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You are here: Home / Walt Disney World / Is Disney After Hours Worth the Cost?
Enjoy Slinky Dog Dash with no wait during Disney After Hours! Photo credit: Renee Virata / Military TravelingMom

Is Disney After Hours Worth the Cost?

June 9, 2019 //  by Renee Virata//  3 Comments

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With each passing year, the Disney After Hour events keep getting bigger and better. In 2019, Disney After Hours will be held at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Each event includes free snacks, character meet & greets and shorter wait times for popular attractions. But with increasing ticket prices, is Disney After Hours worth the cost?

Watch Toy Story land light up during Disney After Hours.
Toy Story Land comes to life once the sun goes down! Photo credit: Renee Virata

Is Disney After Hours Worth It?

1. What is Disney After Hours
2. What is included with your ticket?
3. Are There Discounts Available for Disney After Hours?
4. Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park
5. Disney’s Villains After Hours at Magic Kingdom
6. Disney After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
7. Disney After Hours Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
Bottom Line: Is Disney After Hours Worth The Cost?

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You’ve heard the hype, but if you’re still on the fence, we’ve got the scoop on whether Disney After hours is worth it – or not.

1. What is Disney After Hours?

Disney After Hours is a Walt Disney World special event that takes place on select nights after the park has closed. The event requires a separate admission ticket. Purchase tickets online, by calling (407) 939-2742 or at the parks on the day of the event. Tickets for the regular Disney After Hours in 2019 are $125 (plus tax) when purchased in advance and $129 (plus tax) at the parks. For the Disney Villains After Hours, tickets are $139 (plus tax) online and $144 (plus tax) at the park. Even though the savings are minimal, I highly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance to save a few dollars. Plus, the events have a limited capacity and can sell out, so getting your tickets early means you won’t miss out!

Each After Hours event lasts three hours with the start times between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. depending on date and park. But guests with Disney After Hours event tickets can enter the park as early as 7 p.m.

2. What is Included With Your After Hours tickets?

Besides gaining entry into the park after closing, Disney After Hours tickets gives guests access to popular rides including Peter Pan, Flight of Passage and Toy Story Mania. All with wait times much shorter than normal! There is also the opportunity to snag character photos and autographs from character greetings you may have missed during regular Disney park hours.

And everyone’s favorite perk – free snacks and drinks. Choices include ice cream novelties, popcorn, and bottled beverages. Depending on the cart, you may even be able to get a box of popcorn with a closeable top so you can take it back to your hotel room.

3. Are There Discounts Available for Disney After Hours?

Yes! Disney World Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members can get tickets for a discounted price of $95 (plus tax) for the regular After Hours and $109 (plus tax) for the Disney Villains After Hours.

Find out if Disney After Hours is worth the cost.

4. Magic Kingdom After Hours

Magic Kingdom After Hours takes place from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. on May 23 and 30, 2019. Tickets are available for purchase now.

The After Hours event at Magic Kingdom gives ticket holders access to over 25 attractions and character meet & greets including:

  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  • Space Mountain
  • Splash Mountain
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
  • Haunted Mansion
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Astro Orbiter
  • Mickey’s PhilharMagic
  • Disney Princess Greets at Fairytale Hall

Read More: Everything You Need to Know to Plan the Best Disney World Vacation!

5. Disney’s Villain After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park

The new Disney After Hours is taking a wicked turn with the Villains After Hours at Magic Kingdom. This spooky good time will take place throughout the summer months and will include everything that a regular event does. But the Villains event will add a special nighttime stage show featuring Disney’s evil Dr. Facilliar and Maleficent. Wickedly themed treats and merchandise are available for purchase. Guests will also be able to dress up in costumes during this special night, but make sure to follow all the Disney costume rules!

The Villains event takes place on June 6, 13, 20, 27, July 1, 11, 18, 25, and August 1 and 8, 2019. With the popularity of the Disney Villains, I suggest getting your tickets soon, before they sell out!

Take advantage of the short wait times during Disney After Hours to ride Slinky Dog Dash.
Enjoy Slinky Dog Dash with no wait during Disney After Hours! Photo credit: Renee Virata

6. Disney’s Hollywood Studios After Hours

Guests holding that magic After Hours ticket will get to explore Disney’s Hollywood Studios from 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. on May 31 and June 14, 21, 28, 2019. Take a ride on the newest family coaster, Slinky Dog Dash; meet your favorite droid, BB-8; or drop into the Hollywood Tower Hotel – all with minimal wait! Here are a few more attractions you can experience:

  • Alien Swirling Saucers
  • Toy Story Mania!
  • Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  • Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  • Star Wars Launch Bay

And don’t forget to grab your free snacks and bottled drinks at the carts throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

7. Disney After Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Once the sun goes down, Disney’s Animal Kingdom becomes an incredible sight, especially Pandora – The World of Avatar! Disney After Hours takes place from 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. June 4, 11, 18, 2019. The event at Animal Kingdom does have some notable drawbacks, such as Africa is completely blocked off. But check out the list of attractions and experiences still open:

  • Avatar Flight of Passage
  • Na’vi River Journey
  • Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
  • DINOSAUR
  • It’s Tough to be a Bug!
  • TriceraTop Spin
  • Tree of Life Awakenings
  • Rivers of Light
  • Pandora Drummers – Swotu Wayä
  • Mickey & Minnie Greeting at Adventurers Outpost
See Rivers of Light During Disney After Hours at Disney's Animal Kingdom
See Animal Kingdom’s nighttime show, Rivers of Light during Disney After Hours. Photo credit: Renee Virata

So, Is After Hours Worth The Cost?

Without a doubt, Disney After Hours is worth the cost for our family! We are both annual passholders and Disney Vacation Club members, so we do get a discount on tickets. But even if we didn’t, I think it would be worth it. Anything that lets me ride Flights of Passage, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Slinky Dog Dash without having to wait 100+ minutes is a win in my book!
Add in the free ice cream, popcorn, and bottled drinks and my family of five saves tons of money plus my sanity because I don’t have to listen to how hungry and thirsty they are. And being able to enjoy the Disney parks without having to fight the Florida summer heat is truly priceless!
Now if you have younger kids who won’t be able to stay up after dark, Disney After Hours may not be worth it. We choose not to go to a park during the day when we have a late night event ticket. Instead, we use the day to relax in our room, hang out poolside or take advantage of the resort activities. Not only do we get to save a day on our park tickets, but we also get to relax so we’re ready to go when it’s party time! This helps justify the extra we spend on the Disney After Hour tickets!
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Category: Walt Disney World

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3 Comments on “Is Disney After Hours Worth the Cost?”

  1. Deb says:
    January 24, 2020 at 1:48 pm

    Getting AP in march 2020. Going back in June 2020. Will that be too late to get the villain party tickets. I could save a bit. But I don’t want to miss out on the party either. Thank you

    Reply
  2. Chalese says:
    November 14, 2019 at 2:19 pm

    We are planning on going to WDW during MLK Jr. Weekend. There is a Animal Kingdom After Dark event and I was wondering if that event would make that park busier during the day. Should we do that day and not go to the special event or plan another day to visit animal kingdom because it will be busier because of the event?

    Reply
  3. Bryan Hixson says:
    June 5, 2019 at 9:43 pm

    When you get your after hours ticket and they let you in at 7 what rides can you rides until the after hours start at 10!

    Reply

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