Did you hear the big news? Disney Genie Plus changes are coming as of July 24, 2024! The changes include new names for Genie+ and individual Lightning Lanes. Genie+ will soon be known as Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass. The individual Lightning Lane also changes its name to Disney Lightning Lane Single Pass. But that is not all. You advance planners who want to plan out your park day attractions ahead of time can select up to three Multi Pass experiences per day and/or purchase up to two Lightning Lane Single Passes per day, all before your visit!
What's New as of July 24, 2024
If you ever booked your FASTPASS+ in advance at Disney World, this process will feel somewhat familiar to you (except you do need to pay for the service). Here's a breakdown of the changes and what to expect as of July 24, 2024.
Purchasing and Booking
As of July 24, all guests can purchase and book their Lighting Lane Multi Pass attractions and arrivals up to three days in advance through the My Disney Experience app.
Disney World hotel guests (along with guests at Shades of Green or the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels) can purchase and book their Lightning Lane arrivals up to seven days in advance of check-in for the entire trip (through length of stay) up to 14 days. Guests must have valid theme park admission on their first day of eligibility. You can purchase Lighting Lane passes as of 7 a.m. ET each day in the My Disney Experience app.
There are some tiers that come into play when you make your advance Multi Pass selections. You can choose one of the top tier Lighting Lane Multi Pass attractions in the parks and up to two other attractions in advance. Keep in mind that standby lines still remain an option (although, there may be a virtual queue in place for some attractions). Once you use one of your Multi Pass selections, you can choose your next attraction from either tier (subject to availability).
We'll keep this intro short and sweet! For more information on the all-new Lightning Lane Passes, hop over to our full introduction post or our Frequently Asked Questions post.
How to Use Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes Through July 23, 2024
If you'll be visiting before July 24, 2024, we've still got all of the relevant Genie+ service details for you. Genie+ service can be purchased as a single-park or multi-park option.
Just like Aladdin was granted three wishes, there are three major parts to Disney Genie:
- The free Genie planning tool (which is keeping its name after July 24 and will still be accessible in My Disney Experience)
- The optional paid Genie+ service to make ride reservations for the majority of popular attractions at the theme parks
- The individual Lightning Lane selections for high-demand rides not included in Genie+ for an additional cost per ride
We'll get into all of the details below! Disney Genie is also available at Disneyland (and we've got a whole guide just for Genie on the West Coast!). And keep hopping back — we'll continue to update as we learn more and strengthen our Genie+ tips and strategies! Speaking of news, Genie+ pricing now varies by date, often ranging from $15 to $35 per person. This pricing also varies by park, as guests are invited to select Genie+ service for one park or multiple (if you're park hopping). Guests should check the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date pricing on the day of their visit.
What Exactly Is Disney Genie?
Disney Genie is a FREE tool in the My Disney Experience app at Disney World. You can use this new technology to guide you through the theme parks with tips to help you reduce time in lines, discover Disney magic and take the guesswork out of planning your day.
Genie includes a personalized itinerary and recommendations feature that will map out your entire day. Just let Disney Genie know what you want to do under the "My Day" tab by selecting attractions, entertainment, dining and enchanting extras (such as building a lightsaber). You can personalize your day even more by selecting general interests you may have. Change your mind? Genie can handle that and readjust your itinerary to include what interests you while you are on the go. You can view your favorites and suggestions in one place on the "Tip Board" tab. You can also request to see height requirements and accessibility when planning out your day.
Disney Genie allows for flexibility. If you like to be spontaneous and go with the flow, Disney Genie will update your itinerary as you go. It displays current and projected ride wait times and helps you pick the best time to ride (kind of like what your favorite frogs have been doing for years to help readers maximize time and follow proven park plans based on our extensive experience in the parks). You'll be able to join a virtual queue, mobile order food, join a restaurant walk-up list and make reservations for dining and rides through Genie, just like you already do through the park apps, but all in one spot. If you do not like a suggestion, you can do a Swaperoo to switch out recommendations. You can also remove specific attractions from your planning so they will not show up for the rest of the day. If you have questions, ask the virtual assistant for help. You ain't never had a friend like Genie!
You can start planning your trip ahead of time with Disney Genie, but you'll need to purchase tickets and link them to the My Disney Experience app first. We recommend playing around with it at home before your trip so you can get comfortable with it. Remember, the free Genie tool is all suggestions and not set reservations, so you can follow the tip board perfectly or use it sparingly.
Will your crew be visiting Disney World in 2024? Disney has announced that they are working on making Genie+ easier to use. The goal is to help guests plan in advance so there's less time planning while in the parks and more time can be spent enjoying time with family and friends. While specific details are not available just yet, the updates should be coming out later this year. We'll be sure to keep you posted on the latest!
