Hi there, Diane! Thanks for coming to planDisney with your question. Wow, I would say you’re one of the coolest moms I know for planning such a special birthday party for your soon-to-be teenage daughter! You will have such an amazing time.
The good news is, you’ll be able to make
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane selections for your whole party of four from your phone. Just make sure you have all four tickets linked to your account (you can check in the
Disneyland mobile app under Tickets and Passes.) If you haven’t purchased Genie+ yet, you can do so in the app, under My Genie Day once you have entered.
A few Genie+ tips...
1. You will have access to Lightning Lanes for 19 attractions across the two theme parks. You can pick one Lightning Lane per attraction per day. For example, you can use the Lightning Lane for Space Mountain only once in a day, but you could opt to use the standby queue if you want to ride it again. I have teenage daughters and they like to do the thrill rides multiple times - I don't go with them every time!
2. There are three attractions not included in Genie+ - these have Individual Lightning Lanes you can purchase ‘a la carte’ per ride, with or without Genie+. These Individual Lightning Lanes can be purchased for up to two different attractions each day, so plan accordingly because you can’t do all three Individual Lightning Lane attractions in a single day.
3. The easiest way to find available Lightning Lane windows is in the Disneyland mobile app under the Tip Board. As you scroll down, for the attractions that have Lightning Lanes, you'll see "LL Disney Genie+" with a link to "Book Experience."
4. You can make your next selection immediately after your current selection has been redeemed. And, if it’s been more than 120 minutes from the time you made the selection, even if your current selection’s arrival window hasn’t started, you can make a new selection. Example: at 9:00 a.m. you made a Lightning Lane selection for Incredicoaster, for which the arrival window starts at 1:00 p.m.. At 11:00 a.m., you can make another Lightning Lane selection, even though you haven’t redeemed your Incredicoaster Lightning Lane yet. Pro tip from my daughter - set a timer on your phone to remind you when to make your next selection!
5. Only at Disneyland Resort, Genie+ gives you complimentary access to
Disney PhotoPass for the day. This is a huge perk for me because I love capturing photos throughout the parks. When you link attraction photos as well as those taken by Disney PhotoPass Photographers, you’ll have access to unlimited digital downloads for the day. Be sure to ask the photographer about taking a Magic Shot which includes special effects or character surprises. I bet your daughter and her friends will love these special memories of her birthday trip.
Make sure to pick up a complimentary birthday button for your daughter when you arrive, at any gift shop or Guest Services location. You can also get “I’m celebrating” buttons for yourself and her pals, and write the birthday girl’s name in. These buttons are fun to take photos with!
If you’re dining at a table service restaurant, let the host stand know you're celebrating a birthday!
Have a great time making magical memories with your special girl, Diane!
Kamini