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Genie+ is one of the many new changes at Disney World. And it is a big one! So, what is Genie+? And should you add it to your next family vacation to Disney World? I’ll break it all down for you and give you all the information you need to know. Keep reading to discover if Genie+ is a must do for your family!
What is Genie+?
Basically, Genie+ allows you to make a reservation for a particular ride so you can bypass the standby line in order to get on the ride faster.
If you are familiar with Disney’s fastpass system, then you already have a very basic understanding of Genie+. This is a paid system that is replacing Fastpass+. It is similar in some respects and different in others. The biggest difference between the two systems is that the fastpasses are no longer free.
There are actually two different parts to this system. First, Genie+ allows you to make an unlimited number of ride reservations, one at a time, for any of the included rides.
However, the most popular rides in the parks are not included on Genie+. If you want to get a ride reservation for one of these rides, you will have to pay an additional charge, above and beyond what you pay for Genie+, to get an “individual Lightning Lane” selections.
These individual Lightning Lane reservations are limited to two per person per day. This is the second part of the system.
Please note: Do not confuse Genie+ with Genie. Even though they share a name, they are two very different things. Genie+ is the paid ride reservation system. Whereas, Genie (without the +) is part of the My Disney Experience app which will help you plan your trip and will give you suggestions on things to do.
Lightning Lanes
One last piece of this new system is Lightning Lanes. This is now the name for the old fastpass lines at each of the rides. These separate queues are now called “Lightning Lanes.” These lanes will be used for your ride reservations, whether you get them through Genie+ or the individual reservations.
How Much Does Genie+ Cost?
One of the biggest questions everyone has about this new system is how much does it cost? So, let’s talk about the cost.
Genie+ will cost you $15 per person per day. For a family of four, you can expect to spend $60 per day for Genie+. This is in addition to the price of park admission.
The price of the individual Lightning Lane reservations will vary depending on date, ride, and demand. You can expect to pay anywhere from $7-15 per reservation for these rides.
What Rides Are Included?
The following is a list of rides included with each part of this new system.
Genie+ includes these Magic Kingdom rides:
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- Goofy’s Barnstormer
- Mad Tea Party
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Haunted Mansion
- it’s a small world
- Dumbo
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Mickey’s Philharmagic
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Splash Mountain
It also includes these rides at Hollywood Studios:
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Beauty & the Beast Live on Stage
- Frozen Sing Along Celebration
- Star Tours
- MuppetVision 3D
- Disney Jr. Play & Dance
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Rock ‘n Roller Coaster
At Animal Kingdom, the Genie+ rides are:
- Dinosaur
- Festival of the Lion King
- It’s Tough to be a Bug
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Na’vi River Journey
- Feathered Friends in Flight
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
At Epcot, the following rides are included with Genie+:
- Mission Space
- Test Track
- Soarin’
- Spaceship Earth
- Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
The Individual Lightning Lane Selection rides are:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Space Mountain
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Expedition Everest
- Avatar Flight of Passage
Should You Get Genie+?
The most important question when planning your Disney World trip is should you spend the money to get Genie+ and/or individual ride reservations? While this decision will be different for every family, we will give you some factors to think about so you can make the best decision for yourself.
First, remember that even if you choose to not pay for Genie+, you can always ride any and all of the rides at Disney World by waiting in the standby lines. Also, you can pass on Genie+ and still pay for one or more individual selections.
Budget
The first factor to consider when deciding whether to get Genie+ is budget. If you are on a tight budget, this is definitely something you can skip in order to save some money. It may cost you a little time, but you won’t miss out on any rides by skipping Genie+.
Time
Next, think about how much time you will have on your trip. Think about how busy the parks will be during your trip. You can see predicted crowd levels for your trip at Touringplans.com.
Which is more important to you: time or money? How long is your trip? How much time will you be spending in the parks? Are you ok with standing in line for an hour or more? Can your kids handle standing in line for all of the rides?
If time is precious, then it may be worth it to you to buy Genie+. But it is not the only way to minimize waiting in lines. If you are smart with how you plan your park days, you can ride everything you want without spending hours in lines.
Plus, Disney posts at the beginning of each standby line the estimated wait time. Most of the time, these times are inflated for a variety of reasons. This means that more often than not, you will actually wait less than the posted time if you choose the standby line. So, keep this in mind when deciding whether to buy Genie+.
Priorities
The third factor to think about is your priorities. What do you want to spend your time on during your vacation? What things are important to your family? Are you there to ride rides? Do you prefer meeting characters and watching shows? Do you just want to stroll through the parks and marvel at the details?
Unless riding as many rides as physically possible is the goal of your vacation, don’t bother getting Genie+. It will be a waste of money for you if you are not riding rides as much as possible.
Frequency of Visits
Lastly, think about how often you will be visiting Disney World. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for your family, then you may want to invest in Genie+ so you can ride all of the rides during your trip.
On the other hand, if you plan to visit Disney World every few years, you may want to skip it because you can always ride whatever you missed on your next trip.
Conclusion
Genie+ is a big new change at Disney World. It is a paid reservation system for the rides. Whether it is a must-do for your family will depend on your budget and priorities as well as the length of your trip. I hope this helps you decide if you should pay for it!
For more trip planning help, see our step by step guide to planning your first trip, advice for Disney World first timers, best resources for trip planning, and quick tips for planning your trips.
Happy travels!
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