Hello Colette,
Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question. Summer is going to fly by, and before you know it, you'll be joining
The World's Most Magical Celebration!
Traveling with a large group is so much fun takes a lot of planning and coordination to make sure you can just soak up the magic and make amazing memories together. The free version of
Disney Genie can help you customize your touring plans to include the attractions and shows that you most want to experience. In your
My Disney Experience app you'll be able to see wait times and even get recommendations for attractions and dining options.
It sounds like you are hoping to lessen some of the time your party spends waiting in lines by upgrading your tickets to include Genie+. While I love
Genie+ and the ability to access Lightning Lanes for over 40 attractions throughout Walt Disney World, it is definitely a splurge. You will need to purchase it for EACH person in your party who wants to access Lightning Lanes, and that cost can add up. The great news is, you purchase it daily, so you may choose to get it on only certain days during your vacation.
In some parks, like
EPCOT, for example, you may be able to avoid long standby lines by getting to the park right when it opens and heading to the most popular attractions like
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure,
Frozen Ever After, and/or
Test Track as soon as you get there. You probably won't get all of those done before the crowds arrive, but you will be able to experience one or two popular attractions with a short wait. The new
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind uses a
virtual queue, or you can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane, which you might consider doing instead of purchasing Genie+ for your EPCOT day.
In parks like
Disney's Hollywood Studios, I think having Genie+ is really helpful. There are a ton of popular attractions that tend to have really long standby wait times. Whenever I visit this park I get there early to ride
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance first thing in the morning, but I also rely on Genie+ to book return times for popular attractions like
Slinky Dog Dash,
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, and all of the other things on our family's "must do" list.
My advice to you is to take a few days to look at Tip Board for each park in your My Disney Experience app on your mobile device. Watch the wait times for the attractions and look at how quickly the Genie+ attractions get booked. You may discover that the standby lines for some parks are fine to wait in and determine that you don't need Genie+ on certain days.
Hope this helps. Have a magical vacation!
Diane