When it comes to Genie Plus Hollywood Studios, we want you to be successful. Here’s how, including the best rides and strategies for making sense of virtual queues, Lightning Lanes, standby lines, single rider, and Genie+.
TOP GENIE PLUS HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS ATTRACTION PICKS
The one strategy I highly suggest for Genie Plus at Hollywood Studios is to have a priority list for reserving your lightning lane times. You first want to get reservations for the rides that run out of reservations first thing in the morning.
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Rock N Roller Coaster or Toy Story Mania
- High Priority – Slinky Dog Dash
- Medium Priority – Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Low Priority – Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers, Star Tours
WHAT IS GENIE?
This is where things start to get strange, but it doesn’t much matter about this topic. Genie is an app that lives within another app. It’s a component of the My Disney Experience app (Disney World app) that assists you in scheduling your day at the parks.
Genie contains two sections: “Tip Board” and “My Day.” The Tip Board gives you a quick overview of today’s attractions and dining options in the park, while My Day keeps track of your plans for the day and provides Genie+ recommendations.
For our purposes, the Disney World app’s Genie component is the portion that allows you to purchase Genius+, reserve Genius+ Lightning Lanes, and buy individual Lightning Lanes. You’ll accomplish this by using Genie’s “Tip Board.”
You won’t need to strain your wallet by purchasing Genie+, and you can explore most of Genie’s content well before your journey, so take some time to poke around it beforehand.
WHAT IS GENIE+?
The charge for Genie+ is a premium service that allows you to use most Lightning Lanes at Disney World. It gives you access (subject to certain limitations we’ll discuss) to all but two of the Lightning Lanes in each park.
Genie+ is not an “upgrade” to Genie; instead, it’s a completely different product that lives within the Disney World app.
CAN YOU USE GENIE PLUS AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS?
If you’re planning a trip to Hollywood Studios, you may be wondering if you can use Genie Plus. The good news is that Genie Plus is accepted at all four theme parks, so you’ll be able to use it to get around Hollywood Studios with no problem. Keep in mind, however, that Genie Plus does have some restrictions.
For example, it cannot be used on rides that require a separate admission fee, such as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Additionally, Genie Plus cannot be used to purchase food or souvenirs. So, while it’s a great way to get around the park, you’ll still need to carry some cash with you for other expenses.
HOW DOES LIGHTNING LANE WORK AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS?
This is where things get easy. The new line for FastPasses is known as “Lightning Lane.” That is, Lightning Lanes are queues that are shorter because you need special access to rides.
From now on, Lightning Lanes are how you “cut to the front of the line” at Disney World. As for how you get access to them… continue reading (spoiler: it costs money).
IS THERE A LIGHTNING LANE FOR EVERY RIDE?
No, some rides do not have lightning lanes. For example, at Magic Kingdom, exceptions to this rule are Astro Orbiter, PeopleMover, and the Carrousel at Magic Kingdom- these rides did not have FastPass+ lines either.
HOW CAN I USE LIGHTNING LANES?
There are two main ways to use Lightning Lane: through Genie+ and by buying individual passes.
You use these services—which we detail in further depth in this article—to schedule a return time for a car ride, which is an hour-long window.
You can access the Lightning Lane at the ride you booked, tap your Magic Band, or park ticket (or phone if you’re using Magic Mobile) on the touchpoint during your return window.
If everything goes according to plan, the touchpoint will turn green, and you’ll be allowed through.
You may need to touch on a second touchpoint later in the line. If the touchpoint turns blue, it indicates an issue—maybe you arrived too early, or you’re at the incorrect ride, for example.
WHICH RIDES ARE LIGHTNING LANE AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS?
There are fourteen attractions on Genie+ at Hollywood Studios:
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage (show)
- Disney Junior Play and Dance! (show)
- Frozen Sing-Along (show)
- Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (show)
- Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight (character)
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Muppet*Vision 3D (show)
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
WHICH RIDES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GENIE PLUS AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS?
These attractions at Hollywood Studios do not have lightning lanes at all:
- Lightening McQueen’s Racing Academy
- Walt Disney Presents
- Mickey’s Shorts Theater
- Star Wars Launch Bay
Star Wars’s Rise of the Resistance has a lightning lane, but it is not part of the Genie+ system; therefore, you cannot schedule it in advance. You will need to purchase lightning lane access for this ride separately.
Guide For Using Genie+ At Hollywood Studios
This is a good time to remind you to check the height requirements at Disney World when booking Genie+, as Runaway Railway and Toy Story Mania are the only rides without a height requirement.
This post isn’t going to dwell on Lightning Lanes for the following—Muppet*Vision 3D, Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage, Disney Junior Dance Party, Frozen Sing-Along, and Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.
You can get those if they make sense, but they simply give you access to certain showtime (Muppet*Vision is ongoing), and you won’t typically need to plan much around these Lightning Lanes. The character acknowledgments aren’t a priority here, and the information is available whenever it’s convenient.
There are now eight attractions remaining. Alien Swirling Saucers and Star Tours are at the bottom of the list. These won’t need much of your focus on Genie+. Could you ride them on Genie+ if you used it? Yes! If the situation allows, and you can use Genie+ to avoid a wait of 15 minutes or more, do it! However, this will most likely happen later in the day after you’ve prioritized other rides.
