Last month, Disney introduced 3 BIG Changes Coming to Walt Disney World to Improve Guest Experience & Value. One of these is modifications to PhotoPass choices, a few of which might now be “free” to consumers of Genie+ (paid FastPass) and Annual Passholders. We now have extra particulars & begin dates to share, together with some commentary.
Let’s really begin with the newest on Lightning Lanes in case you’ve missed the updates in Genie+ Sells Out for First Two Times at Disney World. In addition to promoting out on Sunday, Genie+ additionally bought out on Monday (Presidents’ Day) at Walt Disney World. On Presidents’ Day, it bought out someday between 1:30 pm and a pair of:15 pm EST, which was later than it bought out Sunday. On each days, Genie+ was priced at $29 per particular person, earlier than tax.
On Tuesday, the worth of Genie+ dropped again all the way down to $22 per particular person (pre-tax). It has been that worth on daily basis since, and has but to promote out once more. If you’re assuming each the cheaper price and the service not promoting out are attributable to decrease crowds following the vacation weekend, you’re incorrect.
Thus far, Tuesday has been the busiest day of the vacation week with 10/10 crowd ranges and a mean wait time of 61 minutes. Yesterday was not fairly as dangerous, with a mean of “only” 53 minutes–which was nonetheless sufficient for a ten/10 crowd stage. It’s too early to inform what the final word crowd stage will probably be in the present day, nevertheless it’s at the moment under 10/10.
In any case, we beforehand predicted that this may be the Worst Week of Winter 2023 at Walt Disney World. That is not simply as a result of Presidents’ Day lengthy weekend. Mardi Gras is one other enormous issue, and many faculties are off this complete week in consequence. There’s additionally the Princess Half Marathon this upcoming weekend, and a few giant youth sporting occasions at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Suffice to say, these 10/10 crowd ranges aren’t within the rearview mirror, and received’t be till February 27, 2023.
It’s fascinating that Genie+ bought out on Sunday and Monday, however no days since. Our expectation is that the worth jumps again to $29 this coming weekend, and doubtlessly sells out once more. As for why it didn’t promote out on Tuesday–a less expensive and busier day than Monday–some readers theorized that vacationers who arrived on Sunday and acquired it that day or on Monday could have been dissatisfied. On busy days, the common visitor solely will get 3-4 Lightning Lanes–and that’s if they begin reserving them at or round 7 am.
Given that, many could choose to not purchase once more after being burned a few times would make sense. I’m inclined to agree with this idea, and know that visitor satisfaction with Genie+ has been low by Walt Disney World’s requirements. However, with a contemporary crop of vacationers arriving this weekend, promote outs are as soon as once more attainable.
Anyway, Walt Disney World has now introduced that they’re going in the wrong way, and truly including worth to Genie+ as a substitute of accelerating the worth and making it much less helpful within the course of.
Starting March 20, 2023, friends who buy Genie+ service may even obtain digital downloads of their Disney PhotoPass attraction pictures, taken within the park on the day of their buy, at no further cost.
Attraction pictures are taken whereas within the parks at greater than a dozen of Walt Disney World’s hottest points of interest together with the next:
Magic Kingdom
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Space Mountain
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
EPCOT
- Frozen Ever After
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Test Track
Hollywood Studios
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (at the moment closed)
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Animal Kingdom
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest
Starting April 4, this record may even embody TRON Lightcycle Run, the most recent attraction at Magic Kingdom and doubtless the best on-ride picture of all due to the distinctive lightcycle experience automobiles. Although I’d say the pictures we now have from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind are amongst our most enjoyable ones!
Also beginning March 20, Annual Passholders will obtain entry to Disney PhotoPass lenses and one complimentary Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories expertise (age restrictions apply). See our put up concerning the Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories in the event you’re unfamiliar with that providing that debuted (and seemingly flopped) round this time final yr.
While we’re excited for the inclusion of on-ride attraction pictures within the Genie+ service, the Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories and PhotoPass lenses do completely nothing for us. Those lenses are enjoyable to mess around with as soon as for like 20 minutes, and we’d advocate doing precisely that. We have some enjoyable ones of us that we saved, however we actually haven’t touched that function (which is at the moment included in Genie+) in over a yr.
The large draw back of the PhotoPass lenses is that it’s a enormous battery drain. On the times that we examined it out, our units dropped from practically full fees to beneath 20% in about an hour–perhaps much less. Using Genie+ and the My Disney Experience app as regular over the course of a day can already be taxing sufficient on a tool’s cost with out including the lenses to the combination. Plus, utilizing them means much more display screen time, and we now have greater than our fill of that on a typical day in Walt Disney World.
Still, it’s good that Walt Disney World is including and enhancing slightly than taking away. Even if not for us, the PhotoPass lenses are a enjoyable function that’s price making an attempt out no less than as soon as–perhaps you’ll benefit from the lenses and wish to use them greater than we did! They’re not one thing we’re tremendous enthusiastic about or overly-praise, however we’re additionally not going to rain on the parade of anybody wanting ahead to this.
Ultimately, we’re wanting ahead to the addition of on-ride pictures within the Genie+ service, which makes the service extra corresponding to its counterpart at Disneyland. (It’s nonetheless not as helpful or simple at Walt Disney World, save for at Magic Kingdom.) This is a pleasant and appreciated value-add, particularly on days when the fee is larger and the usefulness is decrease.
If you could have questions concerning the fundamentals of utilizing–or not utilizing–the paid FastPass service, see our Guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World & Lightning Lane FAQ for the entire foundational need-to-know data. This complete system is complicated and convoluted, so that you might need a query or two-dozen. That solutions the entire most typical ones we’ve been receiving from readers.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about inns on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips put up takes a singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for all the pieces it is advisable know!
Your Thoughts
What do you consider these PhotoPass modifications at Walt Disney World? Happy about these strikes or do they not impression you? Surprised that Walt Disney World is together with on-ride pictures with Genie+ or freely giving the lenses to Annual Passholders? To whom or what do you attribute these constructive selections? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we will help you reply? Hearing your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!