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

[crazymomof4]

Yes, that is the correct order.

It's been a couple years since we used Genie+ at WDW and I know things are constantly changing, so right now, I'm trying to figure out the new Disney Morning Ritual. It looks like we have 4 major tasks: buy Genie Plus, Virtual Queue, get first Genie + ride, and buy Individual Lightning Lane.

What's the best order? Here's my guess:
1. 6:45am-sh, buy Genie Plus for the day. No, I'm not staying up past midnight to buy it then.
2. Right at 7am: mash the Virtual Queue button (for Tron or Guardians)
3. Get first Genie Plus ride
4. Get ILL, if wanted (because Virtual Queue was a bust, or want to ride 2 times)

Assuming only one person is doing these tasks, is that the right order?

This is very helpful.
Can anyone tell me how this would be altered if you have 2-3 people awake and working on this for your group each morning? For our Sept trip, I will be "armed" with 3 young adults (fast fingers and tech-minded). TIA!

 

[msmayor]

You are right about the toddler - we had our almost-three-year-old last month and he did not need Genie+, but could ride anything the rest of the party had a lightning lane for.

As to separating - what we often did was just book for the other three in our party (my daughter, my hubby and I) and then cancel for my husband, so he could stay with our little one, while our daughter and I rode. It also let him book a different LL during the same time she and I were riding something else. I found it easier to do the "book for everyone and then cancel just for those not using this" than to try and regroup our party over and over again. Maybe just me. Anyway, that's all to say it was very easy to cancel for just one person and we were all able to ride what we wanted to.

That sounds like a logical strategy - thanks for this tip!!

 

[scrappinginontario]

This is very helpful.
Can anyone tell me how this would be altered if you have 2-3 people awake and working on this for your group each morning? For our Sept trip, I will be "armed" with 3 young adults (fast fingers and tech-minded). TIA!

I would put everyone on trying to get VQ first then once that is secure/full split up the rest.

 

[garris3404]

I have a conference ticket with park the hopping option. My daughter has an annual pass. We will be staying on-site. If we plan to go to Animal Kingdom first, we must make park reservations for AK. We will hop over to Hollywood Studios later. Can we purchase Genie+ for Hollywood Studios, and make our first lightning lane for HS at 7:00am? And then add another LL at HS 2 hours after HS opens? Or does my first LL need to be at my first park?

 

[scrappinginontario]

I have a conference ticket with park the hopping option. My daughter has an annual pass. We will be staying on-site. If we plan to go to Animal Kingdom first, we must make park reservations for AK. We will hop over to Hollywood Studios later. Can we purchase Genie+ for Hollywood Studios, and make our first lightning lane for HS at 7:00am? And then add another LL at HS 2 hours after HS opens? Or does my first LL need to be at my first park?

You may purchase it for DHS and book your first LL for there at 7AM even though you have a park reservation for AK and will be going to AK first.

 

[Blueyed Girl]

Can we still use our ILL$ if we are past the return time???

 

[scrappinginontario]

Can we still use our ILL$ if we are past the return time???

For Guardians -100%.

For Tron - hopefully but not many cases of that happening so not too sure.

Please let us know how it goes.

 

[SheilaHeartsDisney]

Hey All!! So I have a question about Genie+ and Cast member main gate passes.......

The cast member will be joining us to a park and getting in 3 of my family members on their main gate pass. I will be purchasing 1 ticket for myself.
I would like to get genie+ for all of us. We are all friends on MDE...........

1. Can I purchase genie+ for all 5 of us on my MDE?
2. If the cast member needs to purchase it on their MDE for themselves and the 3 others can I make selections for all 5 of us so we get them at the same time?
3. Does the cast members need to be in the park with the guests before they can purchase genie+?
4. If the can purchase at midnight do we have to wait until they are all signed in to the park or can we begin at 7a?

I think that's it for now. Thanks!!

PS - The cast member has neve tried this so they don't know.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

My recent trip for 2 people, spent around $600 in genie plus and ILL using both for around 7 days just if anyone is curious what it could cost in the end.

Edit:. That was 2 genie plus purchases per day and 1LL per day for 2 people. Was it worth it? Sure never waited on any lines, just had the phone in my hand a lot getting time changes. Did the same thing with fast pass for free. Not getting into that argument though

 

[tom1944]

My recent trip for 2 people, spent around $600 in genie plus and ILL using both for around 7 days just if anyone is curious what it could cost in the end.

