Genie+ is Disney World and Disneyland’s paid line skipping service. It gives you access to the Lightning Lane, which is a much shorter line. The standby line can be well over an hour, while the Lightning Lane line will be just five to ten minutes long. Using the Lightning Lane can be a huge time saver, which may make Genie+ worth the upgrade price on your next Disney trip.
But can Genie+ sell out?
The answer is yes, Genie+ can sell out. But it doesn’t sell out very often. Read on to find out why you should buy Genie+ as early as possible if you’re visiting Disney World and Disneyland.
Update 04-04-2023: We have more information about Genie+ selling out, which has happened several times since this article was first published.
Genie+ rarely sells out, but it’s possible – especially during the busy seasons
When Genie+ debuted at Disney World and Disneyland in late 2021, it had unlimited availability. This meant that as many guests as possible could purchase the service. However, in the middle of 2022, Disney World made two policy changes: First, it eliminated pre-sales of Genie+, which means that you can only purchase it on the same day. It also indicated that Genie+ would be subject to availability, meaning that it could sell out.
Later in 2022, Disneyland made the same change to limit the availability of Genie+. However, Genie+ is still available as a pre-purchased ticket add-on as well as a same day purchase. This change coincided with Genie+ introducing variable pricing, meaning that it would be more expensive on more crowded days.
For almost all of 2022, the limited availability policy change had no real effect on guests. Genie+ remained available for guests to buy without limits… until the very end of December 2022.
Genie+ sold out at Disneyland on December 27 and December 28, during the extremely crowded week between Christmas and New Year’s.
Update 02-20-2023: While Genie+ did not sell out at Disney World during the holiday crush of crowds in 2022, it sold out for the first time ever on February 19, 2023. It also sold out today, February 20. This was on President’s Day Weekend, which falls on one of the busiest weeks of the year at Disney World. This goes to show that Genie+ can sell out when crowds are at their peak.
Update 04-04-2023: Genie+ has sold out several more times since the last update: On March 15, April 3, and April 4. All of these dates fall within the busy Spring Break season at WDW.
While Genie+ has sold out in the afternoon on most of these dates, it sold out at 10 am on April 4. Whether that’s because Disney dialed back availability or that the high crowds brought high demand is unknown.
So, there you have it. Genie+ can sell out. At the time of this writing, it has only sold out a few times at Disney World and Disneyland combined, but sellouts at Disney World are happening more often.
Disney World Tip: If you are visiting Disney World, we recommend checking out our list of the busiest weeks at Disney World, which can give you an idea if you need to worry about Genie+ sellouts. For the majority of the year, you won’t need to worry about it.
How to buy Genie+ as early as possible
Even though Genie+ selling out is rare, it’s still a good idea to buy it as early as possible. Why? Because you’ll maximize use of Lightning Lanes if you have it available at the start of the day, rather than only getting a partial day’s use out of it.
At Disney World: You can purchase Genie+ each day starting at 12:01 am. You must purchase Genie+ on the day you’re going to use it at Disney World. Once you’ve purchased Genie+, you can start making Lightning Lane reservations at 7 am from anywhere.
At Disneyland: If possible, we always recommend buying Genie+ as a ticket add-on at the time of your ticket purchase. Why? Because at Disneyland, pre-sale Genie+ purchases are always $25 per day, which is the cheapest price for Genie+ with its variable pricing. The only downside is that you need to purchase Genie+ for every day of your trip. If you purchase on the day of, you can choose which days to buy the service. If you are purchasing Genie+ at Disneyland on the day of, you can buy it as soon as you scan your ticket to get into the park.
Genie+ Tip: As we mentioned before, the earliest Genie+ has sold out has been around 10am. If you purchase Genie+ early in the morning (especially before 7 am), you’ll be able to get it before it sells out even during the busy seasons.
Get the most out of your purchase with our Genie+ and Lightning Lane Guides
If you want more must know info and expert tips on Genie+ and Lightning Lane at Disney World and Disneyland, check out our comprehensive guides.
- Genie+ and Lightning Lane, Explained
- How to Sign Up for Genie+
- How to Maximize Genie+ Lightning Lane
Guide 2 Lightning Lane at Disney World
- Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Guide
- Epcot Lightning Lane Guide
- Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Guide
- Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Guide
Guide 2 Lightning Lane at Disneyland
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James Grosch
James is a lifelong Disney Parks fan. While at the parks, he loves finding new details, learning more about Disney World history, and taking pictures. His favorite WDW attractions include Rise of the Resistance, Spaceship Earth, and Tower of Terror.
James is a filmmaker and writer based in Atlanta, GA.