Last week, Disney announced new details surrounding the previously announced Disney Genie app and the newly announced Disney Genie+ service! The announcement was a little bit confusing, however, I have spent the past few days going over the details and training with Disney so I can be as prepared as possible to assist with your upcoming vacations. We do not yet have ALL of the details, but I wanted to share everything that we know thus far with you.

• Disney Genie and Genie+ will be launching sometime this fall. We do not have an exact date yet - so stay tuned for that!
• Disney Genie is a new feature of the My Disney Experience app. Disney Genie promises to help guests maximize their park time by helping with a personalized itinerary. From the demos we have seen, you will be able to input a list of desired attractions and experiences, and Genie will give you what it thinks is the "best plan" for your day. You'll be able to plan around dining and other reservations as well - with the app showing you current and forecasted wait times. Disney Genie will have other interactive and exciting features to help you navigate through the parks. This will not replace the pre-planning that I do with you (choosing parks, making dining reservations, etc.) but instead will enhance the IN PARK experience.
• Disney FastPass, FastPass+, and MaxPass have all been retired.
• Disney Genie+ service is the newly announced replacement for FastPasses. For $15 per person, per ticket day at WDW, you will be able to use the app to choose the next available arrival window for a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day.
• You will also be able to select up to TWO highly demanded attractions each day using Lightning Lane entrances for an additional fee. We don't yet have a list of attractions or pricing - but we do expect this to vary based on dates and demand.
• Traditional standby lanes and virtual queues will remain as a free option for those who do not wish to purchase Genie+ or individual attraction selections.
• You can choose to purchase Genie+ AND/OR individual attraction selections.
• For those staying on property at WDW, you'll be able to make those selections beginning at 7am on each park day. For offsite guests, you won't be able to make selections until the park opens for the day. Stay tuned for more details regarding if any offsite good neighbor resorts are included in the 7am window.
• Disney is also making some enhancements to the Disability Access Service (DAS) program. If your family has utilized DAS in the past, or if you think you may qualify, please reach out to me so that we can chat more.

So, how can you purchase Genie+ access? If you want to add it for all days of your trip, I will be able to assist with adding that on for you once the dates and more information have been announced. If you only want to add Genie+ service for SOME days of your trip, then you will need to wait until the DAY OF to be able to purchase access via the app (beginning at midnight). Individual attraction selections will also be made DAY OF (booking time TBA).

I know you probably have lots of questions, and I may not have the answers yet. However, if you send them along, I will do my best to address them once we get more information from Disney. If you know that you want to purchase Genie+ access for ALL days of your vacation, please let me know so that I can provide you with additional information once we have it sometime in the near future.

Remember, your Road To Relaxation Travel Professional is the best genie to help you have an amazing vacation!

​Shopping at Walt Disney World can be a great past time for retreating from the crowds, cooling off between rides, or just picking out a great souvenir to bring home.
It's entirely possible to spend a lot of time wandering from shop to shop as there are so many in each park. Disney Springs alone could take an entire afternoon exploring.  Here are a few spots I checked out on my last trip that had some great merchandise worth exploring.

​If you've never checked out The Marketplace Co-Op, you must stop in on your next visit to Disney Springs! This is a huge retail emporium featuring a variety of brands and special events featuring art, apparel, home decor and so much more. 

​The Disney Cruise Line Pop-Up Shop had a great selection of merchandise like this cute purse, lots of clothing and even luggage for your next cruise!  The Dress Shop on Cherry Tree Lane has beautiful dresses like this one seen on display.  Also check out Disney Tails where you might even find some matching apparel for you and your pup!
Browsing around the Co op is a great way to pass the time before your dinner reservation in Disney Springs.
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​Another area I love to shop in is Hollywood Studios. This is where you can find all the greatest Star Wars gear.

​The unique items like the pilot helmets make for a great holiday gift for your favorite Star Wars fan.  There were also fun items like this adorable "The Child" mug and entire Star Wars outfits perfect for exploring Galaxy's Edge.

There are so many great shopping spots all around DisneyWorld. What is your favorite item that you brought home from Disney? Do you have a favorite shopping spot?

Erica Van Stell, Travel Professional with Road to Relaxation Travel

I love helping people find the perfect destination for their vacation and sharing all of my favorite tips and tricks with them.
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Growing up, my family made it a priority to take a trip each year to somewhere we had never been. It wasn’t always to a far away, exotic location. Sometimes it was just a new place to check out in our own state. This is what fostered my love for travel and helping people find new places to enjoy.