Editor’s notice: Disney supplied the author with a complimentary ticket to Disney After Hours. All opinions are the author’s personal and weren’t topic to evaluate by Disney.
I’ve been going to Disney World since I used to be a child, and I’ve grown accustomed to the required ahead planning that it takes to get on essentially the most rides that I presumably can throughout my visits. I do know to get to the parks earlier than the gates open and beeline to standard points of interest like Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare or Peter Pan’s Flight the second the rope drops. I’ve additionally mastered methods for utilizing Disney’s Lightning Lane system to get on rides like Tiana’s Bayou Journey. I’ve a number of methods up my sleeve.
Associated: Are Disney World’s after-hours events value it?
So once I found a technique to get on virtually each trip at Disney with out getting up early or ready in lengthy traces, I knew I needed to strive it out and decide if it was value including to my arsenal of Disney methods. Right here is my expertise at a Disney After Hours occasion.
What’s Disney After Hours?
Disney After Hours is a individually ticketed occasion that takes place within the night after the park closes to daytime visitors. These occasions embrace entry to points of interest, character meet-and-greets and complimentary snacks and drinks.
Every Disney After Hours occasion lasts three hours, although the precise begin and finish occasions can depend upon which park you go to. Your Disney After Hours ticket will get you into the park at 7 p.m., so you can begin the enjoyable early. This provides you as much as six hours contained in the park to benefit from the occasion.
Disney retains crowds small by limiting the variety of tickets to those occasions. I attended Disney After Hours on the Magic Kingdom on a Monday night earlier this 12 months. By the point daytime visitors had cleared the park, it felt like I had the place to myself. The walkways have been broad open, I might snap images of Cinderella Fort with out 1000’s of strangers within the background and most rides had no wait in any respect.
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You possibly can buy tickets on Disney’s web site or by way of an licensed Disney trip planner.
Disney After Hours dates and costs
Disney After Hours occasions are held on the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Visitors staying at choose Disney Resort lodges can buy tickets starting Sept. 4. All different visitors can buy their tickets beginning Sept. 10.
The pricing, occasions and dates fluctuate by park, so let’s check out each:
Occasion occasions at Magic Kingdom and Epcot are from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, occasion occasions are from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Magic Kingdom
- Value: $175 to $185 per individual plus tax
- Time: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Dates: Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, Feb. 24, March 3, March 17, March 24, March 31, April 7, April 28, Could 5, Could 12, Could 19
Epcot
- Value: $155 to $175 per individual plus tax
- Time: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Dates: Feb. 27, Could 8, Could 29, June 19, June 26, July 10, July 24, July 31, Aug. 7, Aug. 14, Aug. 21, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Sept. 25
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Value: $155 to $185 per individual plus tax
- Time: 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on March 26 and April 1)
- Dates: Jan. 22, Jan. 29, Feb. 12, Feb. 19, March 5, March 26, April 1, April 30, Could 14, Could 28, June 4, June 11, June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23, July 30, Aug. 6, Aug. 20, Aug. 27, Sept. 3
Annual go holders and Disney Trip Membership members obtain a $30 ticket low cost for occasions at Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
What’s included with Disney After Hours?
The Disney After Hours choices at every park differ barely, however they typically present entry to most points of interest — together with standard rides that usually have lengthy waits throughout the day — plus unique leisure or character meet-and-greets and complimentary snacks and drinks. After the park closes, Disney forged members wheel out carts with freshly made popcorn, Mickey ice cream bars, Mickey ice cream sandwiches, fruit-flavored frozen pops, bottled sodas and bottled water.
I selected the Magic Kingdom for my Disney After Hours expertise for a number of causes.
First, Disney introduced again Enchantment, the fireworks present it debuted for the park’s fiftieth anniversary that the forged now completely performs throughout Disney After Hours. That is along with the common nighttime fireworks exhibiting of Fortunately Ever After, which happens throughout the mix-in portion of the night time earlier than the occasion formally begins. Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios don’t provide particular leisure throughout Disney After Hours, however they do have uncommon character meet-and-greets with Chip and Dale, Sew and Jiminy Cricket, amongst different characters.
