What’s the New 120 Minute Rule in Disney World and Why Should You Care?

Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection (or pay-per-ride) have arrived in Disney World!

Lightning Lanes have replaced FastPass lanes!

We’ve been sharing all kinds of updates about the service in terms of how to buy Genie+, how to buy Individual Attraction Selections, and more. With Genie+, you’ll pay that set $15 per ticket, per day to select return times for Lightning Lanes at many attractions across the parks. But, when using Genie+, there’s an important rule you’ll want to be aware of.

You can purchase Genie+ in advance of your trip by adding it onto a ticket or a vacation package for the entire length of your stay. Or, you can purchase Genie+ on the day of your visit, starting at midnight.

©Disney

Regardless of when you buy Genie+, you won’t be able to make your first Lightning Lane selection until 7AM on the morning of your visit.

Lightning Lane Entrance at Pirates of the Caribbean

When you go to make your Lighting Lane selection, you’ll see a number of attractions available and what their next Lightning Lane return time is. For example, early this morning, we had the option to book a Lightning Lane return time for The Barnstormer at 9AM.

©Disney

While many return times were early, some were already a bit later. For example, one of our reporters was booking their first Lightning Lane selection at 7AM this morning and the first return time they were provided through Genie+ for Slinky Dog Dash was not until 4-5PM.

Because that Slinky Dog Dash return time was for a bit later in the day, it opened up a unique possibility for booking/holding more than 1 Genie+ Lightning Lane at a time.

Slinky Dog Dash

Here’s how things work, based on what we understand. Keep in mind, this is based on what we’ve experienced in the park or what we’ve confirmed with Cast Members. But, things are subject to change, and if we get more information that differs from what we’ve shared below we’ll be sure to update this post.

You can generally only make 1 Genie+ Lightning Lane selection at a time throughout the day. Once you’ve used that selection or the return time for it has expired, you can make another one.

©Disney

For example, let’s say at 10:00AM, you’re in EPCOT and you make a Genie+ Lightning Lane Reservation for Living With the Land for 10:30AM. At 10:30AM you use that Lightning Lane and then you can make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection IMMEDIATELY.

Living With The Land Lightning Lane

What if your Lightning Lane return time is for later? Let’s say you’re in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 12:32PM and you book a Genie+ Lightning Lane return time for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the next available one is 6:30PM. You’ll book that later return time, no problem.

If you want to book ANOTHER Genie+ Lightning Lane selection while you wait for that later return time to arrive, you’ll be able to do so 2 hours AFTER you made that initial selection. In other words, you’d be able to book another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection at 2:32PM.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

What if you book that first Lightning Lane selection at 7AM (in advance of the park opening time)? If you book an early return time, you should be able to just use that and then immediately make your next selection.

What if the return time for the ride you want isn’t until later though? From what we understand, if the Genie+ Lightning Lane return time you booked at 7AM is later in the day, you’ll need to wait 2 HOURS after the park opens to book another Genie+ Lightning Lane.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

In our case, at 7AM one of our reporters was looking for a Genie+ Lightning Lane for Slinky Dog Dash and the first available was 4-5PM, so they booked that. Genie then told that reporter that they wouldn’t be able to book another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection until 11AM (2 hours after Hollywood Studios’ 9AM opening time).

©Disney

At 11AM, our reporter booked a Genie+ Lightning Lane for Alien Swirling Saucers for around 12:30PM. They were then able to use that Alien Swirling Saucers and immediately after using it, they were able to book a Genie+ Lightning Lane for Toy Story Midway Mania.

From what it looks like, because that later Lightning Lane return time was still at least 2 hours away, they were able to make another Genie+ selection after riding Swirling Saucers.

Alien Swirling Saucers

The Genie+ portion of the My Disney Experience app WILL indicate when you’re eligible to make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection, so that’s what you’ll want to look at.

More Lightning Lanes

So, what’s the takeaway from all of this?

  1. Be sure to look at the Genie+ section of My Disney Experience to see when you’re eligible to make your next Genie+ selection
  2. Most importantly — try to make those Genie+ selections for EARLY times if possible. If you make it for a later time, you’ll likely be stuck waiting for 2 hours after the park opens or 2 hours after you make the selection before you can make another Genie+ selection. You’re likely better off either waiting in that ride’s standby line, trying to book it ASAP to get an early Genie+ return time, or watching it throughout the day and maybe booking it later.

Also, keep in mind that this all applies to Genie+. It does not apply to Individual Attraction Selection or Disney’s pay-per-ride system.

We’re on the lookout for more updates about this and we’ll let you know what we find. Stay tuned for more.


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Will you be using Genie+ or pay-per-ride during an upcoming trip? Tell us in the comments.

The post What’s the New 120 Minute Rule in Disney World and Why Should You Care? first appeared on the disney food blog.