The Ultimate Guide to Disney Genie and Genie+

in Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World

disney genie

Credit: Disney

Planning your Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort vacation can be an incredibly overwhelming experience. Between the hotel choices, numerous restaurants, and deciding which parks you would like to visit on which days, it can be a lot to handle. And the choices don’t go down once you get the Parks. There are so many incredible rides, and deciding which ones to ride and constantly checking wait times can add some unwanted stress to your day.

welcome show disney world
Credit: Disney

Well, Disney wants to alleviate some of that stress, so they are introducing Disney Genie and Disney Genie+! Disney Genie will be the ultimate planning tool that Guests can use to maximize their time in the theme parks and cut down on the amount of time they spend waiting in line.

Let’s take a deep dive into Disney’s newest tool, Disney Genie.

What Is Disney Genie?

Disney Genie is Disney’s brand-new planning service that Guests can access right on their My Disney Experience app or their Disneyland mobile app. Here is what Disney has to say about its new Disney Genie service:

Coming this fall to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, Disney Genie is a complimentary and convenient new digital service designed to create your best Disney day. We’ve been listening to your feedback – you want planning to be easier, you want more flexibility and you want better tools to help you make the most of your visit – and that’s exactly what Disney Genie is here to do. We’ve made significant investments in this cool new technology, which guides you through our theme parks with tips that can help you reduce time in lines, discover magic around every corner and take the guesswork out of “what’s next.”

Built right into the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps, Disney Genie service will maximize your park time, so you can have more fun. It includes a personalized itinerary feature that will quickly and seamlessly map out an entire day. From specific attractions, foodie experiences and entertainment, to general interests like Disney princesses, villains, Pixar, Star Wars, thrill rides and more – just tell Disney Genie what you want to do and it will do the planning for you.

disney genie
Credit: Screenshot via Disney Parks Blog

What Can Disney Genie Do?

Disney Genie will be every Guests’ ultimate planning tool to help them maximize their time in the theme parks by minimizing their time spent waiting in line. Guest can note which attractions they want to ride, the food they want to eat, and even shows that they want to see and Disney Genie will create the ideal individualized plan for them.

Here are some of the incredible things that Disney Genie will be able to help you with — and all for free!

Disney Genie_ Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane
Credit: Disney

Tailored Recommendations

You’ll receive attraction and dining recommendations inspired in part by what you told Disney Genie service you’re most interested in doing. It even displays a good time to go to an experience and an idea of the forecasted wait. Need to swap a recommendation out? No problem. Like many popular navigation apps, Disney Genie will continue to offer new suggestions throughout the day, so you can make the most of your time during your visit.

Personalized Daily Itinerary

Your “My Day” tab is where you’ll find Disney Genie recommendations and any plans you’ve made, including dining reservations, Disney Resort hotel reservations and activity bookings. You’ll also be able to virtually chat with a Cast Member who can help answer any questions that arise.

Be Our Guest
Credit: Disney

Custom Tip Board

This new feature will let you see estimated wait times for your top attractions, entertainment and dining. You’ll also be able to order food, make dining reservations, check into a restaurant, request to join an available virtual queue (currently at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure), and even book arrival times for our new Lightning Lane entrance at select experiences if you’ve purchased Disney Genie+ service.

remy's ratatouille adventure
Credit: Disney

Is Disney Genie Free?

The short answer? Yes! The daily itinerary, wait times, ride, and dining recommendations, are all a free part of the Disney Genie service!

However, Guests that would like to book the Lighting Lane — the new name for the FastPass queue — for certain rides and attractions will be required to purchase Disney Genie+ will come at a flat rate daily fee.

What Is Disney Genie+?

Disney Genie+ will be the paid part of the Disney Genie service. Disney Genie+ will operate a lot as MaxPass did at Disneyland Resort — meaning that Guests will pay a flat rate per day and be able to book Lightning Lane (FastPass queue) access right from their phones. FastPass booths are no longer in operation and everything will be done via the Disneyland and Walt Disney World mobile apps.

disney genie plus
Credit: Screenshot via Disney Parks Blog

Here is more information on Disney Genie+ shared by Disney Parks Blog:

For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane entrance. You can make one selection at a time, throughout the day – from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability). This convenient option is the next evolution of the fan-favorite Disney MaxPass service from Disneyland Resort. Disney Genie+ will also include Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories – augmented reality lenses for those visiting Walt Disney World Resort and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day if you are visiting Disneyland Resort.

Genie Image with Logo
Credit: Disney

Genie+ Rides at Walt Disney World

It is important to remember that Disney Genie+ is a completely optional purchase at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. Standby lines will still be available for all of the rides that can be used on Disney Genie+.

Here is a breakdown of what rides will be a part of Disney Genie+ and have Lightning Lane access. These rides can be booked one at a time throughout the day and if you want to ride one more than once, you can book it more than once if times remain available.

Magic Kingdom

  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant
  • Haunted Mansion
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Mad Tea Party
  • Magic Carpets of Aladdin
  • Mickey’s PhilharMagic
  • Monster’s, Inc. Laugh Floor
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Splash Mountain
  • The Barnstormer
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Tomorrowland Speedway
  • Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid
the haunted mansion
Credit: Disney

Hollywood Studios

  • Alien Swirling Saucers
  • Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  • Disney Jr. Play and Dance!
  • Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  • Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  • Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
  • Muppet*Vision 3D
  • Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
  • Slinky Dog Dash
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  • Toy Story Mania
Tower of Terror stormy sky
Credit: Disney

EPCOT

  • Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
  • Journey into Imagination with Figment
  • Living with the Land
  • Mission Space – Green & Orange
  • Soarin’ Around the World
  • Spaceship Earth
  • Test Track
  • The Seas with Nemo & Friends
  • Turtle Talk with Crush
Mission:SPACE
Credit: Disney

Animal Kingdom

expedition everest
Credit: Disney

Genie+ Rides at Disneyland Resort

While Disneyland has only two theme parks and not four like Walt Disney World, a number of rides at the Southern California theme park will be a part of Disney Genie+.

