How to OUTSMART Genie+ in Disney World

Is there a way to outsmart Genie+ to get the most Lightning Lanes, the best extra perks, and the lowest prices possible? You know it!

Lightning Lane sign for Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney Genie is located on the My Disney Experience App and provides on-the-go planning tools and customized itineraries to help guests maximize their time in the parks. While the customized itineraries are a complimentary service, there are also two premium add-on services — Disney Genie + and Individual Lightning Lanes — that you can pay for to unlock Lightning Lane benefits (which will allow you to bypass the main queues of rides in exchange for much shorter queues).

Though Lightning Lanes can become a major key for experiencing as many rides in a single day as possible, this service can also feel overwhelming when you first hear about it. And, if you don’t do your research ahead of time, you could end up wasting your money on these premium features rather than benefit from them. 

So we’re taking a look at the best ways to set you up for Lightning Lane success, and to help you excel at using this premium service!

Cinderella Castle

Before we get into how to outsmart Disney Genie, let’s make sure you understand the difference between Disney Genie + AND Individual Lightning Lanes. 

Disney Genie + lets you select return times — for 1 ride at a time — for the Lightning Lanes of over 40+ attractions. The prices for Genie + start at $15 per day, per ticket at Disney World (and $25 per day, per ticket at Disneyland).

©Disney

Meanwhile, Individual Lightning Lanes take on more of an a la carte approach. For those wishing to ride Disney’s most popular attractions without a wait, Individual Lightning Lanes are a separate paid upcharge. ILLs allow you to select return times to enter the Lightning Lanes for a maximum of two specific, more popular attractions (which won’t be available on the regular Genie + line up). These rides include:

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom (and soon-to-be TRON: Lightcycle / Run in MK, too)
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT
• Flight of Passage in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios AND Disneyland
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disneyland
• And Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure. 

Pricing is based per ticket, per single ride, with prices ranging between $10-$22 per ILL in Disney World, and $7-$25 per ride in Disneyland.

Now, on to those tips …

Pay LESS For Lightning Lanes

You know how we mentioned that Disney Genie + STARTS at $15 per person, per day? Depending on the circumstances, that price could surge WAY higher. Like, we’re talking $29 per person, per day instead. (Which, for a family of four, could be the difference of paying an extra $60 vs. an extra $116.)

Same thing goes for Individual Lightning Lanes. Prices per person COULD be as low as $7-$10 per ride through, but they could also peak around the $22-$25 price range too. (This also depends on which ILLs you’re paying for — since an ILL for, say, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will be cheaper than one for Rise of the Resistance on any given day.)

Mine Train!

So, how can you AVOID spending the max amount of money on either (or both) of these premium services?

The tricky thing with surge pricing for Lightning Lanes is that — unlike park tickets and hotel rooms — you’re not gonna know the EXACT price you’ll be paying for Genie + or ILLs until the day of your visit. But don’t worry. We’ve been tracking the price changes, and we’ve definitely been able to pin-point a couple of recurring patterns

Almost every time Genie+ has skyrocketed to its peak prices, it’s been on a Saturday. The cheapest days tend to be Tuesdays and Thursdays — which we often see listed for that minimum $15 per person, per day. And that’s because crowd levels tend to dwindle down during the middle of the week, too. (This, of course, doesn’t apply to those SUPER busy seasons like Thanksgiving week and the days AFTER Christmas — which will see peak Lightning Lane prices consistently.)

But if you want a better chance at buying Genie+ in Disney World (or Disneyland) for the cheapest possible price, try planning your trip so that you’re there during the middle of the week instead of the weekend.

It’s also a good idea to look at those park tickets and hotel price tags on the Disney World website around the timeframes you’re thinking of visiting — since prices for both of those expenses also range depending on the time of year. BUT, unlike Genie+ telling you its cost the day of, these prices are predetermined way in advance (though that doesn’t mean they’re not subject to change). If you notice ticket prices/hotel prices are gonna be at their peak costs during certain times of the year, assume Genie+ prices will also be high around then. And if ticket/hotel prices drop, assume Genie+ prices will also be more reasonable around those same times, too. 

Set Your Group Up For Success Ahead Of Time

When preparing to make Lightning Lane selections, it’s VERY important to connect your account with the accounts of all of your friends and family members who will be on the trip with you. If you’re not connected, things get much more complicated. Instead of having one account that all Lightning Lanes can be made on, you’ll have to rely on MULTIPLE accounts and line up your reservations perfectly.

