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Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions

by Leap on March 17, 2023 44 Los Angeles

Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - PinterestWe love saving time (and money!) in theme parks. Since Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ launched at Disneyland, we've been bringing you answers to the most frequently asked questions. Genie and its associated paid products (Disney Genie Plus and individual Lightning Lane) work a little differently at Disneyland compared to Disney World, so we decided to give our Disneyland Genie FAQ its own post to simplify this information for Disneyland visitors. If you're looking for Genie+ answers for a Disney World trip, hop over to our Disney World Genie FAQ post as it will be more hopful and accurate for your visit (and it will cover all the updates).

While we pride ourselves in being theme park “Skip the Line” gurus, Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ threw a major learning curve at first, especially since we were the masters of Disney MaxPass, the predecessor of Disney Genie+, at Disneyland. But we frequently hop over to Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Parks to sharpen our skills with the new planning tool and skip-the-lines service. We've got answers to some of the most common inquiries below in our Disneyland Genie FAQ, including the latest changes regarding park hopping and when you can reserve Lightning Lanes for your second park. No need to rub the lamp!

Disneyland Genie and Genie Plus FAQs: A Basic Overview and How to Purchase

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Disneyland Genie Plus Overview

What is Disney Genie?

Disney Genie is a FREE planning tool available in the Disneyland app. 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. You can learn more about all that's included in the Disney Genie service in our guide to Genie at Disneyland.

How do I prepare to use free Genie planning services?

Disneyland Genie – Personalized Interests on the AppBefore your trip, tap My Day, then select the date of your visit and hit Get Started. This will take you through your top picks. It allows you to select attractions, entertainment, dining and enchanting extras to put in your itinerary. Then you can select Disney Favorites (such as Pirates, Star Wars, Heroes or Princesses), Park Interests (such as parades or fireworks, slow rides or thrill rides) and Dining Interests. If you want to display height requirements or accessibility info, you can select those tabs. Then you can view your itinerary under the Tip Board on the day of your visit.

You can opt not to use this free service and stick to your own touring plan. We find the Disney Genie sometimes suggests rides or paid services that are not of most interest to us so we stick to our tried-and-true touring plans. But if you are unfamiliar with the parks or unsure of what to do, you can turn to Genie's itinerary guidance. Our thoughts are that Genie can help you find the shortest wait times so you can get on the most rides, but they may not always be the rides you most want to go on. You can always swap out a ride or restaurant that doesn't fit your interests.

What is Disneyland Genie Plus?

Genie+ is a paid skip-the-line service that allows guests to enter through a special line called the Lightning Lane (think of the former FASTPASS Return Entrance) rather than the standby line. Not all Disneyland attractions are available with Genie Plus, which we'll get into below. This add-on is toadally optional. All rides continue to operate with a standby queue (and sometimes a Single Rider line) at no additional charge. An additional benefit to Genie Plus at Disneyland is that PhotoPass photos are included for the day!

How much is Genie Plus at Disneyland?

Genie+ at Disneyland costs $25 and up per person, per day (20 percent discount for Magic Key holders). Tadpoles under 3 years old (who do not require a ticket for admission) do not need to purchase Genie+ to go with their party. (To get the lowest price on Genie+, purchase a ticket loaded with Genie+, as the price to purchase in park can vary each day.)

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Phone and Monorail

When can I purchase Disneyland Genie Plus?

If you want to use the service for your entire trip, you can purchase multi-day tickets with Genie+ in advance for Disneyland. (Psst ... save some green by purchasing through Undercover Tourist!) If you purchase Genie+ tickets, you'll have access to the service for every day of your visit. Plus you'll lock in the absolute lowest price for the service.

The turnstiles at the Monorail count as a park entrance.

It's also toadally fine if you want to use it only on certain days or decide you want to use it once you're at the park and can assess if you think it's worth getting. You can purchase regular, multi-day tickets and then add Genie+ day by day on each day of your trip via the Disneyland app. You can only purchase it once you have entered a theme park for the day. Just note that same-day purchases are variable in price — the best way to lock in a discount is to purchase in advance.

How do I purchase Genie Plus at Disneyland?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Screenshot of app Tip BoardThere are a few ways to purchase if Genie+ is not included with your tickets. It's not always obvious in the Disneyland app and some ways may work better for you than others. Make sure you download the latest version of the Disneyland app to see all the options.

You will see a purple bar under the My Day tab with a link that says, Get Genie+ Service. This is the best option if you want to edit your party and only want to purchase for some members of the party. You can deselect people here. If you do not see your whole party, tap Edit Party to bring up the rest of the names of guests who have entered the park.

Another easy way to purchase is under the Tip Board. There's a new button that says Purchase for Today. That method should allow you to edit the party as well.

Do not purchase under a Genie+ attraction. You'll see the LL distribution time and Book Experience. When you tap that box, it will walk you through purchasing Genie+. This will automatically select all people linked to your app who are in the park. You cannot edit the party through this method, so we don't really recommend it. It also does not automatically book that attraction. You need to go back in and select that attraction after purchasing.

Do I have to be in the park to use Genie Plus at Disneyland?

