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What to Know About Genie+ & Lightning Lane – Guide to Genie+
If you’re going to Disney, you may be wondering, “Is Disney Genie Plus worth it?” Along the same lines, you might not even know where to begin with the Genie+ System, which is understandable – it’s a lot of information to take in. The good news is that you’re in the right place to get your questions answered and more!
Here for the quick FREE guide? Grab it here!
What is the Disney Genie Service, Genie+, and Lightning Lane? What is the difference?!
Disney’s Genie Service and Genie+ is a new service that provides you with beneficial information and the ability to reserve rides and attraction times in advance and skip the standby line at many attractions (it is similar to the old FastPass+ system that you may remember using!). These “skip the standby” lines are called Lightning Lanes.
Lightning Lanes in essence are the “skip the standby” lines. As you walk through the park you will notice that there is a second line at each entrance in addition to the Standby lines. These second entrances and :skip the standby” lines are Lightning Lanes. For many of you who remember these lanes being called FastPass, it just got renamed! In order to enter a Lightning Lane you must first either use Genie+ to select a return time or purchase an Individual Lightning Lane return time which is separate from Genie+ (if you are confused, that is okay I will come back to this later on).
Now…Disney’s Genie Service is a complimentary service that creates the best Disney day inspired by your party’s top interests. It also grants you new planning features, including a personalized itinerary creator that seamlessly and smartly maps out your visit with updates that continue from morning to night. You can access the Disney’s Genie Service by going to your My Disney Experience app, then select the menu button on the right side of the bottom bar, then select “Tip Board” to start planning out your day!
However, the Genie+ service (emphasis on the +) is a paid service that will allow you to use the new Lightning Lane entrance at select attractions and experiences at the Walt Disney World theme parks. On average, guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day (or if you use a travel agent who has a strategy you may get more, we aren’t going to name names here but we know of someone that does 🙋🏻♀️ using the Lightning Lane entrance if the first selection is made early in the day. You may make one selection at a time, starting at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit, then again every 2 hours until every return time has been taken.
If your theme park ticket includes the Park Hopper option, you can select Lightning Lane arrival windows across multiple theme parks. There are some limitations to the Genie+ service… there are specific rides that you CANNOT use Lightning Lane with Genie+ alone (remember earlier when I said I would come back to this?) With these popular and e-ticket specific rides you will need to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane, even if you already purchased Genie+. You may be able to see what is and is not included in Genie+ below.
List of Attractions Included in Genie+
Here a list of all the attractions you can use the Genie+ organized by park:
♡ The Barnstormer
♡ Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
♡ Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
♡ Dumbo the Flying Elephant
♡ Haunted Mansion
♡ “it’s a small world”
♡ Jungle Cruise
♡ Mad Tea Party
♡ The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
♡ The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
♡ Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (seasonal)
♡ Mickey’s PhilharMagic
♡ Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
♡ Peter Pan’s Flight
♡ Pirates of the Caribbean
♡ See Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
♡ See Mickey at Town Square Theater
♡ See Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess ♡ Fairytale Hall
♡ Splash Mountain
♡ Tomorrowland Speedway
♡ Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
♡ Space Mountain (included in the Genie+ system until August 2022)
♡ Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
♡ Journey into Imagination with Figment
♡ Living with the Land
♡ Mission: SPACE – Green
♡ Mission: SPACE – Orange
♡ Soarin’
♡ Spaceship Earth
♡ The Seas with Nemo & Friends
♡ Test Track
♡ Turtle Talk with Crush
♡ Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (included beginning May 31, 2022)
♡ Frozen Ever After (included in the Genie+ system until August 2022)
♡ Alien Swirling Saucers
♡ Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
♡ Disney Jr. Dance Party
♡ For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
♡ Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
♡ Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
♡ Muppet* Vision 3D
♡ Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
♡ See Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
♡ Slinky Dog Dash
♡ Star Tours
♡ Toy Story Mania!
