FAQ – Everything you need to know about the Disney Genie Service
With the Disney Genie Service replacing FastPass and MaxPass at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, fans everywhere are pouring over how this service works and will affect their vacation plans — and with that comes a few questions.
Here you’ll find our F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) on all things Disney Genie, Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane — what is offered through the service, what costs are involved, how it can affect your next Disney vacation, and more. You will also want to read our Top Disney Genie Tips article.
[Updated as of May 19, 2022]
What is Disney Genie and how does it work?
Disney Genie is a complimentary service that is designed to enhance the guest experience by bringing a new level of flexibility to your vacation planning. There’s no need for an additional app, as it will be built directly into the My Disney Experience app at Disney World and Disneyland Resort app.
The new technology is designed to personalize your daily itinerary based on personal preferences. You will be able to plug in their interests, such as specific attractions or general favorites — like Star Wars, Disney Princesses, and Pixar — and the Genie will do the planning for you. In an effort to maximize time, Disney Genie will show current and forecasted wait times so you can better choose when to visit an attraction.
You can also make dining reservations and order food and beverages at many dining locations, get help from a virtual assistant, and more within the Disney Genie section of the app. Using Bluetooth on your phone, Genie will even know if you’ve already visited a certain attraction or restaurant and not suggest you visit it again.
What features are part of Disney Genie service?
Disney Genie service brings together all-new features and existing offerings such as:
• Personalized itinerary planning
• Continually updated tip board
• Forecasted future wait times for attractions
• Virtual assistant
• Mobile order
• Restaurant wait list, check-in, and reservations
When will Disney Genie be available?
Disney Genie is now available inside the My Disney Experience app at Walt Disney World Resort and at Disneyland Resort.
What is Disney Genie+ and how does it work?
Disney Genie+ is a paid service that replaces the now-retired FastPass, FastPass+, and Disney MaxPass. Guests utilizing this service will be able to choose arrival times for a number of attractions and experiences via the app. Upon arrival, guests will receive expedited entrance to the attraction via a Lightning Lane (former FastPass line). This feature is available one* selection at a time throughout the entire day and at all parks, if using a park hopper pass. You can book your next selection as soon as you redeem your current one, *or if the one you’ve chosen is more than two hours away.
Where can I purchase Disney Genie+?
Starting on June 8, 2022, Walt Disney World guests may purchase Genie+ at midnight on the day of their visit as a separate purchase from their ticket. Disneyland guests can purchase Genie+ as soon as they enter a theme park. Walt Disney World guests who purchased Disney Genie+ prior to June 8 for dates in 2022 and 2023 will be able to use it and will not be impacted by the day-of-visit purchase requirement.
How much is Disney Genie+?
Disney Genie+ will be $15 plus tax per person, per day at Walt Disney World and $20 per person, per day at Disneyland Resort. Guests using Disney Genie+ at Walt Disney World will have access to themed audio experiences and photo features, including augmented reality (AR) lenses. Disneyland guests using Disney Genie+ will have unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads. All guests may purchase Genie+ in their appropriate Disney park app.
Am I guaranteed to get Disney Genie+?
Starting June 8, 2022, purchase of Disney Genie+ is subject to availability.
Do you have to purchase Genie+ for the entire length of your stay?
No. You can purchase it each day of your entire trip, just one day, or not at all.
When can I make attraction selections?
Attraction selections must be made in the app on the day of your visit, beginning at 7 a.m. at Walt Disney World or once inside the park at Disneyland Resort, one selection at a time. Walt Disney World guests may purchase Genie+ starting at midnight the day of their visit. Disneyland guests can purchase Genie+ as soon as they enter a theme park.
What attractions are included on Disney Genie+?
Disney Genie+ will include more than 40 attractions at Walt Disney World and more than 15 at Disneyland. You can’t chose the same attraction twice in one day. Here are the attractions included with Genie+:
Walt Disney World
Magic Kingdom
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• The Haunted Mansion
• It’s a Small World
• Jungle Cruise
• Mad Tea Party
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Splash Mountian
• The Barnstormer
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea – Journey of Little Mermaid
Epcot
• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission Space
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Turtle Talk with Crush
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Jr. Play and Dance!
