Disney has officially retired FastPass+, FASTPASS, and MaxPass at Disney World and Disneyland.
Now, the new, paid systems replacing FastPasses — called Disney Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection — have officially started in both Disney World and Disneyland. But there’s also a FREE planning system called Disney Genie, which can help you see info about some of these new paid features while also showing you forecasted wait times and more (for free). Yeah, it can get a little bit confusing! You’ve been sending us lots of questions about these new systems, so today we’re trying to answer as many of them as we can.
Brief Overview
Before we dive in, we want to share a brief overview of what’s going on. For starters, FastPass+, FASTPASS, and MaxPass are gone.
Next, let’s talk about Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection. We explained some of the basics of these three things in less than 500 words. You can click here to see that, but we’ve also have the core information here:
Disney Genie is a FREE planning service built into the My Disney Experience App and Disneyland App. You will tell Disney Genie what you want to ride, what types of things you like, etc., and Disney Genie will create a personalized, flexible itinerary for you. With Genie, you’ll be able to see forecasted wait times, mobile order your food, chat with a virtual assistant, see walk-up waitlist availability, make restaurant reservations, adjust your plans, and more. Plans will continuously update to help you get the most out of your day.
Click Here to See Our Guide on Using the FREE Disney Genie
Essentially, Genie is designed to help you plan your day and optimize your plans.
Disney Genie+ is a PAID FastPass-like service. It starts at a cost* of $15 per day, per ticket at Disney World and starts at a cost of $25 per day, per ticket at Disneyland. If you pay for this service, you’ll be able to see when the next available time is to use various rides’ Lightning Lanes (i.e. FastPass+ lanes). You will select the next available time to use the Lightning Lane for whatever ride you want, and when your time arrives, you can visit the ride and use the Lightning Lane (skipping the standby line).
*EDITOR’S UPDATE: *In October 2022, Disney introduced variable date-based pricing for Genie+ with the price starting at $15 per guest, per day in Disney World and starting at $25 per guest, per day in Disneyland Resort. Guests are able to check the price for the day on the My Disney Experience app and Disneyland app prior to purchasing for the day.
You do not have to pay for each individual ride with Genie+. The $15 per day, per ticket (starting cost) includes skipping the line (going through the Lightning Lane) for a lot of Disney World rides. You DO, however, have to make reservations for each of these rides, one at a time. You’ll use the My Disney Experience app to make the reservations, and you’ll have a one-hour return window during which time you can go through the Lightning Lane for that ride.
Once you’re done with that ride, you can make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection — 1 ride at a time, throughout the day. You may be able to hold 2 Genie+ Lightning Lane selections at one time in certain special circumstances — more on that below in the questions. Over 50 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disney World, over 15 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disneyland. NOT all attractions will be available through Genie+.
Up until June 8th, 2022, guests at Disney World can purchase Genie+ either on the day of their visit or ahead of time as an add-on to theme park tickets. Guests will also be able to purchase new tickets that include Genie+ before their visit, but if you buy Genie+ before your visit, you must buy it for all the days of your visit. If you only want Genie+ on certain days (not all of them), you’ll have to wait and buy it on the day that you want to use it.
However, starting June 8th, the ability to buy Genie+ before your trip is going away. You will only be able to buy Genie+ on the day of your park ticket, starting at midnight.
Note that whether you purchase Genie+ in advance or on the day of your visit, you cannot make a Genie+ Lightning Lane selection until the DAY OF your trip. At Disney World, guests can make their first Lightning Lane attraction selection at 7AM on the day of their visit. At Disneyland, the first Genie+ Lightning Lane selection can be made once you’re in the park.
Select, highly popular attractions (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure at Disney California Adventure Park, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios) will NOT be listed on Genie+.
That means that even if you pay for Genie+ you will NOT be able to select a time for/use the Lightning Lane at those attractions. Instead, if you want to use the Lightning Lane for those attractions, you’ll have to pay for the attractions INDIVIDUALLY. You can see more about that here.
Okay, that’s a quick overview of the basics. Now, let’s dive into your questions.
Questions
What’s the difference between Genie and Individual Attraction Selection?
We sort-of broke this down above, but we’ll mention it quickly here. Genie+ is the service where you’ll pay a starting cost of $15 per day, per ticket to make Lightning Lane selections (1 at a time throughout the day) at over 40 attractions in Disney World (at Disneyland it features over 15 attractions for a price starting at $25).
Individual Attraction Selection is what we often call a pay-per-ride system. Some Disney rides are not part of Genie+. Instead, you’ll have to pay a separate fee if you want to skip the line for those rides. The rides included in this category change periodically at Disney World (so make sure to check before your trip), and Disneyland has three of these total.
Click here to see more about the difference between these 2 systems!
Is it $15* a day to ride unlimited rides?
