You Can No Longer Purchase Disney Genie+ in Advance

May 23, 2022

Seven months ago, Disney Genie+ debuted to plenty of high and even more criticism.

The service has proven wildly popular during its existence, and that aspect has forced Disney to make some changes.

I’m warning you right now that you’re not going to like them. Let’s talk about what’s going on.

The Official Changes

Here’s the text straight from the Parks Blog:

“Starting June 8, Disney Genie+ will only be offered for purchase through the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit – we will no longer offer the option to purchase this service pre-arrival as a ticket add-on for dates remaining in 2022 and in 2023.”

So, DVC members aren’t happy right now, and that goes double for annual passholders.

Disney has just added to our aggravation by eliminating advanced purchases on Disney Genie+.

Beginning on June 8^th, you must purchase Disney Genie+ on your park date. You also cannot buy the service for your entire trip. It’ll be a day-by-day thing from now on.

Man’s hand using cellphone outdoor, Man typing text message on smart phone blurred city background

Before I discuss this news, I want to stress that it only applies starting on June 8^th. You’re grandfathered in if you already own a ticket package that includes Disney Genie+!

Your Disney Genie+ purchase will apply to all the days of your trip. Also, you have until June 7^th to add the service to your package.

So, you should definitely do that if you like and will use the service. Being proactive now will save you some headaches later.

Otherwise, this policy change will last from June 8^th through at least the end of 2023.

Updated Disney Genie+ Strategy

I’m recommending that people buy Disney Genie+ right now because the rest of the blog update hints that Disney will start limiting purchases.

Remember that park officials had previously explicitly stated Disney Genie+ would never sell out. Now there’s this:

With the mention of G+ being "subject to availability," we should all assume Disney could limit same-day sales of Genie+ on high-demand days.

Disney previously indicated Genie+ will not sell out on any given day – so "subject to availability" is an important and notable shift.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 18, 2022

Here’s what’s happening. When Disney Genie+ started, many critics blasted Disney for the idea and swore it would fail.

These folks ignored the successful track record of MaxPass at Disneyland, a service that 35 percent of customers purchased.

At Walt Disney World, sales have proven even more robust. In fact, the Lightning Lane lines at Christmas angered some guests.

The “shorter” experiences still required extensive time spent standing in line. That’s not ideal for a paid upsell.

So, Disney seeks to limit such problems in upcoming months. The blog doesn’t spell it out, but the six-week period from late June through early August is the trouble spot.

Disney warns that it may lock Disney Genie+ purchases on high-attendance dates. For example, Disney Genie+ may sell out by 7 a.m. on July 4^th.

As a reminder, you can purchase the product starting at midnight on the day of your visit.

So, I’m encouraging people to do that rather than trying first thing in the morning.

Disney is scrambling a bit here and offering inferior customer service on this matter out of necessity.

When park officials announced Disney Genie+, nobody expected the “problem” of massive sales.

Now, we know that somewhere between one-third and one-half of guests purchase the product, depending on the date.

Management faces a challenge in keeping Lightning Lane waits reasonable when half of the guests have access to them.

Scarcity was the whole point of the switch from free FastPass experiences. Well, that and money.

Other Things to Know

None of these changes applies to Disneyland. Its Disney Genie+ system has functioned in line with park projections.

The massive popularity of the service at Walt Disney World is what has forced another change.

Also, you should remember the previous update that Disney changed its official language.

The company only suggests “2 or 3” attractions/experiences with Disney Genie+ purchase. That happened due to the shocking demand.

Disney simply cannot guarantee short lines for its most popular attractions for this many guests during peak season.

So, what we’re discussing today represents a seismic policy shift stemming from the shocking Walt Disney World demand for 2022.

Now that the pandemic has (mostly) ended in the United States, Disney has recognized that its attendance numbers aren’t going down anytime soon.

Changes are necessary to address that demand. But, unfortunately, it’s gonna make it less convenient for frequent guests like us.

Start planning your next Disney vacation TODAY! Book your next Disney vacation visit by browsing our current DVC Confirmed Reservation Specials, or use our DVC availability tool to see if the dates for your vacation are available. From there, you can start the booking process and one of our team members will reach out to assist!