Walt Disney World President Says Pre-Trip Attraction Reservations Via Genie+ Are Coming

During the 2023 Disney Destinations presentation yesterday, Walt Disney World Resort president Jeff Vahle spoke to about 400 travel agency owners at the EarMarked Program Owners Summit.

According to Travel Weekly, Vahle was asked specifically about how Disney’s “skip-the-line products” would “evolve.”

Currently, Genie+ is available for purchase on the day of your theme park visit and allows guests to use a shorter line. Those wanting more can also purchase individual Lightning Lane passes for some attractions to allow them quicker entry. But again, all of this must be done on the day of your visit.

Prior to Genie+, FastPass+ allowed guests three FastPass line entries a day that could be booked ahead of their trip. When Genie+ replaced the FastPass program, booking ahead could not happen.

Now, Vahle has indicated that Disney is looking into improving the system, making it easier to use and allowing pre-trip reservations again.

Vahle said Disney World “is such a big property,” and with that comes “complexity of the product.” But Disney, he said, is looking to make it simpler. In addition to working on Disney’s consumer-facing apps to make them more user-friendly, pre-trip reservations are coming to Genie Plus, he said to applause from agency owners.

Vahle noted that pre-planning attraction visits can help “take the stress out of the day.”

However, I fully expect any pre-trip reservations to come with an increased price tag. Disney keeps raising the prices on Genie+, and any “perk” comes with an increased price. I think it is highly unlikely that Disney would allow people to purchase Genie+ and fill up reservations at no extra cost.

Magic comes with a price, and Disney knows how to make you pay it. People will pay it because they want to “take the stress out of the day.” But I would argue that Disney’s Genie+ has made it far more stressful than it ever was.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!