Should You Park Hop With Genie+ in Disney World?

Back in October, Disney World introduced the brand-new Disney Genie+ system!

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This new offering is the paid replacement for Disney World’s old FastPass+ system, allowing guests who purchase it to schedule times to skip the lines for various attractions. There are definitely some big changes with Genie+ that take some getting used to, and since you’re paying for it, you’ll want to use it to the full extent to get your money’s worth. So where should you stand on Park Hopping? Is Park Hopping worth it if you purchase Disney Genie+?

How Does Park Hopping Change Disney Genie+?

Let’s start with the basics. To use Disney Genie+, you’ll need to have a Disney Park Pass to one of the four parks for the day. You’ll need to visit that park and scan in first before hopping to your second park.

You’ll need to scan into your first park before hopping.

All guests with Genie+ are able to make their first Genie+ choice of the day at 7AM. To get the most of your Genie+ when Park Hopping, you’ll want to make your first Genie+ reservation for early in the day, use it, and then book another one immediately after that. The more Genie+ selections you can make and use, the more you get your money’s worth!

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When you’re getting ready to Park Hop, you can head to the Tip Board tab of the My Disney Experience app and change which park you’re visiting. Once you do that, you’ll be able to see Genie+ availability for 2PM and later. (That’s when Park Hopping starts each day!) You can also set up your plans for the next park in the My Day tab by scrolling to the bottom.

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All in all, it doesn’t really change the process of booking Genie+ selections very much. And if you do Park Hop, you’ll still be subject to the 120-minute rule.

Is Park Hopping Helpful With Disney Genie+?

So does it help to Park Hop when you have Genie+? Well, sometimes it does. It really depends on which park you’re visiting and how busy the parks are during your visit.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

For instance, it took us an entire day to do everything at Magic Kingdom, even using the assistance of Genie+, Individual Lightning Lanes, and the free Disney Genie. On the other hand, we’ve been able to use Genie+ to knock out everything in EPCOT and Animal Kingdom without even spending full days in the parks.

You may not need it in EPCOT

If you’re scheduling a day to visit Animal Kingdom or EPCOT, you may want to hop to another park after completing everything on your to-do list to get your full $15 value per person. This can be especially helpful when you consider that you can only make a Genie+ selection for each ride once a day — it makes a big difference when you can use Genie+ 17 times at Magic Kingdom, but only 8 times at Animal Kingdom.

There Are Some Things to Consider

However, there are some important things to consider in all of this. First of all, you don’t need to buy Genie+ for every day of your trip, specifically if you’re not traveling during the time of peak crowds. That $15 per ticket (plus tax), per day can add up really quickly, and you may not want to spend the money to buy it for EPCOT and Animal Kingdom if you can accomplish everything at those parks in one day anyway.

LOW wait times in Animal Kingdom

If you buy Genie+ ahead of your trip, it’s only offered as an add-on to your entire ticket package. However, if you just want it for a couple days (and not all of them), you can purchase it through the My Disney Experience app starting at midnight on the day of your trip. Remember to get it for every member of your party!

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And besides the cost of Genie+, there’s also the price of the Park Hopper add-on to consider. Upgrading your tickets from the “base” option can cost $60+, so you’ll want to make that decision wisely. Don’t upgrade if you don’t need to hop! If you don’t want to purchase Park Hopper for the entire duration of your visit, you can add it on for the day at the park’s ticket booth during your trip.

Is it worth it to Park Hop?

Purchasing both of these add-ons can make your trip hundreds of dollars more expensive, so really consider your options and run the numbers before you buy. In some cases, it might actually be cheaper to add a day of park tickets and use the extra time to accomplish the things that you’re worried about fitting into your schedule. It’s really down to personal preference.

Do the math before spending extra!

Whatever you decide to do, make sure to do your research ahead of time! Download the My Disney Experience app and familiarize yourself with the Genie+ platform and read our tips to get all the important info. If you plan on Park Hopping, you’ll want to go into the day with a strategy to make sure you can optimize your time in the parks.

Until your visit, stay tuned to DFB for the latest news, updates, and park advice. We’ve got you covered with all the details you need to know!