Though last week’s D23 Expo was chock full of announcements about the future of Epcot, Avengers Campus, and more, one relatively low-key announcement that may have flow over some Disney fans’ heads was that of Disney Genie, which is a new tool that Disney will be rolling out at some point next year to help guests “have the perfect hassle-free vacation”. But what exactly is this new tool? Let’s look at what Disney has (and has not) confirmed about their newest vacation planning assistant!
A new smartphone app, coming next year
Image: Disney
According to Disney’s official description, the new Disney Genie app will be a new digital offering that will debut in late 2020. This new app is being designed to help guests make the most out of each and every visit to Walt Disney World, whether they are a first-time guest or a seasoned pro. Here are some of the confirmed features that will be available inside this new app:
- Themed itinerary generator: The app will automatically generate customized itineraries geared to guests’ interests, whether they are princesses, thrill rides, Star Wars, or something else. Simply pick a theme, and Disney will generate a schedule for you, complete with show times, FastPass+ reservations, and more
- Timing suggestions: If you already know what you want to do, you can plug in the attractions you want to experience and then Disney Genie will quickly evaluate millions of options to present you with an optimal day, suggesting times for stand by lines, FastPass+ availability, and more.
- Real-time tips, updates and recommendations: Based on what you’ve already done at Walt Disney World, Disney Genie can recommend experiences for you throughout the day, and also provide tips to optimize your day as well.
- Make reservations for you: Disney genie can make reservations for dining, FastPass+ and more in one step.
Will this be replacing My Disney Experience?
Though Disney hasn’t confirmed as much, based on the fact that they left any mention of My Disney Experience out of their announcement (despite name-dropping MagicBands and the Disney Parks Play Pass as some of Walt Disney World’s greatest technological innovations), we’d guess that My Disney Experience won’t be around much longer. Guests who have been frustrated by this app’s instability may welcome this change, but we can’t help but feel at least a little attached to some of this app’s more helpful features, like PhotoPass integration and Mobile Order, which might not be a part of Disney Genie.
Could Disney Genie be a Trojan Horse for paid FastPass+?
We’ve long wondered how long FastPass+ would stay free. Though Disney insisted when this system rolled out that guests would never pay for FastPass+, a lot has changed in the past few years. The paid, MaxPass system is a hit at Disneyland, and paid premium FastPass+ quietly rolled out for certain high-paying resort guests at Walt Disney World several months ago. Though unconfirmed, rumors suggest that Disney is looking at ways to roll out a paid FastPass+ option for all guests, and Disney Genie may just be part of that plan.
With paid FastPass options available at almost every other Disney park, including Shanghai Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and of course Disneyland Resort, its hard not to think that this option won’t come to Walt Disney World eventually, and with the current stigma around ticket price hikes, if Disney did introduce this system inside Disney Genie it could be a simple way to grow profits without raising ticket prices again.
Image: Disney
Though we still have a LOT of questions about the Disney Genie app, we won’t have to wait long to learn more, as Disney has confirmed this new vacation planning tool is launching next year, so hopefully we will get some updates soon!