This basically relates to the breakdown between Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection. If you pay for Genie+ (starting at $15 at Disney World, and starting at $25 at Disneyland), you can see the next available times to enter various rides’ Lightning Lanes. You can then select the next available time for the ride you want, and when that time arrives, you’ll go to the ride, skip the standby line, use the Lightning Lane, and get on the ride. You do need a reservation — you can’t just hop in the Lightning Lane for a ride unless you have selected the ride on the app and chosen an arrival time.
Remember you can only make 1 Lightning Lane selection at a time, unless your first attraction is at least 2 hours away. For example, if you want a reservation for Splash Mountain, but the only next available time is at 6PM, you can book that time and then still book a reservation for another ride earlier in the day. So, you could keep your Splash Mountain reservation for 6PM, but also have a Genie+ reservation for “it’s a small world” for 10AM. This is part of Disney World’s 120 minute rule, which we’ll discuss more in another question here.
You can continue to select 1 Lightning Lane selection for any available ride through Genie+ throughout your entire day. Note that you can ONLY use Genie+ to use the Lightning Lane once per ride included in the service per day.Â
That means you can’t get a Genie+ selection for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin twice in one day. If you want to ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin more than once in one day, you can use Genie+ once to skip the standby line and use the Lightning Lane for that ride. Any return trips to that particular ride on a single day will have to be through the standby line.
Click here to learn more about not being able to re-ride attractions with Genie+.
NOT all rides’ Lightning Lanes will be accessible through Genie+. At Disney World, Genie+ will give you access to make Lightning Lane selections at over 50 rides. At Disneyland, over 15 rides are included in Genie+.
But, some SUPER popular rides (like Rise of the Resistance and more) will NOT be included in Genie+. That means, if you want to use the Lightning Lane for Radiator Springs Racers, for example, you will NOT be able to select a time for it through Genie+ (even though you’ve paid for Disneyland’s Genie+).
In order to use the Lightning Lane for those select POPULAR rides, you’ll need to pay for the ride individually through Individual Attraction Selection. Disney shared some initial prices for these Individual Attraction Selections, and from what we’ve seen so far, they range right now from $7 to $22 per person, but these prices can actually change based on demand. Think of it like surge pricing for other services like Uber.
Click Here to Learn How to Use Individual Attraction Selection in Disney World
So, if on one particular day, the price to use the Lightning Lane at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is $9, you’ll pay that amount and get a return time to use the Lightning Lane for that ride. Those $9 will ONLY give you access to scheduling a Lightning Lane for that single ride you’ve selected — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in this case. And keep in mind you can only buy Lightning Lane attractions for up to 2 attractions per day.
Click here to learn more about Individual Attraction Selection.
Is there any benefit to stay on-site?
In Disney World, there is a benefit to staying on-site when it comes to Individual Attraction Selection specifically. All guests will have the ability to buy Individual Attraction Selections. Guests will be able to get their first Individual Attraction Selection when the park opens.
But, those staying at select hotels get a little bit earlier access. Disney has stated that those staying at Disney-owned and operated hotels, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, and Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort will be able to make their first Individual Attraction Selection at 7AM each day.
Click here to see more about this hotel perk
Is there any benefit/discount to being an Annual Passholder? And how does the system work for Annual Passholders?
At this time, Disney has not announced any discounts or special perks for Annual Passholders or (future) Magic Key Holders when it comes to Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selections.
So, how will the system work for Annual Passholders? Disney has shared that at its launch, Disney World Annual Passholders and Disneyland Magic Key holders will be able to add Disney Genie+ and/or individual Lightning Lane selections on the day of their visit.
So, Passholders and Key Holders will have full access to the service. You’ll just have to add it on the day of your visit.
Disney also shared that they will be looking into other enhancements for Passholders and Key holders using Disney Genie in the future.
Click here to see our post about how the system works for Annual Passholders
Do I have to use Genie+ for every day of my trip?
Important update: Disney has clarified that when Genie+ is purchased with your ticket or vacation package ahead of your visit, Disney Genie+ must be purchased for the entire length of your stay (all of the days in a multi-day visit). Remember, you can only purchase Genie+ ahead of time until June 8th, 2022.
If, however, you choose to simply buy it on the day of a visit, you’ll be able to purchase it for a single day. So, if you only want to use it a few days during your trip (rather than the entire length of your stay), you’ll have to buy it on the individual day(s) you visit the park(s) you want to use Genie+ for (rather than getting it in advance). Genie+ is available to buy for an individual day starting at midnight on that day.Â
When can I buy Genie+ in relation to my trip?
If you’re an Annual Passholder, see above. So far, Disney has shared that Disney World Annual Passholders and Disneyland Magic Key holders will be able to add Disney Genie+ and/or individual Lightning Lane selections on the day of their visit.
If you’re not an Annual Passholder or Magic Key Holder, guests will be able to purchase Genie+ on the day of their visit OR as an add-on to a theme park ticket by modifying their existing ticket prior to arrival. Disney has also shared that guests will be able to purchase new tickets that include Genie+ before their visit. (Again, this only applies until June 8th, 2022)
For guests who previously purchased a vacation package through Walt Disney World and want to add Genie+ onto it now, you can call Disney World Reservations at (407) 560-2428 to add Genie+ to your package.
