Welcome back to planDisney, Ariele!
I am so excited to hear that you are planning a trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth! It sounds like your itinerary details are off to a great start. Having the
Park Hopper option and
Disney Genie+ are great ways to experience even more magic during your upcoming adventure. You can hop to your favorite parks while spending less time in line with these awesome add-ons! I am happy to report that Guests with the Park Hopper option can use their Disney Genie+ benefits in multiple parks on the same day!
Let's start with the
Park Pass reservation portion of your inquiry. You will need a Park Pass reservation on the day you wish to visit the theme parks. But you only need one! Here's how Park Hopping works with the Park Pass reservation system. Make a reservation for the theme park where you wish to start your day. Head to that park at any time on your reservation date. Then you can hop to your next park and enter anytime after 2 PM, no reservation required. This means you can start your adventure on Main Street U.S.A., and head to EPCOT for dinner. Now that's a great day! It is important to note that you must enter your first park (the one you acquired a reservation for) before you can head to the next one. I also want to mention that Park Hopping is based on availability. Should a theme park reach capacity limits, you will receive a push notification to your mobile device via the My Disney Experience mobile app.
Okay, on to Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes. I am delighted to say that you can use both of these great features at any park as long as you have the Park Hopper option. I used this service on my recent visit, and it was easy to make a Lightning Lane reservation for my next park, even while spending time in the initial park. It is worth mentioning that you will not be able to make a selection for return times before 2 PM for additional parks. But you can book them at any time during the day. For example: If you are spending the morning at Disney's Animal Kingdom, but want to book a Lightning Lane for Toy Story Mania! in Disney Hollywood Studios, you can book your spot any time after 7 AM. But your earliest return time offering will be 2 PM, the official start time of park hopping. My Pro-tip is to choose a Lightning Lane selection for your next park when you are on your way out of the current park. Choose a favorite attraction that has a return time of an hour to an hour and a half from when you are leaving This will give you plenty of time to get to travel to your next park, grab a snack, and make your way to your next Lighting Lane!
I hope that these tips help you continue to plan the best trip ever!
We'll see ya real soon!
Tammy