Magic in Motion Travel Company

Your vacation is one wish away!

Disney Planning Tips

Disney Word vs. Disneyland

Last month I finally visited Disneyland for the first time! I’ve been to Disney World more times than I can count, so I was excited to see the park where it all began. When I got home, everyone asked the same question: Which is better—Disney World or Disneyland? Here are my thoughts.

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – Disneyland

Which is better, Disney World or Disneyland?

Disney World holds a lot of nostalgia for me. Seeing Cinderella’s Castle for the first time as a child felt truly magical, and now I love experiencing that same magic through my kids’ eyes. I know the layout of Disney World well, and even though the parks are huge, there’s always something new to discover. The walking can be intense, but it never feels overwhelming because there’s so much to take in.

Disneyland, on the other hand, feels much smaller and more compact. With only two parks, I was able to do everything I wanted in just two days. It was easier to get around, less exhausting, and quicker to move between lands. While there was still plenty of walking, it felt more manageable than Disney World.

One downside to Disneyland is its location. Unlike Disney World, which fully immerses you in the “Disney bubble,” Disneyland feels more like it’s placed in the middle of the city. You don’t really feel the Disney magic until you enter the parks. There are also fewer Disney-owned hotels, though the upside is that many hotels are within walking distance of the parks.

The rides at both parks are fun in their own ways, but Disneyland leans more into nostalgia with attractions like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, while Disney California Adventure offers more thrill rides, such as Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! It’s hard to directly compare the rides between Disneyland and Disney World because each park offers something unique. However, since a few attractions exist in both Orlando and California, it was fun to experience them side by side and notice the differences.

Atmosphere-wise, both parks are magical, but Disney World wins for me. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle was special to see, but it felt underwhelming compared to Cinderella’s Castle. Disneyland does have a charming, old-school feel, and seeing Walt Disney’s apartment was incredibly meaningful. Still, overall, the magic feels stronger at Disney World—after all, it is the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”

Conclusion

In my personal opinion, Walt Disney World takes the cake. It truly feels like you’re stepping into a world completely disconnected from everyday life. I love having four different parks to explore and the nostalgic feeling I get every time I visit. While I will definitely return to Disneyland, Disney World remains my vacation of choice. ✨🏰

Which Disney theme park is your favorite?

My Genie+ Experience at Walt Disney World

As I’m sure you know Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane have all officially debuted at the Walt Disney World Resort. Here’s a quick run down of each:

Genie: This is a FREE service through the My Disney Experience app. This feature is designed to help maximize your time in the parks and to make sure you’re able to check off your “must do’s”. It shows predicted wait times throughout the day so you can plan on when to go to each attraction. Just select “My Genie Day” on the app, then select “Get started Now”. It will ask you a few questions about your interests so it can help plan the perfect park day for you!

Genie+: This is a PAID service. It is still through the My Disney Experience app, but in this feature you get to choose a time to ride certain attractions. This is basically the new FastPass+. It will cost you $15 a day per ticket. 

Lightning Lane: The last feature is the Lightning Lane. If you choose to use this service, you will pay an additional fee to ride some of the most popular/new rides in the park (i.e. Rise of the Resistance and Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure). Prices for these rides vary by day. You do NOT have to have Genie+ to use Lightning Lane. If you do get both, you will pay $15 for Genie+ AND the cost of the rides you choose for Lightning Lane. 

Confused yet? If not, you’re probably about to be! I will try my best to break down the rest as best as I can!

When can I make my Genie+ ride selections?

If you’ve decided to purchase Genie+ for your family, you can do this the day of your trip or add it to your package when you book your trip. According to Disney, EVERYONE can select their first ride at 7:00am EST. Some people have been able to make selections before their actual time, but I was told by a Cast Member that it must have been a glitch because they were trained that everyone books at the 7:00am time.

How many rides can I select at a time with Genie+? 

Initially, you can only make ONE ride selection.

What happens after I make my selection?

Say you chose Splash Mountain for your Genie+ selection and your return time is at 2:15pm-3:15pm. Seems like a long time to wait before riding anything right? The Cast Member I spoke with also informed me that you are not supposed to be able to choose another ride until you scan in to your first ride. In my experience, you actually can get another ride time for a different ride. I’m not sure if this is a glitch or if this will remain accurate, but we were able to get another Genie+ selection 2 hours after the park opened. After we rode our second ride, we were able to continue getting a new ride every 2 hours until our initial selection. Here’s a break down:

  • We woke up at 7:00am and selected Slinky Dog Dash for 5:55pm-6:55pm. 
  • The park opened at 9:00am
  • At 11:30am we were able to choose another Genie+ selection for Smuggler’s Run for 2:55pm-3:55pm
  • At 1:30pm we selected Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster for 3:55-4:55pm

Remember, this is only my personal experience from one trip using Genie+. According to Disney, you’re not supposed to be able to stack ride selections. It is definitely worth a try though as it saved A LOT of time, and we were able to ride everything we wanted!

What about Lightning Lane?

Lightning Lane reservations can be made at 7:00am EST for on-site hotel guests or at park opening for non hotel guests.

The only park I found that it was necessary to use this option was Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This park has two rides you can use the Lightning Lane option for (Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Rise of the Resistance). 

