Walt Disney World veterans might be wondering — what happened to FastPass? And was it really as wonderful as we all remember it? Now that we’ve been using Disney Genie+, let’s look back at some FastPass history.
The FastPass lines are now called Lightning Lanes
Certainly, your park morning might look different now. Once upon a time, many of us would get up early in order to be at our first park of the day before rope drop. Then, the fastest family member was tasked with walking very quickly (and yes, there might have been some running!) to pick up FastPasses for the attraction that typically boasted the largest wait times throughout the day.
Paper FastPass tickets were used all around the world, including at Tokyo Disney Resort
Fastpass Distribution Area for Tower of Terror
If you ever did this for Magic Kingdom’s mountains (Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, or Splash Mountain), EPCOT’s Soarin’ or Test Track, Animal Kingdom’s Everest, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, or Toy Story Midway Mania, you know what we’re talking about.
Big Thunder Mountain
Next, we mastered our touring plans with the debut of the FastPass+ system. And we liked it. We no longer had to be rope drop warriors!
EPCOT rope drop in the summer of 2021
And then… poof! Just as we had our touring plans perfected, Disney changed things up. Let’s quickly examine the history of this transition from paper FastPasses to the current Disney Genie+ system.
History of FastPass to Disney Genie+
1999: Paper FastPasses are launched.
August 2, 2012: My Disney Experience app is introduced.
December 2013 – January 2014: Transition to FastPass+.
July 2017: Disneyland Resort Max Pass was the trailblazer for the paid FastPass concept.
2019: The Disney Genie service was initially announced at the D23 EXPO, boasting customized itineraries and real-time tips.
March 16, 2020: Disney World closes due to the pandemic.
July 11, 2020: Disney World begins a phased reopening of the theme parks. Park capacity is limited; thus, crowds are low. Disney uses this opportunity to shift the guest experience upon park reopening. First, FastPass+ is discontinued, and only standby lines are available.
August 2021: Disneyland Paris was the next to initiate paid FastPass after park reopening.
October 19, 2021: Walt Disney World rolled out new Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selections.
Genie+
The transition from paper FastPasses (Legacy FastPasses) to FastPass+ coincided with the introduction of the MyDisney Experience app. This meant guests no longer had to run for FastPasses, but were able to reserve up to 60 days in advance (if staying on property). All others could reserve up to 30 days ahead.
Selecting attraction FastPasses
With FastPass+, Disney World visitors were only allowed to make a reservation for the same ride once per day. If you wanted to ride your favorite attraction again, you had to get in the standby or single rider line. This was a disappointment to guests visiting the parks to ride certain attractions.
Space Mountain
Thrill-seekers were dismayed by only getting one reservation per day for their favorite rides. Space Mountain, we’re looking at you!
An overview:
- Legacy FastPass was relatively fair, it was free, and you did not have to plan weeks in advance. However, you were not able to choose attraction return times and if you park hopped, all FastPasses for the day could be gone when you got to the second park.
- With FastPass+ guests were restricted due to attraction tiers within the parks, and reservation parameters for resort and non-resort guests. While it took away the spontaneity of your day because you had to book attractions weeks in advance, you also could plan your touring day ahead of time and didn’t need to be in the park to do so. If you weren’t a morning person, you could still plan a wonderful park day.
- Disney Genie+ is a paid service and can get quite expensive, especially with surge pricing. To utilize this service, you must wake up early. Also, it takes some to learn how to make the most of the system. Many guests dislike that there is no option to preplan.
You can do so much with the My Disney Experience app!
Disney Genie, Genie Plus, and Lightning Lanes: Here’s EVERYTHING You Need to Know!
Why Did Disney Get Rid of FastPass+?
So, we’re still left wondering… why did Disney get rid of FastPass+? The company has stated that it was to improve the guest experience through managing overall park attendance and specifically lines at attractions, which looking at our above analysis is slightly misleading. It seems as if increased revenue may have been a more important factor. Has it really improved guest experience? It depends on who you ask!
That’s our look at Why Disney Got Rid of the FastPass System! Keep following DFB for the latest Disney news!
