As the Disney Genie+ product continues to evolve and settle into the normal cadence of a Walt Disney World vacation, we wanted to create a series of articles that will familiarize you with the product and provide different levels of info and advice based on your experience with Disney Genie+. In this article, we’ll be covering the basics to get you up to speed with the Disney Genie+ product, the concept of Lightning Lanes, and how it all relates to the former Disney FastPass+ offering that was discontinued in 2020.
Disney Genie+ Basics
What is Disney Genie?
Disney Genie is a free planning tool that attempts to optimize your day at the Walt Disney World theme parks by asking you what is important to your visit and planning a day for you. From attractions and experiences to what to eat, Disney Genie essentially attempts to create a touring plan for your day at the Disney World theme parks. Additionally, it will try to optimize your plans throughout the day as wait times fluctuate and you continue to inform the service about updated must-dos and what you’ve completed.
Disney Genie includes a real-time tip board that offers information about entertainment schedules, attraction statuses, standby wait times, and dining availability. It also includes forecasted wait times in an effort to help you plan your day. Ahead of your visit, the standard Genie service will also update you when it’s time to make dining and activity reservations.
What is Disney Genie+?
Disney Genie+ is a separate service from the complimentary Disney Genie offering. Disney Genie+ is a variable-priced paid service that attempts to add “even more convenience and flexibility” over the free Disney Genie product. Currently, there are three main offerings within the paid Disney Genie+ product:
- Access to Lightning Lane – This is the main benefit when guests talk about Disney Genie+ is the ability to skip standby lines. With a purchase of Disney Genie+, guests get access to the ability to book Lightning Lane return times to skip the normal queue at select attractions.
- PhotoPass Lenses – A secondary benefit is access to Disney PhootPass Lenses. These face filters allow you to enjoy a special collection of Disney-themed lenses.
- Audio Tales – Perhaps a rarely used or discussed benefit is the Audio Tales feature. A series of short audio clips that provide behind-the-scenes insights into various areas of the theme parks.
What Is Lightning Lane?
A Lightning Lane is a physical queue at many attractions that allows guests to skip the traditional standby line. This is the queue that was formally called the FastPass+ lane before Disney decided to charge guests to skip the line. There are two common ways to access Lightning Lane at eligible attractions:
- Disney Genie+ Lightning Lanes – This is the most common way to access a paid skip-the-line Lightning Lane queue. Essentially, guests will purchase the paid Genie+ product and then make selections of which ride they would like to skip the line at throughout the day. When you buy the Genie+ product, you have access to skip the line at more than 40 attractions at the four Walt Disney World theme parks.
- Individual Lightning Lane – Separate from the Disney Genie+ product is a product called Individual Lightning Lane. We’ll cover it more in subsequent articles, but the basics are that it is a standalone purchase of a paid, skip-the-line pass to some of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World. You do not need to buy Disney Genie+ to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane. Individual Lightning Lane attractions are not included in the Disney Genie+ product.
How Much Does Genie+ Cost?
When Disney Genie+ debuted on October 19, 2021 it was a flat-rate product. No matter what time of year you visited, Disney Genie+ was $15. That all changed on October 11, 2022 when Disney World made Disney Genie+ a variable-priced product. That meant that if you visited during busier time of year when more people were likely to buy Genie+, you would pay more than someone who visits during a slower period of crowds.
Now, the price of Disney Genie+ varies from $15 up to $29 per person, per day. Disney does not announce prices ahead of time and guests can see the price for the service in the My Disney Experience app on the day of their visit before making a purchase.
How to Purchase Disney Genie+
Next, we’ll walk you through the steps of how to purchase Disney Genie+ on the day of your visit.
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!