My Disney Experience, MagicBands, Disney Genie, and Lightning Lane Information
What is My Disney Experience?
My Disney Experience is the ultimate planning tool for your Walt Disney World vacation. This is where you can book Advance Dining Reservations, make Park Pass selections, use Mobile Order, find out theme park hours, look at the wait times for attractions, take advantage of online check-in, and so much more. My Disney Experience combines all of your vacation planning into one convenient location that's accessible from multiple electronic devices.
When planning a Walt Disney World vacation, you can use My Disney Experience on your computer, tablet, and your smartphone. With your preferred device, My Disney Experience allows you to share all the details you have coming up on your vacation with the friends and family members who are coming with you. As long as everyone in your party is connected to My Disney Experience, you’ll be able to make the vacation plans for them. When your party is all connected on My Disney Experience, the vacation plans can be shared amongst the group.
You can also customize your MagicBands using the My Disney Experience app. A MagicBand is a wearable device that you’ll use as your Resort hotel key, your park tickets (with valid park admission), and you can even charge purchases from merchandise and food locations. MagicBand+ is sold throughout the theme parks and resort shops as well as online at the Disney Store.
For the phone or tablet, you can get started by downloading the free app, and on the computer you can get started at www.startyourdisneyexperience.com.
You will be required to set up an online account in order to use My Disney Experience. It's important that you use an email address that you check frequently, especially if you have an upcoming Disney vacation planned. Disney also uses this app to communicate important information to guests.
My Disney Experience Details
- Disney Genie
- Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass
- Lightning Lane Premier Pass – Launching soon!
- Lightning Lane Attractions
When launching the My Disney Experience app, it’ll open up to a main screen of what's currently happening at Walt Disney World. You’ll find everything from theme park maps, attraction wait times and descriptions, character meet-and-greet locations, dining options, restroom locations, entertainment information, events, tours, PhotoPass cast members locations, guest services information, Resort hotel locations, recreation options, shopping, spa locations, and much more.
- Your Account – In this section, you’ll find your profile information including your name, date of birth, the MagicBands and any cards that are linked to your account, your account settings, your contact information, communication preferences, payment methods, and if applicable, your Annual Passholder or Disney Vacation Club information. This is also where you'll find your friends and family lists.
- Today’s Showtimes – Here you’ll find all the showtimes for entertainment such as fireworks, parades, and nighttime spectaculars.
- Park Hours & Information – The park information including the regular park hours, the Early Theme Park Entry, and which attractions and shows are under refurbishment.
- My Tickets – In the My Tickets section of the My Disney Experience App, you’ll find all the tickets that are attached to your account. Each ticket will include important information such as when it expires and which days that ticket is valid for.
- Buy Tickets – Buying park tickets is a fairly simple process on the My Disney Experience App. Step-by-step, you’ll select the number of days you’ll be vacationing, then the number of tickets, and finally the type of ticket (regular admission, Park Hopper, or Park Hopper Plus).
- Annual Pass Blockouts – Here in the Annual Pass Blockouts section of the app, Annual Passholders can find which days are unavailable depending on which type of annual pass they have.
- Linked Reservations – Here is where your linked dining and resort hotel reservations will be listed. Any plans that your linked friends and family have shared with you will also be viewable here.
- Reserve Dining – Reservations at some Disney restaurants are a must which makes this section of the app important. After selecting your group size along with when and where you are planning to dine, you’ll be shown a list of available reservations at restaurants across Walt Disney World property.
- Order Food – Use Disney's Mobile Order Service. to order food at the majority of your favorite quick service dining locations across Walt Disney World property. Utilizing Mobile Order will cut down on your wait time allowing you to skip the lines and instead heading to Mobile Order pick-up area.
TIP: Be sure to click on "I'm here" within the My Disney Experience app when you've arrived at the restaurant, but not before.
- Link Dining – If you or someone in your party has booked a dining reservation, but it isn’t showing up on your itinerary in the My Disney Experience app, you can link that reservation by using this tool. By simply plugging in your dining confirmation number and the last name on your reservation, it should automatically connect you to that reservation.
- Link Hotel – Similar to the Link Dining tool, the Link Hotel tool will allow you or someone in your party to link your My Disney Experience app to your party’s Resort hotel reservation. Again, simply plug in the confirmation number and the last name on the reservation and then it should link your hotel reservation directly to your My Disney Experience app.