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We have gone to Disneyworld for years and years. One of the highlights or fun parts was planning our parks and rides in advance. Knowing when we went to the park what rides we were guaranteed of going on and planning around that. Granted, we were spoiled because nothing after that could come close to the experience. Very disappointed in Genie + and planning a trip around the fact we might not get on a single ride we really wanted to go on. Can’t share the upcoming trip with the kids and get excited because we might not get to go on a certain ride. All for more money. I’d rather pay more for the room and have the fastpass back.
Totally agree with Billie
They got rid of fast passes because they figured out they could change people for what the were doing for free. It’s called greed. Yes a company is supposed to make money. But when is it enough money? Apparently never.
It feels like a cash grab Miss not having to have an up charge something I’ve already paid a lot of money for At least at universal if you stay on grounds fast passes are included No special perks for vacation club members
We loved the Fast Passes! It was easier to give them to someone, who was trying to get one, when you had gotten on the ride several time before the time started…
Disney has gotten too expensive to go. And without the bus service now it’s hard to get to the park.
Fast pass plus worked super for this senior citizen couple for many visits. Guess we’re not the demographic that WDW is seeking now. That’s okay…
Can’t afford on retiree income anyway
I would like to have Fast Pass system back, even if I had to pay for it. I despise Genie+
Please Disney, BE HONEST. The Free Fast Pass gave us 3 rides planned each day of our trip months in advance. It was free, easy relaxing and wonderful. The Genie Plus is expensive and confusing. It ruins my Disney Vacation. It’s not a coincidence that Disney cancelled the Magical Express when Disney introduced the Genie Plus and the Individual Attraction. Everyone HATES these changes. Please bring back the Magical Express and the FREE FAST PASS WITH THREE RIDES MONTHS IN ADVANCE
Ron, I agree. Disney has made going to the parks a labor intensive ordeal. You have to carry your cell phone for everything. Last December my family and I traveled from The Olympic Peninsula area of Washington State. I made Dining reservations in advance via MDE. When we reported to The Liberty Tree for our reservations 15 minutes in advance, I was told we could not check in, in person. I questioned them and told them I do not carry a phone while on vacation. The Cast Member said sorry, have someone else in your party use theirs.
Getting from MCO to the Overpriced Hotels is a task in itself. The ME was what made paying those prices acceptable.
I am done with Disney World and Disney in General. It is nothing more than a big money Grab. Don’t even get me started on Genie Plus. Or lightning Lanes. Remember if you pay your 15.00 per person to go on one of the new rides IE Tron and the ride breaks down, They will not refund your money.
I only remember using the paper Fast Pass once. We didn’t have a clue what it was, but got one. We became annual passholders in 2016 and loved the Fast Pass+. When we went with our family in 2019 it was great, we had our Fast Passes for each day and we had the Deluxe Dinning Plan. It was a lot of food but it was already paid for. We haven’t been back since our annual passes expired in Oct 2020. I miss WDW but I want to wait awhile before we try and go back. We have gone to Universal and had to pay for the Express Pass. That was a lot of money and we still had to stand in long lines. When we go back to Universal in Dec we are staying at one of the resorts that the Express Pass comes with the room.
I hate genie plus! I don’t want to keep my phone in my face all the time during my Disney trip. It’s too expensive for families!
This article is not accurate regarding FastPass+ and how it worked.
With FastPass+, once you used your 1st 3 Fastpasses each day, you could in fact get additional Fastpasses for any given ride over and over and over if there were remaining Fastpasses for that given ride. My family and I were able to get multiple same day Fastpasses for Splash Mountain, Flight of Passage, Toy Story Mania, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and many others during latter years of the Fastpass+ era when we started going to Disney World.
It is only with the introduction of Genie+ that Disney limited folks to only being able to get one “Lightning Lane” (replacement for Fastpasses) per day.
Brandon…Exactly
Another lie from Disney. Genie Plus was not implemented to improve the guest experience. IT DOES NOT. It was implemented to increase revenue for Disney, and it certainly is accomplishing that.
Ron, Disney has been doing that allot lately, You would think that Iger would wake up and see the writing on the wall. Disney is losing guest due to the ever increasing cost of a Disney vacation.
So true. We are annual passholders, but coming and paying for food is an expensive proposition. We can’t come as often as we’d been coming. The fast pass system is screwed up and difficult for many to understand when it was so easy before. You knew exactly what you were doing when. Not now.
