Hi Carla,
It's great to see you back planning Disney at planDisney. Some things about experiencing a Walt Disney World Resort vacation never change, like the magic of waving to Mickey Mouse as he
parades down Main Street, U.S.A. Other things change drastically, like your
options for tapping into the magic at theme park entry: MagicBand, MagicBand+, Disney MagicMobile pass, or admission card.
My kids have only known multigenerational Walt Disney World Resort vacations, so your comment about doing Disney with "different ages and interests" really resonates with me. At Magic Kingdom Park, Nana and Grandpa don't ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and my 17-year-old nephew doesn't need to visit the princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall, but we all love riding Jungle Cruise together. I'm happy to report that it is indeed possible to book Genie+ Lightning Lane attractions for any combination of people in your party, Carla. Let's dig a little deeper into those Disney details.
You can purchase
Disney Genie+ service via the Tip Board of your
My Disney Experience mobile app (three small lines at the bottom right of the app's home page --> Tip Board) anytime after midnight each park day. You can purchase Genie+ for anyone on your
Family & Friends List with valid admission and a
theme park reservation linked to their account. I recommend purchasing by 6:45 a.m. so you can book your first Genie+ Lightning Lane attraction at 7:00 a.m. on the dot.
You can book your first Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation at 7:00 a.m. via the Tip Board of your My Disney Experience mobile app (three small lines --> Tip Board --> Scroll to desired attraction). You can book for anyone that appears on your Family & Friends List with Genie+ linked to their account. The second part of the booking process asks you to confirm your party, which is where you can divide and conquer, so to speak.
Something to keep in mind while strategizing your day is that Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations can only be made for the next available arrival window. If the goal is for smaller groups to experience one Genie+ Lightning Lane attraction separately and then come together for a big group ride, look for arrival windows that overlap so the entire party will be eligible to book their next Genie+ Lightning Lane attraction at a similar time. You can book your next Genie+ Lightning Lane attraction as soon as you tap in for your first, or at the time listed on your Tip Board banner. If the plan is to split up for most attractions but come together for a dining reservation, each group can decide what arrival time(s) work best for their schedule. Here's an
in-depth look at what worked well for my family on a recent visit.
I hope you find this information helpful, Carla. You're an official member of the planDisney 'Ohana, and we hope to assist you again real soon.
Choose magic,
Jennifer