Disney Genie Frequently Asked Questions (Disney World version)
A common complaint about Disney’s Genie+ line-skipping system is that it’s not as simple as those that many other parks use. Never fear, TouringPlans is here! We’ve spent hours in the parks testing and using Genie and we’ve got answers to your questions. (Last updated March 18, 2024)
All those complainers are right. Genie is more complicated than the systems in many other parks, enough that we have several articles on it. So I’m going to start with a question that’s very basic:
What is Disney Genie?
Disney Genie is a service in the My Disney Experience app that guests use to help plan their day touring the parks. There are three components to Genie:
- Genie: a free itinerary planner, reservation tracker, and wait time board
- Genie+: a paid service that allows you to skip [most of] the line at several rides throughout the parks by making Lightning Lane reservations
- Individual Lightning Lane: individual upcharge purchases to skip the lines at one attraction per purchase
If you’re only planning on using the free features of Genie, almost nothing in this article will apply to you. You’ll probably find Customize the Genie Tip Board for Convenience and Speed a more valuable use of your time.
If you are planning on using the upcharge features of Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes, this article focuses on the nitty-gritty questions. If you’re looking for a basic walkthrough, you might prefer Step-By-Step Guide: How to Use Genie+ and Lightning Lane at Disney World. There’s a link to this article at the end of that one, so you can come back here when you’re ready.
If you’re continuing on here, you’ll find that the questions have been divided into three big groups:
- questions about buying the upcharge features
- questions about making reservations with them
- questions about using them in the parks.
I’ll just take time for one more basic one here first:
Why is Genie+ so complicated?
Whoa, we could write a whole article just on that one topic. The fast answer is: it’s meant for a lot more people to be able to use it than other parks’ line-skipping systems. “Go to the special queue for every attraction” is easy to say – but that simplicity limits availability because the more people you sell it to, the less well it works. With Genie+, there aren’t enough “skips” for everyone to get one for each attraction. So instead there’s a complex process to let all the users divvy up the “skips” on any given day.
How do we know it’s meant for more people to be able to use it? Well, Genie+ is much cheaper than many other systems that are simpler to use. (For comparison, Universal’s Express Pass can cost up to $389 per day compared to a usual price of $25-39 for Genie+.) Second, Genie+ appears to be more generally available than some comparable line-skipping systems. While Genie+ can sell out (it did so for the first time on February 19, 2023), it usually only does during the busiest times such as Easter and Christmas.
Taking these two tidbits together, one could conclude that Disney has chosen a system that lets a lot of people skip a few lines each, in preference to a system that lets fewer people skip every line. While this is only my personal speculation, it’s not inconsistent with the fact that Disney minimized the “have and have not” effect by maintaining Fastpass as a free system long past the point where every other park’s line-skipping system had an upcharge.
Questions About Buying Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes
How much does Genie+ cost? How much do Individual Lightning Lanes cost?
The price of Genie+ varies depending on the day you buy it. The lowest price is $15, and so far the highest we’ve seen is $39. These prices are per person and do not include tax. As of June 27th, 2023, you’re able to buy Genie+ as an “All Parks” option, or only for a single park, with different pricing for each park and for the All Parks option. The Magic Kingdom price and the All Parks price are the same.
The price of Individual Lightning Lanes varies from $10 to (currently) $25 per person, per attraction (and again without tax). Recently, prices for individual rides have been seen at
- Rise of the Resistance – $15 to $25
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – $14 to $17
- Avatar Flight of Passage – $11 to $16
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – $10 to $12
- TRON Lightcycle / Run – $20
Is there any way to know the price of Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes in advance?
Not for sure, no. But as a general rule, higher ticket prices and higher crowds will mean higher prices for both. Disney publishes ticket prices well in advance and raises them only once or twice a year. They probably update their crowd predictions more often, so don’t rely too heavily on ticket price as an indicator of Genie+ price.
When can you buy Genie+?
Genie+ can be purchased at 12:01 a.m. of the day you plan to use it. If your ticket requires park reservations, then you’ll need to have a park reservation in place to buy. There is currently no way to buy Genie+ in advance – you can’t pay for it on Tuesday to use it in the parks on Wednesday. But, Disney has made noises to the effect that advance purchase of Genie+ may be rolled out at some point in the future.
