPass at a time, and the service was free of charge.
First Experience With Genie+
In my opinion, Genie+ is a planner’s best friend! Before using the service, I was skeptical.
Based on what I’d heard through the grapevine, it would be a burden. I worried I’d have to constantly be on my phone, unable to enjoy my experience at other attractions.
We purchased Genie+ along with our tickets months earlier, at a cost of $25 extra per ticket, per day. Although it would be ideal if this service was free of charge, being that a trip to Disneyland is already expensive, I found it to be extremely efficient.
Credit: Disney
Not only was it easy to book ideal attractions we wanted to experience, but the listing of available arrival times gave us a good idea of what to prioritize. After scanning in for a Genie+ attraction, we would schedule another on the app while in line for the ride.
Return times were not that far off, and we were able to experience our top attractions. Another fantastic feature of Genie+ is that you can alter return times if things end up taking longer than expected.
Photo: Christy Weinberg
We only had to do this once, and it was so convenient! A standout feature of the service is the incredibly short ride lines!
Most of the time, we were able to walk onto the attraction. If we had to stand in line, wait times were limited to 10 minutes tops, and this was during peak season at Christmas.
Photo: Christy Weinberg
So, there you have it! To each their own, but that’s an honest perspective of our first experience with Genie+.
Hopefully, this information can assist you, if you’re planning an upcoming trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort. If you have limited time on your trip to Disney Parks, I highly recommend purchasing Genie+!
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