Disney Squeezes Guests for Genie+, Now They’re Turning to Third Party Apps

Disney has become incredibly expensive. Whether from the Theme Park tickets, the increased food prices with reduced quantities, and the biggest sore spot of them all, the pricey Disney Genie suite with Genie+ and Lightning Lane (which has reportedly done little other than make the process of being in a Disney Park more complicated for many Guests). But as many Guests will tell you, Genie+ has become a necessity while visiting either the Walt Disney World Resort or the Disneyland Resort, and as a consequence, Guests have faced struggles with Genie+ for a few years now.

Leaving alone the simple fact that the app has been criticized previously for not being well made—to be precise, a developer called it “awful”—the app also has become an inextricable part of the Disney experience, with many complaining they spend most of their days on their phone trying to make sure they get the rides and attractions they want. So now, fans have found their way around it. Many are turning to third-party apps to make the process easier.

Disney TikToker Dana shared the following tip about Standby Skipper.

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♬ Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller

This isn’t the only app to do this. Other third-party apps try to optimize the Disney experience. RideMax WDW is another example of an app that “helps you spend LESS TIME IN LINE at Walt Disney World by creating custom, optimized itineraries for you to follow.”

All of these apps stem from a simple need for the the Disney experience to be more straightforward—something Disney has not yet seemingly accomplished despite all the price hikes.

These are apps that fans are recommending to fellow Guests and fans so that they can actually enjoy their Disney vacation and spend time with their families rather than glued to their phones.

What’s certainly bemusing about this is that Disney constantly reiterates their belief in the Disney Genie product and has not yet shown signs of responding to Guests concerns about the app. Admittedly, Disney has a lot more on their plate, considering the upcoming layoffs that are now taking center stage for the Mouse House. All this said we can say for certain that the Disney Genie app, with all of the struggles it causes Guests, is here to stay.

As Disney Fanatics know, Guests can use the Disney Genie suite at both the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort at all Theme Parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in Disneyland. The Disney Genie suite comprises the Genie+, Lightning Lane, and a third part called Individual Lightning Lane for attractions not on Genie+ like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.