2024 Moonlight Magic DVC Event Dates and Details

Ever want to experience the Disney Parks at night, without the hordes of crowds surrounding you? Well, you can with Disney’s annual Moonlight Magic events for Disney Vacation Club members. In this post, we’re going to share with you the 2024 Moonlight Magic Dates and everything you need to know for this awesome DVC event!

(Updated) – Many readers have been asking about the 2024 DVC Moonlight Magic Dates. Well now, we have some good news for you! As of this writing, Disney has just announced the Moonlight Magic dates for 2024 in Walt Disney World and Disneyland!

In the meantime, if you haven’t been to a Moonlight Magic event before or are looking for some general information about what happens there, keep reading this post for a full overview.

We’re happy to report that the popular Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic after hours events are returning to Walt Disney World starting January 25, 2024, with dates through Summer 2024.

Last year, the Moonlight Magic events ran a full slate like normal years after being canceled in 2020 and 2021, and they were a great time as usually. We’re thrilled that Disney decided to bring Moonlight Magic Back in 2024 as they are the only free after hours event and one of the best perks of being a DVC member.

It makes sense for Disney to bring back Moonlight Magic since many other of the resort’s offerings have started to return in recent months. Even tours in Disney World are running again, though still not all of them at this time.

Here are some of the details for Moonlight Magic in 2024:

• Free After-Hours access to Disney World theme parks on select dates
• Enjoy new and classic attractions in each theme park with lower-than-normal wait times
• Character sightings and select entertainment.
• Free Disney Snacks

The announcement on the DVC website reads:

“Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic events—a favorite Membership Magic benefit—are back! Experience a night full of excitement at these complimentary events offering exclusive after-hours access.

Enjoy select new and classic attractions, shorter-than-usual wait times, Character greetings, entertainment and delectable delights!”

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 Moonlight Magic events as well as vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Latest Registration Dates Info

The first round of Moonlight Magic events for 2024 is at EPCOT on January 25 and March 1, 2024.

In order to attend Moonlight Magic, event registration is required. DVC members can register online when the appropriate registration window opens.

However, at this time, Disney has not released any registration dates for the 2024 Moonlight Magic events yet. Registration opens up first to eligible DVC members who are staying at a Disney Resort hotel, and then to guests who are not staying at a Disney World Resort.

All members with a Disney Resort hotel reservation should be on the lookout for an email arriving very soon, which will contain a link where they can register online for the DVC Moonlight Magic events.

For example, last year, registration first opened to eligible DVC members with a Disney Resort hotel reservation on January 25, 2023, before the general public.

Guest registration opened to all other eligible members not staying at a Disney World Resort on February 2, 2023. Reservations can be booked for the member plus 4 guests (pending availability).

The 2024 is brand new information so we are updating the rest of this article as we speak, so check back soon for more details. Keep reading for more information on these cancellations and everything else you need to know about the Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic events.

What is Moonlight Magic?

Moonlight Magic is an exclusive event reserved for DVC (Disney Vacation Club) members only, in which they get late-night access to the Disney Parks without tons of people and being able to experience the rides, attractions, and characters without all the usual waiting. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it??

Guests can ride the attractions with greatly reduced wait times, go to rare character meets that aren’t usually in the parks, buy special Moonlight Magic merchandise, attend dance parties and even get as many Mickey Ice Cream Bars as you can eat…FREE!

The nice thing is that Disney limits the event to a certain amount of people at a time, so keeping the number at a reasonable amount to be able to enjoy this special time in the parks. For this reason, the tickets for the event usually sell out within hours of being released for booking and it’s one of the most coveted events of the year!

How Much does it Cost?

This is the best part…it’s FREE. No, I’m not making it up, the Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic events are absolutely free of charge, plus you get short ride times and free food! What’s not to like??

When is Disney World Moonlight Magic happening in 2024?

Disney announced the dates and details for the 2024 Moonlight Magic events in Walt Disney World which will take place over 7 separate nights throughout the year. (Updated 10/27/23) – The new dates for 2024 have been added.)

A total of 4 Walt Disney World parks are participating this year including EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. In the past, as many as 5 parks have participated including Disney’s Magic Kingdom with the previously mentioned parks.

Each park will have its dates in a different part of the year, so depending on when you can go might determine the park you can attend the event in.

It’s also possible for Disney to add dates later in 2024. Currently, Moonlight Magic events only go through August 2024, so more could be on the way for the Fall.

Here are the 2024 Moonlight Magic dates for each park:

EPCOT –

• Thursday, January 25, 2024
• Friday, March 1, 2024

Disney’s Animal Kingdom –

• Wednesday, December 13, 2023 (this is the last event for 2023)
• Tuesday, February 27, 2024
• Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon –

• Tuesday, June 4, 2024
• Thursday, July 11, 2024

Disney’s Hollywood Studios –

• Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Disney’s Magic Kingdom –

• No Moonlight Magic Dates are Scheduled at this time

Canceled Moonlight Magic Dates

Due to the Disney World closure and the challenges associated with running the parks, Disney canceled the remaining DVC Moonlight Magic event dates that were scheduled in 2020.