We decided to purchase Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance and instead of buying 2, we headed to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway first thing at park opening. We only waited maybe 15 minutes for the stand-by line so buying a Lightning Lane feels like it would have been a waste of money. 

We contemplated buying Lightning Lane for Epcot as well, but I’m glad we decided against it. The two options at this park are Frozen Ever After and Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure. With Remi’s still having a virtual queue, it’s not necessary to purchase a Lightening Lane unless you are unable to get a boarding group. With that being said, Lightning Lane passes do sell out. You are taking a chance if you do not get a boarding group, as you do have to have one or the Lightning Lane to ride. 

We were able to get boarding group 7 for Remi’s for 10:45am, so we headed straight to Frozen when the park opened and waited maybe 20 minutes in the stand-by lane. (Note: we did have the 30 minute early entry for being a resort guest).

My thoughts 

I have only experienced these options once, but I am glad we did not choose to do Genie+ or Lightning Lane any of our other park days. I really do believe it’s based on your party and when you are visiting. If it’s a really crowded time (i.e. Christmas or Spring Break), I may would consider purchasing it for other days. Also if you have younger kids, it may be helpful to get it if they really want to ride certain rides. At this point, I believe it’s trial and error, and ultimately, you do what’s best for you and your travel party!

If you have any specific questions that I didn’t cover, feel free to comment or email me!

[email protected]

Disney Genie and Genie+

Wow, what a week! 

As you have probably heard by now, you can officially say goodbye to FastPass+ and hello to Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane. There is a lot of confusion and questions about these three new programs so let’s dig a little deeper into each one. 

Genie

Disney Genie is a program that will be in the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps. It is designed to help make an itinerary personalized to your group’s interests to maximize time in the parks. This is so you can do more of the things on your must do list. You will put in your preferences and let the Genie do the planning for you!

The Disney Genie will be your one stop spot for virtual queues, dining reservations, mobile ordering and more! It will send you notifications and updates throughout the day based on things such as wait times, closures and even weather.

The Disney Genie is FREE however, there are some features that are an additional cost which brings me to our next topic..

Genie+

This feature will allow you to choose the time you arrive at many attractions at each park. You can only make one selection at a time, but it can be used throughout the day. The cost is $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World and $20 per day at Disneyland Resort. 

Another feature Disney is offering is augmented reality lenses and special audio experiences for Walt Disney World Resort guests and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads for Disneyland Resort guests. 

But wait, there’s more.. 

Lightning Lane

For another additional charge you will get to choose when to arrive at a maximum of two high demand attractions like Rise of the Resistance and the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opening October 1st in Epcot. These reservations will be made on the same day as your visit. Disney did not release the price of this feature, only that it will vary by date and demand.

You can use Genie+ and Lightning Lane across multiple parks as well. 

Regular lines and virtual queues will still be an option if you don’t want to pay for Genie+ or Lightning Lane. 

Disney said that they would give more updates closer to time for the programs to launch which will be sometime this Fall.

We will keep you updated on any updates or clarity as it becomes available!

Disney Very Merriest After Hours

Disney has announced ticket sale dates and more details for the Disney Very Merriest After Hours event at Magic Kingdom! The event will take place on 24 nights starting on November 8 and going through December 21. The times will be from 9:00pm-1:00am! Ticket holders will be able to get entry into Magic Kingdom as early as 7:00pm.


There will be special parades, fireworks, snacks and even snow on Main Street U.S.A.! 
Tickets will go on sale on August 20 or on August 17 for Disney Resort Hotel guests. The price for tickets will be $169-$229 plus tax for November/December nights and $249 plus tax on December 19 and December 21.


This event is going to be SO magical and fun for the whole family! 
If you have any questions or want to purchase tickets please let us know! 

Disney News July 23

WHAT. A. WEEK. So much Disney news and fun things happening from the parks to Disney Cruise Line! So lets hop right into it!

Walt Disney World

  • Happily Ever After in Magic Kingdom officially has an ending date. The last show will be held on September 29 to prepare for the new anniversary firework spectacular.
  • Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor in Magic Kingdom is reopening on August 8.
  • Fireworks will return to Hollywood Studios on August 1 with the “Wonderful World of Animation”.
  • Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage will return August 15 in Hollywood Studios.
  • Turtle Talk with Crush will reopen August 21.
  • Cinderella’s Castle got it’s 50th anniversary final touched with a 50th crest!

Disneyland

  • Disneyland celebrated it’s 66th birthday this past week!
  • Carthay Circle Restaurant reopened on July 22.
  • Disney’s Jungle Cruise will premiere on July 24 at the park. The Jungle Cruise ride will be closed from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm for the premiere. The Enchanted Tiki Room and Tropical Hideaway will be closed all day. Mickey’s Mix Magic Fireworks will not be happening but the projections will still be shown. At 8:00 pm, Storybook Land Canal Boats, the Casey Jr. Circus and the Disneyland railroad will close.

Disney Cruise Line

  • Disney Cruise Line will start cruising Bahamian Voyages from Florida on August 9!
  • 3 and 4 night cruises will be offered on the Disney Dream from Port Canaveral.