Disney Genie & Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

Lightning Lane! Disney Genie! Virtual Queues! A trip to Disney World these days involves dealing with multiple potentially-confusing technologies with fanciful names. These technologies have two things in common: they’re all accessed through the My Disney Experience app on your iPhone or Android phone, and they’re all ways of minimizing your time spent waiting in line. This page explains in detail how all of these tools work, so you can use them effectively at Walt Disney World!

There’s so much to cover about Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass that we split the information onto two pages:

  • This page covers how all these technologies work and the various rules and policies, like a “user manual” for Genie, Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Lightning Lane Single Pass, Lightning Lane Premier Pass and Virtual Queues.
  • We also recommend reading our Lightning Lane Tips & Strategy page, a complete guide to maximizing the value of these tools so you can have the best possible Walt Disney World vacation!

Jump to:

Disney Genie

Genie LogoThe Disney Genie service is a FREE planning tool, built into the Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app, available for most smartphones. The service is conceptually pretty simple:

Currently, the app cannot create a plan in advance. You can enter your preferences well in advance and edit them any time, but it will only start showing you plans on the morning of that park visit. That makes it less useful for planning things that require advance reservations, like table-service dining, dessert parties and so forth. On the plus side, once you’ve made dining reservations, the app will know those times and work the rest of its suggestions around them.

The app doesn’t seem very aggressive about getting you on your favorite rides. It seems to often instead suggest you go on nearby rides that have short waits. This is great if your priority is just getting on rides and minimizing walking and waiting, but it does mean that you really can’t force it to prioritize getting on your must-do rides. If certain rides or shows are really important to you, Genie may not be your best approach. 

The app should keep track of some of your activities and adjust automatically, but that doesn’t always work. For example, if you’ve made sit-down dining reservations or pre-ordered food via mobile order around dinner time, the app should note that and stop suggesting other restaurants for dinner. If your reservation is earlier or later than what the app thinks is “dinner” you may find your list has dining recommendations you don’t want. Similarly, if you use Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass for an attraction, the app should automatically remove that attraction from your recommendation list. But sometimes that doesn’t work correctly. As Disney works through the bugs, things like this should slowly get better.

Even in the best case, using the app relies on you doing a certain amount of manual management. If you take the app’s lead and ride the next thing it suggests, it may or may not figure out that you’ve crossed that ride off, so to speak, and may continue to suggest it. If so, you’ll need to go in and delete that recommendation so it will stop trying to shoehorn it into your day’s schedule. If you’re not happy with what Genie suggests, you basically need to ask it to come up with an alternative, or just delete the thing you don’t want to go on. 

Following the app’s plan will almost certainly reduce the amount of time you will wait in line compared to just wandering randomly. The app can know, for example, that the lines for Haunted Mansion go down a little when a big parade is happening, and can tell you to wait until the parade time to visit that attraction. It knows that in the morning, going on Space Mountain before Pirates of the Caribbean will be a lower overall expected wait time than going on Pirates before Space Mountain. These may seem like small things, but we can tell you from experience, it really adds up.

People who are used to planning a Disney trip and like to use carefully constructed park plans will not get much out of the basic Genie functionality. Optimized plans like the ones printed in The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World or available on various web sites are going to get you on more of the rides you care most about.

On the other hand, if you prefer to not have to follow a rigid schedule, using Genie’s recommendations is not a bad idea. If you’re not sure what to do next, having Genie suggest your next move is better than the traditional method that families have used at Disney parks for decades: standing in a small cluster while the adults stare at the map and say things like, “My sister says Haunted Mansion is good,” while the children complain that they’re bored. Frankly, anything is better than that approach.

Lightning Lanes

Lightning Lanes are special entrances available at select attractions that allow you to skip the regular line and get straight to the ride quickly, usually in 10 minutes or less. If you’re familiar with the (now discontinued) FastPass system, it’s roughly the same thing, just no longer included with the ticket price. How do you get access to the Lightning Lane? Read on!

First, you need to make a Lightning Lane reservation, either via Lightning Lane Multi Pass (which costs money) or via Lightning Lane Single Pass (which costs money). There are a few other ways you might get a Lightning Lane reservation. Disney might give some out just to add magic to a guest’s day or potentially to encourage guests to move to a less crowded part of the park. Guest Relations can give people extra Lightning Lane passes to help make up for a problem or mistake like a ride breaking down. But most of the time, they’ll be ones you booked yourself on your phone.

Each guest is limited to getting just one Lightning Lane reservation per day for any specific ride. You are welcome to ride almost any ride or show as many times as you want by waiting in the regular line for each ride, with the exception of rides using a virtual queue, but you can typically only use the Lightning Lane once each day. One potential workaround: If you’re visiting the park with people who don’t want to ride a specific ride, and don’t mind letting you use their Lightning Lane reservations, you can get them a reservation as well, borrow their MagicBand or park ticket and use it to tap in for the ride a second time. As long as you’re using a valid, unexpired, unused reservation, Cast Members don’t seem to care who’s using it.

At any time during a reservation’s return window, you can go to the Lightning Lane entrance of that attraction and “tap in” by touching your ticket or MagicBand at the Mickey symbol.

