Everything you need to know to know about Genie, Genie+, Individual Lightning Lanes, and More
Disney World’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane services are two ways to experience some of the most popular rides with little-to-no wait. And, when it comes to a Disney vacation, time is money. The more time you save for rides, snacks, and shows, the more bang for your buck. However, Genie+ and Lightning Lane cost extra money, so it’s up to you whether either service is within your budget.
I’m here to help you understand each service so you can make the most of your purchase or decide whether it’s right for you.
I’ll define Genie, Lightning Lanes, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lanes. Then, I’ll explain the process for using and booking these options. And finally, I’ll help you decide which attractions to prioritize when using each service, plus give some strategy tips.
The system is notoriously confusing, so feel free to read this article more than once and save it for reference. Be sure to share it with your travel group so everyone is on board too!
Disney Genie
Genie is a free feature on the My Disney Experience app. This resource is an automated itinerary builder. It uses AI technology to show wait times and suggest what rides or dining experiences you should plan throughout your day.
Side Note: The My Disney Experience app is where you can find all your vacation plans and helpful park information. Create an account, link your ticket/park reservations, and download the app. If you haven’t booked your vacation, download the app now and familiarize yourself with all the features!
How to Book Genie
Open the My Disney Experience app, navigate to the home page, and tap “Summon Disney Genie.” The app will guide you through the process of using Disney Genie. You will answer questions about your ride, dining, and entertainment preferences. The app will automagically create a recommended guide for your day. Genie will adjust your plans throughout the day with more automated suggestions.
Genie is a cute idea and may be helpful for those who have decision anxiety. However, take the app’s suggestions with a very tiny grain of salt. The AI technology used to suggest plans and “save you time” isn’t very reliable. You’re better off planning your own day and taking the suggestions of the many dependable resources online. I don’t want you wasting time waiting in line for Triceratops Spin when you could enjoy Expedition Everest, all because the app told you it was a good idea.
P.S. Genie has little to do with the paid Genie+ service. Separate those two concepts in your mind as I move forward!
Lightning Lanes
Lightning Lanes are the physical line you stand in when using Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane to skip the standby line. There will be a sign above the lane, and a Cast Member will ask you to scan your ticket upon entering the line.
Genie+
Genie+ is one of two paid options that allows you to use the Lightning Lane entrance and shorten your wait at select attractions. Purchasing Genie+ means you can reserve multiple attractions throughout the day, with some restrictions. This contrasts with an Individual Lightning Lane purchase, which can only be used for a single attraction. (More on that later.)
Does that sound confusing? Let’s start with pricing and then cover how to book your Genie+ rides.
Genie+ Pricing
Genie+ pricing is not fixed and varies daily based on historical crowd levels. For instance, prices will be higher during high-demand periods like the last two weeks of December due to Christmas crowds. At the time of writing this article, Genie+ pricing has ranged from $15 to $35 per day. It’s important to note that each person in your travel group must purchase Genie+ individually to use the service. However, if someone in the group doesn’t want to use Genie+, you are not required to purchase it for that particular person.
To buy Genie+, you can purchase starting at midnight on the night before your park day. However, staying up until midnight is not mandatory since Genie+ has rarely sold out. The earliest instance of it selling out was around 10:00 AM during a peak date like Spring Break. So, you may have some flexibility in purchasing the service!
To purchase Genie+, open the My Disney Experience app, tap the “+,” “View My Genie Day and Tip Board,” and “Purchase for Today.” Tap the “Get Disney Genie+ Service” button, then select your or “Multiple Parks” if you have a Park Hopper. Select the members of your party using Genie+, then continue to checkout. Be sure all of the members of your party are linked to your Disney account!
How to Book Genie+ Attractions
You can make your first Genie+ reservation at 7:00 AM on the day you’re visiting the theme park. To book, open My Disney Experience, navigate to Genie+, choose a time slot, select the members who will join you for the ride, then confirm your booking.
