Hello Lisa,
The countdown is on for your Disney day! Adding Genie+ to your park ticket will help you be able to experience more magic during your trip to
Magic Kingdom.
First, if you haven't already done so, make sure you have the
My Disney Experience app added to your mobile device. Check to see if your theme park tickets for both you and your son have been linked to My Disney Experience and that you have a
reservation to Magic Kingdom for the day you are planning to visit.
You can add
Genie+ beginning on midnight the day of your reservation, but if you're not a night owl, don't worry. You can add it the morning of your visit. If this is your first time using Genie+, start adding it by at least 6:30 AM. It will only take a couple of minutes, but you don't want to feel rushed, and you want to have it all set up and ready to go by 7:00 AM when you can make your first Lightning Lane selection.
To set up the service, you'll go to "My Genie Day" in your My Disney Experience app. You'll see a highlighted bar that says, "Take Today to the Next Level, Get Disney Genie+ for Today." Click that and follow the prompts.
Once you have it set up you can make your first Lightning Lane selection at 7:00 AM, before you are even in the park. I recommend trying to get an attraction with a return time as close to park opening as possible. You'll be able to make your second selection either 1) after you've entered the Lightning Lane for your first attraction, or 2) 120 minutes after park opening.
If you are planning to take a break during your Magic Kingdom day, keep in mind that you can make a new Lightning Lane reservation every 120 minutes, even if you aren't in the park. That way when you return, you'll already have a couple of rides that you can hop right on.
I recommend taking a look at your My Disney Experience app before your trip, especially the "Tip Board" for Magic Kingdom. This will give you a good feel for which attractions run out of Lightning Lane access early and which attractions you can wait to book later in the day.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your visit to
The World's Most Magical Celebration!