Disney World FastPass Tiers And How To Use Them!

As you start planning your Disney World vacation you may start to see the words Genie+, Fastpass, Lightening Lane (LL), and Individual Lightening Lane (ILL) come up quite a bit. Why? Because no one likes to wait in lines all day at Disney World and this is the fastest way to get through those terribly long lines! I have put together a list of what rides use the (LL) and (ILL) systems and your most popular questions about this new Fastpass system at Disney World.

What is the Genie+ Lightening Lane (LL) Fastpass and when can I reserve them?

A Genie+ Lightening Lane (LL) is a NEW reservation for the most popular rides. Essentially you will pick a time to use your LL Fastpass for the ride of your choice. Be aware that they do run out!

If you are staying at a Disney World resort, you can start making your Genie+ LL reservations at 7 am the day of entry. This is one of the many perks of staying at a Disney World resort. If you are staying off-property, you will have to wait to purchase both Individual Lightening Lanes and Lightening Lane passes until the park opens on the day of entry.

Disney has separated the Genie+ Fastpasses into 2 separate sections.

Individual Lightening Lanes (ILL)

These passes are available to purchase as an a’ la carte add-on, they are not included with your Genie+ purchase. Nor do you need to purchase the Genie+ Lightening Lanes pass to use the ILL passes.

These passes are usually for the most desirable rides with the longest wait lines or the newest rides with virtual queue lines.

How to Purchase Individual Lightning Lane Selections

1. From the main menu in the My Disney Experience mobile app, select “Tip Board”.
2. Select an Individual Lightning Lane experience and follow the prompts to purchase.

What Are the Rules?

• You must have valid admission and a theme park reservation to the same park, on the same day.
• Purchase this type of Lightning Lane entry for up to 2 different experiences a day, one at a time. Please note: each experience’s Lightning Lane entrance is available once per day, per Guest.
• All attractions and experiences are subject to availability.
• Guests of a Disney Resort Hotel and other select hotels: make your first selection at 7:00 AM on the day of your park visit (includes Guests of Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, and Shades of Green Resort). All other Guests can make their first selection when the park opens.

How much is the Genie+ Individual Lightening Lane (ILL) pass?

Prices vary depending on how busy the parks are and could cost you between $7.00-$15.00 per attraction. You can reserve 2 (ILL) passes a day for 2 different rides. You cannot reserve the same ride twice.

So, during peak for a family of 4, you would need to pay $28.00-$60.00 for this upgrade to use for one ride.

Lightening Lanes (LL)

Lightening Lanes rides usually have moderate wait times.

Use the Lightning Lane entrances offered through Disney Genie+ service and save time waiting in line. On average, Guests can enter 2 to 3 attractions or experiences per day using Lightning Lane entrances, if the first selection is made early in the day.

You can enjoy a Disney Genie+ service Lightning Lane entrance once per day. If you’d like to experience an attraction again or see a certain show again within the same day, you are welcome to use our regular standby line.

How much is the Genie+ Lightening Lane (LL)?

Prices vary depending on how busy the parks are and could cost you and your family a pretty penny. I’ve seen prices from $16.00-$31.00 a day per ticket. During the holidays or peak season, you can expect to pay more towards $31.00 per ticket per person.

So, during peak for a family of 4, you would need to pay $124.00 for this upgrade to use for the day.

How to Purchase Disney Genie+ Service:

1. Be sure to have your valid Disney theme park ticket and your Disney Park Pass reservation.
2. From the main menu in the My Disney Experience mobile app, select “My Disney Genie Day”.
3. Select the “My Day” tab, then tap “Get Disney Genie+ for Today”.

What Are the Rules?

• You must you have valid admission and a theme park reservation to the same park on the same day.
• Disney Genie+ service Lightning Lane selections can only be made one at a time. You must redeem an existing Disney Genie+ service Lightning Lane selection or wait 2 hours—whichever comes first—before making another Lightning Lane entrance selection through the Disney Genie+ service. Please note: the 2-hour wait to make another selection begins when the park opens, even if you made your first booking at 7:00 AM.
• All attractions and experiences are subject to availability.
• Guests may be able to purchase Disney Genie+ service on the day of their park visit and make their first Disney Genie+ selection for Lightning Lane entry starting at 7:00 AM.

Can I modify my Lightning Lane selections?

If you would like to modify your Lightning Lane selection through Disney Genie+ service to a different experience or attraction, reduce the party accompanying you, or choose a different time, here’s how:

1. In the Disney Genie service, select either the Tip Board or My Day tab.
2. Tap the Lightning Lane selection you wish to modify. A short menu will appear.
3. From the short menu, select the type of change you want and follow the resulting prompts.
4. Check to make sure the new experience, party makeup, or time is correct.
5. Tap “Confirm Change,” then “Done.”

