Let’s face it. Disney World can get BUSY. One way to skip the lines and ensure that you enjoy all that you want throughout your Disney vacation is to purchase Genie+, the service that replaced FastPass+ in 2021.
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The Disney Genie service is still unfamiliar to many and can be tricky to use (to say the least). We’ve used the service a LOT over the past two years, and have shared all of our findings with our readers — from our biggest takeaways, to the free aspects of Genie, to how the service affects wait times — even tips on booking for all the members of your party. Now, let’s take a look at how Disney Genie interacts with Park Hopping in Disney World.
Park Hopping is Disney’s term for starting your day in one park and then “hopping” to another. To do this, you’ll need to purchase the Park Hopper add-on for your ticket. Park hopping has long been a staple of many Disney guests’ trips, so how does it work with Disney Genie?
How does Disney Genie know you plan to park hop?
When you first tap into Disney Genie or purchase Disney Genie+ in the My Disney Experience app, you’ll find that the system doesn’t automatically know that you plan to Park Hop. Still, there are a few ways to tell it your plans.
Disney Genie has launched!
For one, if you intend to purchase an Individually Selected Attraction (IAS), Lightning Lane, in your second park, Genie will know that you plan to Park Hop when you do that.
For instance, if you’ve made a Disney Park Pass for EPCOT, but buy an IAS Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance, Genie will note on your My Day itinerary page that you’ll need to Park Hop. It will also automatically adjust the available Rise of the Resistance times to take into account park hopping hours.Â
Lightning Lane Rise of the Resistance
But you don’t need to book an IAS to tell Genie that you plan to park hop. At the bottom of your My Day page, you’ll find a button that notes “Plan for Your Next Park.”
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If you select this option, you’ll be able to tell Disney Genie which park you plan to Park Hop to and what times you plan to be there. You can even add a third or fourth park if you want!
©Disney
From there, you can continue planning your day by selecting your preferences and must-dos with the free Genie offering and/or selecting your paid Genie+ Lightning Lane options. Even if you don’t tell Genie you intend to Hop, you can still book Lightning Lanes in other parks — your options will just only include times after park hopping starts at 2PM.
Click here to learn more about free Disney Genie!
Does Genie tell you when you need to park hop?
On the My Day screen, you’ll notice that your itinerary includes a note before your first plan in your second park telling you, “It’s time to Park Hop!” It will also tell you the park hours for your second park. Park Hopping hours have been adjusted to where you cannot Hop until after 2PM, so any Lightning Lane you book in another park will already reflect that.
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Now, this note in your itinerary will NOT necessarily give you enough time before your next plan for transportation. You can easily check transportation routes and times by tapping “Get Directions” on the park hopping notification, but the Genie might not account for how long it takes to get from your Lightning Lane at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to your Lightning Lane at Rise of the Resistance.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
So, the answer is…kinda. Genie will tell you that you need to Park Hop for your plans, but it won’t tell you how much time you need to set aside to get from park to park. That’s up to you. If you are hopping, we recommend giving yourself an hour between plans to make sure you have plenty of time for transportation!Â
Want to learn more about wait times with the Lightning Lanes active? Click here!
Can you book plans in another park if you don’t tell Genie you’re hopping?
Yes! If you don’t tell Genie you’re hopping, you can still book Lightning Lanes and dining in your second, third, or fourth park.
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The only difference is that Genie will adjust available times to account for Park Hopping hours. So, if you’re starting your day in EPCOT, you’ll only see available times AFTER 2PM for any second-park plans you intend to make.
To learn more about park hopping, click here!
Are there any issues with park hopping and Genie?
On day one of Genie, one of our reporters hopped from EPCOT to Disney’s Hollywood Studios mid-day. She told Genie that she intended to Hop at 2PM so her itinerary included the park hop notification at 2PM. However, when she arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and scanned into the park, that notification to Park Hop did not go away. In fact, it stuck around even after she had scanned into TWO Lightning Lanes.
Tower of Terror
So, it looks like the Genie might not always keep up with when you do actually Hop. Still, she could continue making plans for Disney’s Hollywood Studios even though Genie noted she was still in EPCOT. It didn’t cause her any practical problems, it just looked a little silly.