Even if you’re just planning a trip with friends and won’t be using Genie+ whatsoever, connecting to each other’s accounts can make it easier to share plans and coordinate.

Hollywood Studios is a good park to use Genie+

But how do you connect to the accounts of friends and family members for those who already have preexisting Disney profiles? 

• On the My Disney Experience App, you’ll be able to track down a feature called a “Linking Code.” 
• To find your own Linking Code, tap on the 3 horizontal lines on the bottom right-hand side of the app. Then hit “My Profile.”
• Once you’re there, go to “Show My Linking Code.”
  • What you’ll find is a unique QR code made for you and ONLY you. Once someone scans this Linking “QR” Code of yours, you’ll be automatically added to their Friends & Family list.
  • There’s also a manual code listed as well — just in case your family member isn’t close enough by to scan your QR code when you reveal it. 
  • Both the manual and QR code expire after 30 minutes. So if someone waits too long to type it in, you’ll have to go back to your profile and pull up a “refreshed” version. (No biggie.) 
• If your friend or family wants to scan a linking code to connect to you instead, here’s what you’ll need to do. 
  • First, select “My Profile” and then “Friends & Family List.” Then, scroll down to where it says “Add a Guest.”
  • The app will ask how you want to add said guest. You’ll select “Scan their Linking Code.”
  • From there, you’ll scan your friend or family member’s linking code when they have it up on their phone (or you can manually enter it, if that’s easier for ya)

And ta-da! Consider yourselves officially CONNECTED. 

Use The 120-Minute Rule To Get MORE Lightning Lanes

On the Disney website, it states that — with the purchase of Disney Genie + — you should be able to select up to 2-3 Lightning Lanes per day.  But that’s not exactly true. There’s the possibility of you getting TRIPLE that amount — if you know how to play your cards right. A big part of that is knowing when, exactly, to use the 120-minute rule to STACK your Lighting Lane reservations throughout the day.

Let’s talk about HOW you can pull this trick off. After you make your first Lightning Lane selection, you’ll only be able to make another after:

1. 1. You’ve used it and are ready to book another.
   2. 2. Your first return time window has ended (if you miss it). OR
   3. 120 minutes have passed since you booked your last one

That 3rd option — the 120-minute rule portion — will let you book another Lightning Lane 2 hours after reserving a previous one IF the return time for the first Lightning Lane is more than 2 hours away.

Lightning Lane

For example, let’s say that at 9AM you booked a Haunted Mansion Lightning Lane with a return time of 2PM. You don’t have to wait until 2PM to make another Lightning Lane reservation. Instead, 2 hours after you made that reservation, you can make another one! So at 11AM, you can choose another attraction (and you’ll still have the 2PM Haunted Mansion reservation). Nifty, right?

If you booked your first Lightning Lane at 7AM, though, the 2 hours don’t start until the park’s opening time. (So if you book one at 7AM but the park opens at 9AM, you can book the next one at 11AM — 2 hours after park opening.)

(Keep in mind this is DIFFERENT for Disneyland — since ALL guests won’t be able to start booking their Lightning Lanes until the parks officially open for the day.)

When Disney Genie + was first released, this rule was sort of hush-hush. It was definitely still true, but Disney didn’t talk about it. But now, Disney has updated their Genie+ website to include several rules that guests need to follow with the new skip-the-line system — and one of the rules they included just so happens to be our 120-minute bestie!

EPCOT

If you’ve lost track of time and you’re not exactly sure WHEN you booked your last Lightning Lane, you can always check the Genie+ section in the My Disney Experience app. It’ll tell you if you’re too early to make that second selection, as well as advise you as to when you can make your next selection. 

By using this strategy, we’ve been able to collect SO MANY MORE Lightning Lanes than the website promises. (We’ve even been able to snag ALL 12 Lightning Lanes in Disney’s Hollywood Studios before — which, WOW, really makes this service more worth your moolah.)

Modify Your Selections (To Get Something BETTER)

Sometimes, you’ll have to make a Lightning Lane selection that wasn’t really your FIRST choice, but is the best choice available at the time you’re searching. 

BUT what you’re currently seeing listed for Lightning Lanes isn’t necessarily gonna be how it’s gonna look all day long. We often see extra ride times pop up throughout the day — which is why it’s so important to keep checking the My Disney Experience app, refreshing the page, and crossing your fingers.

So what if you DO find a Lightning Lane selection you’re wanting more… but you already have a Lightning Lane booked? In the past, Genie+ users couldn’t modify Lightning Lane selections in the My Disney Experience app without canceling their reservation first. And that meant their 120-minute countdown would start over anytime a cancellation was made. 