♡ The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
♡ Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (included in the Genie+ system until August 2022)
♡ The Animation Experience
♡ Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King – Not available from July 5, 2022 to July 15, 2022
♡ DINOSAUR
♡ Feathered Friends in Flight
♡ It’s Tough to Be a Bug
♡ Kali River Rapids
♡ Kilimanjaro Safaris
♡ Na’vi River Journey
♡ Expedition Everest – closed for refurbishment until May 2022 (included in the Genie+ system until August 2022)
List of Attractions Not Included in Genie+
Here a list of all the attractions you cannot use the Genie+ organized by park:
♡ Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
♡ Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
♡ Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
♡ Avatar Flight of Passage
Okay so how much does Genie+ actually cost? How much do Individual Lightning Lanes cost?
Genie+ is a fixed rate of $15 per person, per day (plus tax). If you purchase Genie+ in advance with a travel agent, in a room-ticket package, then you may be able to get a discount. (Only available until June 8, 2022). Lightning Lane on the other hand is not a fixed rate and fluctuates between ride and even the time of day. Depending on the ride it can be as low as $6 per person or it can be as high as $16 per person.
I am so full of what they are all about, how do I actually use the Genie+ and Lightning Lane services?
This will be a lot to read and we know that so we have created an easy to use template and guide for you to grab and use!
To use either service, you’ll need to purchase a theme park ticket (and don’t forget to make a park reservation) for each day that you plan to visit a park. Once you have purchased your ticket, you must then link it to your Disney account using the My Disney Experience app or website.
If you are purchasing Genie+ in advance then it will automatically be added to your account and you don’t have to do anything until the day of. However, if you are purchasing it on the day, then you may purchase starting at midnight the day of.
No matter when you purchase, you will be able to make your first Lightning Lane selection starting at 7 am the day of. To make your selection head to your My Disney Experience app, then select the menu button on the right side of the bottom bar, then select “Tip Board,” at the top of the page you change the park you are going to, then scroll to find the Lightning Lane selection you want! After 120 minutes, or 2 hours, you may go back to the same page and select another. If you wish to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane then you scroll to the ride you would like to purchase (such as Snow White’s Mine Train) and select the LL option, it should also tell you the amount that it costs.
Then, when you are within your return time, simply go to the attraction’s Lightning Lane entrance and scan your ticket, MagicBand, watch or phone. You’ll be able to bypass the standby line and head straight for the ride vehicles.
Keep in mind that you are only allowed to hold one Lightning Lane at a time for each person in your party. However, you can modify your selections using the app or website if you need to change your plans. And if an attraction is down or unavailable, you may be able to select a different one. You can also cancel your Lightning Lane if you no longer need it.
Is Disney Genie Plus worth it?
The answer to this question is, unfortunately, a bit complicated. It depends on a variety of factors, such as the size of your party, how many days you’ll be visiting the parks, and which rides/attractions you want to experience, etc.
Some people might find that the Genie+ Service is worth it for the convenience and peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a reservation for popular rides/attractions. Others might prefer to save some money and go with the Individual Lightning Lane option, especially if they’re only interested in riding the few specific rides/attractions that you can purchase with an Individual Lightning Lane.
You’ll need to decide your budget and what you’re looking for in a Disney vacation to determine the answer to this question. No matter what you decide, we hope this guide has been helpful in giving you the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not Disney Genie+ is right for you!
I have all the information, I know I want it, but I am afraid I will miss it or I just don’t want to do it, what do I do?
Well you are in the right place, at Trinity Dias Travel Company we have our own strategy to Genie+ to get the most out of your day. We offer Genie+ assistance for FREE with all of our bookings! If you are looking for us to take care of all of your Genie+ needs, reach out to us via our Contact Form, or email us at travel@trinitydias.com!
If you have any questions, thoughts or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out via Contact Us form, or via email at travel@trinitydias.com!
Until next time,
Trinity
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