Where Should You Buy Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane This Fall?
I know that the calendar indicates that we’re still in the heart of summer, but Walt Disney World works differently.
When the kids return to school, summer unofficially ends, and fall begins. We can tell this by the arrival of Halloween decorations.
Photo: Disney
Recently, Disney has updated Disney Genie+ again, lowering the price at some parks.
Disney just changed the product to improve its usefulness as well.
Photo: Playbuzz.com
So, this seems like the ideal time to reevaluate a recurring topic.
Where should you buy Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane this fall?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
I’ll use the Disney Genie+ article I linked as an integral part of this evaluation, while the latest batch of Walt Disney World wait times also play a factor.
I also glanced at historical average wait times for the next 10 weeks to draw some additional conclusions, but I’ll be blunt.
Nothing at Disney has made sense since March 2020. I expect smaller crowds in September, followed by an uptick in October.
Honestly, I’m long past the point that any of this data could surprise me, though.
Photo: Disney
Specifically, when Disney announced park-specific Disney Genie+ prices, I didn’t expect the program to benefit Animal Kingdom this much.
Most analysts have speculated that it’s the park where guests need Disney Genie+ the least, which should indicate it’s also selling the poorest.
Photo: Disney
The modified pricing creates a higher level of interest, though.
My research determined that guests will pay an average of roughly $16 per day.
For that money, you still don’t really get much, though. As a theme park, Animal Kingdom qualifies as experiential more than ride intensive.
Photo: Wikimedia
During the slower season (compared to summer), I still don’t believe there’s a need for a Disney Genie+ purchase here.
You’ll skip the larger line at four attractions with a current average wait time of 30+ minutes. Those numbers will drop over the next few weeks, too.
(Steven Diaz, photographer)
Conversely, should you choose to buy Disney Genie+ for a day here, you’ll enjoy the run of the place.
You can check most attractions off your list in a matter of hours. Of course, that’s good and bad.
Animal Kingdom
By finishing early at Animal Kingdom, you may want to Park Hop.
In that scenario, you’ll need to buy the more expensive Park Hopper version of Disney Genie+.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
If you’ve read previous iterations of this discussion, you know I’m emphatic about Hollywood Studios.
To do what you wanna do here, by which I mean all the fun stuff, you need Disney Genie+.
Even in the fall, seven attractions will require waits of 45+ minutes, sometimes even more.
The math doesn’t work in your favor here, which is unfortunate, since the park hosts so many exceptional attractions.
You’ll need Disney Genie+ to work the odds in your favor. At an average price of $22.50, you might as well buy the Park Hopper version just in case.
Photo: skillastics.com
You’re only spending about $3 more per person while expanding your options dramatically.
On some days, Hollywood Studios spirals. When that happens, you’ll value having the option to leave.
EPCOT
Here’s the park that the new system enhances the most.
I realize Disney primarily modified Disney Genie+ to entice more Animal Kingdom guests, but the changes play better at EPCOT.
Photo: Disney
That’s because all the top-tier attractions here that offer line queues are also available via Disney Genie+.
So, when luck is in your favor, you can catch Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Soarin’, and Test Track via Disney Genie+.
Importantly, the fast track for these four attractions is markedly better than some others at Walt Disney World.
You really won’t spend much time in line at all when you possess a Lightning Lane for Epcot’s best options.
Photo: Disney
That’s a deal for $18 or so! You’ll get a LOT more from your EPCOT visit when you own Disney Genie+ for the day.
That extra time liberates you to roam the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival to find the best eats, sweets, and drinks.
Magic Kingdom
Disney World
The new system provides a hidden positive at Magic Kingdom.
On the one hand, you’re paying more for Disney Genie+ here than anywhere else.
On the other hand, you can and should buy Park Hopper, which has always cost exactly the same amount of money as Magic Kingdom’s version.
Photo: Van Eaton Galleries
Disney prices you into the Park Hopper purchase, thereby freeing you to visit other parks if so inclined.
Meanwhile, the sheer volume of attractions that accept Disney Genie+ will work strongly in your favor if you understand the system.
You can churn Disney Genie+ reservations all day.
The sticking point is whether you’re willing to spend an average of $25 per person for the privilege.
I almost always buy Disney Genie+ at Magic Kingdom and recommend it to others.
That’s more than the cost of a Disney meal for many, though. As such, you may find the price too high.
Lightning Lanes
Lightning Lane
Over the past 50 days, a Lightning Lane has cost a little under $14 for Avatar Flight of Passage.
Due to the reasonable pricing, I’m conflicted regarding my advice. On the one hand, that’s the price of an entrée at a Quick Service restaurant.
Shouldn’t you pay that for a ride with an average wait of 80+ minutes, even in the off-season? That’s the argument here.
Still, I’d say no because I presume most people reading this have experienced Avatar Flight of Passage by now…and probably several times.
Credit: Disney
I wouldn’t advise spending $14 per person on a six-year-old ride.
That same premise also applies at Magic Kingdom, albeit with a caveat.
You’ll find more to do at this park than Animal Kingdom. As such, you’ll value your time differently.
Credit: Disney
Even so, the wait for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train should hover in the range of 60-80 minutes, and MickeyBlog readers know the ways to shave that time.
For this reason, I wouldn’t pay $10 or $11 for this roller coaster, except for possibly Labor Day Weekend.
I presume you haven’t ridden Tron Lightcycle / Run yet…or at least not enough to satisfy you yet.
As such, I wouldn’t even hesitate at its current, eerily consistent price of $20.
Similarly, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance remains the theme park alpha in North America. It’s a fully themed experience lasting more than 20 minutes.
Lightning Lane
At a cost of $21 per person, the best Star Wars ride still makes sense, presuming the lines are long during your visit.
Now that this one doesn’t employ a digital queue, its wait is sometimes roughly the same as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Finally, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a hard no at $15. You can book a Boarding Group here easily this fall.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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