“Progress is impossible without change.”
—Walt Disney
As you may know, a big change announced for Walt Disney World and Disneyland was the retirement of the FastPass+ service. In its place is the new Disney Genie program. This has already been implemented in the Florida theme parks and is set to come at a later time to Disneyland.
For now, here is everything you need to know about Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World Resort.
Everything you need to know about Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lanes!
The first step is to make sure you have the MyDisneyExperience mobile app updated. Once you have the latest version on your smartphone, you’ll notice the Disney Genie Service on the main menu.
Disney Genie
Disney Genie is a FREE planning service built into the MyDisneyExperience mobile app. You tell Disney Genie what attractions you want to ride, what your general interests are (such as Pixar, Disney Princesses, or Star Wars), what types of entertainment you like, etc. — and Disney Genie will create a personable and flexible itinerary just for you! With Disney Genie, you’ll be able to see actual and forecasted wait times, so you’ll no when to do each attraction. But that’s not all!
Disney Genie will also allow you to place a Mobile Order for food, make dining reservations, see restaurant walk-up availability, and more. Essentially, Disney Genie is designed to help plan your day and take the guesswork out of “what do we do next?”
For even more convenience and flexibility, there are two more options to enjoy select attractions through the Lightning Lane queue that also save you time in line:
- Disney Genie+ (available for purchase) — choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance
- Individual Lightning Lane (available for purchase) — schedule a time to arrive at up to 2 highly-demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance
Disney Genie+
Similar to the previous FastPass+ service, Disney Genie+ gives you the chance to choose the next available time to arrive at select attractions. You can make one selection at a time throughout the day — from classics like Haunted Mansion to newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run (attractions are subject to limited availability each day). With Genie+, there is no longer a need to know exactly what attractions you want to do 60 days in advance. In fact, you’ll now be able to decide the morning of your park visit to decide what you want to do, and if plans change for any number of reasons, it’s easy to adjust accordingly based on availability.
You have the option to purchase Genie+ ahead of time with your theme park ticket order or vacation package for all of the days of your multi-day ticket, OR you can purchase on the day of for a single-day use. The cost of Genie+ is $15 (+tax) per ticket, per person.
Attractions that offer Genie+:
Magic Kingdom
- Adventureland: The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean
- Frontierland: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain
- Fantasyland: The Barnstormer, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, “it’s a small world”, Mad Tea Party, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Peter Pan’s Flight, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Liberty Square: Haunted Mansion
- Tomorrowland: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Tomorrowland Speedway
EPCOT
- World Celebration: Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, Spaceship Earth
- World Discovery: Mission: SPACE, Test Track
- World Nature: Living with the Land, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Soarin’ Around the World, Turtle Talk with Crush
- World Showcase: NONE
Hollywood Studios
- Animation Courtyard: Disney Junior Dance Party!
- Echo Lake: For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Star Tours – the Adventure Continues
- Grand Avenue: Muppet*Vision 3D
- Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Millennium Falcom: Smuggler’s Run
- Sunset Boulevard: Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster – starring Aerosmith, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Land: Alien Swirling Saucers, Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Mania!
Animal Kingdom
- Africa: A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King, Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Asia: Feathered Friends in Flight!, Kali River Rapids
- DinoLand U.S.A.: DINOSAUR
- Discovery Island: It’s Tough to be a Bug!
- Pandora – the World of Avatar: Na’vi River Journey
- Rafiki’s Planet Watch: The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
To recap: if you purchase Disney Genie+ service, you’ll be able to see when the next available time is to use various attractions’ Lightning Lane entrance and select which attraction you want. When your time arrives, you’ll go to that attraction’s Lightning Lane entrance, bypassing the standby queue.
If purchased in advance for the entire length of your tickets: Beginning at 7am for each day of your theme park visits, Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can choose their first Lightning Lane attraction arrival.
If you’re purchasing Disney Genie+ on the day of: You’ll first have to make the day-of purchase of Genie+, if you wish to have the service on that day (you can purchase day-of Genie+ service beginning at 12am), then at 7am you will be able to make your first Lightning Lane attraction arrival reservation.
