Hey there, Genevieve!
Welcome to planDisney and thanks for coming to us with your question! How fun to have a summertime visit to the Disneyland Resort planned with your kids! My kids are also 4 years apart in age and we had a fantastic time taking them at these ages. Some of my favorite family pictures were from these visits and I hope your family gets to form some core memories as well.
In response to your question, all Guests who want to utilize Lightning Lanes will need to have purchased
Genie+ for their ticket. Whether or not you take turns with the kids or use the
Rider Switch Service, every Guest who goes through the
Lightning Lane will need to have Genie+ and a Lightning Lane reservation. The ideal situation would be that everyone in your party has Genie+ which would allow you the most freedom. I've been in groups where not everyone has Genie+ and so everyone had to wait through the normal standby queue if we all wanted to stay together.
Have your kids seen many Pixar films?
Pixar Fest is currently going on and will be happening over your visit! It's a celebration of all things Pixar, so I hope they know their Pixar characters! There's even a special
Foodie Guide for the event and I have to say that some of the dishes look delicious. I can't wait to try that Pixar Fest Cake!
Genevieve, I hope you found this information useful and that you're having fun planning your trip! Please return to us if you have any more questions because we'd love to hear from you again and you're always welcome at planDisney! We'll see ya real soon!
Wishing You a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow!
-Al