Maybe you are wondering about Fastpasses at Disney, just to find out that they are gone. Now you are hearing about Genie+ and lost. Yeah, we have been there too. The new system to skip the lines is very confusing and now it costs money. So let's break down all things Genie+ to know if Genie+ is worth it. And then you can determine if you need Genie+ on your next Disney World vacation.
What is Genie+?
There is so much talk these days about Genie+, what it is, how it works, etc. Well, now it’s been available for almost a year now so we are loaded with all of the information so you can decide if it’s right for your next vacation.
Disney Genie is a complimentary itinerary planner that guests can use and access through the My Disney Experience app on their smartphone. Disney Genie offers real-time, tailored park recommendations to guests based on the preferences they pick. So, if you’re new to the parks, this tip board can be an excellent resource to help you map out your day.
Disney Genie includes wait times for different attractions, upcoming showtimes, mobile orders, and restaurant check-ins. In addition to making recommendations for the kinds of experiences, restaurants, and attractions you’re most likely to enjoy based on your answers to the app’s screening questions, Disney Genie will also map out when is the best time for you to visit certain rides and provide you with an estimated wait time. This is a handy tool for parents who will be able to better plan snack or bathroom breaks with their children before heading over to their recommended ride or attraction experience.
How Does Genie+ Work?
When you start your day at Walt Disney World, all you have to do is open your My Disney Experience app. If this is your first time using the app since Disney Genie was introduced, you will be automatically directed to swipe through a few short pages of “onboarding” – aka, an overview of what Disney Genie includes and how it works.
After you’ve read through Disney Genie’s short description, you’ll be able to access it on your My Disney Experience home screen. It’ll be the first option you see when you open the app, so you can’t miss it. To create a new recommended itinerary, click on the “Summon Disney Genie” button. Follow the prompts until it takes you to the screen where you can answer a few questions about how you want to spend your day.
This itinerary is called “My Day” and it essentially combs through thousands of combinations to provide you with a list of recommendations for what could be your perfect day in the parks. If you don’t like your recommendations, however, don’t worry. All you have to do is click the menu icon at the top to modify or swap out one of your recommendations.
Ride Photo Downloads
New in 2023, Disney has announced that guests who purchase Genie+ will receive FREE downloads of ride photos on the days that you use the service.
See all of the rides that offer ride photos here.
Difference Between Genie and Genie+
The Disney Genie complimentary planning tool is free for all guests to use. However, Genie+ is a paid for service. The cost is determined by park demand, so prices start at $15 per person per day, and can be as high as $35 per person per day during busy times like Spring Break.
Genie+ is what takes the place of the old FastPass system. It is a paid service that allows guests to skip the line at many Walt Disney World attractions through the Lightning Lane options that are displayed at most rides on Disney property. These lines replaced the FastPass lines.
What Rides Can Use Genie+ Lightning Lanes
PRO-TIP: In addition to seeing what rides can use Genie+, be sure to know the height requirements for each ride so you know what rides your family can enjoy. Read more here.
Magic Kingdom
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo
- Mad Tea Party
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Space Mountain
- “It’s a small world”
- Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Haunted Mansion
- Splash Mountain
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Jungle Cruise
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- The Barnstormer
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
EPCOT
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Living with the Land
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Test Track
- The Seas with Nemo and Friends
- Spaceship Earth
- Mission Space
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Hollywood Studios
- Toy Story Mania
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Star Wars - The Adventure Continues
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Muppet Vision 3D
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Disney Jr. Play and Dance
- Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
- Frozen Sing-a-long
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Animal Kingdom
- Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- Na’vi River Journey
- DINOSAUR
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Festival of the Lion King
- It’s Tough To Be A Bug
- Feathered Friends in Flight
- The Animation Experience
Using Genie+ and Book Lightning Lanes
Genie+ may only be purchased on the day that you wish to use it. You can purchase it as early as 12:01 AM EST on the day that you want to use it.
Guests who’ve purchased Genie+ can only make one Lightning Lane reservation at a time. This window opens up at 7:00 am every day, so guests can make their selected reservations for any of the included rides and experiences before arriving at the park. Guests can either refresh the page to see what’s available or search for a specific ride directly.
Unfortunately, guests are not able to dictate what time they want to experience their selected ride. They must select the available return time presented on the app. This operates a lot like the original paper FastPass days.
