In August, Disney announced that it would be introducing a paid option to skip lines in its theme parks.
According to the company, FastPass will be discontinued in its California and Orlando parks. This allowed users to skip lines without paying.
The launch of Disney's Genie service, and optional Genie+ add on will be at Walt Disney World Resort October 19.
If they want to skip the line at their favorite rides, Disney-goers may soon find themselves digging deeper into their pockets.
Disney announced Friday that it will launch its new Genie+ and Genie+ systems at Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort on October 19. This is part of Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, which also includes its Lightning Lane entrances.
Genie, an app that Disney offers, allows customers to customize their Disney parks itineraries. This includes scheduling wait times and organizing dining reservations. The optional Genie+ upgrade adds Disney's Lightning Lanes, a new line-skipping feature for park visitors. It will cost $15 more.
Lightning Lanes will replace the popular and free FastPass system that Disney retired earlier in the year. The pandemic closed Disney's amusement parks for several months. They reopened earlier this year with reduced capacity. According to the company's latest earnings results, its theme parks are still in full profitability.
The $15 price covers line-skips on 40 rides in the Disney Orlando parks as part of their general "Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections". Space Mountain and Expedition Everest are more popular rides, so line-skipping falls under the "Individual Lightning Lane Selections" category. Customers will need to add each item "a la carte". These rides have their own pricing but will be available to all guests regardless of whether they purchase Genie+.
Park goers who combine the Genie+ basic plan with the a-la-carte options could pay up to $40 in addition to the general price for one-day tickets, which can range between $109 and $159 depending on the day. This is according the New York Times.
You can see which attractions and rides will be covered by the various line-skipping plans.
