If you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World, many details must be considered. Determining where you want to stay, how long you want to visit, which Parks to head to head day, dining, and then, of course, this new Genie+ system all goes into the planning.
If you are new to Walt Disney World, figuring out everything you need to know for a successful trip can be confusing. A significant part of a Disney vacation is determining if Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes suit your family. Since these are additional costs to your trip, you must understand these features and how they work before purchasing them.
We will walk you through Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual LIghtning Lanes at Walt Disney World. We will break down these features so you will better understand them before your trip. The more you know about these options, the more they can benefit you during your trip.
Disney Genie
Disney Genie is a free feature found on the My Disney Experience app. This is a complimentary planning tool for all Walt Disney World Guests. You can begin using Disney Genie before your trip by building your favorites.
Go into the app and select your favorite rides, shows, attractions, and dining for the four Disney Parks. Once you arrive at Walt Disney World, Disney Genie will suggest how to tour and where to eat. This is an excellent option for those Guests that don’t care to be a super planner ahead of their trip. Disney Genie can help guide them through the day using their selections.
Disney Genie can also provide projected wait times for rides throughout the day, giving you an insight into overall wait times.
Even if you are an over-planner (guilty), you can use Disney Genie to see what wait times look like throughout the day and if there are suggestions you might need to consider when planning.
Disney Genie is a friendly, free My Disney Experience app feature.
Genie+
The next feature is Genie+. This is a paid feature found within the My Disney Experience app. The goal of Genie+ is to help Guests spend less time in line for select rides, shows, and attractions.
The cost of Genie+ has been adjusted over the past year by Walt Disney World. The starting price for Genie+ is now $15 per person per day. The price, however, varies based on the date and Disney Park. Guests can now purchase Genie+ for a specific Park, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or a multi-park option allowing them to use Genie+ at any of the four Disney Parks that day.
If you want to purchase Genie+ for your Park Day, you can do so via the app starting at midnight. Although you don’t need to purchase it right at midnight, you do need to make sure it is purchased before 7 a.m.
Starting at 7 a.m., Guests can book their first Genie+. For some rides, such as Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, ensuring you are ready at 7 a.m. remains vital to getting an early return time. Once booked, Guests are given an hour return window to head to Lightning Lane for that ride.
Lightning Lanes are the physical queues for those that have purchased Genie+. It allows Guests to bypass the regular standby lines and have a shorter overall wait. Throughout the day, Guests can continue to book additional Genie+ reservations for rides, shows, and other attractions.
Top Ride Options for Genie+
If you purchase Genie+, look at what rides you should choose at your first selection. At Magic Kingdom, Jungle Crusie, and Peter Pan’s Flight remain the top selections. Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Na’vi River Journey and Kilimanjaro Safari are good options in the morning. As we mentioned, ensure you get Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios if it is a priority for your group. Finally, the top options are EPCOT, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratotolie Adventure, and Test Track.
Genie+ is an additional cost but can save Guests a lot of time in line if used correctly. If you think Genie+ might be a good option, dig into it briefly at How to Disney. We have suggestions for what to book using Genie+ and tips on how to get the most out of your purchase.
Related: How to Prioritize Your Genie+ Selections
Individual Lightning Lanes
In each of the four Disney Parks, specific rides aren’t included with your purchase of Genie+. To access the Lightning Lanes for these rides, Guests must purchase an Individual LIghtning Lane. These are typically the most popular attractions in the four Disney Parks.
Currently, they include the following rides:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: Magic Kingdom
Tron: Lightcyle Run: Magic Kingdom
Avatar Flight of Passage: Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: EPCOT
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Like Disney Genie+, individual Lightning Lane selections vary in price by ride and day. You can purchase up to two individual Lightning Lane entries per person per day starting at 7 a.m., just like with Genie+.
Unlike Genie+, Guests can choose their return times for these experiences. Because of this, they cannot be modified or canceled, so ensure you will use your access once you purchase it. When your window opens, head to your Lightning Lane entrance like you do with Genie+ and enjoy your experience.
Related: How to Purchase Individual Lightning Lanes
Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lanes can be beneficial tools when visiting Walt Disney World. We hope that this breakdown of what each offers will help your understanding and help you determine if these features are right for you.