For anyone else with existing tickets, the easiest way to add Genie+ will be to buy it on each individual day. You can buy Genie+ for an individual day starting at midnight on the day of your visit.
Keep in mind that regardless of when you purchase it, you’ll only be able to actually BOOK Genie+ Lightning Lane selections on the day of your visit.
What rides are being offered for each?
Disney has FULL lists of the rides that are available through Genie+ in Disneyland and Disney World, as well as the ones that are available through Individual Attraction Selection (the pay-per-ride service).
In Disney World, Genie+ (the starting at $15 per day service) covers over 40 rides, including Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
Click here to see the FULL list of rides available through Genie+ in Disney World.
What about Individual Attraction Selection? The service started out with two rides in each Disney World being included in this individual attraction selection option. But, since then, Disney has made some changes that will last until August 7th, 2022. Here’s the list right now:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Magic Kingdom
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – EPCOT
- Avatar Flight of Passage – Animal Kingdom
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Hollywood Studios
Click here to see more about the rides you’ll have to pay EXTRA for through Individual Attraction Selection.
Click here to see the FULL LIST of rides that will be available through Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection in Disneyland.
Note that the attractions that will be offered by Genie+ will be DIFFERENT than the ones offered through Individual Attraction Selection.
What do the return times look like?
Return times will vary presumably by day, park, ride, etc. So far, we’ve seen that the most popular rides can have return times for much later in the day. When we made a reservation for Slinky Dog Dash in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 7AM, the first available return time was from 4 to 5PM. Other, less popular rides had return times much closer to the time we booked.
Based on the information Disney has shared, some of these return times may end up being much later in the day. With Genie+, you can only reserve ONE attraction at a time, unless your first attraction is at least 2 hours away. For example, if you can only reserve the attraction you want at 6PM that day, you can book that reservation, and then also book another ride, as long as it’s at least 2 hours prior. (See the question below about the 120 minute rule for more information.) Return windows will be one hour for rides.
When it comes to Individual Attraction Selection, we know that you’ll be given a return time with a window of 1 hour to go on the ride.
If you want to know what the system itself looks like in terms of how to select a return time, here’s a quick breakdown.
When scrolling through the Disney Genie portion of your app, you’ll see various rides with their Standby Line wait time listed, and their next available Lightning Lane time listed. So, in this example, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run’s next available Lightning Lane time is 3:05PM…
…but DINOSAUR has a return time for 9:15AM as its next available option.
You’ll select the attraction you want, and specify who from your party you want to include.
Then, your selection will be confirmed.
And when it’s your time to ride, you’ll go through the Lightning Lane.
What is the 7AM start time for?
Alright, there are a few times you’ll need to keep in mind — some of which are 7AM, some of which are different.
For Disney Genie+, all guests at Walt Disney World are able to make their first Genie+ Lightning Lane selections at 7AM. At Disneyland, all guests can make their first Genie+ Lightning Lane selections when they enter the park.
For Individual Attraction Selection, all guests at Walt Disney World that are staying at a Disney-owned-and-operated hotel, the Swan or Dolphin, or Shades of Green are able to make their first Individual Attraction Selections at 7AM. All other Disney World guests are able to make Individual Attraction Selections when the park opens. In Disneyland, these selections can be made when the guest enters the park.
Can I still use standby? Do you need a Lightning Lane pass for rides with virtual queues?
Standby lines and/or virtual queues are still be available for guests to use. You don’t have to use Genie, Genie+, or Individual Attraction Selection at all if you don’t want to.
But, if you want to skip the standby queue or not worry about signing up for a virtual queue, then you can use Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selection (depending on what ride you’re trying to get on) to skip the standby/virtual lines and go through the Lightning Lane.
Will everyone in the party need it or can just 1 person buy?
Your entire party does NOT need to buy Genie+ (or Individual Attraction Selection). But, keep in mind that only the members of your party who DO buy one or both of these services will be able to use them. So if 3/4 members in your party buy Genie+, they can select Lightning Lane return times throughout the day, but the remaining 1 member who didn’t buy it will NOT be able to go through the Lightning Lanes. So if your whole group plans on riding and using the Lightning Lane, you will need to purchase it for each person.
Will we be able to book ride times for the whole party at once?
Yes! You can see the break-down above for Genie+ (we’ve included the same image below), but during the selection process, you can select all of the members of your party that you want included in the Lightning Lane selection.
For Individual Attraction Selection, you can purchase an Individual Attraction Selection for multiple people in your party and that counts as one transaction. If you want to get an Individual Attraction Selection after the first one then that will be a separate transaction.
Do you pay for it? How much does it cost?
The Disney Gennie planning service (the one that will help create a customized itinerary for you, suggest nearby restaurants, show you wait times, forecast wait times, etc.) is FREE.
Disney Genie+ (where you’ll get access to various rides’ Lightning Lanes) starts at a cost of $15 per ticket per day in Disney World and starts at a cost of $25 per ticket per day in Disneyland.
