Greetings, Elizabeth!
I'd like to extend a warm welcome to you on behalf of the Disneyland Resort planDisney panelists! It sounds like you've had experience with Genie+ over at Walt Disney World, and it works very similarly out here at the Disneyland Resort with a few differences that I will cover.
Genie+ is available as an add-on at the time of ticket purchase or through the
Disneyland app as a single-day purchase after park entry, which differs from Walt Disney World. There is no need for you to be on your device at 7 a.m. hoping to make that first reservation. The first Lightning Lane you can reserve for an attraction would be made immediately after entering either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure. If you've purchased a
Park Hopper ticket, you can make reservations at both Parks but keep in mind that you cannot park hop until 1 p.m. so plan accordingly. Individual
Lightning Lanes work much the same way in that they can be purchased only after park entry. You can also hold a Genie+ reservation
and an Individual Lightning Lane at the same time! As always, availability is limited and recently, Disneyland actually sold out of Genie+ for a few days during the busy Holiday season.
One thing I love about our Genie+ is that
Disney PhotoPass downloads are included with your purchase, so feel free to make use of the Disney PhotoPass photographers and download attraction photos to your heart's content!
Elizabeth, I see that your visit to the Happiest Place on Earth has already begun, so I hope that your time here is as magical as ever. We are incredibly proud to represent Walt's original Park and we strive to uphold the legacy that he started in 1955. I hope you found this information useful, and please write to us again at planDisney for any further questions!
Have a Magical Day!
-Al