Epcot Genie Plus & Lightning Lane Guide

Nothing’s worse at Disney World than spending most of your day waiting in line for a ride that lists a minute or two.

That’s where Disney’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane system comes into play, by letting you reserve a spot in line at your preferred time.

But is it really worth it at each park? In this guide, I’ll go over all the Epcot Genie Plus rides, as well as tips on making the most of a Genie+ purchase, so you can decide if it’s worth it for you at this park.

Genie+ basics

Genie+ is Disney’s reservation system for rides. It’s kind of like the old FastPass system, except it costs money.

In a nutshell, users can select a 1-hour block in which they can access the lightning lane line for an attraction.

You can start selecting attractions at 7 AM, but can only choose one at a time. Once you redeem an attraction or 2 hours have passed, you can make another selection.

New in late 2023 is the option to purchase Genie+ for a single park at a slightly lower price or pay a little bit more to use it at any park if you have a park hopper ticket or annual pass.

Individual lightning lanes at Epcot

In addition to Genie+, you can purchase access to the lightning lane for a single ride, but only for select rides.

The downside is that it’s for the most popular rides at each park and often costs as much as Genie+ overall.

At Epcot, there is only 1 option for individual lightning lane purchase: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Located in World Future, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is my absolute favorite ride at Disney World.

This super fun roller coaster runs to 1 of 6 songs, much like one of Peter Quill’s awesome mixtapes. The ride vehicles twist and turn, and even switch spots and go backwards – hence the Cosmic Rewind moniker.

You can only access this ride via virtual queue (random time selection) or individual lightning lane. So if you need a specific time, you’ll have to pay to do so.

Epcot Genie Plus rides

There are 12 attractions available for Genie+, but only a few of which I’d prioritize. Let’s go over each one so you can decide which ones to select if you purchase Genie+.

Average wait time shared in this post is courtesy of Thrill Data.

Top priority rides for Genie+ at Epcot

There are 4 key attractions at Epcot that I recommend prioritizing with Genie+:

1. Frozen Ever After
2. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
3. Soarin’ Around the World
4. Test Track

Each of these rides often have wait times upwards of or more than 60 minutes, so Genie+ will help you make better use of your time at Epcot if you use it for these rides.

Let’s go over each ride so you can decide if they are must-dos for you.

Frozen Ever After

Located in the Norway pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase, Frozen Ever After is a slow boat ride through the world of Frozen.

It features all your favorite Frozen character, like Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven, and even the rock trolls!

The average wait time for Frozen Ever After is 83 minutes, making this attraction a great pick for Genie+.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Located in the back of the France pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure takes guests on a ride through a kitchen from the POV of Remy and his rat friends.

The average wait time for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is 70 minutes, so it is a good ride to snag on Genie+.

Soarin’ Around the World

Located in the Land pavilion in World Nature, Soarin’ Around the World is a flying simulator ride that takes you around the world to top spots like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal in India.

Occasionally Disney will swap this ride for Soarin’ Around California, which takes you through the varying landscapes of California, and is the original iteration of this ride.

Overall, the average wait time for Soarin’ is 40 minutes, so it’s a good selection for Genie+.

Test Track

Last on the priority list is Test Track, which is located in World Future, next to Mission: SPACE.

In this attraction, guests get to create their own car and then board a mock car to test their build, ending with an exhilarating outdoor race.

The average wait time for Test Track is 62 minutes, so it’s a good ride to use Genie+.

That said, it has a single rider line, so if you’re visiting solo, I would just use that and focus on the other priority rides instead.

Lastly, at D23 in Summer 2023, Disney announced that it was working with Chevrolet to reimagine this ride.

They haven’t announced when it will close for the remodel, but it could happen at any point this year or next!

I expect average wait times to increase once the date is announced as folks will want to get one last ride in before it closes.

Other rides to consider for Genie+ at Epcot

In addition to the 4 rides discussed in the previous section, these rides are also available under Genie+.

However, some may not be good use of the service as wait times are generally under 30 minutes.

That said, if they are must-dos for you, you may want to prioritize them higher that I would, so let’s go over each one so you can determine for yourself.

Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival

This compilation of short films from Disney and Pixar is a great time to rest your feet and in the hotter months, take an AC break.

There’s never much of a wait time for this, so you’re better off choosing something else on Genie+.

