Disneyland 'Genie' Replaces Fast Pass, Max Pass: How It Works

ANAHEIM, CA — The Disneyland Resort Fast Pass and Max Pass will not return, the park announced Wednesday. In its place, the resort unveiled the new Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ program.

Unlike the old system, the new Disney Genie service works just like the famed Aladdin character, at your service!

Disney Genie is a free service available through your Disneyland App. Designers say the app will maximize your park visit based upon the experience you wish to have while on the property.

"It can seamlessly map out your entire day," a park spokesperson tells Patch. "We've made significant investments in this cool new technology, which guides you through our theme parks with tips that can help you reduce time in lines, discover magic around every corner and take the guesswork out of 'what's next.'"

Under the new system, visitors can choose from the free Disney Genie app, which helps people plan their day by recommending the best times to visit selected activities and attractions while displaying current and anticipated wait times at rides and other experiences.

Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, spoke on the new release.

"Disney Genie listens to the preferences that guests share with us to help design their best day and deliver an experience that’s made just for them," D'Amaro said. "Pairing incredible technology with more than 60 years of expertise about how our guests visit the parks, Disney Genie will personalize their Disney day, allowing guests to spend less time planning and waiting and more time doing the things they love.”

Fans of Disneyland are used to using the free app to book boarding passes to the popular Rise of the Resistance and Webslingers rides. The app also allows people to make dining reservations or place mobile food orders.

In the past, you could also book "Max Pass" reservations to ride different attractions. With the new service, the Genie will enable you to join virtual lines for certain attractions.

The Disney Genie+ service, available for an extra $20 per ticket, most closely resembles the Max Pass, a similar price. Visitors can upgrade for the full of the free app and including the Lightning Lane for one attraction at a time. Guests will use the Genie+ service for popular rides such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The Genie+ app will also include unlimited photo downloads and other "audio experiences and photo features."

Lightning Lane access for the most popular park attractions, such as Radiator Springs Racers at California Adventure, will not be included in the $20 Genie+ service but will be offered for an additional fee that will "vary by date, attraction and park." Those prices were not immediately disclosed but "will be announced closer to launch," according to Disney.

"While the FASTPASS, FastPass+ and Disney MaxPass services will be retired, we’re incredibly excited about the flexibility and choices Disney Genie service provides," the park spokesperson said. "You can choose from all of our new
options, a mix of them or none at all, and continue to have a great experience no matter how you decide to plan your best Disney day."

Amendments are also being made to the Disability Access Service program, they said. There will be new options available to enroll in that program, pre-arrival, and select attractions directly from the app.

Visit the Services for Guests with Disabilities page on www.Disneyland.com for more details.

The Genie services will be built into the Disneyland and My Disney Experience apps. The Genie+ service will only cost $15 per ticket at Walt Disney World in Florida.