Disney Genie will be launching at Walt Disney World on October 19th!
Disney Genie will be part of the My Disney Experience app and will be a new way to experience the parks with lower wait times and the chance to skip the queue for select rides.
Disney Genie can be broken down into three sections: Disney Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane Passes.
Disney Genie will help you create a customised itinerary based on what rides, shows, attractions and restaurants you wish to visit. Disney Genie will be able to help you plan out your day using clever algorithms which will direct you to the shortest queues to help you maximise your day. The app will continually update throughout the day so you get the best information to help you spend less time in queues and more time exploring the parks!
Genie+ is a paid-for system that will allow you to select timeslots to jump the queue on certain attractions.
Individual Lightning Lane Passes is a pay-per-ride system which will let you skip the queue for the most popular rides at Disney World that aren't included in Genie+.
We now know the pricing, what rides are included and much more so let's dive into all the info!
Genie+
Genie+ will allow you to join the Lightning Lane and skip the queue for more than 40 attractions across the four Disney World Parks.
Genie+ costs $15 per day, per person. You can skip the queue for each of the rides partaking in Genie+ once per day.
You can use Genie+ across all 4 parks, so works well with park hopping.
With Genie+ you select one attraction at a time. Once you enter the queue for this attraction you can then select your next pass. You can select your first pass from 7am.
You are able to purchase Genie+ in two ways. If you have a vacation package then you will be able to add Genie+ to your package for the duration of your stay. You can also add Genie+ passes as an add-on to your tickets purchased in advance for the duration of your stay.
For everyone else, and people who don't want to have Genie+ for their entire trip, you can purchase Genie+ from midnight on the day you wish to use it. You can then book your first selection at 7am.
The attractions you can ride with Genie+ are:
Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Haunted Mansion
“it’s a small world”
Jungle Cruise
Mad Tea Party
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Splash Mountain
The Barnstormer
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
EPCOT
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE – Green
Mission: SPACE – Orange
Soarin’
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush
Hollywood Studios
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
Disney Jr. Dance Party
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Returning December 19, 2021
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Muppet*Vision 3D
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania!
Animal Kingdom
Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
DINOSAUR
Feathered Friends in Flight!
It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Naʻvi River Journey
The Animation Experience
Lightning Lane Passes
Disney are also launching Lightning Lane Passes. These are for the most popular rides at Disney World that aren't included in Genie+. For these attractions you will pay per ride to skip the queue.
Pricing will cost between $7 and $15 per ride. The price fluctuates depending on the day you visit so you won't know until the day the price you will pay.
You are able to purchase two Lightning Lane Passes per day. You do not need to purchase Genie+ to buy these passes. Lightning Lane Passes are standalone.
Disney World Resort Guest can book their Lightning Lane Pass at 7am on the day they wish to use them. For everyone else booking opens when the parks open.
Lightning Lane Passes cannot be changed or cancelled so be sure to choose wisely!
The rides that will have Lightning Lane Passes are:
Magic Kingdom
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
EPCOT
Frozen Ever After
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Hollywood Studios
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
Animal Kingdom
Avatar: Flight of Passage
Expedition Everest
Are They Worth The Money?
Whether purchasing Genie+ and Lightning Lane Passes is worth the money will depend on what rides you'd like to enjoy and how long you are visiting Disney World for.
Some parks may not require Genie+ due to the rides included, such as at Animal Kingdom and EPCOT. The attractions that will be available for Genie+ don't tend to have massive queues so you may not get your money's worth here.
Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios have the most amount, and best range, of rides that would benefit from Genie+. Rides such as Peter Pan's Flight, Big Thunder Mountain, Slinky Dog Dash, Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster can have massive wait times so being able to skip the queue for these is a great benefit.
Personally, I wouldn't add Genie+ to the entirety of my trip, unless I was visiting for a short trip. For trips a week or more I would see the crowd level during my trip and maybe pick a day in select parks towards the end of my trip to purchase Genie+ if need/
The individual Lightning Lane Passes are worth purchasing if there is an attraction you cannot miss during your trip, such as Rise of the Resistance. If visiting for a week or more it may be worth visiting to see what the standby lines are like for these rides, or if you are able to get a virtual queue spot for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, and if you have no luck then choose a day to purchase a Lightning Lane Pass for them. During busy times of the year this may be a great way to get on the rides you cannot miss.
The cost is another factor. $15 a day, per person for Genie+ can be expensive once you have multiple people in your group and multiple days. If you add this to the entirety of your vacation this could add hundreds of dollars to the cost of your trip. For example for a family for 4 purchasing Genie+ will cost $60 a day. For a four day trip this would cost an additional $240, for a week long trip $420 and for two weeks $840!
The cost for Lightning Lane passes can quickly add up too. The good thing is you only would need to pay for the rides you very much can't miss.
The best option is to pick and choose what days to purchase Genie+ or Lightning Lane Passes. This can help reduce the cost and make sure you make the most out of your passes!
What do you think about the new Disney Genie system? Do you think Genie+ is something you will add on? Are the individual Lightning Lane Passes too expensive?