Disability Access Service (DAS) Changes
If you have someone in your party with disabilities (such as autism or related cognitive disabilities) that make it difficult to wait in a standard queue, the Disability Access Service (DAS) can be a trip-saver. Waiting in line to set it up and getting return times can be cumbersome when dealing with disabilities. Genie is able to smooth out the process for you.
Eligible guests must now pre-register for DAS via live video chat (there is a chat button on the page) between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern. Guests can pre-register up to 30 days in advance of a park visit but no less than two days before arrival. Once in the park, DAS users may select attractions directly in the app. The individual Lightning Lane selections, such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, are available for pre-booking through the DAS system, but you can still get a return time in person on the day of your visit. Visit Disney's Services for Guests with Disabilities pages at DisneyWorld.com for more details. And be sure to check out our Disney World's Disability Access Service post for more details on the program.
The Power of Disney World Genie Plus
For a daily cost, Genie+ allows guests to select attractions and bypass the standby line, utilizing the Lightning Lane entrances (the rebranded FastPass+ lines). Selections are made one at a time for the same day, so no making selections in advance.
Of course, these services differ slightly based on the resort you visit. Let's take a look at Genie+ at Disney World (and you can find more info in our Disneyland Genie guide).
Disney World Genie Plus Service at a Glance
Here's a look at the Genie Plus Service:
- Pricing varies by date and park, typically starting at $15 (check the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date pricing).
- Can select a single-park option or multi-park option, if park hopping.
- Grants faster access to select attractions and character greetings using the Lightning Lane entrance.
- Can make one reservation at a time throughout the day.
- Guests can make their initial Genie+ selection beginning at 7 a.m. on the day of their visit.
- Once the initial selection is redeemed, the arrival window has passed or it's been 120 minutes since making the most recent reservation, guests can make another selection up to park closing.
- Lightning Lane selections made with Genie+ can now be modified, allowing you to change the time or even pick another attraction in the same park.
- Selections can be made across theme parks for eligible park hoppers (when purchasing the multi-park option)
- Standby lines remain free.
- Virtual queues are free but have a paid option with individual Lightning Lane selections.
- Has augmented reality photo lenses (we had fun turning ourselves into genies!).
- Audio experiences tailored to specific locations throughout the lands.
- Genie+ now includes digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass attraction photos taken in the park on the day of purchase at no additional charge. Check out our guide to Disney World ride photos for more details!
- Park reservations are no longer required for date-based tickets, so you'll be able to select whichever park you would like.
Attractions Offered at Walt Disney World on Genie Plus Service
How Do I Get Genie Plus at Disney World?
Disney Genie+ service is no longer available to purchase as an add-on to new tickets, and is only available for sale on the day of your visit via the My Disney Experience app. If you have multi-day tickets or annual passes, you will need to purchase Genie+ each day that you would like to use it. It becomes available beginning after midnight.
The pricing for Genie+ is now variable by date and park. From the home screen of the My Disney Experience app, click the Genie+ section and select "Get Disney Genie+ Service". You'll then be taken to the different price options. You can choose any of the theme parks individually or select the multi-park option (only available to those with park hoppers). This allows more flexibility on how you want to use Genie+. Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios may cost more due to the number of attractions they offer, though you can save some money now when purchasing Genie+ for EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. With all-day park hopping back, this definitely makes the multi-park option extra hopful.
If you purchase a single park and then decide you want to park hop and use Genie+ at a second park, you'll currently need to head to Guest Relations to refund the single park and then purchase a multi-park option. Note that if any of the individual parks sell out for the day, the multi-park option will not be available for purchase.
How to Use Genie Plus at Disney World
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All of the Disney Genie services live within the My Disney Experience app for Disney World. Now the top of the home page for the My Disney Experience shows your plans. Tapping the "My Day" link in the top right corner takes you to the Disney Genie service homepage. Here, you can purchase Genie+ (if you have not done so already) and begin planning for your day. Remember, Genie+ selections can only be made starting at 7 a.m. on that day only. Each experience can only be used with Genie+ once per day, so once you ride an attraction or meet a character with Genie+, you won't be able to book another Lightning Lane time (but standby or virtual queue is always an option if you want to go again!).
In the app, once you've chosen your day, you will select your party, which will automatically select anyone with valid admission (and a park pass reservation for select ticket types). You can edit your party members at this time if need be. Then, you can choose which attraction you would like to use for your first Genie+ experience. The arrival windows will be for a one-hour period, so you can arrive whenever during that time.
Once your arrival window has started, you will scan into the attraction, show or character greeting by tapping your MagicBand, Key to the World card or MagicMobile pass (which works within your smartphone's wallet — no need for a MagicBand!) to the Mickey touchpoints at the Lightning Lane entrance. For many rides, be prepared to tap again later in the queue. Once you have scanned into both touchpoints, you are free to book your next Genie+ selection (unless you booked a different reservation more recently). We tested it and found that the app would not change after the first touchpoint, but almost immediately let us book after the second touchpoint.