Can you buy Genie+ for two separate parks?
Yes. As of June 27th, 2023, you can buy Genie+ on a per-park basis. So you can, say, buy Genie+ for EPCOT and for Animal Kingdom. You’ll then be able to make Lightning Lane reservations at either of those parks, but only those parks.
Buying the All Parks option is always (to date) the least expensive way to use Genie+ in more than one park. But if you buy a single park first, there’s no “bridging” the price by paying the difference between your first park and the All Parks option. You’ll have to pay the whole price of the All Parks Genie+ even if you’ve already bought Genie+ for a single park. The takeaway: if you think you’re going to buy Genie+ for two parks, spring for the All Parks option from the get-go.
Do you need to be in the park to buy an Individual Lightning Lane?
No, you don’t need to be in the park. Guests of the Disney World resort hotels can begin booking Individual Lightning Lanes at 7 a.m., before the parks are even open.
Do you need to buy Genie+ to make an Individual Lightning Lane reservation?
No. Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes are independent of each other. You don’t need to buy Genie+ to use Individual Lightning Lanes. And you don’t need to buy Individual Lightning Lanes to use Genie+.
Do you need to include everyone in your party when you buy Genie+? Do you need to include your whole party for an Individual Lightning Lane reservation?
No. For each purchase you’ll have the opportunity to select which members of your group should be included.
If you’ve already purchased Genie+, you’ll have the chance to select which members of your group to include each time you make a Lightning Lane reservation.
Can kids or teens buy Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes?
Yes. Minors who are old enough to have their own My Disney Experience accounts can purchase Genie+ or ILLs, but they’ll need to enter payment info during checkout instead of using a stored payment method. See more details: How Can Kids and Teens Pay for Things at Disney World?
Can you get a refund for Genie+ if you don’t use it?
No, Genie+ is non-refundable. This is true even if you buy it and don’t enter the parks.
Can you get a refund for an Individual Lightning Lane if you don’t use it?
No, Individual Lightning Lanes are not refundable. But, if the ride is down during your reservation window and you aren’t able to use your ILL before the park closes, you can get a refund. This may happen automatically, or you may need to contact Disney.
If you buy Genie+ and then you don’t go to the park, will it use a day of your ticket?
No, your admission is not considered “used” until the moment you scan into the parks. We did not ask specifically about the similar question for an Individual Lightning Lane, but we presume the answer is the same.
Are Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes worth it?
That’s a complicated question that depends on your personal feelings about value, when you’re visiting the parks, and how you plan to tour them. You’ll need to do some more research to decide if you think Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes will be worth it for you, but here are some articles to help you with that. These links will all open in a new tab. One thing you should know – it’s pretty easy to save an hour or more with Genie+ unless you’ll only be in the parks for a very short time. This is true even if you know almost nothing about the system or how to use it most effectively.
- What Does Genie+ Availability Look Like?
- How Much Time Can I Save with Genie+ at WDW?
- Best Individual Lightning Lanes to Purchase
Questions About Reserving Lightning Lanes or Individual Lightning Lanes
Which rides are eligible for Genie+? Which rides use Individual Lightning Lane reservations?
The list of Genie+ and ILL rides changes as new attractions are added to the parks, and depending on how heavy Disney is expecting crowds to be. The official listings from Disney are here:
Magic Kingdom | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios | Animal Kingdom
In practice, almost all attractions that use a queue (as opposed to self-paced exhibits) offer Lightning Lane. There are a few attractions that don’t offer it, but these tend to be attractions where you’re least likely to need it.
What time can you begin making Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane reservations?
For Genie+ Lightning Lanes, everyone can begin making reservations at 7 a.m. Only one reservation can be made before the parks open.
For Individual Lightning Lanes
- Onsite guests of Disney hotels can begin making Individual Lightning Lane reservations at 7 a.m.
- At park opening, all guests are able to make Individual Lightning Lane reservations for that park’s attractions.
Practically speaking, this means that for very popular rides offsite guests may not be able to get ILL reservations.
Which hotels can make Individual Lightning Lane reservations at 7 am?
