Genie+ is here as a replacement for Disney World’s FastPass+ system. There are some big differences and some hacks to using Genie Plus that you may want to know! Here’s a guide for using Genie Plus at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.
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Guide For Using Genie+ At Hollywood Studios
We used the new Genie+ system on our last trip.
Here’s a guide with some best practices, tips, and options for using Genie+ at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.
First, we’re answering some basic questions that you might have about using the Genie Plus service.
FAQs For Using Genie Plus
What Is Genie+ and how do we use it?
Start here. Check out this Disney Genie+ 101 to get the basic definitions and pricing for Genie+.
Can I buy Genie+ in advance?
Short answer: no. Not after June 8, 2022, anyway.
Until then, you may be able to add Genie+ in advance in some cases.
You can add Genie+ if you have a Disney World resort package with tickets and want to buy the service every day. This is something your travel agent can help you with should you decide to add the service for the length of stay until June 8, 2022.
If you only want to use the service for certain days, you’ll want to buy Genie before 7 am on the day you wish to use it.
If you are an annual passholder or have discounted tickets you cannot purchase in advance. You WILL be able to buy Genie each day you wish to use it.
Can you choose return times with Genie+?
No. It’s just like FastPass of old- you get what you get!
Is there a grace period with Genie+?
Yes.
You can arrive 5 minutes early or up to 15 minutes late and still use the Lightning Lane (LL) selection you booked.
No need to ask a CM about it or point it out; just scan in and go!
What if there’s an ADR or previous ride conflict?
Genie will allow you to book overlapping plans, so keep this in mind when you accept your LL selection.
If you have a meal planned during the suggested LL time, we suggest waiting a few minutes or dragging the screen on your app to refresh the options.
Hopefully, something that works better will be offered!
What Attractions Are Included As Genie+ Lightning Lanes At Hollywood Studios?
All of these attractions will be available for the Genie+ purchase starting at $15+ tax per person per day at Hollywood Studios. Variable pricing has been instituted by Disney, meaning each day may have a different price level for the service.
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- MuppetVision 3D
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Disney Jr. Play & Dance
- Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Magic Kingdom is where you can really get the biggest bang for your Genie+ buck but Hollywood Studios comes in a close 2nd.
This park has the 2nd most Lightning Lane options for you to choose from and using Genie plus in Hollywood Studios can really cut down on wait times.
We recommend purchasing Genie+ for this park if you are planning to go ala cart vs length of stay.
Guide For Using Genie+: Individual Lightning Lane Options In Hollywood Studios
Two rides at every park cost an additional amount if you’d like to “skip the line” at Disney World.
In Hollywood Studios, the Individual Lightning Lane options are:
- Rise of the Resistance
You do NOT have to pay the Genie+ pricing in order to access these ILL (Individual Lightning Lane) purchases.
You can just pay for these rides alone, and simply do standby lines for the other rides in the park.
And unlike the Genie+ Lightning Lane selections, the Individual Lightning Lane selections DO allow you to choose a time window based on availability.
Prices for these attractions in Hollywood Studios start at $9 and can go up to $20.
What’s The Best Practice For Using Genie+ In Hollywood Studios?
While each day will be different depending on crowd levels and when you plan to visit, there are some trends we see.
Here are a few suggestions as far as tips and best practices for Hollywood Studios Genie+ usage.
Resort Guests Should Use Early Magic Hours
We know, we know- groan! It’s so early!
But if you are staying onsite, taking advantage of the Early Magic Hours can be key to skipping lines and potentially saving money.
If a park shows an opening time of 9 am, resort guests are officially allowed in at 8:30 am.
But the secret here is that 8:30 is sometimes even earlier- so go ahead and plan to rope drop at 7:45 am. That means you want to be through the security line by 7:45 am.
Galaxy’s Edge (Star Wars Land) is open at this time with rides up and running. Other locations may not open until 8:30, but you can also go ahead and get in line to be some of the first guests on.
This time is not guaranteed, but the trend is that Disney is allowing guests in even earlier than advertised and this can really help you get a jump on the lines!
At Hollywood Studios, if you choose to arrive early we suggest immediately getting in line for one of the Individual Lightning Lane options in order to save that added cost.
We’d head to Rise of the Resistance first and when you get off this attraction head straight to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
You’ll likely be through both attractions before 8:30 am.
What Lightning Lane Should You Choose First at 7 am: Guide For Using Genie+
If you are using Genie+, the two attractions that “book up” the quickest at Hollywood Studios will be Slinky Dog Dash and Tower of Terror.
Slinky Dog has historically had a long standby line so this is not surprising.
If either of these attractions is on your “must-do” list at Hollywood Studios, you will want to prioritize them for your Lightning Lane selections.
Guide To Hollywood Studios Genie+ Use: Hit That Refresh Button!
If you are not seeing the attraction or the time window you are looking for, go ahead and keep refreshing the app.
Drag your finger down on the screen and it will reset and show you additional options if they are available.
This seems to be the most overlooked tip when using Genie+.
Guests assume what Disney shows first is their final offer. Not true!
Other guests are looking at options at the same time and if they bounce off and choose a different attraction, the time they were looking at will go back into the pool of choices.
So go ahead and use Refresh while checking your LL selections in Genie+!
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Patty Holliday has been running Disney since 2011. She knows just about every tip, trick, and hack there is to cover the runDisney Magical Miles at Disney World and Disneyland. She knows every mile isn’t *always* magical- but with training, tips, and a little bit of pixie dust, they can be a lot of fun! You can also find her at noguiltlife.com and noguiltfangirl.com