Disney After Hours is making a comeback in 2025: Here's what you can anticipate from this nighttime event

Since childhood, I've been visiting Disney World and have learned the importance of meticulous planning to maximize my ride experience. I make sure to arrive at the parks before opening time and rush to popular rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan's Flight as soon as the gates open. I've also perfected the art of using Disney's Lightning Lane system to enjoy attractions like Tiana's Bayou Adventure. I have plenty of tips to share.

When I found a way to enjoy nearly every ride at Disney without waking up early or enduring long waits, I knew I had to give it a shot to see if it was a worthy addition to my collection of Disney strategies. Here’s my experience at a Disney After Hours event.

What exactly is Disney After Hours?

Disney After Hours is a special ticketed event held in the evening after the park has closed to regular guests. These events offer access to attractions, character meet-and-greets, and complimentary snacks and drinks.

Each Disney After Hours event spans three hours, although the exact start and end times may vary based on the park you choose. With your Disney After Hours ticket, you can enter the park at 7 p.m., allowing you to kick off the fun early. This means you can enjoy up to six hours in the park during the event.

To maintain an enjoyable experience, Disney limits attendance by restricting ticket sales for these events. I attended Disney After Hours at the Magic Kingdom on a Monday night earlier this year. Once the daytime guests had departed, it felt like I had the entire park to myself. The pathways were clear, I could take pictures of Cinderella Castle without a crowd in the background, and most attractions had little to no wait.

FOR FREE HELP WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS.

You can buy tickets on Disney's official site or through an authorized Disney vacation planner.

Disney After Hours schedule and ticket prices

Disney After Hours events take place at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Guests at select Disney Resort hotels can begin purchasing tickets on Sept. 4, while all other guests can buy theirs starting Sept. 10.

Pricing, timings, and dates differ by park, so let's examine each one:

Event hours at Magic Kingdom and Epcot are from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., while at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the times are from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Magic Kingdom

• Cost: $175 to $185 per person plus tax
• Hours: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Available 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, May 5, May 12, May 19

Epcot

• Cost: $155 to $175 per person plus tax
• Hours: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Available Dates: Feb. 27, May 8, May 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

• Cost: $155 to $185 per person plus tax
• Hours: 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on March 26 and April 1)
• Available Dates: Jan. 22, Jan. 29, Feb. 12, Feb. 19, March 5, March 26, April 1, April 30, May 14, May 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 pass holders and Disney Vacation Club members enjoy a $30 discount on tickets for events at Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

What can you expect from Disney After Hours?

The offerings for Disney After Hours at each park vary slightly, but they typically include access to most attractions—especially popular rides that often have long lines during the day—along with exclusive entertainment or character meet-and-greets, as well as complimentary snacks and beverages. Once the park closes, Disney cast members bring out carts filled with freshly popped 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 experience for several reasons.

Firstly, Disney reintroduced Enchantment, the fireworks show launched for the park's 50th anniversary, which is now performed exclusively during Disney After Hours. This is in addition to the regular nighttime fireworks display of Happily Ever After that occurs during the mix-in period before the event officially starts. While Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios don’t provide special entertainment during Disney After Hours, they do offer rare character meet-and-greets featuring Chip and Dale, Stitch, and Jiminy Cricket, among others.

I was also optimistic that the reduced crowds would let me enjoy attractions—like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tron Lightcycle / Run—that typically have long wait times or tricky virtual queue spots.

Ultimately, I wanted to find out if I could fit the same number of rides into the six hours of Disney After Hours as I would during a regular Disney day.

How many attractions can you experience during Disney After Hours events?

This is likely the main question on your mind. Fortunately, I kept a comprehensive record of the average wait times for rides at the Magic Kingdom, along with my actual wait time for each attraction I experienced. Keep in mind that many rides reported a five-minute wait, but that often indicates no real wait; it merely reflects the time taken to walk through the queue.

The chart below reflects my actual wait times, which were sometimes shorter than what was posted. I utilized a website called Thrill Data to gather average wait times at the Magic Kingdom from the previous month.

As you can see, even though I spent about half the time I normally would at the park, I managed to experience 12 attractions and spent roughly a quarter of the time waiting in line compared to the average daytime visitor. Having waited in some lengthy lines at Disney World, walking right onto most rides without any wait felt like a dream come true.

One of the advantages of Disney After Hours at the Magic Kingdom is that Tron Lightcycle / Run operates with a standby queue, eliminating the need for a virtual queue or purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass. I usually have decent luck securing a virtual queue spot, but just joining the line was significantly easier. This also applies to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios.

When I joined the line for Tron around 11:30 p.m., the posted wait time was 40 minutes, but I only waited about 30. It could have been even shorter if I had gone later in the night, but since I was already in that area of the park, I thought it was a good opportunity to experience it.