All hotels that are owned and operated by Disney World can make Individual Lightning Lane reservations. In general, that means if your hotel has “Disney’s” in the name, you’re good to go; to be confident check the official list of Disney hotels here. Guests of the Disney World Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green can also make 7 am Individual Lightning Lane reservations.
Can I make two Individual Lightning Lane reservations at the same time?
Yes. For Genie+ Lightning Lanes, there are limits on how often you can make them. For Individual Lightning Lanes, there are limits on the total number of reservations you can make; no more than two. But you can make both Individual Lightning Lane reservations that you are allowed at the same time, or at least, as fast as your fingers can work the phone. That means you can make ILLs for two different rides at 7 a.m. if you are staying onsite, or at park opening if you’re staying offsite.
It’s after 7 a.m., why can’t I see the Lightning Lane return times on the Tip Board?
Between 7 and 7:30 a.m., return times aren’t displayed for either Genie+ Lightning Lanes or Individual Lightning Lanes. It still matters when you book – the early bird gets the worm – but the times change so quickly that it’s not possible for Disney to display them accurately on the Tip Board.
Can you make a Lightning Lane reservation in more than one park?
Yes. You’ll need to have purchased the “All Parks” version of Genie+. Alternatively, you can purchase Genie+ for two individual parks, but this is never a good value compared to the All Parks option.
Do you have to include your whole group when you make a Lightning Lane reservation?
No, you can select to make a reservation for only some members of your party. For Genie+ Lightning Lanes, you can also cancel only some members of your group if you booked them by mistake.
Is there a limit on how many people can be in my party when I reserve a Genie+ Lightning Lane?
Yes. At most 12 people can be included in the party on a single Lightning Lane reservation. If your group has more than 12 people in it, you will need to make two separate reservations.
Are Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes available during Early Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours, and events such as Halloween and Christmas parties?
No, they are not. Lightning Lanes are only available during regular park hours that are included in the admission ticket for everyone. Users of Disney’s Disability Assistance System (DAS) may have access to the special queues outside of regular hours.
Can you get overlapping return windows for Lightning Lanes and/or Individual Lightning Lanes?
Yes, you can. It’s up to you to keep track of the return times and make sure you can use everything you book before reserving it; Genie won’t stop you from making “impossible” plans.
Are there limits on how many Lightning Lane reservations you can make?
For Individual Lightning Lanes, guests are limited to 2 Individual Lightning Lane purchases per day.
With Genie+ Lightning Lanes, guests may not reserve the same ride twice in one day, and there are limits on how frequently you can reserve. If you reserve a Lightning Lane but then do not ride and let it expire, that counts as “using” it.
How often can you make a Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation?
When you make a reservation, it will block any further Genie+ reservations until either
•The reservation is “gone” – you either use it or cancel it, or it expires
or
•Two hours have passed since either a) you made the reservation or b) the park your reservation was in opened, whichever is later.
You can also see at the top of the Tip Board when you’ll be eligible again. (If different members of your group have different reservations, you’ll only see the eligibility for the MDE profile that is logged in.) For a more thorough explanation and practical examples, see When Can I Book My Next Genie+ Lightning Lane?
How many Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations can you make in one day?
This answer is going to vary based on when you visit the parks, what you prefer to see, and how long you plan to be there. It’s important to understand that the answer is based on availability – since you can’t book everything at the same time, it’s going to depend on how long you need to wait between each of your reservations, and how fast reservations for other attractions are running out.
Disney’s official answer is 2 to 3 attractions. In practical testing we find that’s a conservative estimate and 3 to 5 is not difficult over a whole day under usual conditions. With some planning, it’s often possible to get even more if you’re spending a full day in the parks.
Can you have more than one Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation at a time?
Yes. The Genie 120-minute rule says that you can always make a new reservation if two hours have passed since you made the last one, or two hours since park opening if you made the reservation before the park opened. If you’re holding a reservation when the 120-minute rule kicks in, then after you make a new Lightning Lane reservation you will have two at a time. Depending on when your return windows are and when the 120-minute rule applies, you can have 2, 3, 4, or more Genie+ reservations at the same time. Intentionally making Genie+ reservations so that you hold multiple reservations at the same time is called stacking.
Can you cancel a Lightning Lane reservation?
Individual Lightning Lane reservations can’t be canceled. However, if the ride is down during your reservation window and you aren’t able to use it later then you can have it refunded after the park closes. Often this will happen automatically.