I agree with Louisa! The last time we went I had my face in a phone checking times, the “magic” of Disney’s experience is gone. You can’t stop and look around, without missing a time slot. We also purchase genie+ for one of the parks and we’re only able to get one ride to work with our schedule and wasn’t even top tier ride! 6 passes down the drain. Seems like a cash grab. (I’d like my money back please.) Go back to all the old ways, Iger is selling us out. More hotels and restaurants but not enough Magic left.
Just got back from D’world about 2 weeks ago. Had one of my worst Disney experiences of going to Disneyland/Disneyworld about once per year (not to both – mostly to D’land) since about 1974 (!). Was visiting the parks with family & friends and one of them booked us for Virtual Queue for Tron. We were in group 62 (or there about). I asked my friends – who live in Orlando and one even started as a Cast Member recently – how long does this mean we’ll wait before our number is called? They had booked the VQ at the stroke of 0700 and thought it would take about 2ish hours. So, family hurriedly showered, wolfed down breakfast (we were at Saratoga Springs) and mad our way to the park. Checked the app: calling group 14ish. Ultimately, we waited over *4 hours* having no idea when our number would be called. So, we didn’t fruitfully spend that time riding rides, as planned. We wandered/perused shops/rode People Mover twice, etc. Finally! The number is up! We go to the line and wait…. & wait… & wait. Once inside the theming is about on par with a non-updated airport (there are disc symbols affixed to the walls and too many TV screens in the overhead repeating the same, boring safety message an infinite number of times… that’s it). Waited in that if-hell-were-boring line for 1 hour (!). Then there was the cluster fumble of the lines mixing to get into & out of lockers. Then another 20 mins after the lockers to wait to actually get on the ride. The ride was about 2 minutes long (!). What a total waste! It was an OK roller coaster with mid-90’s level Space Mtn. visuals.
So, during all of that, we saw the near-empty Lightening Lane people whiz past us (once we got to that hour+ long wait in line – had no idea before that).
I remember FastPasses beginning and quickly got used to them. Yes, those were back in the days of Rope Drop Derby (& getting in the secret line to reserve balcony seats for Fantastic!). I actually kind of liked the gamification of knowing when the next FastPass was available for us to get and then racing over to get the next one. Yes, sometimes that was stressful and not so fun. But overall, I felt the system worked pretty well for me and that’s what my family & friends say, too.
When MaxPass came out, my chief complaint was that Disney could not get neither their tech/app to work properly nor provide adequate WiFi to make it useable at all in the parks. But, for me, it had the potential of being a better version of FastPass since it eliminated the Rope Drop advantage and the racing-through-the-crowds factor to get the next FastPass.
I would 1,000% prefer MaxPass (& might even use the $20/day add on) over the cluster fumble of Genie+ and it’s massive and – sometimes unknowable – expense. The fact that we wanted to ride Flights of Passage and had ZERO idea what that would cost us before committing to do it is terrible. Turned out to be $15/each but it could’ve been $10.. or $25: who knew?
I agree completely with the money-grab motivation for Genie+ and – given the skyrocketing prices of tickets/annual passes/merch/food – is pretty inexcusable.
Based on Iger’s comments about the striking actors, et al, I doubt he’s our post-Chapek knight-in-shining-armor who will bring us loyal fans the Disney experiences we crave at costs that don’t drive us into debt to enjoy.
(only related based on ‘customer experience’ theme, but they could bring back Magical Express luggage service and that would distract me a little from the aggravating disappointment of Genie+ a little bit… )
Nope, sorry. FastPass+ was JUST as great as I remember it being. 😀
I loved paper FastPass, even.
ALL of it was better, because Genie+ is a poorly-designed clunky ad-filled app that is price-gouging.
Yes, I know “everywhere else you pay for rides” and “you used to pay for rides at Disney.” Doesn’t hold any water with me.
For a VERY LONG TIME there was NO CHARGE for rides, and that made sense given how expensive a ticket into the park is, how expensive the food and merchandise is. Charging for early access to rides might have been “something Universal has done for years” but Disney didn’t do it.
The overall “Disney Experience” has taken a huge number of hits in recent years from pay-for-parking at resorts to skyrocketing prices of… well, everything… to the outright “well, we actually make more money on the family that comes just once for seven days” as opposed to those horrible AP-holders who “treat the parks like their personal playground.”
