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Guide to Using Genie+ Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom (Priorities for 2024)

Guide to Using Genie+ Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom (Priorities for 2024)

Ready to learn how to maximize Genie+ at Animal Kingdom?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the rides at Animal Kingdom that use Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and we’ll go over which rides at Animal Kingdom are priorities with Genie+ and which ones you shouldn’t have to worry about needing one to skip the lines.

We’ll also cover the Individual Lightning Lane selection for Rise of the Resistance and explain how to work it into your day.

Finally, we’ll wrap up with a brief primer on Genie+ to make sure you’re all caught up on everything you need to know.

Genie+ Guides for the Other Parks

Looking for help maximizing Genie+ at the other Walt Disney World theme parks? Here’s where you can find our guides:

And if you are new to Genie+, make sure you start with our Complete Guide to Genie+ or skip down below where we go over some of the Animal Kingdom Genie+ basics.

What is the best way to use Genie+ in Animal Kingdom?

While we DO think that Genie+ can make touring Animal Kingdom a breeze, we don’t think that Genie+ is necessarily worth the price at Animal Kingdom. The limited number of attractions here makes it difficult for you to get your money’s worth.

But, if you do purchase it, you’ll find that it is very easy to get a lot of stuff done without hardly any waits.

Below we have 3 lists: Level 1 Priorities, Level 2 Priorities, and Level 3 Priorities.

We recommend that your first Genie+ selection of the day come from that Level 1 list.

After that, you should focus on Level 2 priorities, and then fill in any gaps in your touring with Level 3.

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

Level 1 Priorities: Book These Rides First at Animal Kingdom

Level 1 priorities are attractions that run out of Genie+ return times quickly. At Animal Kingdom, there are 2 attractions that typically see their Genie+ spots disappear fast: Kilimanjaro Safari and Na’vi River Journey.

If you are staying onsite, a good strategy here is to book Kilimanjaro Safaris first and then ride Na’vi River Journey during Early Theme Park Entry.

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.

If the available times aren’t working with your plans, keep refreshing the Tip Board in the My Disney Experience app. On Apple devices, you can do that by pulling down on the screen. You can also modify your return time, too.

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.

There are several shows at Animal Kingdom that utilize Genie+. While we don’t always recommend using Genie+ for the shows at Hollywood Studios, we do recommend it for the Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom. You are probably okay doing Standby Only for the other 2 shows here (Feathered Friends in Flight and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond).

Use these Level 3 Priorities to fill in the spots between return times of the more popular attractions in the lists above.

How long do the Genie+ selections last at Animal Kingdom?

Because there just aren’t as many Genie+ options at Animal Kingdom, you’ll see that Genie+ spots tend to run out a bit quicker than what you find at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

We looked through the info from Thrill-Data.com and used that to put together a list of averages, so you can see about how long Genie+ spots last at each attraction:

Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom

Ok, now that we’ve gone over the priorities at Animal Kingdom, let’s backtrack a bit and go over the latest info you need to know about Genie+ and Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom.

As you are probably already aware, Genie+ is the name for the former FastPass+ service at Walt Disney World. Instead of being free like the old FP+ service, Genie+ is not free; it does cost extra.

Lightning Lanes

Instead of FastPass+ lines, Genie+ uses “Lightning Lanes”. Lightning Lanes are secondary entrances to attractions, and the Lightning Lanes ideally have a much shorter wait.

Basically, when you buy Genie+ you purchase the option to reserve entry times into the Lightning Lanes.

expedition everest lightning lane entrance

Unlike similar services at parks like Universal, with Genie+, you select your attractions one-by-one, and although we think with a little planning it is definitely possible to accomplish a lot more, Disney states that with Genie+, guests on average can expect to use it to access 2-3 Lightning Lanes per day.

How much does Genie Plus Cost at Animal Kingdom?

Currently, Genie+ starts at $15 per ticket, per day (plus tax) but that price can go all the way up to $39 per ticket, per day.

But here’s the kicker:

There is no way to know ahead of time how much Genie+ is going to cost. Instead, you will see the price when you go to purchase it inside the My Disney Experience app.

disney genie+ screenshot to show cost

In general, though, you can expect the busier the time of year, the more expensive it will be. For example, during Christmas 2023, Genie+ reached $39 per day (plus tax).

How do you buy Genie+ at Animal Kingdom?

Everything that has to do with Genie+ takes place inside the My Disney Experience app. It is way too much to go into details here (otherwise this post would be a million words long), but we cover exactly how to purchase it – including screenshots – in our Complete Guide to Genie+.

How to use Genie+ at Animal Kingdom

Genie+ works the same across all 4 parks:

Every day, beginning after midnight, you can purchase Genie+.

Then, beginning right at 7:00 a.m. you can make your first Genie+ selection.

