Welcome to planDisney, Lloyd!
Wow, a trip to
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter sounds mighty fine indeed. This romantic and relaxing resort has great pools and delicious food. "Beignets? Got me a fresh batch just waitin' for you."
Since you're staying at a Disney Resort, you'll be able to take advantage of all the
amazing benefits that are available to Guests, such as extra time in the Theme Parks. Every Guest can take advantage of
early Theme Park entry. This 30-minute head start means that you'll be able to enjoy some of the more popular attractions before crowds get busy. And it gets even better: you can enjoy this benefit on each day of your stay—in any park! You'll be able to take advantage of the complimentary bus service, which
begins 45 minutes prior to park opening. Lloyd, I'd recommend
checking the calendar beforehand since park hours can change day to day. I'd suggest getting to the bus stop 60-50 minutes before park opening to make sure you're first on that bus!
When it comes to
Disney Genie+, I understand the trepidation of using a new system. However, I think you'll find that you get the hang of it pretty quickly. Just make sure you have your cell phone charged up each day and maybe even bring a power bank if you have one (being on your phone throughout the day certainly drains the ol' battery). 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 enjoy the attractions without waiting as long. 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.
You can purchase Disney Genie+ on a day-to-day basis. You can do this very easily using the My Disney Experience Mobile App. On the day of your visit, just open up the app, click on the three lines at the bottom right corner of your screen, and then select "My Genie Day." There should be an option that says "Get Disney Genie+ for Today." Select it and you'll find a list of all the people in your party (these will be the people you've added via My Friends & Family). Select the members of your party that will use this service and then make your purchase. The rest is magic!
I hope that's helpful, Lloyd! Have a great trip.
Mike