How to Use Disney Genie Plus. Disney Genie and Genie+ are a suite of services that help Disney World and Disneyland guests maximize their time in the parks. All of these services are integrated with Disney’s existing Disneyland and My Disney Experience apps.
How to Use Disney Genie Plus
Genie+ replaces Disney’s previous FastPass+ “skip the line” service inside the Disney parks. In this article, we’ll discuss how to use Disney Genie Plus.
What Is Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lanes?
With both paid and unpaid services available and similar, overlapping names, the whole thing can feel more than a little confusing. So, before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s quickly go over the different components so you can decide which is best for you and your family.
Disney Genie
The Disney Genie service is a complimentary virtual trip planner. That’s right; unlike what we’ll cover next, Disney Genie is completely free. This helpful tool uses your preferences—things like favorite Disney characters, must-do riders, and desired dining experiences—along with current and forecasted wait times and your location inside the park to create a live, personalized itinerary.
Pretty nifty, right? With just a glance, you’re able to get recommendations on where to go and what to do next. Maximizing your precious time so you’re doing more of what’s on your to-do list and spending fewer minutes in lengthy queues However, with just the basic Disney Genie service, You are only able to experience attractions by utilizing the ride’s stand-by lanes. No lightning lane access is included.
Lightning Lanes
Lightning Lanes are the new FastPass line, although, unlike their predecessors, you need to pay money to use them. To access an attraction’s Lightning Lane and jump to the front of the line, you will need to buy either Disney Genie+ or an Individual Attraction Selection, also known as an Individual Lightning Lane Selection (more on those next).
Disney Genie+
Priced at $15 or more per person per day (plus tax), with prices increasing based on demand, Disney Genie+ is one part of the new paid line-skipping service and covers the vast majority of Disney World’s most popular rides—more than 40 overall. Similar to FastPass+, Genie+ allows you to reserve a time window to use a specific attraction’s Lightning Lane.
Unlike FastPass, however, you are only able to make one Genie+ reservation at a time. Once you have gone on that ride and fulfilled your reservation, you will then be able to make a new Lightning Lane reservation for a different attraction. You cannot use the Lightning Lane to go on the same ride more than once; this includes individual attraction selections as well. Additionally, if you are planning to park hop later in the day, you can also reserve a Lightning Lane window for an attraction in that new park.
How to Use Disney Genie Plus
If you plan on purchasing the Genie+ service at Disneyland, we recommend buying it before your visit as an add-on to your ticket booking or vacation package. If you already have your ticket, purchase it on the day of your park visit (after park entry) through the Disney app.
For Disney World, however, Genie+ can only be purchased on the day of your park visit.
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Log Into Your Account on the Park App.
Once you’ve purchased the service, launch the Disney Parks app and log in. If multiple people in your party have the Genie+ service, make sure each person is linked to your account for your reservation date. This ensures you can book Lighting Lane experiences for the same attraction and time for your entire party.
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Book Your First Lightning Lane
Each ticket holder with Genie+ can reserve the next available Lightning Lane entrance window at a participating attraction once per visit. The service only allows you to reserve a Lightning Lane entrance one at a time, so you must fulfill your Lightning Lane reservation spot or it must have expired before you can make another reservation at a different attraction. However, you may book another ride if you are holding on to a selection that has an arrival window that’s more than two hours from when the selection was made.
To book an attraction using Lightning Lane, go to your Disney Genie service while logged into the app and tap on your Tip Board to find your attraction and the next available window. Select the members of your party for the booking and confirm your reservation.
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Scan Your Pass on the Park App to Tap Your Magic Band
When arriving at the Lightning Lane entrance, make sure your pass through the Disney app is scanned so Genie+ knows you attended your booking during the window. This avoids unnecessary delays when booking your next Lightning Lane reservation. If you’ve decided to purchase a MagicBand wristband for hands-free access to park entry and other park experiences, you can scan it here. You can also use your admission card if you don’t want to access Lightning Lane with a device.
What does Genie Plus include?
- Lightning Lane Entrance
Genie Plus gets you Lightning Lane access to many of the most popular attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Dumbo, and Haunted Mansion. Note that some attractions are not included in Genie Plus (more on that below). Genie Plus can be used for park hopping with some timing restrictions.
- Disney PhotoPass Service
At both Disney World and Disneyland, Genie Plus scores you augmented reality lenses to make your park visit even more magical. And someday, on-ride attraction photos will be included with the purchase of Genie Plus as well.
- Audio Experiences
Genie+ gives you another way to experience the park with audio tales. You can listen to behind-the-scenes stories about attractions and park features in select areas of the park. For example, you can hear tales about Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom. Genie+ integrates Audio Tales into your Genie itinerary, and you can also find them marked on the park map.
How Much Does Genie Plus Cost?
As of June 27, 2023, Disney World has park-specific Genie+ pricing. This means guests purchasing Genie+ will be able to select either a single-park option or a multiple-park option. The “Multiple Parks” option works the same as the current Genie+ with a valid park hopper.
Prices vary by date and park.
Example: June 27, 2023, prices:
- Multiple Parks: $27 per person
- Magic Kingdom: $27 per person
- Hollywood Studios: $24 per person
- Epcot: $18 per person
- Animal Kingdom: $16 per person
Note: If any individual park in Genie+ sells out, the Multiple Parks option will also be sold out for that day. This doesn’t change the Genie+ purchasing process. You can still only purchase Genie+ on the day of your park visit, starting at midnight EST, not in advance or before your trip. Previously, the Genie+ price started at $15 per ticket, per day (plus tax), and varied based on demand. We also saw that price go all the way up to $35 per ticket, per day.
There is no way to know ahead of time how much Genie+ is going to cost. Instead, you will see the price when you go to purchase it inside the My Disney Experience app. In general, though, you can expect that the busier the time of year, the more expensive it will be.
FAQs
When can I buy Disney Genie+?
Whether you have an Annual Pass or a multi- or single-day ticket, you may only purchase Genie+ on the day of your visit via the app, one day at a time, “subject to availability,” per Disney. You can do so on the day of your park visit, starting at 12 a.m. EST. Once the day changes, you can begin purchasing Genie+. You can even buy Genie+ in the middle of your park day if you want.
If you want to make that first Genie+ selection starting at 7 a.m., make sure you purchase Genie+ somewhat early to navigate the new system (including Disney Genie), especially if you’ve never used it.
Where do you buy Genie+?
Genie+ is built directly into the My Disney Experience app. From the app, you’ll purchase Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane selections and book your Genie+ attraction reservations.
