Planning on getting the most out of your Disney trip? Why not avoid the crowds, and plan a late evening instead? Disney After Hours events get you into the parks, after hours, giving you the chance to ride your favorite rides, over and over, without the wait. Add in some complimentary popcorn, and ice cream bars, and your ready for an evening of theme park fun. We’re sharing 2026 Disney After Hours Dates, Details and all the reasons that this extra ticket may be worth it ( or not) for your next Disney World Trip.
In typical Walt Disney World fashion, there is always another party, another festival, or another special event to add more magic to your already magical Disney Vacation. Disney After Hours events are no exception. But, of course this perk costs extra! So, with the high cost of yet another ticket and limited hours, one has to ask; Is the Disney After Hours event at Walt Disney World Worth it? Here is everything to know about Disney After Hours this year. From ticket prices, to hours to complimentary snacks.
Getting the chance to head to the parks without the crowds, is always a good idea. And if you’re okay not starting your park day until about 7 PM, you can probably get in more rides during party time hours, than during a typical park day. See at Disney After Hours, you can expect limited capacity, complimentary snacks, and low wait times.
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Disney World After Hours Details
Not to be confused with Extended Evening Hours at Disney World, the Disney After Hours Events take place after the park closes, and requires a special ticket. Party guests get late-night access to the parks, with the chance to ride any of the 20+ open rides, without the line waits.
Disney After Hours Parties are 3 hours long but allow guests to enter the park early at 7 p.m., giving partygoers between 5.5 to 6 hours in the park on an After Hours Ticket.
The biggest perk of a Walt Disney World After Hours event is the extremely low wait times. Think 5-10 minutes for all your favorite rides. While not every ride or area in the park is open, all the main attractions are part of this event. The park is close to empty, in a fun and eerie sort of way.
Disney World After Hours Tickets
When offered, you can grab After Hours tickets on Disney’s Special Events page. 2026 Disney After Hours Ticket Prices range between $155- $199 depending on your selected park and date.
- Magic Kingdom After Hours Tickets are from $175 to $199 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by date).
- Hollywood Studios After Hours Tickets are from $155 to $189 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by date).
- EPCOT After Hours Tickets are from $155 to $179, plus tax (prices vary by date).
On par with prices for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. But, there does tend to be fewer crowds. It’s also meant for adults and gives a level of exclusivity you do not get at the parties. So what you’re really paying for here is a close-to-empty park with the opportunity to enjoy all the attractions you like without the wait.
Are There Discounts Available for Disney After Hours?
Yes. For both Disney Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Members, there is a $30 Discount offered for select nights in 2026.
What’s Included with your Disney After Hours Ticket?
- 3 hours After Hours access to the park
- Limited capacity offers lower crowds and less wait time
- Special character greetings and encounters
- Specialty Snacks available for purchase
- Specialty Merchandise
- Special Entertainment
- Complimentary Snacks include unlimited popcorn, ice cream treats, and bottled beverages.
Disney World After Hours Food
As part of your Disney After Hours Ticket, you can enjoy Complimentary snacks, available throughout the park. Ice cream novelties, popcorn, and select bottled beverages are all included in the cost of this ticketed event, available at carts stationed throughout the park. As such you won’t typically find Table-Service or Quick-Service Restaurants open.
That said, be sure to grab dinner prior to the party or at a quick service location in the park when you arrive at 7 p.m. While you may find a couple of places open after 9 pm, most food places are usually closed.
Magic Kingdom After Hours 2026
Magic Kingdom After Hours are available on select evenings from January 12 to July 27, 2026. Disney After Hours Times at Magic Kingdom are 10 PM- 1 AM, and guests are able to enter the parks as early as 7 PM the day of the event.
Magic Kingdom After Hours Dates
- January 12 and 19
- February 2, 9 and 23
- March 2 and 9
- April 13 and 20
- May 4, 11, 18 and 25
- June 1, 22, and 29
- July 13 and 27
Magic Kingdom After Hours Ticket Prices
After Hours Magic Kingdom Tickets are $175 to $199 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by date).
Rides Open at Magic Kingdom After Hours
Highlighted rides are included in this list below, and subject to change, but for the most part, additional rides like Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin, Tomorrowland Peoplemover, and Pirates of the Caribbean are all typically included as well.
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
- Space Mountain
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Mad Tea Party
Magic Kingdom Fireworks at After Hours
In addition to all the rides and extra fun around the park you can also sit back and relax, with an uncrowded view of the Disney Enchantment Fireworks Show in 2026. Available exclusively during Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park.
Hollywood Studios After Hours 2026
Hollywood Studios After Hours are available on select evenings from January 14 to September 12, 2026. Hollywood Studios After Hours Times are 9:30 PM- 12:30 AM. However, the May 30th event will run from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and the Sept. 12th event will run from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Guests are able to enter the parks as early as 7 PM the day of the event.
Hollywood Studios After Hours Dates
- January 14 and 28
- February 4, 11, 21 and 25
- April 29
- May 6, 14 and 30
- June 3, 10, 17 and 24
- July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29
- August 5, 12, 19 and 26
- September 2 and 12
Hollywood Studios After Hours Ticket Prices
After Hours Hollywood Studios Tickets are $155 to $189 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by date).
Rides Open at Hollywood Studios After Hours
Highlighted rides are included in this list below, and subject to change, but for the most part, additional rides like Star Tours, are all typically included as well.
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania!
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Entertainment at Hollywood Studios After Hours
In addition to the whirlwind of rides that can fill your Hollywood Studios After Hours evening, you can also head over to Oga’s Cantina to enjoy the stylings of DJ R-3X Music and grab additional food and drinks (not included in your ticket price).
Plus Disney characters as Surprise Character Encounters are set to be out in the parks, for impromptu sightings, and a quick hello! So keep and eye out.
EPCOT After Hours 2026
EPCOT After Hours are available on select evenings from January 22 to September 24, 2026. EPCOT After Hours Times are 9:30 PM- 12:30 AM. and guests are able to enter the parks as early as 7 PM the day of the event. Note that many of the World Showcase gift shop locations and restaurants are closed during the event.
EPCOT After Hours Dates
- January 22 and 29
- February 19
- March 5 and 12
- April 2, 9, 15, 23 and 30
- May 21
- June 11 and 18
- July 9 and 23
- August 6 and 13
- September 16 and 24
EPCOT After Hours Ticket Prices
After Hours EPCOT Tickets are $155 to $179 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by date).
Rides Open for After Hours at EPCOT
Highlighted rides are included in this list below, and subject to change, but for the most part, additional rides like The Sea with Nemo and Friends, are all typically included as well.
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin’
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track Presented by General Motors
Entertainment at Epcot After Hours
Character Meet and Greets at After Hours are offered throughout the night at EPCOT for this event. As it’s a relaxed environment you can see a variety of characters in the park.
- Mickey Mouse at the Dreamer statue
- Goofy at the DJ dance party in CommuniCore Plaza
- Minnie Mouse at the France gazebo
Plus, Goofy’s Jam Session Dance Party is happening over at CommuniCore Plaza throughout the night. So be sure to stop by and relax, or join in on the fun.
Animal Kingdom After Hours 2026
Animal Kingdom Park is not offering a Disney After Hours in 2026.
Disney World After Hours Tips
Just like making the most of Disney World Events, half the work is in the planning. In order to make the most of your After Hours Party time we recommend reviewing these tips, so that you can get prepared and enjoy the evening.
Maximize Your Time
Arrive at the Park just before 7 pm. This way you can enter the park ASAP and start having fun right away and stretch a 3-hour long event to 5 hours.
Before the Party Starts
Since you’ll be arriving in the park before the event you’ll have the option to take advantage of ALL the in-park entertainment, attractions, and food options. We recommend getting in all the things that won’t be available during the party; character meet and greets, fireworks, etc.
Focus on the Rides and Entertainment
While the lure of “Free Food” is always exciting, keep in mind that the Complimentary Snacks at this event are basic. Popcorn, ice cream treats, and bottled beverages are relatively low-cost, so don’t spend the night waiting in lines for free snacks. Focus on grabbing these snacks in between the rides and entertainment.
Grab Extra Free Snacks at the End of the Night
While we don’t recommend focusing on the free snacks, we do recommend grabbing some to take back to your resort before you leave. Heck, free is free! Right? Grab some extra treats for later.
Take Advantage of PhotoPass
Night photos are fun to take but they do take practice to get the right lighting, contrast, composition, and everything else! Plus, if a PhotoPass photographer snaps your picture, you are guaranteed a halfway decent picture. We recommend being sure to get a picture in front of the castle on the way out. Your chances of a picture without the people in the background are pretty good as it gets later in the evening.
Disney World After Hours Review
From a budget standpoint, a Disney After Hours ticket is equivalent to a full-day ticket in some cases. It’s also more than a party ticket for either of Magic Kingdom’s main parties; Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. However, if you look at Disney’s After Hours event through the lens of how many rides you can get in during a certain period of time, we can guarantee you’re better off staying up late for this event.
A daytime trip to Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios will be crowded and will require waits whether it be for characters, rides, or experiences. Additionally, certain rides may be completely unattainable! Snow White’s Mine Ride and Rise of the Resistance routinely have high waits and you may not get to them during your trip.
Is Disney After Hours Good for Kids?
While the Disney After Hours Events are one of our top things to do at Disney World for Adults, we feel differently about it for families. Disney After Hours isn’t great for kids under 10 years old. But this is a decision only you can make for yourself and your family. There are a few reasons that a Disney After Hours Event may not be great for little ones. The late hours alone require a lot from children who may have already had a very mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting day.
The pace of an After Hours event is all about fitting in EVERYTHING you want to do in a short period of time. While the lines are low, covering the ground of the park in a few hours, means potentially walking fast and racing around to get it all in. Only you know what your kids may, or may not be, up for.
Who Should Attend Disney After Hours?
This After Hours event at Walt Disney World is perfect for people who may be taking shorter vacations and won’t be able to take 2 days in the park. Mainly because you can tackle more rides in a few hours, in an uncrowded park, than during daytime hours. It’s also wonderful for Disney Adults who want to maximize their time in the parks, so they can spend their vacation enjoying other things like restaurants, resorts, and Disney Springs.
Hopefully, this gives you a good idea as to whether or not a Disney After Hours event is worth it for you and your family. Let us know your thoughts!
Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she’s watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.