Lightning Lane sign at Ariel’s Grotto

But back in December 2022, Disney changed that. Now, you can modify your Lightning Lane reservations WITHOUT having to cancel them completely! That means even if you modify your Lightning Lane for a different return time or a different ride entirely, you still won’t lose your 120-minute countdown! 

If need be, you can also change specific members within your group who are attached to your Lightning Lane reservation before submitting any changes (in case someone wants to bow out and NOT go on the screaming metal death trap that is Tower of Terror, or come face-to-face with a yeti on Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain)

Modifications are super easy to make. Just tap on your current Lightning Lane selection to pull up a box of options. You’ll find one of the listed options to be “Modify Plans.” (See? Told ya it was easy.)

Skip The Virtual Queues

This point is gonna be CRUCIAL for everyone wanting to prioritize riding on TRON Lightcycle /Run after it opens in Magic Kingdom on April 4, 2023. When this new high speed coaster opens in Tomorrowland, it’s not gonna have a “normal” queue. (Not immediately, that is.) Instead, it’ll use a virtual queue system that Disney’s been implementing for its newer rides to help manage the crowds and make sure guests won’t be waiting in a line that’ll eat up most of their park day. (Currently, this is how guests are able to ride Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT.)

The process SOUNDS great — and it really DOES work in your favor IF you’re able to get a spot in the virtual queue. But the keyword here is… IF. 

TRON Lightcycle / Run opens soon!

The big downside to the virtual queues? If you’re unable to snag your party a Boarding Group number on the My Disney Experience App at either 7AM or 1PM — which will guarantee yourself a spot in line for said virtual queue — then you’re gonna miss your window of opportunity to ride, period. (No pressure, right?)

The other BIG problem with virtual queues is that Boarding Groups are snatched up almost IMMEDIATELY after they go live. I’m talking 10 seconds AFTER that 7AM drop, all the Boarding Groups will be GONE. So if you get on the My Disney Experience App just a few seconds too late, or your wifi connection decides to cut out on you at the worst possible time, it could cost you a TRON ride.

BUT you DO have another way to get on this coveted ride — and it’s through the Individual Lightning Lanes. If you opt for this plan B instead of trying to get a Boarding Group number, you can bypass the virtual queue entirely.

TRON Lightcycle / Run Annual Passholder Previews

Though ILLs for brand-new rides STILL get bought up within MINUTES of their releases each day, they could still buy you more time (and get snatched up less quickly) than the free Boarding Groups do. 

To buy an ILL QUICKLY, follow these steps:

1. Head to the My Disney Experience app and go to the Genie section
2. Tap on the “My Day” options. If you downloaded the My Disney Experience App ahead of time, and already let the FREE version of Disney Genie know your park preferences for your trip, then you may have this desired ride already listed as a recommended activity.
3. Otherwise, you can head to the Tip Board section, choose the park you’ll be visiting, and scroll down to the attraction you’re wanting to purchase an ILL for.
4. Once you’ve found the ride you want to purchase Lightning Lanes for, you’ll tap the “Purchase” button — and follow the prompts from there!

Keep in mind that those staying at a Disney World-owned resort will have first dibs for Individual Lightning Lanes each day. While Genie + Lightning Lanes go live for everyone starting at 7AM, ILLs will go live at 7AM for Disney Resort guests only. Everyone else will have to pay for ILLs AFTER the parks open for the day (which will probably be too late for the TRON Lightcycle / Run groups).

Of course, ILLs for brand new rides will be AWFULLY pricey, so it’s understandable if you wanna try the FREE Boarding Group option first (and pray that the odds are ever in your favor).

Continue Using Genie+ Perks AFTER Your Trip

Just because your Disney trip has come to an end doesn’t mean all your Genie + perks come to an end, too! You might be shocked to hear this, but Genie + can offer you MORE benefits than just the Lightning Lanes. And there are about to be even more than there already are.

One of Genie+’s extra features include Augmented Reality photo lenses — for both Disney World and Disneyland. Many of these Disney PhotoPass Lenses are available to use around Disney property —but some of them will only be available in specific parts of the park (like the one over at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure that’ll give you a “Little Chef” under your “toque blanche”).

©Disney | Augmented Reality Photo lenses are available in Genie+

That being said, a few of the Disney PhotoPass Lenses WILL stick around on your phone for up to 45 days after your visit! Meaning you can still mess around with them from the comfort of your living room while you’re busy coping with the fact that your trip has already come to an end.