While you have to enter a theme park to activate Genie+, you do not have to stay in the park. Once you have entered a park for the day, you can leave and make Lightning Lane selections from anywhere — Downtown Disney, your hotel room or a restaurant. Of course, you'll have to hop back into the park in time to ride! We like to hop into the park before character dining in the hotels so we can start using Genie+ to line up our first ride or two in advance. Keep in mind that all party members need to have entered the park if they want to be included in any Lightning Lane reservations with the rest of the group.

How does Disneyland Genie Plus work?

Genie+ allows guests to skip the line at the included attractions, once per ride per day (so no unlimited access like the previous Disneyland MaxPass offering). You can begin making your Genie+ reservations once you have entered the park for the day. You can make your selections across all of the theme parks if you have a Park Hopper ticket. (When park hopping, you'll have to watch the Tip Board to see what time a Lightning Lane is available. You can only select a start time as of 11 a.m. or later.) These reservations can be made through the Disneyland app at Disneyland. One big change for people who have used MaxPass or FastPass is that you can only book a particular ride once per day.

Which Disneyland attractions are included with Genie+?

There are 20 attractions are included in the Genie+ service at Disneyland.

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Disney Genie+ Attractions at Disneyland Park

Disneyland Genie Plus - Disney California Adventure Park Rides Included with Genie+

Which Disneyland attractions are NOT included with Genie+?

Actually, a good amount of Disneyland rides are not on Genie+. Many of the Fantasyland rides are not on Genie+ at Disneyland, and a few classic attractions such as Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean operate with a standby line only. Most of the rides without a height requirement at Disney California Adventure also have a standby line only.

A few in-demand or newest rides are excluded from Genie+. Instead, these rides have a standby line (for no extra charge) or you can pay to skip the line on an individual basis. You’ll pay an additional price per person, per line to use the Lightning Lane (whether or not you have purchased Genie+ for the day).

Let's take a look at attractions that are not included with Disney Genie Plus at Disneyland.

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - DumboAttractions that are not included in Disney Genie+ at Disneyland Park:

  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Astro Orbitor
  • Casey Jr. Circus Train
  • Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant
  • Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
  • Gadget’s Go Coaster
  • Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
  • Jungle Cruise
  • King Arthur Carrousel
  • Mad Tea Party
  • Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (utilizes a free standby line and an individual Lightning Lane)
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
  • Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (has a standby line for free, as well as individual Lightning Lane for a separate fee)
  • Storybook Land Canal Boats
  • Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Finding Nemo Submarine scene

Attractions that are not included in Disney Genie+ at Disney California Adventure:

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Tow Mater's Junkyard

  • Disney Junior Dance Party!
  • Golden Zephyr
  • Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
  • Jessie's Critter Carousel
  • Jumpin’ Jellyfish
  • The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
  • Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
  • Tow Mater’s Junkyard
  • Mickey’s PhilharMagic
  • Pixar Pal-A-Round
  • Radiator Springs Racers (has standby and single-rider lines for free as well as individual Lightning Lane for a separate fee)
  • Silly Symphony Swings
  • Animation Building experiences

Keep in mind, if you use Genie+ and get a ride breakdown during your window to ride, you may receive a Multiple Experiences pass. If you tap it, there is a link to tell you all the rides you can use it for. Most of the above rides that are not on Genie+ are options! Sorry, but Peter Pan's Flight is not one of them. The individual Lightning Lanes are also not included. But this is one way you can use Genie+ to skip the lines for other rides in the park. Ribbit!

What is Lightning Lane?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Radiator Springs Racers Entrance

Lightning Lane is the name of the queue you will enter at each attraction. The FASTPASS entrances have been renamed Lightning Lanes (ka-chow!). Genie+ users, as well as individual Lightning Lane selection users, use this lane. Sometimes Disneyland Disability Access Service users use this lane as well.

Do you have to purchase Genie+ to buy individual Lightning Lane selections?

No, you do not need to have Genie+ to purchase individual Lightning Lane selections. (You can opt for one or the other, or purchase both skip-the-line options.)

Which attractions are included as individual Lightning Lane selections?

Individual Lightning Lane selections at Disneyland include:

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
  • Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (The Lightning Lane does skip most of the toadally cool interactive queue.)

Individual Lightning Lane selections at Disney California Adventure include:

  • Radiator Springs Racers

If you are park hopping after 11 a.m., you can make an individual Lightning Lane selection for a ride in the other park in the morning as long as the distribution time is 11 a.m. or later.

These a la carte options can be purchased same-day, in-park on a first-available-time basis. You can pay-per-Lightning Lane for a particular attraction once per day and pay to upgrade for up to two different individual Lightning Lane rides per day.

Can Disneyland Genie Plus rides "sell out"?

Genie+ rides are not guaranteed. The most popular rides can run out of available Genie+ Lightning Lane selections. We saw this later in the day at Disneyland when Lightning Lane for Indiana Jones Adventure was "Not currently offered." Guardians of the Galaxy and Toy Story Midway Mania are likely to “sell out” as well. Don't give up hope on them though! You might see more availability pop up later, possibly due to cancellations. Act quickly on those if you see them. There are fewer rides on Genie+ at Disney California Adventure than at Disneyland, so those tend to go faster than they do at Disneyland.

Can Genie Plus sell out?

