Roller coasters, spinning rides, thrills, drops and pleasant cruises, you’ll find attractions for all ages at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. With so much to see and do, using the Magic Kingdom Genie+ service can be a real time saver and make it possible to experience more of the magic during your vacation. To learn how, keep reading our Magic Kingdom Genie Plus Guide.
What is a Genie Pass at Disney World?
Disney World’s popular Genie+ service is available at all 4 theme parks including Magic Kingdom. Often referred to as a Magic Kingdom Genie pass, the service is built on the back of an even more popular offering: FastPass+.
FastPass+ allowed guests to skip the regular queue on many attractions by utilizing a special FastPass line. Guests would prebook a one-hour ride window for up to 3 rides a day, 60 days before travel. After using the 3 pre-booked selections, guests could then continue to book additional reservations one at a time through the My Disney Experience app.
You’ll find that utilizing the Magic Kingdom Genie+ service is very similar, but there are a few key differences. First, you won’t be able to prebook any attractions ahead of your trip. This is discouraging news for Disney vacationers like us who plan their itineraries down to a ‘t’.
You’ll also need to pay for Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom each day you visit the park.
While the changes weren’t welcome news for many travelers, the system is quite easy to use once you understand the basics.
How to Use Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom
Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom offers flexibility to guests visiting the park and a faster way to get to the magic. By purchasing the service each day of your trip, you can book entry into an expedited queue called the Lightning Lane.
To get the full magic from the Magic Kingdom Genie Plus service, you’ll first need a My Disney Experience account. Once you’ve created a login for this essential planning portal, you’ll need to connect your tickets and your friends and family.
With those key basics out of the way, it’s time to download the My Disney Experience app if you haven’t done so already. From here on out, everything associated with Genie+ will take place through the app.
What Do I Need to Know about Making a Magic Kingdom Genie Plus Reservation?
No Magic Kingdom Genie Plus guide would be complete without some key tips on making a Genie+ reservation, so here is what you need to know:
- You will need to purchase Genie+ for each day of your trip that you plan to use it. You may make this purchase any time after midnight on the day you visit Magic Kingdom.
- Guests may make their first Genie+ reservation of the day beginning at 7:00 am or at park opening on the day you plan to visit the park (more on this below).
- When booking, you will be provided the first available time that Genie+ is available for each ride.
- The time provided when making your Genie+ reservation is a starting time. You may use your Genie+ reservation for one hour after.
- Genie+ reservations may be made every 2 hours or as soon as the first Magic Kingdom Genie Plus has been used.
For more complete information on using Genie+, it’s a good idea to read through our Genie Plus guide.
As a Connecticut-based travel agent with Mickey World Travel, Kathleen Hesketh can help you plan and book your Disney World vacation no matter where you live within the U.S.
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How to Book a Genie Plus Reservation at Magic Kingdom
It’s fairly easy to make a Genie Plus reservation once you’ve purchased the service for the day. Simply open your My Disney Experience app on your phone. If you aren’t immediately taken to a menu offering access to the “tip board”, click the hamburger icon.
Once you’ve entered the tip board menu, make sure Magic Kingdom Park is selected in the top drop-down list. You should then see a list of attractions and the next available Genie Plus opening.
Tap the ride you want to reserve and complete the service. You’ll then be able to redeem your entry to the Lightning Lane as soon as your booking window opens.
Oh, Wait! What’s This Thing Called an Individual Lightning Lane?
At each of the Disney World theme parks, you’ll find that at least one ride is excluded from the Genie+ service. Most commonly, these are the most popular rides in the park.
However, you don’t have to miss out on the line skipping benefits. As long as you’re willing to pay a little extra, you can opt out of the regular wait on these attractions by booking an Individual Lightning Lane Reservation (ILL).
Similar to a regular Magic Kingdom Genie Plus reservation, booking an ILL gives you one hour from the start time to enter the Individual Lightning Lane. However, there is one extra advantage over the base Genie Plus offering. You can select the time you wish to ride from the available time slots, making it easier to plan your day around the most popular attractions.
