Hi Ann, welcome to planDisney!
My first visit to
Walt Disney World Resort was over 30 years ago. Anna was right, some things never change, like the goosebumps I get when I first lay eyes on Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom Park. Some things, however, change drastically, like the way Guests access and maximize the magic on their Walt Disney World Resort vacations.
Disney’s FastPass system was recently replaced by Lightning Lane reservations at popular attractions throughout the theme parks. Lightning Lane entrances allow you to spend less time waiting and more time doing during your park days. There are two ways to access
Lightning Lane entrances as opposed to standby or virtual queues, which I’ll review with you now.
Purchasing
Disney Genie+ service on a park day gives you access to Lightning Lane entrances at over 40 attractions throughout the four theme parks. You can purchase Disney Genie+ service anytime after midnight on a park day via the Tip Board of your
My Disney Experience mobile app (three small lines at the bottom right of the home page Tip Board) as long as you have valid admission and a
theme park reservation linked to your account. You can book your first Genie+ Lighting Lane attraction at 7:00 a.m. and are given the next available arrival window. You can continue making Genie+ Lightning Lane attractions throughout the day. Your Tip Board Banner shows what time you can make your next Genie+ Lightning Lane attraction. For reference, my family booked seven Genie+ Lightning Lane attractions at Magic Kingdom Park on Friday.
For a separate, smaller list of attractions, an Individual Lighting Lane purchase is required to access the Lightning Lane entrance as opposed to the standby line or virtual queue. These attractions currently include Guardians of the Galaxy - Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There is a cost per person for each attraction, which varies depending on the attraction as well as the date. Unlike Genie+ Lightning Lanes, you get to select a return time for an Individual Lightning Lane reservation. You purchase Individual Lighting Lanes in the Tip Board of your My Disney Experience mobile app by scrolling to your desired attraction and clicking the “LL Individual Lightning Lane” button.
I understand this is a lot of information to digest, Ann. Please don’t hesitate to
reach out with any follow-up questions.
Choose magic,
Jennifer