Disney Genie Explained: The Complete Guide to Genie, Genie+ & Lightning Lanes

Updated August 2022 To Feature The Latest Disney Genie Changes

Walt Disney World has it all, magical theme parks, beautiful resorts that make you feel like you are staying in a movie, and activities that the whole family will enjoy. However one of the main reasons that guests travel to Walt Disney World are the world-class rides and attractions. Disney is easily the most magical theme park in the country, with rides and attractions that let you be a part of many of your favorite Disney stories! Getting the most rides done during your next Disney World vacation is probably what landed you here – on this guide to Disney’s new Genie service.

Learning The Lingo – What is Disney Genie, Genie+, & Lightning Lane

If it has been a while since you have traveled to Disney World, you may have heard about Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lanes, but do not quite know what these are yet. So – a quick vocabulary lesson is in-order.

Disney Genie

Disney Genie is a free planning tool that helps you plan out your day at Disney World according to what is important to you and your family. When you sign into Disney Genie, you can prioritize your day depending on your family favorites. You can choose from dining, attractions, shows, and more! It even allows you to select specific restaurants and rides. When you pick your favorite things, the app will show you the best way to hit all the favorites you choose. For rides, it will notify you when the line is shorter and tell you when to head to it. Disney Genie is an excellent complimentary planning tool that can help you plan the perfect Disney day for your family!

Disney Genie+

Disney Genie+ is an additional service you must pay for that includes Genie+ Lightning Lanes, Interactive Disney PhotoPass Lenses, and Audio Tales throughout the Disney Parks. Disney Genie+ also includes all the same features Disney Genie has, but the biggest reason most guests purchase Disney Genie+ is for the Lightning Lanes, which we’ll explain next. Disney Genie+ costs $15.00, per person, per day.

You will be able to purchase Disney Genie+ after midnight, on the day you wish to use it. This can be done from the top of your Tip Board, anytime after midnight, on the day you wish to use it. You will need to purchase it the same way, every single day. Unfortunately the option to purchase Genie+ in-advance no longer exists.

Disney Genie+ Lightning Lanes

If you are spending the day at the Disney Theme Parks and the rides and attractions are an essential part of your day, you’ll want to make full use of Lightning Lanes. Lightning Lanes are the new version of FastPass. PreCovid, Disney had FastPass services that were included in ticket prices, and provided an alternative line that moved significantly faster than the standby queue. During Covid, Disney stopped using FastPasses, and at the end of 2021, Lightning Lanes were introduced.

Most rides at Walt Disney World are included in Disney Genie+, but for the most popular rides, you will have to purchase something else – Individual Lightning Lanes. There’s a full list at the end of this guide that covers what rides are included within the standard Genie+, and which require an additional Individual Lightning Lane purchase.

Individual Lightning Lane

An Individual Lightning Lane allows you to purchase a lightning lane for some of the more popular rides at each park. Typically, each park offers one to two rides that are not included with the standard Genie Lightning Lane that you can purchase Individual Lightning Lane pass to ride. These rides are usually the most popular and have the longest lines in the park. The prices of the Individual Lightning Lanes change depending on the ride, day, and season you want to purchase them on. Most Individual Lightning Lanes cost $10-$20 per person per Lightning Lane. You can only purchase two Individual Lightning Lanes per day, and they usually sell out quickly, so make sure to book as soon as possible.

If you truly want the full experience – you will be buying Individual Lightning Lanes in addition to the cost of Genie+. However you do not need to buy Genie+ to also purchase Individual Lightning Lanes.

What’s Included With What?

To quickly summarize what’s included with Genie, and what’s included with Genie+, check out the helpful graphic below!

