Hi, Christina! Thanks for bringing your question to planDisney. Visiting Walt Disney World Resort with a big group means big fun! I'm happy to help you sort everything out so that your party of nine can experience all of Walt Disney World's magic together.
The first thing you want to do is make sure everyone in your group, including the Guest who lives locally, has a
My Disney Experience profile. You also want to connect everyone in your party using the Family & Friends list in your
My Disney Experience mobile app. If you have any issues with setting this up, please write back to us here at planDisney. We'd be happy to answer any additional questions you might have about this process. Once everyone is connected in My Disney Experience, you are ready to start planning together.
If you're planning to purchase
Disney Genie+ service, you will be able to do so for anyone in your Family & Friends list, as long as they have valid
theme park admission and a
park reservation. You will be able to make regular
Lightning Lane selections for anyone in your Family & Friends list who has purchased Disney Genie+ service for that day. However, only Guests who are listed on a
Disney Resort Hotel reservation can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane at 7:00 A.M. The family member who is not staying with you will not be eligible to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane until the theme park's opening time.
If the members of your group who are staying at a Disney Resort Hotel purchase an Individual Lightning Lane at 7:00 A.M., your local family member could purchase theirs when the park opens and try to reserve a time that overlaps with the rest of the group. However, there is no guarantee that the same time frame will be available to book later in the day. The local Guest could simply experience the attraction at a different time from the rest of the party, or your entire group could wait to purchase the Individual Lightning Lane when the park opens. Please be aware though that Individual Lightning Lane availability becomes less plentiful the longer you wait, and often eventually sells out completely.
Christina, I hope this information is helpful as you plan your visit. If we can answer any additional questions for you, please don't hesitate to ask.
See ya real soon!
Samantha