Disney World changing line-skipping app to allow advance purchase

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Walt Disney World is making changes to its Disney Genie+ planning service and Lightning Lane access that go into effect in late July, the company announced Tuesday. Theme park guests will soon be able to secure reservations in advance of their visits and make plans for multiple days.

Currently, Disney World visitors must wait until 7 a.m. on the day of their visit to sign up for Lightning Lane, a queue that grants faster access — for a price — to in-demand rides and attractions in the resort’s four theme parks. That will change July 24, according to a post on the official Disney Parks Blog.

Name changes kick in then, too. The Genie+ service will become Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and the current individual Lightning Lane purchases will be known as Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Disneyland and Disney World has used the upcharge Lightning Lanes since the parks reopened after the pandemic. This Lightning Lane sign is at Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California.
Disneyland and Disney World has used the upcharge Lightning Lanes since the parks reopened after the pandemic. This Lightning Lane sign is at Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California. [ JEFF GRITCHEN | The Orange County Register ]

Those who are staying at Disney World resort hotels will be allowed to sign up for Lightning Lane passes up to seven days ahead of time for their entire stay, up to 14 days.  All other visitors, including annual passholders, will be able to get Lightning Lane times three days in advance.

With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, visitors can reserve up to three Lightning Lane selections inside one theme park in advance. They also may add one more on the day of their visit, depending on availability, via the My Disney Experience app.

An upcoming change in the app will enable the option to buy single passes and multi passes in the same transaction, Disney said.

An upcoming change in the My Disney Experience app will enable the option to buy single passes and multi passes in the same transaction, Disney said. Rise of the Resistance, the most popular Star Wars ride at Disney World, often sells out spots to skip the line by 8:30 a.m.
An upcoming change in the My Disney Experience app will enable the option to buy single passes and multi passes in the same transaction, Disney said. Rise of the Resistance, the most popular Star Wars ride at Disney World, often sells out spots to skip the line by 8:30 a.m. [ Luis Santana ]

Lightning Lane pricing varies by attraction, park and date, but the upcoming changes will not affect the cost, Disney said. On Tuesday, for example, Genie+ (the current multiple-attraction offering) ranged between $17 per guest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and $27 at Magic Kingdom. An individual Lightning Lane for a ride now typically costs between $10 and $25.

Guests crowd Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in 2022. The Disney Genie app was announced in August 2019, and the Lightning Lane system was introduced in 2021, essentially replacing Disney’s free FastPass+ system, which was suspended in May 2020 while the Disney World parks were closed during the early months of the pandemic.
Guests crowd Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in 2022. The Disney Genie app was announced in August 2019, and the Lightning Lane system was introduced in 2021, essentially replacing Disney’s free FastPass+ system, which was suspended in May 2020 while the Disney World parks were closed during the early months of the pandemic. [ JOE BURBANK | Orlando Sentinel ]

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Although the “Genie+” name is going away, the free Genie planning service, which makes suggestions for the day, will remain on the Disney app.  The Disney Genie app was announced in August 2019, and the Lightning Lane system was introduced in 2021, essentially replacing Disney’s free FastPass+ system, which was suspended in May 2020 while the Disney World parks were closed during the early months of the COVID pandemic.

— By Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel

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