Yes. We see Genie+ sell out multiple days during the weeks around Christmas and New Year's Eve, as well as in early April during spring break. The best way to guarantee that you get Genie+ is to purchase a ticket loaded with Genie+. That's also the best way to lock in the lowest price.

How much are individual Lightning Lane selections?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Screenshot of app showing ILL and Genie+Pricing and availability vary by date, attraction and park. For example, Lightning Lane access to Radiator Springs Racers has a big range from $12 to $20 per person, depending on expected crowds. So far Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway tends to match the price of Radiator Springs Racers that day and is usually between $15 and $20 per person. Rise of the Resistance pretty much stays between $20 to $25 per person each day. This one is most likely to sell out. You can see the price before you pay.

Can individual Lightning Lane selections sell out?

Yes. Once all the available add-on ride slots are filled, the individual Lightning Lane box will say, "Not currently offered." Rise of the Resistance is most likely to sell out sooner than Radiator Springs Racers or Runaway Railway. If you wish to buy them, don't wait too long. Purchase by late morning. However, none of the rides sell out as quickly as they do at Disney World. The distribution times are not always sequential, so be sure to check the Tip Board frequently.

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Lonesome Ghosts Dresser

Because the Lightning Lane for Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway skips all the fun, interactive parts of the ride queue, more people are willing to wait in line for free rather than pay to skip.

Disneyland Genie Plus and Individual Lightning Lane Selection Process FAQs

How do you select a time window for a Genie+ ride?

Whenever you are eligible to make another Lightning Lane selection with Genie+, you can scroll through the list of rides on the Tip Board and scan for rides with "LL Disney Genie+" and the start time that is being distributed at the moment. Tap Book Experience. To select a ride in the other park, tap Change Park at the top. When park hopping, keep in mind that you can only select rides for your second park that have distribution windows that start at 11 a.m. or later.

The next window could be as soon as five minutes later or hours away. You cannot choose time windows far in advance to suit your schedule. Times are offered as first available on a rolling basis. Click on Book Experience. The next page will confirm the arrival window, show you if you have any overlapping plans and you can adjust your party, if needed, before you officially book it. Pay attention though because sometimes the times shift before you complete your selection and your actual start time is later or even earlier. Make sure that time works for you.

One challenging part of the Tip Board is that it defaults to Disneyland Park, so each time you go to make a reservation in Disney California Adventure, you may have to change the park at the top. If you know what you want, sometimes it's easier to use the search feature (magnifying glass) in the app to type in the name of the ride you want, tap the LL and get the Lightning Lane that way.

How soon can you make another Genie+ ride selection if you can only get one at a time?

You can make your next Genie+ ride selection once you've scanned in at the Lightning Lane entrance of your first ride. For example, we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as our very first Genie+ ride of the day. After redeeming it at the Lightning Lane entrance, we were able to get a Genie+ selection for Haunted Mansion in line before we even boarded Big Thunder.

Alternatively, you can book the next ride if you cancel the first one or reach the end of the ride window (even if you have not redeemed it yet). Also, if the first ride breaks down and you receive a Lightning Lane - Multiple Experiences pass, it releases you from that first ride so you may immediately make a new ride selection for the original ride or a different ride. What's great is that it can be redeemed for most rides in the parks — even those without a Lightning Lane — giving you the opportunity to skip those lines as well! We love these Multiple Experiences passes so much that we gave them their own post!

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - How to find eligibilityIf you select a ride that is more than two hours away and cannot remember when you are eligible to select a new ride, here's how to check. Go to reserve a new ride. A message will come up under Confirm Your Party that says, "It's too soon for this Guest to make another Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane selection. They'll be eligible starting at ..." Set an alarm so you can remember to book your next ride ASAP. At the top of the Tip Board, it may also tell you when you are eligible to book. It's not always accurate for us though, especially if we have people in the party with differing plans.

Can you book more than one experience?

You can only make one Genie+ selection at a time, but you can hold overlapping Genie+ selections if you choose a ride window that is more than two hours away. You just have to wait two hours before booking the next ride. Keep in mind that you can also purchase an individual Lightning Lane selection that overlaps with a Genie+ selection.

But what if my Genie+ return time window is more than two hours away?

Like we mentioned before, you can only select the next available time. So, if it's a particularly busy day, you might find that, when you're looking at noon, the next available time for a popular ride could be 6 p.m. Snag it anyway! Your ability to make Genie+ selections will be frozen for two hours, but starting at 2 p.m., you can make another Genie+ selection for another ride. If that ride is more than two hours away, then, at 4 p.m., you can make one more, and so on. Go eat lunch and see a show, and you'll be ready to choose another ride in two hours.

If for some reason you change your mind, use the "modify" tool to select a new time or a different attraction. Doing this does not restart the clock on your two-hour window. When you cancel, it does restart the clock, so use "modify" whenever possible.

Speaking of individual Lightning Lane selections, is that process different?

At Disneyland, which differs from Disney World, the individual Lightning Lane selections are also offered at the next available time (although the time can jump around and is not always sequential). If you know you want to purchase individual Lightning Lane for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, but you're starting in Disney California Adventure, you can purchase in the morning, but here's the catch. You have to wait to purchase until you see that the ride has a start time that is 11 a.m. or later.

Like Genie+, you can only book individual Lightning Lane selections once you have entered a theme park that day.