I used to be additionally hopeful that the smaller crowds would enable me to get pleasure from rides — reminiscent of Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare and Tron Lightcycle / Run — that often have lengthy traces or difficult-to-grab digital queue spots.
Lastly, I needed to see if I might squeeze the identical variety of rides of a typical Disney day into the six or so hours of Disney After Hours.
What number of rides are you able to get on throughout Disney After Hours occasions?
Odds are that is the highest query in your thoughts. Fortunately, I saved an in depth checklist of the typical wait occasions for rides on the Magic Kingdom in addition to my precise wait time for every trip I went on. Take into account that lots of the rides listed a five-minute wait time, however that often means there is no such thing as a wait; it simply accounts for the time it takes to stroll by way of the queue.
Associated: We put it to the check: Disney Lightning Lanes slashed wait occasions in half and get on 16 rides in 1 day
What you see within the chart under is my precise wait, which was generally lower than the posted wait. I used a website known as Thrill Information to tug common wait occasions on the Magic Kingdom throughout the earlier month.
| Attraction | Common wait | My wait |
| Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare | 84 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Princess Fairytale Corridor | 41 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Tron Lightcycle / Run | Digital queue or Lightning Lane | half-hour |
| Peter Pan’s Flight | 66 minutes | 5 minutes |
| The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | 43 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Area Mountain | 60 minutes | quarter-hour |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | 38 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Below the Sea — Journey of The Little Mermaid | 28 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Dumbo the Flying Elephant | 27 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin | 39 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Haunted Mansion | 48 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room | quarter-hour | 5 minutes |
| Complete | 489 minutes | 110 minutes |
As you may see, although I used to be on the park for about half the time I’d be there on a traditional day, I knocked out 12 points of interest and spent a few quarter of the time in line that the typical daytime visitor does. I’ve waited in some lengthy traces at Disney World, so strolling proper onto most rides with no wait in any respect felt like a dream come true.
One other perk of Disney After Hours on the Magic Kingdom is that Tron Lightcycle / Run makes use of a standby queue moderately than requiring you to enter a digital queue or buy a Lightning Lane Single Go. I’ve respectable luck snagging a digital queue spot, however hopping in line was a lot simpler. That is additionally true for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios.
Once I acquired in line for Tron at about 11:30 p.m., the wait time was listed as 40 minutes, however I solely waited about 30. It could have taken even much less if I went later within the night, however since I used to be already on that aspect of the park, I figured it was a very good time to knock it out.
As a result of I arrived early, I used the time earlier than the occasion formally began to expertise a couple of points of interest that already had brief waits, reminiscent of Dumbo the Flying Elephant. What stunned me, although, was that I made time for points of interest I generally skip as a result of I knew that the wait occasions for the preferred rides can be shorter later within the night.
I knew I might have loads of time to trip my favourite curler coasters, so I took extra time early within the night to chill out and luxuriate in points of interest like Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. I’m so comfortable that this occasion allowed me to trip the preferred rides and go to my favourite singing birds.
I believed my final trip of the night can be the Haunted Mansion. The posted wait time was 13 minutes. (This really meant there was no wait, however the trip chooses 13 as a substitute of 5 minutes to maintain with its spooky theme.) I hopped in line round 12:45 a.m.
A lot to my shock, although, once I walked off the trip, it was 12:57 p.m. You will get in line for points of interest proper up till the tip of the occasion, so as a substitute of ending my go to a couple of minutes early, I made a beeline for Princess Fairytale Corridor to satisfy Cinderella and Ariel. I used to be the final individual let in for the expertise, and watching each characters wave and need me goodnight was the proper technique to finish such a enjoyable night.
Is Disney After Hours value it?
