Fastpasses are officially retired at Walt Disney World and Disney Genie+ is the new paid replacement. This guide to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World answers frequently asked questions with info & tips based on official details we’ve received from Disney parks including a special preview and hands-on demonstration before launch. We will be keeping these updated as we learn more. Make sure to check out “Guide to Disney Genie+ the new Fastpass at Disney World” for a full breakdown of everything.
Answers to questions regarding Disney Genie+ & Lighting Lane
Will Annual Passholders be able to use this?
Yes. Disney has said that at launch you will be able to buy it as an add-on to their day like any other park guest. While they haven’t mentioned it yet, it seems likely they would eventually have an option for you to add it onto your pass for a flat fee for the year. They had this at Disneyland so that would make sense at some point. This may be coming down the road but isn’t available as of yet.
Will this work with park hopping?
Yes, you can use the Genie+ option for the whole day whichever park you’re in. Same is true for the Individual Lightning Lane purchases- you aren’t restricted by parks, just a two per day max.
How will this affect standby wait times?
We haven’t ever had a paid system like this before at Walt Disney World. So we will have to see. But I will definitely test park strategies both with and without it so we will figure out what works best to minimize waits. It’s unlikely this will slow down the standby lines as much as Fastpass did, as there were so many people using that system, and it seems likely this will be fewer people now that it’s not free.
Will you still need Park Reservations?
Yes. Disney has said that the reservation system isn’t leaving however, now that capacity is back to normal getting a pass isn’t really an issue. Aside from highly crowded times like holidays, it’s unlikely you’ll have many issues getting the reservations you’re looking for.
Will there be any perks for those who stay at Disney World resort?
The only one they’ve mentioned so far is that resort guests will get first dibs at those individual Lightning Lane purchases. They can purchase them at 7 am the day of, versus park opening time for everyone else. It remains to be seen how much of an advantage early access will be. I’m assuming there will be a limited amount of those available each day. Maybe with something like Rise of the Resistance, it could be a big advantage. But we’ll have to see how it all plays out.
How many individual Lightning Lane attractions can each guest book (buy) per day?
The max is two and they have to be different attractions, so you can’t buy the same ride twice.
Do you have to buy Genie+ to be able to book (buy) the individual Lightning Lane selections?
No, they are separate things and there’s no overlap between them. If an attraction is offered as an individual Lightning Lane selection, it won’t be offered on Genie+ and vice versa so there is no overlap.
Do you have to purchase the Genie+ option for every day of your vacation?
No, you can do it as needed. You can choose to only use it on certain days of your trip when you feel you will get the most out of it, or add it to each day of your vacation before you arrive.
Can you buy Disney Genie+ in advance before you arrive?
Yes, you can have it added to your vacation package prior to arrival or you can wait and purchase Genie+ the same day while you’re at the park, using it right away. This may be optimal if you want to first see what the wait times are like on the day you’re visiting, or see what you’re able to get done in the first hour of park opening.
Can only some people in your travel group get Genie+ or the Individual Lightning Lane attractions?
Yes, not everyone needs to have it. If you have some people that don’t typically ride and won’t need it then they don’t have to buy it. You can just select those that will want to use it.
Is there a different price for children?
No, the price is the same for everyone.
Does my 2-year-old need to have Genie+?
Anyone who is using a park ticket does. It is attached to your ticket. So you won’t need to buy Genie+ for little ones that don’t need a ticket to enter.
Can you still do all of the attractions without buying any of these upgrades? Do I have to use Disney Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes in order to experience any of the attractions?
Everything still has a regular way to experience the attraction and you don’t have to buy any of these, they’re all completely optional. Currently, every ride at Disney World except one is standby only, and will still have a regular standby line. The only ride that doesn’t is the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure which has a Virtual Queue system and will still have the same Virtual Queue available. The only difference is that if you choose, you can buy direct access to Ratatoiulle without needing the Virtual Queue with the Individual Lightning Lane options.
Is there a limited number of Disney Genie+ addons available each day? Is there a danger of them selling out?
Currently, at the time of launch, there is no cap on the number of people who can buy the Disney Genie+ option, so there’s no worry about it selling out.
Is there a limited number of Individual Lightning Lane addons available each day? Is it possible they will sell out?
Yes, there is a limit on the amount of those Inidivual Lightning Lane attractions that will be open for purchase each day. They are only sold the day of and not in advance.
When can I purchase the Individual Lightning Lane add-on?
Only on the day of your visit. These cannot be bought in advance. Guests staying at a Disney resort (and its partner resorts) will be able to purchase them each day at 7 am giving them a slight advantage. Everyone else can get them beginning at the park opening time. So if you are purchasing Lightning Lane access for Space Mountain for example, since that is located in Magic Kingdom you would look at the opening time for that park. If it opens at 9 am that day, then you can purchase it right at 9 am. You do not need to be inside the park for either the 7 am resort guest purchase time, or the park opening one later.
We will be keeping this FAQ on Disney Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes updated as we continue to learn more and test it out inside the parks. Here at Living by Disney we are dedicated to bring you unbiased and accurate information to help you get the most out of your Walt Disney World and Orlando Florida vacations!