Another cool feature on Genie + is the audio experiences, featuring Disney Imagineers and special guests. These audio experiences share fun facts about the attractions and other areas of the lands around you. (Meaning you’ll receive your own private park tour!)

Know About The NEW Features BEFORE They Go Live

The extra perks that come along with your Disney Genie + purchase in Disney World are about to get a WHOLE lot cooler. Currently, Disneyland guests that are using Genie+ can ALSO enjoy unlimited PhotoPass downloads from your day. (Which makes that extra cost a little easier to swallow.)

On-ride Photo for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

But Disney recently announced that “in the next few months,” guests who purchase Disney Genie+ in Disney World will start to get FREE digital PhotoPass downloads too! Now, this still doesn’t mean you’re gonna receive AS many Photopass pictures as you will over in Disneyland, BUT you’ll still at least get all those in-ride downloadable photos from attractions like Space Mountain, Slinky Dog Dash, Test Track, Expedition Everest and MANY more INCLUDED with your Disney Genie+ purchase that day! This feature is set to go live on March 20th, 2023!

Keep an eye on Lightning Lanes for your second park

Can you make Lightning Lane reservations for MULTIPLE parks if you’ve got a park hopper ticket? Answer: Absolutely. But there is a catch. If you purchase a Disney World theme park ticket with Park Hopper benefits, you’ll have to wait to book a Lightning Lane at the park you’re planning on hopping to until the return time reaches 2PM or later for all guests for those particular rides. 

WHEW. Let me give you an example to help clear things up:

1. Let’s say you decide to spend the first part of your day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but — later on — you’re planning on park hopping over to Magic Kingdom. You might wanna book a Lightning Lane for Space Mountain first— since you know those Lightning Lanes tend to get snatched up pretty quick. But you’re not gonna be able to do that — not when you’re starting your day in Animal Kingdom

Space Mountain

1. In this instance, you’ll have to wait until all Space Mountain Lightning Lanes prior to 2PM have already been booked by those STARTING their day in that park. And this makes sense, right? You can’t park hop to your second park of the day until after 2PM anyways— so why bother grabbing a Lightning Lane for a return time that’s EARLIER than that? 
2. But this is where things get tricky: If you’re wanting to park hpp to Magic Kingdom and you ALSO wanna get a Lightning Lane for Space Mountain, you’re gonna have to keep checking back on those Disney Genie+ times for your second park, as well as your current park — because you never know WHEN Space Mountain’s return times will hit 2PM and later. It could be in an hour, in two hours, maybe even 30 minutes after park opening. 
3. It can feel like a ticking time bomb for sure! Just don’t miss out on the Lightning Lanes you can get RIGHT NOW while you have them! Because Animal Kingdom’s Lightning Lanes will be obtainable for you just as soon as the clock strikes 7AM.

Make The Most Out Of A Stressful Situation

What happens when the ride you paid an Individual Lightning Lane for isn’t cooperating with your plans (like, it’s experiencing some MAJOR technical difficulties on the day of your visit)? Does that mean you’re going to LOSE all that money you forked over? 

Not at all. This is where the “Experience Redemption” comes into play. If you happen to find yourself with an Individual Lighting Lane for a ride that closes— and STAYS that way throughout your designated return time— then you’ll get an “experience redemption”; which is basically a boarding pass that lets you ride that attraction at any time after it reopens that day.

Rise of the Resistance

For example, this happens FREQUENTLY for poor Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So, if the Resistance decides to, well, *resist* working, then the My Disney Experience App should automatically update your ILL and make it an “experience redemption” instead — which you’ll be able to use whenever you want to after the ride is back up and running again. 

But — worst case scenario — what if the ride DOESN’T go back online for the day? What if it’s down for good? If the ride doesn’t reopen at any point during that day, then you qualify for a refund. BUT, unlike the experience redemption — which will automatically be added to your Disney Genie plans — you’ll need to ask for that refund in person. 

Make your way to Guest Relations and ask for a refund if it’s announced that the ride will be closed for the rest of the day. (This is the ONLY way you’ll be able to get a refund for ILLs. If you purchase one and decide later on that you don’t actually want/need it, you’re not gonna be able to get your money back.)

But, in general, if you have any day-of questions about Genie + or ILLs or Lightning Lanes whatsoever, guest relations (located at the front of each of the parks) is a good place to go to get things sorted out and clarified. (So you don’t have to stress over figuring it all out yourself.)

