Disney Genie at Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Updated November 15, 2023

Ok, guys.

It’s here! Our replacement for the FASTPASS and FastPass+ systems is called Disney Genie and there’s a lot to know about it.

This post will be updated again and again as Disney shares more info.

Bookmark it and check back prior to your visit for the latest info.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Introduction

In a nutshell, the app you already use for Disneyland and WDW will include Disney Genie, a new tool to help with planning before, during and after your visit. There is a free version as well as two upgrades available.

FASTPASS, FastPass+ and MaxPass are all retired.

This video from Disney provides a nice summary of how it works. Don’t miss it.

Basic Scoop

Here’s the basic scoop for each option. Scroll further down for more detailed explanations.

• Disney Genie is a planning tool. It’s provided by Disney, free of charge, and will help you before, during and after your trip. It will be available at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Find it in both the Disneyland and My Disney Experience apps.
• Disney Genie+ is an upgraded option that allows you access to the new Lightning Lanes (which replaced FASTPASS lanes). At Disneyland, Disney Genie+ includes a $20+ ($24 average) fee per guest per day. At Walt Disney World, the price will vary based on which park you’re visiting, and the time of the year. For example, Animal Kingdom has the least expensive Genie+ prices, and Magic Kingdom has the highest prices; peak park seasons will result in overall higher Genie+ prices, while less popular times to visit will have a less expensive range. Since this new tier pricing has been introduced, prices have varied between $15-$35 per guest per day. Everyone in your party will need to pay for Genie+. One person can manage the group, however. Disneyland guests will need to physically add everyone’s tickets to one person’s Disney account. The Disneyland app does not allow guests to sync accounts like My Disney Experience (WDW’s app) does.
• Individual Lightning Lanes are another upgrade available. These will provide access to the one or two most popular attractions in each park at a cost.

From Disney:

“Built right into the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps, Disney Genie service will maximize your park time, so you can have more fun. It includes a personalized itinerary feature that will quickly and seamlessly map out an entire day. From specific attractions, foodie experiences and entertainment, to general interests like Disney princesses, villains, Pixar, Star Wars, thrill rides and more – just tell Disney Genie what you want to do and it will do the planning for you.”

So, it looks kind of like the strategies I create for you. Meaning, your app will provide directions on where to go and when, based on wait times and more. It incorporates a lot of what you are likely already familiar with like making dining reservations and mobile ordering. A Virtual Assistant feature will also answer questions while you’re on site. (I can’t wait to see how this part plays out!)

Standby Lines will still be available.

So, am I out of work as a blogger? Not so fast. Moving forward at both Disneyland and WDW, each guest will have to pay to enter what used to be called FASTPASS lanes. Since not every guest wants to add on more cost to their visit, I’ll be sharing alternate strategies for Disneyland and Walt Disney World to keep you from waiting. I also advise on overall directions for your day at each park, including tips on maximizing your investment if you choose to upgrade in this post.

Quick Tips

• Genie+ allows you to enter what used to be called the FASTPASS lane. It’s now called the Lightning Lane. To enter the lane, you’ll scan a barcode generated in the app for each guest in your party. As soon as you have everyone scanned in…..continue walking through the queue……but select your next Genie+ at this point. No need to wait until after the attraction. The app just needs to know you scanned the barcode.
• With Genie+, you are allowed to use it only once per attraction per day. For this reason, I encourage you to use a good strategy for your park day. My strategies tackle many of the most popular attractions in each park using the standby line in the morning, which allows you to use Genie+ for repeat rides on your favorites later in the day. Find my strategies here.
• Guests familiar with Disneyland’s now retired MaxPass system should know that Genie+ is quite similar to it, but looks completely different.
• With Genie+, you may select your first attraction upon walking in the park at Disneyland. At WDW, you may select your first at 7:00 am (at your hotel). You will be eligible to select your next one in one of two ways. You can ride the attraction. Or, you can wait two hours.

How to Avoid Waiting 2 Hours For Your Next Genie+

Many guests think they have to wait 2 hours between each Genie+ selection. This is untrue.

You are eligible for your next Genie+ selection as soon as you scan in for the one you’re ‘holding’. Meaning, as soon as I scan my phone at the Lightning Lane entrance to say Star Tours, I can choose my next.

