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Best Genie+ Choices at Walt Disney World (book these first!)

Best Genie+ Choices at Walt Disney World (book these first!)

With so many attractions available via Genie+ (around 47 total across all 4 theme parks), which ones should you make selections for? Which ones are priority?

We can help.

We have handy guides for each park, plus graphics that you can save to your phone.

If you’re new to Genie+, check out our Complete Guide to Genie+ for everything you need to know about using this service.

Priority Levels

Note: We used information from Thrill-Data.com to help put together the recommendations below.

To help you decide what to book first, second, third, and so on, we have divided the attractions at all 4 parks into 3 levels, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3.

When making your selections, it is ideal to prioritize the Level 1 and Level 2 attractions.

Level 1 Priorities

  • Level 1 priorities are attractions that run out of Genie+ return times quickly. These are the attractions that are typically best booked first, right at 7 a.m.

Level 2 Priorities

  • Level 2 attractions tend to see their Genie+ spots last a bit longer into the afternoon or evening, making them good options if you are planning to try to stack multiple Genie+ reservations together later in the day.

Level 3 Priorities

  • Level 3 priorities are great attractions for churning, which simply means snagging return times close to the current time, so you can quickly make another as soon as you tap into it.

Magic Kingdom Genie+ Priorities

Magic Kingdom has the MOST Genie+ options out of all 4 theme parks, and if possible, we highly recommend you spring for Genie+ here.

EPCOT Genie+ Priorities

While it is possible to have a successful day touring EPCOT without Genie+, you may want to buy it if you’re looking to minimize your time waiting in line.

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Priorities

Animal Kingdom Genie+ Priorities

HOW TO TIME YOUR GENIE+ RESERVATIONS

Remember:

Unlike the old FastPass+ system, you cannot choose your return times with Genie+.

Instead, you can only select the next available spot.

That means when you are putting your day together, if you are concerned about grouping or stacking return times together and/or if you are trying to keep nearby attractions close together, you may need to spend a bit lot more time on your phone checking those return times so that when your next booking window opens up, you can snag something that will work with your plans for the day.

There are lots of ways to stay organized in the park, and you’ll be able to see what you have planned inside the My Disney Experience app

We have also found it helpful to keep a note on our phone so that we can quickly see not only what we have scheduled, but also what we are personally looking for (and the times we’d like to get them).

For example:

timing screenshot for Genie+

REFRESHING FOR BETTER RETURN TIMES

Although Return Times are constantly being pushed later into the day (or disappearing entirely!), as people change their plans and cancel or miss return times, you can often times snag random earlier return times by refreshing the Tip Board inside the My Disney Experience app.

You may have to refresh for a while (like up to 5-15 minutes), but if you are persistent, earlier times can often pop up. Just make sure you snag them quick – because they will go fast!

SHOULD I BOOK GENIE+ OR INDIVIDUAL LIGHTNING LANES FIRST?

The timeline of WHAT has to be booked WHEN is confusing and stressful.

This is especially true if you are staying onsite because onsite guests book Genie+ and purchase Individual Lightning Lanes at 7:00 am. (Offsite guests have to wait to park opening to book their Individual Lightning Lanes, so they only have to worry about snagging 1 thing right at 7 am).

Which Genie+ to Book first graphic

If your traveling party has 2 people with their own My Disney Experience accounts AND you are linked as “Friends and Family,” splitting up the booking duties is your best option by having 1 person be in charge of purchasing the Individual Lightning Lanes and have the other person snagging the first Genie+ spot –both right at 7 am.

But, if you are staying onsite and only have 1 person that will be able to book at a time, work in this order:

Magic Kingdom

  • Day before: Confirm that everyone in your party has valid theme park admission AND a Park Pass Reservation (if required) for Magic Kingdom
  • 12 a.m. — 6:45 a.m. Purchase Genie+
  • 7 a.m. — Join the Virtual Queue for TRON: Lightcycle / Run (both onsite and offsite guests)
  • 7 a.m. — Purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for TRON: Lightcycle / Run (onsite guests only)
  • 7 a.m. — Make your first Genie+ selection; we recommend either Peter Pan’s Flight or Jungle Cruise (both onsite and offsite guests)
  • 7 a.m. — Purchase your 2nd Individual Lightning Lane Selection. It could be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, or, if you are planning to park hop, you could book at one of the other parks for a return time after your planned park hop time. (onsite only)
  • Park opening — Once a park officially opens, offsite guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections. (Note: You have to wait for park opening, but you don’t have to be inside the park.)
  • 2 hours AFTER park opening OR after you’ve tapped in for your first Genie+ (whichever comes first) – Make your 2nd Genie+ selection

Epcot

  • Day before: Confirm that everyone in your party has valid theme park admission AND a Park Pass Reservation (if required) for Epcot
  • 12 a.m. — 6:45 a.m. Purchase Genie+
  • 7 a.m. — Join the Virtual Queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (both onsite and offsite)
  • 7 a.m. — Purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (onsite only)
  • 7 a.m. — Make your first Genie+ selection; we recommend Test Track, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, or Frozen Ever After
  • 7 a.m. — If you are planning to park hop, purchase your 2nd Individual Lightning Lane Selection at one of the other parks for a return time after your planned park hop time. (onsite only)
  • Park opening — Once a park officially opens, offsite guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections. (Note: You have to wait for park opening, but you don’t have to be inside the park.)
  • 2 hours AFTER park opening OR after you’ve tapped in for your first Genie+ (whichever comes first) – Make your 2nd Genie+ selection

Hollywood Studios

  • Day before: Confirm that everyone in your party has valid theme park admission AND a Park Pass Reservation (if required) for Hollywood Studios
  • 12 a.m. — 6:45 a.m. Purchase Genie+
  • 7 a.m. — Make your first Genie+ selection; we recommend Slinky Dog Dash or Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run
  • 7 a.m. — Purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance
  • 7 a.m. — If you are planning to park hop, purchase your 2nd Individual Lightning Lane Selection at one of the other parks for a return time after your planned park hop time. (onsite only)
  • Park opening — Once a park officially opens, offsite guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections. (Note: You have to wait for park opening, but you don’t have to be inside the park.)
  • 2 hours AFTER park opening OR after you’ve tapped in for your first Genie+ (whichever comes first) – Make your 2nd Genie+ selection

Animal Kingdom

  • Day before: Confirm that everyone in your party has valid theme park admission AND a Park Pass Reservation (if required) for Animal Kingdom
  • 12 a.m. — 6:45 a.m. Purchase Genie+
  • 7 a.m. — Purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage
  • 7 a.m. — Make your first Genie+ selection; we recommend Kilimanjaro Safari or Na’vi River Journey
  • 7 a.m. — If you are planning to park hop, purchase your 2nd Individual Lightning Lane Selection at one of the other parks for a return time after your planned park hop time. (onsite only)
  • Park opening — Once a park officially opens, offsite guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections. (Note: You have to wait for park opening, but you don’t have to be inside the park.)
  • 2 hours AFTER park opening OR after you’ve tapped in for your first Genie+ (whichever comes first) – Make your 2nd Genie+ selection

Video: Disney Genie Plus and Lightning Lanes Explained

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