Individual Attraction Selection (where you get to schedule a return time to ride 1 specific attraction and use that attraction’s Lightning Lane) is a separate cost. The prices will vary by attraction, date, and park.
Keep in mind, prices WILL change depending on the date, but the current maximum price is $22.
How do you get Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selection?
Genie+ can be purchased before your visit by getting it as an add-on to a ticket or vacation package for the duration of your visit (until June 8th). If you buy it in advance, you’ll purchase it through DisneyWorld.com or an authorized travel professional.
Genie+ can also be bought on the day of your visit (available starting at midnight) through the Genie service in the My Disney Experience app.
When it comes to Individual Attraction Selection, these can be purchased in the Disney Genie service on the My Disney Experience app on the same day of your visit.
How many do you get per day?
For Disney Genie+, you can only make 1 Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane selection at a time, unless your first attraction is at least 2 hours away. If you can only reserve the ride you want later in the day, you can book that reservation, and then also book another ride (2 hours after you book the first Lightning Lane), as long as it’s at least 2 hours prior. (See the below question about the 120 minute rule for more clarification here.)
If that 2-hour scenario doesn’t apply, then you’ll only be able to make Genie+ reservations one at a time throughout the day. Once you’ve used up that selection, you’ll be able to make another. Then when you use that one you can make another, and so on and so forth throughout the day.
Keep in mind that you CANNOT re-ride attractions through Genie+ on a single day. That means you’ll only be able to use Genie+ to go through the Lightning Lane at Splash Mountain once for the day. If you want to re-ride the attraction, you’ll need to go through the regular standby lane.
For Individual Attraction Selection, you can only buy this for a maximum of up to 2 attractions per day.
Is it a separate app or is it built into My Disney Experience?
Disney Genie is built into the My Disney Experience app in Disney World and the Disneyland App at Disneyland Resort. Make sure you’ve updated your My Disney Experience app recently, and Genie should appear in the app.
Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection are also be built into Genie and thus My Disney Experience and/or the Disneyland App.
On the Tip Board, you can see different attractions, their standby wait time, their next available Lightning Lane time, whether that ride’s Lightning Lane is included with Disney Genie+ or whether it is available through the select, Individual Attraction Selection, and it provides guests with the opportunity to buy those selections in the app.
Does getting a ride on Genie+ put you in the Lightning Lane or is that separate?
The “Lightning Lane” is what Disney is now calling the FastPass Lane. If you get Genie+, you will be able to select the next available time to arrive at an attraction and use that ride’s Lightning Lane. When your designated time arrives, you’ll be able to go into the Lightning Lane for that ride.Â
For Individual Attraction Selection, you’ll can purchase and schedule a time to arrive at up to 2 attractions each day. When your time arrives, you’ll then use that attraction’s Lightning Lane. Just keep in mind that the attractions available through Genie+ will be different than those available through Individual Attraction Selection.
Is it $15 per ride or $15 for the whole day*?
Disney Genie+ starts at $15 per ticket, per day in Disney World (and starts at $25 per ticket, per day at Disneyland). Included in Genie+ is the ability to make Lightning Lane selections (for the rides included), 1 attraction at a time, throughout the day. So it does not cost $15 per ride. The cost gives you access to making Lightning Lane selections (1 at a time) for the over 50 rides at Disney World and over 15 rides at Disneyland that are included (again, keep in mind you can only go on each ride once with Genie+).
*EDITOR’S UPDATE: In October 2022, Disney introduced variable date-based pricing for Genie+ with the price starting at $15 per guest, per day in Disney World and starting at $25 per guest, per day in Disneyland Resort. Guests are able to check the price for the day on the My Disney Experience app and Disneyland app prior to purchasing for the day.
Individual Attraction Selection, on the other hand, is a price that you pay to enter the Lightning Lane attraction for a SINGLE ride.
Can you pay for popular individual rides and NOT get Genie+?
Yes! You can just continue to use standby lines/virtual queues that are included in your regular theme park ticket. Or, you can pay for just the Individual Attraction Selections for up to 2 rides per day and that’s it. Or, you can pay for Genie+ and that’s it. Or, you can pay for Genie+ AND Individual Attraction Selection. It’s up to you.
How does this affect Disability Access Service?
Disney has made enhancements to their DAS program with Disney Genie. Now, guests can pre-register for Disney World’s DAS program ahead of their arrival for visits.
If you’re eligible to register for DAS in advance, you can register between 2 to 30 days ahead of a park visit. Once registered, you can begin to book attraction return times. If you register for DAS ahead of your trip, you’ll be able to book up to two one-hour return windows between 2 and 30 days prior to a park visit. These 2 pre-arrival reservations are in addition to the return times you can book during the day of your park visit.
Click here to learn more about pre-registering for DAS.
Will you be able to use it for the same ride multiple times?
With Genie+, you are NOT able to use it for the same ride multiple times.
For Individual Attraction selection, guests are able to “schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day.” This means you can only purchase an Individual Attraction Selection for a particular ride ONCE for any given day (i.e. you can’t buy 2 Individual Attraction Selections both for Rise of the Resistance on the same day).
