This is our best tips and guide for using Genie+ at Animal Kingdom. Use this to help plan your Animal Kingdom day.

 

What is Genie+

Genie+ is the paid add-on for Disney’s free Genie day planner service on the My Disney Experience app. This paid service allows guests to purchase Lightning Lane add-ons for rides and attractions.

Rules for Genie+

• You can only pick one ride or attraction at a time. The only exception to that rule is if you are booking more than 2 hours in advance. In that case you have to wait the 2 hours then book another one or 2 hours after park opens if you are booking in the morning.
• You can only pick the next open time and are not able to customize the time your lighting lane is.

Purchasing Genie+

It becomes available for purchase on the Disney App at 7am est every day.

The price varies per day and also per park. The most expensive option is usually the Park Hopper option, when you can have Genie+ access for all parks. This option varies a little but is usually right around $27 a day. Magic Kingdom and Hollywood studios are usually the next most expensive options.

What Rides are Not Included on Genie+ at Animal Kingdom?

The only ride that is not on Genie+ is Avatar Flight of Passage.

This ride does have a lighting lane access but to use it you will have to purchase the individual lighting lane for this ride which is an extra cost.

Individual Lighting Lanes at Animal Kingdom:

These are the rides that are not on Genie+ for the basic access add on. You have to buy these rides Lightning Lanes separately.

• Avatar Flight of Passage

To be able to get this ride you want to get the Lighting Lane as soon as you are able to. For resort guests that is 7 am and for non-resort guests that is as soon as the park opens that day.

Do I really need a Lighting Lane for Flight of Passage?

That decision is going to be up to how long is ok to wait in line for you. Flight of Passage is on average a 90-120 minute wait but can get up to 180 minutes. And most of the wait will be in the shade or indoors in the air condition.

You do not need Genie+ to buy individual Lighting Lanes.

Animal Kingdom Genie+ Priorities:

You want to make sure to get the most popular rides first before they fill up. And since you can only get 1 at a time you want to grab them early so you are not waiting around for your ride.

We suggest you wake up around 6:45am to get ready if you are a resort guest. At 7am if you are doing individual lighting lanes for Flight of Passage grab that first. Then move on to get your Genie+ picks.

These are the rides in order that will go quickly that we would get first. Just remember to check all the ride height restrictions and intensity to make sure everyone in your party will enjoy and be able to ride the ride. Check out our complete guide to all the ride at Animal Kingdom to find out all the information.

• Kilimanjaro Safari: Getting the safari early in the morning is the best time to see the animals so getting an early lighting lane not only means you get to skip most of the line, but it also means you can see the animals when they are the most active. This attraction also closes earlier than the rest of the park which will limit your time getting a lighting lane late.
• Na’vi River Journey: Another favorite ride in Pandora. This ride is great for the entire family and since most people are speed walking to pandora this ride will also get busy.
• Adventure Outpost Meet and Greet: Meeting Mickey and Minnie is always a must when visiting Disney and in Animal Kingdom, you can meet them together! This is a popular spot and can be a long wait.
• Expedition Everest: This ride is one of the more popular coasters and a favorite with Disney fans. For us it’s a must ride.
• Dinosaur: This is the other more popular ride at Disney but is not as popular as the others.
• Kali River Rapids: this one will be really popular during the summer months when it’s really hot.

Genie+ Day at Animal Kingdom Plan and Guide:

Note that Disney says that on average guests get 2-3 rides using Lighting Lane and we are aiming for 5 here. If you can get them early, you could be able to get all 5 in one day.

Here is a sample of a day at Animal Kingdom following this Genie+ plan.

Wake up before 6:45 to buy Genie+ and be ready to get your first Lighting Lane.

Right at 7:00am grab your first Lightning Lane at Kilimanjaro Safari. (Note if you are also adding individual lighting lanes get your FOP first then move on to safari).

Park opens at 8am and head straight back for your LL to Safari. If you have some time before grab a cinnamon roll, sausage, egg, and cheese, biscuit, and some coffee at Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery.

After you tap in for the Safari get your next LL while waiting to get on the ride.

Next is Expedition Everest or Kali River Rapids depending on what you enjoy and prefer and the weather. Once you’re in line get Mickey and Minnie.

Next meet and greet with Mickey.

Optional: Depending on the time-of-day grab lunch at Flame Tree BBQ.

While in line for Mickey and Minnie move on to Dino land USA and get a LL to Dino.

After Dinosaur check your times for Nemo and Lion King, those are the most popular shows and ones we love. If you get in line 15 mins before you don’t need a LL to these shows so we wouldn’t suggest getting one for these. At this time, I would check for the Na’vi River Journey and try to get a ride for around dinner time.

Head to Na’vi River Journey. We suggest getting dinner at Satu’li Canteen and at least 1 hour before closing get in line for Flight of Passage. If you are not rope dropping and heading to FoP first, your next best option will be before closing.

 

Is Genie Plus at Animal Kingdom Worth it?

Animal Kingdom is the park that we would actually say you need Genie+ the least. While AK does have popular rides with big wait times some you can’t get on Genie+ so really your best bet would be to buy those ride as individual lighting lanes instead. Depending on the price of Genie+ that day it may be cheaper to buy the individual Lightning Lane options for the rides you want the most.

If you are in Disney during the peak visitation time the lines for everything can get pretty long and Genie+ can be really useful for those times.

If you want to skip out on Genie+ during your visit to Animal Kingdom then we suggest rope dropping and getting to those big rides early or even staying late to ride them before park close.

Does Genie Plus sell out for Animal Kingdom?

Since AK is the least popular for Genie+ it is not likely but selling out can happen. It’s important to make your decision on if you will do it the day before and have a plan.

Check Out Some Of Our Other Posts On Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

Rides and Attractions at Animal Kingdom – When planning a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom knowing the Rides at Animal Kingdom is helpful in making plans for your trip! In this post we will list and describe all the rides at Animal Kingdom!

DiVine Animal Kingdom – DiVine is a rare character interaction that happens at Animal Kingdom. She can usually be found near plant life on the walkways on stilts.

Restaurants at Animal Kingdom – The complete guide to all the Restaurants at Animal Kingdom. This will feature everything from the food carts to the character dining in this Animal Kingdom Restaurant Roundup!

We hope you are enjoying sharing our Disney adventures and tips with you. We want you to have the best trip ever! Be sure to check out our other social media channels for more fun videos and posts FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, TWITTER.

Also, our Facebook Group Disney World Insider Info and Tips is a great place to meet and chat with other Disney World fans like us!