1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary Using Genie+ & Lightning Lanes
Our 1-day itinerary for Magic Kingdom using Genie+ and Lightning Lanes offers a step-by-step plan for the park. Its goal is to answer questions, illustrate the process of how paid FastPass will work in practice at Walt Disney World, and address the best strategy for ride reservations.
This is a theoretical day at Magic Kingdom since there are still unknowns, but that’s true of literally any itinerary. Just like a normal touring plan, there’s a lot here that we can pull from past precedent, historical wait time data, and extensive experience with very similar systems at Magic Kingdom.
This is intended to supplement our Lightning Lane and Genie+ at Walt Disney World FAQ. A lot of you have had questions, and we’ve tried to answer most of the common ones there. However, many are about specific scenarios and that FAQ would be as long as a Tolstoy novel if we addressed each one there…
Instead, we’re going to explain by showing via a day at Magic Kingdom. If you’re a type A vacation planner, hopefully this will give you some peace of mind about how Genie+ and Lightning Lanes will work on your vacation coming up between now and December 2021. With that said, keep in mind that there will likely be some fluidity with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes in the months to come as tweaks are made. That’s simply the reality of it.
The good news is that, even taking into account Disney’s dubious record with and implementation of technology, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes will likely be a pretty smooth and user friendly process (after the inevitable early hiccups). The system is a known quantity and was used at Disneyland pre-closure, where it was incredibly popular. It should also improve the guest experience and satisfaction of those who opt to purchase it.
Generally speaking, the utilization of Genie+ will be significantly lower than FastPass+ and more akin to MaxPass. If you’re still skeptical, just remember that Walt Disney World has a vested financial incentive to make Genie+ successful and work as advertised. Word of mouth travels fast, and people won’t buy Genie+ if it’s truly an unmitigated disaster.
Finally, as discussed in the aforementioned FAQ, there will be up to 2 attractions per park that sell individual Lightning Lane access and are not part of Genie+. In Magic Kingdom, those attractions will be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain.
Anyway, on with our 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes…
7:00 am – Book Peter Pan’s Flight via Genie+ with a Lightning Lane return window of 9:00 am to 10:00 am.
8:30 am – Rope drop Space Mountain via standby.
8:45 am – Do Astro Orbiter via standby line.
9:00 am – Do Peter Pan’s Flight via Lightning Lane (Genie+ ride reservation). Immediately upon tapping into the Lightning Lane, book Jungle Cruise via Genie+ with a Lightning Lane return window of 11:20 am to 12:20 pm.
9:15 am – Do the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh via standby line.
9:45 am – Do Haunted Mansion via standby line.
10:20 am – Do “it’s a small world” via standby line.
10:40 am – Do Pirates of the Caribbean via standby line.
11:20 am – Do Jungle Cruise via Lightning Lane (Genie+ ride reservation).
11:21 am – While in line for June Cruise, book Splash Mountain via Genie+ with a Lightning Lane return window of 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
11:40 am – Score immediate Walk-Up Waitlist availability at Skipper Canteen, an underrated dining gem (and arguably the park’s best restaurant) that many Magic Kingdom guests are afraid to try because it’s “too exotic.”
12:40 pm – Recover from a feast of highly adventurous and unusual dishes such as “grilled steak” and “fried chicken” by a brief hibernation during Country Bear Jamboree. Marvel at its bear-rific brilliance.
1:21 pm – Book Big Thunder Mountain Railroad via Genie+ with a Lightning Lane return window of 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Note: 1:21 pm is chosen because it’s 120 minutes after 11:21 am, which is consistent with the 120 minute rule. This means that you can select your next Genie+ ride reservation either immediately after tapping into your previous one or after 120 minutes have passed, whichever is sooner. In this case, that’s 120 minutes.
1:15 pm – Further feast recovery with a showing of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.
1:40 pm – Wander over to Sunshine Tree Terrace, and have a life changing experience when trying your first Citrus Swirl.