How does Genie+ work if you're park hopping?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - My Next Park Screen

This part is optional, but you can let Genie know that you're park hopping by setting up Genie and then going to the My Day tab and scrolling down to Plan for your next park. Select a park and which hours you plan to hop and stay in the other park. That way, Genie can make recommendations based on your park hopping plans.

You can make a Genie+ and an individual Lightning Lane selection for your second park while you're still in your first park. But there is a change. It used to automatically give you the first time available after hopping is allowed. Now you have to watch the ride you want in the Tip Board and wait until its distribution time says at least 11 a.m. or later and then select it.

What if I change my mind?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - modify reservationYou can now modify an existing Genie+ selection. You can select a later time for the same ride or choose a different ride in the same park. While doing that, you can also edit your party size to add or drop someone. You can also cancel and reserve a different time or attraction, but we recommend modifying a plan instead because it allows you to consider your options and does not reset or affect your eligibility period before making another ride selection. It's the safer way to go and will wreak less havoc on your plans.

If you simply want to remove some party members you can hit Cancel to remove certain members of your party. We suggest that you need to be certain about canceling a reservation because the next available time window for that ride could be much later in the day or even unavailable! You can check the Genie+ availability status for the current time window being offered before you cancel.

If you cancel or modify a Genie+ reservation, did you use your only chance for that ride?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - cancel planNo! While you can only use Genie+ access once per ride, you can cancel or modify it if you wish to change your arrival time.

If you miss your window, you can cancel it to rebook that ride.

Can you be early or late to your Genie+ or individual Lightning Lane reservation?

The arrival windows have a little wiggle room. You can scan in five minutes early, and arrive up to 10 or 15 minutes late (depending on the attraction).

If you're later than 15 minutes you have a few options:

  • You can bring your ticket(s) to the ride and see if they can accommodate you. The cast members may be able to let you through. If it's an instance that's out of your control (such as a different ride breaking down that caused you to be late), we suggest kindly explaining the situation, but it's up to the discretion of the cast members at the ride entrance.
  • You can tap x and reschedule the ride.

What if the ride that you have a Genie+ or individual Lightning Lane selection for breaks down in your window?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Multiple Experiences PassIndividual Lightning Lane Ride Breakdown

Don't worry! There are certain recovery efforts that the cast members can implement in case this happens. For instance, if you paid for an individual Lightning Lane selection that you haven't used yet but it breaks down in your window, after a few minutes, you’ll see a change in your app under My Day that allows you to come back any time that day before the ride closes for the day (Rise of the Resistance closes early each day, so check the app). If you are unable to ride before you leave the park, you’ll automatically get a refund on your credit card about two to five days later.

We did make a discovery each day we booked an individual Lightning Lane that happened to break down. We had made our maximum purchase of two individual Lightning Lane rides for the day. But after the first ride broke down and became an all-day pass for the ride, it also lifted the restriction, allowing us to purchase a third individual Lightning Lane. That was when WEB SLINGERS was included as a third individual Lightning Lane.

Genie+ Ride Breakdown

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - multiple experiences We’ve already talked about this a little, but if a breakdown occurs in your Genie+ Lightning Lane window, you’ll receive a Multiple Experiences pass under My Day. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade. We love these guys! Here’s why:

  • You have until the end of the day (or a particular ride closes) to use the Multiple Experiences pass. Use it right away or save it!
  • Tap it to see a list of rides you can either ride instead, or you can save it for your original ride once it reopens.
  • The selection varies based on the ride that broke down. So if Indiana Jones Adventure breaks down, you can pretty much ride any ride in the parks except Peter Pan's Flight and individual Lightning Lane attractions. When Incredicoaster broke down, we could use the Multiple Experiences pass for most attractions (except for Toy Story Midway Mania!, Guardians of the Galaxy, WEB SLINGERS, Matterhorn, Indiana Jones Adventure or Space Mountain, but actual selection may vary seasonally) and any ride in the parks except individual Lightning Lane rides and Peter Pan's Flight. So there are different tiers of rides based on how in demand they are.
  • It removes the wait to book another ride, so you are immediately eligible to book a new one! You can rebook the same ride that broke down, so that may allow you to use the Lightning Lane twice for a favorite ride — one with Lightning Lane and one with the Multiple Experiences pass. Or you can use the pass for a different ride. Win-win, either way.
  • If you immediately re-book the same ride that just broke down (saying you can book for a window that starts very soon, like in the morning) and the ride stays broken down, you’ll get another Multiple Experiences pass after a few minutes, and another … you get the point. We acquired three of these babies after an extended Incredicoaster breakdown. If you are park hopping, these passes are good for select rides in either park. While Tad and I were sad to miss our favorite roller coaster, the breakdown allowed us to hop over to Disneyland with three Select Experience passes. Plus we had a Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation for Thunder Mountain from 1 to 2 p.m., (which we immediately scanned in for at 1:05 p.m. and then booked Space Mountain), and an individual Lightning Lane reservation for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for 1 to 2 p.m. We rode three major rides within the first hour of hopping. And we still had three Multiple Experiences rides ahead of us. You can’t argue with that magic! Obviously, on a busier day, things would play out differently as available return windows stretch out into the future.

