Die-hard Disneyland fans will be watching closely over the next few weeks to see if the Happiest Place on Earth tests higher Genie+ prices during the busy Christmas holiday season.
Disneyland has quietly raised prices 50% on the Genie+ front-of-the-line service since October with even higher fee hikes possible during the busy Christmas season that traditionally brings bigger crowds and longer wait times for rides.
The Disney Genie+ service offers paid front-of-the-line access to 20 rides at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure — replacing the free FastPass service offered by the Anaheim theme parks for decades.
Disneyland moved to date-based pricing for Genie+ in mid-October — allowing prices for the line-cutting service to fluctuate on a daily basis just like Disneyland ticket prices.
Genie+ prices that were fixed at $20 per day when the service launched in December 2021 now start at $25 a day and vary by date. And “start” is the key word here.
SEE ALSO: I tried Disneyland Genie and here’s what you need to know
Disneyland has hiked Genie+ prices 13 times to $30 since introducing date-based pricing, according to Thrill Data. Five of the price hikes fell on weekends — Oct. 22, Nov. 12, Dec. 3, 10 and 11. Genie+ also hit the $30 mark during Thanksgiving week from Nov. 19-26.
During the first few months of variable pricing, Disneyland has raised Genie+ fees on days when ride wait times have been higher than average. The upcoming Christmas season should give fans a sense of how much Genie+ price elasticity will stretch.
Disneyland has not set a ceiling on Genie+ prices — with a lot of room in the marketplace to push prices even higher. The Mouse House — typically a leader in all things related to theme parks — is playing catch up with competitors that have long charged for line-cutting privileges.
Today’s 50% price hike would be considered modest compared to a 900% spike. Seem impossible? Universal doesn’t think so. Neither does Magic Mountain. And Knott’s isn’t far behind.
Universal Express starts at $199 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Six Flags Magic Mountain has three Flash Pass tiers that start at $80 to $190. Knott’s Berry Farm charges $89 for the Fast Lane time-saving perk — and offers a $675 Fast Lane season pass.
Crowd size appears to play a factor in Disneyland’s recent Genie+ price spikes, according to an analysis of Thrill Data statistics.
Average wait times across the Disneyland resort were 33 minutes or more on 12 of the 13 days when Genie+ prices rose to $30, according to Thrill Data. The average wait time on $30 Genie+ days: 38 minutes. That’s 27% higher than the average 30-minute wait time at the Disneyland resort during the second half of 2022 estimated by Thrill Data.
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The upcoming Christmas holiday season — traditionally the busiest time of the year at the parks — could bring more Genie+ price spikes. Disneylanders will be watching to see if Genie+ prices climb to $35 or higher during the holidays as a sign of things to come in 2023.
Genie+ has become a better value at Disney California Adventure now that the Web Slingers interactive dark ride has been bundled in with the basic package. Previously, visitors had to pay separately to cut the line on the Spider-Man attraction.
Disneyland has used an advance reservation system installed during the pandemic reopening of the parks along with variable ticket pricing to manage crowd sizes. For the first time, all Magic Key annual passholders will be blocked out of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure during the two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day.