From this point forward, dedicate all of your free time to eating the other Best Magic Kingdom Snacks & Desserts List in search of other transformative treats. (In other words, we’re going to leave some gaps in this itinerary so it doesn’t become too confusing or overwhelming–but perhaps the ship has already sailed on that!)
2:30 pm – Do Splash Mountain via Lightning Lane (Genie+ ride reservation).
3:21 pm – Book Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin via Genie+ with a Lightning Lane return window of 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
4 pm – Do Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin via Lightning Lane (Genie+ ride reservation).
4:01 pm – Book Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid via Genie+ with a Lightning Lane return window of 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Note: We discussed the 120 minute rule above, but you also should be able to book another Genie+ reservation after tapping into your previous one. That won’t be relevant if you’re going for all high-priority options, but grabbing some low-hanging fruit after booking all of your high-priority options can make afternoon touring easier. (Pretty much anything done via standby in the first couple hours could be moved to the afternoon via Genie+ if you so desire.)
4:15 pm – Embrace Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrowland via the Carousel of Progress and the PeopleMover. (Pretty wild that Magic Kingdom’s three most iconic attractions–these two plus Country Bear Jamboree–don’t use Genie+ or Lightning Lanes. That’s a pretty big oversight!)
5:30 pm – Do Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid via Lightning Lane (Genie+ ride reservation).
5:31 pm – Plot twist: the high temperature on the December day you’re visiting Magic Kingdom is 47º. Since you’re a tough and/or foolish Midwesterner who considers that a “warm front” and/or “shorts weather,” you are unfazed. Regardless, none of the Southerners in the park agree with you, and thus seasonal demand for water rides is low.
Accordingly, there’s still availability for Splash Mountain via Genie+ with a Lightning Lane return window of 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Unfortunately, you cannot book it due to the no re-rides rule. You instead book another water ride–Pirates of the Caribbean–which is permissible since you did it via standby the previous time.
6 pm – Do Big Thunder Mountain Railroad via Lightning Lane (Genie+ ride reservation).
6:15 pm to 7:25 pm – Loop Country Bear Jamboree repeatedly.
7:30 pm – Do Pirates of the Caribbean via Lightning Lane (Genie+ ride reservation).
8:00 pm – Grab a last minute spot for Disney Enchantment in Fantasyland with a view of both Cinderella Castle and Beast’s Castle above Be Our Guest Restaurant. This is not a recommended “one and done” fireworks viewing location (check out our viewing location tips for Magic Kingdom fireworks), but you’ll be doing another night in Magic Kingdom later.
~8:35 pm – Race to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, beating the post-fireworks rush.
This assumes Magic Kingdom closes at 9 pm and Disney Enchantment happens at 8:15 pm. Neither are necessarily safe assumptions–we hope Magic Kingdom has 10 pm closings by December. Our preferred strategy with a longer gap between the fireworks and park closing is jumping into line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 1 minute before park closing. You can figure it out based on hours and circumstances. The salient point is that you are not paying for individual attraction access to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Space Mountain by doing one at the very beginning of the day and the other at the end of the night.
Once again, this was a step-by-step day in Magic Kingdom using Genie+ based on assumptions about capacity allocation and demand. Some or all of these assumptions could be off and not reflect what you actually experience come October–but the same could be said of any itinerary. We think this is probably ~75% accurate, and at the very least, should illustrate how a day could look using Genie+ for those who never used paper FastPass or MaxPass.
The point here is to illustrate how Genie+ could prove advantageous for days you opt to purchase the add-on. Personally, I’d buy strategically rather than length-of-stay, and likely only for one Magic Kingdom day and one DHS day. Probably not at all for Epcot, Animal Kingdom, or a potential bonus day at Magic Kingdom (or anywhere else). That’s just me, though, as someone who is relatively frugal but also recognizes that “vacation time is money.”
Finally, even with a lot of things you’d be able to accomplish during the middle of the day removed for the sake of simplicity, this itinerary might look overwhelming. Just keep in mind that your past itinerary with FastPass+ or current one also might look pretty intimidating to the uninitiated. Like all things Walt Disney World, it’ll become simpler and more intuitive once put into practice.
