Disney Genie Plus: What to Know - NerdWallet (2024)

Unless you’re a Magic Key holder who can return to the parks multiple times, planning a visit at Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort can be hours in the making. With the relatively high cost of admission, infamous long lines, and so much to see and do at the parks, meticulously mapping out an itinerary to maximize your visit is inevitable for some guests and families.

Disney’s Genie+ service is designed to enhance your itinerary in real time so you get the most out of your visit all day long.

Here’s how Disney Genie+ works and how to get it.

Genie+ is a paid add-on to the free Genie service that gives guests front-of-the-line access to high-traffic attractions and shows, like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade.

The price for Genie+ varies between parks, days and how busy the parks are on your reservation date.

Genie+ starts at $25 per ticket per day, and our sample searches could not find examples of days where it exceeded this starting price. If you have a family of three and want all members of your party to have access to Genie+ perks, Genie+ will run you at least $75 total for a one-day visit.

We were not able to find the Genie+ add-on available for Disney World ticket bookings in Orlando, Florida.

If you value riding the most popular attractions or want to save all those special photo-ops throughout the day, Genie+ can help you make the most of your visit.

Access Lightning Lane entrances

Lightning Lane access lets guests reduce their time waiting in lines. Although Lightning Lane access can be purchased individually for up to two attractions during your visit, Genie+ lets you reserve the next available arrival slot for Lightning Lane entrances all day long. With this feature, you can reserve your place at the front of the line for one major attraction at a time.

Keep in mind not all attractions are accessible through Genie+ Lightning Lane entrances. In fact, usually the most popular rides are excluded for Genie+ guests. For example, Lightning Lanes aren’t available through Genie+ for Disney World’s Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle/Run, Avatar Flight of Passage, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Check the current list of Disney World attractions with Lightning Lanes.

Over at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and Radiator Springs Racers are not included with Genie+. Here's the current list of Disneyland attractions with Lightning Lanes.

If you want to purchase Lightning Lanes for all attractions that have it available, you’ll need to purchase both Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane access for your desired excluded attraction.

Unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads

PhotoPass photo opportunities are available around the park to capture your memories, but downloading Disney PhotoPass images is not free. With Genie+, you have unlimited PhotoPass downloads.

Once downloaded, you can share your favorite shots with family and friends at no additional charge. This is a helpful feature if there’s a seasonal PhotoPass opportunity that you want to keep without Disney’s watermark emblazoned on the photo, or if you want a physical reminder of a park visit.

PhotoPass Lenses

Disney leverages augmented reality technology within its app with Disney PhotoPass Lenses. These effects add fun characters and backdrops to your photos in select locations to enhance your pictures.

Some examples of AR-enhanced PhotoPass Lens effects include adding the characters Groot or Grogu onto your shoulder, which interacts with you through the lens.

Audio experiences

Genie+ gives you another way to experience the park with Audio Tales. You can listen to behind-the-scenes stories about attractions and park features at select areas of the park. For example, you can hear tales about Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.

Genie+ integrates Audio Tales into your Genie itinerary, and you can also find them marked on the park map.

If you plan on purchasing the Genie+ service at Disneyland, we recommend buying it before your visit as an add-on to your ticket booking or vacation package. If you already have your ticket, you might be able to purchase it on the day of your park visit — after park entry — through the Disney app.

For Disney World, however, it appears Genie+ can only be purchased on the day of your park visit.

To use the remaining Genie+ features, launch your Disney park app.

The Genie+ service has limited availability, and the use restrictions might feel prohibitive for some guests — not to mention it’s an added cost for each ticket holder in your group. Additionally, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to ride your favorite attraction, even with the Genie+ add-on.

However, if you’re willing to stay on top of Lightning Lane availability, Genie+ can be an effective way to maximize your time at the parks when it's crowded and you only have one day.

So what's a good card to use for your Disney vacation purchases like Genie+?

Disney-branded cards leave a lot to be desired when it comes to rewards and perks. But those aren't your only options for making your Disney dreams come true. Consider cards like:

Terms apply.

(Top photo courtesy of Walt Disney World)