Because the first selections of the day are highly competitive, we recommend that you never, ever wait until 7 a.m. to purchase Genie+. Ideally, you should be purchasing it no later than 6:45 a.m. because Disney technology is notorious for being glitchy and just all around difficult – especially in the mornings.

You don’t get to choose your return time when you make a Genie+ selection. Instead, you can only get the next available time. That can make it a little bit more difficult when putting together Animal Kingdom touring plans that include Genie+.

And, you can only make one selection at a time. But, it is possible to hold more than 1 Genie+ reservation at a time.

You have to redeem a Genie+ selection before you can book another one — or you’ll have to wait 120 minutes from time of booking, whichever comes first.

When booking a Genie+ selection at 7 a.m. — before park opening — the 120-minute rule applies here as well. If you book a selection at 7 a.m. and the park doesn’t open until 9 a.m., you’ll have to wait until 11 a.m. to make another selection.

And, if your first return time is greater than 2 hours after park opening, you can still make your next Genie+ selection even if you haven’t yet used the first.

Most of the time, you can book another Genie+ selection as soon as you enter the Lightning Lane. But, if you don’t scan into a ride, you’ll be able to make another selection at the end of the arrival window for the current selection.

Finally, you can only use Genie+ on an attraction once per day. If you want to ride something again, you’ll have to use the Standby Line.

Churning and Stacking are 2 popular methods for touring with Genie+. When using Genie+ at Animal Kingdom, you’ll likely find yourself doing a bit of both.

How to Purchase Individual Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom has 1 attraction with a Lightning Lane that is NOT a part of Genie+:

  • Avatar Flight of Passage

If you want to ride it by using the Lightning Lane there, you’ll need to purchase an à la carte entry.

How much does an Avatar Flight of Passage Individual Lightning Lane cost?

The price of the pay-to-ride attractions varies depending on demand. The busier the parks, the more expensive they will be.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $11-$16 per person for an Individual Lightning Lane at Flight of Passage.

flight of passage

Every day, you are allowed to purchase up to 2 of the Individual Lightning Lane selections. You can purchase both in 1 park (if 2 are available, like at Magic Kingdom), or you can split them between 2 parks. You can only purchase a ride on each attraction once per day.

Just like with Genie+, you purchase Individual Lightning Lanes through the My Disney Experience App.

Should you buy an Individual Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage?

Flight of Passage remains extremely popular, and it is very common for the wait times here to be 100 minutes or more.

pandora

To eliminate that wait, you have a couple of options:

  1. Ride during Early Theme Park Entry (best free option)
  2. Purchase an Individual Lightning Lane selection
  3. Jump in line at the end of the evening

If you are looking to save some money or if you have more than 1 day at Animal Kingdom and you are staying onsite, we recommend you rope drop Flight of Passage. That means showing up for Early Theme Park Entry and heading to Flight of Passage first.

But, if you only have 1 day at Flight of Passage, it can make touring the rest of the park a lot easier if you go ahead and purchase an Individual Lightning Lane selection. That would free you up to rope drop some of the other popular attractions, like Na’Vi River Journey or Expedition Everest.

If you only want to buy either Flight of Passage OR Genie+ at Animal Kingdom, we recommend purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage and skipping Genie+.

Animal Kingdom Genie+, Individual Lightning Lane Selections, and Virtual Queues: Which one should you book first?

Lots of things have to be done at almost the exact same time. Here’s our recommendations for which order you should do it all:

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

How many rides use Genie+ at Animal Kingdom?

Animal Kingdom has a total of 11 rides, attractions, and shows included with Genie+:

Hollywood Studios Genie+ rides and attractions

But, not all attractions with Lightning Lanes at Animal Kingdom are included with Genie+.

Rides at Animal Kingdom that do not use Genie+

1 attraction with a Lightning Lane at Animal Kingdom requires you to purchase a spot à la carte. Those are called Individual Lightning Lane selections.

Plus, there is a list of other attractions that don’t have Lightning Lanes at all and only use Standby Lines.

Animal Kingdom Genie+ FAQs

Does Genie+ let me skip the line?

While Genie+ can significantly cut down on your overall wait times, you will still have to stand in a line – it just won’t be as long as the regular Standby Line.

For example, if you want to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris during the middle of the day, the standby waits there are often over 100 minutes. With Genie+, your wait will be closer to 20 or less. That is a huge chunk of time saved.

Can I use Genie+ during Early Entry or Extended Evening Theme Park Hours?

Genie+ is not available during Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.

Can I Park Hop to Animal Kingdom and use Genie+?

Yes! You can. Genie+ can be used when Park Hopping, just keep in mind that if your park ticket requires a Park Pass reservation, that you must first visit the park your reservation is for before hopping to a different park.

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