There were no DVC Moonlight Magic events even announced in 2021, but they did come back in 2022 and 2023 and were a tremendous success as usual.

In 2024, we once again have a full schedule. If for any reason the events get canceled Disney will likely look to make up the lost dates, but we don’t think that is very likely to happen.

What Time does Moonlight Magic Start?

DVC Moonlight Magic events start at different times depending on the park you are in, but a typical start time is 9:00 or 9:30 pm (Animal Kingdom events can start earlier).

The event runs for 3 hours after park close, so if the Hollywood Studios or EPCOT closes at 9:00 pm, Moonlight Magic will be from 9:00 pm – 12:00 am.

However, this does not mean you can show up at the last minute. Check-in and entrance start 2 hours before the Moonlight Magic event start time, so get there as early as possible. You can even get some of the attractions out of the way so you don’t waste time (more on that later).

Once you check in, you will get your wristband, food vouchers, and event schedule for the night which will be important in understanding where you want to spend the majority of your time during the event. The schedule will list the available characters and the dining locations you can eat at.

Booking Moonlight Magic

One important thing to keep in mind when attending a Moonlight Magic event is that priority is given of course to guests staying on-site at a Disney World Resort hotel during those dates. Therefore, if you are staying on-site, you’ll have first access to booking the event which will be crucial in getting the dates you want or getting a reservation at all.

Each Park has different booking dates, which go in order of when the events are happening (an event happening in January will have booking available before an event happening in July for example).

Here are the following 2024 Moonlight Magic Booking Dates:

EPCOT Reservations –

• Booking for Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.
• Booking for Non-Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Reservations –

• Booking for Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.
• Booking for Non-Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Reservations –

• Booking for Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.
• Booking for Non-Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Reservations –

• Booking for Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.
• Booking for Non-Resort guests: No Booking Date is scheduled at this time.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom Reservations –

• Booking for Resort guests: No DVC Moonlight Magic Events are scheduled at this time.
• Booking for Non-Resort guests: No DVC Moonlight Magic Events are scheduled at this time.

How to Book Moonlight Magic Events

There are two ways to book DVC Moonlight Magic events, and it depends on if you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel during those dates or not. (Instructions are for the latest events.)

Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Guests – Eligible members will receive an email containing a link where they can register for the event.

Your party size must be finalized by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the chosen registration date. That means all modifications to your party on your resort reservations must be made by then. Any changes to your resort reservations after that will not coincide with the Moonlight Magic event.

General Public – Eligible members not staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel need to go to this page on the DVC website and select RSVP Online. You will enter a virtual waiting room, which secures your place in line. Do not refresh the page. When it’s your turn you will fill out the registration form. Make sure to have your Member number ready.

Other Important Info

Now that you know when to book Moonlight Magic, there are a couple of other things to keep in mind:

• DVC Members are usually restricted to 1 Moonlight Magic event per calendar year. That means if you are able to book an event in February, that’s it for the entire year.
• Your party for Moonlight Magic is limited to 5 people in total (DVC member + 4 guests). Children 3 years and younger do not count toward the registration limit.
• If your party is bigger than 5 people and all are staying together on the same DVC Resort reservation, your whole party can attend as long as they are all the DVC member’s resort reservation.
• Registration is required and walk-ins are not accepted.
• A Valid photo ID and Disney Vacation Club Digital Membership Card are required at check-in. The member listed on the membership card must be present at the time of check-in.
• If the primary member on the DVC account is not registering for the event, another member on the SAME account may be registered as the primary check-in guest at the event.
• This event happens rain or shine. However, some experiences might not be available due to inclement weather.
• If you show up to the theme park before the scheduled event time, you need valid theme park admission and a park pass reservation.

Members with Multiple Resort Reservations

There are additional guidelines for any members who have reservations to multiple Disney World Resorts. Additional party size guidelines apply depending on how the reservation was booked:

• When staying using Vacation Points or Reservation Points, Members can register themselves and up to the number of individuals on their Resort reservation(s).
• When staying on your Interval International® Membership using cash or points, Members can register themselves and up to the number of individuals staying in the same room as the Member, per Membership.
• When staying on your RCI® Membership using cash or points, Members can register themselves and up to the number of individuals staying in the same room as the Member, per Membership.

Modifications & Cancellations

• Modify Party Size – To modify your party size or date you wish to attend a DVC Moonlight Magic event, you may modify the event registration through the link in the confirmation email sent after the original booking.
• Canceled Resort Reservations – If you cancel your resort reservation, your Moonlight Magic event registration will also be canceled automatically.
• Know the Risks – If you cancel your registration, there is no guarantee you will be able to register again for the event so think carefully before making a decision.
• Same Day – Modifications or cancellations of event registration cannot be made the same day as booking.

Rides and Attractions

Ok, so this is going to seem like crazy advice, but hear me out. Yes, it’s true that during the DVC Moonlight Magic events the attractions have crazy short wait times.

