This web page incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. Please learn our disclosure for more information.
Disney Genie Plus is a queue skipping service at Disney parks in Florida and California. It’s a paid service that replaces the beforehand free QuickPass system.
Genie Plus can prevent loads of time ready in line, however it may be complicated, and it’s not all the time value it in each scenario at each park.
This Disney Genie Plus information explains how Genie Plus works, suggests one of the best parks and rides to apply it to, solutions frequent FAQs, and can enable you to determine if the additional price is value it for you.
Our assessment focuses on Walt Disney World Orlando, however the system at Disneyland California may be very comparable.
Contents
What Is Disney Genie Plus?
Disney Genie Plus (formally Disney Genie+) is a paid service that lets you skip the road on sure Disney rides.
You can buy Genie+ by way of the My Disney Experience app, and it consists of one-time entry to each Genie+ trip within the park (or parks) you’re visiting that day (see beneath for the included rides).
You can solely choose one Genie+ trip at a time, although, they usually might promote out.
I clarify in additional element beneath tips on how to use Disney Genie Plus, because it’s essential to know the foundations to get probably the most out of the service.
Disney Genie Plus Cost
When Genie+ launched at Walt Disney World in Orlando in October 2021, it price $15 per individual per day or $16 with tax.
In October 2022, Disney launched dynamic pricing so now the Genie Plus worth will depend upon how busy the parks are whenever you go to.
The lowest worth continues to be $15, however at peak occasions like holidays, it could actually price rather more. So far the best it has reached is $35 (plus tax), which was in early April 2023 (spring break and the opening of the brand new Tron trip).
You can solely purchase Genie+ at 7am on the day you’re visiting a Disney park (and it’s essential to have a park reservation). Unfortunately, you gained’t know till the day precisely how a lot Genie+ will price you.
See this Genie Plus worth tracker for an thought of how the price has diversified over time.
At busy occasions, entry to the Genie+ service can promote out. This solely occurs hardly ever, however to be on the protected aspect, buy it within the app within the morning. You’ll get probably the most to your cash and your best option of rides this manner.
This information will enable you to determine if Genie Plus is value it for you.
If the excessive price of a Disney journey is a priority, see our suggestions for visiting Disney World on a price range.
When You Should Use Genie Plus
Buying Genie Plus isn’t important to having fun with your Disney World journey, however it could actually prevent loads of time.
Here’s when it’s undoubtedly value contemplating utilizing Genie Plus:
- If you’re visiting at a well-liked time of yr – Ride wait occasions are longest throughout college breaks and federal vacation weekends. See this Disney crowd calendar for estimates.
- If you don’t wish to rise up early – The first hour of park opening is one of the best time to trip widespread rides and I extremely suggest getting an early begin. If you actually don’t wish to, Genie+ may also help.
- If you don’t have Early Entry – If you keep in a Disney World resort, you’ll be able to enter each park half-hour earlier than the official park opening for even shorter wait occasions.
- If you’re park hopping – If you pay further to make your Disney World ticket a Park Hopper, you’ll be able to go to a couple of park a day (the second park have to be after 2pm). You can use Genie+ for each parks, so it’s higher worth for cash. Once you’ve run out of Genie rides in a single park, begin reserving for the following one.
Even if you’re visiting at a quieter time of yr, staying onsite, and ready to rise up early, as we did in September, Genie+ continues to be value contemplating should you can afford it.
We discovered Genie+ most helpful at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios—I focus on every park in additional element beneath.
What Is Disney Lighting Lane?
A Lightning Lane is a separate entrance to pick out rides at Disney parks in Florida and California.
Using these lanes lets you skip the standby line (which might be one to 2 hours for widespread rides at peak occasions).
You should still have a brief wait, however we hardly ever waited quite a lot of minutes, and by no means greater than 10 minutes (after which solely when the standby queue was for much longer).
There are two methods to entry the Lightning Lanes. The Genie+ service I mentioned above, which affords entry to a number of rides for sooner or later (consider it as a bundle deal), and Individual Lighting Lane (ILL), the place you buy entry to a single trip.
Individual Lightning Lane entry is just obtainable for one or two rides per park (which aren’t included in Genie+) and every is priced individually with a various price that depends upon demand.