• Frozen Sign-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• MuppetVision 3D
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Festival of the Lion King
• Dinosaur
• It’s Tough to be a Bug!
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Na’vi River Journey
• The Animation Experience
• Feathered Friends in Flight
Disneyland Resort
Disneyland
• Space Mountain
• Autopia
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• The Haunted Mansion
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• It’s a Small World
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Disney California Adventure
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Incredicoaster
• Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
• Soarin’ Around the World
Attractions may vary by date, are subject to change, and may not be available at all on the day of your visit, or at the time that you are making a selection. Availability can change throughout the day.
What attractions are not included on Disney Genie+ and are available à la carte in the Lightning Lane?
There will be a small number of high-demand attractions not included on Disney Genie+. Expedited access for these attractions can be purchased as individual Lightning Lane selections. Each park will have two attractions that will be a separate purchase from Genie+ except for Disneyland, which has one. Here are the attractions available for individual Lightning Lane purchases:
Walt Disney World
Magic Kingdom
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
Epcot
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Frozen Ever After
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Expedition Everest
Disneyland Resort
Disneyland
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Disney California Adventure
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Web Slingers – A Spider-Man Adventure
Attractions may vary by date, are subject to change, and may not be available at all on the day of your visit, or at the time that you are making a selection. Availability can change throughout the day and some may sell out.
How much do individual Lightning Lane selections cost?
These prices will vary by date, attraction, and park. They will range from $7 to $15 each. Guests are limited to two of these experiences per day, and your second selection can be made after redeeming first. You can’t purchase Lightning Lane for the same attraction twice in one day. The price will not change throughout the day.
As an example, Lightning Lane entrance to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be $9 per person on Oct. 19 and $11 per person on Oct. 23. As another example, on both those dates, Lightning Lane entrance to Expedition Everest will be $7 per person – while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be $15 per person. Throughout the year, prices may be lower on some days and higher on other days.
Do you need to purchase Disney Genie+ to be able to buy individual Lightning Lane passes?
No. You can purchase an individual Lightning Lane attraction without also purchasing the daily Genie+ service.
Am I able able to purchase à la carte Lightning Lane access to any attractions that are a part of Disney Genie+?
No. Only a limited number of high-demand attractions (two at each park, except Disneyland (one)) will be available for this option and they aren’t part of Genie+. But they may be part of a Virtual Queue. See the list above.
What about attractions that use boarding passes or virtual queue, like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure?
These attractions will continue to offer virtual queues you can try to get at no cost, but they will also be available for a Lightning Lane individual purchase.
Do Walt Disney World Resort guests have priority access to attractions on Disney Genie+ each day?
No, and Disney Genie+ is not exclusive to hotel resort guests. All guests using this service can begin making their first selection at 7 a.m. each day.
Do Walt Disney World Resort guests have priority access to purchase the individual attraction selections via Lightning Lane?
Yes. Guests staying at Disney-owned hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, or Shades of Green can make their Lightning Lane selections at 7 a.m. Other guests will have to wait until the parks open to make their individual selections.
Do I have to use this new service?
No, you do not have to use any aspect of the new services, and can continue to use traditional standby queue or virtual queues at attractions.
Can guests hold a virtual queue boarding group, a Disney Genie+ return time, and a paid Lightning Lane return time for different attractions at the same time?
Yes. But you can only hold one of each at the same time, unless your next Genie+ return time is more than two hours away. You can hold both a virtual queue and individual Lightning Lane pass at the same time.
Are there any discounts being offered for Disney Vacation Club or Annual Passholders?
Not at this time.
Can the Disney Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane passes sell out for certain attractions?
Yes, each attraction has a limited amount of Lightning Lane availability each hour and could completely run out before the end of the day. If this happens, you can still get into the standby line, or try to get a virtual queue if any are still available.
What if I change my mind or can’t make it to an individual Lightning Lane pass I purchased?
Think of buying a Lightning Lane like buying a park ticket. Both are non-refundable. So make sure you’re going to use it before you buy it.
Can I modify an individual Lightning Lane return time?
