Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is an on-site perk for Walt Disney World company staying at a Deluxe Resorts, DVC Villas, and choose different lodges. This technique information covers the whole lot it is advisable to know: eligibility, journey rosters, how the profit works, and suggestions for greatest utilizing the time at evening. (Updated October 27, 2022.)
In phrases of fundamentals, Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is the oblique alternative for Evening Extra Magic Hours and is the present counterpart to Early Theme Park Entry. However, there are a variety of variations between the morning and night further time within the parks.
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours has a smaller pool of eligibility and likewise happens much less regularly. The nighttime profit is solely for company staying at Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas (Disney Vacation Club models), and different choose lodges (at the moment solely the Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Green). Guests staying at Value or Moderate Resorts usually are not eligible for Extended Evening Hours.
October 27, 2022 Update: While initially promoted as a particular perk for the World’s Most Magical Celebration (which ends in March 2023), Walt Disney World has confirmed that Extended Evening Hours will proceed all through all of 2023 for company staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, or different choose lodges.
Additionally, there will probably be Extended Evening Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios choose dates this Christmas season (see full schedule under). Here’s hoping that development additionally continues in 2023!
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours has two kinds of resort eligibility, happens two nights per week, is at two parks, and runs for 2 hours (just about the whole lot concerning the perk happens in twos). It’s often each Monday at Epcot and each Wednesday at Magic Kingdom.
By distinction, Early Entry is obtainable in any respect 4 theme parks each single day, runs for half-hour, and each on-site resort visitor is eligible, together with the third celebration on-property lodges. For the whole lot it is advisable to learn about that profit, see our Strategy Guide for Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World.
The different massive distinction is you can accomplish an incredible quantity throughout Extended Evening Hours. We’ve carried out it at each Epcot and Magic Kingdom, and it’s been a veritable ghost city in each parks–eerily uncrowded by the top, with most points of interest being stroll ons.
With that mentioned, it’s undoubtedly superior at Magic Kingdom, and that’s largely because of the extra sturdy journey roster–and the truth that a number of headliners are positioned close to each other. Magic Kingdom has as many fashionable points of interest in Fantasyland as is the case within the entirety of Epcot. (Read about one such expertise in our Evening Extended Hours at Magic Kingdom Photo Report.)
Speaking of which, just a little extra strategizing is required to be able to knock out Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Test Track, Soarin’ Around the World, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind throughout a single Extended Evening Hours in Epcot.
Read about one in every of our latest makes an attempt at this in Evening Extended Hours at EPCOT Strategy & Report, which affords play-by-play from one evening that we did a pair months in the past. Still, we had a unbelievable time and extremely advocate benefiting from Extended Evening Hours in each parks, should you’re eligible.
Before singing its praises an excessive amount of, we should always most likely handle the elephant within the room: that “if eligible” asterisk. Many Walt Disney World followers have been vital about Extended Evening Hours for excluding Value and Moderate Resorts.
Their perspective is that it caters to the rich or creates two tiers of on-site resort company. Obviously, the purpose about decrease tier resorts not being eligible is correct. The different factors are subjective, and the identical claims might be made about off-site v. on-site company with the Early Entry profit.
Obviously, nobody likes shedding entry to a perk, however the purpose Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are this pleasing is as a result of it’s restricted to a small subset of company. Evening Extra Magic Hours have been crowded to the purpose of being virtually ineffective and unenjoyable of their final couple of years.
Extended Evening Hours are means higher than that, and likewise superior to the brand new early entry providing. That’s regardless of this solely occurring two nights per week and thus “consolidating” crowds into that single night. For probably the most half, there haven’t been a ton of company benefiting from this–and that has been true even throughout peak season. Extended Evening Hours have been wonderful–for many who are eligible.
In any case, we’re not right here to debate the elemental equity of Extended Evening Hours. Rather, the aim of this information is to supply information concerning the profit and aid you take advantage of it.
To that finish, potential choices for benefiting from Extended Evening Hours with out breaking the financial institution embody doing Disney Vacation Club Point Rentals or reserving the Swan & Dolphin Resorts, that are often roughly the price of a Moderate Resort.
