If you’re hoping to buy and use Disney’s Genie+ service, get ready for some potential price INCREASES.
Disney Genie
Disney has announced that the cost of the “standard” Genie+ service will now vary depending on when you visit (much like how theme park tickets vary depending on the day, based on expected demand). And now it looks like those price increases for Genie+ have arrived.
In case you’re not familiar with it, Genie+ is Disney’s PAID replacement for the old FastPass+ service. With Genie+ you pay one rate to be able to select return times (generally one at a time) for rides throughout Disney World’s theme parks. When your return time arrives, you can skip the standby line and use the Lightning Lane instead to get on the ride.
Not all rides are available through Genie+. Some of Disney World’s most popular rides are only available through Individual Attraction Selection or Pay-Per-Ride. For those rides, you’ll pay to skip the standby line at each ride individually.
Get Ready to Make Those Selections
Surge pricing had already been in effect for the Pay-Per-Ride system for a while, but the “standard” Genie+ used to cost a set $15 per person per day in Disney World. Now that has changed. As we noted above, the “standard” Genie+ price now varies depending on the day you visit.Â
On October 11th, the price was still $15. But on October 12th, things changed. On October 12th, we noticed that the standard Genie+ service had INCREASED in price to $20.
©Disney
In their message to travel agents, Disney did indicate that now through the end of October, the price would be $15 per person per day on “less busy dates.” It is set to increase to $22 on some of the busier dates and will be priced somewhere in between on other dates. It seems October 12th fell into one of the “other dates” categories.
Note, however, that Disney explicitly stated that prices are subject to change beyond October, so we could see prices different than those provided in the examples Disney gave.
Scanning MagicBands
Wondering what the Individual Attraction Selection (Pay-Per-Ride) pricing looked like on October 12th? Here’s a breakdown (with some numbers from Scott Gustin via Twitter):
- Magic Kingdom — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — $11 (fairly average)
- EPCOT — Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — $15 (fairly average)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Rise of the Resistance — $20 (that’s a price we’ve typically only seen over at Disneyland, but now it seems Disney World’s Lightning Lane for this ride is catching up in terms of price)
- Animal Kingdom — Avatar Flight of Passage — $14 (fairly average)
Rise of the Resistance
This isn’t the only pricing change we’ve seen made lately. Recently, Disney increased the price of Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream bars and pretzels at select spots. We’ve also seen price increases at Be Our Guest Restaurant, price increases at character meals, increases on the cost of bottled water and soda, and HUNDREDS of other increases at Disney World restaurants.
If you’re heading to Disney World soon, be sure to review those budgets and see how they may need to be adjusted to take these increases into account. Remember that the cost of Genie+ will continue to change in Disney World, depending on the date of your visit.Â
You won’t know the price until you go into the app to try and make your purchase on the day of your visit, so be sure to give yourself enough wiggle room in the budget for that.
That Lightning Lane Access Might Cost You MORE
To get some cost-saving tips for Disney World, check out our links:
- See our page all about discounts and deals in Disney World
- Check out 7 ways to save on your trip to Disney
- Take a look at some of the BEST budget-friendly lunches in Disney World
And stay tuned for more Disney news.
Click here to see how Disney controls you with Genie
All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection
BIG Genie+ Changes Being Planned For Disney World
FULL List of Rides Included With Genie+ in Disney World
3 Tips to OUTSMART Genie+ in Disney World Right Now
Please Stop Skipping These Genie+ Hacks in Disney World (They Really Work!)
Genie+ Tips for the Most Crowded Days in Disney World and Disneyland
Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie
Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe
Would you pay $20 for Genie+ in Disney World? Tell us in the comments.
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This Disney leadership is going to keep squeezing guests until there’s some kind of push back in their profit line.
We live in the UK and have made 30 trips to Disney World since 2004. For the first time in a long time, we don’t have plans to return.
We loved Fastpass – book 3 rides a day in advance with a limited wait for free – getting the most out every park day.
