Extra rides and fewer crowds: What to anticipate at Disney After Hours

I have been going to Disney World since I used to be a child, and I’ve grown accustomed to the routines essential to get on probably the most doable rides throughout my visits. Whether or not it is attending to the parks earlier than the gates open and beelining to standard points of interest like Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare or Peter Pan’s Flight at rope drop or mastering methods for utilizing Disney’s digital queue system to get on rides like Tron Lightcycle / Run, I’ve a number of pixie-dusted methods up my sleeve.

Associated: Are Disney World’s after-hours events price it?

Once I found a option to get on virtually each experience on the Magic Kingdom with out getting up early or ready in lengthy strains, I knew I needed to strive it out to see if it was price including to my arsenal of Disney methods. Right here is my expertise at Disney After Hours on the Magic Kingdom.

What’s Disney After Hours?

Disney After Hours is a individually ticketed occasion that takes place within the night after the park has closed to daytime company. These occasions embrace entry to points of interest, character meet-and-greets and complimentary snacks and drinks.

The precise begin and finish instances rely upon which park you go to, however every Disney After Hours occasion lasts three hours. Your Disney After Hours ticket will get you into the park beginning at 7 p.m., although, so you will get into the parks and begin the enjoyable early. Meaning you get a complete of six hours within the park to benefit from the occasion.

Associated: Ideas for visiting Disney World in 2024: 19 methods to save cash and have extra enjoyable

Disney retains crowds small by limiting the variety of tickets to those occasions. I attended Disney After Hours on the Magic Kingdom on a Monday night. By the point daytime company had cleared the park, it felt like I had the place to myself. The walkways had been large open, I might snap pictures of Cinderella Fortress with out hundreds of strangers within the background and most rides had no wait in any respect.

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You should purchase tickets on Disney’s web site or by means of a licensed Disney trip planner.

Which parks have Disney After Hours occasions?

Disney After Hours occasions are held on the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. The pricing, instances and dates range per park, so let’s check out each:

Magic Kingdom

• Value: $155 to $175 per individual plus tax
• Time: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Dates: Feb. 29, March 4, March 18, April 8, April 22, April 29, Might 13, June 13 and June 27

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Value: $145 to $175 per individual plus tax
• Time: 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• Dates: Feb. 21, Feb. 26, March 13, March 20, March 7, April 3, April 10, Might 22, Might 29, June 12, June 19, June 26, July 10, July 17, July 31, Aug. 7, Aug. 14, Aug. 21 and Aug. 29

Epcot

• Value: $149 to $159
• Time: 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Dates: March 7, March 28, April 4, April 25, Might 9, Might 23, Might 30, June 6, June 20 and July 18

Annual move holders and Disney Trip Membership members obtain a $30 ticket low cost. Disney releases new dates periodically. There could or is probably not extra occasion dates this yr, as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Occasion will doubtless run from August by means of Halloween, with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion kicking off quickly after.

What’s included with Disney After Hours?

The Disney After Hours choices at every park are barely totally different, however every supplies entry to most points of interest — together with standard rides that sometimes have lengthy waits in the course of the day — plus unique leisure or character meet-and-greets and complimentary snacks and drinks. After the park closes, Disney solid members wheel out carts with freshly made 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 expertise for a number of causes.

First, Disney introduced again Enchantment, the fireworks present it debuted for the park’s fiftieth anniversary that is now completely carried out throughout Disney After Hours. That is along with the common nighttime fireworks exhibiting of Fortunately Ever After, which takes place in the course of the mix-in portion of the night time earlier than the occasion formally begins. Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios do not supply particular leisure throughout Disney After Hours, however they do have uncommon character meet-and-greets with Chip and Dale, Sew and Jiminy Cricket, amongst different characters.

I used to be additionally hopeful that with the smaller crowds, I might be capable to take pleasure in rides which are more durable to get on on account of lengthy strains or difficult-to-grab digital queue spots, akin to Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare and Tron Lightcycle / Run.

Lastly, I wished to seek out out if I might squeeze the identical variety of rides I can get on throughout a typical Disney day into Disney After Hours’ six or so hours.

What number of rides are you able to get on throughout Disney After Hours occasions?

Odds are that is the highest query in your thoughts. Fortunately, I saved an in depth checklist of the common wait instances for rides on the Magic Kingdom and my precise wait time for every experience I went on. Remember that most of the rides listed a five-minute wait time, however that often means there isn’t any wait; it simply accounts for the time it takes to stroll by means of the queue.

What you see within the chart beneath is my precise wait, which was generally lower than the posted wait. I used a web site referred to as Thrill Knowledge to tug common wait instances on the Magic Kingdom in the course of the earlier month.

As you’ll be able to see, though I used to be on the park for about half the time I might be there on a traditional day, I knocked out 12 points of interest and spent a couple of quarter of the time in line that the common daytime visitor does. I’ve waited in some lengthy strains at Disney World, and strolling proper onto most rides with no wait in any respect felt like a dream come true.

One other perk of Disney After Hours on the Magic Kingdom is that Tron Lightcycle / Run makes use of a standby queue relatively than requiring you to enter a digital queue or buy a person Lightning Lane. I’ve first rate luck snagging a digital queue spot, however hopping in line was a lot simpler.

