Does Buying Disney Genie+ at Animal Kingdom Make Sense?
I previously indicated that some parks like Disney’s Hollywood Studios justify the purchase of Disney Genie+.
You won’t need this paid service as much at other parks. Still, I know that some of you will buy it anyway.
So, let’s talk about Disney Genie+ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Which attractions should you prioritize?
Planning Disney Genie+ at Animal Kingdom
With Disney Genie+, you may book Lightning Lane reservations for up to eight attractions during a single day.
At Animal Kingdom, you won’t need to make any hard choices as you would at Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios.
In fact, Disney only offers Disney Genie+ reservations for eight attractions. They are:
- Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
- DINOSAUR
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Naʻvi River Journey
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
The cynic in me is tempted to say that’s your list. However, the conversation comes with a bit more nuance.
Most Disney fans view Animal Kingdom as more of a half-day park. In fact, since this place opens early, I’ve done everything possible by 11 a.m.
Image Credit: Disney
Yes, I was exhausted when my wife finally dragged my carcass to lunch, but I’d done it all. Plus, Yak and Yeti Restaurant cures all ills.
Anyway, the point is that Disney Genie+ comes with a hidden bonus. It works at multiple parks each day.
You could feasibly book reservations at all four Walt Disney World gates. That’s totally fine as long as you don’t try to make more than eight bookings.
So, I view Disney Genie+ at Animal Kingdom as more of a discussion about whether something is worth booking.
If not, you should save some of your Disney Genie+ reservations for Park Hopping elsewhere.
For example, there’s nothing in the system that would stop you from booking Test Track at 2 p.m. after you’ve done everything at Animal Kingdom.
(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
My recommendations reflect this approach. Simply stated, some Animal Kingdom options on Disney Genie+ aren’t worth the aggravation.
The Obvious Choices
You will want two Disney Genie+ reservations no matter what.
(Kent Phillips, photographer)
I understand that some people don’t love Na’vi River Journey the way that I do.
Still, the reality is that most guests ride both attractions at Pandora – The World of Avatar while they’re in the area.
So, once you exit Avatar: Flight of Passage, you’ll want to walk on Na’vi River Journey quickly. Disney Genie+ all but assures that.
Image Credit: Disney
The average wait time for this attraction has hung around 45 minutes for several years now. However, during peak season, it ticks up to 55-60 minutes.
With a Lightning Lane reservation, you can be on and off the attraction in 20 minutes much of the time.
Credit: Disney
The other top choice, Kilimanjaro Safaris, fluctuates much more. Some of its data is questionable due to smaller pandemic crowds, too.
Sometimes, you may wait 20 minutes or less. As I type this, the safari has averaged 65 minutes, one of its worst days ever.
King of the Jungle
However, I’d suggest we throw out the data anyway. The reality is that Kilimanjaro Safaris embodies the heart and soul of Animal Kingdom.
You want to ride it no matter what, and you likely will. As such, you should schedule a Disney Genie+ reservation.
Photo: Disney
The Solid Choices
Depending on the time of year, I’d strongly suggest either two or three other reservations.
Celebration of Festival of the Lion King doesn’t claim quite the same demand as the full-fledged version of the show.
Still, guests like it enough that you should plan to drop everything to stand in line here 30-40 minutes before it begins, at least in the afternoon.
With a Disney Genie+ booking, you can wait until the last minute, saving you lots of time and aggravation…which is the point of the service.
Image Credit: Disney
I proudly admit that I love DINOSAUR more than most people. Even so, most people who spend a day at the park ride it at some point.
You might as well skip the line here. On many days, you’ll find wait times of 30 minutes or less. So, I’m not as emphatic about this one, though.
Oddly, I feel strongly about reserving a Lightning Lane pass for Kali River Rapids…on hot days.
Most of the time, the wait will hover in the 25-minute range. However, when the temperature reaches 90 degrees or above, people go here.
Photo: Disney
When that happens, wait times swell to an hour, defeating the purpose of trying to cool off quickly.
So, on hot days, Lightning Lane is a lifesaver at Kali River Rapids.
The Don’t Even Think About It Attractions…
I haven’t discussed three attractions yet. Their choices as Disney Genie+ options range from silly to patently absurd.
The most defensible of them is It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, which averaged a 12-minute wait at Halloween.
You could feasibly wait 20 minutes here, but those instances remain thankfully rare. As such, I view it as a wasted Disney Genie+ reservation.
As for Feathered Friends in Flight, I’m not gonna puppeteer you. If you love bird shows, go to a bird show.
Photo: Disney/Seth Kubersky
I deem it a waste of a Disney Genie+ booking. But I’m not the one at the park with you. So if it saves you time, go nuts!
The same statement applies to The Animation Experience at Conservation Station.
Animal Kingdom offers scheduled presentations of The Animation Experience.
So, I don’t understand the purpose of Lightning Lane here, but that’s my thing. If it makes sense to you, it’s a great idea!
I wouldn’t ever use a Disney Genie+ reservation on any of these three rides, though. Instead, I’d consider…
Other Park Ideas
Let’s presume that you’ll leave Animal Kingdom in time to Park Hop at 2 p.m. Then, you’ll have your choice of E-ticket attractions at three other parks.
Park hopping sign
At EPCOT, Test Track and Soarin’ should appeal to you. Several terrific rides at Magic Kingdom like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean make sense.
At Hollywood Studios, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith are all on the menu.
Don’t all these attractions sound better than Feathered Friends in Flight?
That’s why I strongly recommend Park Hopping in combination with Disney Genie+.
By employing this strategy, you can have a killer day at Walt Disney World!
You’ll experience everything at Animal Kingdom and still have Disney Genie+ reservations to use for terrific rides at other parks!
