You’re heading to the Walt Disney World Resort! There have been a lot of changes over the last few years regarding a Disney vacation. The Disney Genie Service is one new addition. With a few different components, it was designed to give guests more flexibility during their vacations but it might be a little overwhelming at first! Change happens though and there are a few different strategies for using Disney Genie+ effectively.
What is the Disney Genie Service?
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- Photo Courtesy Disney
The Disney Genie Service is designed to make your visit to the Walt Disney World Resort easier. There are three different components to this service and all three are easily accessible in the My Disney Experience mobile app. Each of these is an optional service, and guests are not required to purchase anything that they do not want to.
Disney Genie
The Disney Genie is available for no charge to all guests. This complimentary service allows you to plan your day at the theme parks by selecting your top attractions, entertainment, and dining experiences in each park. You will also be prompted to select Disney Favorites, Park Interests, and Dining Interests. Examples include Disney Princesses, Fireworks, or Character Dining.
From there, the Disney Genie will create your “Best Disney Day”. Throughout the day, when you check the My Disney Experience, you will find recommendations of things that you can do during your visit.
It is important to note that this service does not consider where you are in the park as the recommendations are made. Therefore, it may not be the optimal recommendation based on your location.
Disney Genie+
The Disney Genie+ Service is a paid, and optional, service that allows you to maximize your time in the theme parks by utilizing Lightning Lane entrances for nearly 50 different attractions. Guests select these attractions one at a time after purchasing Disney Genie+ on the day of their visit.
Individual Lightning Lane Attractions
The Individual Lightning Lane Attractions are specific attractions available for purchase a la carte. These attractions are not included with the Disney Genie+ Service. You do not need to purchase Disney Genie+ to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane Entry.
How Does It Work?
Guests purchase the Disney Genie+ service on the day of their visit. It is highly recommended to purchase before 7:00 am so that you can select your first attraction using the service.
There are several different attractions included at each park and it can be used if you are park-hopping as well. It’s important to note that you do not select your return time when you use Disney Genie+. You are given the next available time when you choose your desired attraction with a 1-hour window to experience it. You can continue to select attractions throughout the day, for as long as there is availability. If you would like to ride an attraction more than once, you will need to use the standby queue.
If you opt to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane Entry, it’s recommended to be ready at 7:00 am to do so. You can select a one-hour time slot for one of the four attractions and you can choose two Individual Lightning Lanes per day.
What is the Best Way to Use Disney Genie+?
The key thing to remember as you plan your Walt Disney World Resort vacation is that the Disney Genie+ and the Individual Lightning Lanes are optional services. It is entirely possible to utilize these services well but also pick and choose what you use.
Use Disney Genie+ for Each Park Day
The first option is to purchase Disney Genie+ each day that you are visiting a theme park. It’s available to purchase on the day of your visit. You select your first attraction starting at 7:00 am so purchase prior to that. Then, continue to select options throughout the day based on availability.
If you get a return time that is later in the day, you will be able to make additional selections before riding your first one. For example, if you select Slinky Dog Dash but cannot ride until 1:00 pm, you can choose a second Genie+ return time two hours after park opening. This is often referred to as “stacking”.
You may ask – what do we do while we wait then? It’s still important to arrive at the theme parks early and take advantage of those first few hours with shorter lines. Use this time to enjoy some attractions with shorter waits, see some characters, watch shows, etc. Since you choose the time of your Individual Lightning Lane Entry, you may also want to select that in the morning.
It’s important to note that Disney specifies that the purchase of Disney Genie+ gives you shorter line access to at least 2-3 attractions per day. It can be more but this service was not designed to be used for every single ride you want to experience.
Use Disney Genie+ on Specific Park Days
When you visit the Walt Disney World Resort, there are plenty of things to see and do in each theme park. However, a second strategy to utilize Disney Genie+ is to only use it on specific park days. For example, purchase it for your days at the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This will allow you to have shorter line access at many of the must-do attractions at the two theme parks that often feel more crowded.
At EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it is often possible to use the standby queues alone and/or to just purchase Individual Lightning Lane Entry to the most popular attraction in each park. These two parks have shows, entertainment, and other things to do that do not require Disney Genie+.
Purchase Individual Lightning Lane Entry and Use the Standby Queues
The third strategy for using the Disney Genie Service is to not purchase Disney Genie+ at all. It’s possible to just purchase Individual Lightning Lane entry on an a la carte basis. Then, use the standby queues throughout the theme parks for the rest of the attractions you want to ride.
To use this strategy effectively, it is highly recommended that you arrive early at the theme parks. Doing this allows you to take advantage of Early Park Entry and Rope Drop. This is also a good option if you are staying at a resort that includes Extended Park Hours. In contrast, this strategy may not be the most helpful during the busiest times of the year, such as Christmas week.
There are many ways to experience the Disney Parks too. Are you someone that doesn’t plan to ride a lot? Maybe you prefer to stroll around the World Showcase or watch the parades and shows while just hitting the most popular attractions. This is likely the best strategy for you!
Additional Tips and Tricks
Stay at A Disney Resort Hotel
When you stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, it’s easier to access the parks. On-site guests get to enjoy the parks earlier, and in some cases longer, than those staying off-site.
In addition, onsite guests can purchase their Individual Lightning Lane Entry prior to those staying off-site.
Arrive Early or Stay Late
One of the biggest benefits of staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotel is Early Park Entry. Guests staying on Disney property can enter and experience the theme parks before off-site guests. This is a huge bonus if you want to experience the most popular attractions with shorter wait times. Take advantage of that early entry to get a jump start on your day at the theme park!
Alternatively, if you are staying at a deluxe or deluxe villa resort, stay out late on select nights! Guests at these resorts are eligible for Extended Park Hours. Cast members check to confirm that you are staying at one of the eligible resorts prior to allowing access to the attractions. This means shorter wait times at many attractions throughout the parks. In addition, at EPCOT, there is an additional opportunity to experience Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind using the virtual queue.
Use A Travel Advisor
Are you feeling overwhelmed about using Disney Genie+? Are you thinking about skipping part or all of it but worried about missing out? It IS possible to still have a wonderful vacation experience Rely on your travel advisor to help you with that!
Now, more than ever, it is important to work with a travel advisor as you plan your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Travel advisors are knowledgeable not only about the Disney Genie Service and all its components but also about the Disney theme parks and things you may not even think about. Your travel advisor can share tips to navigate the park from touring strategies to favorite dining and snacks!
Are you considering a trip? Having a travel advisor means someone there to have your back in any occurrence. There is no additional cost to you and you have peace of mind knowing that your vacation is in good hands.
Contact your Key to the World Travel® advisor for your next trip, or send us a quote request to get started.