Disney World shakes up system for shorter lines

The company on Tuesday announced it was streamlining the Genie+ service, which lets users pay for shorter lines on select rides and attractions at theme parks—as well as bringing back a feature it offered before it began charging for that perk.

Starting July 24, Genie+ will be renamed Lightning Lane Multi Pass—and users will once again be able to book up to three shorter lines per day for the entirety of their trip up to seven days in advance. (Guests who are not staying at a Disney resort hotel will be able to book advance trips three days in advance.)

That should help vacationers have a better sense of their days at the theme parks, rather than staying up late (or waking up early) to book a single shorter wait. Guests will be able to book additional shorter lines in the park.

High-demand rides will continue to use a separate system for shorter waits, bought on an individual basis. Those will be renamed from Individual Lightning Lane passes to Lightning Lane Single Pass. As before, they must be bought on a per-guest basis.

Disney did not announce pricing for the revamped system. The cost of Genie+ currently varies based on which theme park people are visiting, as well as how heavy demand is that day. Generally, guests pay somewhere between $20 and $30. Guests will continue to receive digital downloads of select ride photos and videos as well.

Longer, free standby queues and virtual queues (the system used for popular attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) will still be available for most rides. And the complementary features of the Genie service, which suggest rides and show wait times, will not change.

For visitors to Disneyland, which has different guest habits, the service names will change, but the way guests purchase, select and redeem Lightning Lane passes will not be altered.