Whether you’re visiting Disney World or Disneyland, you need to know the ins and outs of Genie+. Disney’s paid line skipping service, Genie+ lets guests get access to the Lightning Lane at a lineup of select attractions. The system is a bit complicated, which is why we’ve created a free Guide 2 Disney Genie to help guests navigate using Genie+ at Disney World and Disneyland. Genie+ is extremely similar at Disney World and Disneyland. Signing up for the service and making Lightning Lane reservations works almost identically at each park.

However, there are a few significant differences!

This article is meant to clear up all the ways that Genie+ is different at Disney World and Disneyland. This way, you can make sure that a piece of advice you’ve read actually applies for the park you’re visiting.

For example, did you know that 7 am is extremely important for Genie+, but only at Disney World? We’ll explain below.

Here are the seven biggest differences between Genie+ at Disney World and Genie+ at Disneyland.

1 – Genie+ is more expensive at Disneyland

It’s a Small World - Disneyland Toddler Guide

While both Disney World and Disneyland have moved Genie+ to variable pricing based on the date, Genie+ at Disney World still will cost less on average. During the month of October 2022, Genie+ will cost $15-$22 at Disney World, while Genie+ starts at $25 at Disneyland.

That means on certain days Genie+ may be over $10 more per person at Disneyland than Disney World.

2 – You can prepay for Genie+ at Disneyland to save money.

At Disney World, you have to buy Genie+ on the day you’re going to use it. WDW Genie+ sales open up at 12:01 am each day. While you used to be able to purchase Genie+ when you bought your ticket, this is no longer the case at Disney World. Genie+ is only available for same day sales now, and there’s no way to see the daily price ahead of time (as of this writing).

At Disneyland, you can still purchase Genie+ when you buy a ticket as a daily add-on. For advanced sales, Genie+ costs $25 per ticket per day. For same day sales, Genie+ starts at $25 per ticket per day, which means that prepaying for Genie+ guarantees the lowest price possible. If you’re visiting Disneyland during the busy holiday season, we definitely recommend purchasing Genie+ when you buy your ticket. Note: there’s no other way to pre-purchase Genie+ at Disneyland. You can either buy it as the point of purchase with your ticket, or you must buy it on the day you will use it.

3 – Genie+ can sell out at Disney World

Best Days to Visit EPCOT - Guide2WDW

Over the summer, Disney World changed their policy to indicate that Genie+ can sell out on certain dates. This was part of their switch to same-day sales only. While this hasn’t happened yet, this technically could be a reality during this upcoming holiday season at WDW. If you’re set on getting Genie+, your best bet is to purchase it early in the morning, before Lightning Lane becomes available at 7 am.

At Disneyland, the original policy hasn’t changed. Genie+ does not sell out at Disneyland. Our theory is that Genie+ has a lower demand at Disneyland, thanks to a higher percentage of local visitors and Magic Keyholders. This has lead to Genie+ being a better experience at Disneyland, with the best rides remaining available for a much longer portion of the day than Disney World.

4 – PhotoPass pictures are included with Genie+ at Disneyland

Photopass Star Wars Galaxys Edge- Disneyland- Guide2WDW

One of the reasons that Disneyland justifies its more expensive price tag for Genie+ is the inclusion of PhotoPass downloads. For every day you have Genie+, you receive unlimited downloads of ride photos and pictures taken by PhotoPass photographers.

This is a great value, and it’s something we wish Disney World would include. However, PhotoPass remains a separate purchase at WDW.

5 – Magic Keyholders get a discount on Genie+ at Disneyland.

Disneyland - Magic Key

Guests with a Magic Key — Disneyland’s Annual Pass — receive a 20% discount off of same day Genie+ purchases.

Disney World Annual Passholders have to pay full price for Genie+. This is another policy we wish Disney would bring to Orlando.

6 – When you can start making your Lightning Lane selections is different.

At Disney World, Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations open up for all guests at 7 am. Individual Lightning Lane purchases become available at 7 am for resort guests and at park opening for all other guests.