Once I received in line at about 11:30 p.m., the wait time was listed as 40 minutes, however I solely waited about 30. It could have been even much less if I had waited till later within the night, however I used to be on that facet of the park and figured that was an excellent time to knock it out.

As a result of I arrived early, I used the time earlier than the occasion formally began to expertise just a few points of interest that already had brief waits, akin to Dumbo the Flying Elephant. What shocked me, although, was that I made time for points of interest I generally skip as a result of I knew that the wait instances for the preferred rides could be shorter later within the night.

I knew I might have loads of time to experience my favourite curler coasters, so I took extra time early within the night to loosen up and luxuriate in points of interest like Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. I’m so pleased that this occasion allowed me to experience the preferred rides and go to my favourite singing birds.

I believed my final experience of the night could be the Haunted Mansion. The posted wait time was 13 minutes — the equal of there being no wait, because the experience chooses this quantity as a substitute of 5 minutes to maintain with its spooky theme — and I hopped in line round 12:45 a.m.

A lot to my shock, although, after I walked off the experience, it was 12:57 p.m. You will get in line for points of interest proper up till the top of the occasion, so as a substitute of ending my go to a couple of minutes early, I made a beeline for Princess Fairytale Corridor to fulfill Cinderella and Ariel. I used to be the final individual let in for the expertise, and having each characters wave and need me goodnight was the proper option to finish such a enjoyable night.

Is Disney After Hours price it?

I am pleased to report that the occasion exceeded my expectations on all fronts.

The value of Disney After Hours is corresponding to a daily daytime ticket. Actually, on the date of my go to, it was solely a greenback greater than a one-day Magic Kingdom ticket. Contemplating all the pieces included and the way a lot you will get achieved, I felt just like the occasion offered nice worth.

I rode simply as many, if no more, points of interest than I might on a daily day and in a fraction of the time. I additionally wasn’t battling the Florida solar or hordes of individuals as I bounced from experience to experience. I unashamedly ate a number of Mickey ice cream bars and snacked on popcorn whereas ready in line for rides, and all these free Weight loss program Cokes saved me awake till the wee hours (don’t fret, I stayed hydrated with the complimentary bottled water, too).

Who ought to go to Disney After Hours?

Whereas I might like to preserve Disney After Hours all to myself, there are some particular instances after I’d suggest others partake within the occasion.

If you wish to experience each experience within the park in 1 day

In case your major aim once you go to Disney World is to experience as many rides as doable and on a number of events, plan on combining a daytime ticket with a Disney After Hours ticket. Through the occasion, you’ll be able to re-ride your favorites many times or hit the rides you skipped in the course of the day due to the upper wait instances.

If you happen to do not need to cope with Disney Genie+

Throughout Disney After Hours, all rides use a standby queue. If waking up early to vie for a digital queue spot or spending time (and cash) to schedule rides utilizing Disney Genie+ just isn’t your thought of a trip, you may take pleasure in hopping briefly standby queues on a whim throughout Disney After Hours.

If you’re an evening owl

If the considered waking up at 6 a.m. and dashing to the parks to be first in line after they swing open the gates makes you need to throw the covers over your head and return to sleep, Disney After Hours is the proper various. You should purchase a Disney After Hours ticket as a substitute of a daily daytime ticket and luxuriate in the identical variety of rides as you’d in the course of the day with out getting up early.

Who should not go to Disney After Hours?

Regardless of my glowing assessment, there are just a few situations the place Disney After Hours is probably not best for you.

If you’re visiting with younger kids

Whereas I noticed a justifiable share of younger children being pushed round in strollers throughout my go to, I might not have introduced my youthful kids to this occasion. My oldest is 10, and I believe this occasion could be excellent for him. Nevertheless, I would not need to spend that cash to convey my 5- and 7-year-olds to Disney After Hours.

On prime of not getting as a lot achieved (their little legs cannot transfer as quick as mine), I do not suppose they’d have been in a position to keep awake till the top of the occasion. This is probably not the case for all children, nevertheless it’s one thing to think about earlier than shopping for a ticket.

If it is your first time visiting a park

Though the crowds are usually not as thick and choose characters are out greeting company, you will not get the total Disney World expertise throughout these occasions. I would not suggest attending Disney After Hours at a park you have by no means visited throughout daytime hours. You may miss out on a number of the eating, leisure and environment which you could solely expertise with a daily daytime ticket.

If you’re hoping for unique experiences

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Occasion and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion are stuffed with unique experiences like nighttime spectaculars, dance events, parades, reside leisure and uncommon characters. Disney After Hours does not have as a lot of this. Whereas I liked seeing Enchantment, it wasn’t my sole cause for going to Disney After Hours.

The obvious advantage of this occasion is how a lot you will get achieved in a brief period of time with smaller crowds. If unique experiences are your aim, I like to recommend one of many holiday-themed after-hours events as a substitute.

Backside line

I had a blast at Disney After Hours, and I’ve already begun recommending it to my family and friends. Whether or not you have been to Disney World dozens of instances and want to strive one thing new otherwise you love squeezing in as many rides as doable throughout your Disney journeys, Disney After Hours is a good way to see the parks in a special mild — or, to be extra correct, at nighttime.

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