Epcot

With Epcot, this park is very spread out and takes a long time to explore. Most of the countries have a video or ride and giftshops or restaurants to explore. Strategic planning is much needed, so here are my top 4 rides to use the LL passes on. If you are unable to reserve LL passes for these rides, that’s okay. Try to hit those ones first at rope drop or come back to them later on in the night after the crowds thin out and the heat has dropped.

Top rides to use your Genie+ passes on:

• Soarin’- This is by far the longest most boring line to wait in, which is why it is at the top of my list to use a Genie+ on! The upside to waiting in the standby queue, is you are in an airconditioned building for the entire wait.
• Frozen Ever After- There can be long wait times for this newer ride, but the queue is mostly indoors with an interactive queue.
• Test Track- The standby queue is usually quite long but mostly indoors, and you get to design your car while you’re waiting in line. So, the wait does not seem that bad!
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure- This ride is brand new for 2022 and generally has a long wait time compared to other rides at Epcot.

Lightening Lane (LL) Rides broken up into lands:

World Discovery

• Mission: SPACE-Green
• Mission: SPACE-Orange
• Test Track (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)

France

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Norway

• Frozen Ever After (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)

World Celebration

• Spaceship Earth
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival

World of Nature

• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Soarin’
• Living with the Land

Individual Lightening Lane

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is very hot and muggy and has several areas with lots of animals to learn about and see. Whether you are exploring the Savanna or petting animals out at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, the atmosphere is regulated towards what the animals need to feel at home. Some areas will feel like you are in the hot humid rainforest and in other areas you might feel like you’re in a desert. For most people, if you plan your day correctly you won’t need to purchase the LL or ILL for this park at all. The only rides that tend to have a higher wait time are Nav’i River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage. I would personally choose one at rope drop and the other as your last ride of the day if you want to skip on the LL passes for this park and save your family some money.

Top rides to use your Genie+ passes on:

• Kilimanjaro Safaris- The line is very hot and humid; it tends to wind around in the hot sun and has a higher wait time than posted.
• Nav’i River Journey- Because this ride is still new, it usually has a higher wait time than the other rides in the park.

Lightening Lane (LL) Rides

Africa

• Kilimanjaro Safaris (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)
• Festival of the Lion King

Asia

• Expedition Everest
• Kali River Rapids
• Feathered Friends in Flight!

Dinoland U.S.A

• Dinosaur (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)
• Finding Nemo – The Big Blue… and Beyond!

Discovery Island

• It’s tough to be a Bug!
• Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurer’s Outpost (Mickey & Minnie)

Rafiki’s Planet Watch

• The Animation Experiences at Conservation Station

Pandora- The World of Avatar

• Nav’i River Journey

Individual Lightening Lane

Avatar Flight of Passage- The wait for this ride is still about 2 hours long. Most of the queue is outdoors in a shady area. Once inside, there are many things to look at while you wait.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has an abundance of rides and some of the best lands out of all of the parks. Shade is not their strong suit though; rope drop is a must to avoid baking out in the hot sun! Most of the rides do have indoor queues for at least half of the wait, others you will be out in the sun. Be sure to have a lot of water on hand and wear sunblock.

Top rides to use your Genie+ passes on:

• Slinky Dog Dash- This new rollercoaster is usually around a 1-2 hour wait with only umbrellas here and there for shade.
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway- On busy days you will be waiting outside in a mostly shady area for about half of your wait time.
• Millenium Falcon– This one is tricky, if it’s a crowded day the line can wind back beyond the Disney area and into the back lot. There’s little shade and you’re outside the Disney bubble. On a more moderate day, you will be in the shade.
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith– The queue line can wrap in front of the ride and back onto Hollywood Blvd. Leaving you in the hot sun on the blacktop.

Lightening Lane (LL) Rides

Sunset Boulevard:

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage

Animation Courtyard:

• Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• Disney Junior – Live on Stage!

Hollywood Boulevard:

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)

Toy Story Land:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Slinky Dog Dash (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)
• Toy Story Mania!

Star Wars: Galaxy Edge:

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)

Echo Lake:

• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
• Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

Grand Avenue:

• Muppet*Vision 3D

Individual Lightening Lane

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom has a lot of shade to help you keep cool during those hot summer days. Be sure to grab a mickey ice cream sandwich before you hit the standby queues to cool off even more!

Top rides to use your Genie+ passes on:

• Space Mountain- It is always a long wait, the upside is that the queue inside is interactive. You can play video games while waiting in line.
• Splash Mountain- In the hot months can be a 2-hour wait. Currently closed.
• Peter Pan’s Flight – A classic that everyone wants to ride! Because it is such a classic, the lines usually hover around 45 minutes and up.
• At least one character Meet & Greet – the lines can be long and slow to meet your favorite characters.
• Haunted Mansion- The line can twist and turn out in the hot sun for half of the wait time.
• Jungle Cruise– If there is longer than a 40-minute wait, you can count on being in the sun for 15-20 minutes of that wait time.

