Genie and Genie+ at Disney World 2022

Please Note: I wrote this post after our Disney Trip in February 2022. Since Disney is changing every day, some of these things may change.

Things have changed since our last trip to Disney World, one of the major changes being the addition of Genie and Genie+. We recently spent a week at Disney World learning how to use this new APP (and having lots of fun). Here’s a breakdown of everything we learned…

Genie & Genie+

Here’s a Breakdown of the new Genie, Genie Plus, Lightning Lane, and Individual Purchase System at Disney World:

• Genie: The free service/interface on the My Disney Experience APP. It shows wait times and recommendations for the area of Disney you are already visiting (and helps with future plans for your day).
• Genie+: The paid service that gets you Lightning Lane access for most attractions. Additional cost of $15 per person, per day.
• Lightning Lane: The new name for the FastPass line. You basically use this lane to go to the front of the line for minimal to no wait.
• Individual Lightning Lane: This is the pay-per-ride ($7 -$15 each, depending on the day and the attraction) for Lightning Lane access. A few of the MOST POPULAR RIDES don’t offer the Lightning Lane unless you pay for it. Yes, it’s $7 – $15 per person, per ride.

So, just how long is the wait in the Lightning Lane versus the Standby Queue (regular line)?

The Lightning Lane will be a much shorter wait than the regular line. This lane eventually merges with the regular line usually right before you board the ride. This means a wait of around 5 minutes is very common, even with Lightning Lanes. Compared to 35, 60, and 90-minute wait times in the regular standby lane, 5 minutes is nothing.

When Can I Select and Schedule Lightning Lane Choices?

If you are staying on-site/at a Disney World Resort, you can make your Lightning Lane choices at 7 a.m. on the day of your park visit. If you are not staying at a Disney resort, you can start making Lightning Lane choices when the park opens. This is one of the many advantages of staying on property.

Can you cancel a Lightning Lane choice in the Genie APP?

YES!! My son was going to watch the Indiana Jones Stunt Show with my husband and me. We booked it as a Lightning Lane so that we could get early admittance and priority seating. But, my son decided he wanted to ride Smuggler’s run a million times in the single rider line instead, so I easily canceled his LL.

Individual Lightning Lanes

There are also some “top tier” rides that you must pay for individually. They cost anywhere from $7-$15 EACH – in addition to your $15 Genie+ service. BUT, and this is an important but, you DO NOT have to buy Genie+ in order to buy Individual Lightning Lanes. If you only want to buy an Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios, you don’t have to pay for Genie+ also (That would be $15 for Genie+ AND $15 for Rise). You can just pay for Rise of the Resistance.

On our recent trip, I paid for Genie+ for our entire family for every park, every day. I also bought ALL of the Individual Lightning Lanes for everyone in our family (except for Avatar: Flight of Passage, which we ran to right after rope drop and got on within 30 minutes).

I’m a little embarrassed that I spent so much money to avoid waiting in line for anything, but we LOVED it. It was a splurge and it was worth every penny.

Is it Worth it to Pay $15 for One Attraction?

Okay, on one hand, I’m thinking, “$15 per person to ride one ride? ON TOP of paying for a ticket, ON TOP of paying for Genie+? No way, that is ridiculous! That’s CRAZY!!” (FYI – You don’t have to buy Genie+ to get individual Lightning Lanes. You can purchase both, but you don’t have to.)

On the other hand, I spend $15 for lunch at Chik-fil-A. And, that’s just one meal, and I forget all about it when I’m hungry again for dinner! And, do you know how much it costs to see a movie these days?!?

SO… $15 for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for my family isn’t so horrible. I don’t like to spend money on THINGS, outside of necessities. BUT, if it’s a fun experience that we will remember forever, I will whip out my credit card quicker than you can say Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo.

Which Rides are included in Genie+ and which are Individual Lightning Lanes?

Here is an updated list (02/25/2022). Please know that this list can change in August (according to Disney) and Tron is coming to Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy is soon to join the EPCOT attractions. I expect that we will see them on the Individual Lightning Lane list.

**Please know that you can only use Genie+ for each ride ONCE per day.

MAGIC KINGDOM

Magic Kingdom Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Jungle Cruise
• Mad Tea Party
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• The Barnstormer
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

Magic Kingdom Individual Lightning Lane Attractions (Additional Cost)

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Astro Orbiter, PeopleMover, and the Carrousel at Magic Kingdom DO NOT have the Lightning Lane option.

EPCOT

Epcot Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections:

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Frozen Ever After
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE – Green
• Mission: SPACE – Orange
• Soarin’
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Epcot Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
• Disney Jr. Dance Party
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Returning December 19, 2021
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania!
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Hollywood Studios Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Animal Kingdom Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections

• Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
• DINOSAUR
• Feathered Friends in Flight!
• It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Naʻvi River Journey
• The Animation Experience

Animal Kingdom Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Expedition Everest

How Does the APP Work?

