This web page accommodates 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 plenty of time ready in line, however it may be complicated, and it’s not at all times price it in each scenario at each park.
This Disney Genie Plus information explains how Genie Plus works, suggests the very best parks and rides to apply it to, solutions frequent FAQs, and can enable you determine if the additional price is price it for you.
Our evaluation 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 means that you can skip the road on sure Disney rides.
You should buy Genie+ through the My Disney Experience app, and it consists of one-time entry to each Genie+ journey within the park (or parks) you’re visiting that day (see beneath for the included rides).
You can solely choose one Genie+ journey at a time, although, and so they might promote out.
I clarify in additional element beneath use Disney Genie Plus, because it’s vital to know the principles 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 particular person per day or $16 with tax.
In October 2022, Disney launched dynamic pricing so now the Genie Plus value will depend upon how busy the parks are once you go to.
The lowest value remains to be $15, however at peak occasions like holidays, it will probably price rather more. So far the very best it has reached is $35 (plus tax), which was in early April 2023 (spring break and the opening of the brand new Tron journey).
You can solely purchase Genie+ at 7am on the day you’re visiting a Disney park (and you will need 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 value tracker for an thought of how the price has different over time.
At busy occasions, entry to the Genie+ service can promote out. This solely occurs not often, however to be on the protected facet, buy it within the app within the morning. You’ll get probably the most on your cash and your best option of rides this manner.
This information will enable you determine if Genie Plus is price it for you.
If the excessive price of a Disney journey is a priority, see our ideas for visiting Disney World on a funds.
When You Should Use Genie Plus
Buying Genie Plus is just not important to having fun with your Disney World journey, however it will probably prevent plenty of time.
Here’s when it’s positively price contemplating utilizing Genie Plus:
- If you’re visiting at a preferred time of yr – Ride wait occasions are longest throughout faculty 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 the very best time to journey standard rides and I extremely advocate 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 multiple park a day (the second park should 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+ remains to be price contemplating in case 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 rides at Disney parks in Florida and California.
Using these lanes means that you can skip the standby line (which could be one to 2 hours for standard rides at peak occasions).
You should still have a brief wait, however we not often waited various 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 gives entry to a number of rides for in the future (consider it as a bundle deal), and Individual Lighting Lane (ILL), the place you buy entry to a single journey.
Individual Lightning Lane entry is barely accessible for one or two rides per park (which aren’t included in Genie+) and every is priced individually with a various price that is determined by demand.
While with Genie+ you solely get given the following accessible time to journey, with ILL, you’ll be able to choose a particular time to journey.
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, you should buy ILL entry at 7am. Everyone else has to attend till the park opens. It’s greatest to purchase as early as doable as they’ll 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 usually are 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 journey 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 journey it once more), buy an ILL for round $20.
- Guardians of the Galaxy (Epcot) – This additionally requires entry through a digital queue. We purchased an ILL so we may journey 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 in case you solely have in the future at Hollywood Studios, and don’t wish to threat it breaking down, this journey is definitely price it.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom) – I actually don’t assume this journey is well worth the $10-12. The waits are shortest on the finish of the day.
- Avatar Flight of Passage (Animal Kingdom) – We at all times journey 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 it is advisable to obtain the My Disney Experience App.
The app is important for Disney World as of late, not solely to buy Genie+ and make your journey picks, but additionally to affix digital queues, test wait occasions, make eating reservations, order counter service meals, test bus occasions, and rather more.
I additionally advocate 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 telephone 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 in case you already put on an Apple Watch, it’s possible you’ll as properly follow that as we did (you should use your telephone to enter your room).
If you get MagicBand+ you may also play video games and work together with sculptures and reveals.
Difference Between Disney Genie and Genie Plus
Disney Genie is a free service that Disney gives inside the app that can assist you plan your day. It gives instructed itineraries based mostly in your pursuits.
Honestly, it’s not in any respect useful and makes some unusual suggestions, so I’d 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+ picks. More on that beneath.