I’ve seen Frozen Ever After at 20 minutes and Flight of Passage at 30 minutes, which are both unheard of unless you’re attending a Disney After Hours event or there’s a hurricane coming towards Walt Disney World.

That means you can ride all of the best attractions at Walt Disney World with minimal wait times, all night long!

That said, skip the rides. You heard me right, don’t waste time going on the rides during Moonlight Magic as there are cooler and more rare things to spend your time with. The rare characters you will get a chance to see and the special fireworks are a much better use of time, and this is coming from a big ride junkie.

Unless you don’t get to the parks very often and you don’t have any more time this trip to do your favorite ride, my suggestion is to skip them as they will always be there on your next time in the park.

Better yet, show up 2 hours before the Moonlight Magic event starts and you’ll be able to knock out a couple of rides first and then be free the rest of the night.

Characters

So as I said before, the characters are where it’s at during Moonlight Magic. You will get to see some characters that I guarantee you’ve never got to meet in your life before!

Some examples of characters you can meet from recent events are:

• Tarzan and Terk
• Carl Fredricksen
• Flik
• Princess Atta
• Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable
• Pocahontas and Meeko
• Baloo and Mowgli
• Edna Mode and Mrs. Incredible
• Sebastian
• Elena of Avalor
• Bolt
• Sweetums
• Captain Phasma
• Darth Vader
• Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox from Splash Mountain
• Kenai from Brother Bear, and Koda
• Plus Mickey and Minnie are usually there in different costumes than normal.

The lineup of characters is going to totally depend on which park you go to, and usually, the characters being placed in the park are most adapted for them. Tarzan you’ll find in the Animal Kingdom for example, while Darth Vader will be in Hollywood Studios.

Lines for the characters are usually from 15-30 minutes, but even up to 45 minutes for the more popular ones. Also, the lines start forming for the more popular characters at least 30 minutes before the start of the event. All the more reason to get there early!

Food

Another one of the great benefits of Moonlight Magic is that you can eat for free as part of the event! When you check in, each guest is given a voucher for one free quick service meal during the event. This includes a regular meal (ex. burger, fries, and soft drink).

Not all of the quick service restaurants are open during Moonlight Magic, so refer to your event program to see which restaurants are open and available to go to.

Not only do you get a quick service meal at Moonlight Magic, but you also get unlimited FREE snacks! The sweets that are available are different in each park but expect things like Mickey Premium Ice Bars, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Popsicles, and Strawberry Bars at most events, plus some special items.

This is a great deal and you can keep going back for as many as you like, so fill up!

Some Tips for Eating at Moonlight Magic:

• Desserts and specialty drinks are not included in the voucher.
• Eat your meal on the earlier side if menu choice is important to you. The lines can be quite long, and some of the dining locations run out of certain menu items, which means you might not get your first choice.
• Go back for seconds and thirds of the ice cream bars!

Fireworks

What would a trip to a Disney park be without fireworks, Moonlight Magic is no different only here you get special versions of the fireworks show in each park.

Seeing the fireworks show may or may not be a priority to you going in, but honestly, it should be. To start off, each show, for example, the ones in the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, is different from their normal versions. What are they like?

At the Magic Kingdom, for example, you get a remix of Disney songs and a totally different grouping of firework bursts to go along with them. I thought everything was choreographed nicely and it was really fun to watch and take photographs of.

Just as in most years, the normal nighttime spectaculars such as Happily Ever After and Luminous: The Symphony of US will be running for the upcoming Moonlight Magic when the event takes place in those parks.

The best part though about the fireworks is that the small crowds mean it’s not hard at all to get a spot. Again if you go to the Magic Kingdom you can get a shot right in front of the castle in the hub, or in the middle of Main Street, and literally show up only 5 minutes before the start of the show.

Especially if you’ve seen all the other Disney fireworks shows, this will be something unique and different, and a much more relaxed viewing experience.

Is Moonlight Magic Worth It?

Let’s see, to recap: You get a free quick service meal, you get to ride the rides without big lines, meet characters you probably will never get another chance to meet, eat Mickey Ice Cream Bars until you pass out….and oh yeah, it’s free.

Do I really need to answer that? 😉

Please be on the lookout for more information regarding the 2024 Moonlight Magic events as Disney continues to release more information the closer we get to all the event dates.

Also check out our guides to the other incredible After-Hours events taking place in Walt Disney World this year like:

• Disney After Hours
• Disney Villains After Hours

We’ll bring you anything new that you need to know about Moonlight Magic right here at ZiggyKnowsDisney.com so keep checking back for updates!

To make sure you are informed about any more updates to Moonlight Magic events, sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates at Disney World as well as vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Check out some more of our most useful Disney World planning posts:

• The Complete Disney World Planning Guide
• Disney World Crowd Calendar
• Best Times to Visit Disney World

Your Thoughts:

I want to know what you think about the 2024 Moonlight Magic Events…

• Which date are you going to?
• What has been your experience from past Moonlight Magic events?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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