To cancel a Genie+ reservation, click on the reservation and select Cancel. You can choose to cancel only some members of your party, or all of them. You can cancel a reservation once the return time window has started, and if you do you will be able to rebook the same ride later if times are available.
Can you modify a Lightning Lane reservation?
Individual Lightning Lane reservations can’t be modified.
Genie+ Lightning Lanes can be modified to change the time, or to change to a different attraction in the same park. If you want to change to an attraction in a different park, you’ll need to cancel and rebook.
If you modify a Lightning Lane reservation, does it change the time when you can book a new one?
Maybe. Remember that there are two times that govern when you can make a new reservation: when your return window opens, and the time that you made it. The Genie 120-minute rule says that you can make a new reservation at most 2 hours from when you made the last one, and this countdown timer doesn’t change if you modify the reservation. If you made it at, say, 11 a.m., then your two hours will be up at 1 p.m. even if you modify the reservation at noon.
If the start of your return window was within two hours of when you made the reservation, either before or after modifying it, then the time you can book again might change. And, if the reservation you modified wasn’t the one blocking your eligibility, then modifying it definitely won’t have an effect. For practical examples, see When Can I Book My Next Genie+ Lightning Lane?.
Can you modify a Lightning Lane reservation to an attraction in a different park?
At this time, you can only modify your reservation to a different attraction in the same park.
If you modify a Lightning Lane reservation to a different attraction, can you still reserve the original attraction again later?
Yes. If you modify a reservation to change the attraction, it won’t use up your “once a day” on the original attraction. You’ll still be able to book again later.
Can you modify a Lightning Lane once the return window has opened?
Yes, we tested this and found that you can.
Can you modify a Lightning Lane that has expired?
No. Although the reservation may still appear on your My Day tab for several minutes after it expires, you will not be able to modify it. (We think the fact that it still shows on My Day might be related to the grace period, but we’re not sure.)
Can you modify a Lightning Lane for only some of your group?
Yes, when you modify a Lightning Lane reservation you will have the opportunity to change the reservation for only some of the group. For those you select to change, you can modify either the time or the attraction. Their “when can you book” windows will follow the same rules as if you had modified everyone.
Questions About Using Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes
Will I still have to wait in line with a Lightning Lane reservation?
Yes. The Lightning Lane is a special queue that lets you enter the attraction much faster than those waiting in the regular (standby) line. But there can still be a wait in the Lightning Lane because other people will have the same return window as you. Most of the time, the wait in a Lightning Lane queue is 5 to 10 minutes or less.
What happens if I’m late for a Lightning Lane reservation?
This is always at the discretion of a Cast Member, but for rides there is generally a 15-minute grace period at the end of the window. For shows, you’ll usually be allowed in as long as space is available and the show hasn’t started yet.
What happens if I don’t use a Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation?
As soon as the window has expired, you will be able to make a new Genie+ reservation. However, you will not be able to make a new reservation for the same ride as your expired reservation. If you know that you’re not going to use a reservation, and you want to be able to reserve for that attraction at a different time, it’s better to modify the reservation or cancel it before it expires.
Is there a grace period for Lightning Lane reservations?
Typically, guests are able to tap in 5 minutes ahead of time or 15 minutes after the window has closed. Note that Disney has a history of removing policies like grace periods if users begin viewing them as loopholes to exploit.
What happens if the ride is down during my reservation time?
For an Individual Lightning Lane reservation, you will be able to use the reservation at a time of your choosing later in the day. If you are not able to use the reservation then it will be refunded, although you may need to contact Disney to get this processed.
For a Genie+ reservation, your reservation will convert to an “any time Lightning Lane” (also called a “Select Experiences Lightning Lane”) that can be used for a variety of other attractions at a time of your choosing.
Can someone else use my Lightning Lane reservation?
According to Disney, no, but in practice, yes.
Disney says that Lightning Lanes aren’t transferrable, but when you scan in using a ticket card, MagicBand, or MagicMobile, Cast Members do not check your ID. If someone in your group went back to the resort for a nap and left their MagicBand with you, you can use it to tap in for their Lightning Lanes, and we know that it’s not uncommon for family members to do this kind of “I’m going to grab a snack, you use mine” transfer. Note that this only works if the ticket owner has entered the park – you can’t just bring Mom’s MagicBand to the park while she’s having a pool day and expect to make and use Lightning Lane reservations with it.