Lightening Lane (LL) Rides

Adventureland:

• Jungle Cruise (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)
• Pirates of the Caribbean

Frontierland:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)
• Splash Mountain (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)

Liberty Square:

• Haunted Mansion (Standby Queue can be out in the hot sun)

Fantasyland:

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• “its a small world”
• Mad Tea Party
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mickeys PhilharMagic
• Peter Pans Flight
• Under the Sea- Journey of The Little Mermaid
• The Barnstormer

Tomorrowland:

• Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin
• Monster Inc. Laugh Floor
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Speedway

Meet and Greets and Entertainment

• Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
• Meet Cinderella and a Visting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
• Meet Princess Tiana and a Visting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall

Individual Lightening Lane

• Seven Dwarves Mine Train – This line builds up pretty fast, I would actually ride this first thing in the morning instead of using an Individual Lightening Lane pass if you can. This will save your family money that can be used on Churros or Cupcakes later on in the day.

Helpful (LL) tips and tricks

If you are park hopping you might want to consider getting (LL) for the second park. This way, you can head to the first park for rope drop and hit as many rides as you can in the morning. Then head to the second park and use your (LL) for the busy/hot part of the day!

If you aren’t able to get (LL) passes for your favorite attractions on the specific days you want, you may be able to get them for day 5 or 6. So being flexible may be the way to go. Also, check daily for both (LL) and (ILL) reservations, people are constantly canceling their plans, and you may be able to snag one if you keep your eye out!

Can I get more than one (LL) pass at a time?

YES!

There’s the 2-hour rule- If the park opens at 8:00 AM but your first (LL) pass isn’t until 11:00 AM, you will be able to select another ride at 10:00 AM.

The best way to utilize the Genie+ is to make another (LL) reservation as soon as you’ve scanned your Magic Band for your (LL) pass entry. You can decide your next (LL) while you’re waiting in line!

FAQ

Do I need to Buy Genie+ (LL) to purchase an (ILL) entrance arrival time?

No, individual Lightning Lane selections are for attractions not offered through the Disney Genie+ service and must be purchased separately.

Can I use both the (LL) and (ILL) passes together?

Yes, you can buy the individual Lightning Lane for rides that aren’t offered through Genie+ (LL), while also using your (LL) passes.

What if I purchase Disney Genie+ service late in the day? Will it be too late to use my (LL) passes?

It might be, we recommend viewing the Lightning Lane entrance availability for your favorite rides before purchasing Disney Genie+ service. This way you aren’t wasting money on the (LL) service.

How do I add Genie+ to my existing park tickets?

You can only purchase the Genie+, one day at a time on each day of your visit, via the My Disney Experience app.

How to Purchase Disney Genie+ Service:

1. From the main menu in the My Disney Experience mobile app select “My Disney Genie Day”.
2. Select the “My Day” tab, then tap “Get Disney Genie+ for Today”.

Are standby queues still an option?

Yes, standby queues are still available for most rides. A virtual queue through the My Disney Experience app may be used for brand-new attractions. When the virtual queue is in place, a standby queue will not be available, and Guests must use the My Disney Experience app to enter the attraction or experience.

What does “next available arrival window” mean?

“Next available arrival window” just means the next available time you can redeem a Lightning Lane selection.

For example, at 9:00 AM, you might use Disney Genie+ service to book Lightning Lane entry for “it’s a small world.” Your My Day feed will update, confirming your selection with a range of time. The listing might say, “Redeem between: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.” To redeem your Lightning Lane selection, you’ll need to enter the Lightning Lane entrance for this attraction between the posted times.

When can I begin booking Lightening Lane passes?

For À La Carte Lightning Lane Entrance Selections (ILL)

Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel or other select hotels may begin booking à la carte Lightning Lane arrival windows at 7:00 AM on the day of their park visit.

All other Guests with valid admission and a park reservation for the park they are visiting are eligible to purchase individual Lightning Lane entry when parks open.

For Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane (LL) Entrance Selections

Guests may be able to purchase Disney Genie+ service on the day of their park visit and make their first Lightning Lane selection starting at 7:00 AM.

Please note: Disney Genie+ service and Lightning Lane selections are subject to availability and change.

I hope this helps you pick out what Lightening Lane passes you want to choose for your next Disney World trip and helps you better understand the new Lightening Lane passes! It can be confusing at times, pin this article on Pinterest so you can come back to it any time!

Let us help you plan your next magical trip to Disney! Going to Disney can be very expensive, to save money on meals and snacks check out our Easiest Snacks and Meals to Bring into Disney Theme Parks article. We go over our favorite easy snacks and meals to take to the parks. You will save massive money taking in your own meals and snacks. Our Items to Buy Before Your Next Trip to Disney post will go over what to buy and pack to save you time and of course more money. Follow us on any of our social media platforms for more tips and Disney fun!

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