You only have to wait 2 hours if you’re not actively going through the rides.

I create park strategies designed to maximize your Genie+ use and test them in the Anaheim parks once a month and in Orlando a few times a year. To see how I worked around the ‘2 Hour Rule”, take a look at the results from a recent strategy test at Disneyland. You’ll see how I didn’t wait more than about 20 minutes for any attraction.

My Thoughts

I know the last thing most guests want right now is another change. We’ve had a lot over the past 2 years. So, I completely understand if you’re not initially thrilled with the news.

Additionally, paying for FASTPASSES (very loose interpretation) stings. Disneyland guests (myself included) went into MaxPass SURE we wouldn’t like it. No way I was going to encourage my readers to add on more expenses to their trip! Well, I learned it early and proceeded to NEVER SHUT UP about how fantastic it was. And, I can’t recall a single guest who used it over the past few years and didn’t think it was worth the cost.

Disney is not in the business of disappointing people, guys. I’m not either. Over the next several months, I’ll be sharing all about what Genie looks like at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I’ll show you exactly what it does so you can decide if the cost is justified.

If you don’t see that it’s a fit for your group, I can help with that, too. (scroll down for this)

Above all else, Disney created this app to improve your experience. If you don’t believe that, consider this angle: Disney likes to make money. If you’re standing in line for an attraction, you’re not spending money. Simple as that.

In the same respect, if you’re standing in line for longer than you should, I’m not doing my job well. There are many, many blogs that do what mine does. But, this is where I stand out. I’m not a foodie. I’m not an influencer. I’m not a historian.

But, I can tell you what you need to know to spend minimal time in line, ensuring you get to experience everything you want during your trip.

Cost

Disney Genie

• Disneyland – free
• Walt Disney World – free

Disney Genie+ (Lightning Lanes)

• Disneyland – $20+/day for each guest age 3 and up
• Walt Disney World – $15-25+/day for each guest age 3 and up

Individual Lightning Lanes (a la carte or ‘pay per ride’)

Prices will vary per park, per day.

Disney Genie (free)

• Receive itinerary updates while you’re in the parks
• Create your own tip board, listing your favorite attractions; the app will provide current and future (forecasted) wait times for your top picks so that you can minimize your time in line
• The tools you already know will be incorporated into Disney Genie including mobile ordering, virtual queues, dining reservations, etc.

Disney Genie+

Included with this upgrade:

• Access to Lightning Lanes, which replace FASTPASS lanes – choose one attraction at a time (similar to MaxPass)
• Park-themed audio experiences and photo features
• Disneyland: Unlimited Disney PhotoPass, including attraction photos
• Walt Disney World: attraction photos included
• Walt Disney World: Augmented Reality Lenses

Individual Lightning Lanes (a la carte or ‘pay per ride’)

Each park will have 1 or 2 attractions that will include the option to purchase your place in line. The cost of these will vary per park, per day.

Attractions at the Disneyland Resort include….

Disneyland Park:

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Disney California Adventure:

• Radiator Springs Racers

***These individual (a la carte) Lightning Lanes become available as soon as you walk in the park at the Disneyland Resort. Using any of these three options will not interfere with your Genie+ purchase. The two work together on the app. Find your options for purchasing any of the a la carte Lightning Lanes in the Disneyland app on the Tip Board, where you’re using Genie+. You are not able to select a window at any point in the day. Instead, the return windows for each of these attractions will be the next available, just like Genie+ works (and how FASTPASSES worked).

Attractions at Walt Disney World include….

Magic Kingdom:

• Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train

Epcot:

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Hollywood Studios:

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Animal Kingdom:

• Avatar Flight of Passage

Lightning Lanes at Disneyland

Disneyland Park:

• Autopia
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Haunted Mansion
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• “it’s a small world”
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventure Continues

Disney California Adventure:

• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!
• Incredicoaster
• Monsters, Inc.
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania
• WEB SLINGERS
• Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Jungle Cruise
• Mad Tea Party
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Splash Mountain
• The Barnstormer
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Space Mountain

Epcot:

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE – Green
• Mission: SPACE – Orange
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Frozen Ever After

Hollywood Studios:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play & Dance!
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Millennium Falcon
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania!
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Animal Kingdom:

• Festival of the Lion King show
• DINOSAUR
• Feathered Friends in Flight!
• It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Na’vi River Journey
• The Animal Experience at Conservation Station

How to Buy Disney Genie+ or Lightning Lanes at Disneyland

If you did not add Genie+ to your ticket when you purchased it, you’ll need to buy it as soon as you enter the gate. You may not buy it until you enter the turnstile. It takes literally seconds….don’t worry about this. It’s easy to do.

