Disney Genie and Genie Plus

 

1. Disney Genie – is a free service that offers custom recommendations, tip boards, and helpful information, and helps you plan your day based on your interests.  This free system provides a personalized itinerary and will make suggestions for a layout for your day that works around your reservations. Open the My Disney Experience App and click on Disney Genie to get started. 

 

 

 

2. Disney Genie + – is a paid service that allows you to reserve ride return times to over 40 attractions throughout all four parks, and enter the Lightning Lane (LL), skipping the standby line.

• Genie + costs:  The cost depends on the day and the park.  Disney charges anywhere from $15-$35 per person, per day, but don’t be surprised if Disney raises these rates in the future. 
• You may purchase your Genie + at midnight on the day you are visiting a park, but you can not book times until that morning.  
• Guests staying on Disney property can reserve their first attraction choice at 7am, and can make subsequent reservations one at a time, when:

– you scan into your first LL ride, or 

-when 120 minutes have passed.

• Guests staying off property can book their first attraction when the park officially opens.
• You can only reserve a particular ride once per day.  For example, if you booked Pirates of the Caribbean at 3pm, once you ride Pirates of the Caribbean, the system will not allow you to book another Pirates of the Caribbean LL on that day.  You may use the stand by line.
• You can modify or adjust your reserved LL times at any time and it will not affect your 120 minute window.
• If you are park hopping, you cannot book a LL for the second park until ride times offered are 2pm or later.
• A new perk Disney is now offering with your purchase of Genie + is free digital downloads of select PhotoPass photos.  Also, you have access to Disney themed lenses to use on your phone.  These are fun ways to alter your personal pictures with Disney themed effects.

3. Individual Lightning Lane (ILL)– Another option is this “a la carte” option, in which you can purchase individual passes for specific attractions that are not offered through the above Genie + service.  

• You do not need to purchase Genie + in order to purchase ILL.  So, you may purchase Genie + and purchase a-la-carte ride access, or you may decide to use standby lines throughout the day and pay for one or more Individual Lightning Lanes.  Or you may choose to only do stand-by lines.
• ILL may be purchased at 7am if staying on Disney property, or at park opening if staying off property. 
• ILL cost between $7-$22 per ride per person depending on the park, ride and date.
• Individual Lightning Lanes are for the most popular rides in the parks and include the following:

Magic Kingdom – TRON Light Cycle/ Run and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Epcot: Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind

Hollywood Studios – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Animal Kingdom – Avatar: Flight of Passage

 

Stacking

“Stacking” is when you come into the park prepared with several rides already booked through Genie +.  This is especially useful for park hopping or when you want to enter the park later than opening time.  We like to use stacking in conjunction with rope dropping. So we enter the park as early as possible and do the stand-by lanes while wait times are low.  Then, at the same time, we are booking Lightning Lanes for later in the morning or afternoon, following the 120-minute rule.  If you are savvy with knowing which rides typically have lower wait times, you can strategize quite well with Genie +, and end up not having to wait in long lines at all throughout the day. 

 

Pro Tips:

• Set your alarm for when the next time you can book your next Lightning Lane.  It’s easy to get distracted and forget when your 120-minute window allows you to book next.
• Always have a Genie + selection booked.  Even if it is not the time or ride that is your first choice, you can modify it later.
• Check to modify times often, and refresh your phone a bunch of times in order for a desired time or ride to pop up. Based on other people changing selections and crowd flow, new ride times and ride options will appear.
• Practice using the Genie + in the My Disney Experience app before your trip or park visits.
• If a ride goes down and is temporarily disabled or not running and you have it booked with a Lightning Lane, Disney will offer you an experience redemption pass which can be used for that ride at any time it starts up again even if it’s past your redemption time.   They also offer you the option to ride something else but you must adhere to the rides it offers as other options only.
• Book the most popular rides, or your favorites early because Lightning Lanes sell out during the day.  And purchase your a-la-carte selections as early as possible, as those sell out quickly as well.  With Genie + you are not guaranteed all rides all day long.  Often midday you will only see ride selections with low wait times left to choose from.