Hi there, Reilly! Welcome to planDisney!
A visit to Walt Disney World Resort is always full of magic and wonder, but even more so during the holiday season! I'm so glad that you'll be able to experience that yuletide joy with your niece this year!
If you would like to reserve times to experience attractions without the standby wait, you can purchase the
Disney Genie+ service. You can purchase the Disney Genie+ service on the day of your theme park visit using your
My Disney Experience mobile app. You'll find a "Purchase for Today" link near the top of your app's Tip Board. I recommend purchasing the Disney Genie+ service before 7:00 a.m. on the day of your theme park visit because if you've already purchased the service, you can make your first
Lightning Lane Entrance reservation at 7:00 a.m.
If you're using the Disney Genie+ service, you can continue to book Lightning Lane return times throughout the day for various attractions, based on availability. You can book a new Lightning Lane time two hours after booking your first Lightning Lane (or two hours after the park opening for times booked prior to opening), or once you've scanned into your first Lightning Lane attraction, whichever happens first.
For most attractions, you will have the option to access them using either a Lightning Lane Entrance or a standby queue. However, it is important to note that a few attractions in each theme park are not included in the Disney Genie+ service and instead require the purchase of an a la carte
Individual Lightning Lane to bypass the standby queue. Individual Lightning Lanes can be purchased at 7:00 a.m. for Disney Resorts Collection Guests or at park opening time for Guests staying elsewhere.
At
Magic Kingdom Park, Individual Lightning Lanes can currently be purchased for
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and
TRON Lightcyle / Run Presented by Enterprise. While Seven Dwarfs Mine Train also offers a standby line, if you do not purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for TRON Lightcyle / Run, you will need to secure a spot in the
virtual queue to access the attraction. There is currently no standby line offered for TRON Lightcyle / Run. Guests can request to join the virtual queue through their My Disney Experience mobile app at either 7:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. There is also an additional opportunity for Guests who are attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party to join the virtual queue at 6:00 p.m. on the evening of the event.
Other than the virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle / Run, all other attractions will be standby only during
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Although the Disney Genie+ service does not operate during the party, I think you will find that due to the limited number of tickets sold for the event, attraction wait times typically stay quite low.
Reilly, if we can answer any additional questions for you as you get ready for your trip, please don't hesitate to ask. Wishing you a happy holiday season and a magical Walt Disney World Resort vacation!
Samantha