There is an automatic “grace period” built in, so currently you can show up for your reservation as much as 5 minutes early or 15 minutes late and the computer should just let you in. If you show up more than 15 minutes late, the attendant might let you in, especially if you have a good reason why you are late. Sometimes if you are held up through no fault of your own (a ride or transportation breakdown, for example), attendants have some wiggle room to let you ride, but there are always times when things are just too busy and attendants are told not to let in stragglers. And, of course, Disney can shorten or eliminate the grace period at any time. Bottom line: try not to be late!

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is an upgrade that unlocks Lightning Lane access to over 40 attractions across the 4 major Disney World parks. By purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can get faster access to one ride at a time, selected from a set of popular attractions, all day long. 

Purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass

If you are staying in a Disney-owned resort, you can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass for all the days of your trip (up to 14 days long), 7 days before your arrival day, If you are staying in a non-Disney resort, you can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass one day at a time,  up to 3 days in advance of each day you want to use it.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass costs between $15.98-$37.28 (tax included) per person, per day at Walt Disney World. The price varies depending on which park you’re buying it for, and how busy that park is expected to be on that day. The multiple-park Lightning Lane Multi Pass will always be the most expensive. (Note that Disney can raise the price at any time.)

You can typically see what Lightning Lane Multi Pass will cost a few weeks in advance of the date you can first purchase it. Just open the My Disney Experience (aka Disney World) app and select “Lightning Lane Passes” from the main menu, then select a date, and finally select a park. The price for Lightning Lane varies based on which park you select, with Magic Kingdom typically the most expensive and Animal Kingdom being the least expensive.

To buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass, launch the My Disney Experience app and log into your Disney account, if you haven’t already. You should see a Lightning Lane section right at the top of the home screen, with a “Purchase” button. Tap that and select a date, then which park you want to buy for. You can buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass for your whole travel party if they’re all linked to your My Disney Experience account. You’ll need to provide payment info if you don’t already have a credit card attached to your Disney account.

Warning: Lightning Lane Multi Pass can sell out! Most days of the year, Lightning Lane Multi Pass is available for purchase the whole day, but on very busy days (peak holidays like spring break or Christmas especially) it can sell out, sometimes in advance. If you are there during a peak time, it’s generally a good idea to get it purchased bright and early in the morning on the first day you are eligible to purchase.

Using Lightning Lane Multi Pass

If you are staying in a Disney-owned resort, you can book your first three Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions for each day of your trip (up to 14 days long), 7 days before you arrive. If you are staying in another resort, you can book your first three Lightning Lane Multi Pass attractions for each day, up to 3 days before the day you want to use them. In either case, you’ll be able to pick from any available times each day. You will only be able to pre-book attractions in a single theme park, even if you have a Park Hopper or Annual Pass.

The attractions are divided into two “tiers.” Tier 1 contains 4-5 of the most popular rides in each park. You can only pre-book a maximum of one attraction from Tier 1, and two from Tier 2. These tiers only affect your first three pre-booked attractions – once you’re in the park, as soon as you tap into your first attraction you can book any other available attraction – tiers don’t apply. That said, the Tier 1 attractions will usually be the first to sell out each day, so it’s a good idea to grab those attractions as early as possible.

Once you’ve used up each one of your first three Lightning Lane reservations, you can choose another. If you have a Park Hopper ticket or Annual Pass, you can pick a Lightning Lane reservation in a different park.

In the “Tip Board” section of the app, certain attractions have a “Multi Pass Experience” button with a time listed. Tap the button to reserve that time window for that attraction. If you haven’t purchased Lightning Lane Multi Pass yet, it will take you through that process, then take you back to the Tip Board to reserve your Lighting Lane time. 

If you have a 1 Park Per Day ticket, you can only select attractions in one park. If you have a Park Hopper ticket or Annual Pass, you can make the next reservation in a different park. 

Be careful! You may get a different time on the next screen! The time listed on the Tip Board is not guaranteed to be the time you get when you actually book. The system doesn’t “hold” the times listed on the Tip Board. Once you get to the actual booking screen, the time should be held (for at least a minute or so), and you should be able to count on on the time listed there being the time you’ll actually book. Return times can change very quickly, especially early in the morning. You may think you’re getting a 9:00 – 10:00 am reservation, only to see that it’s now a 10:20 – 11:20 am reservation on the next screen. 

All of your booked reservations, including Lightning Lane Multi Passes and Single Passes, restaurants, events, etc. appear in the “My Day” section of the app. You’ll also see a few upcoming reservations on the top of the app home screen (tap the little house in the lower left to get to the home screen).

Once you’ve made your first three Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations, you can make one for a new ride as soon as you use, cancel or let expire one of your three existing ones. In essence, you can always have three booked. If you currently have less than three (because you used one, let one expire unused, canceled one or just never booked all three), you can book another.

Additional Lightning Lane Multi Pass Notes

The attractions available for Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations:

Lightning Lane Single Pass

Lightning Lane Single Pass is a separate paid option to get a Lightning Lane reservation, available for just one or two very popular rides in each park. Reservations for these attractions are not available through Lightning Lane Multi Pass (and do not require buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass to reserve), and can be purchased individually. You can buy up to two of these in advance, with the same rules as for Multi Pass.