Another concept that we actually like is doing a break up keep, splurging on an evening at a Deluxe Resort (see How to Do Split Stays at Walt Disney World Hotels) after which doing price range lodging the remainder of your trip. You may additionally do a two night-stay, checking in on a Monday and out on a Wednesday, to be able to benefit from each Extended Evening Hours nights.
If you actually needed to go massive, pair that with Club Level, benefiting from the early/late hours and having fun with the membership through the center of the day. You may fairly accomplish each worthwhile attraction in Magic Kingdom or Epcot through the first few hours of the day plus the previous couple of hours of the evening. Do breakfast in one of many Club Level lounges, whereas additionally having fun with a pool day and each different foods and drinks unfold (save for desserts). That can be an superior solution to TREAT YO SELF, and might be made doable by chopping prices elsewhere out of your Walt Disney World trip price range.
For these enthusiastic about methods to benefit from the perk, let’s begin with the present schedule, so you’ll be able to plan round it…
Holiday 2022 & Winter 2023 Extended Evening Hours Schedule
Please overview the chart under for the present prolonged night theme park hours schedule:
Date | Theme Park | Extended Hours |
Monday, Oct 24 | EPCOT | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Wednesday, Oct 26 | Magic Kingdom | 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM |
Monday, Oct 31 | EPCOT | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Wednesday, Nov 2 | Magic Kingdom | 10:00 PM to midnight |
Monday, Nov 7 | EPCOT | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Wednesday, Nov 9 | Magic Kingdom | 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM |
Monday, Nov 14 | EPCOT | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Wednesday, Nov 16 | Magic Kingdom | 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM |
Monday, Nov 21 | EPCOT | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Wednesday, Nov 23 | Magic Kingdom | 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM |
Monday, Nov 28 | EPCOT | 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM |
Wednesday, Nov 30 | Magic Kingdom | 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM |
Monday, Dec 5 | EPCOT | 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM |
Wednesday, Dec 7 | Magic Kingdom | 10:00 PM to midnight |
Monday, Dec 12 | EPCOT | 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM |
Wednesday, Dec 14 | Magic Kingdom | 10:00 PM to midnight |
Thursday, Dec 15 | Hollywood Studios | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Monday, Dec 19 | EPCOT | 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM |
Wednesday, Dec 21 | Magic Kingdom | 10:00 PM to midnight |
Thursday, Dec 22 | Hollywood Studios | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Monday, Dec 26 | EPCOT | 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM |
Wednesday, Dec 28 | Magic Kingdom | 10:00 PM to midnight |
Monday, Jan 2 | EPCOT | 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM |
Wednesday, Jan 4 | Magic Kingdom | 10:00 PM to midnight |
*Check again as extra dates are added. Schedule topic to vary.
Normally, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom don’t take part in Extended Evening Theme Park Hours–not an enormous shock, since neither have been staples of Evening EMH in recent times. However, Disney’s Hollywood Studios did take part in Extended Evening Hours earlier this spring, and can once more a few instances through the Christmas 2022 season!
It’s value noting that these uncommon Evening Extra Magic Hours nights (post-Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios have been unbelievable–the gang scenario throughout Evening EMH was at all times higher at DHS. We’d count on the identical to carry true for Extended Evening Hours at DHS, and would extremely advocate taking benefit should you’re ready to take action.
Next, let’s check out the eligible lodges for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours…
Extended Evening Hours Eligible Disney Owned Hotels
Deluxe Resorts
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney Vacation Club & Deluxe Villa Resorts
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Extended Evening Hours Eligible Third Party Hotels
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green
Next, the points of interest lineup for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours…
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours Attractions – Magic Kingdom
- “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
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours Attractions – Epcot
- Beauty and The Beast Sing-Along
- 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
Extended Evening Hours Attractions – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- 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
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
As you’ll be able to see, not all Walt Disney World points of interest can be found throughout Extended Evening Hours. With minor exceptions, these lists are equivalent to the outdated night Extra Magic Hours with headliners being the emphasis.
