Disney has recently implemented a new system known as Genie Plus; this new system is an upgrade to the discontinued FastPass. Given how many new services Disney parks and resorts have been introducing over the years, it’s no wonder that there is some confusion around what Genie+ is and how you can utilize it for your best visit. In this guide, you will discover every bit of information you can want on how to utilize Genie Plus for your upcoming trip to Disney World.
What Is Genie Plus?
Lightning Lane is an individual line service that comes with Genie Plus – a paid service provided by WDIW resorts where guests can make selections for individual attraction entrances in the parks for each day of their stays. Fast Tracks are priority queues that give visitors priority access to the attraction and which normally have shorter wait times than the standard line.
Regarding ticket prices, you will find that Genie Plus will be $15 per guest per day. This is separate from the standard park admission tickets and is an upgrade, though not compulsory. After a guest has bought Genie Plus for the day, it is valid for a single park and all four parks in Disney.
In the following section one tries to understand the concept of Lightning Lanes.
Lightning Lanes work like the old FastPass lines, as you may know. Instead of waiting in standby queues for prominent attractions, Genie Plus enables visitors to purchase the right to access quicker Lightning Lanes for multiple attractions at various times of the day in the park.
However, this is only possible when you can book only one Lightning Lane at any given time. Once you have used your Lightning Lane selection or the days have run out you can make another one. Some experiences are not a part of the Genie Plus service, but, instead, require a special Lightning Lane ticket. More on that below!
Utilizing the Disney Mobile Application
If you want to get a Genie Plus Lightning Lanes, you will first require a mobile device and the My Disney Experience app. In the app the guests can search for attractions and, among other things, view wait times and manage Lightning Lane encounters including booking, canceling, and modifying.
Every individual who wishes to use Genie Plus has to have a unique Disney account with park tickets connected to obtain the required options. Such a feature seems to assist families to pre-connect their accounts to allow all members to work together in booking Lightning Lanes.
Please allow me to explain the process of how to book the lightning lanes.
For parks you have a reservation for, you can book your first Lightning Lane starting at dawn, 7 AM on the day of your visit. It can be accessed when a new selection comes up after you have entered an existing lightning lane or when the one-hour return period has elapsed.
Lightning Lanes can only be used for only one attraction at a time for only one park. Availability depends on demand. Eligible choices based on the current park will appear in the tipboard view together with the standby wait times of the current park.
Modifying Lightning Lane Selections
Plans change! If you wish to change the Lightning Lane selection that you made earlier and you have not opened your return window yet then you can check the app to find the availability of a new time slot for the particular attraction. You have the right to change your selection at any time, and there will be no penalty or extra fees to pay.
But do remember that before you can book a new Lightning Lane, you have to first void out the one that you just picked. But unlike the Fastpass system, you are only allowed to have a single Lightning Lane reservation at a time.
Individual Lightning Lane Passes
However, there is a clear distinction between those rides that can be identified as part of the Genie Plus package and the few, unique attractions that make guests purchase Individual Lightning Lane tickets. Those attractions include:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Star Wars: It is important to note the emergence of the Resistance as a critical factor.
Individual choices offered by this airline depend on date and demand and hence the pricing. You can purchase only one IPR per day along with the use of Genie Plus Lightning Lanes.
Is This New System a Genie Plus that will ensure shorter waits?
Despite being labeled as an ‘upgrade,’ Genie Plus does give you priority access to these attractions but does not promise or even suggest the amount of time that you will wait. Your actual wait relative to the stated standby time will vary depending on several factors including the number of people in your party, the time of day, day of the week, season, and ride capacity at the exact time.
According to some of the guests, Lightning Lane durations take between 10 minutes up to 30 minutes, or even more, when it comes to some of the most popular rides like the Jungle Cruise or Peter Pan’s Flight. However, one needs to wait to some extent even with Genie Plus in place, meaning that the technology has changed the nature of waiting, rather than eliminated it. Just keep in mind that if you are trying to follow a strict timeline, you should plan accordingly.
As you read through these tips, you will realize that Genie Plus is easy to use and offers tremendous value for your money.
To maximize value from Genie Plus, consider a few best practices:
- Buy early! Sometimes Genie Plus is available to purchase for the specific top park days. Consider it when purchasing your ticket or when planning your trip so that you can incorporate it into the journey.
- Ride an A-list entertainment act before the crowds swamp the park attractions, such as the Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom or the Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios. This means that one can reserve a several hours wait Genie Plus attraction in another park for the later part of the day.
- Consult the time published for the attraction and observe patterns in posted wait times before booking or switching a Lightning Lane pick. This helps avoid surprises!
- In the meantime, aim for Genie Plus for the mid-range attractions which indeed have unpredictable wait times of 30 minutes or more, and do not waste time on them.
Is Using Genie Plus Beneficial?
In busier Disney parks, Genie Plus allows for substantial time-savings that may justify the $15 per person per day cost. It is relatively cheap and effective in terms of maintaining one’s health and also avoiding Genie Plus if they do exist in Disney World. standing in long lines while enduring the scorching heat in Florida.
Yet, the value decreases significantly for other, less frequent off-peak shifts where standby waits do not usually last more than 20-30 minutes. Assess crowd-level tolerance and savings objectives to decide whether Genie Plus belongs to your Disney visit.
And there you have it; all the information that you can use to properly maximize the use of Genie Plus on your next vacation to Walt Disney World! Tell me if there is anything else you would like to know.
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