Not long ago, Disney announced changes to how you plan your Walt Disney World Vacations with Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes. There is a lot of information to go over! So I'll do my best to explain the basics of all three of these services!
Disney Genie, Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selections began on October 19, 2021.
One thing to keep in mind is that Lightning Lane is only the name of the queue you walk through to get to the ride. To use the Lightning Lane, you must first purchase Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selections (or both). Now let's get started!
Genie
Disney Genie is a free planning tool found in the My Disney Experience app. It is free to anyone who visits the Walt Disney World theme parks. Genie is intended to take your top chosen interests and make tailored recommendations for your day, to help you try and make the best day ever!
It is only available in the My Disney Experience app, so you can not access it via your web browser or desktop computer. Some foreign visitors will have to wait until they arrive in the United States to download the app.
To begin using Genie, you can access it 1 of 3 ways in the app.
From the learn more tab under the Genie information on the home screen.
Clicking the plus sign on the bottom bar of the app. Then selecting My Tip Board and the day you are visiting.
Alternatively, you can click the 3 lines in the bottom right corner (☰), and select My Genie Plans.
You can then view the My Day tab and Tip Board tab on the Genie screen.
I believe the simplest way to get to it is by clicking the three lines in the lower right corner and selecting the My Genie Plans tab.
To start making your Genie plans, choose your day and party, and then select the attractions, shows, or characters that interest you. (You can also include height limitations and accessibility requirements.) The Genie will then take all of the information you provided and create a My Day itinerary for you. Throughout the day, the My Day tab will be updated with real-time information and times. You can view your dining reservations and update your attraction selections from the My Day tab throughout the day.
The Tip Board tab is divided into two sections: Experiences and Dining. The Experience tab displays predicted wait times as well as the next available return time for Genie+ or ILL selections. You will be able to see the projected wait times by clicking on the attraction. The Dining Board will display the next available mobile order time or dining reservation time for each restaurant. To view menus or get directions to specific restaurants, tap on their names.
For even more convenience and flexibility, there are two other options for enjoying our theme parks, through a queue we are introducing called the Lightning Lane entrance that also saves you time in line.
Genie +
Genie + (plus) is the new service to replace the fastpass + system. Genie + is designed to assist you in choosing the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences via the Lightning Lane entrance.
This service will cost you $15 per ticket/per day. As of June 8, 2022 Genie+ will no longer be offered to purchase pre-arrival as a ticket add-on or part of a vacation package at Walt Disney World Resort. Genie+ will only be offered through the My Disney Experience app on the day you are planning to visit a theme park.
When booking, you can now only add Genie + to your vacation package at Disneyland Resort. If you add it to a vacation package, you must purchase Genie+ for each park day on your package. It is similar to including park hoppers in your package; it must be included for the length of stay. If you don't want Genie+ for every park day, you have the option to add it to single park days beginning at midnight that day. If you would like to add it to your tickets this way, you'll have to purchase it daily.
Example: You are going to Hollywood Studios on a Thursday, you can purchase your single day Genie+ pass at midnight Wednesday into Thursday night.
You can begin making Genie+ selections at 7 a.m. est, and this applies to both onsite and offsite guests. Genie+ will show you the next time each experience is available. You will not be able to select your times as you could with the old fastpass system.
You can only make one Genie+ reservation at a time. You can choose another genie+ selection as soon as you tap in for the ride, or after 120 minutes (2 hours) has passed, whichever comes first. The 120-minute wait starts when the park opens.
Example: You make a genie+ selection for 1pm at 7am. The park opens at 9am, so you can make your next genie+ selection at 11am or after you ride your 1pm time slot.
With using genie+ lightning lane, you can only ride each ride once per day. So, if you want to ride Peter Pan's Flight three times, you can use genie+ for one of them and then wait in the standby line for the other two rides.
You can make plans across all parks if you purchased genie+ with park hopper tickets. Just keep in mind that if you want to use Genie+ at the second park, you must make your plans after 2 p.m., when park hopping begins.
You will enter lightning lane lines in the same manner as you did the fastpass system. You will go to the lightning lane entrance, tap your magicband or barcode at the touchpoint, and proceed through the line. These rides still have a grace period, so you can arrive 5 minutes early or 15 minutes late and still be able to ride.
Audiotales and Photopass Lens are two additional features that come with the purchase of Genie+. Fun facts, insider tips, and information from specific locations throughout the parks will be included in Audiotales. Photopass lens is a fun photo opportunity that you can use right on your phone! You do not need memory maker to access these features. Some features include Augmented Reality Photos, which can be saved to your camera roll, and the ability to take fun photos in specific locations throughout each park. Some features may not be accessible until you enter a park. (For example, a filter is only available in front of the castle.)
Individual Attraction Selections (IAS) or Individual Lightening Lane (ILL)
This service is intended to assist you in scheduling times at up to two high-demand attractions per day via the Lightning Lane entrance.
Many people use both terms to describe this service; just keep in mind that both Individual Attraction Selections and Individual Lightning Lane are referring to the same thing.
Individual Attraction Selections can be made at 7 am if staying at a Disney Owned or select partnered hotels. Purchase begins for all other guests at park opening. This will be a benefit of staying at a Disney resort for those hard to get, must do rides like Rise of the Resistance and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
If you're familiar with fastpass, this system will function similarly to making fastpass selections. You will select an attraction and the time you want to arrive from the available options. You can only purchase two ILL's per ticket, per day. You cannot buy an ILL pass for the same attraction for the same person on the same day. As a result, Sally will be unable to purchase an ILL pass for Rise of the Resistance twice on Tuesday.
If you have a park hopper ticket, you can use this across parks. Remember that if you buy two ILL attractions in two different parks, your second choice must be after 2 p.m. for park hopping. These rides are subject to limited availability, so they may sell out. Before you buy, you will be shown the cost of purchasing these rides. When you arrive, you will enter the Lightning Lane line by scanning your magicband or barcode at the touchpoint. These rides, too, have the previously mentioned grace period.
The cost of these rides will vary depending on the date, park, and attraction. Disney has stated that the majority of the rides will cost between $7 and $15. As a result, Expedition Everest may cost $10 on January 1, 2021, and $7 on May 1, 2021.
I genuinely think it will be important to use Genie+ to plan more effectively! If your family really wants to ride Slinky Dog Dash and the only ride time available at 7 a.m. is 5 p.m., take it. You can then use the Early Theme Park Entry (on-site guests) to ride some other big rides until your next genie+ selection is available 2 hours after the park opens.
Please remember that this system is new and has some kinks to work out! If you are having issues with your genie system or simply need assistance with the app, there are cast members on hand to assist you! They are the Guest Experience team, and they can be found under the Blue Umbrellas that can be found throughout the parks.
I hope you found this guide useful in understanding the new system and planning your best Disney day! What do you think of the new system? Will you be using it on your trip? I'm sure I will!
Thanks for reading and I hope to see you real soon!
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