Disney Genie and Genie+ are a suite of services that help Disney World and Disneyland guests maximize their time in the parks. All of these services are integrated with Disney’s existing Disneyland and My Disney Experience apps. Genie+ replaces Disney’s previous FastPass+ “skip the line” service inside the Disney parks.
There are three levels to the program. Disney Genie is a complimentary trip-planning service, Disney Genie+ is a paid service that lets you use a Lightning Lane entrance to bypass the standby line on select attractions, and individual attraction selections allow you to pay to skip the line on up to two high-demand attractions per day.
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Let’s take a closer look at each level and how you can use Disney Genie to make your next Disney World or Disneyland vacation your best one yet.
What Is Disney Genie?
Disney Genie is a complimentary trip planning service that builds a personalized itinerary for you based on your preferences. From more general interests like princesses and Star Wars to specific choices like a favorite Disney ride or must-see show, you tell Genie how you want to spend your day, and it’ll create a custom itinerary with suggestions that will help you spend less time in line and more time having fun.
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You can also view current and forecasted wait times, make a list of favorite restaurants and attractions on your “tip board,” make dining reservations and mobile Disney food orders, hop in virtual queues for certain attractions, and get help from a virtual assistant.
Disney Genie is also flexible. Because the program can access real-time information, Disney Genie will continuously update your itinerary throughout the day based on your location and current wait times.
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Basically, if you are more of a “go with the flow” Disney trip planner, Disney Genie will make your job that much easier. You don’t have to look up showtimes, operating hours, or wait times because Disney Genie does it all for you and maps out your day. And if you do have must-do attractions, you can use Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane individual attraction selections as needed to make sure you don’t miss out on those.
What Is Disney Genie+?
In addition to the complimentary Disney Genie service, you can purchase Disney Genie+ to reserve an arrival time at more than 40 attractions at Walt Disney World and at more than 15 attractions at Disneyland, and then use the Lightning Lane entrance to bypass the standby queue and get on your favorite rides without a lengthy wait (as fast as lightning, some may say).
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Disney Genie+ costs between $15 and $22 per guest per day at Disney World. At Disneyland, prices start at $25 per day. The reason for the price difference is that unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads are included with Disney Genie+ at Disneyland, but not Disney World. At Disney World, you do get some special augmented reality lenses and other in-app perks, but you’ll have to purchase Memory Maker.
When Disney Genie+ was first introduced, you could add it your vacation package ahead of time. Now, however, you can no longer buy Disney Genie+ beforehand at Disney World. Instead, you will have to purchase Disney Genie+ on the date of your park visit through the My Disney Experience app. At this time, these day-of-visit restrictions have not been announced for Disneyland in California.
How Does Genie+ Work?
Attraction arrival time selections can only be booked on the day of your visit. At Disney World, you can make your first selection at 7:00 a.m. and at Disneyland, you can make your first selection after you enter the park. Subsequent Lightning Lane selections can be made one at a time throughout the day. (To maximize your chances of snagging the skip-the-line attractions you want at Disney World, purchase Genie+ right at 12:00 a.m. on the day of your park visit, then wake up early to book your must-visit attractions when the booking window opens at 7:00 a.m.)
What Does Genie Plus Include?
- Lightning Lane Entrances: Genie Plus gets you Lightning Lane access to many of the most popular attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Dumbo, and the Haunted Mantion. (Check the full list of Genie+ Disney World here and Disneyland here.) Note that some attractions are not included in Genie Plus (more on that below). Genie Plus can be used for park hopping with some timing restrictions.
- Disney PhotoPass Service: At both Disney World and Disneyland, Genie Plus scores you augmented reality lenses to make your park visit even more magical.
- Audio Tales: Fun facts and behind-the-scenes info make the audio tales included in Genie Plus a true value-add to curious Disney fans.
What Are Individual Lightning Lane Selections?
Individual Lightning Lane selections are a la carte selections that you can purchase on the day of your visit. You can purchase Lightning Lane reservations for attractions that aren’t included with Disney Genie+ up to two per day, one at a time. If the success of your vacation hinges on getting on Disney’s most popular rides, you can pay for your group to get on the ride and then go relax and have fun for the rest of your trip.
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You do not need to purchase Disney Genie+ to use this “pay per attraction” service. You can view a full list of Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane selections for Disney World here and Disneyland here.
How Will Genie/Genie+ Affect My Next Disney Trip?
Standby lines, dining reservations, and mobile ordering aren’t going anywhere and you can use these new services at the theme parks as much or as little as you’d like.
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You can also mix and match Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and the individual Lightning Lane selections. For example, you could use Disney Genie every day to build your plan for the day and not spend any additional money at all. If it’s more important to you not to wait in any lines, you can purchase Disney Genie+, individual Lightning Laneselections, or both. It all depends on how you like to do Disney.
How Will This Affect Attractions That Use a Virtual Queue?
Individual Lightning Lane selections are especially helpful for Disney attractions that use a Virtual Queue like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at Disney World and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure at Disneyland.
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The Virtual Queue process isn’t changing, but these attractions don’t have a standby line. Currently, if you don’t get a Boarding Group, you don’t get to ride. If you don’t want to take your chances on securing a Boarding Group using the Virtual Queue system, you can pay to schedule an arrival time to get on the ride.
Are There Any Benefits for Onsite Hotel Guests?
There is a benefit for Walt Disney World hotel guests to purchase their individual Lightning Lane selections for the Magic Kingdom and other parks beginning at 7:00 a.m. on the day of their visit. Offsite guests have to wait until the park opens for the day. There is currently no similar benefit for Disneyland guests.
How Does Disney Genie Compare to Disney’s Previous ‘Skip the Line’ Services Like FastPass+?
Since 1999, Disney has utilized some version of a FastPass system. Most recently Disney World used FastPass+, a complimentary service that allowed you to reserve time slots to visit attractions without waiting in the standby line, much like Disney Genie Plus allows you to do, but for an additional fee. At Disneyland, you could visit participating attractions and get a paper FastPass ticket for free, or pay a daily fee for MaxPass, which worked almost exactly like Disney Genie Plus.
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There is no longer a complimentary skip the line service, which is sure to leave some guests understandably upset. With the option to use Disney Genie’s free trip planning services, though, you can achieve virtually the same goal as FastPass—less time spent waiting in line. Disney Genie combines your preferences with current and forecasted wait times to suggest attractions, dining options, and more that are close by, meet your interests, and have short wait times.
If you want to spend money for an even more tailored experience, you can. The good news is, it’s totally up to you.
What If I Still Have Questions About Disney Genie?
Both Disney World and Disneyland have adedicated Disney Genie page that describes the service in detail and answers some common questions. Disney World’s can be found here and Disneyland’s is here. If you have specific questions about Disney Genie or Genie Plus, you can also ask a question to one of Disney’s expert planDisney panel members.
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Updated: October 2022