[yeah, some of us horrible AP-ers have long memories… try as I might, those words just will not go away]
To me Genie+ coupled with the slashing of AP-holder benefits have been the hardest hits to that Experience. 🙁
I hate hate hate it! It’s one more stressor to add to an already overstimulating (but fun) and very expensive vacation. I’m one person so for me it’s not horrendously painful on my bank account, but it’s still more money I’m spending for something I may or many not get my money’s worth from. I would love to see them bring back the MaxPass type of system like they had in Cali. Yes it was paid, but it was much more user friendly than Genie+.
Disney, when you ask a guest to answer questions for a survey DO NOT ASK GENERAL QUESTIONS. Ask people what they DISLIKED about their visit and WHAT CHANGES they would want to see made at Disney World or Disney Land. Disney, you can also read every comment made by guests on the Disney Food Blog. You will know exactly how we feel. And to Mr. Iger, when you returned months ago you said that prices on everything have gone up too much. Mr. Iger, what have you done to lower these costs. Please read these blogs every day.
Iger has done nothing. In fact most of the increases and problems Disney is experiencing now are a direct result f Iger’s Tenure.
Even those changes that were made when Chapek were at the helm were Iger’s doing. People must understand that Disney dose nothing over night. Most changes are YEARs in the making. So all of those changes credited to Chapek were started by Iger before he left the first time.
Since Iger has returned and let Chapek take the blame, Iger has done nothing to make things right. Prices continue to increase while services continue to decline.
Park attendance is going down. I don’t care what all the Disney bloggers say about how crowded the parks are when they go, The FACTS show that attendance is down.
Disney stocks are at a 15 year low. (Glad I dumped mine in 2019). Disney movies are flopping at an alarming rate. ESPN and ABC are in trouble and losing money. (Yes Disney owns both)
Iger has hinted that Disney is for sale. What’s clear is that Disney is in self destruct mode and Iger is the man leading the charge.
Yes I agree with the comment above. Disney sends me a survey every time I return home and they are not good surveys. They do not offer the opportunity to let Disney know how you feel on topics that are important to you. There is simply no place to type out your opinions and ideas etc. It’s the same thing over and over again. They ask the questions and your only option is to answer “strongly agree, agree somewhat agree etc.
Totally pointless.
I keep hearing people say that the park attendance is down but every time we go the parks are busy. Hotels are sold out too. I don’t understand how Disney can be at their worse and be so busy. Meaning they are the most expensive ever and are giving us less. Wait times are always high. Maybe because now people are forced to purchase genie + to wait in a shorter line instead of it being included to all that purchase a ticket. Maybe because people feel like they have to use it because they paid for it ? I don’t know and just don’t get why it’s always so busy.
Do you look at the fact that several of the hotels are closed for refurbishment, forcing people into the remaining hotels.
What is busy?, yes, the parks have people in them and what seems like a lot today may feel crowded it is none the less crowded than it was pre pandemic.
With several of the attractions closed for various reasons the people are moved to other attractions making those crowds seem larger because they are gathered in a smaller space. The construction walls, force people into a predetermined route thus causing congestion that makes the parks feel crowded beyond what they are.
Disney (Iger) has stated that attendance is down. Why do you think they would say that if it was not true, Do you think they are attempting to draw even more people or drive a few away ?
There are several reasons Disney is losing money. ESPN, ABC, Genie+, Streaming services. The Economy. and yes politics. The common factor in those has been Iger.
I gave up my annual pass after the horrible Genie program arrived. I miss going , and taking friends and family, but until they return to Fast Pass or something equally easy and affordable, I won’t be back.
We have been here twice in the last 3 months, Genie + has not been a problem. Actually love it!
We were a Disney family for nearly my entire life. I first went to the park when I was 3 and MK was 4. We honeymooned at WDW 29 years ago. Went every year, stayed on property – usually deluxe. We beta tested Magic Bands.
We won’t be back to celebrate our 30th Anniversary. We haven’t been since 2018 when Disney began to feel more like planning a military incursion than a family vacation. Fast passes, dining plans, dining reservations, fewer on-property perks yet higher prices finally turned us off for good.