While with Genie+ you solely get given the following obtainable time to trip, with ILL, you’ll be able to choose a selected time to trip.
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, you should purchase ILL entry at 7am. Everyone else has to attend till the park opens. It’s finest to purchase as early as potential as they will promote out.
Individual Lightning Lanes can be utilized along with Genie+, or you’ll be able to normally keep away from buying it by using at quieter occasions of the day.
Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
These rides should not included in Genie+ however can be found as Individual Lightning Lanes. I record them from most to least precedence:
- Tron (Magic Kingdom) – Disney’s latest trip can solely be ridden by becoming a member of a free digital queue at 7am and 1pm. It sells out in seconds, so if you’re unfortunate (or wish to trip it once more), buy an ILL for round $20.
- Guardians of the Galaxy (Epcot) – This additionally requires entry by way of a digital queue. We purchased an ILL so we might trip it once more. It normally prices $14-17.
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Hollywood Studios) – We discovered the standby queue a lot shorter on the finish of the day, so we didn’t have to buy an ILL (which price $15-25). But should you solely have sooner or later at Hollywood Studios, and don’t wish to threat it breaking down, this trip is definitely value it.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom) – I actually don’t assume this trip is well worth the $10-12. The waits are shortest on the finish of the day.
- Avatar Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom) – We all the time trip this as quickly because the park opens (ideally in Early Entry for resort resort visitors) so haven’t wanted to buy one ($11-16).
How to Use Genie Plus
Download the Disney Genie Plus App
To use Genie Plus you have to obtain the My Disney Experience App.
The app is important for Disney World today, not solely to buy Genie+ and make your trip choices, but additionally to hitch digital queues, verify wait occasions, make eating reservations, order counter service meals, verify bus occasions, and rather more.
I additionally suggest shopping for a Disney MagicBand or utilizing the Disney Magic Mobile Pass in your Apple Watch. You can use these as your park ticket and faucet into Genie+ rides simply with out having to take out your cellphone or ticket.
The MagicBand is barely higher if you’re staying onsite as you should use it to enter your room or resort pool, however should you already put on an Apple Watch, it’s possible you’ll as nicely persist with that as we did (you should use your cellphone to enter your room).
If you get MagicBand+ you may as well play video games and work together with sculptures and exhibits.
Difference Between Disney Genie and Genie Plus
Disney Genie is a free service that Disney affords inside the app that will help you plan your day. It affords instructed itineraries based mostly in your pursuits.
Honestly, it isn’t in any respect useful and makes some unusual suggestions, so I might ignore it.
The Tip Board inside Disney Genie is helpful, although—it’s the place you’ll be able to see attraction wait occasions and make your Genie+ choices. More on that beneath.
Preparation To Book Disney Genie Plus Rides
To profit from Genie+, it’s finest to do some preparation forward of time.
Before Your Disney Trip
First, you’ll have to buy your Disney World ticket and make a park reservation for every day of your journey.
You also needs to hyperlink anybody you’re travelling with as a way to make Genie+ reservations for everybody in your celebration. You can do this within the Profile part of the Disney app or web site and go to Family and Friends List so as to add a visitor.
I additionally suggest downloading the app, familiarising your self with it (verify trip wait occasions at varied occasions of day), and planning your precedence rides—see our information to the finest issues to do in Disney World for concepts.
It’s additionally essential to know which Genie+ rides are almost certainly to promote out, so you’ll be able to prioritise these. See our Genie+ trip information beneath.
On The Morning Of Your Visit: How to Purchase Genie Plus
If you wish to use Genie+ for rides that always promote out (akin to Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios and Remy in Epcot), right here’s my instructed technique on the morning of your park go to.
Before 7am (round 6.50am is okay), go to the My Disney Experience app and click on Purchase on the Disney Genie+ Service button on the house web page.
You also can entry this by hitting the + button and tapping “View my Genie Day and Tip Board”, the place there can be an choice to buy Genie+ on the prime.
Then customise the Tip Board display. Go to My Day and select the date and the park (this may solely work in case you have a park reservation). Then choose the primary trip you wish to ebook. This will make it present up on the prime of the Tip Board and can be simpler to entry.
Keep an eye fixed on the time (maybe use Time and Date) and one second earlier than 7am, pull down laborious on the Tip Board web page and launch it simply because the clock hits 7am.
