A Step-by-Step Guide to Using the My Disney Experience App - Part 1
Are you planning a trip to the happiest place on earth? If so, have you downloaded the My Disney Experience App yet? This handy tool can help unlock the magic of Disney World and make your visit even more unforgettable. From ride wait times to character meet-and-greets, this app has everything you need to plan your day and keep track of all the fun. In this blog post, we'll show you how to use the My Disney Experience App like a pro and get the most out of your visit.
Introduction to My Disney Experience App
In order to make the most of your next Disney adventure, you'll want to download and become familiar with the My Disney Experience app. This free app allows you to view wait times for attractions, use the Disney Genie+ service to make Lightning Lane selections, see where Character Experiences are happening, find out park hours, and much more. You can also use the app to connect your family and friends' plans together so you can easily meet up with them while you're at the parks. Trust us, becoming a pro at using the My Disney Experience app will make your trip that much more enjoyable!
⭐️ Pixie Dust Tip: When you schedule your Disney World reservations with Pixie Dust, we'll add your reservations directly into your My Disney Experience app!
Logging In and Setting Up the App
In order to start using the My Disney Experience app, you will need to log in with your Disney account information. If you do not have a Disney account, you can create one for free in the app or on the My Disney Experience website. Once you have logged in or created an account, you will need to set up some basic profile information, including your name, birthday, and contact information.
Once you have logged in and set up your profile, you can begin customizing your Disney vacation. You can search for and add hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more to your 'My Plans' list. You can also view wait times for attractions and make Lightning Lane selections right from the app. Plus, the app provides handy maps of all the parks and resorts so you can easily navigate your way around your Disney World resort, the parks, and Disney Springs.
Navigating Genie+ and Lightning Lane at Disney World
Once you have downloaded the My Disney Experience App and linked your tickets/reservation to your account, you are ready to start utilizing one of Disney's most popular time-saving tools: the Genie smart planner, Genie+, Lightning Lanes, and Virtual Queues.
In case you are unaware, Lightning Lanes allow guests to reserve access to select attractions, Character Greetings, entertainment and more. Essentially, they get you to the front of the line so you can spend less time waiting and more time enjoying all that Disney has to offer.
The Genie and Lightning Lane systems can be a bit complicated to figure out, so here's a quick explainer:
Disney Genie is a complementary planning service for your Disney vacation. It is available from the moment you log into the My Disney Experience app. All you need to do is answer a few questions about what your family is interested in, and Genie will do the rest. You'll get a suggested itinerary of Disney rides, shows, and dining for each day of your vacation. You can access this itinerary on the 'My Day' screen in the app.
Now, let's add on something new. Disney Genie+ is a paid add-on to the Genie service that allows you to reserve Genie+ Lightning Lanes for a selection of popular Disney World attractions during your park day. A Lightning Lane reservation gives you an hour-long window of time to skip the long line of the ride by using a special Lightning Lane entrance. This is very similar to the old FastPass+ system. Genie+ does need to be purchased and added the morning of each park day before you can make Lightning Lane reservations.
While Genie+ Lightning Lanes are used to book popular Disney attractions like Space Mountain, Peter Pan, and Frozen Ever After, the absolute most popular rides in each park have their own reservations to skip the line. These are called Individual Lightning Lanes, and they are reserved completely separately from Genie+ Lightning Lanes. In fact, you don't even need to purchase Genie+ for your park day to reserve an Individual Lightning Lane. The current attractions that use Individual Lightning Lanes are Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios, and Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom.
The final way to skip long lines at Disney World is with Virtual Queues for select attractions. Only a few rides use this system (currently only Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction at EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom). The Virtual Queue can be joined right from within the My Disney Experience app. It’s important to note that Virtual Queue reservations are available twice daily, once at 7:00 am and then again at 1:00 pm (you must have first entered the park before joining the 1:00 pm window).
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about how to actually use the Lightning Lane and Virtual Queue system. If you open up the app and click on the 'hamburger' menu in the bottom right of the home page, you'll see a 'Tip Board' button on the Menu screen. This screen will show the available Genie+ Lightning Lanes, Individual Lightning Lanes, and Virtual Queue options available for your selected park. Simply tap an attraction and follow the instructions to make a reservation.
If an experience is unavailable, it will be greyed out. If an experience still has availability but doesn't have any specific time slots listed, that means there is only one time slot left for that particular day. You will want to act fast if this is the case!
⭐ Pixie Dust Tip: Genie+ and Lightning Lane reservations open at 7:00 am on the morning of your park day in the My Disney Experience app. So, you'll need to get up early each day of your vacation to make your reservations for every member of your party. But, with Pixie Dust, you can schedule your Genie+ and Lightning Lane reservations months in advance of your park day, and we'll automagically make your reservations for you. Pretty cool right?
Hungry? Try Mobile Ordering
The My Disney Experience app also provides an awesome, easy way to order food from Disney World restaurants, right from your phone. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Open up the app and log in with your Disney account information. Once you’re logged in, click on the “hamburger” icon in the bottom right corner of the home screen (it looks like three horizontal lines). This will open up the menu. From here, select “Mobile Food Orders.”
You will be taken to an orders screen, with a blue 'Create New Order' button. Click this, and you will be taken to a new screen with a list of available restaurants and available time windows. You can even opt to place your order 'As Soon As Possible' or 'Schedule for Later'. Select the restaurant where you would like to place your order from the list provided. Once you have clicked on a restaurant, you will be taken to that restaurant’s page.
Scroll down to see the menu. When you find something you would like to order, click on it and then select “Add to Order.' You can add as many items as you like to your order. When you are finished adding items, click on the shopping cart icon in the top right corner of the screen.
From here, you can review your order and make sure everything is correct. Once you are satisfied with your order, click on “Place Order.' You will then be asked how you would like to pay for your order. You can either pay with credit/debit card or with Disney Rewards points. Once the order is placed, you'll be given a time window to pick up your food from one of the restaurant's mobile order pickup locations. Enjoy!
In the next part, we'll go over tips for getting the most out of your dining reservations with the My Disney Experience app, finding and saving your Disney photos with PhotoPass, and more.
