FastPass+ Is Being Retired & This Is What Will Replace It

There was a lot of news coming out of Walt Disney World today, including the future of FastPass+ at the Walt Disney World Resort. Like many have speculated, Walt Disney World will be retiring FastPass+ and putting a new paid program into place. Today, we’re going to tell you all about it and share some of our thoughts.

In one of the many announcements made yesterday, Disney shared that they would be retiring FastPass+ at the Walt Disney World Resort. The program, which allowed guests to opt for a [somewhat] shorter line, was halted when the parks reopened in 2020 due to lack of capacity. Now, we know that it will not return. Of course, that doesn’t mean that guests will be without a ‘skip the line’ option. During this announcement, Disney also shared information about the new program that will be in place for guests; Disney Genie+. 

If the name ‘Disney Genie’ sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve heard it before. Way back when, Disney announced that they’d have some sort of app that would help guests plan their Walt Disney World vacations more efficiently in the future. Now, thanks to details which were released yesterday, we have a better understanding of what exactly Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ is and how it will work. While we won’t be getting into all of the fine details of Disney Genie here today, what is important to know is that it will be a complementary tool with paid options for guests to use and it will be integrated into My Disney Experience. . . . so no additional app downloads required. 

OK! Let’s get back to the FastPass+ discussion. . . . . 

In lieu of the FastPass+ system, guests will have the ability to pay $15.00 per ticket per day [in other words $15.00 per person] for the Disney Genie+ service. According to the announcement from Disney:

“[...guests can] choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day – from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability).” 

Disney says that Disney Genie+ will also include “Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories” as well as “augmented reality lenses” for guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. These “Lightning Lane” passes, which seems to be the new name for what was once the FastPass+ lane, can be made on the same day of your visit to the theme park and can be used across multiple parks, unlike FastPass+. 

Unfortunately, Disney Genie+ will not allow guests to make Lightning Lane selections for all rides at Walt Disney World. Much like was the case with FastPass+, only select attractions will have a Lightning Lane and the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World will have additional fees for guests who want to skip the line. According to Disney guests can: 

“Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance – like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park. [...] Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch.” 

While there are still some details up in the air, we’re very excited to see this new Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ system roll out. For us, this feels very much like the original FASTPASS system, which we here at 2 Foolish Mortals prefer, with the convenience of using a mobile device rather than a kiosk. Of course, there is quite a bit of discussion about the fact that Disney will be charging for this service and. . . . . honestly, we're not too bothered by that. Though there is always the possibility that the price will rise over time, the idea of paying $15.00 per person per day for the ability to use the Lightning Lane isn’t that bad if you think about it. Especially if this is something you can buy for select days during your Walt Disney World vacation, we think that this actually could be a worthwhile add-on. Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on our thoughts as we learn more in the future and ultimately use the program for ourselves. 

What do you think of this change? Are you excited to see it? Do you think this is something you would pay for when visiting Walt Disney World in the future? Let us know by Joining the Jamboree! We’d love to hear your thoughts. See you there!