What’s the deal with PhotoPass? And what about the Augmented Reality offering?
Disney Genie+ (starting at $15 at Disney World, and starting at $25 at Disneyland) includes special additional features. At Disney World, it includes Augmented Reality frames to use for your photos. Below is a look at what one of these Augmented Reality features looks like.
One of the photo options will be a background of the 25th Anniversary birthday cake Cinderella Castle!
At Disneyland, it includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads for the day of your visit.
Is there a discount for Disney Vacation Club Members?
So far, Disney has not announced any discounts for Disney Vacation Club Members.
Will Genie+ and/or Individual Attraction Selection be available during Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours?
No. If you’ll be enjoying Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours, you’ll only have access to rides’ traditional standby queues.
What if the ride I have a reservation for goes down for technical issues or weather?
If a ride you have a reservation for is down for some reason during your time to ride it, like due to weather or technical issues, you won’t lose your reservation. Instead, you’ll be able to make a reservation for another ride, and your original reservation will remain for the ride you had scheduled. You could also opt to use that reservation for a different qualifying ride (which will be a modified list of the 45 rides included with Genie+).
This happened to us with an Individual Attraction Selection ride. We had reservations to go on Rise of the Resistance, but the ride was down during our reservation time. Because of that, we got a pass to go on that ride at any time during the day. Disney has said that they will NOT refund any Individual Attraction Selections, but if this happens to you, ask a nearby Cast Member or Guest Relations team about what your options are.Â
Read More About Our Experience With Pay-Per-Ride Attractions Going Down Here
What if I’ll be Park Hopping?
If you’re looking to Park Hop, you can make reservations through Individual Attraction Selection and Genie+ to fit your plans. You will not have to pay extra for Genie+ to use it in both parks — it’s still just starts at $15 per ticket per day. For Genie+, you can make Lightning Lane selections for a different park. For example, you could have spent your entire morning in Magic Kingdom and then decide to hop to EPCOT. You could be standing in Magic Kingdom, finishing up one last snack before you hop, and make your next Genie+ reservation for a ride in EPCOT while you’re there.
You can even use the free Genie planning service to help. You’ll be able to tell the system when you plan to Park Hop, so it will then show you available Lightning Lane times for the park you plan to hop to at the time you plan to hop.
If you’re eligible to park hop, you can also make Individual Attraction Selections across two different Disney parks.
Can I cancel or modify my Individual Attraction Selection?
No. This is a BIG thing you’ll want to keep in mind. Once you make and pay for an Individual Attraction Selection, it CANNOT be modified. Once you pay and book that Individual Attraction Selection (pay-per-ride selection), you can’t switch it to a different ride or cancel it. You also will not get your money back if you can’t make it to that ride on time for some reason.
The only way you will be refunded for your Individual Attraction Selection is if the ride goes down for something like weather or technical difficulties and does not re-open at all that day.
Can Genie+ Lightning Lane return times “sell out?”
Yes. Rides only have a limited number of Genie+ and pay-per-ride reservations per day, and they can sell out. So, if there’s a particular ride you simply MUST ride, be sure to book that Lightning Lane reservation as early as possible.
How does rider swap work with Genie+ and pay-per-ride?
Rider Swap is available for people who have some members of their group that can’t or don’t want to ride an attraction. With this system, most of the group would wait in the standby line and then ride the attraction while one person waits with the person who doesn’t want to ride. Then, when the rest of the group returns, the person who waited behind could skip the line (and bring one additional person with them) to ride the attraction.
For the most part, Rider Swap works the same way. If you’re just using the standby line, it works exactly the same way. With Lightning Lane reservations (either Genie+ or Pay-Per-Ride), there are a few things to keep in mind. You can’t cheat the system and buy a Pay-Per-Ride reservation for one adult and try to get rider swap for another person using that same reservation. If you want to use Rider Swap with your Lightning Lane reservations, the Cast Members will make sure that everyone who rides has a Lightning Lane reservation.
If you only have one Lightning Lane reservation, then only one person will be able to use the Lighting Lane, and everyone else who wants to ride will need to go through the standby line.
For the Pay-Per-Ride attractions, you have to buy a Lightning Lane pass for each person who wants to ride. So let’s say that there’s a group of three people, and two of them want to ride Frozen Ever After. Both of those two will need to buy Pay-Per-Ride reservations if they want to skip the line. They can’t send one person through the Lightning Lane to ride, use Rider Swap, and then send another through the Lightning Lane with only one Pay-Per-Ride pass.
What is the 120 Minute Rule?
You can generally only make 1 Genie+ Lightning Lane selection at a time throughout the day. Once you’ve used that selection or the return time for it has expired, you can make another one.
For example, let’s say at 10:00AM, you’re in EPCOT and you make a Genie+ Lightning Lane Reservation for Living With the Land for 10:30AM. At 10:30AM you use that Lightning Lane and then you can make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection IMMEDIATELY.
