Disney Genie+ is Walt Disney World’s new ride reservation system. Guest favorite FastPass+, Disney’s previous ride reservation system, is no longer available at Walt Disney World. In its place is a complex mix of free and paid vacation planning systems. Disney Genie+, the closest thing to what guests had with FastPass+, will cost you significantly extra money on top of your park admission.
“We will discuss the paid-for DisneyGenie+ and Individual Lightning Lane “á la carte” below, but first, we will focus on the free Disney Genie planning tool.
Disney Genie
We will start with the part which will not cost you extra money. Disney Genie is a free service within the My Disney Experience app that can help design a perfect Disney World vacation.
Disney Genie will generate a personalized itinerary based on your interests. Disney promises fewer waits, reduced walking, and real-time updates. Your itinerary will continue to be updated throughout the day.
Our experience has been that Disney Genie does not add many benefits. First-time visitors will find the customized itineraries helpful, but most features were already available on My Disney Experience. Indeed, most guests would disagree that Disney Genie has led to reduced waits.
Disney Genie+
Disney Genie+ is the new paid replacement for FastPass+. Disney Genie+ is optional, allowing guests to make reservations to join a much shorter line at select attractions. Guests will enter the attraction via the Lightning Lane entrance.
Selections can be completed one at a time throughout the day, but surprisingly you can only use Genie+ for each attraction once each day. Access is also included to interactive Disney PhotoPass Lenses and audio tales.
How to make Disney Genie+ reservations
Once you have purchased Disney Genie+, you can book your first experience at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit. You should be ready to book your first reservation at 7:00 AM as the most popular attractions do run out fast.
After 2 hours, or when you access your booked attraction, you can make another reservation. You can make your next booking as soon as you check in, even when waiting in line. Check to see if any nearby attractions have reservation windows close to the current time so you can maximize your use of Disney Genie+.
If you are Park Hopping, you can only book reservations for the park with your Disney Park Reservation for Lightning Lane entry before 2 PM. Lightning Lane entry after 2 PM can be reserved for any park.
How to buy Disney Genie+
You can now only purchase Disney Genie+ for single-day use via the Disney Genie service in the My Disney Experience app. Genie+ is available for purchase just after midnight on the day of your visit. There used to be an option to purchase in advance for your entire vacation.
Disney Genie+ isn’t cheap, costing up to $29 a day per person. There is seasonal variation in the price of this service. Disney advises that guests will be able to make 2-3 Lightning Lane reservations per day. However, our experience has been that we made significantly more reservations than this. However, three reservations were what guests used to be able to book in advance, for free, using Fastpass+.
What attractions are available on Disney Genie+?
Most attractions are now available on Disney Genie+, apart from those that attract an Individual Lightning Lane Cost. The list of attractions is subject to change.
“Individual Lightning Lane “á la carte.”
Some of the most popular attractions are not available on Disney Genie+. An individual fee is required to access the lightning lane for these attractions. I’m not fond of Individual Lightning Lanes, but it appears it is here to stay.
Individual Lightning Lane is available for all guests, including those who have not purchased Disney Genie+. You can buy up to 2 attractions daily, booked one at a time.
Disney Resort hotel Guests and Guests of Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green can make their first purchase starting at 7:00 AM on the day of their visit. All other guests can make their first purchase when the park opens. Unfortunately, this can mean guests staying off-site will find that Individual Lightning Lanes for the most popular attractions are sold out before arrival.
The attractions that currently attract a fee are:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- TRON Lightcycle Run (starting April 4, 2023)
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Avatar Flight of Passage
The list of rides has changed several times since the introduction of Individual Lightning Lanes.
However, all attractions also have a Standby or virtual line, and waits are not always long, especially close to park closing.
If you have a long vacation paying extra for Lightning Lane admission could be unnecessary. These purchases soon add up and can cost up to $25 a person per ride.
“Should you buy Disney Genie+ or IndividualLightning Lane “á la carte”?
Disney Genie+ isn’t cheap; buying it every day of your vacation can be a massive expense. If you are on a short vacation, you might wish to purchase it every day, but it probably isn’t necessary for more extended vacations. Many attractions included with Disney Genie+ do not have long waits, and Lightning Lane isn’t required. Consider in your plan which days you want to purchase Disney Genie+ in advance.
Many of the IndividualLightning Lane attractions have massive waits; therefore, purchasing these can save time. However, all attractions also have a Standby or virtual line, and waits are not always long, especially close to park closing.
Guests staying at a Disney Resort or select other resorts, which includes Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours(deluxe resorts only), are advised to take advantage of this perk. Waits during these periods can be considerably shorter and might save the expense of purchasing Disney Genie+ or IndividualLightning Lanes.
Learn more about Walt Disney World.
Visit our Beginners Guide to Walt Disney World to learn more. Our guide includes all the latest information on the reopening of Walt Disney World.
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