Toy Story Mania is sort of in between low priority and high priority. On busy days, it’s going to run out of slots shortly after the high-priority rides, and if you have a small child, you might bump it into the high-priority group. Many days, though, it’s right alongside the other two, with plenty of availability.
That means you have five rides left to go on—Slinky Dog Dash, Smugglers Run, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Tower of Terror, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Many people want to ride Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios, so it’s one of the most in-demand Genie+ reservations. If you cannot be there when the park opens or have other plans for rope drop (usually Rise of the Resistance), then you should probably pick Slinky Dog Dash as your first Genie+ reservation.
FAQs For Using Genie Plus at Hollywood Studios
How Much Does Genie+ Cost?
Disney Genie+ will also vary in price based on the day you are at the park.
Similar to theme park tickets, throughout the year, prices may be lower on less busy days and higher during peak periods like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For example, on less busy days, prices will be $15 per guest per day, $22 on some of the more crowded dates, and somewhere in between on other dates
If there is somebody in your group who does not plan on using the lightning lanes, they don’t need to get Genie+.
BEST PRACTICE FOR USING GENIE+ AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
What Lightning Lane Should You Choose First at 7 am: Guide For Using Genie+
Pick Slinky Dog Dash first.
We’ve talked about rope drop, right? But just to recap, rope dropping at a theme park is when you get to the park as early as it opens and immediately gets in line for the most popular rides. It’s called “roping” because people used to, well, rope off areas to save their spot in line.
For Hollywood Studios, this means getting in line for Rise of the Resistance or Slinky Dog Dash right when the gates open.
Suppose you have Early Theme Park Entry and don’t have to rope drop Rise of the Resistance (because you’re buying that individual Lightning Lane). In that case, it might make sense to rope-drop Slinky Dog Dash and book something else (usually Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run) with your first Genie+ pick.
The thinking is that because Slinky Dog Dash timings are so rapid, you may potentially receive a late time slot even with optimal strategy. A later time slot implies your second pick will be delayed, which is detrimental to your overall plan.
If you can obtain an early time slot for any of the top five attractions and utilize Lightning Lane immediately after the park is open, you’ll make your second choice earlier and have more options.
If you don’t have early entry, or if you do but must rope drop Rise of the Resistance (because you aren’t buying it Lightning Lane), then Slinky Dog Dash is your best option. Regardless of the timeframe you get.
Resort Guests Should Use Early Magic Hours
If you are staying onsite at a Disney World Resort, make use of early Magic Hours when possible. Early Magic Hours allow you to enter the park one hour earlier than the general public most days. This will give you a significant advantage over those who are not staying on the property.
When you get into the park, use your time to ride either Rise of the Resistance or Slinky Dog Dash.
Guide To Hollywood Studios Genie+ Use: Hit That Refresh Button!
If you’re anything like us, one of the first things you do when you open the My Disney Experience app is hit that refresh button repeatedly because Genie+ scheduling options will update as you refresh.
Tips for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
Our top advice if you’re visiting Disney World Resort is to make the most of the Extra 30 minutes you can enter the park before it opens for everyone else..
During our holiday, we were able to ride on Smuggler’s Run so fast because it was available early for resort guests. We headed straight to the coaster, and the queue was very brief, allowing us to board the Millennium Falcon within five minutes.
If you are not a Disney resort guest, you should head over to Galaxy’s Edge from the park opening or be in the park just before it closes.
Crowd levels at that time are usually pretty low. Make it work with your schedule.
If you have a park hopper ticket for Disney World, it might be beneficial to finish your day at Hollywood Studios.
WHAT ABOUT PAID LIGHTNING LANES?
Star Wars Rise of Resistance is an awesome ride and well worth the long waits I have endured. But with the paid lightning option, it might make sense if you are a Star Wars fan.
This is up to you and how badly you want to ride Rise of the Resistance. The wait times for this ride are always long.
Is Genie+ At Hollywood Studios Worth It?
For most days at Hollywood Studios, Genie+ is worth it. We believe that if you want to make a “full” day of activities at Hollywood Studios, then Genie+ is worth the investment.
With Genie+, you can get on all the rides with little to no wait on most days. You may go on a tour of some shows as well. You might even do a nice combination of rides and performances. However, doing it all will generally necessitate the use of Genie+ (and perhaps a paid individual).
More Information on Hollywood Studios
A successful day at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios requires a bit of planning.
First, be sure to arrive early and make the most of Genie+.
Once you have your passes, head to the rides that you really want to do first thing. This will help you avoid long lines later in the day.
For example, start with rides like Rise of the Resistance or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
Then, take a break for lunch and explore some of the other attractions, like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or the Great Movie Ride.
Be sure to catch a show or two, and don’t forget to leave time for shopping on Hollywood Boulevard! By following these tips, you can be sure to have a fun-filled day at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.
If you’re looking for a good time and some excitement, then you should visit Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. There’s something for everyone at this park, from thrilling rides to shows, and you’re sure to have a great time.
Check out these genie plus Hollywood Studio tips for making the most of your visit!