How does after hours work at Disney?

With a valid Disney After Hours ticket, Guests can enter the designated park at 7:00 PM. By doing so, you'll be able to get a jump start on exploring the theme park as you've never seen it before. The wait times for popular attractions are much more manageable, and Character Greetings are included.



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If you are a ride junkie looking to fit as many attractions as possible into the shortest amount of time, then a Disney After Hours event may be worth the cost. Or, if you're someone who doesn't love the idea of standing amongst thousands of other people all day long, an After Hours event may be an enticing option.

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Arriving at Disney After Hours Events. Even though Disney After Hours officially starts sometime between 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. (depending on the event), event guests are able to enter the parks as early as 7 p.m. You'll definitely want to take advantage of that extra time!

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Early Theme Park Entry is available to guests staying at any Walt Disney World Resort, allowing them to enter the parks 30 minutes prior to opening. Extended Evening Hours allow guests to stay in the parks after they close — but they are only available for those staying at select resorts.

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The Magic Kingdom hours generally run from 10PM to midnight, and the event in EPCOT is usually 9PM to 11PM. That means you'll only get 2 hours of extra time with Extended Hours, whereas the After Hours events give you 3 hours of park time after the parks close.

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Plus, Disney After Hours events include complimentary ice cream novelties, popcorn, and select bottled beverages at various snack carts throughout the park. When you arrive for a Disney After Hours event, be sure to grab an event guide to see where these carts are located, as well as a list of available attractions.

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Attendees can check in at Magic Kingdom one hour before the event starts, so crowds may increase slightly starting around then, but that should be minimal; the presence of this event does not generally impact touring during normal park hours. A separate ticket is required: your regular park ticket will NOT get you in.

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You don't need a parks pass reservation for any parks you visit after 2PM after you visit your first park, however you do need to start your day at that first park with a parks pass reservation.

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Staying in the middle of the magic is especially valuable these days with new benefits like Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours available to Guests of hotels in the Disney Resorts Collection. With a one-night stay, you can take advantage of these perks on both your check-in AND check-out days.

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However, that has changed. You now can only park hop AFTER 2PM. So you'll have to wait until well after lunchtime if you're planning on visiting another park. However, this rule is different for Annual Passholders.

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EPCOT After Hours attractions include the following: Frozen Ever After. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

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The Genie 120-minute rule says that you can make a new reservation at most 2 hours from when you made the last one, and this countdown timer doesn't change if you modify the reservation. If you made it at, say, 11 a.m., then your two hours will be up at 1 p.m. even if you modify the reservation at noon.

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Splurge on after-hours events In 2023, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are selling tickets for dates early in the year at prices that rival a full day's admission. “That is an enormous time saver,” said Jeffrey Merola, a Walt Disney World guidebook author and owner of Mouse Vacation Planning.

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The Disneyland Resort hosts several events “after dark” throughout the year at both parks. The events vary by cost, timing and theming. They also include lower crowds, which means lower lines for attractions. In fact, they're so low, Genie+ isn't even in use.

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The Disney After Hours at EPCOT event takes place from 10.00pm to 1.00am. You can get a head start on the fun by entering EPCOT at 7.00pm. You do not need a Disney park reservation or additional ticket to enter EPCOT after 7.00pm.

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I am well aware that Disney enters the room every day for a brief inspection, regardless of whether you receive housekeeping or not. I honestly expected this to happen to us since we tend to nap mid day and I assumed that's when they would come around.

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I am happy to inform you that not only is this allowed, but I also use this as a good strategy to get the most out of my Disney day! Personally, I find it a great idea to take an afternoon break back at my Disney Resort hotel and then head back to the theme park later to enjoy that park's evening festivities.

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I'm happy to share that you are able to visit a park more than once a day. A valid theme park ticket with a theme park ticket reservation does allow in and out privileges as long as the park has not reached capacity.

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If a Magic Key holder has a reservation and does not show up for that reservation date, you do get a strike. According to the Magic Key Terms and Conditions, if you are a no-show for three reservations in any 90-day period, you will not be able to make any new reservations for 30 days.

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Snacks and Dining One of the perks of the After Hours events are the free snacks and drinks you get. Those include ice cream novelties, popcorn, and select bottled beverages (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, water) – all for free. There will be carts stationed throughout the park.

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Worst Times to Visit Disney World Despite this, prices and crowd size both hit a peak in June, July, and August — so if you want to save money and avoid unpleasantly long lines, you may want to plan your trip for another season.

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Meanwhile, travel agents have pointed to higher ticket prices as a major factor in declining theme park attendance. On top of that, trips to Europe appear to be cannibalizing demand for domestic theme parks this year — likely both contributing to the downturn.

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