Does Genie+ grant you immediate access to the ride?

No. It definitely offers you a shorter line to stand in, but you will likely have some wait. Busier days mean a longer Lightning Lane wait than you might find on an off-peak day. We saw a big difference in using Disneyland Genie+ on a quiet week versus a holiday week. We waited longer in the Lightning Lane during the holiday week and had fewer immediate Lightning Lane windows available to us. The lines to redeem Lightning Lanes are getting shorter now that MagicBand+ has come to Disneyland. It's a bit cumbersome for everyone to pull out phones and find the reservation and scan each code. MagicBands are faster. You can help make the line move quicker by not blocking other guests from accessing the areas to scan in while you wait for your party member to scan all the codes.

Miscellaneous Disneyland Genie FAQs (for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane)

Is Genie+ different at Disneyland and Disney World?

Yes! Genie+ at Disney World varies per person, per day and only includes PhotoPass attraction photos (you'll still need to spring for Memory Maker if you want unlimited photos!). At Disneyland, Genie+ starts at $25 per person, per day and includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads. It's a $25 flat rate for purchasing Genie+ with tickets and can vary if purchasing in the park.

At Disney World, guests do not need to enter a theme park to start making selections and hotel guests can book individual Lightning Lanes at 7 a.m. There are no on-site hotel benefits at Disneyland. All guests must have entered a theme park to start making any Lightning Lane selections at Disneyland. We have found that individual Lightning Lanes do not sell out as quickly at Disneyland. Plus there is a greater variety of available Genie+ Lightning Lane selections throughout the day at Disneyland Resort. Both resorts offer augmented reality PhotoPass lenses with the purchase of Genie+.

Can I use Disability Access Service (DAS) with Genie+?

Yes. If you use DAS, you can make Lightning Lane selections as well as DAS selections, and the two types of reservation can overlap with each other. For rides with Lightning Lane, you're usually using the same shorter queue to access the rides anyway. Notify the cast members if you require any special assistance when scanning in with Genie+. The DAS has recently undergone changes at Disneyland that allow users to make DAS return time selections from their smartphone, which is so much easier than having to collect them in person from Guest Relations each time. Hop over to our Disneyland Disability Access Service post for the latest details.

Chances are you will not feel the need to pay more to use both systems, but if you do decide to spring for Genie+ to maximize time, use Genie+ for its included Lightning Lane rides and use DAS for the other rides (including the individual Lightning Lane options!).

Do Disney Resort Hotel guests get any perks related to Genie+?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - Early Entry Sign

While Disney World Resort hotel guests can make individual Lightning Lane reservations as early as 7 a.m. on the day of their visit, Disneyland Resort guests have no real advantage except that they are close enough to get into the park early without the hassle of driving and parking each day.

Disneyland hotel guests have Early Entry access to the theme parks every day 30 minutes before the parks open. But all guests can enter the park 30 minutes before park opening too. Regular guests are stopped at ropes while hotel guests are able to access rides with very short to no wait times 30 minutes before other guests. But all guests can make Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane selections as soon as they enter a theme park. The selections will be for when the park officially opens.

Does Disneyland have Wi-Fi?

Yes, but it's spotty and inconsistent. We often turn off the Wi-Fi and use our own data for better luck. This definitely makes using Genie+ harder on foreign travelers who might get more frustrated with the Wi-Fi signal.

What about Magic Key holders?

We have good news! Magic Key holders get a 20 percent discount on Genie+ just for Magic Key holders in the party. The price is automatically discounted when ordering in the app. But that also means that Magic Key holders must purchase their Genie+ in a separate transaction from regular ticket holders since the prices will be different.

Can we purchase tickets pre-loaded with Genie+?

Yes, you sure can! (You can still purchase pre-loaded tickets at Disneyland but not Disney World.) You can purchase Disneyland tickets with Genie+. In fact, purchasing ahead of time locks in the lowest rate and guarantees you have Genie+ in case it sells out that day.

Can I add Genie+ to my existing Disneyland ticket purchased through Undercover Tourist?

Yes! You can purchase Genie+ through the Disneyland app once you have entered a theme park.

I only want to add Disneyland Genie Plus on select days, for certain people in my party. Is this possible?

Yes. You can purchase it for just some members of your party. In fact, some families just get one Genie+ to get all the PhotoPass downloads. If you have small children who do not meet the height requirements for most thrill rides, you can save money by not getting them Genie+.

Note that if you are purchasing Genie+ in the app, you want to go to the My Day tab and look for the purple bar that says "Get Disney Genie+ for Today." Then it will let you edit your party before purchasing so you do not have to purchase for all ticket holders. You can also purchase at the top of the Tip Board and still edit your party.

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - kids using GenieWhat if my teens want to split off and do their own rides?

You can easily split up and have individuals make their own Genie+ ride selections that differ from the rest of the group's plans. The people who want to split off from the group can either link their tickets to a separate account or just log into the same account as the others are using. It doesn't matter. When you go to book a ride, you can edit the party of just the people who wish to make that Lightning Lane selection.

