Disney announced some exciting news recently as Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are now at the Walt Disney World theme parks. What does it mean and who can benefit? We’ll break it all down for you.
As you know, since the Disney World reopening phase began in 2020, the popular Extra Magic Hours were essentially eliminated from the theme parks meaning all guests could arrive at the same time without any advantage for on-site Disney World Resort hotel guests.
Now that has changed with Extended Evening Theme Park Hours and the morning Early Theme Park Entry.
The way it works is guests staying at one of the Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort hotels get extended access to the theme parks on select nights. That means that you will be able to stay late at the parks and continue enjoying the attractions while all the other guests will have to go home.
Disney is excited to bring this to guests as one of the many changes to the theme parks for the Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration.
Before we get started, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates on the parks as well as vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!
(UPDATE) Extended Evening Hours On Hold at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Starting in late September 2023, Disney is putting Extended Evening Hours on hold at the Magic Kingdom as this resort benefit is moving over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Extended Evening Hours will be available at Disney’s Magic Kingdom on September 6, 13, and 20, but that is the last date guests will be able to use it for the foreseeable future.
The reason for this change is two-fold. The first reason is Disney’s Magic Kingdom will be hosting Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party four nights per week in October rather than the current 3. Strangely enough, this didn’t stop Extended Evening Hours from running at the Magic Kingdom last year during this time, but it won’t be there this year.
The other reason is because Extended Evening Hours will be running at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and it seems that Disney doesn’t want to have it going at more than 2 parks at a time for the moment.
Whether this sticks around past October is anyone’s guess at this point and we’ll have to wait to see what happens during the holiday season.
(UPDATE) Extended Evening Hours Return to Hollywood Studios
When the new Extended Evening Theme Park Hours originally debuted, it was only being offered at EPCOT and Disney’s Magic Kingdom park. Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios were not included in the list of theme parks to be running the event.
However, after many months that eventually changed as Hollywood Studios was also added to the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, but then removed and we haven’t been able to stay extra late in that park, until now.
Disney has just announced that Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios during October 2023.
The current dates for Extended Evening Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are: September 30, October 5, October 11, October 19, and October 25, 2023.
We’re excited that Disney decided to bring Extended Evening Hours back to Hollywood Studios as it hasn’t ran there since December 2022. It makes sense to bring this back in October as crowds should start picking up once again and they can enjoy a couple of extra hours of fun in the park.
What we aren’t sure about at this time is if Hollywood Studios will remain on the list of theme parks for Extended Evening Hours beyond October, or if this is only a temporary situation once again.
The full lineup of available attractions for Extended Evening Hours in Hollywood Studios includes:
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
As of this writing, it also appears that only EPCOT will remain on the schedule as the Magic Kingdom has been removed Extended Evening Hours from the schedule from the last week in September and thereafter.
Stay tuned for more updates to Extended Evening Hours, including whether more Hollywood Studios dates are eventually added, if it will come back to the Magic Kingdom, and keep reading down below for all the details about this event.
(UPDATE) Extended Evening Hours Continuing Throughout All of 2023
Disney has just announced that its Extended Evening Theme Park Hours perk is being extended to select Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests for the entire 2023 year.
Originally, Extended Evening Theme Park Hours was supposed to only stick around through the end of the 50th Anniversary celebration (March 31), but with this announcement, guests can use it at least through the end of 2023.
Recently Disney also announced that it was extending Early Theme Park Entry for guests who want to get to the parks early, so it was only a matter of time before they also announced Extended Evening Hours were sticking around too.
We think they made the right choice as Extended Evening Hours give guests at Deluxe Resorts a huge advantage to ride the attractions with low wait times.
When Did Extended Evening Hours Start?
Extended Evening Hours started on October 4, 2021, and are now available to guests. The schedules are updated on a regular basis on the Walt Disney World website and it typically runs for 2 hours after the regular theme park closing time on a given day.
Which Parks are Open and When?
Different from Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours is not in every park, and not every night of the week. It’s similar to the old Extra Magic Hours with each park selected on certain nights.
- There are four participating Walt Disney World theme parks at this time: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. (Magic Kingdom will not be running Extended Evening Hours from the end of September and after).
- Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom have Extended Evening Hours on Wednesdays, and EPCOT on Mondays. However, the days do change so don’t assume those are always the days they are held. Hollywood Studios dates are more sporadic without a set weekly schedule. Check the official schedule to make sure you have the dates right.
- On those nights, those parks are open 2 hours later than the listed closing time.
So far on the schedule, the participating theme parks are:
- Disney’s Magic Kingdom – on most Wednesdays (some other weekdays at times), for 2 Hours after park closing time.
- August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (10:00 pm to 12:00 am)
- September 6, 13, 20 (10:00 pm to 12:00 am)
- EPCOT – on most Mondays, for 2 Hours after park closing time
- September 4, 11, 18, 25 (9:00 pm to 11:00 pm)
- October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (9:00 pm to 11:00 pm)
- November 2, 6, 13, 15, 20 (9:00 pm to 11:00 pm)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – for 2 Hours after park closing time.
- September 30 (11:00 pm to 1:00 am)
- October 5, 11, 19, 25 (11:00 pm to 1:00 am)
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – for 2 Hours after park closing time.
