Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be a lot of work and even stressful. We work hard here at How to Disney to provide tips and tricks to help you have the best vacation possible.
One of the newest parts of planning a Disney vacation revolves around Disney Genie. This new planning service added to My Disney Experience is a key aspect of having a magical experience. Even though it is super important, it is still extremely confusing to understand.
We are going to break down the four most confusing parts of Disney Genie so you will be better prepared to use this service and all it has to offer.
All the Terms
One of the most confusing parts of Disney Genie is all the terms that go along with the service. We are going to start by breaking down the vocab that you will need to understand to better use this system successfully on your Disney vacation.
Disney Genie: Disney Genie is the free planning tool found in My Disney Experience. Through this tool, Guests can set up their preferred experiences such as rides, parades, shows, and dining, and then Disney Genie will give them suggested touring plans.
This is a good option for those that prefer to not have to over plan for their vacation but instead be more laid back.
Disney Genie also provides suggested food options at both quick-service and table-service locations. Those who are looking for good food options will find these suggestions helpful as they tour around the Parks.
Genie+: Genie+ is an additional feature that Guests can choose to add to their Walt Disney World tickets. Genie+ is $15/person/day that they wish to use it. By purchasing it, Guests are able to access the Lightning Lanes (see below) therefore bypassing the standby line and saving time.
Lightning Lanes: Lightning Lanes are the physical queues that are used by Guests to access the ride or experiences. These are always shorter than the regular, standby queues often staying below 15 minutes.
Individual Attraction Selection/Individual Lightning Lane: IAS/ILL are rides that are not included with the purchase of Genie+. In order to use the Lightning Lanes for these rides, Guests have to purchase them al-a-carte. Cost ranges from $7 to $15 per ride/person. Rides currently participating are Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Remy’s Ratoloulie Adventure, Avatar: Flight of Passage, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Learning about the terms that go along with Disney Genie is a huge part of learning how to use this system while on a Disney vacation.
Booking Time for Genie+
Unlike with Fastpass+, Guests aren’t able to book Genie+ ahead of time. For all Guests, those staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel and those not, all can book their first Genie+ selection at 7:00 am EST.
Since everyone has equal opportunities, this time slot is key if you are wanting to use Genie+ to ride popular rides such as Slinky Dog Dash, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, or Na’vi River Journey.
Make sure you already have Genie+ added to your tickets and you have picked your top selections so you are ready to role at 7:00 am.
Booking Time of Individual Lightning Lanes
Just when you think you have it figured out the way to get Individual Lightning Lanes is different than Genie+. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, or a good neighbor Resort, are able to book their ILL at 7:00 am as well.
For those Guests staying off property, they are able to book their ILL selections when the Park opens. That means if you are wanting to book Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you will need to wait until the Park opens at 8:30 or 9:00 am.
Because these are some of the most popular rides in Walt Disney World, it is a huge advantage to be able to book right at the 7:00 am time frame.
This does mean that if you are staying on property, you are able to book both your first Genie+ selection and your Individual Lightning Lanes at the same time- 7:00 am.
Set the alarms to make sure you don’t miss these important times.
Booking Your Next Genie+
One of the biggest confusions around Genie+ is when you can book additional ones as your travel through the Parks.
You can book an additional Genie+ reservation if one of the three following situations happen:
- You tap into the Lightning Lane, therefore, using your Genie+ selection
- You miss your hour window and time passes
- 120 minutes have gone by since booking a Genie+ selection
The 120-minute rule is a little confusing for Guests. This is designed to help Guests so they aren’t limited to booking Genie+ all day if they happen to book a ride later in the day.
For example, if Guests wake up at 7:00 am and book Slinky Dog Dash with a return time of 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm they aren’t stuck with no Genie+ until 3 pm. Instead, Guests are able to book a new Genie+ two hours after the Park opens so around 10:30 or 11:00 depending on when the Park opened.
Another example would be if you are in the Park and at 11:00 am you are able to get a Space Mountain for 6:30 pm. Again, this doesn’t mean that you are stuck with no Genie+ options from 11:00 until 6:30 pm. Instead, two hours after 11:00 am, so 1 pm, you will be able to book another Genie+ reservation.
If you aren’t sure when your next window time is, you can try to book one on the app and it will let you know.
Again, set that alarm so you don’t miss out on your time.
Disney Genie, Genie+, Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes are complicated and confusing. We hope that breaking down these four confusing parts of this service that is now a major part of a Walt Disney World vacation.
