Are you thinking of purchasing Genie+ and/or Individual Lightning Lane for your next Disney World trip? Check out these important Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane tips before heading out.
If you don’t quite understand Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane, check the Disney Genie+ and Individual Lighting Lane guide before reading further.
General Tips
Prepare
Download the My Disney Experience app (Walt Disney World) and sign in to your account. Check that your travel party is linked to the park tickets and hotel reservations.
Pack a Phone Charger
Be sure to bring a phone charger, especially if you purchase Genie+!
I remember having to buy a charger from the Disney kiosk, which is pretty expensive considering its quality.
My favorite is the Anker Portable Charger. It recharges my phone quickly and fits into my pockets very easily.
Research Attractions and Experiences
Talk about must-do attractions or experiences with your party beforehand. See which rides are included in Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane. Choose the parks you think would benefit your party the most!
Check the My Disney Experience App
Before heading out on your trip, open the My Disney Experience app and check the Tip Board and My Day in the Disney Genie Service section. You’ll see the return times for each ride and the price for Individual Lightning Lane for that day. Being familiar with the app can be a game changer, especially if you plan to reserve popular rides.
Reserve ASAP
Reserve your Individual Lightning Lane at 7 AM if you’re staying at Disney Resort or The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Don’t wait till later to reserve. Popular attractions sell out very quickly.
On the other hand, Genie+ attractions may run out temporarily and come back later in the day. Book early to get the ideal return time if you’re planning on watching night-time shows or have dining reservations.
Keep Refreshing the Page
Refresh and look for Genie+ reservations to pop up throughout the day. I’ve been able to book rides that sold out in the morning a couple of times. So don’t be discouraged when you see “not currently offered” for the attraction you were hoping to get a reservation for.
Be Prepared for Price Increase for Individual Lighting Lane
As mentioned earlier, prices will vary daily, so be prepared to pay more than expected.
Stay at a Disney Resort or The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
Staying at a Disney Resort or The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort will allow you to reserve Individual Lightning Lane at 7 AM.
Popular rides such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind book up very quickly. Star Wars Rise of the Resistance sold out by 7:30 AM on my last trip (non-crowded day). There’s a high chance that you might not be able to book either of the attraction if you’re staying at other hotels.
Use Early Theme Park Entry and/or Extended Evening Hours
Early Theme Park entry allows guests staying at Disney Resorts and selected hotels to enter 30 minutes before the park opens every day.
Extended Evening Hours allow guests to stay after the park closes on select evenings in select parks (EPCOT and Magic Kingdom).
Check whether your resort is included in the list of hotels for Early Theme Park Entry and/or Extended Evening Hours.
You may be able to ride a popular attraction before the park opens. You may not need to purchase Individual Lightning Lane if you use Early Theme Park Entry and/or Extended Evening Hours.
Note: Guardian’s of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT has no standby lane.
Tips by Theme Park
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is one of the parks I highly recommend purchasing Genie+. There are so many rides/experiences to choose from.
Genie+ is excellent for those that want to ride many rides or want to take pictures with characters at character meet and greets. Also, with Genie+, you can watch the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade from a reserved viewing area.
Which experiences should I book first?
Book these experiences first:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Individual Lightning Lane)
- Peter Pan’s Flight (Genie+), Space Mountain**, or Jungle Cruise (Genie+)
**included in Genie+ until August 7, 2022
Hollywood Studios
Purchasing Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane can be helpful in Hollywood Studios, but note that reservations sell out quickly because of the limited amount of available rides on Genie+.
Which experiences should I book first?
Book these experiences first:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Individual Lightning Lane)
- Slinky Dog Dash (Genie+)
EPCOT
Epcot is one of the parks where you may be able to ride many attractions without Genie+, especially if you’re thinking of spending the entire day at EPCOT.
However, I would highly recommend purchasing Individual Lightning Lane for Guardian’s of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind if that is one of your must-do attractions. The only other way to ride this attraction is to get a boarding pass via a virtual queue. There is no regular standby lane for this attraction. Boarding passes fill out very quickly for this ride.
Which experiences should I book first?
Book these experiences first:
- Guardian’s of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (Individual Lightning Lane)
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure** or Frozen Ever After** or Test Track (Genie+)
**included in Genie+ until August 7, 2022
Animal Kingdom
Like EPCOT, if you’re staying at Animal Kingdom for the whole day, you might not need Genie+. Animal Kingdom doesn’t have as many rides as other parks do.
Which experiences should I book first?
Book these experiences first:
- Avatar Flight of Passage (Individual Lightning Lane)
- Kilimanjaro Safaris (Genie+) or Na’vi River Journey
Hopefully, these Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane tips will help you on your next Disney World vacation. Check the related articles below for more Disney-related information.