You’ll then have the ability to ebook your first Genie+ trip, so click on via in your prime trip and ebook as shortly as potential. The return occasions will fluctuate, however if you’re fast, you need to get a time inside the first hour of park opening.
Once you’ve got booked your first trip, edit your choices for “My Top Picks” within the Tip Board and select your subsequent two precedence rides. This will preserve them on the prime for when it’s time to ebook.
You gained’t have the ability to choose your subsequent trip till you faucet into the primary trip, or after 120 minutes have handed.
If you aren’t bothered about sure rides like Slinky, you gained’t should be so on the ball at precisely 7am, however I nonetheless suggest reserving earlier than the parks open (normally 8am or 9am) if potential, to maximise the rides you’ll have the ability to select.
Using Genie Plus within the Parks
Once you’ve got your first Disney Genie+ trip booked and have entered the park (ideally at opening), I like to recommend using one or two of the preferred rides within the standby queue earlier than utilizing your Genie+.
Prioritise rides that aren’t in Genie+ like Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios and Avatar in Animal Kingdom.
Your Genie+ return time can be a one-hour window. So should you booked a 9am slot, you’ll be able to trip any time between 9am and 10am.
Unofficially, although, you’ll be able to faucet into the trip 5 minutes early or as much as quarter-hour late.
To maximise the rides you’ll be able to safe in a day, trip at first of your window. You’ll have to faucet into the trip on the Lightning Lane utilizing your park ticket, and even simpler, your MagicBand or Apple Watch (see above).
As quickly as you’ve got tapped into the trip, you’ll be able to select your subsequent trip, so do that right away within the line—don’t wait till you’ve ridden the trip!
While this method does require being in your cellphone often, it solely takes a couple of seconds to decide on your subsequent Genie+ trip.
Note you can solely use Genie+ for every trip as soon as, so if you wish to trip it once more, wait till the tip of the day when standby strains are shorter or use the only rider queue (if supplied).
If you’re pressured to decide on a Genie+ return time later than you’d like, slots do get refills, so it’s value checking once more all through the day, as earlier occasions might grow to be obtainable.
You can modify an current Genie+ reservation by tapping on it within the Tip Board or My Day pages.
Stacking Genie Plus Rides
While normally you’ll be able to solely have one Genie+ reserving at a time, there may be an exception in case your return time is 2 or extra hours later.
So, should you ebook a Genie+ trip at 9am and the return time is 1pm, you’ll be eligible to ebook one other Genie+ at 11am.
You undoubtedly wish to benefit from this because it’s the one option to maintain a couple of Genie+ on the similar time. So set a reminder in your cellphone for 2 hours later to ebook your subsequent trip.
Note that the two-hour rule solely begins at park opening, so even should you ebook at 7am, if the park doesn’t open till 9am, the 2 hours don’t begin till 9am.
Genie Plus for Park Hopping
If you’re park hopping (visiting a couple of park per day), you should use Genie+ for each parks.
But as park hopping is just allowed after 2pm (you don’t want a park reservation to your second park), you’ll solely have the ability to ebook Genie+ points of interest for the second park as soon as the return occasions are previous 2pm.
So begin by utilizing Genie+ within the morning to your first park, after which round noon, begin checking occasions to your second park. And bear in mind if the return time is greater than two hours upfront, you can begin stacking up your reservations.
Genie Plus is sweet worth for park hopping because it maximises the variety of rides you’ve got entry to.
The Best Disney World Parks to Use Genie Plus
Hollywood Studios is one of the best park to make use of Genie+. There is a comparatively restricted variety of rides and wait occasions are lengthy, so Genie+ saved us hours in line.
Magic Kingdom can be a wonderful park to make use of Genie+. It’s simpler to make use of than at Hollywood Studios as there are 23 points of interest obtainable with Genie+, so fewer rides promote out and return occasions are typically earlier.
We managed with out Genie+ at Animal Kingdom by hustling to all the foremost rides within the first few hours. You may take into account Genie+ should you don’t have Early Entry, don’t wish to hurry within the first few hours, or if you’re park hopping.
I don’t assume Genie+ is important at Epcot in case you have Early Entry—we managed all the favored rides with out it. You may take into account it if you’re park hopping, can’t arrive early, or are visiting at peak occasions.
