This week at Walt Disney World has been VERY busy with the announcement of the Disney Genie paid FastPass+ replacement service, the return of biometric fingerprint scanning to the theme parks, plus a brand new sneak peek at Disney Enchantment.
Programming note: Though we normally devote some time to Orlando-area parks outside Lake Buena Vista, there has been so much going on at Walt Disney World over the past seven days that we decided to forgo the “beyond” for just one week. You’ll hear about all the news from Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld Orlando in next week’s update!
1. Disney Genie pre-planning service announced
Image: Disney
Disney Genie was officially announced this week as a free new service inside the My Disney Experience app that will help guests plan their day, giving guests realtime suggestions on what to experience and when to “dramatically” improve guest experience.
2. Disney Genie+ announced as FastPass+ replacement
Alongside the Disney Genie announcement came the news that many guests have been dreading: Free FastPass is officially dead. Replacing it is a new paid program called Disney Genie+ that allows guests to get faster access to over 40 attractions via “Lightning Lanes” for $15 per guest, per day. In addition, guests can purchase Genie+ Lightning Lane access for individual popular attractions as well, which will include Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Seven Dwarves Mine Train and more.
3. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to use virtual queue system
When it opens on October 1, 2021 Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will use the same virtual queue system that is currently being used by Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. And like that attraction, no standby lines will be available. However, guests that are unable to secure a spot in the virtual queue can pay to use the Lightning Lane individual attraction capability to experience this new attraction.
4. Masks no longer required in outdoor queue/performance spaces
As of this week Disney has relaxed its mask policy at Walt Disney World theme parks once again, announcing that face coverings are now optional for Guests in outdoor attractions, outdoor queues and outdoor theaters at Walt Disney World Resort. Face coverings remain required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) while indoors and in Disney buses, monorail and Disney Skyliner, regardless of vaccination status.
5. Steakhouse 71 to replace The Wave at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney has confirmed that The Wave at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will be replaced by a new casual dining concept. Named Steakhouse 71 this new restaurant gets its name from the resort’s opening year and is an East Coast companion to Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel (which closed permanently earlier this year). No menu details or opening target have been shared yet about this upcoming new restaurant.
6. New Disney Enchantment details revealed
Disney has released more information this week about what to expect from its Disney Enchantment 50th anniversary show, and as has been the trend from other recent Disney nighttime spectaculars, this upcoming new show will have a heavy feature on Disney movies, with beloved characters from Princess and the Frog, Coco, Luca, Wreck-It Ralph,Tangled, Soul, Zootopia, Beauty and the Beast, and Alice in Wonderland all making an appearance in this upcoming fireworks show
7. Disability Access Service (DAS) program gets new features
Walt Disney World announced new changes to their Disability Access Service (DAS) program this week, which allows guests with a disability to skip the line at most attractions. First up among the changes is a new DAS Advance option to register virtually with a Cast Member via live video chat as early as 30 days in advance of a park visit where guests will have the opportunity to select up to 2 experiences per day (subject to availability) using the new DAS Advance planning option. Guests who use this option will be given a one-hour return window to redeem during the day of their visit that can be viewed on the My Disney Experience app or on this website.
In addition, guests registered in the DAS program (and their party members) starting this fall will be able to make return time selections right from their My Disney Experience app during the day of a park visit. More details can be found via the Disability Access Service (DAS) website here.
8. New look at Spaceship Earth’s Beacons of Magic released
Walt Disney Imagineer Zach Riddley recently shared some new photos on his Instagram of the new Beacons of Magic lighting system coming to Spaceship Earth as part of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. You can check out more photos here.
9. Buffets reopen at Walt Disney World
Buffet-style dining has been absent from Walt Disney World since March 2020 due to COVID-19 safety precautions, but earlier this week Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge became the first buffet on property to reopen. Following this reopening Disney announced that both the Biergarten restaurant at EPCOT as well as the Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom would also be converting from family style meals back into buffets in the weeks ahead. You can read more about this here.
