Knowing the magical land of Mickey Mouse is the dream of many families and the four Disney parks, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are always crowded throughout the year.

A trip to the Disney parks requires prior planning and we are not talking about the financial issue, but rather small details that make all the difference between an unforgettable or disappointing vacation.

The parks have some systems of their own that the visitor needs to know and familiarize themselves with before arrival, and an example is Disney Genie and Disney Genie+. Don’t worry if you don’t know the difference between these two names or even why you need them, as we will explain everything in this article.

First of all it is important to explain that when visiting Disney parks, it is not enough to buy the ticket. You must make your reservation in advance. You must download the My Disney Experience app and through it you will be able to access Disney Genie and Disney Genie+.

Now we’ll explain the differences between these two services and why you need them or not.

What is Disney Genie?

Disney Genie is completely free and after you register your ticket you can enjoy personalized recommendations.

You can indicate the attractions you want to visit and your main interests in the park, such as restaurants and parades.

From your pointed preferences, Disney Genie indicates which experiences suit you best and also the best times to visit them.
In addition, the system also informs you of the waiting times for the queues of attractions and restaurants you want to visit.

Now you may be wondering if you are required to use Disney Genie and the answer is no. However, it can be a good ally to check the progress of the queues, which are the best itineraries and times for each attraction and even book the restaurant for lunch.

What is Disney Genie+?

You may have heard of FastPass+, well, Disney Genie + has arrived to be its replacement. Taking over the post of park skip-the-line.

Although the name is similar to the system we told you earlier and has only one differentiating “plus”, in practice they are totally different things. But calm down, we will explain everything to you!

It is important to first explain that all Disney parks have the most popular and consequently crowded attractions. They usually have two queues: a normal one, which you can check the waiting time on Disney Genie and one that is faster: the old Fast Pass queue that today is called Lightning Lane.

By paying for the Disney Genie+ service you can schedule access to these fast lines, guaranteeing the time you will visit each attraction and optimizing your time in the park much more.

You are also not required to use Disney Genie+. It is an optional service for those who prefer to have more control over the time of their day at the park.

How to purchase Disney Genie+?

You can purchase access directly in the My Disney Experience app. The service is sold per park and per person, per day.

The value varies depending on the time of year, just like park tickets, in 2023 when we are writing this article, the values are around 15 to 22 dollars (excluding fees).

Disney Genie + in practice

When purchasing the ticket you are not guaranteed to be able to access all the attractions you want or at the time of your choice. As it will depend on the availability of schedules in the application, but you can schedule your access to the Lightning Lane of attractions from 7AM on the day of the visit. Always one attraction at a time and with a 2-hour interval between one attraction and another.

Don’t worry if, for example, your first scheduled attraction was only scheduled for 3 pm, you can schedule other attractions before with a 2 hour interval each. For example, an attraction at 9AM, one at 11AM and one at 1PM.

Unfortunately, not all attractions are participants in the Disney Genie+ skip-the-line, as all four Disney parks have the main attractions exclusive to the individual Lightning Lane, that is, paying the part to access the queue (but that would be a subject for another article).

Check below which attractions participate in Disney Genie+ and which are exclusive to the individual Lightning Lane!

Magic Kingdom – Not included in Disney Genie+
TRON Lightcycle / Run
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Magic Kingdom – Included in Genie+
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
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
Space 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

Epcot – Not included in Disney Genie+
Frozen Ever After
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Epcot – Included in Genie+
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE
Soarin’ Around the World
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush

Hollywood Studios – Not included in Disney Genie+
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Hollywood Studios – Included in Genie+
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: Smugglers Run
Muppet*Vision 3D
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania!

Animal Kingdom – Not included in Disney Genie+
Avatar Flight of Passage
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain

Animal Kingdom – Included in Genie+
Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
DINOSAUR
Feathered Friends in Flight!
It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Naʻvi River Journey
The Animation Experience at Conservation Station

Is Disney Genie+ worth paying for?

How much you intend to and can spend on your Disney Parks vacation is a very personal matter. But, our advice to our customers is always that if it is within your budget it is worth investing in skip-the-line systems, especially if you are traveling with children.

Disney Genie+ will give you more control over your day in the park and so you can have a more peaceful day with your family without spending hours in the queues of attractions.

Essential tip if you are traveling with children

Just as the skip-the-line system will help make your trip to Orlando a success, another key item for the comfort and well-being of all family members is the rental of strollers for children.

The strollers help in the transportation of the little ones, who tend to tire easily in the first hours of walking and end up asking their parents for a lap. It is no wonder that there are parking lots for strollers near each attraction in the parks.

Discover all the stroller options that we at StrollerCare have here on our website. We have been specialists in the area since 2019, being a reference when it comes to service in English, Spanish and Portuguese. We bring the stroller to you and have the best price in the region.

If you have any questions when making your reservation, just call our team in the chat here on the website. Count on us for your unforgettable vacation in Orlando!