For example, if Mommy Frog and I want to ride Haunted Mansion, we would only select our two tickets when choosing the party for Lightning Lane. That allows Tad and his cousin or friend to go select just themselves for Space Mountain or Guardians of the Galaxy. You just cannot have one person on two different Lightning Lanes. So if we added Tad to our Haunted Mansion, he would be unable to make a different selection unless he canceled his Haunted Mansion Lightning Lane.

Tad usually logs into our family account when he splits up. That way he can Mobile Order food through the app on our credit card. He doesn't realize that we can see where he is eating when Mobile Order notifications pop up or the Lightning Lanes for rides he is planning to ride appear on our phones. It's one way we can keep tabs on him. Even if he logged into a different account, we would still see his plans since he is also linked to our account.

The only time this gets tricky is if all the parties experience different ride breakdowns and acquire Multiple Experiences passes. Under My Day you would see everyone's Multiple Experiences passes listed. So you would have to be careful when redeeming those to use the correct ones since some are better than others. No stealing! If you tap them, you can see which tickets are included in that Multiple Experiences Pass.

If only a few members of the party wish to purchase an individual Lightning Lane for an attraction, again, they can edit the party prior to purchase.

We have a whole post detailing this scenario — and others! — you may encounter when using Genie+ with a group at Disneyland.

What if we don't see all the names when we select our party?

Answering Your Disneyland Genie Plus Frequently Asked Questions - confirm your partySometimes there is a glitch that only shows you the tickets purchased on your account or when there is a mix of different types of tickets. If you are traveling with others and have linked all the tickets to your account and confirmed everyone has Genie+ but they still are not showing when you go to confirm your party for a ride, tap the Edit button. You'll see the rest of the names show up. We are not sure why that hoppens, but it hoppened to us twice. A cast member says parties can get split sometimes. Just take extra care to edit and select your party whenever you make a Lightning Lane selection that day. That way you can make sure everyone who wants to ride is included.

Hopefully, our Disneyland Genie Plus FAQ answered some of your questions. What other questions do you have about Disneyland Genie? Let us know in the comments below!

Related: Our Complete Guide to Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ Services at Disneyland 

Related: How to Use Disneyland PhotoPass+ to Make Magical Memories

Keep hopping!

Keep hopping, Leap!
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May 8, 2023 at 3:14 p.m. Conrad Says...

I am planning a trip with a group of 4 to Disneyland in September. I already purchased Genie+ for our tickets but I was wondering about checking in at the rides. If I make Genie+ reservations for all 4 in the group, when we get up to the line can I use my phone to scan in all 4 people or do each of us have to take out the phone to check in to the line?

Reply
May 8, 2023 at 3:39 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Conrad!

As long as all of your tickets are linked, you can use your phone to scan in all four people.

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Apr 16, 2023 at 12:56 a.m. Chris Says...

We are not arriving to Adventure Park until 3 or 4pm on a crowded day in June. Driving up from San Diego. Since we can’t book LL until we are in the park, is it worth it or with such a late arrival is there unlikely to be any availability left? We were originally going to try both parks in one day and park hop, but Disneyland is closing at 8pm for a special event so that is causing us to do 1 park each day with only limited time at Adventure Park.

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Apr 17, 2023 at 9:33 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Chris!

Wth summer crowds, there's a chance Genie+ could sell out before you arrive. However, if Genie+ isn't sold out, you can always look at the Tip Board in the app to check wait times and see the distribution times for Lightning Lane before you purchase. If you can book a few Lightning Lanes in the remaining time, then feel free to purchase. If there are no windows that appeal to you or some rides no longer have Lightning Lane availability, then it likely won't be worth it for you.

Keep hopping!

Leap

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Apr 17, 2023 at 4 p.m. Chris Says...

Thank you for the response and for all the great info and tips!

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Apr 17, 2023 at 12:31 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

You're toadally welcome, Chris! Thanks for hopping by the Frog Pond — let us know if you have any other questions!

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Apr 4, 2023 at 6:11 a.m. Justine Says...

Thank you for all the great information on your site! Really informative.

I have two questions:

1) Can you modify a Genie+ LL reservation if it's after the start window, but it's still before the end of your window? For example, you expected to make it before the end time, but the line of the other ride you're in took longer than expected, so you know you'd be cutting it close to missing it completely. Or does the modify plan need to happen before your window starts?

2) Can I scan everyone in my party (family of 4, all tickets linked) into the Lightning Lane from a single phone with the app, or does everyone need to have the app, an account, and pull out their phones?

Reply
Apr 4, 2023 at 2:06 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Justine!

1) Yes, you absolutely can — in fact, we do it all the time!

2) Yes, just scanning from one phone is toadally fine.

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Mar 18, 2023 at 3:24 p.m. Samantha Says...

Im curious how the FLL works when you have a baby/toddler that wouldn't be tall enough to ride but everyone else in the party wants to ride the same ride all together?

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Mar 21, 2023 at 2:19 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Samantha!

In order for a member of your party to watch the baby, you can get Rider Switch before you ride. Then the person who watched the baby can ride once the rest of the party returns and bring usually 3 others with them while someone else watches the baby. (Which is a bonus for the people who get to ride twice!) This post may help. Hope this helps!

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Feb 15, 2023 at 3:51 a.m. Jessica Says...

Can you buy the two ILL as soon as you enter the park (at the same time you make your lightening lane selection)? Can you hold ILL for runaway railway and rise at the same time? And buy them both when you’re making regular genie+ selection. Or do you have to wait 2 hours in between buying those? Thanks!