Preparation To Book Disney Genie Plus Rides
To benefit from Genie+, it’s greatest 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 must also hyperlink anybody you’re travelling with in an effort to make Genie+ reservations for everybody in your social gathering. You can try 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 advocate downloading the app, familiarising your self with it (test journey wait occasions at varied occasions of day), and planning your precedence rides—see our information to the greatest issues to do in Disney World for concepts.
It’s additionally vital to know which Genie+ rides are probably to promote out, so you’ll be able to prioritise these. See our Genie+ journey information beneath.
On The Morning Of Your Visit: How to Purchase Genie Plus
If you wish to use Genie+ for rides that usually promote out (similar 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 ok), go to the My Disney Experience app and click on Purchase on the Disney Genie+ Service button on the house web page.
You may also 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 high.
Then customise the Tip Board display screen. Go to My Day and select the date and the park (it will solely work in case you have a park reservation). Then choose the primary journey you wish to e book. This will make it present up on the high of the Tip Board and can be simpler to entry.
Keep a watch on the time (maybe use Time and Date) and one second earlier than 7am, pull down onerous on the Tip Board web page and launch it simply because the clock hits 7am.
You’ll then have the ability to e book your first Genie+ journey, so click on via in your high journey and e book as shortly as doable. The return occasions will differ, however if you’re fast, you must get a time inside the first hour of park opening.
Once you’ve booked your first journey, edit your picks for “My Top Picks” within the Tip Board and select your subsequent two precedence rides. This will preserve them on the high for when it’s time to e book.
You gained’t have the ability to choose your subsequent journey till you faucet into the primary journey, 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 advocate reserving earlier than the parks open (normally 8am or 9am) if doable, to maximise the rides you’ll have the ability to select.
Using Genie Plus within the Parks
Once you’ve your first Disney Genie+ journey 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 in case you booked a 9am slot, you’ll be able to journey any time between 9am and 10am.
Unofficially, although, you’ll be able to faucet into the journey 5 minutes early or as much as quarter-hour late.
To maximise the rides you’ll be able to safe in a day, journey initially of your window. You’ll have to faucet into the journey on the Lightning Lane utilizing your park ticket, and even simpler, your MagicBand or Apple Watch (see above).
As quickly as you’ve tapped into the journey, you’ll be able to select your subsequent journey, so do that right away within the line—don’t wait till you’ve ridden the journey!
While this method does require being in your telephone steadily, it solely takes just a few seconds to decide on your subsequent Genie+ journey.
Note you could solely use Genie+ for every journey as soon as, so if you wish to journey it once more, wait till the tip of the day when standby strains are shorter or use the one rider queue (if provided).
If you’re compelled to decide on a Genie+ return time later than you’d like, slots do get refills, so it’s price checking once more all through the day, as earlier occasions might turn out to be accessible.
You can modify an present 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, in case you e book a Genie+ journey at 9am and the return time is 1pm, you can be eligible to e book one other Genie+ at 11am.
You positively wish to reap the benefits of this because it’s the one solution to maintain multiple Genie+ on the similar time. So set a reminder in your telephone for 2 hours later to e book your subsequent journey.
Note that the two-hour rule solely begins at park opening, so even in case you e book 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 multiple park per day), you should use Genie+ for each parks.
But as park hopping is barely allowed after 2pm (you don’t want a park reservation on your second park), you’ll solely have the ability to e book Genie+ points of interest for the second park as soon as the return occasions are previous 2pm.
So begin through the use of Genie+ within the morning on your first park, after which round noon, begin checking occasions on your second park. And keep in mind if the return time is greater than two hours upfront, you can begin stacking up your reservations.
Genie Plus is nice worth for park hopping because it maximises the variety of rides you’ve entry to.
The Best Disney World Parks to Use Genie Plus
Hollywood Studios is the very 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 also be a superb park to make use of Genie+. It’s simpler to make use of than at Hollywood Studios as there are 23 points of interest accessible 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 main rides within the first few hours. You may think about Genie+ in case 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 critical at Epcot in case you have Early Entry—we managed all the favored rides with out it. You may think about 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 try to handle expectations as you must have the ability to get extra rides than this in case you e book 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 journey 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 journey), which was properly well worth the $16 price for us.