What if your Lightning Lane return time is for later? Let’s say you’re in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 12:32PM and you book a Genie+ Lightning Lane return time for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the next available one is 6:30PM. You’ll book that later return time, no problem.
If you want to book ANOTHER Genie+ Lightning Lane selection while you wait for that later return time to arrive, you’ll be able to do so 2 hours AFTER you made that initial selection. In other words, you’d be able to book another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection at 2:32PM.
But if you book your first Lightning Lane selection at 7AM (before the park’s opening time), you will have to wait for two hours AFTER the park opens to book the next Lightning Lane.
So let’s say that at 7AM you book a Lightning Lane for Slinky Dog Dash with a 4 to 5PM return time. If Hollywood Studios opens at 9AM, you cannot make another, earlier Lightning Lane selection until 11AM (2 hours after the park’s opening time).
Once 11AM hits, you can book another Lightning Lane selection. Let’s say you book a Lightning Lane for a ride at 12:30PM. You can go on that ride when the time arrives, and then immediately after using it, you can book another Lightning Lane. You don’t have to wait 2 hours after you book each ride — you only have to wait the two hours ONCE, after you book the ride that’s later in the day.
The Genie+ portion of the My Disney Experience app WILL indicate when you’re eligible to make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection, so that’s what you’ll want to look at.
We hope this helps your understand Disney Genie better! Let us know if you have any more questions and we’ll be sure to do our best to give you the info you need. Stay tuned for more updates from us here at DFB!
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What questions do you still have about the Disney Genie, Genie+, or Individual Attraction Selection? Tell us in the comments below.
DFB Sarah says
Brian, it sounds like it would be one transaction for all of you. Everyone would only have one Individual Attraction Selection left for the day. Does that help?
DFB Sarah says
Dave V., so far no announced changes to Park Hopping starting at 2PM everyday. We’ll update if Disney changes that.
DFB Sarah says
Charlotte, I don’t think Disney has said for sure that there will be a limit on Genie+ purchases, but it’s something we are watching for and will report on if it is clarified.
DFB Sarah says
Drew, you’ll experience all the Standby lines. At this point, it’s unclear if those lines will be longer or shorter because of Disney Genie+. We’ll definitely be taking note when the service launches to report on what we experience with regard to those wait times.
DFB Sarah says
Jessica, thus far I think, based on what Disney has said, Memory Maker is not changing. However, everything is subject to change (as we’ve certainly all learned), so it could be changed in the future.
DFB Sarah says
Bryn, at this point we don’t really know how Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selections will work to manage crowds (if at all). When it launches, we will pay attention on the ground to see how things look in terms of Standby waits and the prevalence (or lack thereof) of Genie+ users.
DFB Sarah says
Connie, I don’t know why Disney has configured purchases the way they have. If things change, we’ll update.
DFB Sarah says
Bob, Disney Park Pass reservations are still required. It sounds like they’re sticking around, but we’ll keep updating as Disney releases more information.
DFB Sarah says
Trish, you’re correct.
DFB Sarah says
Kirsty, that’s a good question. Disney has not said whether the Genie+ selections will automatically be available to scan on a MagicBand (like we did with FastPass). I’ll add it to the list of questions we’re still trying to find Disney-confirmed answers for.
DanielleV says
I’m like everyone else I’m so confused with the photo opportunity on Disney genie plus versus the memory maker. Also I’m with Connie I agree and that often in the afternoon there were no more fast passes to be able to book so will that happen also with the lightning lane? In addition I’m still confused if you can purchase Disney genie Plus and just have a base park ticket.
Nick Johnson says
Disney keeps raising prices and the pay for convenient is now over the top. Disney has a “class system” and seem to be eliminating any chance for lower income families to attend Disneyland or World. Maybe that’s the intent? Inclusion???? What a joke.
Ginger says
Could you stop using such light fonts in your text. The really light blue makes it nearly impossible to read the message . Those who are sight impaired have a difficult time. It would be much appreciated if you could address this.
Kate says
Thank you for explaining the new (complicated systems). I have a question please, I purchase the genie+ on my phone, select an attraction for my group of 4, on my phone, how do we then checkin for the ride? Using the 1 phone that was used to pay and make the selections or does it link Automatically to each magic band in my group ?
Heather Martin says
Will rider switch still be available to those with younger kids when using the lightning land with Genie+?
Jo says
The photo pass augmentation feature… do you have to purchase photo pass to get this feature???
DFB Sarah says
Jo, my expectation is that you’ll be able to apply the AR to the photos that appear in My Disney Experience. If you have Memory Maker, you’d be able to download and access those photos. If you do not purchase Memory Maker, you will likely be able to see the photos and use the AR, but you would have to purchase photos individually if you wanted to download and access them.
DFB Sarah says
Heather, we would expect Rider Switch to remain. We will update if there are any changes to it.
DFB Sarah says
Kate, I don’t think Disney has gotten that far in explaining how it’s used yet. My hope is that your selections will link automatically to MagicBands or to MagicMobile (on the phone) so that you can just scan in like a FastPass, which I personally found convenient. It could be so that you can scan in with the one phone that made the selections. But until Disney confirms the method, we can only speculate.