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Feb 24, 2023 at 3:06 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Jessica!

You have to purchase separately from Genie+ so you won't be making the reservations when you make your first Genie+ one (within the same transaction, that is), but otherwise, you can purchase as soon as you enter the park. You do not have to wait two hours in between purchasing the ILLs.

Keep hopping!

Leap

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Feb 14, 2023 at 7:39 a.m. alex Says...

Hi, just want to clarify the LL is purchased on a per ride basis, on top of the Genie+ price?

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Feb 14, 2023 at 11:11 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Alex!

For the individual Lightning Lane selections, yes! Those have separate a la carte prices (separate from the Genie+ price).

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Feb 12, 2023 at 5 p.m. Richard B Says...

Any way to set Genie (not Genie+) to leave Disneyland by a certain time? I don’t want my attractions scheduled for after we’re gone. We have one-day tickets & reservations in a couple of days. One online site started, “Cancel your reservation…” No thank you, I might not get them back! Does Genie accommodate early departure plans? FYI, my loving spouse says if I follow an app’s itinerary, she’s not going! so this question may be moot.

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Feb 15, 2023 at 2:34 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Richard!

When you set up regular Genie, it'll ask for your personal interests and top rides to take into consideration when setting up your itinerary, but there isn't a way to indicate a departure time (though if you're park hopping, you may be able to indicate what time you want to park hop). Also, if Genie gives a suggestion that you don't necessarily want to do, you can do a "Swaperoo" to switch out a recommendation.

Keep hopping!

Leap

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Feb 8, 2023 at 5:12 p.m. David Says...

Hello

Sorry if this was answered somewhere but just curious. So i know with Disneyland you can only make your first lightning lane pick once you're in the park. But then you're free to do it from anywhere (like your hotel) even outside of the park for the rest of the day correct? So say i got a 4 day ticket, monday through thursday. Once i make my first lightning lane pick inside the park on monday, am i free to use it outside of the park for the rest of my trip until thursday? Or do you have to make your first pick inside of the park on each day of your multi day trip? So this means i would have to do my first lightning lane inside the park on monday, again tuesday and again wednesday and once again thursday and then on each day i could do it from anywhere until the new day starts?

Thanks :)

Reply
Feb 8, 2023 at 11:47 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi David!

No worries at all! Thanks for hopping by. Once you scan into the park, you can make your first Genie+ selection, and then for the remainder of the day, you can make additional Genie+ reservations from any location (so yes, your hotel would be toadally fine!). It is the same process for the length of your trip — you must scan into the park first each day.

Keep hopping!

Leap

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Feb 8, 2023 at 11:51 p.m. David Says...

Awesome thanks!! :)

Reply
Jan 27, 2023 at 11:32 p.m. Brian Says...

Can you use a Disney Gift Card to purchase Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes in the Disneyland app the day you are in the park?

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Jan 30, 2023 at 5:04 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Brian!

Yes, absolutely! You can also use it for mobile food ordering. The only minor bummer is that the app can't save the gift card number, so we suggest putting it in the notes app (so you can easily cut and paste it when you need it).

Keep hopping!

Leap

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Jan 25, 2023 at 4:27 a.m. Loretta Says...

Hi, I am visiting from Australia. What are the most popular rides (so we can book one of them first)? We will be coming at Christmas time so it will be busy :-(

Reply
Jan 30, 2023 at 9:06 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Loretta!

Some of the most popular rides are individual Lightning Lane selections, such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers. Popular rides that are included with Genie+ service include WEB SLINGERS, Guardians of the Galaxy, Indiana Jones Adventure, Soarin' Around the World and Toy Story Midway Mania. Hope this helps and let us know if you have any other questions!

Keep hopping!

Leap

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Dec 19, 2022 at 7:04 p.m. Kristin Says...

I purchased Disneyland with Genie+ tickets from you. Since Genie+ is supposed to be purchased day of, how does that work with these tickets where (I think?) I pre-paid for it with you? When I go to the app, it gives me the option to purchase but doesn't show that I've already purchased it on my tickets so I'm not sure how to best go about that on the day of, or how I can be sure it's available to be used on those days, if that makes sense?

Reply
Dec 23, 2022 at 10:57 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Kristin!

If you already purchased Genie+ on your tickets, you can start making selections in the tip board as soon as you enter the theme park. If you log into your account at Undercovertourist.com and look up your orders, it should show you what kind of ticket you purchased to confirm you've got Genie ready to go :) Let us know if we can help!

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Feb 10, 2023 at 5:40 a.m. Dldude Says...

Also added genie + from you. The concern is disney app and site show no indication that you have genie + and promotes it to you as if you dont have it

Reply
Feb 13, 2023 at 1:34 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi DL Dude!

Not to worry! It will not show that you've already purchased Genie+ until the morning of. If you log into your Undercover Tourist account and look up your orders, it should indicate which ticket you've purchased to confirm that Genie+ has already been included. If you still have questions or want further confirmation, feel free to call our Customer Service line at 1 (800) 846-1302!

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Nov 17, 2022 at 3:59 a.m. Nicole Says...