We may even have booked extra Genie+ rides (Millennium Falcon and Star Tours have been accessible) however selected to not.
Simon park hopped to Magic Kingdom that night and will have made much more Genie+ picks, 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 social gathering), so we in all probability may 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 state of affairs Genie+ wasn’t actually price it, however solely as a result of it was a uncommon quiet day and we bought lots carried out utilizing standby queues throughout Early Entry.
Most of the yr, or in case 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 differ relying in your pursuits and what occurs on the day (if rides quickly shut you’ll have to adapt your plan), but it surely’s vital to know the rides which are probably to have later return occasions and ultimately run out.
Note that the preferred journey in every park is just not included in Genie+. If you wish to skip the queue for these, you’ll should buy an Individual Lightning Lane entry (see above).
Magic Kingdom Genie Plus Rides
Magic Kingdom has probably the most points of interest accessible with Genie+. Many of them don’t require it on account of brief standby strains, so these are those the place it’s most helpful.
- Jungle Cruise – This comedy river cruise has turn out to be highly regarded because it reopened and is normally the primary Genie+ to expire, so e book it first.
- Peter Pan’s Flight – This standard mild darkish journey in Fantasyland has lengthy wait occasions. We’re probably not the audience so don’t fairly get the fuss, however if you wish to journey it, it makes second choose.
- Space Mountain – An exciting indoor rollercoaster at the hours of darkness. It’s Genie choose, however we are able to normally journey this early or late with out lengthy queues (Simon likes to journey it a number of occasions).
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – This Wild West rollercoaster is standard, 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 differ so it’s possible you’ll or might not want Genie+.
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – Again, waits differ however Genie+ could be helpful when it’s busy and normally has close to instantaneous return occasions.
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – Lines could be actually lengthy, but it surely not often runs out of Genie+ and it’s not the very best journey.
In addition to those are just a few 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 essential. Only use it for them when you’ve labored your manner via the precedence rides above.
Note that the brand new Tron journey is just not 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 will probably prevent plenty of time as wait occasions are lengthy.
- Slinky Dog Dash – This mild Toy Story rollercoaster is extraordinarily standard and would be the first Genie+ to expire. Return occasions could 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 choose. That mentioned, we don’t love this journey 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 journey is enjoyable and family-friendly and is a well-liked Genie+ choose.
- 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 price shifting it up just a few spots.
- Toy Story Mania – Genie+ is properly price 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 essential. Star Tours is price doing however doesn’t have lengthy waits. Alien Saucers is skippable and also you don’t want Genie+ to look at the reveals.
Epcot Genie Plus Rides
Genie+ is much less helpful at Epcot as there are fewer headline points of interest, however it will probably prevent time, particularly on the highest three Genie+ rides, that are busy all day.
If you’ve 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 vital to you, transfer it as much as #2 because it’s fairly doubtless that you simply’ll be unable to get all high three rides earlier than they promote out. Or journey this at park opening and get Genie+ for the 2 above.
- Soarin’ Around the World – An simpler Genie+ to safe however it will probably nonetheless be helpful.
- Mission: Space – Wait occasions are not often 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 want Genie+ for the opposite accessible 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 journey within the park after Avatar (which isn’t in Genie+) is a transparent first choose for Genie+.
- Kilimanjaro Safari – This actual wildlife safari is greatest within the morning when the animals are lively and queues are normally low then, so that you may wish to journey it proper after Avatar with out Genie+ (which is what we normally do).
- Kali River Rapids – The queues for this water journey depend upon the climate as you’ll get moist. In summer time it’s highly regarded however much less so in winter.
- Expedition Everest – The single rider line is one other good solution to skip the strains for this enjoyable rollercoaster.
- Dinosaur – You are unlikely to want Genie+ besides on a really busy day.
You may additionally 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 reveals aren’t actually essential.
That mentioned, on a very popular day, we couldn’t get into Festival of the Lion King (and the lengthy line had no shade), so it might be useful 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 price it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and in case you don’t like early begins, you may think about 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 entry to.
I hope our Disney Genie Plus evaluation has helped clarify this considerably difficult service. If you’ve 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!