We have no interest in getting up every morning at 7am to see what’s available, when the best rides aren’t even on it and be charged $20 each per day for the privilege.
I would have preferred to see the park tickets go up and Fastpass to remain free, but instead they jacked up the park ticket as well…
This isn’t the Disney I know and love.
We used to be Disney, Disney, Disney. There are plenty of other places to go!
When I was young we would take in the sights, sounds, and smells of Disney World because no cell phones/apps. We would see it all, smell the popcorn/roasted peanuts/all the food, and listen to all the music loops playing in the parks. I believe that’s how I got hooked on Disney.
Now we just stare at the phone app in the parks and ignore all the sights,sounds, and smells. I wish my kids could have experienced what I did so they could be Disney strong…but we are all too busy looking for places to charge the damn phones. Sad
In my opinion, Disney has pushed the envelope too far. Jacking up the park ticket prices, the Genie ++ prices, the per ride prices, the food prices, and everything in between, is the perfect recipe for disaster. I look back to a TV show I’ve seen a few times called Mysteries of the Abandoned. I just hope for Disney’s sake that the parks aren’t featured on this show sometime down the road.
If Walt Disney were still alive I’m sure things would be a lot different. Corporate America strikes again.
It’s just too bad it is happening!
Shaun, many people and I mean many people agree with your comments. You have to understand that they expect a momentary decline in profits in the future as they continue to put deterrents in place in efforts to push out the middle income and below customers. It’s a very clever business model and one that is highly effective. They have to do this gradually and over time in order to gain appeal from the high income target customer while continuing to drag along those middle to lower income people who continue to visit and plan vacations to the park. If you look at their (WDW) business plan it’s exceptionally well thought out and very effective. I’ve said in other posts, before this new increase, to expect gradual price increases to continue. I was right. Thing is I’ve actually used a very similar model for a few business. Hats off to Chapek for his continued success in converting Walt’s original family affordable playground into a high income, elitist playground. DFB will continue to post price increases over time. But, in the meantime you may see some short term price drops with regard to certain products and services that appeal to middle to low income to continue to pull them along. Remember they still need their dollars while they make the transition. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy about this. But I do completely understand what’s behind this.
Disney stock price started this year at $156/share to day it’s $96. That’s a ytd loss of over 1/3 its value. Their recent original content has been mediocre, they cut out so many perks, and continuously increasing the prices of everything. At what point will they realise that this isn’t working? I
This coming spring will be my last trip to Disney world. To be honest I’ve considered cancelling and going to universal, but I’m letting my teens have their trip. I just switched resorts because I’m sick of all the increases on everything including genie plus I considered buying it for this trip but definitely refuse now. I switched to a value resort and also got rid of my park hoppers because I figured I might as well prepare my budget to be larger with Disney changing stuff constantly and charging more for everything. If they want the rich so be it but they aren’t going to get extra money from me this trip as far as genie or even some of the over priced souviners. The least they could do is actually do more for cast members and provide some decent things for customers. Seems they want the money but no longer care about quality for the customers or employees it’s sad.
Stayed over 15 years for family holidays the last 8 years at Disney resort hotels, for that Magic which has now gone! Booked this year for two weeks at a Universal hotel with the fast pass included will maybe go to Disney World for one or two days just to do a few rides that are standby! plus Seaworld and Busch Gardens with the FREE shuttle
Does anyone know if when purchasing either Genie + and / or Lightening Lanes, can I use a Disney Gift Card? I have read that Credit Cards are sometimes charged several times and getting a refund is difficult. Any thoughts? I probably will use a pre-paid CC in small amount. I do not like to use my Credit Card like this.
We got Universal passes for the first time because of this a little over a month ago. I bought the top tier pass over there for around $600 and some change. When we went we were shocked at how well we were treated and how they went out of their way to make us feel wanted and thank us for being passholders. Shocked. Universal is like the Disney of old. Yes, it’s not as big as Disney but they are building a new park so that makes three parks and a water park. The place was cleaner, cheaper, the food was better, less crowded and friendlier.