If you are planning a trip to Disneyland and/or California Adventure Park, you might wonder if the Disney Genie+ service is worth the cost. The quick answer: yes!
Now let’s set the tone and share why our opinion is so strong…
We purchased one-day park hopper tickets with the Genie+ service and made our reservation during holiday peak season. Our goal was to experience as much as possible at both parks in 1 day.
The Genie+ service provides access to Lightening Lanes — expedited lines that can save you hours of wait time on popular rides. The cost for this add-on was $30 per ticket.
Our crew consisted of 3 adults and 1 eight year old boy. The overall result of our trip was getting to go on 16 rides throughout the day from 8:30AM to 12AM which included a 2-hour hotel pit stop to recharge midday. Here are the rides we rode with the ones available for the Genie+ service bolded:
- Thunder Mountain
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — This lightening lane entrance is not included in the Genie+ service but can purchased a la carte for $28 per person. TIP: If visiting Disneyland or if it is your entrance park with a park hopper ticket, head here first. We did this and the wait time was only 30 minutes without paying for the a la carte pass.
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- Autopia
- Tow Mater Jingle
- Jelly Jump
- Little Mermaid
- Web Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Radiator Springs Racers — This lightening lane entrance is not included in the Genie+ service but can purchased a la carte for $21 per person. We saved 2 hours by purchasing this pass. TIP: If visiting California Adventure Park or if it is your entrance park with a park hopper ticket, head here first. This ride also offer a single rider line to save time if you don’t mind being separated from your group.
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Tea Cups
- Alice & Wonderland
- Space Mountain
To see a full list of rides included in the Genie+ service for Disneyland, click here.
To see a full list of rides included in the Genie+ service for California Adventure Park, click here.
If you are sold on Genie+, here’s how it works:
- Genie+ activates as soon as your ticket is scanned at the park.
- Make your first reservation immediately upon entering the park. Use the ‘Tip Board’ on the app to see current wait times and make your selection.
- Once you make your first booking, you will receive a one-hour window to go to the Lightening Lane. If you miss this window, you will not be able to make another reservation for the same ride.
- Once you scan your Lightening Lane passes, check your tip board to see if you can schedule your next reservation. NOTE: If you book a reservation for later in the day, you won’t be able to make another booking for 2 hours.
TIP: While you can buy the Genie+ service and a la carte Lightening Lane passes while at the park, we recommend including it from the get-go as passes are limited and can sell out.
NOTE: If you buy individual Lightening Lane passes, you can stack it with Genie+ reservations. Just make sure you don’t miss your reservation window.
Lastly, if you are a local with kids and plan to visit from park open to park close, consider booking a nearby hotel so you have a place to rest and recharge. We managed to stay at the Hyatt Place Anaheim for free using credit card points. You can also explore if hotel day passes are available through offerings like Resort Pass.