Disney’s new Fastpass replacement service, Genie+, allows visitors to access some, but not all, Lightning Lanes. Even for Disney experts, the new service has been confusing and difficult to understand, so we’re breaking it down and answering your biggest question: what’s the difference between Genie+ and Lightning Lanes?

Genie+ vs. Lightning Lane: What’s The Difference?

Defining Genie+ vs. Lightning Lanes

To start with some definitions:

Lightning Lane: This is the same as a FastPass queue – it’s an expedited line that lets you “skip” the wait. Unlike FastPasses, which were free, Lightning Lanes are a paid service.

Genie+: This is a paid service that gives you access to MOST Lightning Lanes in each park (but not all!).

As a note, there’s technically a third service, called Disney Genie, which is a free service within the My Disney Experience app that helps you plan your day based on preferences that you select. Any guest can use Disney Genie, regardless of if they have purchased Genie+ and/or a Lightning Lane. For guests who do make a purchase, Disney Genie will take that into account when giving suggestions for plans.

Lightning Lane Categories

There are 3 categories:

1. Attractions that have no Lightning Lane at all (such as the PeopleMover)
2. Attractions with Lightning Lanes that are part of Genie+ (such as Big Thunder Mountain)
3. Attractions with Lightning Lanes that are NOT part of Genie+ and must be purchased individually (such as Seven Dwarves Mine Train)

All rides will continue to have a normal standby queue, so purchasing a Lightning Lane of any sort is totally optional!

Purchasing Genie+ / Lightning Lanes

If you do elect to purchase Lightning Lanes, you can do so in one of two ways:

1. Purchase Genie+. This $15 per person per day service can be added on a day-by-day basis to your ticket (meaning you do NOT need to purchase it for every day!) It gets you access to every Lightning Lane in the park EXCEPT those whose Lightning Lanes have to be purchased individually.
2. Purchase individual Lightning Lanes. These are available ONLY for select rides in each park (so for example, top rides such as Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure) and the cost per person fluctuates between $7 to $20, depending on the time of year. You do not need to purchase Genie+ to purchase an individual Lightning Lane!

Which attractions are currently available on Genie+ and as individual Lightning Lanes can be found here.