Few things are as magical as a family vacation to Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The not-so-fun part? Navigating park tickets, advanced dining reservations, and dozens of hotel options. The good news is that Disney has added a new level of convenience to your trip with Disney Genie. The recent rollout is designed to help guests maximize their time (and fun!) in the parks.
Replacing the now defunct FastPass and MaxPass, Disney Genie integrates into the existing My Disney Experience mobile app. The free version of the service provides helpful park tips based on your preferences, while the paid version allows guests to book arrival times for expedited access via Lightning Lanes (formerly FastPass lanes) to the best Disney attractions and experiences.
Here's everything you need to know about using and maximizing Disney Genie+ at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
At Walt Disney World, Disney Genie+ can be purchased in the mobile app on the day of your visit beginning at midnight. Bookings for attraction arrival windows become available to all guests at 7 a.m. At Disney World, Disney Genie+ includes more than 40 attractions, including Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, Spaceship Earth, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Toy Story Mania, and more.
At Disneyland, Disney Genie+ can be purchased as soon as guests enter the park. This is also when bookings for attraction arrival windows become available. At Disneyland, Disney Genie+ includes over 15 attractions, including Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and Incredicoaster.
Disney Genie+ is available for an additional price; the service costs $15 per person at Walt Disney World and $20 per person at Disneyland. It operates similarly to the former FastPass system, but instead of booking in advance of your vacation, it is now done day-of, adding a welcomed level of spontaneity to your trip. Disney suggests that guests should be able to ride up to two to three attractions per day using this new service, but the exact number depends on your priorities and ride selections.
The service is subject to availability. Disney Genie+ is available per day, and guests do not need to purchase it for the entire length of their vacation. All guests that want to purchase Disney Genie+ must have valid park tickets and theme park reservations.
If you want to maximize your Disney World vacation, plan to wake up early. At 7 a.m., Disney World guests are tasked with booking their first Disney Genie+ reservation, booking any desired Individual Lightning Lane experiences, and booking a virtual queue for the newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. If traveling with a group, it is best to divide duties, with each visitor tasked with booking different options for your entire crew.
Selections can be made for Disney Genie+ in both the Disneyland and Disney World mobile apps. Guests using Disney Genie+ can book one selection at a time, with the ability to book their next selection after scanning into the current attraction or every two hours. The apps also house useful information like attraction wait times, show times, and more.
Certain high-demand attractions may be excluded from Disney Genie+. Guests can make individual, a la carte purchases to access a Lightning Lane for a selection of the top attractions with the price dependent on the date of visit and demand. Individual Lightning Lanes typically range from $7 to $20 each.
There is a daily two-purchase cap on this feature, and guests aren’t required to purchase Disney Genie+ to access Individual Lightning Lanes. Guests of the Walt Disney World hotels have priority access to this feature at 7 a.m., while all other guests can make their purchases when the park opens. Disneyland guests can make their Lightning Lane purchases upon entering the theme park. Only a limited number of high-demand attractions offer this separately paid service, like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This service is non-refundable and non-changeable.
In addition to booking attractions, guests at Walt Disney World purchasing Disney Genie+ have access to themed photo features and audio experiences, including augmented reality lenses. Guests at Disneyland get unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads with their purchase of Disney Genie+.
You may want to try "stacking" reservations. As popular attractions are known to book up in the morning, "stacking" your reservations for the afternoon and evening could maximize ride time. As soon as the morning booking window opens, choose times for later in the day and continue to stack these every two hours as new bookings become available. It's important to note that guests can hold more than one reservation in the app.
At Walt Disney World, the service has proven to be more worthwhile when used at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios. You'll probably want to prioritize the most popular attractions because these typically have the longest lines, so you can wait in line for the less busy attractions between Genie+ windows. If an in-demand attraction doesn't have an available time window, continue to refresh the app as more slots may become available throughout the day.
Guests of Disneyland Resort’s hotels taking advantage of early park entry can begin making their Lightning Lane selections earlier than normal park guests.
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