2. Pre-booking Lightning Lanes

FastPass+ – the digital version of the service that launched as part of the billion dollar MyMagic+ initiative – wasn't perfect. Critics often complained that the pre-booking experiences down to the minute (weeks or even months out from your trip) removed spontaneity and flexibility. One of Genie+'s "selling points" was that it would return the spontaneous, day-of decision-making guests remembered fondly from the paper FastPass days, choosing rides one-at-a-time with rolling reservation windows. 

Turns out the grass isn't always greener. Fans actually don't like not knowing until the day-of whether or not they secured a high demand Lightning Lane, and they don't like the pressure of having to constantly redeem and refresh and rebook. We will almost certainly see Disney shift to a system where guests secure their Lightning Lane arrival times before their trip. But of course, that'll mean a very controversial change... 

3. Stratified booking

One of the more controversial issues with FastPass+ is that it gave guests with confirmed Walt DIsney World resort hotel reservations a substantial, 30 day head start on booking rides. It may have been frustrating for day guests, but it was a major perk for those staying on-site. It meant that – 60 days out – those with on-site hotel stays could sweep in and book up in-demand rides like Avatar Flight of Passage, sometimes leaving just scraps for non-hotel guests when their booking window opened 30 days prior to their trip.

Genie+ removed that stratification, forcing everyone – yep, even those staying at Disney's very high priced Deluxe hotels – to fight for day-of reservations at 7AM every morning. Almost certainly, if Disney shifts Genie+ to pre-booking slots, they'll take the opportunity to "reward" on-site hotel guests with early access. It's a "perk" that doesn't cost Disney anything, but will increase the value (and maybe, price) of a Disney resort hotel.

4. Price increases

It's hard to believe that when Genie+ launched in October 2021, it was a set price: $15 per person per day. Since then, Disney has made waves of change to the program's pricing and availability. First, it became untethered from being a ticket add-on, requiring guests to purchase it each day, on the day. Then, its pricing became "demand-based" – i.e. more expensive on busy days. Then, that flexible pricing also changed depending on the park (or multi-park). To date, Genie+'s record high is $39 per person per day. But weirdly, if you ask some fans, it should be more.

After all, Genie+ is expensive... but it's not prohibitively expensive. A family may grimace and groan at having to spend $70 - $100 per day for their family to have Genie+, but for families financially secure enough to afford one and in the scope of a Disney World vacation, it's not a make-or-break number... As evidenced by the massive lines that spill out of Lightning Lanes, Disney is either overselling Genie+, pretending downtime doesn't happen, or allowing far too many reservations in each hour-long return window.

The obvious "apples to oranges" comparison is Universal's Express service, which has a massive upfront cost... but also has a far smaller impact on a typical guest's visit because far fewer people use it. Disney's relatively low-cost service makes it a new "default" for most families (making us wonder why Disney didn't just hike the cost of tickets $15 and keep the beloved FastPass and all the decades of goodwill that came with it). Almost certainly, Disney's revamp of Genie+ will come with price jumps... but as before, they'll probably be incremental enough that they don't really help keep people away.

Look, as much as fans may daydream about Disney Parks leadership coming to their senses and doing away with the awful ideas that have spawned post-pandemic, we have to face the truth: Disney's key performance indicator isn't guest satisfaction anymore. It's per capita spending. Though only Bob Chapek was brash enough to "say the quiet part out loud," Disney's actions make it clear that the plan is still to have fewer guests, who spend more. At a time when the company is hurting, the added revenue from Genie+ and other park upcharges is essential. The question is, will shifting Genie+ to pre-booked selections like FastPass+ make a difference to you?