Don’t worry about guests who bought Genie+ with their tickets. No one can access the tool and grab attractions with Genie+ until they physically enter the park at Disneyland.

How to Use Genie at the Disneyland Resort

Good park strategies take months to develop and I’m working on them now.

I’m recommending guests utilize Genie+, but not the Individual Lighting Lanes you can purchase a la carte.

Find my strategies for both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in this important post.

How to Use Genie at Walt Disney World

In Orlando, I recommend purchasing Genie+ for Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios for sure. Epcot and Animal Kingdom don’t necessarily require the paid versions. But, I’ve shared how to use Genie+ at all four parks. It really is useful everywhere.

But, if you’re on a tight budget, you can use my tips and strategies here (these strategies use standby queues only) to avoid waiting in line.

MagicBand+

Now available at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, MagicBand+ is a nice tool to have in the parks, as they work with Disney Genie+.

This post details everything you need to know.

PhotoPass

PhotoPass is included in your Genie+ purchase (at the Disneyland Resort only). Once you buy it in the app, a QR code will formulate that you can show to each PhotoPass photographer around the parks to collect your images.

If a photographer gives you a PhotoPass card at any point, you can easily enter those into the app as well.

If you are buying Genie+ for the photos alone, only purchase one for your group. It will suffice for everyone you’re with, whether it’s 2 people or 12. You may all use the same code and/or enter multiple PhotoPass cards into the same account purchased by one guest.

DAS

The Disability Access Program is getting a facelift, too, and I’m so happy with how it will move forward.

For info on Walt Disney World, go to this link.

For Disneyland, go here.

On either coast, here’s the best way to get the most out of DAS:

Use one of my strategies (or a plan from someone you trust) and start early. The mornings are essential for getting stuff done with minimal wait time in line. Use DAS in conjunction with your strategy and you’ll never wait more than 20 minutes for any attraction.

I used DAS for years at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World and have tried everything to minimize wait times. This is your best approach.

Find my strategies for Disneyland at this link.

And for WDW at this one.

Single Rider Lines at Disneyland

Single Rider Lines are a good option for guests who don’t want to wait in line for a long time and don’t mind riding alone or with a guest they don’t know. Single Rider Lines are utilized to fill in seats on attractions. They’re open to all guests, free of charge.

I do not include Single Rider Lines in my strategies for each park, as they don’t work for everyone. And, they’re not 100% in use at all times.

Some notes:

• Single riders must meet attraction height requirements and be at least 7 years of age.
• There’s no guarantee that Single Rider lines will be in use when you visit. They sometimes open and close based on park capacity. But, keep them in mind for the attractions I listed, above, in case you don’t get to them during my strategy.

Single Rider Lines for each park *may* include…..

Disneyland

• Space Mountain
• Star Tours
• Millennium Falcon
• Splash Mountain
• Matterhorn

Disney California Adventure

• Radiator Springs Racers
• Incredicoaster
• Grizzly River Rapids
• Goofy’s Sky School
• Silly Symphony Swings
• WEB SLINGERS

These change occasionally, so check the Disneyland app for which lines are in use during your visit. I checked on 1.21.2022 and found these options noted on the app as open for Single Riders:

Single Rider Lines at Walt Disney World

The rules shared above about Disneyland Single Rider lines are relevant for WDW, too. However, there are only four options in all four parks at Walt Disney World.

They include:

• Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)
• Test Track (Epcot)
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Disney Hollywood Studios)
• Millennium Falcon (Disney Hollywood Studios)

Want to know how you can remember these four? With only one exception (Millennium Falcon), all of the names have double consonants. EE, TT, RR…..nice, huh?

Don’t Want to Pay for Any Added Service?

I get it. You paid a lot to get in.

If you don’t want to pay for Disney Genie+ or the a la carte Lightning Lanes, I have strategies for you.