After you book your Lightning Lane you have to wait for one of 2 things before booking your next Lightning Lane - Either you have to use your Lightning Lane or you have to wait 120 minutes from the time that you booked your previous Lightning Lane. The 120 minute rule doesn’t start until the park is officially opened, however. Confused yet?
Let me try to help:
Essentially, you can book your rides at two-hour intervals, but this time frame doesn’t start until after you’ve entered the park. So, if let’s say you booked Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin at 2:00 pm, but Magic Kingdom doesn’t open until 9:00 am, you won’t be able to book your next Lightning Lane experience until 11:00 am – aka two hours after Magic Kingdom opens. However, if you have a reservation that you booked inside of that two-hour window like at 9:00 am, and are boarding a ride at 10:40 am, you will be able to book your next ride early since you’ve hit the two checkpoints in the Lightning Lane.
Basically, once you’ve tapped into a ride to redeem your Lightning Lane selection through the app, it will open up another option for you to book another Lightning Lane attraction. While this sounds confusing, it’s actually pretty similar to the old FastPass option. You were never able to hold two FastPasses at the same time, even if you were finished with your first FastPass attraction – i.e. you couldn’t book a FastPass for Slinky Dog Dash at 10:45 am if you still held one for Tower of Terror from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. So even if you went on Tower of Terror at exactly 10:00 am, you couldn’t get a FastPass for Slinky Dog Dash until the hour window for Tower of Terror passed.
Once you’ve made a reservation for a ride through Genie+, you will be able to secure another one once you tap your MagicBand in the Lightning Lane.
PRO-TIP: Ask the Cast Member if there are more than one MagicBand tap points in the line. You can book your next experience after you have tapped the last time.
Guests will not be able to get another reservation for the same ride, so if you rode Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios through Genie+, you’ll have to wait in the standby line if you want to ride it later on in the day.
When Can You Get in Line for Your Lightning Lane?
Guests can get in the Lightning Lane entry five minutes before it starts, all the way up to 15 minutes until after it ends. While this isn’t advertised on Disney’s website, this grace period also used to extend to those entering the FastPass lane in years past to accommodate for sudden bathroom emergencies or any unexpected delays guests may encounter while making their way to an attraction.
However, this is always subject to change so if you’re told that you’ve missed your window by a Cast Member, it may be true. It’s recommended that you adhere to the time slot given to you to ensure you get to experience the ride or attraction.
Can You Have Genie+ for Just One Day?
Yes! Absolutely yes! Let’s be honest - some parks really need Genie+ to have a great day, and other parks just do not, but more on that later.
You purchase Genie+ on the day that you want to use it. You’re already up early to rope drop the parks, so BEFORE 7:00 AM EST click to purchase Genie+ through the My Disney Experience App. Why before 7:00? Because at 7:00 you can and should book your first Lightning Lane. Do not wait until midday to purchase!!!
Does Genie+ Sell Out?
Yes, but it is rare. Genie+ sold out for the first time during Spring Break 2023, but before you start to panic, it was not only Spring Break, but it was also opening week of TRON and the return of the night time show Happily Ever After. To say it was a high demand week is an understatement.
For non-holiday Disney Vacations, you shouldn’t worry about Genie+ selling out.
Now let’s talk about those Lightning Lanes! Like FastPasses, Disney only releases a limited number of individual Lightning Lane passes per day, meaning that the rides you want very much could sell out.
Can I Still Wait in Standby?
Yes, but it is rare. Genie+ sold out for the first time during Spring Break 2023, but before you start to panic, it was not only Spring Break, but it was also opening week of TRON and the return of the night time show Happily Ever After. To say it was a high demand week is an understatement.
For non-holiday Disney Vacations, you shouldn’t worry about Genie+ selling out.
Now let’s talk about those Lightning Lanes! Like FastPasses, Disney only releases a limited number of individual Lightning Lane passes per day, meaning that the rides you want very much could sell out.
The fastest Lightning Lanes to be gone are Meeting Mickey at Town Square Theater, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Tower of Terror, and Slinky Dog Dash. These are good ones to try to snag when Genie+ opens at 7:00!
Can I Still Wait in Standby?
Yes, absolutely. While Genie+ is different from FastPasses in many ways, one way they’re similar is that they’re both completely optional. If you don’t want to spend money on riding certain attractions or don’t mind waiting