Disneyland’s Genie+ is a paid service that allows you to skip long lines for select attractions, access special PhotoPass features, and more!
It replaced the old FastPass and MaxPass systems, enabling guests to book return times on the Disneyland app for the park’s most popular attractions.
- Genie+ pricing starts at $25 per person when you purchase in advance. If you wait to buy on the day of your trip, you’ll be subject to variable pricing starting at $25. On busy days the service has sold for $30 per person. The Genie+ purchase covers both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
- Genie+ offers Lightning Lanes for select rides throughout Disneyland and Disney California Adventure that allow you to select a return window via the Disneyland app and skip the long line once for each attraction per day. To choose a return time, go to the Disneyland app main menu, select "Tip Board," and scroll down to find the next available Lightning Lane return time for eligible rides. You can do this as soon as you scan into the park on the day of your visit!
- Through the Genie+ service, you can also access unlimited PhotoPass downloads and share these with friends and family.
- Genie+ also offers PhotoPass lenses for guests to try while at the park! These are Disney-themed filters that enhance your surroundings and turn you into favorite characters. To access the augmented reality camera, open the Disneyland app, then tap on the "More" menu at the bottom right of the screen and select "Disney PhotoPass Lenses.”
- With Genie+, you can also explore AudioTales, which offer fun facts and stories about iconic locations throughout the two parks. To access these, go to the Disneyland app map and search for the headphones icon.
- One person can make Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations for their entire party via the Disneyland app (the same way one person controls the Disneyland mobile orders for the group)
- There is also a separately priced Individual Lighting Lane where guests purchase access for a specific attraction at an a la carte rate. These attractions are not included with the Genie Plus service. These are basically a paid Disney FastPass.
Tips for Disneyland Genie+
If you want to ride an attraction multiple times, plan to use Genie+ Lightning Lanes during the busy part of the day and catch shorter standby times during the rest of the day
See when standby times for your favorite rides are the shortest! You can always rope drop them or try to catch a short standby at the end of the day, saving Genie+ Lightning Lanes for when the wait times are longer. If you want to catch short standby times in the morning, arrive at least 45 minutes before official park opening and use the quieter first hour the park is open to go on your favorite rides without the long wait before using your first Disney Genie Plus Lightning Lane pass. By doing this, you can quickly catch 3-4 rides before the standby waits start getting long.
Set a 2 hour timer for the next Lightning Lane opportunity.
Always take advantage of the next opportunity to grab a Lightning Lane reservation! Return times fill up very quickly, so it’s always worth it to book your next one as soon as it becomes available, either after you’ve redeemed your current one or after 2 hours have passed since your last booking. The Disneyland app also lets you know the time that you can make a new reservation!
Use your Multiple Experiences Pass (aka a "Golden Ticket") wisely if your reserved Genie+ Lightning Lane ride breaks down
For higher-tier attractions (Space Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Matterhorn at Disneyland and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout and Toy Story Midway Mania! at Disney California Adventure), you will be able to use this pass for any attraction except Rise of the Resistance and Peter Pan Adventure. You can also use a Multiple Experiences Pass for a regular Lightning Lane, as they don’t have the same rule of riding an attraction once per day.
Keep an eye out for return times after park hopping is allowed at 11am
You can’t make Lightning Lane reservations before this time, but when return times have passed 11 a.m., you can book a Lightning Lane for a ride in the other park. Start looking for return times at about 10 a.m., an hour before park hopping is allowed.
Pre-Purchase Disney Genie Plus on your tickets
Doing this in advance saves the stress of having to purchase Genie+ when you’re already moving in the park, and this can hold you up if you’re in a rush to get on a ride. The only downside to adding Genie Plus to your Disneyland tickets in advance is that you have to purchase the service for the entire length of your stay.
For large parties, make sure to reserve Lightning Lanes for the whole party, even if everyone is not riding the attraction
There is a limit of using Lightning Lanes once for each attraction per day, but if certain members of your party don’t want to go on a ride, you can use their reservations to go on the ride twice.
Pace your Lightning Lane passes based on your planned day
If you have a dining reservation or another experience and don’t want to have a Lightning Lane reserved for those times, check the return times to see when you can plan your next reservation. You can’t choose a return time window, so you need to keep an eye for the next window of availability to make a reservation.
Read our full guide to Disneyland Genie Plus for all of our tips and a free printable with every Genie+ attraction and our tips summarized.
At MickeyVisit.com we share the most important tips for planning your trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and beyond. Each week we’ll share some of our top tips here on Laughing Place.
no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com