Disneyland Park

  • Autopia
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
  • Haunted Mansion
  • Indiana Jones Adventure
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds
  • Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  • Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
  • Space Mountain
  • Splash Mountain
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Space Mountain Ride
Credit: Disney

Disney California Adventure

Incredicoaster
Credit: Disney

It should be noted that all of these rides are listed at rides that will be a part of Disney Genie+ at launch. At any time, Disney could choose to change the options and maybe even make some into individual attraction selections. Both the Disneyland mobile app and the My Disney Experience app will always have the most up-to-date list of what rides are a part of Disney Genie+.

How Many Times Can I Book the Same Ride With Disney Genie+?

Disney Genie+ will allow Guests to book Lightning Lane (FastPass) access for dozens of attractions at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. Unfortunately, at this time, attractions that are a part of Disney Genie+ may only be booked once per day. If you would like to ride an attraction more than once, you will have to use the standby queue.

Guests can begin making booking rides on Disney Genie+ at 7 a.m. on the day that they wish to use it.

"it's a small world"
Credit: Disney

What Are “Individual Attraction Selections”?

There are some rides that will not be a part of Disney Genie+, but will have Lightning Lane access available for an extra price — these will be called “individual attraction selections”. For example, at EPCOT in Walt Disney World, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be an “individual attraction selection”, which means that you will have to pay an additional fee — even if you purchased Disney Genie+ — in order to get into the Lightning Lane.

Seven Dwarf's Mine Train
Credit: Disney

Prices for the individual attraction selections will vary based on the ride, as well as the time of year and even the day of the week that you are visiting. To see the prices for the days you are going, you can check your My Disney Experience app or your Disneyland Mobile app when it launches on the west coast.

What Rides Are “Individual Attraction Selections”

Each of Walt Disney World’s four theme parks has two attractions that are individual attraction selections. It is important to note that Disney has specified that these rides will be individual attraction selections AT LAUNCH — which means that Disney could decide to change things up as more attractions open, like Tron Light/Cycle Run.

Here is which rides are individual attraction selections at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

Magic Kingdom

  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  • Space Mountain
space mountain
Credit: Disney

EPCOT

  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
  • Frozen Ever After

Hollywood Studios

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway Sign on the Chinese Theater
Credit: Disney

Animal Kingdom

  • Avatar Flight of Passage
  • Expedition Everest

Disneyland Park

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
rise of the resistance stormtrooper room with r5 unit in foreground
Credit: Disney

Disney California Adventure Park

Web Slingers
Credit: Disney

How Many Times Can I Book Individual Attraction Selections?

It is very important to note that booking individual attractions will work differently than booking rides through Disney Genie+. With Disney Genie+ you can book the same attraction more than one time per day if time slots for that ride remain available. However, you can book individual attraction selections a maximum of twice per day, and they must be different attractions.

Radiator Springs Racers
Credit: Disney

For example, a Guest visiting Walt Disney World can purchase Lightning Lane access for Expedition Everest and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, but can not book Expedition Everest twice.

Is Anything Else Included in My Disney Genie+ Purchase?

Yes, there are some great additions that are a part of your Disney Genie+ purchase. When you buy Disney Genie+, you will also have unlimited PhotoPass downloads for that day. That means that you can go up to any Disney PhotoPass Photographer and they can take some amazing shots to commemorate your vacation. And be sure to ask about Magic Shots! They are fun additions that PhotoPass Photographers can add to your pictures to sprinkle them with a little extra pixie dust.

Ratatouille Magic Shot
Credit: Disney

Guests who buy Disney Genie+ will also have access to Audio Tales, which Guests can listen to during their day to hear fun facts and behind-the-scenes insights into the theme park that they are in.

How Much Does Disney Genie+ Cost?

The cost of Disney Genie+ will depend on which coast you are on. Guests purchasing Disney Genie+ while visiting Walt Disney World Resort will pay $15 per day per Guest. Each Guest in your party must purchase Disney Genie+ if they want to be able to use it to access Lightning Lane attractions.

Guests wanting to purchase Disney Genie+ will have to pay a little bit more per day — $20 per person.

Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland Park
Credit: Disney

At this time, Disney Genie+ will not be offered as a flat rate add-on to either Walt Disney World Annual Passes or Disneyland Magic Keys and each Genie+ purchase must be made on a daily basis. However, Disney has said that they may reevaluate the situation at a later date, and they may decide to make it an add-on for Magic Keys and Annual Passes in the future.

When Does Disney Genie Debut?

Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ will launch at Walt Disney World Resort on October 19. Disney officials have not said when Disney Genie and Genie+ will launch at Disneyland Resort, but they have said that the service will launch sometime in the fall.

disneyland
Credit: Disney

Hopefully, this complete guide to Disney Genie and Genie+ has answered any questions you may have about the new service that will launch soon at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

And, as always, have the most magical time on your Disney vacation!

Will you be using Disney Genie and Genie+ when they launch at Walt Disney World on October 19? Let us know in the comments!

CLICK HERE to book your Disney Resort vacation with our friends at Academy Travel – an EarMarked Diamond travel agency that can provide you with a free quote today!

in Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World

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