The Disney Genie service just launched in Disney World, and now you can pay for access to Lightning Lanes (previously known as FastPass+ lanes) for qualifying rides and attractions.
A Disney Genie Pamphlet
The Genie+ service is $15 per person, per day for over 40 different attractions, but with Individual Attraction Selection (or pay-per-ride) you pay for each ride individually, and the pay-per-ride premium attractions are 8 of the most popular rides in Disney World. So how do you decide which rides to choose? Which rides are worth the extra cost? Well, we asked you, dear readers, to vote for which Individual Attraction Selection rides you would actually pay for!
Over on Instagram, we asked our readers to to help vote for which premium Lightning Lane option is worth the cost! According to our very sophisticated ranking system, we asked readers to give a thumbs up for whether a ride is worth the cost and a thumbs down for rides that aren’t worth paying extra for.
On the day we asked for votes, we noted the cost of each ride, but remember that Individual Attraction Selection rides vary in cost depending on the day, so these prices aren’t set in stone.
How did YOU vote?
Over 17,000 readers voted so let’s get started! We’re going to start from the BOTTOM rankings and work our way up. Do you know which pay-per-ride is most worth the cost?
8 — Frozen Ever After
Frozen Ever After wins the prize of the lowest number of votes, with 82% of our readers voting that this EPCOT ride is NOT worth the cost. On this day, Frozen cost $9 for Lightning Lane access.
Frozen
The wait time for Frozen Ever After can range anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour, and the standby line is mostly inside the attraction building (with AC!) so it’s not THAT terrible of a waiting experience. If you’re paying for Lightning Lanes, you might want to skip this one.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to booking and buying pay-per-ride attractions!
7 — Expedition Everest
78% of our readers voted that Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not worth paying for. On this day, the Lightning Lane cost $7.
Expedition Everest
On one particular visit we noticed that the standby wait time for Expedition Everest stayed pretty consistently between 15-20 minutes. The single rider line is still available as well. So, we personally didn’t feel like this attraction was worth the cost when we paid for it.
How long would YOU wait before you PAY to skip the line in Disney World?!
6 — Space Mountain
Over in Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain’s Lightning Lane cost $7 this day, and 75% of our readers voted to skip it. Although Space Mountain usually has a long-ish wait, there are other attractions you might want to prioritize. Remember, you can only book 2 pay-per-ride reservations per day.
Space Mountain
Instead of paying for some of these lower ranking rides, you can also plan to head straight there at rope drop for a chance at a shorter wait time or you can always just go through standby line.
Here are the prices for pay-per-ride attractions in Disney World!
5 — Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
At $8 for Lightning Lane access, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disney’s Hollywood Studios ranks somewhat low on the priority list. 69% of our readers voted that it’s not worth paying for.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
While Runaway Railway can climb to high wait times, it’s often somewhere between 45 to 60 minutes. This ride debuted in Hollywood Studios in 2019 and replaced The Great Movie Ride, but it seems that most of our readers don’t think it’s worth the cost.
What’s the difference between Disney Genie+ and pay-per-ride?
4 — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is one of the most popular rides in Magic Kingdom and it almost always has a long wait. Still, it’s kind of a short ride for the wait, and 67% of our readers said it’s not worth it to buy. On this day, the Lightning Lane cost $10.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Most of the queue for Seven Dwarfs is outdoors, so on a hot day it might actually be worth it to take the Lightning Lane, especially if you have kiddos who love this family friendly ride.
How many rides can we do in a day with Genie+ and pay-per-ride?
3 — Avatar Flight of Passage
And we finally get to a ride voted worth it! With an $11 Lightning Lane, Avatar Flight of Passage in Disney’s Animal Kingdom was voted worth it by 52% of readers.
Flight of Passage
Flight of Passage has a notoriously long wait time in Animal Kingdom, so this is one that might actually be worth it to skip! You can, uh, fly through Pandora on the back of a banshee without having to wait 1+ hours in line.
A look at wait times with Genie+ and pay-per-ride in Disney World.
2 — Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
EPCOT’s newest ride, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, was voted worth it by 58% of readers! This ride, featuring our favorite rat Remy from Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille, was $9 for Lightning Lane access on this day.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
It’s important to note, however, that you can also choose to enter this ride’s virtual queue for FREE instead of paying for the Lightning Lane. At 7AM on the day of your visit, you can enter the virtual queue as long as you have an EPCOT reservation, but reservations go fast. If you slept in or missed out, as long as you’re inside EPCOT at 1PM, you can enter the virtual queue at that time too.
Here are details about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure virtual queue in Disney World!
1 — Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Surprising no one, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the number one ride voted worth it! 63% of readers voted that paying $15 for the Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane is well worth the cost.
Rise of the Resistance
Now that boarding groups have been paused for Rise of the Resistance, your only other option to ride is to enter the standby line, which can be looooong. If you want to book the Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance, make sure you prioritize making your reservation as early as you can. Lightning Lanes can sell out, so don’t wait!
See the crowds from Rise of the Resistance’s standby line!
So what do you think? Do you agree with how our readers voted for these premium Lightning Lanes?
EVERYTHING we learned using Disney World’s pay-per-ride system!
Keep reading DFB for more Disney World news, and check out our Instagram for reader polls if you want to be part of the next vote!
Check out our FREE Genie printable HERE!
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
Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie
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I sincerely hope that enough people refuse to pay for something that used to be FREE (well, you know) and that Disney and Chapak can’t keep getting away with all the price gouging. The Disney magic has been completely taken sucked out of the parks.