You can see the Genie Plus precedence rides for every park beneath.
How Much Time Can Genie Plus Save?
Disney says, “On average, Guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day using Lightning Lane entrances, if the first selection is made early in the day.”
They are attempting to handle expectations as you need to have the ability to get extra rides than this should you ebook your first one early.
It’s more durable to get extra rides at busy occasions of the yr as they promote out extra shortly, however you’ll additionally save extra time as strains can be longer.
On our September go to (a quiet time of yr), we managed to trip 5 points of interest at Hollywood Studios utilizing Genie+ between 9am and three.30pm.
This saved us roughly 275 minutes (4.5 hours!) in comparison with the standby line (which ranged from 45 minutes to 85 minutes per trip), which was nicely well worth the $16 price for us.
We might even have booked extra Genie+ rides (Millennium Falcon and Star Tours have been obtainable) however selected to not.
Simon park hopped to Magic Kingdom that night and will have made much more Genie+ choices, however he didn’t have to as wait occasions have been low.
At Magic Kingdom, we visited on a very quiet day (when the park closed early for a Halloween celebration), so we in all probability might have managed with out Genie+.
We nonetheless rode 4 rides with Genie+ between 8.30am and 1pm. This saved about 60 minutes of queuing (with standby strains starting from 10 to twenty minutes).
In this situation Genie+ wasn’t actually value it, however solely as a result of it was a uncommon quiet day and we bought so much executed utilizing standby queues throughout Early Entry.
Most of the yr, or should you wished to show up later within the day, Genie+ at Magic Kingdom is extraordinarily helpful.
In addition, we park hopped to Hollywood Studios within the night and rode three extra rides, saving 90 minutes in line, for a complete of seven rides and a couple of.5 hours saved that day.
Walt Disney World Genie Plus Rides List and Priorities
These are the rides included in Disney Genie Plus and the order I like to recommend reserving them.
This will fluctuate relying in your pursuits and what occurs on the day (if rides quickly shut you’ll have to adapt your plan), nevertheless it’s essential to know the rides which can be almost certainly to have later return occasions and finally run out.
Note that the preferred trip in every park isn’t included in Genie+. If you wish to skip the queue for these, you’ll must buy an Individual Lightning Lane entry (see above).
Magic Kingdom Genie Plus Rides
Magic Kingdom has probably the most points of interest obtainable with Genie+. Many of them don’t require it resulting from brief standby strains, so these are those the place it’s most helpful.
- Jungle Cruise – This comedy river cruise has grow to be very talked-about because it reopened and is normally the primary Genie+ to expire, so ebook it first.
- Peter Pan’s Flight – This widespread light darkish trip in Fantasyland has lengthy wait occasions. We’re probably not the target market so don’t fairly get the fuss, however if you wish to trip it, it makes a great second decide.
- Space Mountain – An exciting indoor rollercoaster at the hours of darkness. It’s a great Genie decide, however we are able to normally trip this early or late with out lengthy queues (Simon likes to trip it a number of occasions).
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – This Wild West rollercoaster is widespread, however there’s normally good Genie+ availability.
- Haunted Mansion – During Halloween season I’d in all probability transfer this up a few spots.
- Pirates of the Caribbean – Queue occasions fluctuate so it’s possible you’ll or might not want Genie+.
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – Again, waits fluctuate however Genie+ might be helpful when it’s busy and normally has close to immediate return occasions.
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Lines might be actually lengthy, nevertheless it hardly ever runs out of Genie+ and it’s not one of the best trip.
In addition to those are a couple of character meet and greets, which you may wish to prioritise if that’s your factor. Meet Ariel at Her Grotto sells out first.
There are many different Genie+ rides like Enchanted Tales with Belle, “It’s a small world”, and Under the Sea, however Genie+ isn’t normally mandatory. Only use it for them when you’ve labored your manner via the precedence rides above.
Note that the brand new Tron trip isn’t included in Genie+ and may solely be ridden by becoming a member of a free digital queue or buying an ILL.
Hollywood Studios Genie Plus Rides
While there are fewer Genie+ rides at Hollywood Studios, it could actually prevent loads of time as wait occasions are lengthy.