Once you’re at a park, head to the attraction you have the first reservation for and go to the Lightning Lane queue entrance. You’ll scan your MagicBand, theme park ticket, or Disney MagicMobile ticket at the Mickey RFID reader to enter the queue (some attractions have a 2nd you’ll need to scan as you get closer to the attraction). Continue to choose Lightning Lane arrival windows, one at a time, throughout the day until the park closes.
Disney Genie+ will also include Disney Parks-themed audio experiences and Disney PhotoPass augmented reality lenses to enhance your in-park photos.
Individual Lightning Lane Selections
With Individual Lightning Lane, you are able to schedule a time to arrive at up to 2 highly demanded attractions using the Lightning Lane entrance. Pricing for this option will vary by date and attraction, but should range from $7 to $15 per person, per attraction (subject to change at any time).
Individual Lightning Lane selections are made on the same day of your visit.
For onsite Walt Disney World resort hotel Guests: You are able to start making your Individual Lightning Lane selections beginning at 7am on the day of your park visit.
For offsite Guests not staying at a Walt Disney World resort hotel: You are able to make Individual Lightning Lane selections on the day of beginning at park opening (though you do not need to be in the park to do so).
Attractions that offer Individual Lightning Lane Selections:
- Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain
- EPCOT: Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Hollywood Studios: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Once you’re at the park and it’s time for your first Individual Lightning Lane reservation, head to that attraction and go to the Lightning Lane entrance of the queue. Tap your MagicBand or ticket to the Mickey RFID Reader to enter the line (depending on the attraction, you may need to scan your MagicBand or tickets a second time, as you get closer to the attraction). The same will apply for your second Individual Lightning Lane selection, if applicable.
Other Important Things to Know:
- Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane will not be available for use during Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours, or After Hours events.
- You do not need to first purchase Genie+ in order to make Individual Lightning Lane purchases.
- You may only use Genie+ one time per day on each attraction. For example, once you have secured a Genie+ reservation for Haunted Mansion you cannot secure another reservation for Haunted Mansion later that same day. If you miss your arrival time you will not be able to rebook that same attraction for later that day. If you can’t make an arrival time, be sure to cancel and rebook that attraction before your return window expires.
- Generally, you can book Genie+ arrivals every 120 minutes from park opening (for example, if you book your first Genie+ attraction at 7am and the park opens at 9am, you will be eligible to book your next Genie+ attraction at 11am, then again at 1pm, and so on). If you are not sure when you can book your next Genie+ attraction, the MyDisneyExperience app will tell you what time you’re eligible to do so!
- You cannot modify a Genie+ selection, but you can cancel and then choose a new arrival window for any available Disney Genie+ attraction, even the same attraction you just canceled. If you don’t like the next available return time Genie+ gives you, try refreshing before confirming. You might just see alternative return times pop up as other Guests cancel their plans!
- You cannot modify or cancel an Individual Lightning Lane selection. If the attraction is down while you’re in the queue and you choose to leave, you won’t be able to re-enter the Lightning Lane as your reservation will be considered “redeemed”. However, if Disney decides to empty the queue or the ride is down before your enter the Lightning Lane entrance, you will be given the opportunity to return once the attraction is operating. If the attraction remains down for the rest of the day, refunds for that ILL purchase will automatically be given. If the attraction is down and you leave the park due to other plans or circumstances, but the attraction does become operational that day, you may visit Guest Relations to inquire about a refund.
- Park Hopping can be done with Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane! Both Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane reservations can be booked starting at 2 p.m. at a different park from the one where you started your day.
- Guest Experience Cast Members are located throughout all 4 theme parks to assist Guests with Disney Genie. Just look for the blue umbrellas and see a blue-shirt Cast Member for help!
This post will be updated when these new services are rolled out to Disneyland Resort — stay tuned!
What do you think of Disney Genie? Will you be using these new services? Be sure to reach out to your A Time to Treasure Travel agent with any questions you have!