- Buy Memory Maker – In order to enjoy your PhotoPass photos without a watermark, you’ll have to purchase Memory Maker which includes downloads of all the pictures and videos that were taken of you and your family. If your Memory Maker account is not connected to your My Disney Experience app, this is where you’ll link it.
- Get Walking Directions – If you don't know where everything is and how to get there from where you are, you can get directions from one attraction to another and so much more.
Learn more - Find Photographers – PhotoPass cast members can be found throughout Walt Disney World property, but if you have trouble finding someone, the “Find Photographer” tool will show you directly on a map where they are located.
- Link Photos – In order to link your photos, you’ll need to have your MagicBand scanned by the PhotoPass photographer.
- Shop Online – In case you missed buying something while visiting the Disney theme parks, you can visit this page and order the items you may have forgotten. This will send you directly to the Disney Store website.
MagicBands
MagicBands can be a fun way to interact with the My Disney Experience app as they are available in all sorts of designs, but they are not required. A MagicBand is a wristband with an embedded RFID chip that park guests can wear – if they choose – which links to their theme park tickets, resort room keys, dining reservations, PhotoPass photographs, payment option and much more. Guests will touch their bands to they contactless touchpoints that are located throughout the theme parks and resorts on turnstiles, cash registers and Lightning Lane scanners. The MagicBands are available in many different colors and designs that can include favorite Disney characters, theme parks, and more. MagicBands are able to be customized with snap-on charms, fabric covers, a watch face, and so much more.
The MagicBand+ is the current version available for sale at Walt Disney World. This version lights up, vibrates, and interacts based on where a guest is in the theme parks and what that guest is doing at the time. Guests using MagicBand+ also have access to “play like a bounty hunter” throughout Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The MagicBands also illuminate and “complement the magic in the skies” during ECPOT and Magic Kingdom fireworks spectaculars.
Disney Resort hotel guests as well as new and renewing Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can purchase at a discounted, pre-arrival price. The complimentary Disney MagicMobile service that extends MagicBand features, such as park entry, to smart devices is also available.
Disney Genie
The free park day optimizer allows guests to input information regarding their must-do attractions for that day, their must-do dining experiences (whether it be signature/fine dining, character dining, quick service, or table service), as well as any “Enchanting Extras,” like building a lightsaber at Savi’s Handbuilt Lightsabers in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, that they’d like to do. Guests can also input what they are most interested in, such as Disney princesses or villains or fireworks, etc. Disney Genie then prepares an optimized plan for their day and, using data collected over the course of years coupled with realtime attraction wait times, will suggest that they arrive at certain attractions at specific times. When calculating your personalized itinerary, Disney Genie takes into account the guest’s desires, as well as any previously scheduled dining reservations, and proximity. Genie doesn’t want you to have to walk clear across the park for one attraction only to come all the way back for the next; it’s going to try to save you steps.
Disney Genie also takes current wait times into account. It knows how many guests it’s sending to a certain attraction at a certain time, and if there’s a potential overload, it’ll suggest a different time with a lower wait for you to head to the attraction. Disney Genie also knows if an attraction is down due to weather conditions, and will reorganize your itinerary accordingly. Guests can switch out and move around suggested attractions at any time. Disney Genie and its personalized itineraries are completely flexible. Guests get to be in control.
If a guest is wearing a MagicBand+ or has bluetooth enabled on their smartphone and rides an attraction that’s on the itinerary for later in the day, Genie will know that the attraction has already been ridden, and take it off of the list for later.
Guests who are planning to park hop that day can also input that information into Disney Genie, along with the park that they’re planning to hop to, the attractions and experiences that they’d like to enjoy, and the time that they plan to park hop. Disney Genie then configures (or reconfigures) your itinerary.
Also included in the complimentary portion of Disney Genie is a tip board and forecasted wait times. Guests can look at a certain attractions for the course of the day and see, based on data gathered, which times might offer lower waits. A virtual assistant function is available in the complimentary portion of the digital service which allows guests to chat with a cast member. Have a question? Drop it in the virtual assistant and get an answer right away.
