Hi Harry!
Thanks for stopping back by planDisney with another great question! Virtual Queues, Individual Lightning Lanes, and Disney Genie+ are all available to help you save time in lines and maximize your day in the park. These are all great tools, but it can sometimes be a lot to navigate - let's break it down!
Harry, while each of these is available through your
My Disney Experience Mobile App and may seem very similar, they are actually three distinct services for guests and you can choose to use one or all three without any bearing on the others. I often find myself using all three to save time in lines! For example, if you are staying on property, you could join a Virtual Queue, buy an Individual Lightning Lane, and use Genie+ to grab another Lightning Lane - all at 7:00 AM!
Virtual Queues are currently available for TRON Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom Park as well as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and will soon also be available for
Tiana's Bayou Adventure when it opens on June 28, 2024. Anyone can join a Virtual Queue free of charge through your My Disney Experience Mobile App beginning at 7:00 AM as long as you have a valid theme park admission for that day. If your ticket
requires a theme park reservation, you must have a reservation for the park that the ride is in to grab that first Virtual Queue. If you miss the 7:00 AM time, you can try again at 1:00 PM, but you must be in the park that you are trying to join the queue for at that time. You can only be in one Virtual Queue at a time and cannot join a Virtual Queue for the same ride again later in the day. If you have a little bit of luck and some pixie dust, you may be able to join a Virtual Queue for TRON in the morning, park hop to EPCOT, and then grab a Virtual Queue for Guardians in the afternoon.
Individual Lightning Lanes are paid Lightning Lane entrances for some of the most popular rides and attractions - typically one or two per park. You can only purchase two Individual Lightning Lanes per day and cannot repeat a ride on the same day. Individual Lightning Lanes are available to purchase beginning at 7:00 AM for guests staying in Disney Resorts Collection hotels and at park opening for all other guests. You can choose to purchase one or both first thing in the morning and Individual Lightning Lanes allow you the flexibility to pick from available return times.
Disney Genie+ is a paid service that allows you to secure Lightning Lane entry to dozens of rides around the parks. Depending on the crowds on the day you are visiting, you may be able to use more or less of these. Genie+ pricing varies from day to day and you can choose to purchase this service for one park or for multiple parks if you plan to park hop. Anyone who has purchased Genie+ can make their first selection at 7:00 AM. After that, you can make another selection once you have used your previous Lightning Lane or it's been two hours since you've made your selection. The two hour time window starts at park opening though, not at 7:00 AM.
Harry, I hope this helps to answer your question and clarify these three services. Please stop by to see us again if you have any other questions in the future - we're all ears!
See ya real soon!
Kristi