Moreover, the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours schedule and accessible points of interest are topic to vary with out discover. Applicable theme park, days and instances of operation, attraction and repair availability could range and are topic to vary with out discover. Subject to capability and cancellation. [Insert other boring boilerplate caveats.]
Valid theme park admission and MagicBand, Key to the World Card, or Disney MagicCellular cross is required. Guests with out the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option should spend the day on the identical park the place they’d wish to benefit from the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours profit.
To validate eligibility, Cast Members are stationed exterior every attraction entrance, scanning MagicBands, resort room keys, and so forth. Unlike Early Entry, this occurs at each single attraction all through the evening—not simply as soon as upon arrival. That’s as a result of different company are already within the parks–that’s the one possible solution to decide who can journey points of interest for the reason that parks usually are not actively cleared at the beginning of Extended Evening Hours.
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours Strategy
Strategy for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is surprisingly easy. Start with much less fashionable points of interest and end with extra fashionable ones. Basically, do rides in reverse order of wait instances, whereas nonetheless holding in thoughts that 2 hours goes by rapidly, which means you don’t need to waste any of that point on points of interest that can have minimal daytime waits (assuming you’re additionally visiting the identical park through the day).
One key to that is coupling Extended Evening Theme Park Hours technique with Genie+ and Lightning Lane utilization, or lack thereof. (See our Guide to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes FAQ for the whole lot it is advisable to know.) In specific, company who’re eligible for Extended Evening Hours most likely do not want to purchase Individual Lightning Lanes, and may as an alternative backload these points of interest into the top of their night.
Let’s rapidly run via what this implies for every park.
At Magic Kingdom, your final three points of interest needs to be Space Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train–with that order making probably the most sense. Try to time it so that you get into line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ~5 minutes earlier than the top of Extended Evening Hours. Disregard the posted wait time, because it’ll nearly definitely be considerably inflated to discourage you from doing it.
At Epcot, the technique is a tad tougher as a result of there are solely a handful of fashionable points of interest, all of which command decently-long waits throughout Extended Evening Hours. Conversely, the whole lot else is comparatively unpopular and will probably be a walk-on, however that’s additionally true throughout a lot of the daytime working hours. With that mentioned, finish your night with Soarin’ Around the World, Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Ideally, you’ll leap into line for the Rat Ride about 5 minutes earlier than the top of the evening. The additional advantage right here is that you simply’ll have the ability to take an extended, leisurely stroll out of World Showcase with just about nobody else round. You may even have the ability to go the “long way” round to exit the park–assuming you’re not leaving via International Gateway.
Since Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind makes use of a digital queue, slot that in every time your return is named–ideally nearer to the center of the additional hours than the start or finish.
Note that it’s doable the Cosmic Rewind digital queue will probably be retired earlier than the top of the yr. It’s already simpler to enter the 1 pm digital queue, and that was the harbinger for the top of the boarding group system at each rides that beforehand used it. Plus, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is dependable and high-capacity. It may maintain utilizing the digital queue via Christmas 2022, however don’t rely on it.
We haven’t carried out Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Extended Evening Theme Park Hours and so much has modified since this park final provided Evening Extra Magic Hours. Namely, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is working and not using a digital queue and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is open, interval.
When DHS affords one other Extended Evening Hours, our suggestion is beginning with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, adopted by Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, and ending with Slinky Dog Dash earlier than leaping in line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance proper on the very finish of the evening. That’ll seemingly be the perfect technique, and one we hope to check in December 2022!
Ultimately, that’s the whole lot it is advisable to learn about Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at Walt Disney World. What you do earlier within the evening doesn’t actually matter, as long as you put aside adequate time for the aforementioned headliners on the very finish.
We will proceed updating this technique information within the coming months as Extended Evening Hours proceed to evolve, and as issues “settle down” and discover their groove. Stay tuned–we’ll proceed to cowl all the necessary planning particulars and likewise share extra Extended Evening Hours picture reviews from our experiences with this new on-site resort profit!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about lodges on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips submit takes a singular take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for the whole lot it is advisable to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at Walt Disney World? Excited to benefit from the brand new on-site visitor perk or assume it’s too quick to be helpful? Disappointed concerning the eligibility guidelines or attraction lineups? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!