What’s the best strategy for using Genie+ and Lightning Lanes?
There are a few commonly used strategies with Genie+.
⭐ “Stacking” refers to making a number of Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations in the future, packing them into a relatively small time period and then knocking them off to ride a large number of headliners within a couple of hours. Read more about it with some practical examples: Genie+: All About Stacking. Stacking is a “greedy” approach that considers maximizing the average amount of time saved on each ride.
⭐ “Catch and Release” refers to the practice of booking Lightning Lanes that are available with short return windows. This is a “greedy” approach that considers minimizing the amount of wait time between Lightning Lane redemption. Unfortunately, the total time savings with Catch and Release can be poor.
⭐ If Stacking doesn’t suit your touring style, our “Simple Strategy” is an improvement on Catch and Release which considers maximizing the amount of time you’ll save in the line compared to the time you’ll need to wait before your next booking. (That’s easier than it sounds). Simple Strategy usually generates a hybrid between Catch and Release and Stacking approaches – you can read a practical example here: Genie+ Simple Strategy Example Day At Each Park
Can you use Genie+ with DAS?
The two systems are completely independent – you can use both at the same time. Especially if crowds are low, you may find that Genie+ doesn’t have as much value to you.
Can you use Lightning Lanes with Rider Switch?
Yes, you can. Everyone who will ride needs to have a Lightning Lane for the attraction; depending on the ride you may all be asked to tap in before the Rider Switch pass can be issued. More details are here: Rider Switch at Disney World: Guide and FAQ.
Did we miss your question? Let us know in the comments!
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Hello! My husband and I have been using TP for several years and really enjoy the service. Thank you for continually upgrading it and providing a good value. We are annual passholders. Now that there is no restriction on when you can park hop, how has that changed the availability of genie plus reservations for the park that you’re hopping to when you still must have a park pass reservation as an annual passholder?
Here’s our scenario: we are rope dropping Hollywood Studios, and then hopping to Epcot. We want to use G plus in Epcot and make our first G plus reservation for an attraction there at 7 AM (staying on property). At what time could we expect for that LL opportunity to be available to us? It used to restrict the availability for after 2pm. Will Disney allow us as pass holders with a park pass reservation at Hollywood studios to make our first G+ reservation for an Epcot attraction; if yes, at what time will the earliest conceivable return time be for it?
Thanks for any insight you can provide!
Rachel
Hi Rachel, this is a really good question! When I’m confident of the answer I’m going to add it to the article. I’m going to try to find someone to test this in the next couple of weeks, but here is what I believe the answer is right now.
In the scenario you describe, you will be able to buy Genie+ for EPCOT (i.e., you will not have to buy the all parks option). You will be able to make reservations beginning at 7 am. And, you will be able to make them for times that begin at park opening; if you shoot for a Remy reservation and have the fastest fingers, then your reservation will be at 9 am when the park opens.
Here’s the interesting case: G+ at Animal Kingdom with a park reservation somewhere else. AK often opens at 8 am, even before Early Entry begins at other parks. In the scenario you describe, it’s possible for you to enter HS and still get to EPCOT on the dot of regular opening. But in the AK case, you could not make an 8 am LL if the other parks open at 9, even if you tap in and walk straight back out. (OK, technically it’s possible if they start letting you through the tapstiles at 8 am for an 8:30 EE time, but work with me here.) I don’t know if G+ would prohibit you from making this “impossible” LL or not. My guess is no because it causes more friction than it’s worth for Disney, and doesn’t apply to enough cases to damage other G+ users. But I am curious to see what would happen.
Note that at least at one point, you could not get a VQ for Guardians in the 7 am drop if your park reservation was not in EPCOT (don’t know if that matters to you). I believe that is still true, but I’ll check on it for you.
If I buy an individual lightning lane for say mine train and the ride is down during that timeframe, is the replacement pass I get only good for other rides in MK(including Tron?) or could it be used in another park for say flight of passage or rise?
