Hey there, hi there Bethany!
Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question. August will be here soon, and before you know it you'll be joining
The World's Most Magical Celebration!
Just like the beloved character it's named for,
Disney Genie+ will give you phenomenal cosmic power in the itty bitty living space that is your mobile device. However, it can be a bit confusing until you are actually in the parks using the service. Hopefully, I can make it a little clearer for you.
Let's start by talking about Lightning Lanes. That is a term used for a separate line that moves faster than the regular standby line. If you've been to Walt Disney World in the past you will remember these as the FastPass Lanes - same exact queue, different name. That's sounds simple enough, but what gets confusing is that gaining access to Lightning Lanes is different for some attractions.
With Genie+ you can book Lightning Lane return times to over 40 attractions throughout Walt Disney World with no additional fees apart from the cost of the service. At 7:00 AM on the day you are visiting a park, you can make your first Lightning Lane selection using your
My Disney Experience App on your mobile device. So, let's say you're visiting
Magic Kingdom. At 7:00 AM you can select a return time for any attraction that says LL Disney Genie+ with an available time next to it, like
Pirates of the Caribbean. Once you make a selection you either have to enter the attraction you booked, or wait 120 minutes before making another selection.
Now, if that all makes sense, there are some attractions that have Lightning Lanes that aren't available through Genie+. These are a small handful of the MOST popular attractions in the parks. For these attractions, you can pay a separate fee per guest to access the Lightning Lane. These rides are subject to change, but right now
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a great example. If you are a
Walt Disney World Resort Hotel guest, you can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for this attraction beginning at 7:00 AM. Other guests can make these purchases when the park opens for the day. Individual Lightning Lanes are NOT connected to Genie+, so if you do decide to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane you will still be able to make a Genie+ selection at the same time.
Hope this helps. Have a magical vacation!
Diane