Disney’s Genie+ service—a feature of the My Disney Experience app that was unveiled last year—allows visitors to book a spot in a Lightning Lane (in other words, avoid waiting in line) for select rides in all four Walt Disney World theme parks. Until now, the daily upgrade—which varies in price based on demand—only benefited visitors with a Park Hopper pass, as single-park visitors had to pay for the upgrade for all parks while only having the option to reserve a spot for one park. But that all changes June 27 as the service will now allow reservations on a per-park basis.
This new flexibility is a boon for all visitors looking to get the most out of their Disney experience, whether you’re visiting all parks in one day or just one. Here’s how it works: the price of the Genie+ upgrade will fluctuate by day and by park. As an example, the prices on the first day of operation range from $17 for Disney’s Animal Kingdom to $18 at EPCOT to $27 at Disney’s Hollywood to $27 for Magic Kingdom. Genie+ may sell out for the most popular parks. The upgrade is available at midnight on the day of your visit, and you can start booking reservations for attractions and experiences at 7am. Additional experiences can be booked every two hours or after checking in to existing booking. Note that the new per-park options do not apply to Disneyland in California.
The Genie+ service includes a variety of planning tools and additions like digital downloads of select Disney PhotoPass attraction photos and special behind-the-scenes audio features, but for die-hard Disney fans, the ride reservation feature is key—just make sure you get up early.