When can you buy Genie Plus at Disney World? This article explains when you can buy Genie+, when you can book your rides, how to get an Individual Lightning Lane, and more.

Disney Genie, which launched in October 2021, is a complimentary service that you can access through the My Disney Experience app. Basically, it’s a way to plan out your Disney park day based on what you care about most.

Disney Genie doesn’t cost anything. You can access it through the app at any time, even if you’re not actually on a Disney World vacation.

(If you want to pick and choose your experiences, you’ll do so for a day you hold tickets for. But you can see the daily tip board whether or not you’re at Disney World.)

Disney Genie+ is the paid part of the service. This is what lets you book Lightning Lanes so you can skip most of the line and get on your ride faster. Genie+ is available at the four main Disney World theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

While the website says you can book two or three Lightning Lanes using Genie+, we’ve gotten a lot more out of it — and we usually arrive in the afternoon.

On top of being able to book LLs, Genie Plus also has photo and audio perks, like the ability to download attraction images, use special lenses and listen to behind-the-scenes tales.

We’ve put together a Disney World Genie Plus guide to answer the question, “When can you buy Genie Plus?” We’ll also answer questions like:

• Can I buy Genie Plus after I buy my Disney tickets?
• When can I buy an Individual Lightning Lane?
• How do you book a ride with Genie+?

Let’s get into it, starting with our main question.

When Can You Buy Genie Plus?

You can buy Genie+ for Disney World starting at midnight on the day of your visit. However, you won’t be able to book your first Lightning Lane until 7 a.m. that same day.

If you’re still up at midnight, there’s no harm in buying Genie Plus then. But if you’d rather not set your alarm for midnight, especially if you want to be up at 7 a.m. to snag that first LL, you can totally wait until the morning and do both things at the same time.

How Much Does Disney World Genie Plus Cost?

The cost of Genie Plus in Disney World varies based on the day and the park. Booking a multi-park or Magic Kingdom Genie+ service is the most expensive option, while Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom generally cost less.

Sometimes, the cost for a single-park Genie+ service at Animal Kingdom will be as low as $15 per person, but it could still cost upwards of $20 for a more popular park on the same day.

Right before Christmas 2023, Disney Tourist Blog shared a Genie+ record high, with prices ranging from $29 to $39 per guest.

There aren’t any discounts for Genie Plus in Disney World, and that includes Annual Passholders and DVC members. 😒

How Do You Buy Genie Plus for Disney World?

Here’s how to purchase Disney Genie Plus at Disney World:

1. Open the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app. (There are different apps for WDW vs. Disneyland.)

2. At the top of the home page, there should be a button that says Purchase to buy Genie+.

You can also buy Genie Plus from the Tip Board, which you get to by tapping the Three Horizontal Lines on the bottom-right of the app.

3. You’ll see a page with a brief Disney World Genie Plus guide. At the bottom, click the Get Disney Genie+ Service button. Don’t worry, you won’t be charged yet.

4. Next, you’ll see a page with the options to buy Genie+. You can pay the max amount to use Genie Plus at any Disney World park or you can pay for an individual park. Magic Kingdom usually costs the most; Animal Kingdom usually costs the least.

5. Make your selection and click Continue. You’ll then confirm your party and continue with the purchase.

🧞‍♂️ Since you’re probably using one My Disney Experience app for both of you (or whoever’s in your party), you can book Genie Plus for whoever you’ve added to the app as long as they have a ticket for that day. Keep in mind that Genie Plus prices are per person, not per group.

How Do You Book a Ride with Genie Plus at Disney World?

Not all Disney World rides have Lightning Lanes. Some of the less-popular rides and attractions don’t have an LL line at all, and some of the most popular attractions don’t have an LL line either because they have an Individual Lightning Lane instead. (We go over ILLs a little later on.)

To book a ride using Genie Plus at Walt Disney World, go to the Tip Board in the My Disney Experience app. Toggle on the button for Show Only Disney Genie+ Lightning Lanes.

Find a ride that you want to book a Lightning Lane for. Click the Disney Genie+ button, which will show the start of the hour-long return window for your LL. (This can change within seconds, so by the time you book, the return window may shift.)

