In our Guide 2 Disney Genie, we let you know all about how Disney Genie works at Disney World. In our Guide 2 Lightning Lane at Disney World, we let you know which rides you should prioritize for your Lightning Lane picks. We also touched on if Genie+ was worth the money in each park. In this article, we are going to go more in depth to help you answer the question, “Should I buy Genie+ when I go to Disney World?”

Since everyone has a different budget, this won’t be a one-size-fits-all recommendation. For some guests, adding an extra $15-$60+ to their party’s tickets might be a no-brainer. For others, it might not be feasible. What we are trying to do is look at the attraction lineup in each park and show the relative value delivered by adding Genie+ to your day.

How much does Genie+ cost?

Genie+ is a $15 per day add-on to your Disney World ticket. You can either add it to every day of your trip when you buy your ticket, or you can buy it day by day using the Disney World “My Disney Experience” app. Genie+ also includes some neat AR filters and audio content, but you’re really paying for Lightning Lane access to the attractions that are included in Genie+.

Should I buy Genie+ if I’m only going into one park?

Splash Mountain - Exterior - Disney World

It depends on which park you’re going to. Each park has a different number of attractions included in Genie+:

  • Magic Kingdom: 17 Genie+ attractions
  • Hollywood Studios: 12 Genie+ attractions
  • Epcot: 9 Genie+ attractions
  • Animal Kingdom: 8 Genie+ attractions

There’s also a big variation in how much time Lightning Lane will save you from attraction to attraction. For example, both Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios include at least 5 attractions that we believe will save you a lot of time, such as Splash Mountain and Slinky Dog Dash. Meanwhile, Epcot and Animal Kingdom each only have 2 attractions that we rank in our top Lightning Lane priorities.

If you’re only going to Magic Kingdom for the day, we think Genie+ is worth it for almost every guest. You can save a lot of time and get on a lot of great attractions with Lightning Lane.

If you’re only going to Hollywood Studios, we think Genie+ is worth it for most guests for the lineup of top Lightning Lane rides: Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon, Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and Toy Story Mania. On an average day, you could save 2.5-3 hours in line on those attractions alone, and possibly longer. However, four of those rides have a height limit, and two of those are intense thrill rides. If you aren’t interested in those rides for any reason, then skip Genie+ at Hollywood Studios.

We would recommend skipping Genie+ if you’re only going to Epcot or Animal Kingdom for the day. You can read more about it in our Epcot Lightning Lane Guide and our Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Guide, but the attraction lineup is just too thin right now if either one of those parks are your only park for the day. If you are going on an extremely crowded day like Christmas or New Years Eve, you might want to consider Genie+ for these parks, just because the lines on those days get so ridiculous.

Should I buy Genie+ if I’m park hopping?

Pandora - The World of Avatar Preview - Disney's Animal Kingdom

For most guests at Disney World, Genie+ becomes a much easier recommendation if you are park hopping. Let’s take the parks with the two smallest Genie+ Lightning Lane lineups, and look at how we break them down in our Guide 2 Lightning Lane:

  • Epcot: 2 top priorities, 4 middle priorities, 3 low priorities
  • Animal Kingdom: 2 top priorities, 3 middle priorities, 3 low priorities

If you are park hopping from Epcot to Animal Kingdom, it is like you are visiting a park with 4 top priorities, 7 middle priorities, and 6 low priorities. You’ve essentially doubled your Lightning Lane options by park hopping. The value only gets better if you have Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios as part of your day.

Disney World Tip: Because park hopping starts at 1 pm, you might want to consider going to the park with your bigger Lightning Lane priorities first. Attractions like Slinky Dog Dash run out of Lightning Lane earlier in the day, so you may have better luck doing Hollywood Studios in the morning, and then park hopping to a different park in the late afternoon/evening.

What else to consider when buying Genie+?

Are thrill rides not your thing? Or do you not like shows? Check out each park’s Lightning Lane lineup to make sure there are enough rides that you’re interested in to justify the purchase.

Do you have a dining reservation at Space 220 or Victoria & Alberts? Some restaurants at Disney World take several hours to dine at. If you have a lengthy dining experience booked, you should weigh your options. In some ways, Genie+ will help you maximize your limited time in the park. However, if you’re only going to be going on rides for four hours that day, it might not make sense to spend $15 that day.

Are you going during an extremely light time of year, like late-August or early-September after school has started? You might not need Genie+, as wait times may be reasonable.

Do you think Genie+ is worth it at Disney World? Let me know in the comments below!