- Slinky Dog Dash – This light Toy Story rollercoaster is extraordinarily widespread and would be the first Genie+ to expire. Return occasions might be late however by reserving at 7am on the dot, we bought a 9.30am return time. By 1pm, the return time was as much as 8pm, and it sells out by noon at busier occasions, so that is an apparent first decide. That stated, we don’t love this trip in comparison with others within the park.
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – This interactive simulator in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is normally the second Genie+ to expire. But we walked on utilizing the standby queue throughout Early Entry after using Rise of the Resistance.
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – The park’s latest trip is enjoyable and family-friendly and is a well-liked Genie+ decide.
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Genie+ will prevent lengthy waits.
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Closed till Summer 2023) – When it reopens it might be value shifting it up a couple of spots.
- Toy Story Mania – Genie+ is nicely value utilizing for this however there’s normally good availability so you’ll be able to wait till later within the day. We really did it as our second choice after tapping into Slinky at 9.30am as we bought a direct return time and it’s proper subsequent door.
The different Genie+ rides at Hollywood Studios aren’t actually mandatory. Star Tours is value doing however doesn’t have lengthy waits. Alien Saucers is skippable and also you don’t want Genie+ to look at the exhibits.
Epcot Genie Plus Rides
Genie+ is much less helpful at Epcot as there are fewer headline points of interest, however it could actually prevent time, particularly on the highest three Genie+ rides, that are busy all day.
If you’ve got Early Entry, as we did, you’ll be able to skip Genie+.
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – This is normally the primary to promote out and has lengthy strains all day. At 8.10am on our go to (earlier than the park opened at 8.30am), the Genie+ return time was already as much as 2.25pm.
- Test Track – This tends to have the second newest return occasions.
- Frozen Ever After – If that is essential to you, transfer it as much as #2 because it’s fairly seemingly that you just’ll be unable to get all prime three rides earlier than they promote out. Or trip this at park opening and get Genie+ for the 2 above.
- Soarin’ Around the World – An simpler Genie+ to safe however it could actually nonetheless be helpful.
- Mission: Space – Wait occasions are hardly ever that lengthy so that you’ll solely want Genie+ on busy days.
- Spaceship Earth – Again, you’ll solely want this on busier days. Waits drop off later within the day.
You’re unlikely to wish Genie+ for the opposite obtainable points of interest together with Journey Into Imagination, Living with the Land, and The Seas.
Animal Kingdom Genie Plus Rides
Animal Kingdom solely has 11 Genie+ points of interest, the fewest of all of the parks, and solely a handful of those are literally helpful.
You solely want to think about buying Genie Plus for Animal Kingdom if you’re visiting at a peak time and don’t have Early Entry, or if you’re park hopping.
- Na’vi River Journey – The second busiest trip within the park after Avatar (which isn’t in Genie+) is a transparent first decide for Genie+.
- Kilimanjaro Safari – This actual wildlife safari is finest within the morning when the animals are energetic and queues are normally low then, so that you may wish to trip it proper after Avatar with out Genie+ (which is what we normally do).
- Kali River Rapids – The queues for this water trip depend upon the climate as you’ll get moist. In summer season it’s very talked-about however much less so in winter.
- Expedition Everest – The single rider line is one other good option to skip the strains for this enjoyable rollercoaster.
- Dinosaur – You are unlikely to wish Genie+ besides on a really busy day.
You may also wish to prioritise Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost if you’re into character meet and greets.
Everything else at Animal Kingdom like It’s Tough to Be a Bug and most stage exhibits aren’t actually mandatory.
That stated, on a very popular day, we couldn’t get into Festival of the Lion King (and the lengthy line had no shade), so it may very well be helpful for this.
Is Disney Genie Plus Worth It?
Disney Genie Plus is a helpful service that may prevent hours in line. Genie Plus is unquestionably value it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and should you don’t like early begins, you may take into account it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom.
If you’re park hopping, Genie+ is even higher worth because it maximises the variety of rides you’ve got entry to.
I hope our Disney Genie Plus assessment has helped clarify this considerably difficult service. If you’ve got any questions, depart a remark beneath.
More Disney Posts
Plan your Disney journey with our different posts concerning the parks:
USA
Elsewhere
If you loved this submit, pin for later!