The earliest time slot you can receive is when the park opens. So, if you’re booking from your hotel, ensure you have enough time to get to the theme park and board the attraction during your one-hour redemption time.
Note that you can only make one Genie+ selection at a time. Before making another choice, you must either use your existing Genie+ reservation by going on the ride or wait two hours after booking, whichever happens first. Always, always, always have something booked for Genie+. You want to ensure you’re using the 2-hour rule to your advantage!
Also, know that the two-hour wait period starts when the park opens, regardless of when you made your initial booking. This remains true even if you made that reservation at 7:00 AM.
And, one more thing, you can modify your Genie+ reservations anytime. The modifications won’t cause your 2-hour time limit to start over.
Genie+ Prioritiy Attractions & Strategy
When booking Genie+, it’s essential to prioritize attractions with historically long wait times. These popular choices tend to fill up quickly, and delaying your reservation may result in getting a later time slot or even missing out on the booking altogether! So, act promptly to secure your desired attractions and maximize your Genie+ experience.
I’ve listed the attractions for all Genie+ rides in two categories (Priority and Second Choice). The order is based on which rides typically have longer wait times.
Your preferences may differ, so it’s crucial to research and identify the experiences your group would like to prioritize. For instance, if you have young kids who cannot ride Space Mountain, you might want to focus on family-friendly attractions. On the other hand, if everyone in the group is excited about thrilling rides, you can prioritize those instead. My suggestions are primarily based on popularity and the historical wait times of the attractions to assist you in making informed choices. Ultimately, tailor your selections to suit your group’s interests and preferences for a more enjoyable experience at the theme park. (Talk to your Travel Agent to see what they might suggest!)
Magic Kingdom – Priority Genie+ Attractions
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Jungle Cruise
- Space Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
- Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- Meet Mickey and Minnie at Town Square Theater
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Magic Kingdom – Second Choice Genie+ Attractions
- “it’s a small world”
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- The Barnstormer
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Festival of Fantasy Parade – Priority Viewing Area
Epcot – Priority Genie+ Attractions
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Test Track
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
Epcot – Second Choice Genie+ Attractions
- Mission: SPACE
- Living with the Land
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Turtle Talk with Crush (Scheduled Shows)
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Hollywood Studios – Priority Genie+ Attractions
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Toy Story Mania!
- Alien Swirling Saucers
Hollywood Studios – Second Choice Genie+ Attractions
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Toy Story Mania!
- Alien Swirling Saucers
Hollywood Studios – Second Choice Genie+ Attractions
- Star Tour – The Adventures Continue
- Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (Priority Viewing)
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Priority Viewing)
- Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage (Priority Viewing)
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- Disney Junior Play & Dance!
Animal Kingdom – Priority Genie+ Attractions
- Na’vi River Journey
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Expedition Everest
- Dinosaur
- Festival of the Lion King (Priority Viewing)
- Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
- Kali River Rapids
Animal Kingdom – Second Choice Genie+ Attractions
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
Individual Lightning Lanes
Individual Lightning Lanes (or ILLs) are used to skip the lines at the most popular attractions at Disney World. To book these attractions, you must pay for each ride individually, and you can book up to two rides per person per day.
Note that the attractions available for ILL cannot be booked through the Genie+ service. Individual Lightning Lanes are booked separately from the Genie+ service at a separate cost. Now, you don’t have to purchase Genie+ in order to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes, nor do you have to purchase ILLs to purchase Genie+. In other words, you can purchase Genie+, ILLs, or both.
Individual Lightning Lane Pricing
Much like Genie+, Individual Lightning Lane pricing varies based on crowd levels. With ILL, the more popular the ride, the higher the price.