Guest Experience Lines
Remember, if anything does go wrong with your Genie plans, you can speak to Guest Services. Cast Members will be happy to help sort out any issues you might be having. Ask for help and be nice! This is a complex situation and Cast Members want to help you have a great experience.
Want to see our biggest takeaways about Disney Genie so far? Click here!
We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news (including plenty of Disney Genie updates!), so stay tuned here for more!
Click Here to Learn EVERYTHING About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selections!
All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection
BIG Genie+ Changes Being Planned For Disney World
FULL List of Rides Included With Genie+ in Disney World
3 Tips to OUTSMART Genie+ in Disney World Right Now
Please Stop Skipping These Genie+ Hacks in Disney World (They Really Work!)
Genie+ Tips for the Most Crowded Days in Disney World and Disneyland
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What do you think about Park Hopping with Disney Genie? Let us know in the comments!Â
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Hi
I wonder if you can help – if I purchase Genie+ for my park reservation at Epcot and then park hop to Animal Kingdom at 2pm can I still use the Genie+ at AK?
Many thanks
Janet, you can!
Do we have to make a reservation for a 2nd park if we plan on park-hopping? Or do we just simply show up to the 2nd park after 2pm without a Park Pass?
John, you just head to the second Park — no Park Pass needed.
Does the 120 minute rule apply for the second park? Does it limit selections in the first park?
Frank, the 120-minute rule would still apply when Park Hopping, I believe.
Hi! If I am hopping from Epcot to Hollywood Studios, when does the 120 rule apply? I am going to book Slinky at 7am, but then can I book my next one (also in Hollywood) at 11am (2 hours after HS opens) or do I have to wait until 1PM because I am starting in Epcot? What time frame should I go by?
Lauren, I believe you should be able to book a second starting at 11AM, regardless of which Park you’re in.
When purchasing Disney + and park hopping, do you have to pay $15 per park? When I go to the app and try to buy it for my upcoming trip there is a base ticket genie + selection and a park hopper option for genie +. I thought I understood it to be $15 per day regardless of hopping or not.
Tara, you’re correct that the $15 per day Genie+ is ready to Park Hop.
If for some reason you don’t get to the park you reserved can you park hop to a different park after 2 without having swiped into the first park ?
Denise, Disney’s official language requires guests to tap into the Park Pass reserved Park first: “With the updated Park Hopper experience, Guests must make a Disney Park Pass reservation for the first park they plan to visit AND enter that first park prior to visiting another.”
Can I just use the genie and bot park hop at all do 1 park a day?
Amanda, you can use Genie in one Park or in more — either way is fine.
Am I able to book Remy for Epcot later in the day, when planning to start at MK?
Thanks
Hi Danielle, yes you can reserve an attraction Lightning Lane in a different park than you started in as long as it is after 2pm. 🙂
So, if we are hoping for Remy, we can’t book until 2?? I don’t know we would get it then… Maybe we would be better off doing Epcot 1st?
Hi Danielle, no, you can book Remy in the morning as long as the slot that you’re booking for is after 2pm due to the park hopping rule.
Am I right in thinking you can book genie plus every two hours? The questions and answers are confusing. 7,9,11 and so on? Just above you mentioned the second selection to be at 11? Thanks
Hi Helen, it’s every two hours except for the time between 7am and park opening. If your return time for your first selection is more than two hours after the park opens (let’s say the park opens at 9am) you can grab another one at 11am, two hours after. If your return time is less than 2 hours after the park opens, you can grab your next lightning lane when you’ve tapped in to your first ride, after that, it’s every 2 hours.
The issue I have is that the park close so early, leaving less time to hop between parks now that you can only start hopping until 2:00 pm. But at least over on the west coast Disneyland is slowing starting to extend the park hours and close at midnight (on weekends). But when Disney parks close at 9:00 or 10:00 pm (some even earlier), that dosen’t give much time let alone get yor money’s worth purchasing Genie+.
Hey! So I’m going to Disney World in October for my 21st along with three of my best friends. I’m military and when I checked the prices and the tickets we decided on getting the 5-day hopper with Genie+. I wanted to know if the genie+ is included in the ticket and if so, do we still have to pay $15 per day when we get there or no? (I hope that makes sense. I’m trying to understand the genie+ more. I have been watching your videos on YouTube and I love them. Its just taking me a little bit longer to understand) 🙂