Disneyland may be the “happiest place on the earth,” but long lines can sure suck the happy right outta folks!

If you want to maximize your “happiness” meter while you’re in Disneyland, you probably need to plan to get Disney Genie+ for your Disneyland days to limit your wait time and maximize the number of attractions you get to experience.

As useful and helpful as Disney Genie+ is for park guests, you have to make sure you understand how to use it in order for it to really work for you. Like any tool from a can opener to a reciprocating saw, if you don’t know how to use it or what it can (and should) be used on, you might end up super frustrated and out some serious coin. But not to worry — that’s what you have us for! Your friendly DFB team is gonna break down all of the nuances of using Genie+ in Disneyland!

What is Disney Genie+?

First things first, right? What is Genie+?

Disney Genie+ is an optional paid service in addition to the standard Disney Genie. Disney Genie+ allows you to bypass standby lines and enter the Lightning Lane (previously known as the FastPass line) at select attractions by paying a base price (Tax not included):

• Disney Genie+ starts at $25* per day, per ticket at Disneyland Resort. The price for purchase will be available in the Disneyland app.

*Prices vary by date, and the Disney Genie+ service is subject to availability. As of October 2022, surge pricing (you may see the term “variable pricing” on the Disney World and Disneyland websites) has been introduced to the standard Genie+ service.

So, if you’re familiar with Disneyland’s FastPass or MAXPass system of yesteryear, then you get the general idea of Genie+. It’s a paid way to skip the standby line for a shorter, expedited queue to ride select attractions.

How Do I Get Disney Genie+ Service?

There are two ways to add Genie+ to your park visit:

Before Your Visit — You can purchase Disney Genie+ as an add-on to a ticket at Disneyland for $25 per ticket, per day. If you want to purchase in advance, buy a ticket with Disney Genie+.

Same Day of Your Visit — Existing ticket holders and Magic Key holders may purchase through the Disneyland app after entering a theme park. This is also the route you would take if you only want to use Disney Genie+ service for certain days but not your entire trip, or as a last-minute decision. Look under the “My Day” tab for the purple bar with a “Get Disney Genie+ Services” link. You can also purchase at the top of the Tip Board in the blue type.

Now that Genie+ is offered at a variable price same-day, the only way to lock in that Genie discount is to purchase in advance.

How to Use Disney Genie+ Service at Disneyland

This program allows guests to make Lightning Lane selections at participating attractions, one ride selection at a time. Generally speaking, once you’re done with your first attraction, you can select another available Genie+ Lightning Lane time, and so on, throughout the day.

More specifically, once you’ve made a selection, you can make your next Lightning Lane selection when:

• You have used the first one you booked;
• Your first return time window has ended (if you miss it); or
• 120 minutes have passed since you booked your last one (or 120 minutes after park opening, depending on the situation).  Essentially, you can book another Lightning Lane 2 hours (120 minutes) after reserving a previous one if the return time for the first Lightning Lane is more than 2 hours away.

Disney Genie+ selections can only be made once you’ve entered the park that day. Lightning Lane windows are offered as the next available times only. Each experience can only be used with Disney Genie+ once per day, so once you ride an attraction with Disney Genie+ service, you won’t be able to book another Lightning Lane selection for that ride (but standby is always an option if you want to go again!). This differs from MaxPass and FastPass when we could book the same ride more than once after riding.

The exception is Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT during Halloween Time. You can book a Lightning Lane for the morning regular version as well as for the Halloween version, Monsters After Dark in the same day! Lightning Lane reservations for Monsters After Dark open late morning to early afternoon for after 3 p.m. The Monsters After Dark version starts at 3 p.m.

Making Selections

In the app, once you’ve chosen your attraction, you will select your party, automatically selecting anyone with a valid ticket and park pass reservation. You can edit your party members at this time. (If you do not see all party names listed, tap the “edit” button to pull up the full list of names and select the ones who want to ride.) Then, you can choose which attraction you would like to use for your first Disney Genie+ experience. The arrival windows will be for a one-hour period, so you can arrive at the Lightning Lane within that time.

