With the announcement of the new Disney Genie service, paid Disney Genie+ service, and Individual Lightning Lane offerings, we thought it might be useful to break down the differences between the three. While Disney tried to keep the offering as simple as possible, and even reportedly removed some other aspects of the service over fears of over complicating things, there is still confusion over what Disney Genie is, what Genie+ is, Individual Lightning Lanes, and how they all work with each other. (Updated January 2024)
To start, this graphic is probably the easiest way to understand what each of the offerings are.
Disney Genie (FREE)
Disney Genie is the (free) companion that will essentially plan your day for you. This is a massive bit of technology that Disney includes complimentary within the My Disney Experience app. From personalized itineraries to a virtual assistant, virtual queues to forecasted wait times, the free Disney Genie offering is the piece of the puzzle that will draw you in.
Essentially, you can look at Disney Genie (standard) as being the information presentation layer of the three-pronged offering. Perhaps the biggest benefit that guests will see from this free offering is the personalized itineraries. Disney is taking over 60 years of theme park data and thousands of combinations to create what they hope will be a better guest experience.
Of course, some of the recommendations made within the app will lead you to a Genie+ Lightning Lane or Individual Attraction Selection purchase. Here’s what that means.
Individual Lightning Lane
Lightning Lane is, essentially, the new name for the FastPass queues. The majority of basic Lightning Lane offerings will be included in the Disney Genie+ offering explained below, but some of the most in-demand attractions will be only offered via an Individual Lightning Lane purchase. Individual Lightning Lanes are an a la carte offering that will offer expedited access to headliner attractions. Criticially, you do NOT need to purchase Disney Genie+ to purchase an Individual Lighting Lane.
Want to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and avoid a 75 minute wait, or did you miss out on a Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind boarding group? Buy your way onto the ride with Individual Lightning Lanes.
Pricing for Individual Lightning Lane selections currently ranges from $10 to $25 per person, and no re-rides are available.
Disney Genie+ (Paid, $15)
Not interested in paying per attraction? There is a combination option called Disney Genie+ that currently ranges in cost based on how busy of a day it is, and which theme park you’re visiting. For a more detailed look at Disney Genie+ pricing, check out our article from earlier this year. Disney Genie+ includes skip-the-line access for more than 40 attractions.
Disney has also included some additional features for Genie+ at Walt Disney World such as Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features such as augmented reality lenses.
Disney Genie+ does not include Disney PhotoPass downloads at Walt Disney World, but it does include PhotoPass downloads at Disneyland.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!