My Advice? Download the My Disney Experience APP and play around with it. Learn all of its features and click on every button. That way, when you get to your Disney Park, you will be a Genie pro!

Also, before your Disney trip, look at the ride wait times on the APP. The rides with the longest wait times are the rides you want to get on Genie+.

To use Genie on the APP, first, you will sign in with your email and password (yes, my legal name is Vicky). Then you will pick an avatar if you like (yes, I’m always Ariel).

If you click on the three little lines at the bottom right, you will pull up this page with so many options:

• Tip Board
• My Genie Day
• Tickets and Passes
• Future Plans
• Disney Magic Mobile
• Virtual Queues
• Mobile Food Orders
• Disney PhotoPass Lenses – This is like Disney World’s version of Snapchat, in my opinion. It’s a lot of fun – and is a fun way to pass the time while waiting in line. Some photos can only be taken in certain parks and certain areas. (See the Grogu picture below – it can only be taken while in Galaxy’s Edge)
• Photos
• Resort Hotel

Tip Board

When you click on Tip Board, you will see all of the park attractions, rides, and shows. Let’s say you want to see For the First Time in Forever: a Frozen Sing-A-Long (as you should, it’s so good!). The next show is at 4:30. If you want to use a Lightning Lane for this show (you get to enter the theater before the standby line and you get priority seating by using a Lightning Lane) just click Book Experience. On the next screen, you can choose how many in your party will be attending. Once confirmed, your plans will be added to the My Day tab.

What’s On the MY DAY tab:

After making your plans, your schedule for the day will show up under MY DAY. See your Reservations, Enchanting Extras planned for the day, Recommended attractions and times, and forecasted wait times.

You’ll also see the date, the park you’re visiting, and park hours – with the option to view the park map and the option to edit/change your selections.

You might notice in the screenshot below, that we were alerted that some of our scheduled plan times were overlapping (seen by the purple exclamation point/triangle). We had the option to change our plans, but we knew we could finish both attractions within an hour so we kept the plans.

What’s that little PLUS sign for?

Click on the plus sign at the bottom of the APP to pull up several options:

• Check Dining Availability – See what restaurants have availability and what times are available
• Order Food – Put in a Mobile Order for food. You don’t have to even search for a nearby restaurant – the closest ones will magically appear. The APP will show you how close the restaurants are, the menus, and prices. You can order your meal while in line for a ride, then click “I’m here, make my food” when you arrive. Then, just wait for the screen that tells you that your food is ready. You don’t even have to stand in line!
• Shop in Store
• Shop Memory Maker
• Buy Tickets and Passes
• Make a Park Reservation
• View My Genie Day and Tip Board

Wait Times

Click on the location/pin at the bottom of the APP to pull up a map of the park. You can also click on the little blue down arrow (in a blue circle, next to Wait Times) to see all of the wait times for rides, shows, and character meet-and-greets.

If you click on the blue down arrow and then click on PhotoPass, you will see a map of your park and the location of Memory Maker Photographers. These are the photos that will appear in your Memory Maker package (if you have purchased it). If you click on the Mickey Mouse-shaped location pin, you will see the location of the photographer, whether it’s a Super Zoom Magic Shot and/or directions to the photo spot.

Tips for Genie+

Make your Lightning Lane selections on Genie+ at the earliest times available.

Why? Because you can only pick one at a time and you can’t select your next Lightning Lane attraction until you’ve redeemed one. AND, you have to wait 2 hours until your next Lightning Lane.

So, if you pick a Lightning Lane at 9:30 for Splash Mountain, you can pick your next Lightning Lane as soon as you get in line for Splash Mountain. Check your Genie+ APP on the TIP BOARD and find your next EARLIEST Lightning Lane. Maybe Space Mountain or Big Thunder Railroad at 11:30? Then after getting in line for your second Lightning Lane, check the APP and pick your next one…and so on…and so on…

If you pick a Lightning Lane at 5:00 p.m. for one of your first rides, you would have to wait until you enter that line at 5:00 p.m. to pick another Lightning Lane, which seems like a waste of a day to me. (The APP does do a good job of offering the earliest times available, but there are some later ride choices available.)

Don’t Panic if Some Lightning Lanes Aren’t Available Right Away

This is because Lightning Lanes open up throughout the day and because the APP needs a little time to update as thousands of people are making reservations.

Okay, so Space Mountain isn’t available right at 7 a.m. It’s okay, either try again after a few minutes OR make another Lightning Lane and check for an opening at Space Mountain later in the day.

Is the Genie APP glitchy?