Note that you can’t get a Lightning Lane for the same ride more than once a day. Also, it pays to get an LL for a popular ride instead of wasting it on a ride that rarely has a long wait.

Here’s more advice to get the most out of Genie Plus at Disney World: 4 Disney Genie Plus Tips You Should Try

🧞‍♂️ Pro Tip: Take a screenshot every time you book a Lightning Lane. The My Disney Experience app flakes out at times, and we’ve lost bookings and also had the time changed without realizing it, causing us to miss the reservation. We weren’t able to get any help from a cast member because there was nothing to show that the app made those changes.

What is an Individual Lightning Lane?

Individual Lightning Lanes are sometimes available for the most popular rides at Disney theme parks, like Cosmic Rewind at Epcot or TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom. The ride may have a regular line you can stand on, too, though the wait time is generally high, or it may only offer a virtual queue as an alternative to the ILL.

Read our review of TRON Lightcycle / Run. Spoiler: We’re not into it.

ILLs are priced separately from Lightning Lanes. You don’t need to purchase Genie+ in order to buy an ILL.

Individual Lightning Lanes are usually expensive, like in the example below. $20 per person to ride one ride one time is asking a lot!

They can also be tricky to get because they sell out faster than the regular Lightning Lanes get used up.

What is a Virtual Queue?

When Disney World opens a new ride that they know will be popular, they offer a virtual queue instead of a traditional standby line. Often, the virtual queue is the only way to ride in the beginning. After a while, they may add Individual Lightning Lane access or, eventually, a regular standby line.

You have to join the VQ during a specific window that Disney designates, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll snag a spot. You also don’t have control over when your return window will be. That means it’s possible to get a position in the VQ but it’ll be for a time when you won’t be in the park, so you’ll end up missing it.

Here’s What Happened When We Missed Our Cosmic Rewind Boarding Time

The benefit of the VQ is that it doesn’t cost you anything. But the line can still be quite long because once you show up for your VQ time slot, you have to get on line with everyone else who has the same return time. 🙄

Here’s an example: We got on the VQ for the TRON coaster at Magic Kingdom during a 2023 trip and ended up waiting on the actual line for 90 minutes — only for the ride to break down when we were just about to get on.

That’s another drawback to the VQ. Since it’s used for the newest Disney World rides, those rides tend to have a lot of inefficiencies to work out.

Frequently Asked Questions About Genie Plus at Disney World

When can Genie Plus be booked?

Genie Plus can be purchased starting at midnight on the day of your park visit. You can book your first Lightning Lane using Genie Plus at Walt Disney World at 7 a.m. on the day of your park visit. You can book your second Lightning Lane two hours after you made the last booking, as long as the Disney park is open at that time. You may also be able to book a new Lighting Lane after using an existing reservation, so it pays to check the app once you’ve checked in for a ride.

What time can I buy a Lightning Lane?

You can buy a Lightning Lane through Genie Plus starting at 7 a.m. on the day of your visit. You can then book every two hours once the park has opened. Sometimes, you’ll be able to book a new Lightning Lane once you’ve used an existing one even if it hasn’t been two hours yet — check the app to see if that’s possible once you’ve scanned in. Individual Lightning Lanes can be purchased separately as needed, depending on availability.

Does Genie Plus sell out?

Yes, Genie Plus can sell out. It’s rare, though. We’ve been in Disney World during practically every holiday and season — including on Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s — and we’ve never seen it sold out.

Mickey Visit posted about Genie+ selling out for Magic Kingdom on December 28, 2023, and also showed a screenshot of Genie+ being unavailable on another date. So, it’s possible.

Final Thoughts: Using Genie Plus at Walt Disney World

If you have limited time at a Disney park — like one day at Magic Kingdom and that’s it — Genie Plus can be a huge help. We also almost always get one for Hollywood Studios, too, because that park has a lot of thrill rides that tend to have long lines.

Unfortunately, using the Genie+ service means spending extra money during an already-expensive Disney World day and being glued to your phone so you can book ride reservations and remember when to show up where.

We pick and choose our Genie Plus days wisely. And when we don’t feel like making the monetary and tech commitment, we have a system for doing a ton without Lightning Lanes.

Are you looking for the perfect Disney park bag? We’ve reviewed our top two favorites, whether you’re packing light or heavy.