Magic Kingdom Genie Plus Rides
You’ll find that the majority of attractions at Magic Kingdom are LIgthning Lane enabled, meaning you can book entrance to the expedited queue simply by purchasing a Magic Kingdom Genie Plus pass for the day and booking your selections. The rides equipped with a Lightning Lane include:
Magic Kingdom Park Experiences
Lightning Lane Entrances Offered Through Disney Genie+ Service
Experiences offered (subject to change without notice*):
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
- Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
- Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Space Mountain
- The Barnstormer
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
Lightning Lane Entrances for Individual Purchase (Not Offered Through Disney Genie+ Service)
Experiences offered (subject to change without notice*):
Using Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom
While booking a Magic Kingdom Genie Plus reservation is fairly easy, knowing where to use the service can be a bit more challenging. Generally, you’ll want to reserve the Lightning Lane for some of the more popular attractions. These are the ones that typically grow longer wait times throughout the day.
Below, you will find our Magic Kingdom Genie Plus guide to using the Lightning Lane, including itineraries, tips and tricks.
What are the best attractions for using Genie Plus?
Spending less time in line means you’ll get to accomplish more each day you’re in the park, so making the most of Genie+ at Magic Kingdom means booking the rides with the longest wait times first. However, some rides will “sell out” of available time slots by midday, so strategically booking your selections is also important.
Below are your top Magic Kingdom Genie Plus priorities. Book these in the order they are given and utilize the standby lines to experience attractions with low waits at other times of the day. If you plan to opt out of an attraction, simply move to the next in line.
Magic Kingdom Priority One—Book these first and early!
1. Jungle Cruise
2. Peter Pan
3. Splash Mountain
4. Haunted Mansion
5. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
6. Pirates of the Caribbean
7. Space Mountain
For a downloadable list of Genie Plus ride priorities in Magic Kingdom, click here.
Making a Magic Kingdom Genie Plus Plan
When booking Magic Kingdom Genie Plus selections, remember to book another reservation each time you utilize a Genie Plus booking and 2 hours after you make your last reservation. Here is an example for Guests staying at a Disney World resort, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel or Shades of Green Resort:
7:00 am Make first Genie Plus reservation with a return time of noon (available only to guests of Disney World resorts, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and Shades of Green Resort. All other guests must wait until park opening to book).
11:00 am Make next Genie Plus reservation (if you make your first reservation before the park opens, you must wait 2 hours after the official park opening to reserve another.)
12:00 pm Make new Genie Plus reservation as soon as you scan into the Lightning Lane for your first reservation of the day.
You can continue to follow this pattern throughout the day. Doing so makes it possible to stack Genie Plus bookings for later in the day, when wait times really begin to rise.
For guests staying at a Good Neighbor hotel or another property not listed above, your booking schedule might look something like this:
9:00 Park opens. Check in through the turnstile and immediately make your first Genie Plus reservation. Receive a return time of 2:00 pm.
11:00 Make your second Genie Plus reservation with a return time of 2:30 pm
1:00 It has now been 2 hours since you made your last Genie Plus reservation. Make another reservation.
2:00 Ride your first Magic Kingdom Genie+ selection and make a new reservation.
The times above are approximate and may change, depending upon when you travel and how many other happy park goers are joining you.
Do I Need to Purchase Genie Plus and Is It Worth It?
While using Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom can save you time in line, it isn’t the only key to a happy trip. If you decide to avoid the cost of Genie Plus you can still enjoy your visit by making the most of your time with loved ones. Many older travelers enjoy the time to chat in line and catch up on life, while families with little ones can make it a great time to bond. Consider playing simple games, such as I Spy, to keep the younger members of your party occupied and happy.
On the other hand, if you have the budget, it’s hard to go wrong with Genie Plus, and we hope this Magic Kingdom Genie Plus Guide will help you make the most of your purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions about Genie+ at Magic Kingdom
How much does Genie+ cost at Magic Kingdom?
The cost for Genie+ varies per day, depending on the time of year and number of people in the park. Generally, you can expect to pay between $15 to $30 per person per day, with an average of around $20 per person.
Is Genie+ worth it at Magic Kingdom?
Magic Kingdom has some of the most popular rides in all of Disney World, with wait times that can be as high as 2 hours when visiting attractions through the standby queue. Genie+ can drastically reduce the time you spend in line, by allowing you to book a ride time and enter the through expedited Lightning Lane queue.
How much does the Genie app cost?
Guests will book Magic Kingdom Genie+ reservations through the My Disney Experience app. There is no charge to download or use this app.
How often can I book Genie+ at Magic Kingdom?
Guests are able to book a new Genie+ reservation every 2 hours or each time they use their earliest booked reservation. The only exception to this rule is first thing in the morning. Guests of certain resorts may book their first reservation at 7:00 am. They must then wait 2 hours after park opening to book another.