Hi Carol, only Genie+ Lightning Lanes offer you the opportunity to ride another attraction. If you buy an ILL for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the ride is down during your window, then you may return at any time during the day while it is operating but you can only use the pass for this ride. If you’re not able to ride before the park closes – either because it never came back up or simply because it didn’t work with your schedule any more – then you can get a refund. Usually this is automatic, but on occasion people report that they had to request it.
Thank you for all this info! I’ve used Genie+ during two trips over the last two years and yet I never noticed the Genie+ LL could be modified
You’re welcome! To be fair, they added the modification over a year after it was first released … it’s always changing and it’s hard to keep up.
Hi – This website is such a great resource. Thanks for all you do. We are headed to Disney World on Wednesday March 20th for a short 4-day trip. Wednesday the 20th is a travel day for us, but we will be checked into our hotel by 2:30/3:00pm and will likely enter the parks that day on a park hopper ticket. I am considering buying some ILL passes for that day, later in the evening to ensure we can make our ride window. Do you know, if we buy ILL passes, but then ultimately decide not to go into the parks at all on our first travel day, will the ILL purchase cause our tickets to be counted as used for that day? I recognize if we buy ILL passes and then choose to not enter the park, we will lose the money spent on the ILL passes.
Many thanks – Todd
Hi Todd – I’ve asked a similar question (about purchasing Genie+ at midnight but then not going to the parks) of Disney customer service and they responded that no, it doesn’t. Admission is only used at the moment you scan into the park. While Genie+ is not exactly the same as your ILL question, I’d feel pretty confident of assuming that it works the same way. If you’re not confident enough with that answer, I’d suggest simply going to Disney World’s main site and using the Chat with a Cast Member feature to ask about your specific case.
If you think about it, these answers are not too surprising. Disney is a place where families go to vacation and kids … get sick at the last minute. Plans change. It doesn’t benefit anyone, including Disney, for them to end up with frustrated and unhappy customers who purchased an ILL at 7 am and then had to forgo their park visit because little Jimmy announced they weren’t feeling too great on the way to the bus stop.
If you decided not to use them but got very lucky, you could even get back the money you spent on ILLs – we once had a case where the ride was down during our ILL window and one of my kids didn’t want to wait. It eventually came back up and the rest of us rode, but their ILL was automatically refunded at the end of the day.
Have a great trip!
Hi!
I have a question about multiple people using the same MDE acccount. My family is going in May and all the park tickets were purchased together under my stepmom’s account, so everyone is linked on there.
When we are in the parks can multiple people be on her account looking for Genie+ LL’s at the same time, on different phones? Such as, 3 of us are each on our own phones, logged in to her account, refreshing the tip board to look for a new LL to book?
Thanks!
Hi Megan, yes, that will work just fine. Some of my family members do not have their own MDE accounts and they use mine in exactly this way. The one thing you will need to be careful of is that if you are all looking at the same time and someone tries to book Slinky Dog and someone else tries to book Toy Story Mania, you won’t get both. Whoever made it to the button first, that’s the reservation you’ll have. But, if you decide you want the other one, the Modify button is your friend. 🙂
Have a great trip!
Thank you!
Hi, if we are not arriving to Epcot until after 4 pm, how do we get an Individual Lighting Lane reservation for Guardians after 4 pm? Since times aren’t shown on the app between 7 and 730, I don’t want to end up with a time before we can arrive. And if I wait until after 730 am to book, will there still be spots left for Guardians of the Galaxy? This is for a Friday. Thanks!
Hi Rachel, when you tap to get a Lightning Lane between 7 and 7:30, you’ll see times then. They are just not shown on the Tip Board because they change too fast to be useful. Be aware that if it’s early in the day, even when you select the hour that you’d like to make your time it may change a bit – but it always moves later, not earlier (except in the unlikely case that all the later ones are gone) and it sounds like that’s not a problem for you. Once you are shown a specific time with the Edit Party screen, that time will be held for you for 10 minutes so you can complete the booking.
Have a great trip!
Hi!
If i’m buying ILL at 7am for for example seven dwarfs, how do return windows options work? If I buy it 7am would I by able to pick a return between 9:30 and 11?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Monica, if you buy at 7 am you’ll be able to pick a return between 9:30 and 11 as long as it’s available. Usually this isn’t an issue but in the very busiest times of the year around Christmas and Easter sometimes certain slots can sell out very quickly.