Journey into Imagination with Figment

This classic Epcot ride is located in World Nature and features the unofficial Epcot mascot, Figment the purple dragon.

It takes guests through five different sensory labs, encouraging you how to use your senses and imagination.

Although it is a classic ride, the average wait time is 15 minutes, so Genie+ isn’t necessary.

Living with the Land

One of my favorite leisurely rides is Living with the Land, located in the Land pavilion in World Nature. The wait time for this ride is almost always low, so it’s not necessary to use Genie+.

Unless you’re visiting during the holiday season, when this ride gets a fun holiday overlay called Glimmering Greenhouses.

Wait times jump up to 45-75 minutes on average during this time period, so Genie+ is great for this time of year!

Mission: SPACE – Green

In this version of Mission: SPACE, guests simulate orbiting the Earth. It is far less intense than the Orange mission, so if you’re unsure about this ride, I’d start with this one.

The average wait time is 25 minutes, so there are better options to select on Genie+.

Mission: SPACE – Orange

In this version of Mission: SPACE, guests get to simulate blasting off into space, including all of the spinning and tilting.

It is INTENSE, so much so that I refuse to go on it and haven’t for a good 20 years now.

But, even though I don’t like this ride, the average wait time is only 25 minutes, so you’re better off selecting something else if you have Genie+ and just utilizing the standby line.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Located in World Nature, The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a slow-moving ride through the story of Finding Nemo.

The average wait time is only 16 minutes, so Genie+ isn’t needed for this ride.

Spaceship Earth

Located near the main entrance of Epcot, this ride is located inside the giant ball that Epcot is known for.

Staying true to the origins of Epcot as “edutainment,” this ride takes you through the history of communication, such as the printing press and satellites.

The average wait time for this ride is 19 minutes, so Genie+ isn’t necessary for this ride.

Turtle Talk with Crush

Located in World Nature, in the same building as The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive chat with everybody’s favorite surfer turtle, Crush.

Kids are encouraged to sit up front and Crush interacts with the audience, so the experience is different every time you go.

The average wait time is 16 minutes, so you won’t need to use Genie+ for this attraction.

Which attractions are excluded from Genie+?

There are a few attractions at Epcot that are excluded from Genie+ as they are either walk-through attractions or don’t have long enough average wait times to warrant it.

World Future

• Advanced Training Lab
• JAMMitors band

World Nature

• Awesome Planet film
• Bruce’s Shark World
• ImageWorks – The “What if” Labs
• Journey of Water ~ Inspired by Moana
• SeaBase Aquarium

World Showcase

• The American Adventure
• American Heritage Gallery
• Beauty & the Beast Sing-Along in France
• Bijutsu-kan Gallery in Japan
• Canada Far & Wide in Circle-Vision 360°
• Command Performance band in the United Kingdom
• Disney DuckTales World Showcase Adventure
• Entertainment at Canada Mill Stage
• Entertainment at Germany Gazebo
• Gallery of Arts & History in Norway
• Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico
• House of the Whispering Willows in China
• Impressions de France film
• Luminous – The Symphony of Us
• Mariachi Cobre in Mexico
• Marimba de las Américas in Mexico
• Matsuriza in Japan
• Mexico Folk Art Gallery
• Reflections of China film
• Rose & Crown Pub musician in the United Kingdom
• Sergio the Juggling Mime in Italy
• Stave Church Gallery in Norway
• Voices of Liberty a capella group in the American Adventure

World Showcase character meet-and-greets

• Meet Alice in the United Kingdom
• Meet Anna & Elsa at Royal Sommerhus
• Meet Asha near the World Showcase
• Meet Belle in France
• Meet Disney Friends Near Epcot Main Entrance
• Meet Donald Duck in Mexico
• Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Meet Figment Inside ImageWorks
• Meet a Friend from the Hundred Acre Wood at United Kingdom
• Meet Joy Inside ImageWorks
• Meet Mulan in China
• Meet Princess Aurora in France
• Meet Princess Jasmine in Morocco
• Meet Snow White in Germany

Is Genie+ worth it at Epcot?

Overall, Genie+ is a useful service at Epcot, especially if you’re not interested in rope dropping or will be park hopping.

However, if your main goal is to meet characters around the world or just hit up festival booths to try food and drink, then it’s not a good choice.

I hope this guide helped you make a decision on whether or not to get Genie+ at Epcot, and if so, which Epcot Genie Plus rides and attractions to prioritize.