At Disneyland, you cannot make any Lightning Lane reservations until you’ve entered the park. As soon as you scan your ticket to enter the park, you can start making Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane reservations — even if it’s before park opening.

7 – The Lightning Lane attraction lineup is different at Disney World vs. Disneyland.

Jungle Cruise Sign - Magic Kingdom

If you are visiting both Disney World and Disneyland, be prepared for some differences in the Genie+ lineup. Of course, rides unique to each park won’t be found across the coast, such as Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland or Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom. But there are some attractions that include Lightning Lane at Disney World that don’t feature Lightning Lane at Disneyland.

For example, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean are both included with Genie+ at Disney World, while these two attractions only feature a standby line at Disneyland.

Here is the current Lightning Lane lineup at every Disney World and Disneyland park. For the most up to date list, check out our Genie and Lightning Lane explainer.

Magic Kingdom Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections

  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant
  • Festival of Fantasy Parade
  • Haunted Mansion
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Mad Tea Party
  • Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
  • Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
  • Meet Mickey at Town Square Theatre
  • Mickey’s PhilharMagic
  • Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Space Mountain
  • Splash Mountain
  • The Barnstormer
  • The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Tomorrowland Speedway
  • Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

Epcot Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections:

  • Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
  • Frozen Ever After
  • Journey into Imagination with Figment
  • Living with the Land
  • Mission: SPACE – Green / Orange
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
  • Soarin’ Around the World
  • Spaceship Earth
  • Test Track
  • The Seas with Nemo & Friends
  • Turtle Talk with Crush

Hollywood Studios Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections:

  • Alien Swirling Saucers
  • Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
  • Disney Jr. Play & Dance!
  • For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  • Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  • Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
  • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  • Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  • Muppet*Vision 3D
  • Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
  • Slinky Dog Dash
  • Star Tours
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  • Toy Story Mania!

Animal Kingdom Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections

  • Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
  • DINOSAUR
  • Expedition Everest
  • Feathered Friends in Flight!
  • It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
  • Kali River Rapids
  • Kilimanjaro Safaris
  • Naʻvi River Journey
  • The Animation Experience

Disneyland Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections

  • Autopia
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
  • Haunted Mansion
  • Indiana Jones Adventure
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds
  • Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  • Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
  • Space Mountain
  • Splash Mountain
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

California Adventure Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections

  • Goofy’s Sky School
  • Grizzly River Run
  • Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
  • Incredicoaster
  • Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
  • Soarin’ Around the World
  • Toy Story Midway Mania
  • Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure (Starting Oct 11, 2022)

Here is the full lineup of Individual Lightning Lane attractions.

Magic Kingdom Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Epcot Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Hollywood Studios Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Animal Kingdom Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

  • Avatar Flight of Passage

Disneyland Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

California Adventure Individual Lightning Lane Attractions

  • Radiator Springs Racers

How is Genie+ the same at Disney World and Disneyland?

While we focused on the differences in this article, Genie+ works very similarly at Disney World and Disneyland.

Here are all the ways Genie+ is the same at Disney World and Disneyland.

  • Genie+ is a per ticket per day add-on.
  • Genie+ gives guests one-at-a-time access to the Lightning Lane at select attractions, saving time in line.
  • Guests can only use the Lightning Lane once per attraction per day.
  • Once you make a Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation, you can make another reservation in 120 minutes or once you use that reservation — whenever is sooner.
  • Genie+ includes PhotoPass Lenses, which are Snapchat-style AR filters that let you take fun selfies with your phone through the Disney World or Disneyland app.

Disney Genie and Lightning Lane Guides

Want to learn more about Genie+ at Disney World and Disneyland? Our in-depth guides will help you learn the ins and outs of the system, and we have expert advice on which rides you should prioritize to save the most time.

Guide 2 Disney Genie

Disney World Lightning Lane Guides

Disneyland Lightning Lane Guide

Do you have any questions about the differences between Genie+ at Disneyland and Genie+ at Disney World? Let me know in the comments below!