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During my most recent trip to Walt Disney World, I finally got to test out Genie+ for myself at Magic Kingdom and man was it worth every penny.
A few things to note, I went on a trip with other Travel Agents, so I was mainly booking Lightning Lane reservations for one person (or maybe two or three - depending on when everyone wanted to meet up again). I also went during the middle of January, when there are typically low crowds, so Genie+ was at its lost cost of $15 per guest. So depending on the size of your party, the cost of Genie+ that day, your budget, and the # of attractions on Genie+ you'd actually like to go on will determine if adding it to your park day is worth it!
First, what is Genie+?
Essentially, Disney Genie+ is a paid service that allows guests to skip lines for attractions in each of the parks. It replaces FastPass+ at Disney World and FastPass/MaxPass in Disneyland and operates in a similar manner. Genie+ gives guests access to the “Lightning Lanes Entrance” allowing them shorter wait times in line for multiple attractions throughout the day. The “Lightning Lane” is just a new name for the old FastPass queue. Learn more here about Genie+, how to purchase it, and how to use it.
I never waited more than 20 minutes….
If you’ve been to Walt Disney World or Disneyland before, you know that it’s inevitable to wait in line. No matter when you go, or what attraction you go to, typically you’ll have to wait. You’ll usually get lucky with a couple of walk-on rides and a few rides that have shorter wait times than what is listed on the App or at the attraction.
During my trip, most wait times ranged from 15 - 45 mins. Popular rides like Star Wars: Rise of Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, and Seven Dwarves Mine Train - had wait times from 45 - 120 min.
By using Genie+, I found myself walking on or waiting in very short lines and it honestly made my day feel so much more relaxed, knowing I had a guaranteed time to ride each attraction.
I was better able to plan my day….
I made my first Geine+ reservation right when it became available at 7 AM. And headed to the parks at 8 AM, took a break around 1:30 PM, and left at Park close at 10 PM. During that time, I rode 11 attractions, had a sit-down dining reservation for late lunch, watched 2 parades, met Mickey Mouse, and watched the evening firework show. All without waiting more than 20 minutes.
Genie+ helped me ensure I was going on each attraction I wanted while also making sure I could check out the shows, cavalcades, and parades I was looking forward to. It took a lot of the guess work out of deciding what to ride next or what land to head to! I would just check in on my app - see what I had lined up and then determine what attractions near it had short wait times I didn’t mind standing in while I waited for my LL (Lightning Lane) return time.
I felt more relaxed….
I create outlines and lists of top attractions for each client based on their interests, abilities, and desires for their vacation. And I do this for you because I do it for my own vacations! It makes my park day much more enjoyable to have a game plan, scheduled breaks, and moments for spontaneous choices. With Genie+ I felt like it was much easier to just use my outline and ensure that all the attractions, shows, and breaks were experienced - AND THEN SOME. I did so much more at Magic Kingdom than I originally imagined.
Some pros and cons…..
Pros:
Shorter wait times
Flexibility
Ensuring you ride the attractions you have on your list
Exciting Extras like Audio Tales, Filters on the app, and more
Allows you to pick a new attraction to reserve every 2 hours
Once you scan into a LL for an attraction you can pick your next reservation
You can reserve meeting times with characters like Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Tiana, Rapunzel, and more!
You can book LL reservations for multiple parks if you have a Park Hopper ticket! You don’t have to be in the park to make a reservation for the next park you hop to
Cons:
Can be larger additional cost based on how busy the parks are (Genie+ prices vary based on crowds) and for larger parties
The most popular rides aren’t on it - You’ll want to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes for rides like Rise of Resistence and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Increases your screen time at the parks
You have to check every so often to see when you can make your next reservation. I didn’t always get a notification - so I suggest setting an alarm!
Tips for maximizing Genie+...
Make sure to make a list of top attractions - In our planning meeting 70 days prior to your vacation, I’ll give you a suggested list of attractions that you and your party can take a look at and prioritize. Based on how many attractions you want to go on that are offered through Genie+ we can determine if the purchase is worth it for your party.
Determine what attractions you want to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes for so you don’t have to factor those into your decision.
Make your first Genie+ selections based on what attractions sell out of Genie+ reservations first so you can ensure your slot. You can modify your return time on the app later. But you want to make that reservation as soon as possible. For attractions like Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan’s Flight, you’ll notice that once others select that ride, the available return times will become increasingly later throughout the day. I suggest getting a reservation (even if it’s later than you hoped - ex. It’s 7 AM and the earliest Peter Pan’s Flight reservation is for 2 PM - 3PM. BOOK IT!) Then later on in the day, you can go back and hit the modify plans button and see if there are earlier return times. Sometimes when guests don’t check in with their LL during their given time, Disney will open up slots in that return time. So you maybe able to modify that 2PM return time to Peter Pan to a 12 PM - 1 PM return time.
You can purchase Genie+ as soon as it becomes your park day at midnight. I suggest getting up at 6:45 AM to purchase Genie+ and be prepared to make your first selection right at 7 AM.
If you’re staying on property, just know that Genie+ isn’t available during Extra Magic Hours in the morning, or during your Extended Evening hours. But usually there are less guests in the parks during this time. So determine which rides you want to ride during those extra hours and which ones are better suited for Genie+ (Don’t worry - I can give you some suggestions for each park day!)
Once you make your first selection, make an alarm for your next selection time in 2 hours. It’ll be listed on your app! If you tap into your first attraction prior to that 2 hour mark, you can make that next reservation immediately and then set a new alarm.
All in all….
I will always miss Fastpasses - I mean come on, they were free and the additional cost to an already expensive vacation can be irritating. But honestly, it was SO worth it for me. I loved the convenience, flexibility, freedom, and suggestions Genie+ gave me. I was able to relax during my dining reservation knowing that I had 2 guaranteed attractions after and wouldn’t need to rush through my meal to make it. I loved how easy it was to use.
If you’ve been to Walt Disney World recently, have you used Genie+ in the parks? If so - what did you think?
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’d love to help with any of your Geine+ questions.
If you’re ready to book your next Disney getaway and don’t have a travel agent yet, fill out my quote form to get started!
Photos from Disney
Video by WDW News Today
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