Hi! We’ll stay at the Pop Century Resort (we are definetly taking advantage of the early entrance) at what time do usually 7am first Genie+ LL return window is?
For example if my first picks are Navi river, jungle cruise, frozen and Star Wars?
Hi Monica, it’s hard to predict the return windows because it depends a lot on exactly when you’re visiting. My best advice is to watch the times for a couple of days beforehand (you can see them even if you didn’t buy Genie+) and you will quickly get a sense of which ones move quickly and which ones are slower. Just remember that you won’t be able to see the times on the board between 7 and 7:30 (you’ll see it when you book), so you’ll want to take that knowledge of which one you need to get first and just make your pick when it’s your actual day. Remember that Rise of the Resistance is an ILL, so you’ll need to do that separately.
Have a great trip!
Hello
The new ticket special that Disney is offering is for tickets that do not require a park reservation. Do you know how they will allow Genie + purchases for that?
Hi Becky, Our TA team was informed (by Disney) that if you have valid admission that doesn’t require a park reservation then you won’t need one in order to buy Genie+ or make Lightning Lane reservations. You will be able to do everything “as if you had a reservation” even though you don’t. But be aware that if you’ve used, say, the EPCOT day on those tickets, then you no longer have valid admission for EPCOT even if you have days left on the ticket and valid admission for some of the other parks.
Hi, question on Individual Lightning Lane bookings…we are going this coming Sunday through Tuesday. We will have Park Hopper and will start our days at MK, HS, then Epcot–chose Epcot for one of our days b/c I was worried we wouldn’t be able to get Guardians otherwise. But I might’ve been confused on that strategy. My question is this–can we book our second ILL reservation at 7 am after we book our first one? I.e. could we book an ILL for Guardians on Tuesday at 7am for mid-day, and then go ahead and book an ILL for later in the day (after 2:00) at AK for Flight of Passage? Or can we not book a second ILL until the normal Genie+ rules–either two hours or once we check into our first ILL?
Ie. in my example, if we book an ILL at 7am for Guardians at, say 11:00, and ideally want to buy an ILL for Flight of Passage for later in the day, can we book that ILL early in the morning or do we have to wait two hours? And if we have to wait two hours, all ILL for Flight of Passage will likely be gone, right? At that point, I assume we just hope that they open more reservations mid-day? I.e. keep checking and hope for the best?
Thanks!
Hi Jimmy, yes, you can book both ILLs at 7 a.m. You don’t need to ride one before you can get the next. The limitation on Genie+ LLs is (as you might guess) to keep them from booking up all at once. With ILLs, this is accomplished by limiting people to at most two per day, but you can make both of them at 7 a.m. Here’s a post from planDisney that confirms exactly that https://plandisney.disney.go.com/question/book-genie-ill-time-tassuming-not-overlap-491333/
This is a great question though! I’m going to add it to the article. Thanks for asking, and have a great trip!
Thanks so much Jennifer!! I really appreciate it! I think this is going to change our strategy–we’re going to start at Animal Kingdom on our last day, knowing we can buy an ILL that morning for Guardians for later in the day, so we’ll park hop to Epcot….I had convinced everyone that we needed to start at Epcot that morning to make sure we could ride Guardians, but sounds like that’s not the case–thanks so much!!
Hi Jennifer! We’re planning for a trip next year – and assuming the Genie+ system doesn’t change before then – I have some questions! We’re a group of six – me, my brother, his wife and young son, and our parents. In all likelihood only my brother and I will be able to use the Genie+ booking system. Say we purchased G+ for all six of us, and we’re all already linked through the app, and one day decide me and my brother wanted to book Space Mountain, which I do from my account,
could he then book the others in the group onto a different ride at the same time excluding himself from the booking from his account? Or does the person making the booking have to be included in the booking? Basically if the grandparents and the grandchild who don’t know how to use Genie+ and dont have it on their phones want to go off and do a different ride, can my brother or I book those rides from them without including one of us in the booking?