Based on Disney Tourist Blog’s research, here’s an example of high and low prices for attractions.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: high $12, low $10
- TRON Lightcycle Run: $20 (Also available via Virtual Queue for free!)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: high $17, low $14
- Star Wars Rise of the Resistance: high $25, low $20
- Avatar Flight of Passage: high $16, low $13
This means that if you have a group of 4 wanting to skip the line for Rise of the Resistance, it may cost up to $100.
How to Book Individual Lightning Lanes
Guests staying at the Walt Disney World resorts, the Swan & Dolphin, or Shades of Green can book ILLs starting at 7:00 AM. All other guests can book when the park opens. Before booking, you must have a valid ticket and park reservation linked to your My Disney Experience.
To book, open the My Disney Experience app, tap the “+” icon, “View My Genie Day and Tip Board,” and choose your park. Scroll down to the attraction of your choice and tap LL Individual Lightning Lane. The price and available time will be listed for your consideration. Select the guests who will ride the attraction, choose your preferred time, and continue to pay for your purchase.
You can redeem your ILL during the one-hour time frame given to you. Don’t be late, or you’ll most likely lose your reservation and money!
Individual Lightning Lane Attraction Strategy
On peak days, popular rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Guardians of the Galaxy can sell out about an hour after the park opens. These timeframes may include Spring Break, Thanksgiving week, and the last two weeks of December through New Year’s Day. Otherwise, you will most likely have until mid-morning/afternoon before the rides are completely booked. Book Individual Lightning Lanes at 7:00 AM if you must ride an attraction. This will lessen the chance of the ride being sold out for the rest of the day.
Pro-Tips for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes
#1 – Using Genie+ and Lightning Lane at the Same Time
Say you want to purchase and book your Genie+ and ILL rides simultaneously to secure a short wait for the most popular rides. For example, Slinky Dog Dash and Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood studios. The only way to achieve this is by having two people book the experiences from two different phones, and My Disney Experience accounts.
#2 – What happens if my ride breaks down during my Genie+ or ILL redemption time?
For Individual Lightning Lane rides, you can experience the attraction at another time. If you cannot use the reservation, head to Guest Services and request a refund. The refund will not be issued automatically for you.
For a Genie+ reservation, your reservation will change to a Multi-Experience Pass. This pass can be used for the same ride or various other attractions.
P.S. You can also book another Genie+ if issued a Mult-Experience Pass. The Multi-Experience pass becomes a little bonus for you to use.
#3 Booking Genie+ and Individual lightning lane in Two Parks
You can book rides in different parks with a Park Hopper pass. The limitation of two rides per day is still enforced, however. This method might save you some cash by not purchasing the services daily. All you have to do is navigate to your Tip Board, change the park, and book your next ride in the second park. Remember you cannot hop to the next park until after 2:00 PM. However, you can (and should) reserve your next ride before that time. As always, allot at least 2 hours of travel time to get to your next park.
#4 Genie+ Ride Refills
It’s fairly rare for the rides to sell out immediately at 7:00 AM. In fact, some line availability for Genie+ and ILL may be “refilled” throughout the day. Disney Tourist Blog references that the trend for refill times starts between 7:10-7:30 after the initial mass bookings at 7:00 AM. After that, they may occur around the hour and half-hour mark, like 9:02 AM, 9:33 AM, etc. These refills are not guaranteed, but checking the app periodically is good practice!
Now that we’ve discussed everything, it’s essential not to get too fixated on time hacks and develop feelings of Disney FOMO. There’s a possibility that you might leave your vacation feeling like you missed out on some extraordinary and perfect experiences. However, it’s crucial to understand that Disney continuously introduces new attractions, experiences, and dining options each year to entice people to return to the theme parks. Due to this constant evolution, it’s practically impossible to do everything Disney offers in one visit.
Instead, prioritize your time and focus on the absolute must-do experiences that matter most to you. Embrace these moments fully and cherish the memories they create. Remember that you might not get to everything on your list, and that’s perfectly okay. Allow yourself to enjoy the journey and the experiences you encounter without being overly disappointed if you don’t get to everything.
