Hey Travellers,
In 2021, the free Fastpass+ System was discontinued and replaced by the Disney Genie System which is now used at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. One of our most asked questions is “How do we use Genie+?” and today we are here to answer that question and provide you with some top tips/tricks to make the most out of your Genie+ purchase.
What is Genie+?
Disney Genie+ is a (paid) service through the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Apps that gives you access to “Lightning Lanes” around the theme parks. “Lightning Lanes” are separate queues at most attractions and will allow you to bypass the standby line and avoid the long wait times. When you purchase Genie+, you’ll be able to select an attraction and reserve a time slot for you to enter the “Lightning Lane”. When your return time is called, you will scan your Magic Band or park ticket at the “Lightning Lane” entrance and avoid the wait time in the standby line. From March 23rd, 2023 – the purchase of Genie+ also includes ride/attraction Photopass Downloads.
How much does Genie+ Cost?
The cost of Genie+ varies each day depending on the crowd levels of the theme parks. At Walt Disney World, Genie+ starts from $15.00 per person, per day and has reached up to $35.00 per person, per day. At Disneyland Resort, Genie+ starts at $25.00 per person, per day but again, can vary depending on certain factors.
How do I get Genie+?
The first step you need to take to use Genie+ is to make sure you have the Walt Disney World or Disneyland App downloaded (depending on which resort you are at) – the apps are free to download. Once downloaded, you’ll need to login with your Disney Account information, or create an account if you do not have one. After you login, make sure that you link your park tickets, resort stay and most importantly – your friends/family who will be utilizing Disney Genie+ with you. Once everything is set up correctly, you can move on to purchasing Disney Genie+. Although very similar, there are some differences between Walt Disney World and Disneyland in terms of their Genie+ Systems, so let’s break it down.
Walt Disney World:
Genie+ can be purchased at Walt Disney World at midnight, on the day of your visit. To purchase, go onto the Walt Disney World – My Disney Experience App and hit the 3 horizontal lines at the bottom-right corner.
Next, you’ll select the button that says “My Disney Genie Day”.
And finally, you’ll select the option in purple that says “Get Disney Genie+ Service”.
Once you have selected this, you’ll need to choose each member in your party that you wish to purchase Genie+ for and then confirm the purchase.
Disneyland Resort:
At Disneyland, you can purchase Disney Genie+ prior to your arrival, for the duration of your visit. Otherwise, you can purchase day-by-day, however Genie+ cannot be purchase until you have scanned into the park so we would highly recommend getting there at park-opening to make the most of your day.
How do I make the Genie+ Selections?
Once you’ve got the app setup and Genie+ purchased, you can begin making your Genie+ selections. Again, things differ slightly between Walt Disney World and Disneyland so we will break it down for you.
Walt Disney World:
At Walt Disney World, ALL Guests can make their first Genie+ selection at 7.00AM on the morning of their visit. Go onto the app, hit the 3 horizontal lines and select the “Tip Board”. This will bring up the rides in the park, their standby times and underneath their “Disney Genie+ Return Time”. When you’ve decided which ride you want to reserve, you’ll tap where it says “Book Experience” and then follow the prompts to confirm your booking. Remember to select all members of your party who wish to ride.
When your return time arrives, head over to the attraction and find the “Lightning Lane” entrance, tap your Magic Band or Park Ticket against the scanner and skip the standby wait time!
So when can you book your second Genie+ selection? You can book another Genie+ selection either after you have used the first one you booked, or 120 minutes after booking your last one. However, it is important to note that if you made your first Genie+ selection before the park opens, the 120 minute clock will not start until the official park opening time. For example, if you booked your first Genie+ Selection at 7.00AM and the return time wasn’t until 1.00PM but the park doesn’t open until 9:00AM, you don’t have to wait until 1:00PM to book another selection, you could do it at 11:00AM (120 minutes after park opening).
Disneyland Resort:
Making the Genie+ Selections at Disneyland are very similar to Walt Disney World (by visiting the Tip Board), however there are some big differences. Firstly, you cannot make a Genie+ Selection until you have scanned into the theme park. This means you do not have to be ready at 7:00AM to make that first selection, or worry about the 120 minute timer starting when the park opens. Once you have entered the park and made your first selection, you can make your next one after redeeming the initial booking, or 120 minutes later.
What are Individual Lightning Lanes/ Individual Attraction Selections?
Not all rides are available through the standard Disney Genie+ system. Popular attractions such as “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind” and “TRON: Lightcycle Run” require an additional fee to use their “Lightning Lane” regardless of whether you have paid for the standard Genie+ system. The prices for these rides vary by day, and guests can only purchase a maximum of 2 individual attraction selections per day. These additional Lightning Lanes can be purchased on the App.
What rides should I use Genie+ on?
The answer to this question depends on various factors such as age of party members, levels of comfortability in terms of thrill-seeking and overall, what specifically interests you. However we have included a list of the most popular rides for each park and if you’re interested in riding them we would recommend utilizing your Disney Genie+ purchase.
Magic Kingdom:
Peter Pan’s Flight
Jungle Cruise
Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Tron: Lightcycle Run (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Space Mountain
Hollywood Studios:
Rise of the Resistance (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Slinky Dog Dash
Rock n Roller Coaster
Tower of Terror
Epcot:
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Soarin’ Around The World
Frozen Ever After
Guardians of the Galaxy (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Animal Kingdom:
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Expedition Everest
Avatar: Flight of Passage (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Disneyland Park:
Rise of the Resistance (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Indiana Jones Adventure
Space Mountain
Haunted Mansion
Disney California Adventure:
Radiator Springs Racers (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Web-Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure (Individual Lightning Lane purchase)
Incredi-Coaster
Soarin’ Around The World
Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout
We hope this has helped with your Disney Genie+ Questions! We will make sure to edit this page if there are any new updates to the system!
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