Genie+ seems to be one of the most “stressful” parts of most Disney vacations lately. We have some good news for you - It doesn’t have to be!
With our Genie+ tips and tricks we’ll have you feeling like you can conquer your fear of Genie+ on your next Walt Disney World vacation.
First and foremost set your alarm, whether it be on your phone, watch or alarm clock. Genie+ is available to purchase starting at midnight on the day you will be visiting your park of choice. If you want to get some extra sleep instead of waiting up for midnight to purchase genie+ for your party, set your alarm for 6:45. Yes, we know you are on vacation, but even if you don’t plan on rope dropping you want to have it purchased prior to 7am. You can always go back to sleep for a few more hours after you make your selection!
Genie
Now that your alarm is set let’s break it down. There are 3 different things that you will be considering. Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane (LL). Genie is for lack of a better word the platform that you will be going into when you go into your My Disney Experience App. (click on the 3 lines on the bottom right hand side of the app and then click on the box that says My Disney Genie Day) My Genie Day is going to help you plan your day. You will then click on your Tip Board. In your tip board it will show you attraction wait times, available Genie+ experiences to book, available Lightning Lanes along with show times for daytime shows and fireworks. It doesn’t just stop at rides and shows, you can view dining options at quick service locations that tell you when the next mobile order pick up time is, join a walk up list for a Table Service restaurant and even make a reservation (if there is a reservation available).
Purchasing Genie+
Let’s get into purchasing Genie+. You will go into your My Disney Experience App to purchase Genie+ for your selected party. On your home screen when you scroll down you will see a purple section of your screen that will say Disney Genie+ Service. You will click purchase for today, that will prompt you to select the people that will be in the park on that specific day only. You will then be prompted to check out, if you have your credit card linked to your My Disney Experience (this more than likely will already be done for you if one of our amazing travel experts booked your dining reservations) you will be able to just click through and purchase Genie+, if not you will be prompted to input your credit card information. We suggest doing this at 6:45 the latest so you are checked out and ready to go at 7am to reserve your first selection.
Selecting Your First Genie + Experiences
When selecting your first Genie+ experience, think about your plan of attack for the day. Will you be Rope Dropping? If you plan on Rope Dropping a ride you are going to want to select a different ride for your Genie+. For example, if you plan on Rope Dropping at Epcot and you are taking the SkyLiner you will be entering from the World Showcase entrance. I would plan to Genie+ Test Track or Soarin’ as your first selection, because you will be entering right next to France, which means you can quickly get in line for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure instead of racing across the park to get in line for Test Track or Soarin’ that will be quickly filling with guests from the main entrance. From the opposite perspective if you are entering Epcot from the main entrance I would go straight to Test Track or Soarin’ and use the first Genie+ selection on Remy to avoid speed walking across the park to get in a longer line.
Now it’s the moment of truth, at 6:58 start refreshing your Tip Board, to refresh you can just swiping down on the top of your screen, continue doing this until you see times become available. When you see the LL Disney Genie+ selections become available, find your ride of choice and click book experience. After clicking book experience make sure your full party is selected and then will click confirm party to finalize and book your experience.
This first Genie+ selection that you have made will now populate in the "My Day" section of Disney Genie Service (which is at the top of the screen next to Tip Board.
Here is where things can get a little bit tricky. Your second selection. You can make your second selection 2 hours (120 minutes) after the park opens - SET YOUR ALARM for 2 minutes before on your watch or phone so you are ready to reserve your next selection when it becomes available. In the event you have an early return time (that is before that two hour mark) as soon as you scan into your first genie+ selection you can go back into your tip board and reserve your second selection.
The same goes for your 3rd, 4th and so on selections. You will continue to either select your next genie+ experience after you scan into the ride in the Lightning Lane entrance or 2 hours (120 minutes) after your last selection was made. Whichever comes first! You are not limited to how many genie+ selections you can make in a single day, as long as there are available experiences you can continue to reserve them up until the park closes.
Challenge yourself on your next trip and see how many different Genie+ selections you can use in one single day! If you have any questions in regards to your Genie+ plans - feel free to reach out to your Castle Bound Travel Expert for help making your experience as smooth and as effective as possible!
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