Welcome to planDisney, Christine!
Walt Disney once said, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." The same can be said about Walt Disney World. It is always changing, as Cast Members imagine new ways to immerse us in the magic.
Disney Genie is a new service meant to help Guests experience the joy of The Most Magical Place on Earth. I find it helpful to think of it in terms of three magical wishes:
Wish #1 — Disney GenieEach and every Guest is able to access this complimentary service using the My Disney Experience Mobile App. This feature can help you plan your itinerary for the day by considering what's important to you. It even updates and optimizes your plans based on ever-changing wait times. So if there are certain attractions, shows, or meals you want to experience, then you can tell Genie and he'll use his powers to create a flexible plan for you.
Wish #2 — Disney Genie+
By purchasing Disney Genie+ you basically upgrade your park ticket to include "phenomenal cosmic powers." These powers enable you to select Lightning Lane entrances at over 40 attractions throughout the theme parks. These entrances allow you to skip the regular standby lines and get on the attractions quicker. Starting at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit, you'll be able to make your first Lightning Lane selection. Once you enjoy that attraction, or two hours after making your selection (whatever comes sooner), you can then make another Lightning Lane selection. You can keep doing that throughout the day until there are no more Lightning Lane selections available.
To purchase Disney Genie+ on a day-to-day basis, simply open up the
My Disney Experience Mobile App and on the home screen you should find something in purple that says, "Disney Genie+ - Add even more magic to your visit." Tap "Purchase for Today" and you'll be taken to a list of all the people in your party that you've added via My Friends & Family. You're going to want to select the members of your party that will use this service. Once you do that, you'll then make your purchase.
To make a Genie+ reservation, look at the Tip Board on the app and select the experience that you want to book. You'll then be taken to the "Review Details" section. Note the time of the reservation. Select the people in your party that you'd like to make the reservation for and click "Continue." Your reservation should now be confirmed.
Wish #3 — Individual Lightning Lane Entrances
Individual Lightning Lane entrances are available for some of the more high-demand attractions in the theme parks. These attractions usually have longer wait times. However, you can purchase Individual Lightning Lane entrances to bypass the regular standby line. You can use this service with or without purchasing Disney Genie+. However, even if you have Disney Genie+, Individual Lightning Lanes do cost extra. The cost of each Individual Lightning Lane varies by attraction. You can book up to two Individual Lightning Lane entrances per day per Guest.
Wishes #2 and #3 are perfect if you'd like to experience as many attractions as possible during your trip.
I hope that's helpful, Christine! Thanks for stopping by planDisney!
Mike