When planning a trip to Walt Disney World, one thing that is important to consider is if you will utilize Disney Genie. There are two versions of Disney Genie you can utilize at Walt Disney World. These services are referred to as Genie and Genie+. Disney Genie is a free service offered that provides a personalized itinerary for your day at the parks, while Genie+ is a paid service which allows you to skip the lines at select attractions around Walt Disney World. By deciding ahead of time if using these services would be beneficial to your group during your visit and learning how to effectively utilize these tools can help you maximize your experience! Pink and Pixie Dust is here to help with our guide to using these services during your visit to Walt Disney World!
Disney Genie
Genie plus is the free planning tool offered by Disney through the My Disney Experience app. When accessing this tool on the app, you will begin by selecting experiences you are interested in, such as characters, attractions, and restaurants. After selecting these, Genie will create an itinerary for your day. This itinerary will include some of the experiences you indicated interest in as well as additional experiences you may enjoy! As wait times change, Genie may suggest a different itinerary to help you best make the most of your time. This service will also incorporate into your itinerary anything you have booked that day, such as dining reservations!
You do not need to stick to this itinerary and can create your own plans throughout the day as your group discovers experiences they would like to participate in, but it can be a helpful guide for recommendations. If visiting Walt Disney World for the first time, Genie may be a very helpful service during your visit!
Disney Genie+
Genie+ is a paid, skip the line service offered at each of the parks at Walt Disney World. Like Genie, Genie+ is available to access through the My Disney Experience app. When you choose to purchase Genie+, you will be able to book return times through the My Disney Experience app and once it becomes your scheduled return time, you will be able to enter the line through the “Lightning Lane”. The “Lightning Lane” is an expedited line that reduces your wait time to ride the attraction. Sometimes you may be able to immediately walk on the ride while other times, depending on how busy the park and that attraction are that day, it may reduce your wait roughly 80% of the posted wait time. Genie+ is offered not only for most attractions at Walt Disney World, but for some show and character meet and greet experiences as well!
Genie+ is a great service to help you make the most of your visit, allowing you to spend less time waiting in line and more time being able to experience additional attractions and offerings! If it’s your first visit to Walt Disney World or if you have a short trip planned to WDW, we highly recommend using this service.
Genie+ and Genie+ Individual Experiences
There are two different versions of of Disney Genie+. First is the regular Genie+, which allows to you to book lightning lanes from a list of available attractions. With this version, you can book as many lightning lanes as you wish throughout the day as long as attraction return times remain available. For the full list of attractions available through Genie+, visit here.
The second version of Genie+ is referred to as Individual Lightning Lane Entry. For this service, you purchase lightning lane access to select attractions individually. The rides offered are typically the most popular or newest attractions at their respective park. When purchasing an individual lightning lane entry, just like the regular Genie+, you will select a return time to enter the queue for the attraction through the lightning lane.
Individual Lightning Lane Entry Attractions:
Magic Kingdom:
- Tron Lightcycle Run
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Epcot:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Hollywood Studios:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Animal Kingdom:
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Purchasing and Cost
You can choose to purchase Genie+ for one park or for all four parks. Depending on whether you are remaining in the same park all day or park hopping will help determine which option is right for you. Typically, purchasing the single park option for the park you are visiting will be less expensive than the four park option.
Prices for Genie+ fluctuate based upon the time of year and expected crowd levels at the parks. The busier the time of year, such as during spring break or the holidays, the more expensive this service is likely to be. In the past, Genie+ tends to be available for around $15-30 per person per day. Individual Lightning Lane Entry tends to be available for around $10-30 per person per day. This service can be a great tool tool to help you make the most of your day at the parks, but you’ll need to weigh if purchasing this service is right for your group.
You will purchase Genie+ through the My Disney Experience app the day you wish to utilize it. You can begin purchasing it at 12:00am and can purchase it anytime throughout the day as availability remains. Genie+ is usually available for purchase throughout the day, but on certain very busy days at the parks, such as Christmas Day, it may sell out early on in the day. Although it is available to be purchased anytime during the day, we recommend purchasing Genie+ first thing in the morning in order to be able to get the most value and book the greatest number of lightning lanes!
Return Times
When utilizing Genie+, you will need to book return times for each attraction. The day of, all visitors can begin booking their first lightning lane return time at 7am before the park opens. Guests staying at one of the Walt Disney World resorts also have the ability to begin purchasing return times for individual lightning lane entry attractions starting at 7am. Visitors not staying on property can begin purchasing individual lightning lane entry attractions when the park opens. You do not need to be inside of the park to purchase and book Genie+ offerings.
You will purchase and book these through the My Disney Experience app. After entering the app you will click on the three stacked horizontal lines at the bottom of the screen then click on “My Disney Genie Day”. After this, click on the tab at the top of the screen “Tip Board”. Here within the Tip Board is where you will view all attractions available return times and be able to click on the attraction to book it.
For regular Genie+, you can only book one selection at a time. After booking your first selection, you are then eligible to book your next lightning lane after you have used your lightning lane for that attraction. If your booked lightning lane return time happens to fall later in the day, then you are eligible to book your next lightning lane two hours after you last booked one. Sometimes popular attractions may not have return times available until much later in the day. Being able to book your next lightning lane two hours after the time you last booked a lightning lane will allow you to be able to make another lightning lane reservation without needing to wait until later in the day.
To help you keep track of at what time you can book your next attraction, you can find a notification in the My Disney Experience App under your Disney Genie Tip Board. You may continue booking attraction return times throughout the day after using each lightning lane return time, or after two hours has passed, whichever comes first as long as attractions remain available!
Making the Most of Genie+
Make Your First Selection Right at 7am
Some popular attractions offered with Genie+ may fill up quickly with guests booking return times. Certain attractions can become fully booked for the day before the park even opens. If there is a popular attraction you would really like to ride, we recommend booking that attraction first thing at 7am!
Book Your Next Lightning Lane ASAP
As soon as you scan in to use your booked lightning lane at an attraction, book your next lightning lane! Even if you have not yet ridden that attraction, you can begin to book your next attraction while waiting in the lightning lane queue. The earlier in the day you book each lightning lane, the more options you will have available as well as the more attractions you will be eligible to book!
Stack Return Times
If you are not arriving at the parks until the afternoon, you can still begin booking lightning lanes in the morning before you arrive for later in the day. Each two hours after booking a lightning lane, you can book another. By doing this before you get to the parks, you may be able to have a couple of lightning lanes ready to go as soon as you arrive close together in time! This can help maximize your time at the parks by being able to do multiple lightning lane attractions back to back.
Keep Checking and Refreshing
If there is an attraction you are hoping for a different return time for or if there are not any available return times, keep checking and refreshing! Throughout the day, people may be canceling or modifying their attraction return time selections. Although it is not guaranteed, if something is not available, it may become available later on in the day, just keep checking!
Have a wonderful trip!
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