I’m comfortable to report that the occasion exceeded my expectations on all fronts.
The value of Disney After Hours is akin to an everyday daytime ticket. The truth is, on the date of my go to, it was solely a greenback greater than a one-day Magic Kingdom ticket. Contemplating all the things included and the way a lot you may get completed, I felt just like the occasion supplied nice worth.
I rode a minimum of as many points of interest as I might on an everyday day and in a fraction of the time. I additionally wasn’t battling the Florida solar or hordes of individuals as I bounced from trip to trip. I unashamedly ate a number of Mickey ice cream bars and snacked on popcorn whereas ready in line for rides, and all these free Weight loss plan Cokes saved me awake till the wee hours. (Don’t fear, I stayed hydrated with the complimentary bottled water, too.)
Who ought to go to Disney After Hours?
Whereas I’d like to preserve Disney After Hours all to myself, there are some particular cases once I’d suggest others partake within the occasion.
If you wish to trip each trip within the park in sooner or later
In case your primary aim whenever you go to Disney World is to trip as many rides as attainable and on a number of events, plan on combining a daytime ticket with a Disney After Hours ticket. Throughout the occasion, you may reride your favorites time and again or hit the rides you skipped throughout the day due to the upper wait occasions.
Should you don’t wish to take care of Disney Lightning Lane passes
Throughout Disney After Hours, all rides use a standby queue. If waking up early to vie for a digital queue spot or spending time (and cash) to schedule rides utilizing Disney Lightning Lane passes just isn’t your concept of a trip, you’ll get pleasure from hopping in brief standby queues on a whim throughout Disney After Hours.
In case you are an evening owl
If the considered waking up at 6 a.m. and speeding to the parks to be first in line after they swing open the gates makes you wish to throw the covers over your head and return to sleep, Disney After Hours is the proper various. You should purchase a Disney After Hours ticket as a substitute of an everyday daytime ticket and luxuriate in the identical variety of rides as you’d throughout the day with out getting up early.
Who shouldn’t go to Disney After Hours?
Regardless of my glowing evaluate, there are a couple of cases the place Disney After Hours will not be best for you.
In case you are visiting with younger kids
Whereas I noticed a justifiable share of younger children being pushed round in strollers throughout my go to, I might not have introduced my youthful kids to this occasion. My oldest is 11, and I believe this occasion can be good for him. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t wish to spend that cash to convey my 5- and 7-year-olds to Disney After Hours.
We wouldn’t get as a lot completed (their little legs can’t transfer as quick as mine), and I don’t suppose they’d have been capable of keep awake till the tip of the occasion. This will not be the case for all children, but it surely’s one thing to think about earlier than shopping for a ticket.
If it’s your first time visiting a park
Though the crowds usually are not as thick and choose characters are out greeting visitors, you gained’t get the complete Disney World expertise throughout these occasions. I wouldn’t suggest attending Disney After Hours at a park you’ve by no means visited throughout daytime hours. You’ll miss out on a number of the eating, leisure and ambiance you can solely expertise with an everyday daytime ticket.
In case you are hoping for unique experiences
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Occasion and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion are stuffed with unique experiences like nighttime spectaculars, dance events, parades, dwell leisure and uncommon characters. Disney After Hours doesn’t have as a lot of this. Whereas I liked seeing Enchantment, it wasn’t my sole purpose for going to Disney After Hours.
The obvious good thing about this occasion is how a lot you may get completed in a brief period of time with smaller crowds. If unique experiences are your aim, I like to recommend one of many holiday-themed after-hours events as a substitute.
Backside line
I had a blast at Disney After Hours, and I’ve already really useful it to my family and friends. Whether or not you’ve been to Disney World dozens of occasions and wish to strive one thing new, otherwise you love squeezing in as many rides as attainable throughout your Disney journeys, Disney After Hours is a good way to see the parks in a special mild — or, to be extra correct, at midnight.
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