Ever since Genie+ (the paid replacement for FastPass+) was introduced last year, there’s been some confusion (and controversy) about how exactly it works.
Genie+ is the way Disney guests can pay to skip lines at certain rides in the parks by purchasing Lightning Lane return times (similar to FastPass+ return times). Beginning at 7AM, guests can make their first Genie+ Lightning Lane selection and then make more throughout the day. One of the most confusing things about Genie+, however, is when exactly guests can make more reservations. Now, Disney has made a change in the My Disney Experience app to help alleviate some of that confusion.
My Disney Experience is where you can go to buy Genie+ and make your Genie+ selections for the day. The app shows you what rides are available and at what times they’re available. Now, on the Disney Genie Service screen (where you can make your Genie+ reservations), Disney has introduced a new feature that will tell you when you can make your next reservation. There is now a section at the top of the screen that tells you the exact time you can book your next Genie+ Lightning Lane selection.
We had a Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation booked for Haunted Mansion with a return window of 1:35-2:35, and when it was time to book our next one, we made a reservation for Under The Sea — Journey of The Little Mermaid. Once we made our selection, the app updated to let us know we could make another one at 2:45PM.
The new “When You Can Book” feature is live for Disney Genie+ in the My Disney Experience app! 🧞♂️ pic.twitter.com/LVD0ZuxNDZ
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) August 25, 2022
This will help make things a little easier so now you won’t need to remember the exact time you made your first selection to determine when you can make your next one — it will all be right there in the app. This update is now available at Disneyland, as well.
Wondering what the rules are for when you can make your next Genie+ Lightning Lane selection? There are a few of them! After you make your first Genie+ selection for the day, you can make your next one either:
- after you’ve scanned into your existing Genie+ reservation;
- after you miss your Genie+ return time window;
- or 120 minutes after you make your first Genie+ reservation (NOTE: if you make your first Genie+ selection at 7AM and the park you’re going to opens at 9AM, you will have to wait until 120 minutes after the park opens to make your next one).
One thing to note is that we were able to make our next Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation right when the time we were given in My Disney Experience passed, despite not having scanned into our existing Genie+ reservation.
There are also things called Individual Lightning Lanes, which we refer to as pay-per-ride attractions. These are usually the most popular rides at each of the parks (like Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and they are a separate purchase. You can only hold two Individual Lightning Lanes per day and they do not have an impact on your regular Genie+ Lightning Lane return time.
You can purchase Genie+ beginning at midnight the day you’d like to use it and you can make your first Genie+ Lightning Lane selection at 7AM. You can also begin making Individual Lightning Lane selections at 7AM, as well.
If you’re looking for ways to optimize your day using Genie+, we’ve compiled a list of the rides you should prioritize with the service, as well as rides that Disney fans have said they don’t regret paying for with Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane.
We’ll be on the lookout for more changes and updates to Disney’s Genie+, so make sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest!
Can buying Genie+ in Disney World actually save you money? Find out here!
What do you think of this new Genie+ update? Let us know in the comments!
Making a terrible replacement a little less terrible is not much of an improvement.