Everything Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane - Please Read Posts 1-7

[Genie+]

They changed it. Originally You could buy Genie+ with your tickets, or later add it on day of. Around June 2022 they removed the ability to buy when you purchase your ticket and everybody was then only able to purchase day of. Originally it was stated there was no limit and it could not ’sell out’ but with the changes they’ve added that it can actually sell out. However I’m not aware of that happening yet where someone wished to purchase and were not able Due to being sold out.

 

[Ensusieasm]

I’m new to Genie+.

Traveling with extended family and someone mentioned when they went to WDW last year, they needed to buy Genie+ at the time they purchased their park tickets.

Everything I’m reading says purchase at midnight for the next day.

I just want to make sure that is the only option now.

Thanks

You can’t purchase Genie+ until after midnight of your park day. It used to be offered when purchasing a ticket, but that changed months ago. I buy it just a few minutes before 7:00am.

 

[CarolynFH]

I’m new to Genie+.

Traveling with extended family and someone mentioned when they went to WDW last year, they needed to buy Genie+ at the time they purchased their park tickets.

Everything I’m reading says purchase at midnight for the next day.

I just want to make sure that is the only option now.

Thanks

As above, that’s the only option. And the price changes depending on how busy Disney expects the parks to be - you won’t know that day’s price until you go to buy.

PS Midnight is the earliest time you can buy. You can wait until whatever time you want that day before you buy. It hasn’t sold out even on busy days.

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Thank you all!

 

[blistex]

We're headed to the parks next week along with the rest of the world I assume for our first visit since the elimination of FP, something we got all the use out of so I'm pretty nervous about how this will go. Our first day, we won't arrive at the park until around noon. I have a park reservation for Epcot. My plan is to try for the Virtual BG at 7 AM which as far as I understand I can do from my mom's house where we'll be that morning? Then I am considering purchasing Genie+ for that day so I can stack rides for the afternoon/evening when we arrive. Does this sound like a good strategy or a waste of money? We only have 3 park days planned total with the one Epcot day but we are also staying in the Epcot resort area with Hoppers so we will likely hop to Epcot in the evenings the other two days. We mostly like the Epcot around the world ambience but we definitely want to ride GoG, Remy, and the kids are suckers for Three Caballeros (which I assume is still there I actually hadn't thought to check!)

 

[DavidNYC]

We're headed to the parks next week along with the rest of the world I assume for our first visit since the elimination of FP, something we got all the use out of so I'm pretty nervous about how this will go. Our first day, we won't arrive at the park until around noon. I have a park reservation for Epcot. My plan is to try for the Virtual BG at 7 AM which as far as I understand I can do from my mom's house where we'll be that morning? Then I am considering purchasing Genie+ for that day so I can stack rides for the afternoon/evening when we arrive. Does this sound like a good strategy or a waste of money? We only have 3 park days planned total with the one Epcot day but we are also staying in the Epcot resort area with Hoppers so we will likely hop to Epcot in the evenings the other two days. We mostly like the Epcot around the world ambience but we definitely want to ride GoG, Remy, and the kids are suckers for Three Caballeros (which I assume is still there I actually hadn't thought to check!)

For Epcot if you're there a full day and not hopping judgment call whether "worth it". You can easily stack - get Remy first and likely Test Track or Frozen next as those are the fastest to go. But you'll also likely have enough time to do standby for most things you want to do as well. Epcot has more limited attractions so beyond Remy, Frozen, Test Track, Soarin - not a whole lot of rides where you'd really need it if you've got 12-9 pm in the park - Frozen and Test Track are likely to be only available during the last couple hours of the park by the time you're ready to book the 2nd LL.

It will definitely save you time on Remy if you book at 7am. Just a matter of whether the cost is worth it to skip 2-3 lines in the evening when you will likely have time to do standby on most of them . . If you do use it - I'd suggest looking up videos on refreshing which might make it easier to get some of the headliners much earlier in the day and maybe even let you hop over to another park first day if you'll be heading to Epcot in evening other days.

 

[aokeefe]

Heading to WDW on Saturday. We don't plan to get to MK until after 6. This will be the first time using Genie+ with the modify feature. (Have used Genie+ several trips prior) Do I understand it correctly that I should book a ride at 7 am, take the time given and just keep modifying it (or modify it to a different ride with later time) until I get evening times? Then repeat process every 2 hours after park opening. I assume I should start with rides that genuinely move fast (Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan). Any advice?

 

[CarolynFH]

Heading to WDW on Saturday. We don't plan to get to MK until after 6. This will be the first time using Genie+ with the modify feature. (Have used Genie+ several trips prior) Do I understand it correctly that I should book a ride at 7 am, take the time given and just keep modifying it (or modify it to a different ride with later time) until I get evening times? Then repeat process every 2 hours after park opening. I assume I should start with rides that genuinely move fast (Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan). Any advice?

