October 2021 brought a whole new planning system to Walt Disney World with Disney Genie. This new feature found within My Disney Experience brings a new way of touring the Walt Disney World Theme Parks.
If you are heading down to Walt Disney World in 2022, you will want to make sure you are aware of what Disney Genie is, Genie+, Lightning Lanes and Individual Attraction Selections are and how to use them to help make your trip even better.
What is Disney Genie?
Disney Genie is the free planning tool found within My Disney Experience (MDE). Guests can use this feature throughout their vacation while in the Parks to get suggested touring plans.
Before entering into the Parks, Guests can head to MDE where Disney Genie will allow them to select their top rides, shows, attractions and dining. From there Disney Genie provides suggestions on when to visit the different attractions, when to order food and more.
Disney Genie also provides projected wait times for rides allowing Guests to see what the overall wait times will be like throughout the day.
For those Guests that don’t want to plan their day, Disney Genie is a great option as it will give them a plan for the day based on likes and dislikes.
What is Genie+
Guests can choose to add on Genie+ to their Walt Disney World vacation. This feature is an additional $15/day/person cost.
By adding this feature, Guests are given the ability to bypass the standby line for over 40 rides and attractions throughout the four Theme Parks using the Lightning Lane Entrance. These are exactly what they should like. Lightning Lane is the lane (pathway) that Guests will use to bypass those standby lines.
Genie+ is replacing the free fastpass+ option and with it Guests will have access to lower wait times.
Individual Attraction Selection (IAS)
At each of the four Theme Parks, there are a few rides that access to the Lightning Lane isn’t included with the purchase of Genie+.
For the ability to use the Lightning Lane for these rides, Guests will need to purchase them individually or al-a-carte. Pricing for these rides are date based and range from $5 to $15 per ride/person.
These rides are being called Individual Attraction Selection or Individual Lightning Lane
Currently the rides included in IAS are listed below.
Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Rise of the Resistance, Minnie and Mickey’s Runaway Railroad
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest
EPCOT: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After
How to Purchase Genie+
There are two different ways to purchase Genie+ for $15/day/person.
The first method is that Guests can choose to add it to their Walt Disney World Vacation Package when they first book. This will give them Genie+ for everyday they have a Theme Park Ticket.
The second way to add Genie+ is on the day you want to use it through MDE. Guests can add Genie+ at midnight on the day they want to use it. As Genie+ doesn’t run out, so there is no need to stay up late to purchase it.
The pricing doesn’t change, so we encourage Guests to think about when and how they would use Genie+ when on vacation before they purchase it.
How to Purchase Individual Attractions Selections (IAS)?
Guests that are wanting to purchase an IAS for the day will do so through MDE. Guests that are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can purchase their IAS choices at 7 am.
Those Guests staying off property can purchase their IAS when the Park opens for the day.
Guests can choose up to two IAS per day, but they do not have to be at the same Theme Park.
How Does IAS Work?
Guests who are wanting to purchase IAS/Individual Lightning Lane will get on the MDE app where they will choose their ride option as well as the time window (an hour) that they want to ride.
Once Guests have selected their choice, it will show up in their plans for the day. This can’t be modified or canceled. Once these are made they are set.
When the time window arrives, they will head to the attraction and scan in at the touch point using either their MagicBand or their ticket.
It is really that simple.
How Does Genie+ Work?
For those staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, they will be able to get onto MDE at 7 am to make their first Genie+ selection.
The big difference between Genie+ and IAS is that with Genie+ you ARE NOT able to choose your time with Genie+. Guests are instead able to select the next available time. Basically what you see is what you get.
Once you have selected the time, just like with IAS, when your time window arrives you can head to the attraction and scan in at the touch point to get access to the Lightning Lane.
How Many Genie+ Can I Have?
Unlike Fastpass+ where Guests could select three attractions to start, Genie+ only allows Guests to choose one at a time.
When Can I Book More Genie+?
There are three ways that you can book your next Genie+ selection.
- Use It: After you have used your Genie+ selection you can purchase your next one
- Window Closed: You have an hour to use your Genie+ selection, if you miss this window, it will reset and you can select a new one
- 120 Minutes: This is the tricky one. You can make a new Genie+ selection two hours after you make one with the first countdown starting when the Park opens. So if you select Slinky Dog Dash for 12:00 pm, you will be able to make a new Genie+ selection 120 minutes after the Park opens. If Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens at 9 am, this means your next selection can be made at 11 am.
We hope that this information about Walt Disney World’s new touring tools will help you feel a little more prepared. Look for more posts on how to get the most out of these features moving forward.
Are you a fan of Disney Genie?