Manage Clashing Schedules

Hypothetical situation: Let’s say you end up snagging a Slinky Dog Dash Lightning Lane — a ride that your kids are SUPER excited to finally experience for the first time. But — uh oh — the next available return window you were given is the exact same time as your Sci-Fi Dine In dining reservation that you made in advance 60 days ago! What do you do NOW? 

Sci-Fi Dine-In

When we’ve asked Cast Members about how we should best juggle this dilemma in the past, they’ve always told us to prioritize dining reservations over rides. It’s much easier to keep your dining reservation and, instead, ask to speak to Cast Members about your Lightning Lane reservation at either the location of the ride or over at Guest Relations. They may not be able to change your Lightning Lane time, but — more often than not — they’ll make adjustments for ya. (After all — they WANT you to spend money at their restaurants. So if the only thing keeping you from paying $25+ per person in your group for an entree is a Lightning Lane time clash, they’ll see what they can do to make sure everyone wins.)

Now if you’d rather try to change your dining time… that can be a little trickier — especially with more popular restaurants like Sci-Fi Dine In. BUT there is still the possibility that you could try finding a different dining reservation time on the Dining Tips Board on the My Disney Experience App. 

Sci-Fi Dine In

And, if you’re really in a pinch and just wanna throw away the dining reservation altogether, you can always cancel your table without a cancellation fee — as long as it’s at least 2 hours before the reservation time.

BUT don’t forget about that handy-dandy modification option we talked about earlier for your Lightning Lanes! Because you MAY just be able to find a NEW timeframe for your Lightning Lane the next time you check. In conclusion — you have OPTIONS. (But if WE were in your shoes? We’d pick dining all the way.) 

Skip The Lines For MORE Than Just Rides

Disney’s rides don’t hog ALL of the Lightning Lanes, you know. Several shows and meet and greet opportunities have Lightning Lanes available on Genie+, too! 

Here’s a list of ALL the different non-ride attractions that offer Lightning Lanes.(We put an asterisk by the attractions that can ACTUALLY benefit from the Lightning Lanes, since many attractions really aren’t gonna need ‘em.)

Magic Kingdom

• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• *See Mickey and Minnie at Town Square Theater
• *See Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall 
• *See Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall 
• *Meet The Little Mermaid at Ariel’s Grotto
• *Reserved Viewing for Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade

Thanks, pal…

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• MuppetVision 3D
• Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage
• Disney Junior — Live on Stage
• *See Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight

EPCOT

• Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Turtle Talk with Crush

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Festival of the Lion King
• Feathered Friends in Flight!
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
• It’s Tough to Be a Bug
• *Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
• The Animation Experience

Figure Out What You Need To Prioritize 

It’s TIME for you to make your FIRST Lightning Lane selection of the day. So… which one are you gonna choose? This is NO TIME to freeze up like a deer in headlights! You need to have a game plan for when those Lightning Lanes first go LIVE at 7AM! What you’re gonna learn is that some rides are more important to prioritize than others — simply because of how popular they are. These Lightning Lanes tend to book up quickly in the morning and run out of spots by the end of the day. (Yes, that’s right, friends — just because you’ve purchased Disney Genie + does NOT MEAN you’re guaranteed EVERY Lightning Lane you want! So you’ve gotta STRATEGIZE.)

Hop in line ASAP!

Here’s a little cheat sheet for ya — just in case you wanna know WHICH Genie+ rides tend to get booked up the soonest each day:

• In Animal Kingdom, rides like Kilimanjaro Safaris and Na’vi River Journey tend to go quickly.
• Over at Hollywood Studios, you’ll want to snag Slinky Dog Dash, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. (I know that almost sounds like ALL of the Hollywood Studios rides, but if you’re REALLY trying to narrow it down, Slinky Dog Dash’s main queue line tends to be the WORST to wait in — so you may wanna choose that one above the rest, especially if you have younger riders in your group that won’t be able to get on the bigger attractions like Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.)

Slinky Dog Dash

• The EPCOT rides that fill up the fastest are Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Test Track. (I’d probably aim for Frozen or Remy first, though— since they’re newer and well-loved by ALL ages.)
• And as far as Magic Kingdom is concerned? Well… there’s a LOT of popular rides here. You’ve got Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean. So, once again, it all depends on your group. But if you’ve got a bunch of adrenaline junkies in your party, you may wanna stick with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain

Don’t Buy Genie+ For EVERY Park (Or… At All?)