For the days that are low traffic in the park, do you still recommend Genie +?

Reply
Nov 28, 2022 at 10:48 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Nicole!

If you're going during a less busier time, you can hold off until you're in the park and decide whether you need it or can do without it. If you can arrive before rope drop and hit the most in-demand rides early, you may not need it!

Keep hopping!

Leap

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Oct 7, 2022 at 6:35 p.m. Michele D Says...

Park Hopping Question: If we're starting at CA and plan to hop to Disney at 1:00, can we book a Disney ride at 1:00 or later AND still book a lightning lane in CA? Does the two-hour rule apply for booking the separate parks?

Reply
Oct 13, 2022 at 3 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Michele!

The rule applies to both parks, so if you booked a Disneyland ride at 1 p.m., depending on when you booked it, you may be able to book in DCA before hopping. To choose a 1 p.m. time at Disneyland, the ride has to be distributing at 1 p.m. So if at 9 a.m., you were in DCA and selected a 1-2 p.m. reservation for Indiana Jones Adventure, then as of 11 a.m., you would be able to book another ride in DCA before hopping.

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Oct 5, 2022 at 1:10 a.m. Dave Says...

Hi, thanks for all the great information. My son and I are going in a couple of weeks.

I have a question I hope you can help me with, when I go on to the disney app and go to My day , when I go to change day, the calendar comes up and I cant select the days I have reservations for also when I go to -start here to plan your day, it says I have to schedule park visit. I already have tickets and reservations. Any help you can give me would be great. Thanks. Dave.

Reply
Oct 6, 2022 at 11:15 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Dave!

Our best suggestion is to make sure that your tickets and reservations are linked to your account. You can go to the main menu by clicking on the icon with three lines on the bottom right corner, and go to "Future Plans." If you're missing anything, you should be able to click "Link to Account" and add your tickets and reservations.

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Jun 10, 2022 at 3:21 a.m. David Brinkley Says...

I plan to rope drop Disneyland on August 5. I plan to arrive at 7am for an 8am open. Assuming Disney kets us onto mainstreet early. Can you book your first LL before 8*

Reply
Jun 13, 2022 at 11:14 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi David!

Yes! As long as you enter the park, you can start booking reservations, even if they open the gates early. The Genie+ available times won't begin until park opening (for instance, you wouldn't be able to make a Genie+ reservation for Big Thunder Mountain from 7:50-8:50 a.m. - it would automatically start at 8 a.m.).

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Aug 9, 2022 at 8:19 p.m. JrS Says...

If you enter the park at 7 a.m. and book your first Genie+ ride, would you be able to book another Genie+ at 9 a.m. (after the 2-hour freeze)?

Reply
Mar 21, 2023 at 4:13 p.m. Greg Says...

Related to this question. Let’s say you scan in at 7:15am and immediately make a LL selection for Indiana Jones at 8:00am (park also opens at 8:00am). However, you continue to modify that reservation backwards to 10:15am. Would you be able to book another LL at 9:15am (ie, 2 hours after you originally reserved the LL), or would you have to wait until 10am/2-hours from the actual 8:00am park opening (similar to how it works at Walt Disney World)?

I’m thinking a strategy would be to get the LL for Indiana Jones, spend the first 1-2 hours of the day riding Fantasyland-vicinity standby lines, and then reserve a second LL at 9:15am (after the two-hour period from scan in).

Reply
Mar 23, 2023 at 11:32 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Greg!

Yes, that's a great strategy that we've recently done! You can book the second ride two hours after booking Indiana Jones at 9:15 a.m., so just keep modifying Indy and it won't affect your next booking.

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Aug 11, 2022 at 12:41 p.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi JrS!

Yes. If you redeem your first ride before then, then you can book sooner, as soon as you scan in. Have fun!

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Jun 7, 2022 at 8:36 p.m. Tessa Says...

Say you select a LL for Indiana Jones at 10a and the arrival window starts at 10a, so you go straight there and redeem it. Are you then immediately able to book a new LL even though it has been less than 2 hours since booking Indiana Jones?

Reply
Jun 8, 2022 at 9:49 a.m. FrogBlog Says...

Hi Tessa!

Once you scan into a Lightning Lane, you can make another one!

Keep hopping!

Leap

Reply
Apr 15, 2022 at 5:32 a.m. DJ Says...

What ever happened to the family, or friends saying "Hey, Lets go to Disneyland, today?" We would get ready, and out the door we went. No planning, no pay extra services, no restaurant reservations, and unless on weekends, we could get a room to stay in that evening. Ah, the good old day. Now, to visit a Disney property, it takes at least 6 months (or more) of intense planning. Too many applications to deal with, now a days. Did it once, and to do it again, I say " No, Thank you!!!"

Reply
Mar 23, 2022 at 8:43 p.m. Kimberly Robinson Says...

My party of 13 purchased Genie+ and our lightening lane selections closed for the day by 6pm. It seems that they max out the number of rides you are allowed to do in a day? Wasn't listed anywhere and we were very surprised and discouraged as we paid a lot of money and were blocked by 6pm from using.

Reply
Apr 29, 2022 at 10:19 p.m. EJ Says...

If you have a large party, the number of selections decreases. You can break your party into smaller groups to get more options for rides.

Reply
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