Once your arrival window has started and you scan your Lightning Lane barcode (or park ticket or MagicBand+) into the reader at the attraction’s Lightning Lane entrance, and the light turns green, you can book your next Disney Genie+ selection. At the top of the Tip Board, it should tell you when you are eligible to book your next ride.

Cancel or Modify

If you cannot make your Lightning Lane one-hour window, you can cancel or modify it. You can modify for a later available time for the same ride or a different ride in the same park. You can modify your party at that time if you need to add or drop someone. You can cancel just an individual if the entire party does not wish to cancel. If you let it expire, you no longer lose that ride. You can tap “Cancel Plan” and rebook it. Secret tip! If you modify, you do not change your eligibility window. This is super helpful and helps you manage your day without losing time.

Like MaxPass, there is a little wiggle room if you arrive five minutes early or 10-15 minutes late. If you’re worried that you’ll miss the window, we recommend trying to modify it to a different time. If you do miss the window, you can either ask nicely at the Lightning Lane if they can still accommodate you, or tap “Cancel Plan” in the app to rebook the ride.

If you’re in a long line to scan in at the Lightning Lane entrance (it happens) and your window is closing in on you, we recommend taking screenshots of your selections because the cast members know if the line is long and may work with you. That being said, don’t push it. Try to arrive with enough time to scan in.

Selecting Rides in the Second Park When Park Hopping.

There has been a change in how you select rides when park hopping. You can still book rides in the other park before you hop, but now you now have to wait for a ride’s Lightning Lane distribution to be after 11AM before you can select it. If you start your day at Disney California Adventure and Indiana Jones Adventure is a must-ride attraction for you, keep an eye on that ride in the Tip Board about mid-morning.

Once that ride says 11AM or later, you can tap “Book Experience” to reserve it, even if it’s several hours away. You do not have to wait until it’s 11 a.m. or until you hop to reserve rides in the second park. They just have to be distributing for 11AM Plan for an hour or two before you hop for a ride in the other park.

Summary

• Pricing starts at $25 per person, per day. You can purchase access to Disney Genie+ (for a flat rate of $25 per day) or purchase it in the app after entering a theme park that day (price varies by date).
• Grants faster access to 20 attractions using the Lightning Lane entrance.
• Guests can make one reservation at a time throughout the day, once they have entered the theme park for the day.
• Once the initial selection is redeemed or the arrival window has ended, guests can make another selection up to park closing.
• Guests can redeem a Lightning Lane by scanning a phone, park ticket or a MagicBand+.
• Guests who make a selection that is more than two hours away from the time the selection was made can make another selection two hours after making the selection.
• Unlimited PhotoPass is included.
• All guests may book return times for the Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane services when they enter the park for the day.
• Selections can be made across theme parks for park hoppers (but only after a ride’s distribution window reaches at least 11 a.m. when hopping)
• Standby (and Single Rider) lines remain free.
• Audio experiences tailored to specific locations throughout the lands.
• Added in fall 2022, Disney PhotoPass lenses are now in the Disneyland app. Some of these augmented reality lenses are unique to Disneyland.

Disneyland Park Disney Genie+ Attractions: 

• Autopia
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Haunted Mansion and Haunted Mansion Holiday
• Indiana Jones Adventure 
• “it’s a small world” and its holiday version
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin 
• Space Mountain and Hyperspace Mountain overlay 
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Disney California Adventure Disney Genie+ Attractions: 

• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (Make this Lightning Lane a priority.)
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark (During Halloween time, you can book for both versions on the same day when available.)
• Incredicoaster
• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania 
• WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure

DFB Video: The ULTIMATE Guide to Genie+ in Disney World

Have you used Genie+ in Disneyland? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!