Hi Suzanna, you’re all set – you can do exactly what you’re proposing. I’ve booked Genie+ from my hotel room for people who wanted to ride something, and excluded myself from the group. You’ll always have the opportunity to edit the group when you’re booking to add or exclude anyone, but in the case you’re describing where you are already booked at Space Mountain you’ll find that it’s easy to book the others and exclude yourselves because you won’t show in the list of eligible guests.
You can book only for certain members of a group, and you can also cancel only for certain members of a group. When you want to know this: if you’re trying for a very popular LL that will book up to the afternoon quickly. There are only a few of these, but let’s say Slinky Dog. You’ll find it easier to zoom through the booking with everyone selected – fast fingers will get you an earlier time there, and unselecting people takes time. Once it’s done, cancel for those members of the group who don’t want to ride Slinky and book them somewhere else.
Have a great trip!
Awesome! Thank you for the answer – I’d looked everyone for this, and couldn’t find an answer one way or the other. Given the recent announcements however, who knows what the situation will be by next August, Genie+ and otherwise!
I have park hopper tickets and park reservations linked to my Disney Experience account for March 2023. When setting up “My Day” I obviously had to choose the park I had my reservation (Magic Kingdom), but then I was able to select “Plan for Your Next Park” and I chose my hop to park (EPCOT). This now populates “My Day” with both parks and puts EPCOT at the top of the list. (Not Ideal) I then went in and decided I didn’t want to park hop to EPCOT but rather Hollywood Studios, so I edited my selections and chose Hollywood Studios for a 2PM park hop arrival. This doesn’t reset “My Day” but now adds Hollywood Studios to the list along with EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. If I do the same by adding Animal Kingdom, I’ll now have all 4 parks listed in “My Day” with the last added park at the top of the list. I’m not sure what to expect from my tip board for that day because the day hasn’t arrived yet, but if anyone knows of a way to reset “My Day” back to just a single park I’d love to hear it.
Hi Chris,
You may find the answers you’re looking for here: https://touringplans.com/blog/how-to-setup-customize-genie-tip-board/
I would try going to the top of the My Day tab (*not* the Tip Board) and tapping Edit Selections. I know for sure it will let you redo your whole setup for your reservation park. I’ve never tried to see what it does to your hopping parks, but if it’s a total do-over as it appears to be for the one park then it should clear everything.
Good luck!
If I have a park reservation for Magic Kingdom but am planning to hop to Animal Kingdom later that day and I am making and stacking lightning lanes ONLY for Animal Kingdom after 2pm, which parks opening time am I using to gauge when I can make my 2nd (and subsequent) lightening lanes? For example, the day in question is a Sunday which shows that MK opens at 9am but AK opens at 8am. Is it the park that I have reservation for OR the park in which I am making lightening lanes? Would my second lightening lane time be 10am or 11am?
Hi Kimberly, when you make a Lightning Lane reservation before park opening, it always behaves as if you had tapped into the park that the ride is in and made it right at park opening. (I know that you can’t actually do this because that isn’t where your reservation is, but I find it is the best way to remember which park governs the 120-minute rule.)
So if you are making LL reservations for Animal Kingdom, then that is the park whose opening matters. In your specific example, you would be able to make a new reservation at 10 a.m.
You can take a look at the worked example here as well: https://touringplans.com/blog/when-can-you-book-next-genie-lightning-lane/
Have a great trip!
Hello – We have 4 adults in our party, scheduled March 4- 11, 2023. Say we are all logged into Genie+ at 7am. Can we make multiple Lightning Lane Reservations at the same time for the whole group?
Hi Shelly – If you’re asking what I think you’re asking, then no. Let’s take Slinky Dog and assume you’re going on a high crowd day where they may sell out very quickly.
If you have 4 people trying for a Slinky reservation at 7 a.m. with the same party, you may be more likely to end up with a reservation for Slinky than if only one person tried.
If you have 2 people trying for Slinky and 2 people trying for Toy Story Mania, each with the whole group of 4, then you’ll end up with a reservation for everyone for *either* Slinky or Toy Story Mania, but not both.
The time that it is helpful to have multiple people try to book the same party in different experiences is when you are trying to get a Genie+ LL and an Individual LL both at 7 a.m., or G+ LL and a Boarding Group. Those are cases where the systems are independent (in terms of whether holding one blocks you from another one), but if you try to have one person book one after the other, you might miss out on one.
Have a great trip!