DFB Sarah says
Ginger, thanks for reaching out. I’ll share this with the team.
DFB Sarah says
DanielleV, you can purchase Disney Genie and just have a base Park ticket. I think Disney wanted to play up that if you have a Park Hopper, you can still use Genie+ because you can schedule selections at any Parks during the day, even if you’re not in the Park yet. But you’re not required to purchase Park Hopper. As for the AR, we still only know a little about it, but I expect we will see is this: when you use My Disney Experience, you can view your PhotoPass pics, with a watermark, even if you don’t have Memory Maker. I think the AR option is going to allow guests to edit those photos (adding effects, essentially) whether they buy them or not. If you end up loving one or more of the PhotoPass pics, you could still purchase them individually if you don’t have Memory Maker. Does that help at all?
Paul says
THANK YOU for this update! Spelling things out and not just the gleeful sell of a new situation is much appreciated!! Now, I wish people would get over the fact they’re now charging for what used to be called Fast Pass. Does anyone remember having to run thru the parks to get a physical FP?! How about coupon books with E-tickets… yeah, that’s right. Walt himself oversaw the plan where you HAD to pay for everything you experienced. Basically no popular or even average rides were free, there was a tiered system. This just seems like the modern day coupon books.
My question, do you feel this will accelerate the standby lines? My thought is, there’ll be more people in the standby and less in the LL (I remember multiple times waiting 5-10 minutes in FP lanes). With that setup, wouldn’t the line move a bit faster? So a 20 minute line will now be 12-15 minutes, thoughts??
Gary says
Yeah I saw Tom talking about this on YouTube they can’t even get rise of the resistance to work right you really believe they’re going to make this Genie Plus work it says failure written all over it and lower attendance I guess if that’s what Amato and Chepek wants. Because that’s exactly what they’re going to get do they want to make money or not I shouldn’t have to be paying for something that already paid for once I’m in the park. This is absolute insanity.Disney is now for millionaires only and you take that to the bank.
Kathy R says
I’m still confused about the Genie+ per ticket/per day cost. Does this mean that Genie+ costs $15/$20 for the day and I can use it on as many different rides (one at a time) as I want for the whole day? Or does this mean if I purchase a ticket for one of the 40 rides, say Haunted Mansion, and I can use that ticket to get in the lightning lane it all day for Haunted Mansion, but if want to ride Big Thunder Mountain, I need to purchase another ticket?
The terminology is ambiguous. When I think of “purchasing a ticket,” my mind jumps to “I need a ticket for each ride.” If Disney means that Genie+ costs $15/$20 total for the day, to have access to lightning lane for 40ish rides, then they should say that. Calling it a ticket just confuses everything. Especially since Genie Individual Attractions is essentially purchasing individual tickets.
Ronald says
What are the rides included in the Genie Plus and what are the rides included in additional pay? This move to eliminate the free fast pass is a Disney Sin that will NEVER BE FORGIVEN.
Ronald says
What is the list of rides included in the Genie Plus. What is the list of rides that will have an additional charge.
Sheri says
Disney Genie+ is causing too many changes at one time and unwarranted confusion. $15 per per ticket is fairly reasonable. 7:00 am day of visit for choosing one pass until attraction has been used. No more 60 day planning for AP. It’s absurd to expect especially families at 7:00 am to be on iPhone for a pass, getting children ready, breakfast, trying to get day started dependent on available attraction. Then another new additional charge for rides not available on the Genie image $5 or more, limit of 2 per day.
Genie+ $15.00 enough change to start with. Leave the Rides that would be extra charges to just standby line for the time being. And rethink the 7:00 am day of visit to sign up for Lightening Lane (old fast pass)
Imaging parks full of people incessantly monitoring smart phones for pass availability for next attraction and wait times. Seems like a mess in the making.
DFB Sarah says
Ronald, Disney has not released a list of the 40+ attractions that are included in Genie+ at Walt Disney World. They have specified that Rise of the Resistance, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will be included in the Individual Attraction Selections.
DFB Sarah says
Kathy, I agree the language has been confusing for many. When Disney says $15 per ticket per day, they really mean per person per day — which would be clearer, I think. Your first explanation is correct: Genie+ would give you one-at-a-time access to make Lightning Lane selections for 40+ attractions every day you use it. Does that help?
DFB Sarah says
Paul, those are some million dollar questions (or maybe they’re just $15 each?), and we’ll be doing a lot of research and on-the-ground testing of the services when they are available. It’s hard to say whether the outcome will be shorter waits for everyone. I feel like a lot of guests lauded the way Disneyland handled FastPass/MaxPass, and Genie+ seems to draw some parallels. That said, there’s no way to know yet whether this will result in a better guest experience at Walt Disney World. Stay tuned!
TracieG says
Any word on potential Genie+ perks for people staying club level? You used to be able to purchase additional fast passes if you were staying club level.