For what it’s worth, we loved MaxPass at Disneyland and found it to be better than FastPass+ at Walt Disney World. In practice, it was a breeze to use for more laid back visitors who don’t meticulously plan everything in advance down to the minute. Although the Genie system is a diluted version of MaxPass that attempts to squeeze more money out of guests, it is still a version of that. In terms of putting our money where our mouths are, we’ll be buying the yearly Genie+ add-on for Annual Passes once it’s released.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Was this 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary w/ Genie+ helpful to illustrate how paid FastPass might work? Think we could accomplish all of this in a single day at Magic Kingdom without purchasing individual attraction access to Space Mountain or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? Would you like to see sample step-by-step plans for the other theme parks at Walt Disney World? Have any questions we didn’t answer with the above? Still confused by how Genie+ or Lightning Lanes will work? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
First time to a Disney park is today, bought Disney Plus weeks ago, tried reserving Peter Pan at 7:00 on the dot. Earliest time offered was like 3 pm…
This itinerary is not up-to-date and seems to be based on assumptions that are not correct (e.g. when you can book another Genie+ reservation). I think it should either be corrected or removed so as to not give readers inaccurate information. Or at least put theoretical in big bold letters so people understand not to rely on it.
I thought You had to wait till two hours after park opens how were you able to make a 9:10 LL??
I meant your PP has not been used nor expired so by what method are you able to book a JC LL at 9:10 – it’s not two hours after park open and you booked at 7.
How could you book LL at 9:10 for anything but a $ LL? It is not two hours after park open (is it 8 or 9 in this example?) and you have not tapped into or had your first LL at JC expire yet?
Hi, would you still apply the same itinerary if you don’t have early arrival and can only begin your day at 9AM?
How much for a tour guide to handle the phone.
I am also sorry we have planned this trip almost two years ago, had to cancel last year. I don’t even text let alone have my phone most of the time. Does disney have a lost a found for phones only that’s were my phone will be or in a fountain when the net crashes.
I’m with you Kim. It’s all overwhelmingly confusing and not at all what a vacation should be. I’m not looking forward to such a chaotic time. it’s just too much!
I have the same question…what if I’m not planning to get to the parks till noon. Do I look at Genie plus and 7 am and just keep checking back until the arrival time of my ride gets to be noon and on? That seems to be a huge pain. I wish they would just let us select a return time of our choosing right away.
I’m sorry that I even booked this trip to Disney. I’m a newbie and have NO clue what I’m doing. This whole thing is very frustrating. I wish I booked a vacation to someplace else!
All I want to know, is do I HAVE to book the first ride at 7 am? Could I get anything out of genie plus if I didn’t start booking until 9 or 10??
Thanks for this, Tom! One thing I will add: you have our (very stalwart) Midwesterner getting two Genie+ returns for Splash. Unfortunately, Disney has said that we can only use Genie+ for a given ride once in a day. Just thought I’d mention it, so that others don’t become confused!
Thank you both for the heads up–there’s a lot to keep track of here, and that rule slipped my mind!
I thought that you can only use Genie+ on an attraction once per day….therefore, you would not incur guilt of a wasted reservation on Splash Mountain. I hope I am incorrect!
“Since you’re a tough and/or foolish Midwesterner who considers that a “warm front” and/or “shorts weather,” you are unfazed.” As a Minnesotan, I laughed out loud at this one. This comment has come to fruition for us several times.
I think one thing people forget to take into consideration when booking these are the walking times between attractions for the sake of “efficiency”. That was a big rookie mistake for us… I cannot even count the number of times we walked through the hub at MK on the hunt for short wait times/Fastpass reservations. Even though MK has a smaller footprint, it still takes a lot of time and energy to cut across.
Could you please do a sample itinerary with Individual Attraction Selections? I am traveling with an adult with special needs and am most concerned about minimizing wait times. Thank you!