No, they are non-refundable and non-changeable.
What happens if a ride goes down during my time to ride?
For Genie+, you will be able to chose another attraction to use your Lightning Lane purchase. If you purchased an individual Lightning Lane pass, you will be able to use it when the ride restarts operation later that day. If the attraction doesn’t reopen that day at all, you will need to contact Guest Services to be refunded.
What happens if the battery on my phone dies and it’s my time to ride an attraction?
Cast members at each attraction can look up your reservation.
What happens if I purchase an individual Lightning Lane pass for my children and they are too short to ride?
Be sure to check the ride height limits before you purchase. As you’re telling the Disney Genie system what you’d like it to plan for, it asks if anyone in your group has a height limits or disability concerns.
If we have a large group and one of us hasn’t paid to skip the line, is it up to the cast member’s discretion to let them in?
No. Each person who uses the Lightning Lane must have their own reservation to do so.
How long are the Disney Genie+ augmented reality (AR) lenses available?
You can enjoy some Disney PhotoPass Lenses up to 45 days after the day you visit with Disney Genie+ service, even when you get back home. Some are only available in certain areas of the parks. Some lenses are also complimentary through the Snapchat app. Many lenses use technology that detects the coordinates of key points on your face and/or hands and may be used only by guests 18 years of age and older who have consented to use of the technology. Therefore, guests unable to provide such consent, as well as guests under 18 years of age, will have fewer lenses available to use.
How does Disney Genie effect the Disability Access Service (DAS) program?
This is good news for those who utilize the DAS program. Guests looking to enroll in the DAS program can do so via live video chat up to 30 days before arrival, and DAS guests will be able to virtually program attractions — as opposed to the current method, which requires guests to visit the attraction location in-person to get a return time. The existing in-person DAS program will remain for those who choose to not use the app. DAS guests may also reside the same attraction using their pass more than once.
Keep checking back as we will update this page as we get new questions and answers. Do you have any questions about the new service that you want answered? Let us know in the comments below!
Base article compiled by Carly Caramanna.
In your opinion, what will this do for wait times for both the standard lines and the new Lightning Lanes
Can we expect increased wait times for BOTH types of lines with these new services?
We think it will be similar to when FastPasses were in full use.
Thanks for your opinion Matt
I appreciate your advice
Very sad to see this. With no free option for a traditional Fast Pass Disney is curtailing the guest experience for many visitors. At least with a Fast Pass option that was included with your park admission you had a way to cut down on wait times. Let’s face it, there’s nothing magical about waiting hours on end in line. Daily park ticket prices are getting out of control and now so many things cost extra. $20 might not seem like much, but for a family on a budget with children it really adds up. With no current perks for Disney property guests at Disneyland resort not sure why anyone would pay their exorbitant rates to stay on property. This does not seem in keeping with Walt’s original vision.
The benefits to Disney resort guests are getting into the park 30 minutes early, and being able to purchase Lightning Lane passes before other guests – 7 a.m. versus park opening.
Will wheelchair and scooter riders with mobility disabilities also need DAS registry now? How do I add DAS registry and Genie+ if I already have tickets? In past could hold fast pass and DAS returns as same time.. still the same?
I use a scooter for mobility issues but have never requested a DAS pass. Going forward with Genie or Genie+ should I ask for a DAS pass?
This shouldn’t change anything about whether you request a DAS pass or not.
If my whole family purchases lightning lane, will we be able to control those all through the app on one persons phone or does everyone have to do it separately?
You can purchase them all on one phone, but then they’d be able to pull them up on their phones too.
Great article! I have a question. When you pick a genie + selection is it best getting a time later in the day then you can add more right away because the time is later? This way you can stack them. Or do you have to wait every two hrs to get a new one?
Thank you, Denise
If a friend is coming to spend the day at the parks with us. Can I add them to my app so we can reserve genie + passes at the same time?
Yes you can. Add them as a friend in the app ahead of time.
Odd question, do you have to be at the park to use Genie+? Or could someone remotely access it on my behalf? Trying to avoid the screen time and be able to enjoy my family but still have the benefits of the app.