Is Disney's new paid FastPass, Genie+, worth the expense? Here’s how it saved me nearly 3 hours in line.

Editor's note: Starting July 24, Disney Genie+ will transition to the Disney Lighting Lane Multi Pass. You can find more details about the new service here.

Once upon a time, in a reality that seems distant (before the lengthy pandemic shutdown of 2020), families visiting Disney World had access to three magical FastPasses they could reserve ahead of their trip.

After using these pre-planned line-cutting passes, families could also book additional free FastPasses as they became available throughout the day in the parks. But like all good fairy tales, that happiness was not meant to last.

When Disney World reopened in July 2020, it did so without the FastPass system.

Initially, FastPass wasn't necessary after the reopening since crowds were quite sparse in the early months. However, as attendance increased later in 2020 and into 2021, so did the demand for a way to skip lines without shelling out thousands for a private VIP tour.

To substitute the former FastPass feature, Disney introduced paid options called Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. These services incorporate some aspects of the discontinued free system but come with notable differences. With Genie+ and Lightning Lanes now available, we did what we do best to determine if it’s truly worth it — we put it to the test in a head-to-head challenge.

For this Genie+ experiment, TPG dispatched two team members (senior editor Nick Ewen and myself) to Orlando with the objective of planning a similar day at Disney World.

We would start and finish at the same time and follow the same list of must-ride attractions. The twist? One person (me) got lucky and accessed the paid Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lanes (for an extra fee), while the other... didn’t have that option.

Here’s what we discovered during our trip and how it helps address the question: Is Disney's Genie+ worth it?

Fundamentals of Disney Genie+

This new system might seem a bit bewildering at first... and perhaps for quite some time. To assist, we've put together a comprehensive guide on Disney Genie+ that I suggest you check out, but here’s a brief overview:

Genie

This is the new, complimentary feature of the MyDisney Experience app designed to enhance your day by offering recommendations on activities, optimizing the order in which to do them, predicting upcoming wait times, and more. As someone who has visited Disney quite a bit, I found this aspect less beneficial for my needs and it wasn't included in this evaluation.

Genie+

Essentially, this is the new paid version of FastPass. At Disney World, it costs $15 per day and grants access to Lightning Lanes for a wide range of attractions in each park.

The catch? You can only reserve one Lightning Lane at a time, starting at 7 a.m. on the day of your visit. However, you can secure additional ride times either after using the current one or two hours after your last reservation, which is handy if you're stacking them for an afternoon or evening at the park.

Individual Lightning Lanes

In every Disney World theme park, there’s a specific attraction with special Lightning Lanes that require an additional fee to access. You don’t have to buy Genie+ to pay for these individual Lightning Lanes, but you can opt for both if you prefer.

These separately sold Lightning Lanes, not included with Genie+, are for the most sought-after rides that usually have the longest wait times. Disney sometimes alters which attractions are part of Genie+ and which ones require individual purchases. Be sure to check Disney's website for the latest updates before your visit.

You can buy up to two individual Lightning Lanes, priced between $7 and $15 per ride, per person, for each day you’re there.

Our objectives for the day and how we organized the test

This wasn’t just a straightforward competition to see who could experience more rides. Instead, the aim was to mimic a typical yet ambitious family day at Disney, which included hopping between parks, taking a lunch break, and focusing on a mix of major attractions and beloved classics.

Our must-ride attractions at the Magic Kingdom included Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

At Epcot, we aimed to experience Soarin' Around the World, Frozen Ever After, Living with the Land, and Test Track. Any additional rides we managed to squeeze in at either park would be considered a bonus.

As guests of Disney resorts, we had the privilege of starting on select attractions 30 minutes before non-resort guests. We took advantage of this by beginning our ride day at the Magic Kingdom at 8:30 a.m. Park hopping commenced at 2 p.m., allowing us to head to Epcot, and we needed to wrap up by 5:30 p.m. for dinner.

With those guidelines established, here’s how everything turned out.

Extra rides with Genie+

To begin with, I managed to experience a total of 18 rides from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — 11 of these were at the Magic Kingdom, while the other seven were at Epcot.

In contrast, Nick completed only 12 rides overall — eight at the Magic Kingdom and four at Epcot.

Although it wasn’t a competition, if you’re counting, that means I enjoyed 50% more rides than he did. I averaged about two rides per hour in the parks, whereas he clocked in at just 1.33 rides per hour.

As Nick lagged behind in the totals, I was able to secure a couple more Genie+ slots for some of the more popular attractions. Ultimately, these six rides were the ones I experienced that Nick didn’t:

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Lightning Lane)
• Barnstormer
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Test Track (Lightning Lane)
• Mission: SPACE

It's no surprise that I'd experience more rides with access to line-skipping options. The true measure lies in the wait times.

Time saved with Disney Genie+

Having already purchased Genie+, I opened my Disney app at 7 a.m. and secured my first Genie+ reservation — a time slot for Splash Mountain from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. This meant our initial rides were experienced the traditional way: waiting in line together.

Nevertheless, our early arrival resulted in just a 19-minute wait for Space Mountain and a mere six-minute wait for Haunted Mansion, making us question if Genie+ was truly worth the extra expense on an ordinary Tuesday in November.

Even my first ride with Genie+ on Splash Mountain only cut down my wait by five minutes, as Nick joined the standby line.