We’ve moved our regular business to Universal where they still have fast passes and you get them free from staying at a deluxe resort. You don’t have to even carry your phone! Everything is laid back, and easier and it feels like WDW USED to. So, if Disney is missing a whole bunch of customers, I’m pretty sure you could look there…
Much like advance restaurant reservations, it is possible for times to be booked before the park opens. As an I entered 50s PrimeTime for an opening walk-in lunch. Nary a guest in, or around, the restaurant or lounge—or the area around the restaurant. The CM, who knew me from previous trips, grinned and showed me the POS screen showing them fully booked for the first tables. I enjoyed an adult beverage til ten minutes later when my name was called. Five minutes later, a family joined me in my part of the kitchen!
My comment should read, as an AP…
When are the Fastpasses coming back? It made the trip so much more exciting and more relaxing when you could prebook 3 fastpasses before your trip. Disney is not magical anymore and definitely not pleasurable when you need to get up so early in the morning.
Genie is horrible. It does not improve guest experience. That’s such total BS. Disney has really gone downhill over the last few years. We don’t even consider it for vacation now. Disney has lost its magic.
None of the changes made by Disney after the Pandemic have improved my guest experience. Everything is MORE EXPANSIVE AND MORE INCONVENIENT. All these changes did was make me and millions of other guests ANGRY. How much money is enough Disney. Eliminate the Genie Plus and the Individual Attraction. Bring back the FREE FAST PASS.
Fast Pass was actually better for Disney because we could spend money before we got to the Fast Pass ride. More relaxing and when you feel relaxed you release money. Disney is stupid for getting rid of Fast Pass
Good point, Gregory. Now that you say it, I remember my speedy, young cousin being tasked with rushing w/ a fist full of our passes to a fast pass distribution area while the rest of us got coffee and/or some sort of breakfast. It was fun & social & more relaxed… & we were spending 💰.
I have been a Disney vacation club member since 2009. We bought the annual passes and went 2 to 3 times a year. I loved knowing that the magical express picked us up and brought us to our hotel and back to the airport. Once less thing to worry about. I also planned all my trips to the park and knew that I would have at least 3 rides that I was set to go on before I arrived at DIsney. Now you have to get up at 7AM and try pay anywhere from $18 to $35 per day on top of the already expensive park admission. Genie plus is an absolute waste of time. I tried it on my last trip in Feb of 2024 and was extremely disappointed. I booked one ride and by the time it got around to booking another ride it was way into the evening hours for a ride that I wanted. I did not plan to stay in the park 10 hours trying to get on a ride. It has become so expensive and non-fun that I certainly am not going 2 to 3 times a year as I did in the past and Disney is certainly losing out on the money that I would have spent on the hotel, food, toys and such. So overall they have an unhappy customer who will not come as much as they would and will tell everyone that wants to listen the same story. I hope that they make some changes because I do not feel like I am on vacation. It’s a job and not a fun one.
Genie + was not created for the people that have been going to Disney for years and or the people that go frequently. It was created for the people that do not go often or do not understand that they are paying for a service that was once FREE and included with your ticket price.
Disney rolled this new money grab out with the knowledge that the new generation will just pay and do not care about the old generation. When I say old I mean old as in people that know better and know how it USED TO BE. Disney will always try to create a “problem” to charge you for a “solution” and it’s gross.
FP was an amazing program and it is dearly missed. Now we suffer with paying for a FP wannabe or wait in line. Thanks for nothing Disney.
Yolanda & Jacqueline I can’t agree more!
Going to Disney feels more and more like unpaid, stressful labor… that I’m being *charged* a lot for. My family has been DVC members from about as long as yours, Yolanda, and we also went a couple of times a year, holding annual passes every year for a decade or so. Even with DVC, it’s now prohibitively expensive to go so many times a year – maybe once per year now. And with every year since about 4 years ago I get less and less excited, more and more stressed out plus disappointed. Also, Magical Express was one of the best things ever! So, so much better than not having it.
Jacqueline, I think you hit the nail squarely on the head when you said “Disney will always try to create a ‘problem’ to charge you for a ‘solution’ and it’s gross!” FastPasses weren’t a problem for guests, imho. I started feeling worried when Disney started talking about MaxPass and then it all got much, much worse.
I wonder if Disney (Disneyland & Disneyworld) can pull out of slow, gradual nosedive?