There were a ton of unhappy campers at Walt Disney World over the Christmas holiday. On Wednesday, Disney World’s Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade debuted its first daytime performance of the season. Although, many park-goers weren’t able to view the parade due to issues with the new Disney Genie+ app.
Walt Disney World News Today reported that the Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane area also opened on the same day that the Christmastime Parade did this season. This area allowed guests to reserve a prime viewing of the parade beforehand. The opening didn’t exactly go as planned though. Lightning Lane reservations were apparently overbooked, leading to many visitors being turned away from the Christmas festivities in the park. The publication reported that when guests arrived at the area, they learned that their reservations weren’t in the system.
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Additionally, cast members told guests that the area was completely booked up, which meant that some reservations were mysteriously “pushed out of the system.” Cast members also told visitors that they weren’t able to see any past records of any previously made reservations. While some guests took screenshots of their reservations in case a situation just like this one arose, cast members could not honor their booking. Visitors were still able to view the parade. However, since the Magic Kingdom park was packed with those celebrating the holiday season, it was difficult to find a new spot at the last minute.
Disney did not alert reservation-holders to these changes. Walt Disney World News Today reported that guests were only told of the changes when they arrived at the area. The outlet noted that a cast member told a guest that some reservations were pushed out because “it’s a live system.” Interestingly enough, this incident comes after Disney unveiled the new Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ apps this year. Disney fans weren’t particularly thrilled about these new apps, which seemed to serve as a replacement for the much-beloved Fast Pass. Unlike the Fast Pass, which was a free service, Disney guests have to pay for Disney Genie+. This new app allows guests to make reservations, like for the Lightning Area, and reserve tickets to certain rides in advance. Of course, Disney fans can also download the free version of the app, Disney Genie, which still offers features such as wait times for rides and information on how you can make your day all the more magical.
