In 2021 Disney Parks introduced Disney Genie as a tool to navigate a day at the parks. The former fastpass+ went by the wayside and guests now use the Disney Genie+ tool to “skip the lines”. This article will explain the best way to use the Disney Genie tool.
First, for any Disney related travel plans, let me encourage you to utilize the service of a travel professional that specializes in Disney Destinations.
Table of contents
In The Past
Fastpass plus was a free service to all Disney World and Disneyland resort guests. It allowed them to select a specific number of attractions to “skip the line”. Also, as a Disney resort guest, you could make reservations well in advance of your vacation. At the time of the closures, fastpass plus attraction choices were booked up to 60 days prior to the start of a Disney parks vacation.
It was a very important perk of staying at a Disney owned resort or a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel.
There was much talk and anticipation of the return of fastpass. Would it remain a free perk? Would it return reimagined as a paid for service? Unfortunately, the latter turned out to be true. Not only did it return as a paid for service, but it returned as a complicated system that can confuse and anger guests.
As if a Disney vacation isn’t overwhelming enough at times! Disney executives released Disney Genie, Disney Genie plus, and Individual Lightning Lane in place of fastpass plus. I am breaking down the information on how to use these services in the simplest way possible.
Disney Genie vs. Disney Genie plus
Disney Genie is free and available to everyone visiting the Disney parks. This tool, used by guests, suggests itineraries during park visits. It is personized based on the attractions, shows, dining and experiences you submit to it on your park days.
Simply, you check off your most wanted and it spits out times and suggestions on when you should do those experiences.
Disney Genie plus is a paid for tool, used by guests, to book one lightning lane reservation at a time for attractions, shows and experiences. Lightning lanes are the physical lines at each attraction/show created for guests who use Disney Genie+. As of October 12, the cost of the Genie+ service is a variable rate depending on the day. The demand will determine the cost per person per day and changes from date to date. Let’s break it down further.
Basic Disney Genie Plus
First, you can only book one lightning lane reservation at a time through the Disney Genie Plus service. The lightning lanes reservations are listed as time blocks. There are a limited number of available reservations assigned to each time block.
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Secondly, your next lightning lane reservation cannot be made until you have either scanned into the reservation you have or if it has been 120 minutes since you made the first reservation.
Confused? I would be surprised if you weren’t. You can choose to wait in the standby line for any attraction without making a lightning lane reservation. Even if you purchase Disney Genie plus, it’s best to combine it with stand by lines to accomplish all you would like to do.
Disney Genie plus and Standby combination
Use Disney Genie+ for the most popular attractions in the parks. Some attractions throughout the Disney parks don’t require the use of a lightning lane reservation. If a line is less than 35 minutes, the best thing to do is to use the stand-by line.
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The Stand-by line for some attractions like “It’s a Small World” see less wait time. It’s not always necessary to reserve a lightning lane for these attractions
In between lightning lane reservations, guests should tackle the rides, shows, and dining that are less popular. More importantly, Animal Kingdom and Epcot in Disney World are two parks that may not require the purchase of Disney Genie plus. More on that below.
Disney Resort Guests
Whether you are a guest at a Disney value resort, moderate level resort or staying at a Disney deluxe resort, you will be able to reserve your first lightning lane as early as 7am. The public and non-resort guests must wait until the parks open.
Disney resort guests are also able to enjoy extra magic hours. One of the perks of staying at a any Disney owned resort is the ability to enter the parks 30 minutes prior to the opening. Deluxe resort guests also enjoy extended park hours on select nights, at select parks to make the most of the service.
Disneyland Resort
The above are GREAT perks of staying at a Disney owned hotel in Disney World! What about Disneyland Resort? The system works differently on the West Coast. No one can purchase Genie+ or make a lightning lane reservation until you are physically inside either Disneyland Park or California Adventure Park!
The truth is, Genie+ is a lot easier to use at Disneyland Resort! There is less of a demand for it. Moreover, the purchase of Genie+ at Disneyland Resort all of the photos taken by photopass photographers, ride photos- anything you may find in your Memory Maker package.
Individual Lightning Lane Purchase
In addition to Disney Genie plus, certain attractions are considered Individual Lightning Lane purchases (ILL). You do not have to purchase Disney Genie+ to purchase an ILL. On the flip side, the purchase of an ILL does not include Genie+. Each select attraction in this category have varying prices, and those prices depend on the daily demand.
For example, you are visiting Animal Kingdom and you want to ride Avatar flight of Passage. This is an ILL. If you would like to skip the standby line at an attraction, you would pay a fee (around about $10-$14/person depending on the time of year).
Fortunately, Animal Kingdom is not a park you “have” to purchase Disney Genie plus. The park has a smaller number of attractions and shorter wait times- most of the time.
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Instead of purchasing Disney Genie plus that day, you can purchase the ILL for the members of your group who wish to ride the ride.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Both parks have several attractions, and those attractions are in high demand. They also have very popular attractions in the ILL category such as Rise of The Resistance, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and Tron Lightcycle Run. In a nutshell, you could pay for both Disney Genie plus and the ILL attraction at those parks.
Important Points
One person in a group will book lightning lane reservations or make ILL through the My Disney Experience app. Travel parties should be linked through “Friends and Family” in the app. One person can book for everyone each time. It doesn’t have to be the same person every time. Not everyone HAS to purchase Genie+- only those who plan to use lightning lane reservations.
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This is a very simple explanation on using Disney Genie, Disney Genie plus and the option of ILL. As a travel planner and frequent guest of the Disney parks I can offer advice and tips on how to further use them. In addition, you can find out all the ins and outs of how to make park pass reservations HERE. Lastly, learn how to use the mobile order feature in your app while you are in the park by clicking the link.
If you are interested in a vacation to any Disney destination or Universal Studios trip, reach out to DizN Vacations. Thier expert advice and knowledge will help you build a personalized trip plan. You can also submit a free no obligation quote request to start planning your trip right away. Read my blogs and use my tools page for great information on how to vacation at Disney destinations and Universal Studios. If you have questions, comment below.
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