The arrival windows are fairly strict, so there is no reason to show up to the Lightning Lane way before your window starts. The system does let you tap in five minutes early with no issue, but nothing earlier. If running late, there is a five-minute grace period. There can sometimes be up to 15 minutes late allowed, but that can be up to the specific attraction at that time. If you are worried that you will miss the window, we recommend trying to modify and book a different time. We learned the hard way that if you miss your arrival window, the attraction is still used up for Genie+ access. So even though we never scanned into Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, the system would not let us book it again. Had we modified it instead, we could have made another Buzz Lightyear selection for later on.
Pay-Per-Ride Individual Lightning Lane Selections
A few high-demand rides are excluded from Genie+. For these, you can make a la carte reservations, kind of like FastPass+, but for a fee. You can purchase individual Lightning Lane pay-per-ride selections for a particular attraction once per day. You can pay to upgrade for up to two different rides per person, per day. You may purchase both of them at the same time (if you're hopping to another park). These can sell out quickly for popular attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Individual attraction selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks, which is good news for those who love the park hopper option. This option is available to all guests with or without Genie+. You can purchase via the Disney Genie service in the My Disney Experience app at Disney World on the same day as your visit. You can book a maximum of two individual Lightning Lane attractions per person, per day, and you can't book the same attraction twice. These selections cannot be modified at this time.
Standby lines and free virtual queues remain options for all individual Lightning Lane attractions. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom each utilize a free virtual queue system and is an individual Lightning Lane selection available for purchase. Pricing for this option varies by date, attraction and park.
How early can you book an individual Lightning Lane? Guests of a Disney Resort hotel (and other select hotels such as Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green) at Disney World can make their first purchase starting at 7 a.m. on the day of their visit. All other guests may book once the park opens for the day. That means if you are park hopping but not a Disney World hotel guest and want to make a selection for your second park, you will have to wait until the other park opens to purchase. The good news is you don't have to be in the park to make the selection.
Unlike Genie+ selections (which are next available times only), you can pick individual selections for any timeframe that is available throughout the day. Plus you can overlap your Genie+ and individual attraction selections without any issue!
The individual pay-to-skip-the-line options are subject to change, and it should be noted that this a la carte option and Genie+ offer different attractions. You can use both services together or separately
Disney World Genie Plus Tips and Tricks
Here are some of our most basic tips and tricks (but if you want to dig a little deeper, hop over to our separate Tips and Tricks post, where we get into even more detail).
- For Genie Plus at Disney World, you can only choose the next available timeframe for an attraction, show or character greeting. For purchased individual Lightning Lane selections, you can pick your arrival window for any time that is available throughout the day. If possible, we recommend booking your individual attraction for an early afternoon window when wait times are at their highest. This allows you to maximize the time saved so you can get more rides in!
- When booking individual Lightning Lane selections, keep in mind that the person making the reservation will be the person paying and everyone in the party will be automatically linked. If your party consists of groups that would need to pay separately, you'll want to edit the members of your party. The only caveat is that you could potentially end up in different time windows for your ride reservations, especially if it's a particularly busy day and times are getting booked quickly. If you want to ensure that everybody rides at the same time, then book together and have individuals send money via Venmo (or some other money-sharing app) to the purchaser.
- You can only make one Genie+ selection at a time, but you can have overlapping Genie+ selections. How? There is a two-hour window before you can make another selection. Because you can only choose the next available time window, the window can start as soon as five minutes later or hours away, depending on the ride and crowds. At noon, for instance, you might find that the next time window is at 7 p.m. To avoid being tethered to only one ride for seven hours, your ability to make Genie+ selections is "frozen" for two hours. So, at 2 p.m., you could make another Genie+ selection, despite not going on the 7 p.m. ride yet. At 4 p.m., you could make an additional selection if your next ride is two hours away, and so on. If you make your first selection at 7 a.m., then you can make another two hours after park opening.
- With the new modification feature, even if you modify your Genie+ selection to a later time, it does not affect when you book your next reservation.
- Your Genie+ selections can overlap with your individual attraction selections, so you can max out your day with more efficiency. Just make sure you don't miss your arrival windows.
- Attractions with virtual queues will allow you to join a virtual queue and purchase an individual Lightning Lane selection on the same day, when in use. This means you could ride an attraction twice, once through a Boarding Group time and once through your individual Lightning Lane selection.
- Park hopping? Genie has got you covered. You can let the Genie planning service know what time you plan on being at the next park and it will add suggestions throughout your day. We were even able to purchase two individual Lightning Lane selections for two separate parks in the morning with no issues.
We are sure you have loads of Disney Genie questions. Ask away in the comments below, and keep hopping back to this post for updates as we discover more about Disney Genie while we continue to use it at Disney World.
Related: Your Frequently Asked Questions About Disney Genie
Keep hopping!
