How to ONLY Use Genie+ When You Need It

The biggest question you might have when you next visit Disney World is probably going to be “Do I REALLY need to purchase Genie+?”

The answer is complicated, but with the price of Genie+ recently increasing and it now using flexible pricing depending on demand (and high demand days could get pricey), you’ll want to know that if you DO end up using it, you’re getting the most value out of it, right? So here’s how to only use Genie+ when you need it.

First, you may not need Genie+ in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and EPCOT. One, it’s not a great value for those two parks because they don’t have a lot of attractions. In Animal Kingdom, most ride lines aren’t that bad, even on busy days, except for Flight of Passage — for that, though, you can buy the Individual Lightning Lane option.

In EPCOT, even if you manage to get a boarding pass for the virtual queue for the most popular ride there, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, you’re still dealing with long lines. However, you can also purchase an Individual Lightning Lane option for that ride.

However, you will get more bang for your buck using Genie+ in Magic Kingdom, which has more rides than any other park in Disney World. You also might find it useful in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which may not have quite as many rides, but has more rides with longer standby lines. If Rise of the Resistance and Tower of Terror are your priorities, you’ll want to consider purchasing Genie+.

If you can manage it, you can skip needing Genie+ by using Early Theme Park entry, which is available to all Disney World hotel guests. Getting in the parks earlier gives you a head start on knocking out those rides you want to get on. Note that not ALL rides are open for early theme park entry, but if you even knock out a few, you can head on over to your next ride before other guests get into the parks. You may be able to ride everything you want to early on and not need to worry about long lines later.

A risky thing you could do is wait until you get to the parks to see how busy they are before you decide to buy Genie+. You can look at wait times on the app throughout the morning and decide if they’re manageable for you and your party or not. However, note that doing this could mean that even if you do buy Genie+ later, you still might not be able to ride popular attractions like Slinky Dog Dash because its Lightning Lane slots will already be filled up for the day.

Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane options often run out fast

Traveling with children could also be a deciding factor in whether you buy Genie+ or not. Let’s face it — kids aren’t very patient, especially waiting in long lines. In that case, Genie+ could very well be a lifesaver for you and your family.

Hot weather could also be something to consider — no one wants to stand in a long line out in the Florida heat for too long. Genie+ might be your best option to prevent that.

Another good strategy that could keep you from needing Genie+ is to do your research ahead of time. Plan your routes through the parks so you know which rides are close to each other. When you’re at the park, keep your eye on the My Disney Experience app and stay on top of wait times, taking advantage of any short wait times you see.

Plan your route through the parks ahead of time.

A note here, though — you will still need to be flexible enough to take things in stride like ride closures, but keeping an eye on the My Disney Experience app could benefit you in that instance, too — you could hop in line as soon as the ride reopens and have a shorter wait.

Learn how to use the free version of Genie before your trip and make sure you’ve inputted all your priorities. This free version of Genie will help you organize your day so that you spend less time in line. We’ve found it to be a helpful planning tool.