Disney Genie

Looks confusing, but looks can be deceiving.

Disney Genie is basically an algorithm or program that helps guests plan their visit. It is set up prior to the vacation with preferences. It causes as much anxiety as it eventually provides assistance. Seriously don’t stress about it. It is overwhelming but it is intuitive and it works well.  Prior to arrival, I’ll select which rides, attractions and dining options are priorities. Disney Genie will then recommend an itinerary for the day. It’s that simple. After setting it up, I won’t look at it again until arrival. Disney Genie is awesome while in the park. Don’t miss out on its use because it seems overwhelming. I constantly check in to see if we can make it to an attraction with a unusually low wait time. Disney Genie will also predict when wait should be shorter later in the day.

Disney Genie is split into 2 categories. Tip Board and My Day. Tip Board is great. It shows wait times, ride heights and show times and even food suggestions all in one place. It will also show next available Lightning Lane reservation times. My Day shows my reservations for dining and Lightning Lane. I can also add show times into My Day so I can stay organized and not miss anything I wanted to see. Walt Disney World is full of attractions and entertainment. It can be a little overwhelming at times. There is so much to do and vacationers want to catch everything. There are massive parades and small street performances and everything in between. Then obviously there are the rides and shows. With such a busy day, it is easy to miss things or not even know they are happening.

Another thing to look for is quick service dining options under the Tip Board. This feature allows you to see when your food will be ready at each restaurant. This is immensely important. You don’t want to place a quick service order and then realize it won’t be ready for an hour. This also allows you to plan when to order. I will scan through my options ahead of time and see how it looks. I can decide to order then at a nearby place that will be available soon. Or I can place an order that will be ready later and grab a show or hit a ride on the way.

Credit: Disney, My Disney Experience

Lightning Lane

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a paid enhancement to the free Genie service. The cost varies per day. This purchase can be made 7 days prior to arrival for guests of Disney World Hotels and 3 days prior for other guests. Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows you to reserve 3 multi pass experiences ahead arrival. Disney also claims after the first pass is used, guests can then add another reservation. Most attractions can be booked using this service. Only 1 or 2 major attractions in each park can only be booked using the more expensive Individual Lightning Lane.

I believe it is worth the cost. Using the previous version of Genie+, I have been able to make as many as 5 or 6 reservations per day. The ability to bypass long lines has several advantages. It gives guests a break from waiting in lines which makes the overall experience much more enjoyable. Every 3 or 4 hours we can get on a ride with a short wait. It also allows us to experience more attractions and frees up time to explore other options.

Individual Lightning Lane

The high demand attractions require separate Lightning Lane reservations. The price varies based on the attraction and the day. I have found this is definitely worth the cost. In my experience time is always more valuable than money. The following list shows rides that are individual Lightning Lane either frequently or often.

  • Magic Kingdom
    • Space Mountain
    • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
    • Tron LightCycle/Run
  • Hollywood Studios
    • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
    • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
  • EPCOT
    • Frozen Ever After
    • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
    • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
  • Animal Kingdom
    • Avatar Flight of Passage
    • Expedition Everest