Disney World bringing back something its visitors love

Back when Disney World offered the FastPass+ system, people staying at the company's on-site hotels had an edge over those that weren't.

They could book FastPass+ experiences 60-days out instead of the 30 that other ticketholders get. That was a major advantage and it generally led to people staying on property getting access to the best rides at their choice of times.

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When Walt Disney (DIS) - Get Free Report dropped FastPass+ in favor of its paid Genie+ and Lightning Lane system, people staying at Disney World resorts lost that advantage. Under the new system, any ticketholder can buy Genie+ on the day of their visit.

Disney sells Genie+ using dynamic pricing, so exactly what people pay for it changes each day. Once the person buys Genie+ they can make a reservation for one eligible ride. They can also buy Lightning Lane passes for specific rides that are not part of the Genie+ offerings.

For the Genie+ selections, guests can make a second reservation once they have used the first. Overall, it’s a paid system that arguably gives visitors less then the old FastPass+ system, which offered three reservations up front (and one at a time more once you used those).

Genie+ comes with a cost and it gives you less than what Disney used to give you for free. It does, however, operate democratically as everyone who holds a ticket to one of the four Disney World theme parks has the same access to ride reservations.

Disney also makes it harder for people to plan their day because Genie+ reservations can only be made on the day of their park visit. This goes for Lightning Lane passes. That means that, in theory, people could plan a Disney World visit because they want to ride “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” at Hollywood Studios or “Tron: Lightcycle Run” at Magic Kingdom and not actually get quick access to their ride of choice.

That’s something that Disney appears ready to change, although details are very scarce.

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Disney plans Genie+ changes

Under the old system, people visiting Disney World for multiple days could use FastPass+ to guarantee three experiences in one park each day. Usually, that would mean one premium experience and two lesser ones.

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As people planned their trip, they would schedule which park to visit (or at least start in) each day based on the FastPass+ reservations they were able to receive. It wasn’t perfect, but it did give Disney World visitors some certainty around their trip.

If, for example, someone could only get a FastPass+ for a favored ride in the early morning or later in the evening, then they would plan their day accordingly. Now, a top Disney executive has said that the ability to book a pre-trip ride and theme park experience reservations.

Disney Destinations Sales Solutions Senior Vice President Javier Moreno spoke at an event for travel agency owners on Oct. 24 and shared that the company was figuring out its options, Travel Weekly reported.

Vahle talked about how Disney World “is such a big property," and with that comes "complexity of the product."

The company, he added, was aware of that and has been working on improving Disney’s consumer-facing apps and bringing pre-trip reservations back.

Vahle noted that pre-planning attraction visits can help "take the stress out of the day," the website reported.

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The executive, however, did not share any details on what the new system might look like or whether it would be available for all ticketholders or just those staying on Disney property.