Is Disney After Hours Worth the Cost?

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?

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.

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

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!