Disney Genie is here! The new planning service, which features the paid FastPass replacement called Lightning Lanes, has debuted at Disney World!

The Disney Genie service is a massive new offering and it’s a bit confusing (to say the least). We’ve been working hard to FULLY break down the new service from our biggest takeaways to the free aspects of Genie, to how the service affects wait times. Now, let’s take a look at how Disney Genie interacts with park hopping in Disney World.

Park hopping is Disney’s term for starting your day in one park and then “hopping” to another. To do this, you’ll need to purchase the Park Hopper add-on for your ticket. Park hopping has long been a staple of many Disney guests’ trips, so how does it work with Disney Genie?

How does Disney Genie know you plan to park hop?

When you first tap into Disney Genie or purchase Disney Genie+ in the My Disney Experience app, you’ll find that the system doesn’t automatically know that you plan to park hop. Still, there are a few ways to tell it your plans.

For one, if you intend to purchase an Individually Selected Attraction (IAS) Lightning Lane in your second park, Genie will know that you plan to park hop when you do that.

For instance, if you’ve made a Disney Park Pass for EPCOT, but buy an IAS Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance, Genie will note on your My Day itinerary page that you’ll need to park hop. It will also automatically adjust the available Rise of the Resistance times to take into account park hopping hours. 

But you don’t need to book an IAS to tell Genie that you plan to park hop. At the bottom of your My Day page, you’ll find a button that notes “Plan for Your Next Park.”

If you select this option, you’ll be able to tell Disney Genie which park you plan to park hop to and what times you plan to be there. You can even add a third or fourth park if you want!

From there, you can continue planning your day by selecting your preferences and must-dos with the free Genie offering and/or selecting your paid Genie+ Lightning Lane options. Even if you don’t tell Genie you intend to hop, you can still book Lightning Lanes in other parks — your options will just only include times after park hopping starts at 2PM.

Click here to learn more about free Disney Genie!

Does Genie tell you when you need to park hop?

On the My Day screen, you’ll notice that your itinerary includes a note before your first plan in your second park telling you, “It’s time to park hop!” It will also tell you the park hours for your second park.

Now, this note in your itinerary will NOT necessarily give you enough time before your next plan for transportation. You can easily check transportation routes and times by tapping “Get Directions” on the park hopping notification, but the Genie might not account for how long it takes to get from your Lightning Lane at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to your Lightning Lane at Rise of the Resistance.

So, the answer is…kinda. Genie will tell you that you need to park hop for your plans, but it won’t tell you how much time you need to set aside to get from park to park. That’s up to you. If you are hopping, we recommend giving yourself an hour between plans to make sure you have plenty of time for transportation! 

Want to learn more about wait times with the Lightning Lanes active? Click here!

Can you book plans in another park if you don’t tell Genie you’re hopping?

Yes! If you don’t tell Genie you’re hopping, you can still book Lightning Lanes and dining in your second, third, or fourth park. There are no limitations.

The only difference is that Genie will adjust available times to account for park hopping hours. So, if you’re starting your day in EPCOT, you’ll only see available times AFTER 2PM for any second-park plans you intend to make.

To learn more about park hopping, click here!

Are there any issues with park hopping and Genie?

On day one of Genie, one of our reporters hopped from EPCOT to Disney’s Hollywood Studios mid-day. She told Genie that she intended to hop at 2PM so her itinerary included the park hop notification at 2PM. However, when she arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and scanned into the park, that notification to park hop did not go away. In fact, it stuck around even after she had scanned into TWO Lightning Lanes.

So, it looks like the Genie might not always keep up with when you do actually hop. Still, she could continue making plans for Disney’s Hollywood Studios even though Genie noted she was still in EPCOT. It didn’t cause her any practical problems, it just looked a little silly.

Remember, if anything does go wrong with your Genie plans, you can speak to Guest Services. Cast Members will be happy to help sort out any issues you might be having. Ask for help and be nice! This is a complex situation and Cast Members want to help you have a great experience.

Want to see our biggest takeaways about Disney Genie so far? Click here!

We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news (including plenty of Disney Genie updates!), so stay tuned here for more!

Click Here to Learn EVERYTHING About Genie!

What do you think about Park Hopping with Disney Genie? Let us know in the comments! 

The post HOW Does Park Hopping Work with Disney Genie?! first appeared on the disney food blog.