Simply put, it’s a secondary entry line for an attraction that moves much faster than the walk-up “Standby” line. There are two ways to get into the Lightning Lane.
The first way: Buy Genie+ for the day. Although many attractions have Lightning Lane, it’s only feasible to make timed reservations on a handful of them, because you’ll only be allowed to make bookings one at a time, staggered over the day. If a ride breaks down during your booking time, you’ll get a digital voucher that allows you to book another Lightning Lane instead. Cost: $15 to $29 per day, depending on crowds
The second way: Pay per ride. One or two rides in each park are so popular that they don’t let you use their Lightning Lanes through Genie+. This upper echelon only accepts Individual Lightning Lane. For these rides, the only way into the Lightning Lane is to pay separately via the app. You may only buy two Individual Lightning Lanes a day. They don’t have to be in the same park, but they can’t be the same ride. If a ride breaks down during your booking time, you’ll be allowed to return once it reopens; if you are unable to wait, you’ll have to go to Guest Relations to get your money back. If the ride remains closed all day, you’ll get an automatic refund. Cost: up to $20 per person per ride.
Hardcore Disney fans spend hours figuring out the best ways to game Genie+ and wring every penny of value out of it. Their discoveries boil down to these tips:
1.Start first thing in the morning. Slots are assigned chronologically, so if you show up a few hours after opening, other people will already have been claiming bookings for a while. That will force you to wait longer to get riding. Also, in busy seasons, Genie+ can sell out before the afternoon.
2.Always make your next reservation as soon as possible. As soon as you check in for something (even if you haven’t gotten on the ride yet), you can make a new reservation.
3.Schedule popular rides first. Their slots go first, pushing their available times farther into the day and forcing you to wait longer to be clear to make another booking.
4.Favor reservations that are happening soon. Your goal should always be to redeem a slot without having to submit to the default rebooking wait time of 120 minutes for your next one.
5.Don’t waste Genie+ on minor attractions. Shows and rides that rarely have long waits don’t need Genie+, but they’ll still gum up your ability to get the next reservation.
6.If the park isn’t busy, don’t buy Genie+. It’s a wait time reducer, so if wait times are already low, you don’t need it.
7.Refresh, refresh, refresh. People cancel slots all the time, so if you can’t find a good time slot, refresh the page, or leave the Genie+ area and return.
8.You can change a reservation without penalty. Tap the three dots (…), select Modify Plan, then shop for something new.
Each theme park has one or two rides that are excluded from Genie+—and of course they’re always the most popular rides. You can only access the Lightning Lane of those exclusive rides by purchasing entry a la carte using Individual Lightning Lane. The selections can change, but at Magic Kingdom, those are usually Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tron Lightcycle Run; at EPCOT it’s usually Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind; at Hollywood Studios, it’s usually Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance; and at Animal Kingdom, it’s usually Avatar Flight of Passage.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
