Genie+ vs Individual Lightning Lane
In the olden days of Walt Disney World, you waited in line, or you used your park ticket to get a FastPass - where you could return to the ride at a later time and not wait as long in line.
Now, it is more complicated. You have Genie, Genie+, Individual Lightning Lanes, Virtual Queue… So many options! For the sake of this post, we’re going to discuss the difference between Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes.
Having just visited Walt Disney World, I was very overwhelmed with these options and had no idea what each meant or when you use what… And the descriptions online were not very helpful. So here I am trying to explain them all to the best of my ability :)
What in the World are These
Genie+ - Genie+ is a paid add-on that has taken over the FastPass option. This is an option to buy on your park days starting at 7am of your park visit. When we visited, it was $29 per person per day.
They have the complimentary Genie service which allows you to view wait times, make dinner reservations, and help plan your day, or pay for Genie+ to book return times to rides.
On your park visit day, you will need to open the Walt Disney World app, which is needed for Genie+ and ILL, and pay for your Genie+. You can purchase Genie+ at midnight of your park visit day, and can book your first ride at 7am - which is highly recommended. We started at Epcot, so we immediately booked the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride - which was booked up within 45 seconds… So I definitely recommend setting your alarm for a few minutes before 7am, purchase Genie+ immediately if you didn’t at midnight, have your first ride picked out and pulled up on the app to book ASAP.
Most rides have Genie+ options, but not all.
Individual Lightning Lanes - These are for specific rides and you pay an extra fee for these rides. For example, Avatar Flight of Passage is not an option for Genie+, but is on Individual Lightning Lanes. We paid $16 each to skip the line on this ride.
So Individual Lightning Lanes are independent from Genie+. Genie+ took over FastPass, and Individual Lightning Lanes are a pay-per-ride add-on.
When to Use Each?
I’ll include a list at the bottom of this post of each ride on Genie+ vs Individual Lightning Lane. For our family, we have specific rides we want to ride each visit: Haunted Mansion, Expedition Everest, Avatar’s Flight of Passage, Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster to name a few.
Prior to your trip, consult the list of each ride on each add-on and devise your plan of action.
How They Work
You can book your first Genie+ ride at 7am.
You cannot book a Genie+ return time (after your first pick at 7am) unless you are in that park, so if you’re park hopping, you cannot book your return times until you enter your second park after 2pm.
You can only book a new Genie+ window after 2 hours of booking your latest return window.
You must return to the ride within the hour window Genie+ gives you. Though they do give you a 15-minute grace window.
You can also book experiences on Genie+, like meeting cast members.
Check your app often for ILL or Genie+ refills. For example, Avatar’s Flight of Passage was “sold out” for the entire day. We checked again on our way to Animal Kingdom and found a few spots open within the time frame we’d be at the park. We quickly booked it and it worked out!
Magic Kingdom
Genie+ Rides:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Haunted Mansion
“it’s a small world”
Jungle Cruise
Mad Tea Party
Meet Cinderella, Meet Mickey, and Meet Princess Tiana
Michey’s PhilharMagic
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain
The Barnstormer
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea
Individual Lightning Lane Rides:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (usually $10-$12)
Epcot
Genie+ Rides:
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Frozen Ever After
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE - Green and Orange
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Soarin’
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush
Individual Lightning Lane Rides:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (usually $14-$17)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Genie+ Rides:
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
Disney Junior Play & Dance!
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Meet Olaf
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run
MuppetVision 3D
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania!
Individual Lightning Lane Rides:
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (usually $15)
Animal Kingdom
Genie+ Rides:
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
Feathered Friends in Flight!
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Na’vi River Journey
Individual Lightning Lane Rides:
Avatar Flight of Passage (usually $11-$14)