My Disney Experience’s Mobile Order function can also be found in the complimentary portion of Disney Genie, as well as a restaurant tip board which allows guests to look at available dining reservations and book them, to join a dining location’s walk up waitlist (if available), or check in for their reservation. If an attraction also has a Virtual Queue associated with it, you’ll find the spot to join that queue in the complimentary portion of Disney Genie as well.
Disney Genie was created with the goal of optimizing guests’ time and maximizing guests’ fun. Disney Genie is here to help walk guests through the process of navigating a park day.
Lightning Lane Premium Pass
Later this month, a pilot program for a new service offering expedited entry to theme park attractions will launch at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts: the Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be offered in minimal quantities and will give guests a one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane entrance in the theme park they are visiting that day. This includes attractions included in both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, but guests do not need to select an experience time with Lightning Lane Premier Pass. Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be a premium offering, and prices will vary based on the date and theme park guests are visiting.
At Disneyland Resort, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be available first come, first served beginning two days before a theme park reservation and will be valid for use in both theme parks. It will be available on October 23, 2024.
At Walt Disney World, when Lightning Lane Premier Pass launches, it will be available to guests staying at Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts and may be purchased up to seven days in advance of their stay. It will only be valid for use in one park of the guest’s choice per day. The first date it will be available is October 30, 2024.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass are rebranded terms from the previous Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane services. This new system integrates elements from the former FastPass+ service, with the return of advance planning and offering more flexibility.
It’s important to note that either a standby line or Virtual Queue will be offered at each attraction. Guests who would rather not purchase Lightning Lane will still have access to the attractions they’d like to ride.
Advance Planning: Resort guests can now make Lightning Lane selections up to 7 days in advance, while non-resort guests can plan 3 days ahead. The “day” starts at 7am Eastern – set those alarms!
Multiple-Day Booking: You can now conveniently book Lightning Lane passes for multiple days in one go, making your vacation planning easier.
Flexibility: Guests may purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, a Lightning Lane Single Pass or both. The app has been updated to make it quicker and easier to purchase and plan with fewer steps, and a new option to purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass in one transaction.
LIGHTNING LANE MULTI PASS: Guests who purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass can choose up to 3 Lightning Lane selections in a theme park prior to their visit. Guests will also be able to choose available times as they make their selections. After a Lightning Lane has been used on the day of their visit, guests can check the My Disney Experience app for additional availability.
To use the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can choose up to three attractions in advance for a particular park. Once you enter the park and redeem pre-booked passes, you can check for additional availability on the app. This feature adds flexibility, and allows more spontaneous plans based on current attraction availability.
With the purchase of a Lightning Lane Multi Pass, guests will receive digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos from your day, captured with Disney PhotoPass Service. Plus, access Disney PhotoPass Lenses.
LIGHTNING LANE SINGLE PASS: Lightning Lane Single Pass works similarly to how it did before. Guests will be able to select an available time to ride one of Disney’s more popular attractions and make their purchase in advance.
With Lightning Lane Single Pass, you can book a time for high-demand (Tier 1) attractions well before your visit, to ensure you don’t miss out on those must-dos! Booking these in advance helps better plan and manage your park time.
Lightning Lane Attractions (subject to change)
MAGIC KINGDOM
Tier 1
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad®
- Jungle Cruise®
- Peter Pan’s Flight®
- Space Mountain®
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Tier 2
- The Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin®
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant®
- Haunted Mansion®
- “it’s a small world”®
- Mad Tea Party
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic® 3D Spectacular
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor®
- Pirates of the Caribbean®
- Tomorrowland® Speedway
- Under the Sea~Journey of The Little Mermaid
EPCOT
Tier 1
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
Tier 2
- Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
- Journey Into Imagination With Figment
- Living with the Land Presented by Chiquita®
- Mission: SPACE®
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends®
- Spaceship Earth
- Turtle Talk With Crush
DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Tier 1
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
Tier 2
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage!
- Disney Jr. Play and Dance!
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- Star Tours—The Adventures Continue
- Toy Story Mania!®
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM
Singular Tier
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest—Legend of the Forbidden Mountain®
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond!
- It’s Tough to be a Bug!®
- Kali River Rapids®
- Kilimanjaro Safaris®
- Na’vi River Journey