Edit:. That was 2 genie plus purchases per day and 1LL per day for 2 people. Was it worth it? Sure never waited on any lines, just had the phone in my hand a lot getting time changes. Did the same thing with fast pass for free. Not getting into that argument though

Since I have the ability to pay that I keep thinking it might be better to do so instead of getting to the parks at 7:30 every morning and then running through the parks under stress.

Did the use of Genie plus and lightening lane help you enjoy the day?

We will have 6 park days and 4 people but certain lightening lane rides only 2 of us will do.

I figure it will be around $1,500. Sad to say in the scheme of the total cost of a Disney trip $1,500 is not a deal breaker if we have a more enjoyable vacation over the 9 days we are there.

 

[woodys_girl]

Since I have the ability to pay that I keep thinking it might be better to do so instead of getting to the parks at 7:30 every morning and then running through the parks under stress.

Did the use of Genie plus and lightening lane help you enjoy the day?

We will have 6 park days and 4 people but certain lightening lane rides only 2 of us will do.

I figure it will be around $1,500. Sad to say in the scheme of the total cost of a Disney trip $1,500 is not a deal breaker if we have a more enjoyable vacation over the 9 days we are there.

Not the poster you were replying to, but dare I say I actually like G+? We were able to use it and show up late every day and always got to ride what we wanted. Sure, it's $$$, but I definitely enjoyed our days using it.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Since I have the ability to pay that I keep thinking it might be better to do so instead of getting to the parks at 7:30 every morning and then running through the parks under stress.

Did the use of Genie plus and lightening lane help you enjoy the day?

We will have 6 park days and 4 people but certain lightening lane rides only 2 of us will do.

I figure it will be around $1,500. Sad to say in the scheme of the total cost of a Disney trip $1,500 is not a deal breaker if we have a more enjoyable vacation over the 9 days we are there.

I never walked into a park before 10:30am. Of course I was forced to be up at 7 to pick my ILL times and my first genie plus times but then went back to sleep.

The day would not have been enjoyable without it. Waits weren’t even to bad without it but once you can just walk in, it’s hard to go back. You avoid the heat etc. You truly have the ability to ride anything you want, if you keep the phone in hand. I changed times non stop. I made it so everytime I went into one lighting lane, I was picking the next time, and so on and so on. I’m talking on one ride, next one is 20 mins later, then on that ride, then one is 30 mins later etc

Just takes annoying time and patience. Never swipe down trying to get a new time. Always click on the time that’s available cause it changes so quick. Don’t confirm the time though if trying to get a better time. Just go back and click again and back and click again etc till the time comes up you need when in the park

 

[dcassetta]

We plan to start our day at MK and then head to DHS later. Can we reserve Genie+ at both parks on the same day? I know SDD tends to book fast, so could we reserve that for the evening and then still use Genie+ earlier in the day at MK?

 

[Tom_E_D]

We plan to start our day at MK and then head to DHS later. Can we reserve Genie+ at both parks on the same day? I know SDD tends to book fast, so could we reserve that for the evening and then still use Genie+ earlier in the day at MK?

Yes, assuming you bought the multi-park Genie+. You don't get to pick your time when choosing SDD at 7:00. You will get next available time. If you get a time that is too early for you, you may need to modify the LL reservation. Assuming it isn't one of those days when it sells out completely in seconds, you should be able to do that before going to the parks. If you make SDD your first LL reservation, you won't get to make your first MK LL reservation until two hours after DHS opens.

 

[DMLAINI]

If I make a genie+ reservation for my family & one decides not to ride, can I modify & remove them from the party?

 

[scrappinginontario]

If I make a genie+ reservation for my family & one decides not to ride, can I modify & remove them from the party?

Yes. If it’s just one, probably easiest to just cancel that reservation so that you will all be eligible at the same time to book the next one.

 

[DMLAINI]

Yes. If it’s just one, probably easiest to just cancel that reservation so that you will all be eligible at the same time to book the next one.

So I can cancel it for just the 1 person & keep it for everyone else

 

[scrappinginontario]

So I can cancel it for just the 1 person & keep it for everyone else

Yes

 

[DMLAINI]

Yes

Thank you!

 

[AttheParks]

Not the poster you were replying to, but dare I say I actually like G+? We were able to use it and show up late every day and always got to ride what we wanted. Sure, it's $$$, but I definitely enjoyed our days using it.

We LOVE genie+. Love the ability to use it in different ways depending on our park plan for the day.