Disney overhauls Genie+ system to let you sleep in and still skip long lines

25.06.2024 - 20:39 / thepointsguy.com

Do you like sleeping in past 6:55 a.m. and not living on your phone while on vacation? If so, Disney has some good news for you.

One of the biggest complaints about Disney World's Genie+ system, which replaced the prior FastPass+ reduce-your-time-in-line program in 2022 (and added a cost; the old system was free), was that to really maximize the service, the planner for the family ended up being on their phone quite a bit selecting and modifying attraction reservations beginning each day at 7 a.m. while on "vacation."

Disney heard that feedback and announced last year that changes were coming — and now we know what those changes will be.

Beginning July 24, Disney Genie+ is getting a major makeover.

Guests who want to use the lines with shorter wait times will be able to plan some of their day's attractions before their visit. Genie+ as we know it, which lets you access shorter wait times for multiple attractions throughout the day, will be rebranded to Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Individual Lightning Lane attractions, which are often the newest attractions not included in the multiattraction pass, like Tron Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, will be called Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Here's everything you need to know about how Disney's Lightning Lane passes will work for visits beginning July 24 and onward.

Beginning July 24, guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel can purchase Lightning Lane passes up to seven days in advance for the entire length of their stay (up to 14 days). This includes the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels and Shades of Green, in addition to Disney's official hotels. Previously, this happened starting at midnight on each day of your trip. All other guests can plan up to three days in advance.

You can purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, a Lightning Lane Single Pass or both. The My Disney Experience app will have a streamlined process for bundling these purchases into one transaction instead of having to make them separately. It's not necessary to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to buy Lightning Lane Single Pass selections and vice versa.

In some ways, this is highly reminiscent of FastPass+, the predecessor to Disney Genie+. With FastPass+, you could make three prearrival attraction selections either 60 days out (for on-site hotel guests) or 30 days out (for all other guests). This tighter booking window feels like a step up from FastPass+ because you will likely have a better idea of your other vacation plans, such as dining reservations and other activities, when your booking window opens.

With the introduction of Lightning Lane Multi Pass, guests can purchase and make up to three Lightning Lane selections for one park per