The prices for getting Lightning Lane reservations for these attractions vary, both based on ride popularity and how busy the parks are. Examples of Lightning Lane Single Pass prices we’ve seen so far range from $7 per person for Expedition Everest to $17 per person for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Disney will adjust those prices up or down on different days depending on how much demand there is for Lightning Lane reservations for each ride. On weekends, for example, the prices are a little higher, and on weekdays they’re a little lower. On holidays they can be much higher. The price stays the same all day. You don’t have to worry that the price of a Lightning Lane reservation will change later in the day, but you do potentially need to worry about it selling out.

Making an Lightning Lane Single Pass Reservation

If you are staying in a Disney-owned resort, you can book up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions for each day of your trip (up to 14 days long), 7 days before you arrive. If you are staying in another resort, you can book up to two Lightning Lane Single Pass attractions for each day, up to 3 days before the day you want to use them. In either case, you’ll be able to pick from any available times each day. 

On the home page of the Disney World app there is a Lightning Lane section with a “Purchase” button. As early as 7am Eastern on the first day you are eligible to book Lightning Lanes, tap that button. Select a date on the next page, then a park on the next. It will show you any available Multi Pass or Single Pass options for that park. Select one or all of them, then select Continue. You can now select the time(s) for your Single Passes, and if you booked a Multi Pass, you’ll select attractions and times for those.

All of your booked reservations, including Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Lightning Lane Single Pass, restaurants, events, etc. appear in the “My Day” section of the app. You’ll also see a few of your upcoming reservations on the top of the app home screen (tap the little house in the lower left to get to the home screen).

If you have a 1 Park Per Day ticket, you can only select rides in one park. If you have a Park Hopper ticket or Annual Pass, you can make reservations at multiple parks. 

Additional Lightning Lane Single Pass Notes

The complete list of rides available for Lightning Lane Single Pass reservations (which Disney can change any time):

Lighting Lane Premier Pass

Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a pricey option that gives you access to every Lightning Lane in a single park, without having to make any reservations. It’s the ultimate in convenience, because there’s no planning involved – you just show up to the ride’s Lightning Lane entrance any time and badge in. However, you only get one Lightning Lane entrance per attraction. If you want to go on the ride again, you’ll need to wait in the regular line or get a Virtual Queue slot (depending on the ride). This convenience comes at a truly eye-popping price, starting at $137.39, tax included, for a low-season Premier Pass for Animal Kingdom, all the way up to $478.19, tax included, for high season (i.e. Christmas) in Magic Kingdom.

Premier Pass is only available to people staying in select Disney World resorts. Specifically, all Disney-owned resorts plus the Swan, Swan Reserve, Dolphin, and Shades of Green.

For most people, Lightning Lane Premier Pass is a luxury item that isn’t a great value. You can get on all or most of the popular rides that have Lightning Lanes in one day with some planning, the regular Single Pass and Multi Pass, and some amount of waiting in standby lines. If needed, you could buy a longer ticket and go to the park an extra day, and it would still be cheaper than the Premier Pass and would give you the opportunity to get Lightning Lane for your favorite rides twice.

Even though the price is pretty darn steep, it’s worth noting that Premier Pass will get you on all the top rides in one of the parks in a single day with no reservations, no fiddling with your phone and no rushing to keep on schedule. For folks who really want a deluxe experience, but can’t see themselves shelling out for a VIP Tour, this is a somewhat more affordable way to get a lot of rides checked off fast, and perhaps have a more relaxing day in the park. 

Quantities are very limited, so these passes can (and will) sell out on busy days. If you want it, be ready with the My Disney Experience app open and ready, at 7:00 AM Eastern Time, 7 days before your arrival day. (Even if you don’t want to use it until later in your trip, your window opens 7 days before you arrive at your Disney World Deluxe resort.)

Virtual Queues

A “virtual queue” is a way of holding a spot in line for an attraction without having actually having to stand in a physical queue. Disney uses this system sparingly, typically only for one or two rides per park that are brand-new and/or in very high demand. Disney has also used it in the past to manage access to new park “lands” like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Virtual queues are FREE.

When you enter a virtual queue, you get assigned a numbered boarding group, which is just like taking a number at the deli. You can always see what number is currently boarding, and can get a rough idea of how much longer you’ll have to wait for your number to come up. If the ride goes down for some amount of time, boarding will pause and your number will get called later. There’s no guarantee that they’ll ever get to your number, though if the ride operates normally they generally get to all or almost all groups.

Virtual queues are completely separate from Lightning Lane, and don’t affect your ability to pay for a Lightning Lane Single Pass selection. In fact, if a ride has both a virtual queue and paid Lightning Lane Single Pass access, you can use both and ride it twice!

A virtual queue has been used in the past for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and potentially could return. Be sure to check if any rides you want to experience are using a virtual queue before you arrive, because the system for using them is unique.

How To Get A Boarding Group

Disney can change the system for virtual queues at any time (and has, several times), but here’s the system currently in use: