This is your complete guide to Disney After Hours 2024! Does your idea of a perfect Disney day include late nights at the parks, unlimited snacks and super low wait times for your favorite rides? If so, then you’re going to LOVE Disney World After Hours! You’ll get to see the parks come to life after the crowds head home and the hot Florida sunsets. There is so much to love about Disney After Hours Events, and we’re here to tell you all about it!
As fun as an extra dash of magic might sound, it’s important to keep in mind that Disney World After Hours is a time-limited, separately-ticketed event. When we were Florida residents, we loved beating the Florida heat and grabbing tickets for After Hours Disney events for the perfect nights. There was nothing like low crowds, no waits, and incredible views of Disney at night!
We hope you find this post helpful, and if you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World, be sure to check out our other FREE vacation planning tools. Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next vacation. This includes helping you find the best time to buy Disney World tickets as well as book amazing Walt Disney World vacation packages!
For a detailed look into everything you need to know before purchasing your Disney After Hours tickets, read on!
SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Disney World, check out our Disney Crowd Calendar!
So, what are After Hours Disney Events? Get yourself ready for a night of fun during Disney World After Hours 2024 where you can experience the parks in an entirely different way! Disney After Hours is a completely separate/additional ticket, which does not include park admission until 7:00 PM. It’s important to note the events don’t start typically until 8 PM or later. Guests that participate in Disney After Hours events get 3 hours of extra magical fun with unlimited snacks, drinks and entertainment! We find that Walt Disney World After Hours events are some of the best ways to meet exclusive characters, have low wait times and have an experience that you’ll never forget!
Now that we have gone over the basics you might be wondering, when will Disney After Hours return? Disney After Hours have officially returned in 2024 with exclusive nights at Magic Kingdom Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT this winter.
As of today, only a few of Walt Disney World’s four parks are currently offering After Hours:
Disney After Hours event tickets at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios can be purchased by all guests with prices ranging from $155 to $175. There are discounts for Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members.
Although an additional cost of admission we think having the ability to enter the park as early as 7:00 PM is a huge plus! This allows you time to watch the fireworks or grab a bite to eat before heading over to your favorite rides.
*(price/price for Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members)
This event takes place from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM. You can get a head start on the fun by entering the park at 7:00 PM—a few hours before the event officially begins.
*(price/price for Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members)
This event takes place from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM. You can get a head start on the fun by entering the park at 7:00 PM
*(price/price for Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members)
This event takes place from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM. You can get a head start on the fun by entering the park at 7:00 PM
*(price/price for Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members)
Related post: Blizzard Beach vs. Typhoon Lagoon: Which is the Best Disney Water Park?
Free. Mickey. Bars.
Need we say more? Actually, we must say more. As a matter of fact, not only are unlimited Mickey Bars free with admission, but so are ALL Mickey novelty ice creams, as well as select bottled beverages (water, Sprite, Coke and Diet Coke) and even popcorn! While most counter service and quick service restaurants will be closed, carts stationed in select locations will remain open for your late-night cravings. Yippee!
It is important to note that depending on what WDW After Hours event you choose to go to, there will be specialty exclusive items for purchase, as well. But the majority of the snacks at Disney After Hours Party come completely included.
This summertime Disney After Hours event is unlike any other because it is in the water park Typhoon Lagoon. There will be free entertainment throughout the night at Disney H2O Glow, as well as free snacks like ice cream, popcorn and bottled soda. For this Disney After Hours Event, guests are given free glowing accessories to wear throughout the night with having fun!
Related post: Disney World Pictures and Disney PhotoPass Guide
Our favorite benefits of Disney After Hours events are no crowds and no waiting in lines for some of your favorite Disney World rides. If you ever wondered what Disney parks looked like completely empty, you’ll get a pretty good feel for it by attending Disney After Hours. Disney also keeps almost all of the most popular attractions from Space Mountain to Haunted Mansion, and Flight of Passage to Expedition Everest open so you’ll have the opportunity to ride them as often as your heart desires. A perk that regular ticket holders wouldn’t have the chance to do on any given day!
With H2O Glow After Hours event, we love that there is nighttime entertainment, such as a DJ to start the party right! You can even get glowing accessories and party the night away in the pool.
Special Note: Not all of the rides and attractions are open during Disney After Hours events.
Related post: Complete Guide to the Disney Genie
All attractions are subject to change without notice.
Related post: What are the Best Rides in EPCOT? Best Attractions at EPCOT Ranked
Disney includes character meet-and-greets in every Disney After Hours event. However this does not include all characters you can meet during normal operating hours.
If attending be sure to ask a Disney cast member which characters will be at your Disney After Hours event. You can make sure to save time and skip those characters during the day.
When we attended this event in 2019, these were the characters we met:
We also attended the Typhoon Lagoon H2O Glow After Hours 2022 we saw the following characters:
As of the 2024 H2O Glow After Hours event at Typhoon Lagoon still has the same characters as last year, which was super cute! All of our favorite characters were in their beach gear and ready for a day in the sun.
Related post: Complete Guide to Disney World Halloween Events
2024 Magic Kingdom After Hours dates are here and we are so excited to share the news!
Related Page: Complete Guide to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets
Another one of the most popular questions we receive is, are the Disney After-hours events worth it? And as a general rule of thumb, if your main goal is to get on as many rides as possible with as little wait time as possible the Disney After Hours Events are worth it with the main reason being that a majority of the most popular rides are open for guests to enjoy. These rides include Slinky Dog Dash, Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage, Snow White’s Mine Train, Space Mountain, and Expedition Everest.
From our experience, some of the benefits of Disney After Hours is being able to get onto as many rides as possible during the three-hour event. We specifically find this to be a great benefit for families who might only be visiting Disney World for 2-3 days and are trying to visit all 4 Disney World parks. In the past, we have been able to go onto every single Magic Kingdom ride open during the Disney After Hours events within three hours just because of how few people are in the parks. And the main thing to take away is that the Disney After Hours events are different from Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in terms of crowds. It’s also important to note that the 2024 Disney After Hours events are very late at night in some cases not starting until 10:00 PM so they are a great fit for night owls.
We always find the biggest con to the Disney After Hours events to be the additional charge to attend. On Average, it costs guests around $11.00 per person per hour to enjoy spending time in the Disney parks and with the After Hours events that price will go up to $30.00 – $40.00. Of course, however, you have to take into account that you will be getting on more rides with your time. Another con that we are not crazy about is how late the events end with some of them ending around 1:00 AM in the morning. It’s important to plan accordingly and give your family some extra time to sleep in the next day.
We find it better to skip a Disney After Hours event if:
Related Article: Guide to Disney World Deluxe After Hours
Related post: Complete Guide to the Best Hotels Near EPCOT Orlando
A: Depending on the Disney After Hour event, you could be paying anywhere between $59 – 180! The After Hours events at Disney that happen during the summer, like H2O Glows After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon, are cheaper than the holiday After Hours events like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Annual Passholders can pay as little at $54 for a ticket for the Typhoon Lagoon After Hours event.
Our Disney World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.
Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages. The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your Walt Disney World Tickets, and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets.
Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well