Disney Genie Arrives at Disneyland
The Happiest Place on Earth gets a little happier tomorrow, as Disney Genie will arrive at the parks.
What does this mean for future visits? Let’s talk it through…
The Debut of Disney Genie
Walt Disney World unveiled its version of Disney Genie on October 19th. At the time, park officials confirmed that it’d debut a few weeks later at Disneyland Resort.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
We now know that the date is December 8th. Yes, the virtual assistant will become available on the Disneyland app at that time.
Simultaneously, the app will add Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane as well.
As a reminder, Disney Genie works as the first theme park virtual assistant ever.
When you access Disney Genie, it’ll provide a plethora of information about a park visit.
For starters, you can plug in your favorite Disney activities, whether that’s Disney Princesses or Marvel superheroes.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
Then, the app will construct a flexible itinerary for you. It’ll suggest all the attractions and park experiences you should give a try on that day.
Should you dislike any suggestions, you can delete or add selections as needed to perfect your day.
Effectively, Disney Genie works as a travel planner you carry in your pocket.
The value of such a service at Disneyland remains somewhat debatable. Many of the people who visit the park are regulars.
So, they already have habits that may prove hard to break, even if/when Disney Genie provides high-quality suggestions.
Also, Disneyland Resort’s two parks don’t require the same effort as the quartet at Walt Disney World.
You can do pretty much everything at Disney California Adventure (DCA) and Disneyland in three days, even faster if you’re familiar with the parks.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
For these reasons, Disney Genie must prove its utility quickly at Disneyland, something some would argue has yet to happen at Walt Disney World.
I like the virtual assistant just fine, but I can easily get by without it. Critics have suggested that they stopped using it after a matter of days.
The Paid Options of Disney Genie
Disneyland veterans won’t experience the same culture shock with Disney Genie+. It’s just MaxPass by another name.
Whereas Walt Disney World guests had never paid for digital queuing before, it’d been a thing at Disneyland since July of 2017.
So, many guests will possess plenty of familiarity with the process. You’ll purchase Disney Genie+ in the Disneyland app.
For now, you can add the service once you’re in the park. Starting tomorrow, you can purchase Disney Genie+ for future dates when you buy advanced park admission.
The service will cost $20 at Disneyland Resort as opposed to $15 at Walt Disney World. That’s because MaxPass sold for $20 until the park closed for the pandemic.
Walt Disney World guests weren’t paying for digital queuing until October. Disney officials gave them a discount at the start, but it probably won’t last for more than a year or two.
Please be aware that the two Disneyland parks will work slightly differently than Walt Disney World regarding Disney Genie+ scheduling.
You must take the next available time slot rather than trying to schedule a selection for later in the day.
Let’s Talk Lightning Lane
Then, there’s the Lightning Lane aspect. Three attractions won’t participate in Disney Genie+’s standard tier.
These rides will also feature digital queuing, but you must pay extra for each one. They’re the Lightning Lane attractions at Disneyland Resort.
The rides are WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Radiator Springs Racers.
Courtesy of Disney Tourist Blog
You’ll pay extra for these, with the cost ranging from $7 to $20. And here’s another difference from Walt Disney World.
You cannot schedule these Lightning Lane options for later in the day, either. Instead, Disney requires you to take the next available slot.
That could blow up your itinerary, with or without Disney Genie’s guidance. So, keep that aspect in mind when you debate a Lightning Lane purchase.
Disney will allow you to buy two Lightning Lane selections per day. With Park Hopper, you can do one at each park as well.
However, you should understand that you can only schedule one at a time. The average wait time for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is around four hours.
Even with the shorter Lightning Lane wait at Rise of the Resistance, you may not have a chance to do WEB SLINGERS on the same day. That remains to be seen.
A lot will change tomorrow, and we’re all just guessing about how it will play out. The holiday crowds in a couple of weeks will also skew the results.
We may need to wait until January and February to get a good idea of how this will work.
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