Since I arrived early, I took advantage of the time before the event officially kicked off to enjoy a few attractions that already had short waits, like Dumbo the Flying Elephant. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I also had time for some attractions I usually skip, knowing that the wait times for the most popular rides would be shorter later in the night.

Knowing I had plenty of time to ride my favorite roller coasters, I decided to take it easy early in the evening and savor attractions like Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. I was thrilled that this event let me experience both the most popular rides and visit my beloved singing birds.

I thought my final ride of the night would be the Haunted Mansion. The posted wait time was 13 minutes, which actually meant there was no wait at all; the ride opts for 13 instead of five minutes to match its spooky theme. I joined the line around 12:45 a.m.

To my surprise, when I exited the ride, it was 12:57 p.m. You can line up for attractions right until the event ends, so instead of wrapping up my visit a few minutes early, I rushed over to Princess Fairytale Hall to meet Cinderella and Ariel. I was the last guest allowed in, and watching both characters wave goodbye and wish me a good night was the perfect way to conclude such a delightful evening.

Is Disney After Hours a worthwhile experience?

I'm pleased to say that the event surpassed my expectations in every way.

The cost of Disney After Hours is similar to that of a regular daytime ticket. In fact, on the day I visited, it was just a dollar more than a one-day ticket for the Magic Kingdom. Given all the perks and how much I was able to experience, I felt the event offered excellent value.

I experienced at least as many attractions as I would on a typical day, but in a fraction of the time. Plus, I didn’t have to contend with the Florida sun or large crowds as I moved from ride to ride. I freely indulged in several Mickey ice cream bars and munched on popcorn while waiting in line, and the complimentary Diet Cokes kept me energized until the early morning hours. (Don’t worry, I also stayed hydrated with the free bottled water!)

Who is the ideal attendee for Disney After Hours?

While I’d love to keep the magic of Disney After Hours to myself, there are certain occasions when I’d suggest that others join in on the fun.

If your goal is to experience every ride in the park in a single day

If your primary aim at Disney World is to ride as many attractions as possible, and even multiple times, consider pairing a daytime ticket with a Disney After Hours ticket. This way, you can revisit your favorite rides endlessly or enjoy the attractions you missed during the day due to long wait times.

If you'd prefer to skip Disney Lightning Lane passes

During Disney After Hours, all attractions operate with a standby queue. If you’d rather not wake up early to compete for a virtual queue spot or spend time (and money) scheduling rides using Disney Lightning Lane passes, you'll appreciate the ability to hop into short standby lines on a whim during the event.

If you thrive in the evening hours

If the idea of waking up at 6 a.m. and racing to the parks to be first in line as they open the gates makes you want to pull the blankets over your head and go back to sleep, then Disney After Hours is the ideal option. You can buy a Disney After Hours ticket instead of a regular daytime ticket and enjoy the same number of rides without the early wake-up call.

Who might want to skip Disney After Hours?

Even with my enthusiastic recommendation, there are certain situations where Disney After Hours might not be suitable for you.

If you're visiting with very young children

While I noticed quite a few young kids in strollers during my visit, I personally wouldn’t bring my younger children to this event. My eldest is 11, and I think he would have a great time. However, I wouldn’t spend the money to bring my 5- and 7-year-olds to Disney After Hours.

We wouldn't be able to accomplish as much (their little legs can’t keep up with mine), and I doubt they could stay awake until the event wraps up. This might not apply to every child, but it's a factor to think about before purchasing a ticket.

If it's your first visit to a park

While the crowds are lighter and some characters are available to greet guests, you won't experience the full magic of Disney World during these events. I wouldn't advise attending Disney After Hours at a park you’ve never been to during the day. You’ll miss out on certain dining options, entertainment, and the overall ambiance that only a regular daytime ticket can offer.

If you're looking for exclusive experiences

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party feature a wealth of exclusive experiences like nighttime shows, dance parties, parades, live performances, and rare character meet-and-greets. Disney After Hours doesn’t offer as much in this regard. Although I enjoyed seeing Enchantment, it wasn’t my primary reason for attending Disney After Hours.

The clearest advantage of this event is how much you can accomplish in a limited time with fewer crowds. If your aim is to enjoy exclusive experiences, I suggest attending one of the holiday-themed after-hours parties instead.

In summary

I had an amazing time at Disney After Hours, and I’ve already shared my recommendation with friends and family. Whether you’re a frequent visitor to Disney World seeking something fresh, or someone who loves to maximize rides during your trips, Disney After Hours offers a fantastic opportunity to experience the parks in a new way — or more precisely, in the dark.