But as time went on, things started to shift.

Here’s a chart detailing the 12 rides we both experienced during our day at the parks.

As illustrated, the wait times for our selected rides varied considerably.

When comparing the wait times for the rides where I utilized Genie+, the disparity becomes even more pronounced.

All Lightning Lanes

As mentioned earlier, I bypassed the lines using Lightning Lane for seven attractions that Nick also visited (five at Magic Kingdom and two at Epcot). Here are our total wait times for those rides:

• Summer: 25 minutes (16 minutes at Magic Kingdom and nine minutes at Epcot)
• Nick: 3 hours, 17 minutes (two hours, 10 minutes at Magic Kingdom and one hour, 7 minutes at Epcot)

In total, I saved two hours and 52 minutes on the rides where I had Lightning Lane access and Nick did not — averaging about 25 minutes saved per ride. Considering the $34 I spent on Genie+ and the "premium" Lightning Lanes, I effectively saved around five minutes for every dollar invested.

Individual Lightning Lanes

I opted for two premium Lightning Lanes: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ($10) and Frozen Ever After ($9). These rides alone saved me a significant amount of time:

• Summer: 10 minutes (six minutes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and four minutes for Frozen Ever After)
• Nick: two hours, three minutes (one hour, 19 minutes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and 44 minutes for Frozen Ever After)

Overall, I saved one hour and 53 minutes — averaging 56 minutes per ride for these two individually priced Lightning Lane attractions. For Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, every dollar spent saved me over seven minutes in line, while for Frozen Ever After, each dollar saved about four and a half minutes.

The main drawback of Genie+

All that time saved seems fantastic, right? It is, but there’s a downside that the charts don’t reflect.

While the cost is definitely a consideration when you're already managing Disney-sized budgets, the extra $15 per day for Genie+ isn't the most significant issue.

The real downside to Genie+, in particular, is that it can lead you to spend more time staring at your phone, which means you’re less engaged in the moment. Given Disney's prices, that's a considerable trade-off.

When you’re shelling out extra for a service like Genie+, it’s easy to feel pressured to get your money’s worth by frequently checking the Disney app for ride availability. However, focusing too much on maximizing Genie+ can detract from the vacation vibe you’re hoping to enjoy.

To reduce your phone time, you need to resist the urge to be overly ambitious. Prioritize two rides that you really want to experience early on, then choose casually from what’s available as you go along.

If you’re going to buy just one thing — let it be this

As highlighted earlier, during our one nine-hour park visit, I saved 174 minutes by utilizing Genie+ and purchasing two individually priced Lightning Lanes for the most popular attractions. That translates to about three hours saved, although it’s important to note that 113 of those minutes came from just two rides: Frozen Ever After and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Without the benefit of Lightning Lane, Nick waited 79 minutes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and 44 minutes for Frozen Ever After.

If you’d rather skip Genie+, you can opt to purchase up to two individual Lightning Lanes each day. This alone saved me nearly two hours in lines.

From our experience, the individual Lightning Lanes that are typically worth the investment on a regular day include Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Avatar Flight of Passage, Frozen Ever After, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Other attractions like Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Space Mountain could also be a good splurge, depending on when you visit the parks and whether you can secure a virtual boarding pass for Remy.

Is Genie+ really worth it?

I spent $15 for a day of Genie+, $10 for the individual Lightning Lane for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and $9 for the individual Lightning Lane for Frozen Ever After. In total, that was $34 that I spent which Nick did not at Disney that day.

While $34 may not seem like a lot for a single day compared to the overall expenses of a Disney vacation, the cost adds up significantly for a family visiting for several days. At that rate, it would increase the total by over $400 for a three-day trip for a family of four.

However, as we outlined, the $34 I spent allowed me to enjoy six more rides than Nick during our nine-hour park day, thanks to saving 174 minutes in line. This equates to about $5.66 per additional ride or roughly 20 cents for each extra minute that could be spent on activities like watching a parade, resting, shopping, or enjoying a show.

Although Genie+ has some features that could use improvement, it definitely helps reduce wait times and enables you to experience more attractions than you could otherwise fit into your schedule.

In that sense, I believe Disney's Genie+ is a worthwhile investment — particularly if you're pressed for time or lacking patience.

The takeaway

I appreciate having a method to reduce wait times without spending a fortune, and it's clear that Genie+ and Lightning Lanes can help you skip the lines and enjoy more attractions. However, if the extra expenses aren't feasible for your budget, don't worry.

There are alternative strategies to minimize wait times. For instance, traditional rope dropping is still effective (just ensure you're there well before the actual opening to secure your spot). Similarly, late evening visits — right up until closing, provided you're in line — are great for experiencing shorter wait times.

Even with Genie+, there will still be times during the day when you have to wait. If you're in town for a while or have an annual pass, there's no need to stress about maximizing every day. You can opt out of Genie+ and just purchase a couple of the "fancy" Lightning Lanes you truly desire, allowing you to save some time in line without overspending.

If you choose to go with Genie+, remember that your experience will depend on how much effort you invest. To keep from spending most of your vacation glued to your phone, consider taking some straightforward wins and don’t worry too much about squeezing every moment on rides. This way, you can genuinely savor your day in the most magical place on Earth.