Genie+ strategy at Hollywood Studios

Before you read this post - please go back to my previous MEGA guide that explains all things Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes. It's important to understand the basics before learning a Genie+ strategy for each individual park.

If you're thinking about purchasing Genie+ at Hollywood Studios, it's normally the second highest price when comparing it to other parks. Magic Kingdom is the most expensive (Magic Kingdom + the multiple parks Genie+ that is), then Hollywood Studios, then Epcot, and lastly Animal Kingdom. The pricing for Genie+ is dynamic and is based on how busy the parks will be, therefore how in demand Genie+ will be. Since Hollywood Studios Genie+ pricing is normally second highest, you can see that the demand for it is normally higher when compared to Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Genie+ is almost always worth it at Hollywood Studios. Without Genie+ you can likely get all the rides done in one day, however that will come with long waits. These long waits may prevent you from seeing all of the shows at Hollywood Studios.

Like I have shared in my previous posts in this series: pairing Genie+ with an effective rope drop strategy is going to set you up for success. I highly suggest rope dropping this park so that you can 1) save time 2) perhaps save money on an individual lightning lane.

Attractions eligible for Genie+ at Hollywood Studios:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage (show)
• Disney Junior Play and Dance! (show)
• Frozen Sing-Along (show)
• Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular (show)
• Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight (character)
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• MuppetVision 3D (show)
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours
• Toy Story Mania!
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

7:00am to do list!
If you're purchasing Genie+, be sure to have it purchased by 6:45am at the latest. Hollywood Studios doesn't have any virtual queues, so this isn't something you will have to worry about. A general rule of thumb at 7:00am: always get into the virtual queue FIRST since it's FREE. Then grab your first Genie+ selection, then your Individual Lightning Lane.

So, step one will be to make your first Lightning Lane selection since there is no virtual queue at Hollywood Studios. Step two is to purchase your Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance if you a) want to ride it twice or b) aren't going to rope drop this attraction. REMEMBER: if you are staying on site at Walt Disney World, you can purchase an Individual Lighting Lane at 7:00am. If you are staying off site, you can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane when the park OPENS.

What should be your first Genie+ Lightning Lane selection?
Whether you're rope dropping and have early entry or not - I highly suggest choosing Slinky Dog Dash as your first Lightning Lane selection. This attraction is the most in demand on Genie+ at Hollywood Studios. It often sells out in minutes (or seconds) and your return time is usually hours away.

If you plan to rope drop Slinky Dog Dash and you want to select a different attraction for your first Lightning Lane, I suggest choosing Tower of Terror or Rock 'n' rollercoaster. Some days Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is in demand as well, you will have to choose your selection based on what is most important to your group.

In a perfect world, I suggest rope dropping Rise of the Resistance (if you're an on site guest) so you don't have to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for it; and then selecting Slinky Dog Dash as your first Genie+ Lightning Lane selection. If you're staying off site, I suggest purchasing an Individual Lightning lane for Rise when the park opens, but make your first Genie+ selection at 7am for Slinky Dog Dash.

Keep in mind that every day is different at Walt Disney World. I always suggest prioritizing which attractions are most important to you, and booking Lightning Lanes accordingly. Once Slinky Dog Dash is out of the way, it can be a toss up in terms of what will be most "in demand" on the day you're there.

Higher priority attractions to use Genie+ on throughout the day:

• Slinky Dog Dash

Medium priority attractions to use Genie+ on throughout the day:

• Tower of Terror
• Rock 'n' Rollercoaster
• Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
• Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run

Lower priority attractions to use Genie+ on throughout the day:

• Toy Story Mania
• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Star Tours
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play and Dance
• Frozen Sing-a-long
• Indian Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
• MuppetVision 3D

Although there are many "low priority" attractions at Hollywood Studios - the high and medium priority attractions often sell out very quickly, which means that your return times are often 2+ hours away from your time of booking. This leads to a lot of stacking! The nice thing about this, is that you can see a show when you're waiting for your next Lightning Lane selection or when you're waiting to book your next Lightning Lane (the 2 hour booking window comes into play a lot in Hollywood Studios).

Remember that you can modify your Lightning Lane selections. If you monitor the My Disney Experience app and you're looking for an earlier/better return time - keep refreshing and trying to modify. I can almost always get a better return time if I sit down and refresh for about 5 minutes.

Keep in mind that it's important to be flexible and prioritize what attractions are important to you and your family. Everyones' days will look a little different.

Genie+ can certainly make your visit to Hollywood Studios more convenient and enjoyable. An effective rope drop strategy paired with Genie+ is essential for your Hollywood Studios day! There is a lot of stacking that happens at this park, which leaves time for shows and character meet and greets (or delicious meals)!

If you're looking for personalized Disney travel advice, be sure to book your next trip through me! My services are 100% free, and I will help you every step of the way when it comes to your Magical Disney vacation.