How To Use Genie Plus At Disney World?
In 2021, Disney World launched a new trip-planning platform, Genie service, within the My Disney Experience app.
With the Disney Genie, guests can see wait times for popular attractions, make dinner reservations, find directions, view showtimes, and personalize an itinerary for their day.
Along with the Genie service came Genie+, a paid method of skipping the line at Disney World’s famous rides.
Genie+ and its a la carte cousin, Individual Lightning Lane Selection, have replaced the FastPass system, and now guests must use the My Disney app to access Lightning Lanes (formerly known as Fastpass Lines) to avoid long queues.
Guests can begin using Genie by logging into their accounts and selecting “Summon Disney Genie” or “View My Day” from the home screen in the My Disney Experience app. They can also skip setting up the Disney Genie and purchase Genie+ immediately to make their first ride reservation. To add Genie+, users must have valid park tickets and reservations and may only book Lightning Lane entry for one ride at a time.
This article covers the basics of using Genie and Genie+, explaining how to access the Disney Genie, purchase Genie+, and book Lightning Lane reservations.
It will also discuss Individual Lightning Lane selections and if they’re useful to Genie+ users.
What is Disney’s Genie Service?
Disney’s Genie service is a versatile trip-planning tool found within the My Disney Experience app.
Think of Genie as a free virtual tour guide to Disney World – it suggests attractions, lists wait times, provides directions, displays showtimes, and allows guests to make reservations and chart out their day.
What is Genie+?
Genie+ is a paid add-on available through the My Disney Experience App.
It’s one of two ways to skip the line at Disney World and allows guests to select Lightning Lane entry for up to 40 different rides and attractions.
Genie+ costs around $15 per day, but prices can vary depending on the time of year, so check the My Disney Experience App for up-to-date pricing.
How to Use Disney’s Genie Service?
Disney’s Genie service is simple and easy to use.
Begin by opening the My Disney Experience App and logging into your account.
If you don’t have an account, you’ll have to create one.
After logging in, select “Summon Disney Genie” from the home screen and select “Get Started” to buy or link tickets and park reservations – you will need both to enter Disney World parks.
Once valid park tickets (and reservations) are associated with the account, you can start planning your day.
If you already have tickets connected to the app, you can select “View My Day” from the Home Screen to access the Tip Board or My Day tabs.
The My Day feature allows you to customize your preferences and view recommendations from the app.
You’ll be able to choose your Top Picks from a list of available attractions within your preferred park, including rides, restaurants, and experiences.
Next, you’ll be directed to the My Interests section.
Here you can select characters, types of experiences, restaurants, and more to further personalize the Genie’s recommendations.
Genie users can also customize accessibility options, such as handicap accessibility or height requirements.
Once the app is totally personalized, Genie will prompt you to purchase Genie+.
If you’ve already purchased Genie+, you’ll be redirected to the “Book an Experience” tab.
You can also set up the Disney Genie and purchase Genie+ later, either through the Home Screen or the My Day tab.
How to Use Disney’s Genie+?
Once Genie+ has been added to a park reservation, guests can make their first selection for Lightning Lane entry.
Booking Genie+ Lightning Lane Entry
Before anything, it’s important to know that Genie+ users can only make one Lightning Lane reservation at a time.
Disney allows second reservations only if guests have used their first reservation or if it has been 2 hours since they made their last.
To make the first reservation for the day, open Genie+ and select “Explore Options Now.”
Genie+ will prompt you to purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections but select “Skip Now.”
(Individual Lightning Lane selections cost extra and are only available for select rides and attractions not covered by Genie+.)
The screen will display all available Genie+ reservation times organized by attraction name.
Scroll down to find a ride and select “Book Experience.”
Guests can add members to their party, reserving the same reservation times for everyone in their group.
Click “Continue” to secure the selected reservation time.
Booking Genie+ Reservations from the Tip Board
Once guests can make a second reservation, they can do so through the Tip Board.
By personalizing preferences with the Disney Genie, the Tip Board can customize recommendations and will suggest rides at the top of the screen.
If a preferred ride is not already displayed on the Tip Board, select the search icon at the bottom of the screen.
Once users have found their chosen ride, they will see the minimum height requirement, the estimated standby line time, and any available Genie+ Lightning Lane entries.
The process from here is the same as before.
Select “Book Experience” next to the best reservation time for your party.
Edit the members of your group to reserve the same time for everyone, then select “Continue.”
Viewing Reservation Times
No matter which method guests use to reserve Lightning Lane access, they can view their upcoming reservations by selecting “View My Day.”
On the View My Day tab, guests will see their virtual itinerary and all reservations organized by time.
Returning For Your Reservation Time
When it’s time to return to a ride, guests tap their ticket, Magic Band, or Disney Magic Mobile to the touchpoint at the Lightning Lane entrance.
Visitors will need to tap in once more at a touchpoint further down the line.
If both touchpoints turn green, they are good to go through.
Once guests have used their existing Lightning Lane reservation, they can book another.
Can Guests Make More Than One Reservation at a Time?
To stop guests from taking all the reservation times first thing in the morning, Disney World only allows one reservation at a time.
There are two ways around this rule, though.
The first only applies to reservations that are later in the day.
Guests can make a second reservation if it has been two hours since they made their last.
The other way is by purchasing Individual Lightning Lane selections alongside Genie+.
What are Individual Lightning Lane Selections?
Individual Lightning Lane selections are different from Genie+ – they are purchased one at a time for individual rides.
Guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lane sections for each member of their group.
However, compared to Genie+, the costs will add up.
For each attraction, Individual sections range from $7 to $15 per person, and guests can view current pricing in the My Disney Experience app.
Individual Lightning Lane selections work the same way as reservations made through Genie+.
Parkgoers select their desired ride, choose the best return time, then confirm their reservation.
Can Genie+ Users Also Make Individual Lightning Lane Selections?
Genie+ users can make Individual Lightning Lane reservations alongside their existing reservations.
The cost of Individual Lightning Lane selections is not included in the price of Genie+ and will need to be purchased individually for each member of a group.
By purchasing Individual selections, Genie+ users can reserve more than one ride at a time; however, Disney only allows two Individual Lightning Lane selections per guest per day.
Booking Individual Lightning Lane Selections
For guests who have an active reservation through Genie+, the only way to make another is by going to the Tip Board.
From here, users can locate their desired ride by selecting a suggested attraction or by searching for one.
On the other hand, parkgoers who do not have an active Genie+ reservation but would like to purchase Individual Lightning Lane access should begin by viewing their Virtual Itinerary.
At the top of the screen, Genie will prompt users to “Book Lightning Lane Entry.”
Click “Explore Options Now” and select a ride.
Once a ride has been selected, the app will list the standby wait time and the cost to make a Lightning Lane Reservation.
Select “Purchase.”
Be sure to edit the members of your party before selecting “Continue” to confirm your reservation.
All Individual Lightning Lane reservations can be found on the “View My Day” tab, and they will be listed along with any Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations.
Conclusion
Genie+ is Disney World’s newest way to skip the line within the parks and is the paid add-on to the complimentary in-app trip planner, Disney’s Genie service.
Genie+, combined with its a la carte option, Individual Lightning Lane selection, replaced Disney’s FastPasses in 2021 and is the only way to avoid the queues at popular rides and attractions.
Guests can purchase Genie+ through the My Disney Experience app and begin making Lightning Lane reservations as soon as it’s been added to an existing park ticket.
Only one Lightning Lane entry can be made at a time with Genie+; however, guests can purchase additional entries with Individual Lightning Lane selections.