The GREAT thing about Lightning Lanes is that you don’t HAVE to pay for them every day of your trip. You can pick and choose when you want to use Genie + (since you won’t be able to pay for it until midnight on the day of your visit anyway)

So which parks do we usually get Genie + for, and which do we tend to skip out on to save that extra cost Magic Kingdom has a LOT of rides and is generally considered one of the most hustling-and-bustling parks out of the four. So using Genie+ over there makes sense. Same thing with Hollywood Studios. Because Hollywood Studios is FILLED with a lot of heavy-hitter rides, the lines can get OUTRAGEOUS — making Genie+ a nice little crutch to have during your day.

Do you really NEED Genie+ in EPCOT?

EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, on the other hand, don’t feel as necessary. EPCOT has SEVERAL B-tier rides that you won’t really need those Lightning Lanes benefits, and Animal Kingdom doesn’t have a whole lotta rides in its park to begin with. So you might just wanna skip over those extra expenses for either park. 

And — here’s an upset for you to consider — you may not wanna purchase Disney Genie + (or Individual Lightning Lanes) at ALL. If your day in Disney World isn’t complete until you’ve been on nearly EVERY attraction the park has to offer, then, yeah — Genie+ probably makes sense for you. But if you’re not trying to ride every ride and just want to go with the flow, it might be a waste of money.

You can get by without buying Genie+ for Animal Kingdom.

Not only that, if you’re heading to Disney World on a day that’s not very crowded, chances are you probably don’t need to use Genie+ unless you or someone in your party really really REALLY hates lines. Because, oh my goodness, it’s a pain to buy Genie+ in the morning, only to realize later on that you didn’t actually need it. 

So, real quickly, lemme tell you about a few ways that you can potentially bypass those crowded queues WITHOUT any Lightning Lane assistance:

Use Hotel Benefits

If you’re staying at any of the Disney World resorts, you’ll have access to Early Theme Park Entry — which will get you into the parks 30 minutes before they open for everyone else. (This could buy you enough time to get in line for one of the most popular rides before the rest of the crowds file in)

OR if you’re staying at a deluxe Disney World resort, you’ll also have access to extended evening hours — which will allow you to stay in select parks on select nights up to two hours AFTER they close for everyone else. (This could potentially give you not only shorter ride lines, but ALSO an almost ghost town-like experience around a very EMPTY Disney park.)

Try Single Rider (If Available)

If you’re at a ride that has that single rider option available, and the queue is looking rather intense, there’s a good chance you can significantly lower your wait time by choosing the single rider line over the standard line. And it won’t cost you a cent extra.

Single rider isn’t ALWAYS available, but when it IS, you can find it over at:

• Test Track and Soarin’ Around the World in EPCOT
• Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run and Rock N Roller Coaster in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• And Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The single rider line is usually pretty short at Expedition Everest!

Check On The Rides and Attractions Tip Board

Don’t forget — Disney Genie has FREE services, too — including its Tip Boards! Disney Genie’s Tip Boards will keep you in the loop on attraction statuses, showtimes, dining availability, current standby wait times, and even forecasted attraction wait times.

Rope Drop/ Stay Late

Even if you’re not planning on using Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Hours, it’s still a good idea to get to the parks by rope drop, and/or to linger in the parks as they start wrapping up for the day. 

Rope dropping will still allow you to experience the parks AND rides before they start filling up with people. (SO MANY PEOPLE.) You can either get in line for that one REALLY popular ride before it hits its peak wait times for the day — OR you can hit up multiple smaller rides that’ll still be practically walk-ons around then.

Getting there early can save time AND money!

Around the end of the day, families will start taking their kids back to the hotels (in order to beat the bus crowds and get everyone to bed at a decent hour), OR they’ll be getting ready to watch those nighttime spectaculars. If you don’t mind skipping out on the fireworks shows, this could be the PERFECT time for you to get in line for that one ride that’s been at an UBER high listed wait all day long. (No purchase necessary.)

And that’s our look at the ways YOU can outsmart Disney Genie+!

One last note for you: Disney Genie + rules have a tendency to change frequently — so just because what we’ve told you here is true NOW doesn’t mean there won’t be new strategies or adjusted rules for Genie+ in the future. So keep checking back to DFB for the latest news — and don’t forget to sign up for our DFB newsletter, when you get the chance! (That way, any NEW updates can be sent STRAIGHT to your email as soon as we learn about ‘em!)

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The post How to OUTSMART Genie+ in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

from the disney food blog https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2023/03/11/how-to-outsmart-genie-in-disney-world/