When the Disneyland Resort parks reopened on May 1, 2021, they opened without FASTPASSES and operated with standby lines only until Disney Genie arrived on December 8, 2021. During that time, I created, tested and perfected strategies using standby lines only. Find those here.

When Walt Disney World reopened on July 11, 2020, their parks operated with standby lines only until Disney Genie debuted on October 19, 2022. I visited Walt Disney World 8 times while they were using standby lines only and also created, tested, and perfected strategies using standby lines only. Find those here.

Rider Swap

Rider Switch (or Rider Swap or Child Swap) might work for you. Here’s how it works: As you approach the line, let a cast member know you’d like to do a Rider Switch. Everyone (adults and children) will then stand in line together. When it’s your turn, one adult will ride (with or without an eligible child) and the other adult will stay with the remaining child or children. Then, the other adult will receive a pass to return to ride without having to wait in line all over again. This means the eligible child can ride twice!

Your Rider Swap return pass is added to your theme park ticket or app, depending on which program you’re using. Up to three guests can have a “Rider Switch Pass” scanned onto their ticket or app.

There is now a 1 hour time period for you to return to use those return passes. And, you may only hold one Rider Switch pass at a time.

Disney explains it here:

To Use Rider Switch:

1. First check with a Cast Member to see if Rider Switch is offered at the attraction you’d like to experience.

2. Upon arriving at the selected attraction, approach the greeting Cast Member with your entire group. Members will be divided into 2 parties—“Party 1” includes those riding the attraction first, while “Party 2” consists of non-riders and their supervising Guests.

3. The supervising Guests of Party 2—which can include a maximum of 3 people— will have their admission media/tickets scanned and must wait in the designated area—usually outside the attraction—while Party 1 waits in line to experience the attraction.

4. After Party 1 experiences the attraction, they’ll assume supervision of the non-riding Guests.

5. The supervising Guests of Party 2 should then return to the appropriate attraction entrance (e.g., FASTPASS queue or attraction exit) to have their admission media/tickets re-scanned by a Cast Member for the Rider Switch entitlement. At this point, Party 2 may enter the appropriate attraction return line and board without waiting in the regular queue.

Note: The #3 in this description above provided by Disney is a bit confusing. I have never seen guests told to wait in a designated area.

Rider Switch is available at these attractions in Disneyland:

• Autopia (Tomorrowland)
• Big Thunder Mountain (Frontierland)
• Gadget’s Go Coaster (Toontown)
• Indiana Jones (Adventureland)
• Matterhorn (Fantasyland)
• Millennium Falcon (Galaxy’s Edge)
• Space Mountain (Tomorrowland)
• Splash Mountain (Critter Country)
• Star Tours (Tomorrowland)

Rider Switch is available at these attractions in California Adventure:

• Incredicoaster (Pixar Pier)
• Goofy’s Sky School (Pixar Pier)
• Grizzly River Run (Grizzly Peak)
• Guardians of the Galaxy – MISSION: Breakout! (Avengers Campus)
• Radiator Springs Racers (Cars Land)
• Silly Symphony Swings – tandem or single (Pixar Pier)
• Soarin’ Around the World (Grizzly Peak)

How to Sync Tickets with Other People in Your Group

I highly recommend having everyone linked to one account if possible for any day at the parks, but especially when using Genie+.

Walt Disney World guests will simply sync with other people in their group via the My Disney Experience app. WDW details how to do this at this link.

Disneyland guests will need to be a bit more creative. We don’t have the same capabilities in our app, but that shouldn’t stop you. Simply add everyone’s tickets to one person’s Disneyland account. Then, have each guest sign into that same account – on their own device – to manage it. More than one person in the app at a time won’t be an issue. You do not have to be in the park to use the app once you enter in the morning.

For both Disneyland and WDW: If you have people in your group that you don’t want using the app, or they want to separate from you for a bit, have them use the paper ticket Disney issues to you when you walk in the park. The bar code on it is the same as the one linked to each person in the app, so they’ll be able to enter Lightning Lanes with their paper ticket.

Notes

• As I work through each version of Genie, I’ll send out updates via email. Sign up at the bottom of this page to receive emails from me. I only send them out as needed.
• We have a lot to learn! Please bookmark this post and check back often for changes. I’ll be updating it often over the next several months.