Note: On August 3, 2022, Disney announced that these changes will be permanent instead of only through August 7. We’ll be updating this post and/or all of our related content to focus on this “new” situation.
Disney has announced several temporary changes to the Genie+ / Lightning Lane system in the last few months. Currently, they’ve given us a messy picture of what things will look like through August 7. After that, well, we assume some things will revert to “normal”, some things will stay changed, and some new changes might debut.
In this post we’re going to break down these changes, including how they do/don’t impact strategy. We’ll start Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom because those have fewer changes.
Changes to Genie+ / Individual Lightning Lane Lineups (MK, DHS, DAK)
Through August 7, 2022 Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Hollywood Studios), Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom), and Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom) will be part of Genie+ and no longer available as individual Lightning Lane purchases.
If those words don’t make sense to you, it’s probably because you’re not up to date on the intricacies of the new Genie+ / Lightning Lane system. If that’s the case, you’ll need to check out the following posts (which may or may not get specific updates related to this change):
The short of it, though, is that select rides that previously used to have Lightning Lanes only for individual purchase (i.e. they were not a part of the Genie+ program) will now be a part of Genie+ and will not be available for individual purchase. These rides are, again:
Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Hollywood Studios)
Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
How does this impact Genie+ strategy?
If you will have Early Entry at the parks, these changes will impact Genie+ AND rope drop strategy. I’m going to start with Genie+ strategy, but if you have Early Entry, keep reading for more rope drop context that might inform your Genie+ strategy as well.
At Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest is definitely less popular than Na’vi River Journey. It’s usually less popular than Kilimanjaro Safaris, with the added complexity that Kilimanjaro Safaris often closes before the rest of the park. Given this, the ride is at best the third pick behind those two.
At Hollywood Studios, Runaway Railway tends to be the third or fourth Genie+ Lightning Lane to run out. Slinky Dog Dash remains the top pick, and there’s no change there. While it remains operating at 1/2 capacity, Tower of Terror is an easy second pick.
At Magic Kingdom, nothing really changes. Space Mountain is a middle tier pick, so after you make your first pick (usually Peter Pan’s Flight or Jungle Cruise), it might be in play.
How does this impact rope drop strategy?
If you have early entry, you are hopefully planning to wake up early and be among the first people on a ride (or two). Here are the standard rope drop / early entry posts, for reference:
Honestly—these changes don’t really impact rope drop. Initially we feared the might, but none of these rides has become such a high priority as to impact existing strategies.
Changes to Lightning Lanes at Epcot
With the debut of Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind on May 27, 2022, Epcot is going through more changes than the rest of the parks. In particular, Disney has announced the followed updates to Lightning Lanes:
Now through August 7 — Frozen Ever After included with Genie+ (previously individual Lightning Lane)
Beginning May 27 — Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind available as individual Lightning Lane (new ride)
Beginning May 31 — Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure included with Genie+ (previously individual Lightning Lane)
Now, as for how this impacts strategy…
We’re going to advise buying the Guardians individual Lightning Lane rather than rolling the dice on the virtual queue, at least until experience tells us otherwise. Since the ride isn’t on Genie+ and it doesn’t have a standby queue, we don’t need to consider it when discussing how your rope drop and Genie+ strategies will work together during these weird times. For those, we’re focused on three rides—Remy’s, Frozen, and Test Track.
Heading into a period of uncertainty, once it moves to Genie+ Remy’s will be a safe first first pick regardless of where you enter the park. Then if you enter from the International Gateway you can rope drop Frozen, if you enter from the main gate you can rope drop Test Track.
Prior to Remy’s joining Genie+, I’d use my first Genie+ pick on Test Track and plan to rope drop Frozen from either entrance. This is a change from past advice. It used to be that you’d only get a good spot on Frozen if you were coming from the International Gateway. But now Remy’s is pulling many of those guests, so you’re fine to start there from either entrance.
Once June 1 rolls around we’ll start to have a better idea of what a “perfect” morning at Epcot looks like. Well, unless Disney changes things again…but they wouldn’t do that. Right? RIGHT?
We’ll keep an eye on things! Happy travels!
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.