Core Facts Surrounding Disney’s Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lanes

• Just because the ride is listed as a Disney Genie+ ride does not mean it will be available. Each ride has limited availability for Lightning Lanes, so it is best to book your favorite rides as soon as possible, the top rides sell out in seconds.
• Even if a ride says it does not have any more availability does not mean there won’t be availability later. Rides can slow down, and Disney may release more Lightning Lanes passes.
• You can purchase Disney Genie+ at midnight on the day you are heading to the park or if booking your trip in advance with a Disney Authorized Travel Planner, or via the Disney World website, you can purchase Genie+ for the duration of your stay at the time of booking.
• You can purchase your first Individual Lightning Lane at 7am if you are staying at a Disney World resort. Off-property guests can purchase their first Individual Lightning Lane at park opening.
• You do NOT need to purchase Genie+ to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes.
• Disney Genie+ costs $15.00 per person per day.
• You can use Genie+ for all the Disney Parks you will be visiting on the same day.
• You cannot book the same ride twice using Genie+ Lightning Lane. If you want to ride the attraction a second time, you will have to wait in the stand-by line.

Best Practices For Reserving Rides with Lightning Lane

The Tip Board Portion of Genie allows you to access the Lightning Lanes. Here, you can find what Lightning Lanes are available, and this is where you will book them. The most challenging part of using Lightning Lane is understanding how and when to reserve rides. This sections tries to cover how you can reserve attractions using Genie+.

Genie+ Lightning Lanes

If you purchase Genie+ to use Lightning Lanes for your day you can start booking your first Lightning Lane at 7:00 am. Once you have purchased Genie+ for your party, you can go to the Tip Board and start reserving the attraction you want to ride first. When you book a ride, you will have a specific time to come and ride the attraction without waiting in the standby line.

The 120 Minute Rule

With Genie+, Disney states that you can book an additional Lightning Lane attraction after you have used your first one OR after 120 minutes, whichever comes first. This is the part that can be confusing for many guests. Here is an example to show how it works:

If at 9:00am you book a 4:00pm reservation to ride Hollywood Studio’s Tower of Terror, you do not have to wait until 4:00pm to book another reservation. You can wait 120 minutes, or 2 hours, after you booked, then book another attraction to use Lightning Lane on. So, at 11:00 am, you can make your next reservation!

The only exception to this is if you book at 7:00 am, prior to park opening. Then you must wait until the park opens to start your two-hour wait. So, if you book a ride at 7:00 am for later in the day, and the Disney Park opens at 8:00 am, at 10:00 am, you can book your next ride.

This can be confusing for guests, especially using Genie+ Lightning Lane for the first time. We’re here to help with any questions! Just reach out.

Individual Lightning Lanes

On the Genie portion of the My Disney Experience app, you can access the Individual Lightning Lanes in the Tip Board section of Disney Genie. You can purchase Individual Lightning Lanes when the park opens. If you are staying at the Disney Resorts, including Swan/Swan Reserve/Dolphin, you can make your Individual Lightning Lane purchases at 7:00 am on the day you will use it. You can only purchase two Individual Lightning Lanes per day, and you cannot buy the same ride twice. Each ride is different, with most costing between $10 and $20 per ride. When purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane, you will be given a specific time to come and ride the attraction.

What Rides Are Available with Lightning Lane

Genie+ has the most rides available with Lightning Lane, but the most popular rides at each park will be offered with Individual Lightning Lanes. Here are what rides are currently provided with Lighting Lanes.

Genie+ Lighting Lanes

Magic Kingdom

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
• 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
• See Mickey at Town Square
• See Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
• See Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Splash Mountain
• The Barnstormer
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea

Epcot

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE
• Sorin’ Around The World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Hollywood Studio

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play and Dance
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Muppet Version 3D
• Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
• See Disney Stars at Red Carpet Dreams
• See Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania

Animal Kingdom

• 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
• Na’vi River Journey
• The Animation Experience at Conservation Station

Individual Lightning Lanes

Magic Kingdom

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain

EPCOT

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Frozen Ever After

Hollywood Studios

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Expedition Everest

If you are headed to the Disney Parks and want to spend the day on rides and attractions, Disney Genie+ is worth the cost. The lines at Disney can be hours long, and even on slow days, there can be long lines. Cut down on your time in line and make the most of your day at Disney by purchasing the Disney Genie+!