The Genius Disneyland Tip For Scoring A Bonus Lightning Lane For This Marvelous Attraction

There are a lot of reasons to go to the Disneyland Resort. Maybe you want to walk in Walt's footsteps and see how his creation evolved over the years. You could also be incredibly excited to sample the latest culinary creations that are making their rounds on social media. And of course, there are the unforgettable rides that bring you into some of the most beloved stories of all time.

If you are focusing on checking off as many rides as possible in a single visit, you will definitely not be alone. Unfortunately, that's also why the wait times for some of the most popular attractions often exceed 60, 70, 80, 90, or even 100 minutes. Luckily, the House of Mouse has introduced the Genie+ program, which allows guests to take advantage of the FastPass replacement known as Lightning Lanes. Due to the nature of the expedited line experience provided by this premium add-on, you will typically only get to utilize the service for 2 or 3 eligible rides. They can only be claimed once per attraction per day.

However, when it comes to the incredibly popular Marvel Cinematic Universe thrill ride Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!, there is a particular time of year when you can double up on Lightning Lanes. This lets you team up with Rocket, Groot, and the gang for an extra adventure.

Just like the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay featuring characters from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" across the way at Disneyland, the scarier side of the MCU comes to Disney California Adventure each fall for the Halloween season. That's when Star-Lord and the crew of The Benatar accidentally free a collection of vicious beasts in the theme park for Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark.

Set after the events of the regular version of the ride, Monsters After Dark brings True Believers back to The Collector's fortress to help Rocket retrieve Groot after the team's muscle/houseplant got left behind amid their chaotic escape. Unfortunately for the heroes, the Guardians weren't the only prisoners released from their cages. Some of the fiercest, most menacing beasts in the multiverse are unleashed on the terrifying tower overlooking Avengers Campus. Naturally, this makes another escape a bit more difficult for the resourceful raccoon ... until he realizes that a gantry lift filled with screaming Terrans is great monster bait.  

This limited presentation of the ride features an all-new (and heavier) soundtrack from composer Tyler Bate, additional (and more thrilling) drop sequences, and plenty of extra Marvel easter eggs that could require multiple rides to catch them all. Guests looking to take part in this version of the attraction can do so in DCA after 3:00 pm daily, from early September to the end of October. 

The best time to experience the limited-time magic of Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark is when the sun goes completely down. That way, you will be fully immersed in the fiendishly frightening escape of Rocket and Groot, from menacing creatures like Surtur's fire dragon from "Thor: Ragnarok." However, with many fans looking to do the same thing in order to experience both versions of the ride during their visit, the line for the attraction is frequently packed. Luckily, that's where Genie+ comes in handy.

When you first arrive at the park and start booking your Lightning Lanes in the Disneyland App (either as part of the Genie+ package, a la carte, or a combination of the two), you can reserve a ride window to ride Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT before 2:00 p.m. Then, after 3:00 p.m., you can repeat the process in order to secure a spot on the special Halloween version of the attraction.

The reason why guests are allowed to do this is because the Disneyland App categorizes the overlay for the former Twilight Zone Tower of Terror as a completely different attraction. Whether it's a glitch in the system or just another spooky season treat from the Mouse for the fans who uncover the hack, this is definitely a must-do for the thrill-seeking Disney fans out there.