DFB Sarah says
TracieG, so far no info on this from Disney.
DFB Sarah says
Ronald, Genie+ is going to include over 40 attractions at Walt Disney World and over 15 attractions at Disneyland. The Individual Attraction Selections include Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Rise of the Resistance (on both coasts), and Web-Slingers. These five could change (or more attractions could be added), but this is what Disney has announced so far.
Carol says
Is a smart phone required, or will you be able to access with a laptop on the 7am selection, and kiosks once arriving in the parks?
Don says
Umm… let’s see. In 2020 we could get a new Disney World platinum annual pass for around $1,200 not including tax, and FastPass+ was included. Now I need to add on $15 per day for an equivalent. Let’s see that’s 365 days at $15 per day, so that’s $5,475 additional. So an annual pass for the same perks went to $6,675. Bet free parking with an annual pass is gone soon too.
Oh yes, and free parking at resorts is gone, and resorts are getting less extra magic hours, and some resorts NOT getting even the measly 30 minutes park early entry, no more streetmosphere, parades gone, constant maintenance issues… I could go on.
Seems like price gouging to me, so the Magic (and Magical Express) is gone from Disney. Thank you Mr. Chapek.
Our beloved Walter Elias Disney would be furious.
DFB Sarah says
Carol, no confirmation from Disney on laptop access or kiosks in the Parks. We will update when there’s news!
Sarah says
Do I need to purchase Disney Ginie plus for my one year old?
DFB Sarah says
Sarah, my understanding is you only need to purchase it for kids 3 and up.
Morgan says
Will the genie also include cavalcades & character meet & greets in your itinerary or 9nly rides & food?
DFB Sarah says
Morgan, character meet and greets, parades, and entertainment are all included in Disney Genie’s itineraries. If you have a trip planned, you can click “My Day”, select your preferences, and Genie will store them for suggestions when you arrive. Those selections include attractions, characters, fireworks, parades, etc.
ANDREW PENA says
I purchased Disney genie plus for Hollywood studios and I was a unable to use it for any rides because the times were so late and lack of availability, does disney give a refund of a voucher for future dates??
DFB Sarah says
Andrew, you could try calling Disney to inquire. I think they’ll say no, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Ron says
That wonderful feeling that my wife, I and the kids felt before our trip to Disney World is GONE. For 38 years and 27 trips to Disney World with our growing family that feeling before the trip was Fabulous. My wife would play Disney music and watch Disney movies with the children every day. At dinner we would all talk about our Disney Trip.
Disney is not the only company that has been affected by the Pandemic, however Disney has made the most HORRIFIC FINANCIAL CHANGES to compensate for their loss.
Last year my family scheduled a Disney Vacation number 28 for 4 rooms in June 2022. After many conversations that were painful, we decided to cancel our reservations and request the return of our 4 deposits of $200 each.
There are many reasons why our anticipation of a Disney Trip is different and will always be different and prevent us from going in the future if DISNEY DOES NOT CHANGE FAILED POLICY.
1. Enormous Increase in the price of everything. Shame On You Disney.
2.Elimination of Magical Express. An inconvenience and additional cost that we have not experienced in 15 years.
3. Elimination of Fast Pass. Having 3 rides scheduled every daylong before we arrive was FANTASTIC. Each day was planned and we never missed a ride.
4. Genie Plus. Paying $15 a day per person for All Rides that were Free with Fast PasS. We could go on a ride MANY TIMES during the day without waiting on line. With Genie Plus you can go on a ride only one time a day and then you must use the stand by line.
5. Individual Attraction. We hate to pay extra to go on a POPULAR RIDE that was free with the Fast Pass. Our day with Genie Plus will be very Disorganized and Confusing. We will end up going on less rides during the day and paying more for it.
Please Disney, families like mine who have come often WILL STOP COMING and families who come for the first time, WILL NOT RETURN. You will have many CANCELLATIONS like mine and MANY EMPTY ROOMS going forward. Please Bite The Bullet and CHANGE POLICY BACK TO PRE PANDEMIC. PLEASE, PLEASE.
Nick Johnson says
100% agree with Ron.
Diane says
My husband will need a electric scooter to get around in Animal Kingdom & Epcot. If we have Geni + can we make a reservation to reserve a scooter in each of these parks before we arrive ? We will be in Epcot on 2/7/22 and Animal Kingdom on 2/9/22. If so, where do we get the scooter in each park.
DFB Sarah says
Diane, you can not reserve a Disney scooter before you arrive. They’re considered first come, first serve in all of the Parks. Rentals can be found to the right when you enter Animal Kingdom and to the left when you enter EPCOT.
Steve says
Question:
Can anyone in my party book Genii+ lightning lane passes, or just the leader? We are a larger group that will be spending our day split into 3 subgroups, and we would like each subgroup to be able to book just their own lightning lanes.
DFB Gigi says
Hi Steve,
Anyone in the party can book Lightning Lane passes with Genie+. It will prompt you to choose which members of the party you’re booking for each time so you will be able to break it down.