Disney recently announced the return of Star Wars Launch Bay character meet-and-greets in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and now we have a BIG update!

Star Wars Launch Bay

Beginning on July 17th, guests will once again be able to visit with Darth Vader, BB-8, and Chewbacca! Considering that it’s summer and the Star Wars Launch Bay has air conditioning, we anticipate some looooong lines for the return of these popular characters. But what if you had the option to skip the line??

Many character meet-and-greets have returned to Disney World, with some available through Genie+. If you purchase Genie+ for $15 per person per day, you can book the Lightning Lane for qualifying characters and bypass the standby lines. This can save you quite a bit of time in your day!

Lightning Lane sign at Princess Fairytale Hall

Today we took a look at the qualifying Disney World Genie+ attractions and we noticed a change for Hollywood Studios. See it?

©Disney

Yes! Beginning on July 17th, Darth Vader and Chewbacca will be available via Genie+ Lightning Lane. We don’t see BB-8 included here, but it’s possible that the orange droid’s name was just not specified yet. We’ll keep our eyes on Disney’s website for any updates!

©Disney

If you’re visiting Hollywood Studios before August 7th, you can also take advantage of the temporary inclusion of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway on Genie+! This ride was originally only available via Individual Lightning Lane, which was an additional cost outside of Genie+.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Hollywood Studios

To purchase and use Genie+, you can buy it on each day of your visit, and you can start booking Lightning Lanes beginning at 7AM. You can book one Lightning Lane at a time, but if you start early and prioritize certain attractions first, you can make the most out of Genie+.

Disney Genie

Mark your calendar for July 17th and get ready to hug a Wookiee once again! Keep reading DFB for more Disney character news!

ALL the character meet-and-greets available in Disney World!

Are you excited about these returning character meet-and-greets? Tell us in the comments!