How Genie+ works at Walt Disney World
UPDATED JANUARY 29TH, 2024
Disney announced on Wednesday, August 18th 2021 that a new service called Genie is going to be rolling out that will both provide a new complimentary services as well as serve as a replacement for Fastpass+. This service launched on October 19th 2021 at Walt Disney World. There is lots of concern about how to use this service and how it will affect your Disney trip. Let's dive right into all the details!
FastPass+ Entrance being replaced by Genie+ this fall
Three New Offerings
Genie is rolling out with three new offerings and will be added to the My Disney Experience app. Disney Park guests have the option to use any combo of these offerings or none at all. Here is a breakdown of the three new ways for you to experience Disney attraction queues.
Complimentary Genie Service - This portion of Genie is available to everyone and it is free. This service allows you to tell the app which rides you are prioritizing. It’s touted to be able to help you with a customized itinerary that will save time. I don’t really think it does this. The most helpful part of this feature is that it will list all the attractions that you select at the top of the list on the Tip Board where you will book your Lightning Lanes. If you want to use this, you need to set it up for each day you are visiting the parks.
Genie+ Service - Genie+ is what will be replacing one part of the old FastPass+ system. I think of this as Tier 2 of the new system. This system is a paid service. The price at Walt Disney World will vary starting at $15 + tax per person, per ticket day. Genie+ will allow you to reserve Lightning Lane windows for popular attractions across the parks. These reservations windows are for the next available time. You aren't able to choose your exact window. You can reserve one Lightning Lane pass at a time with no limit to how many you can have throughout the day. However, you are limited to one Lightning Lane per attraction.
You can purchase Genie+ starting at midnight on the day of your park visit. I typically purchase mine at 6:45 am before I make my first selection. It cannot be added to your ticket prior to your visit. You can choose to pick Genie+ for just one park or you can choose to purchase a multiple park Genie+. Pay attention to the genie+ you are purchasing! Your first selection can be made at 7:00 am EST on the day of your park visit. Your next Lightning Lane can be selected after you've used your first Lightning Lane or after you've waited two hours, whichever comes first. This "tier" includes most attractions with the exception of the most popular attractions. See the full list of rides below.
Individual Attraction Selections - These are additional a la carte Lightning Lane selections that have a separate cost from Genie+. I think of this as Tier 1 of the new system. This price ranges by attraction, date and park and varies between starting at $7 per person per ride but can go up to $25. You can only purchase two of these each day and only one per attraction. These attractions only include the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World Parks including Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I think of this as top Tier Rides from the old FastPass+ system. See the full list of rides in each park below.
Ride Lists for Each Park
Magic Kingdom
Individual Attractions (a la carte)
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
TRON Lightcycle
Genie+ Lightning Lane
Space Mountain
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
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
Hollywood Studios
Individual Attractions (a la carte)
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Genie+ Lightning Lane
Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage
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!
Epcot
Individual Attractions (a la carte)
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Genie+ Lightning Lane
Frozen Ever After
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
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
Animal Kingdom
Individual Attractions (a la carte)
Avatar Flight of Passage
Genie+ Lightning Lane
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
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
Common Questions
Are there any additional features to Genie+?
Yes! Genie+ also includes park-themed audio experiences and photo features. For Disneyland, you will have unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads for your day. For Walt Disney World, you will have augmented reality lenses that you can use throughout the park.
Are there any perks for Disney Resort Guests?
A few . . well, one. Disney Resort Guests have access to the Individual Attraction Selections (a la carte Lightning Lane for top Tier Rides) starting at 7 am while everyone else has access to at park opening.
Do you have to use Lightning Lane to access Top Tier rides?
No. Top tier rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will have stand-by queues. When you click on the ride, it will show you the wait time forecasting service to see when the line may be lower through out your day. Some rides like TRON and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will have the virtual queue with boarding groups like they do right now.
Can you add Genie+ to existing reservations?
No. The ability to add Genie+ prior to your trip was discontinued in June of 2022. You can only add Genie+ as a day of add on for Walt Disney World.
Any discounts for AP, DVC or Florida Resident?
No discounts are being offered for Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selections at this time.
Is Genie+ provided for free when you book a Deluxe Resort reservation?
No. Currently there is no free access to Genie+ based on your resort type.
Is Genie+ and the Individual Attraction Selections required for each person in your group?
Yes. Each person with a ticket will need to purchase Genie+ and/or an Individual Attraction Selection to access the Lightning Lane.
Is there a no cost option for accessing expedited queues?
No. Free expedited queues like FastPass and MaxPass are gone. I know. It's painful. Moving forward, the only way to access expedited queues is to use either paid service - Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selections.
Can Genie+ be added to your Annual Pass?
Unlike MaxPass, Genie+ cannot be added as an additional cost to your annual pass. You will need to purchase Genie+ for each day that you access the parks if you wish to use the expedited Lightning Lane service.
Can you stack your Lightning Lane selections?
Yes! If you choose a Lightning Lane with a return window that is more than two hours away, you will be able to wait two hours and then make your next selection. You could then repeat the process and select another Lightning Lane that is more than two hours away, wait two more hours and then make a third selection. This would allow you to have Lightning Lanes "stacked" later on in the day.
I have had a chance to use the new system and although it is maybe not the most user friendly, it does help you experience more rides with less wait times. I would highly suggest downloading the app early and look around to see how it works and where the buttons are. It becomes a lot easier once you start using it but knowing the rules before hand help out tremendously! Make sure read my other blogs on Genie+ and follow me on instagram for more tips.