ROTR was only worth it for a one time pay to ride, just to experience it. It’s not that good.
Do you know if is it possible to buy the individual lightning lane at 7am if you are at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel?
Marco, I do not believe the Waldorf is included in the 7AM Individual Attraction Selection service.
Genie+ not worth it. DO NOT USE SO IT WILL GO AWAY
You already paid for these rides with your park ticket. Why pay again? Bring back the FREE fastpass +
Do these people realize that they were not the only ones affected by this pandemic. Instead of holding the line until normal people get back on their feet it becomes gouge. The magic is gone. I will respond with my feet.
After having just finished up my first trip to Disney since Genie+ and pay-per-ride came into effect, I can honestly say I don’t believe any of it is worth the extra money. I bought genie+ for myself and my husband at Hollywood Studios and was only able to book ONE ride with it! By the time I rode that one ride, every other (in demand) ride was sold out for the day. RIP OFF! If I’m paying extra to be able to use their lightning lane, I feel I should be guaranteed one ride on each. All of their posted wait times were inflated—on purpose? Maybe. At every other park we were able to ride in a decent amount of time without paying extra. And if a wait time seemed too extreme, we just skipped it. And rode some rides and saw some shows we usually don’t think about or have time for. Imho, this was one of the best times we’ve had at Disney—not stressing over every ride we have to get to. And ROTR? One and done! It is not a great ride—we both felt like Disney faltered with this one, especially with all the times the ride is down. Flight of Passage is far superior. All of this is of course, just my opinion. But glad to know I won’t ever need to spend the extra money at Disney ever again.
We were very disappointed in genie+ and Lightning Lanes for r solid days. We spent the first 3 days learning how to drive the system… and paying for the privilege… but finally sorted things out.
It’s a significant additional cost and places some Military visitors at a great scheduling disadvantage, while being a burden and nuisance to those of us who CAN easily afford it.
And while I’m complaining, the park hopping restrictions reduced our options. We love grabbing breakfast in EPCOT in France, then heading to another park. Losing that option makes us wonder if our next vacation shouldn’t be somewhere else?
Our impression throughout our visit was that this was a chance to recoup the losses associated with a 4 month closure rather than an attempt to control crowds… unless controlling crowds meant increasing time in a given park with poor access to rides and attractions. As a result, we wandered more, but some of our favorite rides were ignored for wanton a lightning lane (or was that ‘strike’), and our visits to all the parks while they occurred, weren’t as spontaneous as we’d have preferred.
We used genie when it first came out .paid the $15 a ticket just to see how it worked actually it was pretty smooth. We only went to EPCOT cause ticket are already way over priced, but what the heck food and wine right! We got. Remey at 7am from old key ,didn’t even have time to get to the park before our ride time ..it showed us a time of 11:15 so we had plenty of time..we were driving over so no bus hang ups ,but at 10:00 we got a message we were late..it’s like whaaat. We got back there they let us in line but that didn’t seem to work well. But after that we had test track walked straight there with a few drink and food stops along the way got to TT got right on , got sore right after that just the walk over there of course through old mousegears …got there walked right on ,then Nemo then space ship earth got to the rides and walked right on. Really worked for us butttt I CAN NOT JUSTIFY THE WHOLE COST OF EVERYTHING AT DISNEY ANYMORE!! I am a DVC owner even that is out of control, there’s alot more to see in Florida go out and see it, don’t get suck into the $ pit.
Have spent 21 days on property since the last week of October. Just got home to OH yesterday from New Year’s trip. So dislike being married to technology at WDW. Must get up at 6:45 to do a Lightening Lane or Genie+. Not fun after staying out late the night before. Then you get the LL in the afternoon or first Genie+ hours past when you set the alarm for. We did LL and luckily got RotR. Did for Remy but it was out of operation so we got our $$$ back. Did Genie one day and got our first booking at 1:00 pm. This was fine except we could not get another until that one and we had other dining plans for the evening. (Party at CG.) We did not do Genie+ again. Two in our party have never been to WDW. We had so bragged up Fast Pass when we scheduled the trip. They were not at all impressed with LL or GP. Other couple has been to WDW a half dozen times and like us do not like the new system. They said this was their last trip. We will forgo our annual January trip in 2023. Just too dependent on tech. Upside: At least we could paper menus without begging this trip. Space 220 was great as was Sci-Fi. Both were new to us this trip. We again enjoyed Yak and Yeti (twice) and California Grill and both provided menus instead of making us use our phones. You are NOT going to be able to disengage from tech at Disney these days.
We already pay to ride these rides. I would most defiantly not pay anymore. So glad my daughter is grown, it was always a goodtime. Now I just go when I can afford it, I no longer go out of my way to budget. The fun has been sucked out of it due to the $$$
Remember the good old days when you bought a ticket for $60-$80 bucks and you walked through the turnstile and handed the cast member a paper ticket . Then there was NO pressure on you but what was the shorter line to get into, there’s is something about TOOOO MUCH technology envoled in today’s disney , you know from security patting you down, to dogs sniffing you up. To when you could walk up to a restaurant and say I want a cheeseburger, easy on the mustard and they’d get it right. It seems to me walt was going for the simple thing in life. Watching you kids ride rides and enjoy themselves. TOO Much technology and $$$money great has sucked that dream away ! Remember when they put $$$ signs by restaurant prices to give you a ideal what it would cost in ten dollar $ signs, your next disney trip will cost you this$$$$$ , BUT NOW it’s in thousand dollar $ a sign. I don’t want to look at my phone all day that’s the problem!!