Disney is Finally Fixing the 7 AM Struggle
In February 2022, I sat and listened to my politest, least opinionated family member rant uncontrollably about Disney.
During her most recent pair of Disney vacations, she had grown livid at some of what she viewed as needless park changes.
Genie+
As I listened, I realized that she was speaking for all the parents who found the modified system so needlessly frustrating.
I described this matter as the 7 AM Struggle, a deeply flawed system that went on too long.
Lightning Lane
Today, I’m happy to report that Disney has finally solved the 7 AM Struggle. Here’s what just happened.
The Pandemic Forced Bad Changes
When Disney implemented the digital FastPass system, some guests complained at first because it had a few hiccups.
Still, virtually everyone recognized what Disney was trying to accomplish.
Image: Disney
By providing tourists with more control over the planning of their Disney trips, these travelers developed a rare amount of comfort.
Guests knew what their general theme park itinerary would be each day.
Photo: Yesterland
Sure, the process led to a strange series of events such as knowing when I’d eat in six months but not that night.
Still, I certainly wasn’t about to complain, as I had half a year to perfect my Disney vacation.
Not coincidentally, the time from, say, 2013-2019 includes some of my favorite Disney memories.
Alas, the pandemic absolutely eviscerated all the strategies Disney had developed over the past decade.
Disney during COVID-19
Social distancing requirements dictated that Disney change pretty much everything overnight. Otherwise, the parks couldn’t reopen.
So, Disney did the best that it could in an impossible situation, just like the rest of us.
COVID warning
Alas, one of the first changes was that park officials no longer allowed the early booking of many amenities.
In fact, FastPass didn’t even return when the parks reopened. We didn’t realize it at the time, but FastPass was done.
Social Distancing floor markers
Eventually, Disney introduced a new virtual queuing system with two counterintuitive names.
We spent years learning the difference between Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lane.
Photo: Disney
Notably, Disney Genie had nothing to do with the other two. That’s how terrible the terminology was.
I’ve mentioned this several times, but that’s because it was such a jaw-droppingly odd decision.
The Worst System for Vacationing
Many Disney veterans spent an inordinate amount of time explaining these differences to our casual vacationer friends.
People who visit Disney infrequently struggled to understand what a virtual assistant, Disney Genie, had to do with an attraction queue program, Disney Genie+.
Photo: Disney
Somehow, that wasn’t the most infuriating part, though. When Disney eliminated early bookings, it created an early rush.
Guests felt the need to Rope Drop their favorite attractions. Otherwise, they’d wait in line for hours to ride them.
Magic Kingdom crowds
That was an especially aggravating problem during the pandemic, when some people simply didn’t behave while standing in the queue.
I watched one kid lick posts during a pandemic while his disinterested mother played Candy Crush on her phone.
Standby Entrance
So, everyone was a little dialed up at the time anyway. Then, Disney made things worse by introducing Disney Genie+.
Unlike with FastPass, guests couldn’t book these reservations ahead of time.
Photo: Disney
Under the previous system, our booking window opened as much as 60 days in advance.
Suddenly, we had to book at 7 AM on the date of our park visit.
Photo: Disney
Even worse, we had to BUY Disney Genie+ first, which was often an adventure in and of itself.
Guests purchasing Disney Genie+, Lightning Lane, and trying to book reservations had it the worst.
Photo: Disney
Even though these tourists were trying to pay Disney the most money, they had to do like six things…first thing in the morning!
That structure caused numerous headaches for park guests, who chugged some coffee and tried to be awake enough to make decent plans.
Joffrey’s Frozen Mission to S’mores
Nobody wants that kind of pressure on vacation, especially not at the start of the day! It sets the wrong tone.
Disney Fixes the Problem
On July 24th, less than a month from now, Walt Disney World fixes everything.
Park officials have confirmed that the Disney Genie+ name will die forever, to which I say good riddance!
Photo: Disney
In its place, Disney will introduce Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which fans have already pointed out sounds very Fifth Element.
Note that there’s no hyphen in Multi Pass which is a weird choice, Disney. Still, everything about this announcement makes me smile.
Photo: Disney
In fact, for clarity, Disney has also changed the name of Individual Lightning Lane to Lightning Lane Single Pass.
So, we’ll no longer have the confusion about naming conventions.
Photo: Disney
When you purchase one of the digital queuing services, you’ll enter the Lightning Lane.
With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you’re paying to experience at least three of Disney’s most popular and iconic attractions.
Lightning Lane
Conversely, Lightning Lane Single Pass entitles you to a single ride on Disney’s hottest attractions.
The participants in Lightning Lane Single Pass are Avatar Flight of Passage, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Tron Lightcycle / Run.
Lightning Lane
Those are Disney’s best rides, and you can pay to skip the line for each one.
Somehow, that’s still not even the best part. Disney has undone its worst policy change in recent memory.
Lightning Lane
As of July 24th, you can reserve Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass reservations ahead of time.
Disney will allow you to book up to three reservations per day under the Multi Pass system. Meanwhile, you can buy up to two Single Pass bookings per day as well.
How This Helps You
The rules allow planners to gain a bit of peace of mind regarding Disney vacations.
For the past four years, park visits have proven a bit mercurial in that you don’t know what will happen until the morning of the visit.
Photo: Disney
That’s the 7 AM Struggle coming into play. You don’t even know for sure whether you can buy Disney Genie+ until then. It often sells out.
Once you have it, you must fight the system to find acceptable attractions to book, which isn’t that bad.
Photo: Disney
However, everything feels a bit more aggravating at 7 AM, especially fighting a phone app to make reservations.
Now, you can book seven days in advance, presuming you’re staying at an official Disney resort, which you should.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
The competitive advantage here is massive in that the booking window for everyone else won’t open until three days before a visit.
So, guests at Disney hotels get four extra days to pick and choose between their favorite Multi Pass attractions.
Photo: Disney
Also, on crowded park dates like holidays, those four days could be the difference between getting a Single Pass for Tron or watching it sell out.
Now, more than ever, you should stay at an official Disney resort, which you were probably going to do anyway since they’re better.
More Benefits and Final Thoughts
Another benefit is that you can actually do a bit of planning once again.
Those three Multi Pass reservations can help you build an itinerary for your visit.
Photo: Disney
You’ll know which themed land you’ll be at when lunch arrives, allowing you to book an Advanced Dining Reservation more confidently.
In other words, you’ll walk less as you can plan more. Importantly, your visit will be less stressful as well.
Magic Kingdom
Folks, based on what Disney is saying, it has aggressively addressed the 7 AM Struggle, solving the problem once and for all.
Today is a VERY good day for Disney fans!
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
