What is Disney Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes?
Your wish is my command! Or is it?
In 2021 we bid farewell to some FREE Disney staples like, the Magic Express, Magic Bands for resort guests, PhotoPass downloads for passholders, and FastPasses. The one that personally stung the most was the decision to get rid of the the ability to skip the line at popular attractions throughout the Disney parks……well you can still do it - but for a fee. Gone are the days of planning precisely which 3 rides you want to ride and when, and the feeling of victory when you got just what you wanted. Honestly, I had mastered the FastPass system and was able to make the best reservations and park days. FastPass dominance was one of my Disney strengths and everyone in my travel party reeped the benefits. Then the pandemic hit! Disney was changing daily; they got rid of FastPasses with the reduced capacity and when things started to go back to “normal” they got rid of the free service all together. What’s a Disney Mom to do?!?! Well, she had to learn the new Genie Service and there is definitely a learning curve with it. Even as a seasoned FastPass and Disney app user I did make some mistakes with the new “free” Genie Service. So let’s dive in to what I learnt about this new service that is being used at the Walt Disney World parks and Disneyland.
First, you will need to rid your mind and body of the word FASTPASS. It will be hard, but it is a must to not confuse all the new terminology you are about to learn. As an 80’s baby I do still refer to Hollywood Studios as MGM, so I am well aware that Disney change is VERY hard. Now lets talk about its new replacement, Disney Genie Service. Also because you will be using your phone the entire day at the parks, be sure to bring or purchase a Fuel Rod (pay $29.99 once and swap throughout the parks until you lose it or Disney stops allowing it). Disney Genie is the free service that is now part of your My Disney Experience app and will give you a daily itinerary, allow you to make reservations, view wait times, showtimes and more. You will answer a few questions and the Genie will consider all the possibilities and craft you the ultimate itinerary to save you time, called your TIP BOARD. You can swap out recommendations on the fly, gives you current wait times and forecasted wait times. Also gives the return time if you decide to book a Lightning Lane, more on that next.
Once you have purchased your park tickets. Genie Service will then allow you to use the MY DAY section of the app, and this is where it will specifically plan your day based on what your must see and do’s once you linked your tickets. It updates wait times and such throughout the day, and is a great tool to help you navigate where to go next, and for free.
Now for the options that are available for purchase and add convenience and flexibility. Both options will allow you to enter thought their Lightning Lane entrance and saves you times in line. Here is a summed up description from the Disneyparks website with paraphrasing by me
Disney Genie + service (available for purchase): For the price of $15 per ticket per day at WDW and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day - from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability). Disney Genie+ will also include Disney park-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories - augmented reality lenses for those visiting WDW and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from you day if you are visiting Disneyland resort. You can purchase before you go or even the day of your visit. Once you’ve redeemed your initial selection or the arrival window has passed, you can use the app to check you My Day or Tip Board to see when you’re eligible to make another selection. You can begin making your selections at 7:00am the day of your visit regardless of where you are staying. You can NOT book in advance like you previously could with FastPass. You can only ride a Genie+ ride once through the app, but you can ride it standby.
Individual Lightning Lane Entrance (available for purchase): Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance - like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom and Radiator Springs Racers at DCA park (subject to limited availability; attractions not included in Disney Genie+). You came make individual purchases with the Disney Genie service Tip Board or My Day itinerary in the app on the same day of your visit. Guests of a Disney Resort Hotel and other select hotels can make their first purchase starting at 7:00 am on the day of their visit. Other guests can make their first purchase when parks open. Prices vary, I’ve seen anywhere from $9 plus tax per person to $15 plus tax per person.
Key points that I think are important to remember. Attractions that are part of Genie+ are not part of the Individual Lightning Lane and vice versa. If your must do rides are only on one of the paid experiences, then it would make more sense to purchase just that. Can you buy both? Yup! You can purchase all or none. If you aren’t coming back for a visit anytime soon, it might be worth the added costs of paying for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane. Do you need to buy it for the entire length of your stay? Nope! You can purchase it for one day or all days. My Mom wasn’t concerned with rides in Epcot, so I didn’t bother getting it for her there but did purchase it for Hollywood. Like FastPass the available times are based on popularity of the ride, and that would also change the price of the Individual Lightning Lane. I have heard of the 120 rule, but was never able to test it. Rumour has it that if you booked a Genie+ Lightning Lane and it wasn’t till later in the evening. Then you will be able to book a second choice 2 hours after park opening, or 120 minutes. I tried to book ours for the morning. As soon as I passed through that second sensor in line I was on the app booking our next stop. I found it easier to use while in Hollywood Studios, or should I say I found for value in it. If you’re staying at a Disney resort or select hotel, you may feel stressed booking your Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane reservations since they both happen at 7am. We only purchased Genie + so never ran into that problem. They have gotten rid of Virtual Queues, so you will need to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes or Genie+ now more than ever if you’re not able to rope drop an attraction.
As our trip went on I did feel more comfortable with the Genie Service app. It was stressful in the beginning, but luckily we were able to rope drop rides like Rise of the Resistance and didn’t end up paying. Phew. That was a lot of information in a short blog. I’ll go more into detail about how I used it in the day and more changes that I know will be coming.
Have you had a chance to try Disney Genie Service?