Well…at 7 a.m. …sometimes…We only had trouble one time. Someone had told me that if two family members are trying to make LL’s, it’s best to separate. Maybe one person is inside the hotel room and the other standing outside. Others have had success with turning off the Disney wifi and using their own phone data. Some have said that they just refreshed the APP every few minutes. Again, you have thousands of people trying to book Lightning Lanes all at the same time. The APP may feel glitchy, but it will refresh and you will be able to book something.

If you book something and you have problems, you can find a Cast Member at any Disney Park to direct you to the closest Guest Services. At Guest Services, they can see what you have done on the APP and they will accommodate you in any way they can. The Guest Services at your Disney hotel can’t change/add/adjust Lightning Lanes – it must be taken care of in the park. This happened to me at EPCOT, and it ended up being an issue with my credit card. The problem was easily resolved and they set up the first available Lightning Lane for Frozen Ever After. P.S. Don’t forget to tell your credit card companies that you are going on vacation!

Should you use Lightning Lanes for shows???

We did, but only after we completed all of our main attractions first. You don’t want to miss out on riding Slinky Dog Dash at 10:00 because you booked Frozen Sing A Long at 11:30. The Lightning Lanes for rides “sell-out” WAY before the shows.

What are the perks of using a Lightning Lane for a show? You get to enter the theater/arena before the standby line. You get better seats/priority seats. Also, you get to sit down and rest your feet while the standby line is still standing and waiting to get in.

Example of Our Lightning Lane Schedule at Hollywood Studios

When we were at Hollywood Studios, we got up and 7 a.m. and booked our Individual Lightning Lanes (These are the paid rides. You don’t HAVE to buy these but we paid $15 to ride Rise of the Resistance instead of waiting in line 2 hours and $9 for Mickey and Minnie instead of waiting 75-90 minutes).

So…after we booked Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie’s Railway, we booked our first Lightning Lane – Rock ‘n Roller Coaster at 10:00.

We got in early because we were staying at a Disney Property (8:30 a.m.) We were going to rope drop (Rope dropping is when you head to a ride as soon as the park opens/the rope drops and lets you in) Slinky Dog Dash but it wasn’t up and running yet. So, we rope-dropped Toy Story Mania and got on quickly.

…con’t

After riding Toy Story Mania, the young ones waited in line for the Tower of Terror while the hubs and I explored Galaxy’s Edge. By then, it was time to meet up for our first Lightning Lane. We had a little time so we watched Lightning McQueen’s show and then entered Lightning Lane for Rock n Roller Coaster.

After we checked in with our Magic Bands and got in the Lightning Lane, we checked Genie+. Slinky Dog Dash still wasn’t ready. We had a little bit of time before Rise of the Resistance so we booked a Lightning Lane for the Indiana Jones show. (We also Mobile Ordered our lunch at Catalina Eddie’s and Rosie’s while we were in line at Rock ‘n Roller Coaster). After the Rock N Roller Coaster, we had lunch (with little wait thanks to the Mobile Ordering) and then watched Indiana Jones, and then our next Lightning Lane options opened back up.

Next, we rode Rise of the Resistance (OMG so good!!) and headed to Mickey and Minnie’s Railway to get in that Individual Lightning Lane. While in line at the Railway, I checked the Genie+ APP (on the Tip Board) and Slinky Dog Dash became available as a Lightning Lane!! I booked that puppy immediately!!

After Slinky Dog Dash, we built droids at Droid Depot. We had time before our dinner reservation at 50’s Prime Time Cafe, so we used one more Lightning Lane to see Frozen Sing-A-Long. We entered the theater before the standby line and sat in the 2nd row right in the middle. I feel like definitely made good use of the Genie APP, Genie+, and the Individual Lightning Lanes!

Overview of Genie and Genie+…

Overall, I liked using Genie and Genie+. I’m not crazy about paying more money for Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes, but in the end, it was worth every penny. And, I will admit, that it took a while to get used to the Genie APP. I did have to ask a Cast Member or two for help, and they were happy to help me. Once we got used to the APP (about 1/2 way through our first day at Animal Kingdom), we were pros, and using the APP and booking Lightning Lanes was second nature.

Read more about Genie & Genie+ HERE on the Disney Website.

What do you think? Have you used the Genie APP? Did you purchase Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes? How was your experience?

So, what do you think about this new Genie update? Any questions? Have you checked it out? Any suggestions? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments!

I want to thank Taylor Bailey at Disrella Travel for planning this trip for us and answering all of our questions! If you need/want help planning your Disney trip, she’s your girl! And, having a Disney planner is no extra cost to you. I actually priced the trip out myself on disney.go.com and Taylor’s quote was about $600 less than what I had planned myself! We loved our room location, our dining reservations, and having someone help us make decisions and figure things out!

You can save this information for later by clicking SAVE on the image below to save it to Pinterest!

Let's Be Friends! Follow Me:

• 
• 
• 
•