That's pretty much what I did when DH and I were there the end of January. We didn't go to the parks until late afternoon or early evening, and modifying/stacking worked wonderfully, especially at MK. I think the first one I booked was PP, but then I modified it to JC and booked PP again, and I was modifying and booking all day long and even after we arrived. I love being able to modify and to overlap return times!

 

[bnhonest]

INDIVIDUAL LIGHTNING LANE

Acronym: ILL

- Individual Lightning Lane Selections (ILL$) is an extra pay service. It is the second way to get Lightning Lane (LL) access.

- ILL$ is independent of Genie+. You do not need to purchase Genie+ to purchase ILL$. You do not need to purchase ILL$ to purchase Genie+.

- ILL$ gives you access to Lightning Lanes (LL) for one or two of the most popular attractions in each park.

- ILL$ attractions are currently:

Magic Kingdom (MK)	Seven Dwarfs Mine Train	*Space Mountain (moved to G+)
Epcot (EP)	Guardian's of the Galaxy	*Frozen Ever After (moved to G+)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS)	Star Wars Rise of the Resistance	*Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (moved to G+)
Disney's Animal Kingdom (DAK)	Avatar Flight of Passage	*Expedition Everest (moved to G+)

(*Feb 25, 2022 - These attractions moved to G+. Subject to change at any time, without notice)

- Cost for each ILL$ varies by attraction and can vary by day. Tip Board in the app shows the current price for each.

- If you have a credit card attached to your MyDisneyExperience account, you will be given the option of paying for ILL$ using that, a different credit card or, a Disney Gift Card.

- You can only purchase two ILL$ per day. You may purchase 2 for the same park, when available (MK, E, DHS or DAK) but currently the only way to use 2 ILL$ in a day is to park hop. You will not be allowed to purchase a third LL on the same day.

- Guests at Disney resorts and other select hotels (Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Swan Reserve and Shades of Green hotel guests) can purchase ILL$ at 7:00 am. Guests not staying at Disney resorts cannot purchase ILL$ until park opening. (Please note: ILL$ 7AM purchase eligibility differs from guests eligible for ETPE.) Like Genie+, ILL$ can be purchased from anywhere. You do not have to be in the park nor have checked into your resort.

- When a group is made up of both guests staying at Disney resorts and guests not staying at Disney resorts, only onsite guests are eligible to purchase ILL$ at 7AM. They cannot purchase for offsite guests. Guests staying offsite are not eligible to purchase until park opening.

- Unlike Genie+, you can select whatever LL time you want for ILL$ (subject to availability). Once an ILL$ is purchased, the time cannot be modified.

- ILL$ for popular attractions may be sold out prior to being available for non-resort guests to purchase at park opening.

- You will find your booked ILL$ selections listed in the My Day section

- Current Disney policy (unpublished) is that once a purchased ILL$ return time has arrived, guests can ride anytime from then until park close.

Additional Information: Individual Lightning Lane Strategies

I apologize if this has been asked before. You indicate here that off property resort guest have to wait until park open to make an ILL reservation.

Is this based on the park that I am starting at that day, or the earliest park to open?

In other words, if my park pass is at HS, which opens at 8:30, do I have to wait until 8:30? On the same day, MK and AK open at 8:00. So can I make my ILL when those parks open, or do I have to wait until 8:30?

Same for Guardians...starting my day at AK which opens at 8:00, or do I have to wait until Epcot opens at 9:00?

TY!

 

[scrappinginontario]

I apologize if this has been asked before. You indicate here that off property resort guest have to wait until park open to make an ILL reservation.

Is this based on the park that I am starting at that day, or the earliest park to open?

In other words, if my park pass is at HS, which opens at 8:30, do I have to wait until 8:30? On the same day, MK and AK open at 8:00. So can I make my ILL when those parks open, or do I have to wait until 8:30?

Same for Guardians...starting my day at AK which opens at 8:00, or do I have to wait until Epcot opens at 9:00?

TY!

Park opening of the park you wish to purchase the ILL$.