- November 8, 22 (7:00 pm to 9:00 pm)
Right now each of those parks is only selected once per week. Each park is open for an extra 2 hours which is a nice bonus for Deluxe Resort guests and lets you get all your favorite attractions done with greatly reduced wait times.
Check the Walt Disney World website for the latest schedules and times.
How Does it Work?
In order to access the Extended Evening Hours, guests will need a valid ticket or pass and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same day. You will also need to use your MagicBand, Disney MagicMobile pass, or Key to the World to prove which resort you are staying at.
Guests can enter with an Annual Pass (granted they are staying at a Deluxe Resort) or with the Park Hopper option as long as they already entered the park where they had a reservation earlier in the day.
It’s important to note that Disney says that “select attractions” are running during Extended Evening Hours. While not every single attraction is open, most of the popular E-Ticket rides are available.
Merchandise, as well as food and beverage locations, are also running during Extended Evening Hours, though it’s a limited number of dining locations and not all of them are open.
Park Hopping is also possible with Extended Evening Hours, so you can be at another park earlier in the day or evening and then head over to either EPCOT or the Magic Kingdom to enjoy the extra time. Just keep in mind that you need to have entered the park where you made your original park pass reservation before park hopping to a second park.
Which Hotels Qualify for Extended Evening Hours?
Guests who want to take advantage of the Extended Evening Hours perk must be staying at one of the following hotels:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Shades of Green Resort
Extended Evening Hours are NOT available to guests staying at any of the Walt Disney World Moderate or Value Resorts.
Best Way to Save Big $$$ on Disney Resorts
If you want to potentially save thousands of dollars on your next trip to Disney World, I personally recommend David’s DVC Rentals. They consistently have the best prices and biggest selection of Disney Villas that will make you ask yourself: “How do they do it?”
Attractions Open for Extended Evening Hours
One of the best advantages of being in the Disney theme parks for Extended Evening Hours is getting to ride your favorite attractions with shorter-than-usual wait times.
Here is the full list of attractions that are running in each Disney World park during Extended Evening Hours:
- “it’s a small world”
- Astro Orbiter
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- The Barnstormer
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
In total there are 22 attractions open at the Magic Kingdom during Extended Evening Hours with most of the best attractions available such as Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
- Frozen Ever After
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Mission: SPACE
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
There are 9 attractions open at EPCOT during Extended Evening Hours including favorites such as Test Track, Soarin’ Around the World, and Frozen Ever After.
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (not currently included)
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
There are 9 attractions open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during Extended Evening Hours including Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- It’s Tough to be a Bug!
- Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
- Na’vi River Journey
- TriceraTop Spin
FAQs
Extended Evening Hours start after the regular theme park closing time and run for 2 hours. Guests can show up at the desired park at any time during the day. Once the Extended Evening Hours begin, guests’ theme park tickets or MagicBands will be checked before entering attractions to make sure they should be there.
At this time Disney’s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are participating in Extended Evening Hours.
There is no additional charge for Extended Evening Hours. All guests staying at one of the Disney World Deluxe or DVC Resorts are eligible.
Even though it’s a watered-down version of Extra Magic Hours, at least Disney is doing something to make Disney World Resort guests feel special (even if it only is the Deluxe Resort guests in this case).
We’ll keep you updated as soon as Disney makes any changes to this new program. Stay tuned…
If you are going to Disney World soon, make sure to read our Disney World Planning Guide for all the tips and info you will need to cover everything! Also, check out our Disney World Crowd Calendar so you know when the best time to visit is!
Ready to Start Planning Your Disney Vacation?
If you feel overwhelmed planning a Disney vacation, use an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner such as Show You the World Travel. They are experts on every Disney location and can tell you where to stay, what to do, how to save money, and give you personalized service for your most magical vacation ever!
Your Thoughts
I want to know what you think about the Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World…
- Do you think this is a good addition?
- What benefits would you like to see with it?
Let us know in the comments section below!
If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media. I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂
wendy
Saturday 19th of August 2023
We are coming over next year when coming from England huge cost of flying and huge cost of staying in Disney why shouldn’t everyone paying to stay in a Disney resort get the same privilege as the next person let’s hope by next year Disney will get this sorted and treat everyone the same.
Roberta
Wednesday 7th of June 2023
So if my family of 15 are staying at an offsite venue (rented house), we are not able to attend the extended hours even though we have paid thousands of dollars for Park tickets. Correct or not? If so, how unfair! Roberta
Ziggy Oskwarek
Wednesday 7th of June 2023
Hi Roberta. Yeah, i know that it's unfair. Disney does this as a special add-on for guests staying at the Deluxe Resorts only. While it stinks for most, it's an added incentive of staying on-site and specifically at one of the Deluxe Resorts. Sorry...
Holly
Tuesday 31st of January 2023
I hope Disney changes the extended after park hours to the way it used to be! That anyone staying at a Disney resort can take advantage of these perks. Not very fair to exclude the moderate and value resorts.
marion
Thursday 19th of January 2023
Sounds good to take advantage of the late hours. Bonus is it's ok then to sleep in the next day. ? ?
Non-Deluxe Guest
Thursday 8th of December 2022
Disney is now for the rich. Felt outcasted as we were not staying in a deluxe result. If you want to get in more than 2 rides per day, you have to pay for the Genie+...and the most popular/new rides need even more money with Light Lane. Bad experience overall.