Our Vacation Planners are often asked how to use the My Disney Experience, from making park pass reservations to making dining reservations. But the number one concern clients have is whether they will have enough time for the full to enjoy all of the rides and attractions if they do not purchase Disney’s Genie+. In my opinion this is an incredibly valid concern as you want to get the most out of the money you spend to bring your family to Walt Disney World. See our Vlog below showing our day using Genie+ at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
So, will purchasing Disney’s Genie+ for $15 per person per day help you achieve the ‘full’ Disney experience? My answer to that is a simple and resounding yes. Although it feels like just another additional cost on your vacation, because it is, the amount of time saved waiting in queues can be spent experiencing other attractions. Recently, I spent the day with our YouTube Vlogger, Magical Meg at the Magic Kingdom to test just how much time you save using Genie+ and how many attractions you can expect to experience in a day. Of course the results are unique depending on the park, day of the week and time of year you are visiting.
The Genie+ language on the My Disney Experience app states that you should be able to experience 2-3 attractions during your day. On this day, we were able to use Lightning Lane on the four following attractions, all before 4pm. We could have made 2-3 more lightning lane selections in the evening, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain but ended up watching shows and streaming live from the park – watch here.
[queue wait time | Lightning Lane wait time]
- Peter Pan’s Flight – 75 minutes | 2 minutes
- Haunted Mansion – 45 minutes | 2 minutes
- Pirates of the Caribbean – 50 minutes | 4 minutes
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin 50 minutes | 10 minutes
It’s not only just saving time so you can ride as many rides in a day as you can. There is a lot more happening at the parks that you might otherwise miss. For example, you may not have had time for Mickey’s Magical Friendship Fare and cavalcades at Magic Kingdom, the Disney KiteTails at Animal Kingdom, or the ability to take your time eating and drinking around Epcot’s World Showcase. So, as for the question “is Genie+ worth the price?” From my experience, absolutely.
As of the time of this video, five attractions have been announced to remain on Genie+ and not return immediately to individual Lightning Lane purchases: Space Mountain, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Expedition Everest. Find more information on purchasing Genie+ on your next vacation here.