 

[tseitel]

I also apologize if this has been asked before.
I want to buy an individual LL for Flight of passage.
It will be my 2nd park of the day, hopping over around 5ish, staying onsite.
Say at 7am i go to select, and it’s showing a return time of 2pm. Do I wait a little bit until the return times are closer to what I want, or once I select it will some different time options show?
TIA

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I also apologize if this has been asked before.
I want to buy an individual LL for Flight of passage.
It will be my 2nd park of the day, hopping over around 5ish, staying onsite.
Say at 7am i go to select, and it’s showing a return time of 2pm. Do I wait a little bit until the return times are closer to what I want, or once I select it will some different time options show?
TIA

ILL purchases allow you to select any available time window - you will have options, if available, to purchase something after 5PM. It's the Genie+/LL selections that are next-time-available.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I also apologize if this has been asked before.
I want to buy an individual LL for Flight of passage.
It will be my 2nd park of the day, hopping over around 5ish, staying onsite.
Say at 7am i go to select, and it’s showing a return time of 2pm. Do I wait a little bit until the return times are closer to what I want, or once I select it will some different time options show?
TIA

You may select anytime available to you. Once that time has arrived, your ILL$ is good from then until park close.

 

[Sparrow'sLady]

I read the entire first page. Great information. I am still unclear on something.

If I get G+ for EPCOT, book Test Track at 7 AM, then at opening Remy and then 2 hours later another, etc....I ride Test Track at let's say 11 AM and then when I get off the ride there is another available for 2, can I book Test Track again or am I limited to each attraction only one time per day?

 

[CarolynFH]

I read the entire first page. Great information. I am still unclear on something.

If I get G+ for EPCOT, book Test Track at 7 AM, then at opening Remy and then 2 hours later another, etc....I ride Test Track at let's say 11 AM and then when I get off the ride there is another available for 2, can I book Test Track again or am I limited to each attraction only one time per day?

One LL per attraction per day.

And BTW, 2nd LL booking opportunity is 2 hours after park opens, not at opening time.

 

[Aliejoy]

RoR sells in minutes, yes, but vq goes in seconds. If you only have one person on their phone, go for vq first. Even if you have more people trying, I might dedicate them to giving you the best shot at getting a vq time earlier than your 2pm park-hopping time, and then turn to RoR afterward.


Yes, that's a good strategy rather than using a LL.


You're describing two different philosophies/strategies about how to use Lightning Lanes: "stacking" vs. "streaming." "Streaming" is "reserve an early time, use it, then reserve your next one, no waiting around for two hours. Keep on using a chain of quick-payoff LLs throughout the day." "Stacking" says "Hey, look, the shortest wait times for everything are in the morning, and the longest are in the afternoons and evening. You don't want to be using standby for anything in the later part of the day. Just start snagging the rides that develop the longest waits, and take times in the afternoon/evening. Yeah, it means you'll ride standby in the morning, but then your investment will pay off as you breeze through your afternoon/evening."

There are schools of thought, and the truth is that each technique is probably better for different crowd levels, and different people's goals. (Are you here to ride the biggest rides? Or just to have a fun day, and you don't care if that means Carousel of Progress?) Personally, I drank the "stacking" kool-aid.

We had the same, a day that park-hopped from Epcot to HS. My strategies were:

• secure a morning VQ time for Guardians (succeeded)
• Also bought an ILL for a second ride on Guardians
• I really wanted an ILL for RoR but we were offsite and they sold out before park opening. We rode it at park close with a wait under 30'.
• My first priority for a LL was Tower of Terror. It's running at half capacity and will be the very longest waits of anything for a while. I didn't in fact snag this and we didn't ride it this trip; everyone was disappointed.
• If you want to ride Slinky Dog, this is popular and you might want to grab when you get the chance.
• MMRR is also a hot item
• Smuggler's Run actually moves pretty quickly and waits don't get too crazy, so it's not until this point that I'd prioritize picking up a LL for it
• If you want to ride RnRC might be good to get that

I'm trying to decide if "streaming" LL might be a better strategy for a high volume day, like President's day week when the wait times will get long earlier in the day than a moderate day. Do you think we would get a jump start on the masses booking LL selections using the 120 minute rule and could therefore get a couple more high demand rides that will sell out quickly?

 

[starcommand79]

Does Genie+ know if you have a dining reservation? If I want to make a lightning lane, will it avoid dining reservation times??

 

[scrappinginontario]

Does Genie+ know if you have a dining reservation? If I want to make a lightning lane, will it avoid dining reservation times??

No. LL reservations only offer the next available time.

 

[DoryGirl1963]

If I pay for an ILL$ for ROTR & it goes down AFTER I've tapped in, will it automatically give me a "ride anytime" (or whatever those are called) option/pass for when it comes back up (assuming it does?)

 

[musicguy856]

If I pay for an ILL$ for ROTR & it goes down AFTER I've tapped in, will it automatically give me a "ride anytime" (or whatever those are called) option/pass for when it comes back up (assuming it does?)

Frozen went down after I made it through LL to the loading area. They scanned everyone’s tickets/bands to give us a redemption LL. Which oddly enough was only good on Frozen and the lower tier attractions - not even valid for Soarin.