I'm all about maximizing my time at Walt Disney World and trying to get short waits on rides. So you know I am thrilled that Disney After Hours events are now at one of my favorite parks — Disney's Hollywood Studios. Galaxy's Edge, here we come! All rides are open to event guests, including access to the popular Rise of the Resistance. Get ready for those empty nighttime Millennium Falcon and lightsaber photos! And even more events are coming in 2025! (Psst ... tickets are on sale now — save some extra green by purchasing through your favorite frogs!)
Overview of Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios
Disney After Hours is a three-hour, separately ticketed event that allows guests to stick around after normal park hours with limited crowds. That means you’ll encounter little-to-no lines while you wait for rides, character meet-and-greets and other experiences at the parks. Plus, you'll get complimentary popcorn, ice cream and bottled beverages throughout the night once the event officially starts! Check out our complete guide to Disney After Hours so you can get the full scoop on other parks including Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Oh, and we have all the deets on both H2O Glow After Hours at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park!
Dates and Tickets
Disney's Hollywood Studios offers an After Hours event about once a week, typically on Wednesdays. The event hours run from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., and you may enter as early as 7 p.m. with an event ticket. If you wish to enter before 7 p.m., you'll need regular park admission. If already inside the park, you can receive your wristband at select locations.
Here are the newly announced dates in 2025:
- Jan. 22 and 29
- Feb. 12 and 19
- March 5 and 26*
- April 1* and 30
- May 14 and 28
- June 4,11 and 25
- July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
- Aug. 6, 20 and 27
- Sept. 3
*On March 26 and April 1, Disney After Hours will run from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Did you know Undercover Tourist offers discount tickets to Disney After Hours? Tickets are on sale to the public, as of Sept. 10, 2024. Guests of Walt Disney World Resort hotels can purchase as of Sept. 4, 2024.
What's Offered at Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios
While the entire park is open for you to explore, not everything will be open during the event. The good news is — all rides are available during Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios!
Attractions:
- Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
- Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Characters (subject to availability):
- Keep an eye out for rare characters around Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake and Grand Avenue. At past events, we saw special characters such as Jiminy Cricket, Stitch, Jasmine and Duffy!
Dining
- Ice cream treats (Mickey bar, Mickey sandwich and strawberry bar)
- Popcorn
- Bottled beverages (bottled water, Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke)
- Select items for purchase at Woody's Lunchbox, Milk Stand and Anaheim Produce, as well as select outdoor bars
- Limited walk-up availability at Oga's Cantina
Shopping
- Mickey's of Hollywood, Tatooine Traders, The Marketplace at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities, Jessie's Trading Post, Tower Hotel Gifts
- Limited walk-up availability at Savi's Workshop and Droid Depot
What's Not Offered During Disney After Hours?
Something to keep in mind for Disney After Hours is while all the rides are open, there are no stage shows. Here's what is not available during the event so you know what to expect:
Unavailable Characters:
- Mickey and Minnie at Red Carpet Dreams
- Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
- Ariel at Walt Disney Presents
- Chewbacca, BB-8 and Darth Vader in Star Wars Launch Bay
- Donald and Daisy on the balcony near Oscar's Super Service
- Goofy on the balcony at Tower of Terror
- Doc McStuffins, Fancy Nancy, Vampirina and Pluto in Animation Courtyard
- Jessie and Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story Land
- Kylo Ren and Stormtroopers near First Order Cargo
Unavailable Shows:
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Disney Junior Dance Party
Unavailable Restaurants:
- Quick-service: ABC Commissary, Backlot Express, PizzeRizzo, Docking Bay 7, Ronto Roasters, Kat Saka's Kettle, Dockside Diner, Trolley Car Cafe, Catalina Eddie's, Fairfax Fare, BaseLine Tap House, The Market, Rosie's All-American Cafe
- Table-service: Hollywood Brown Derby, 50s Prime Time Cafe, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, Hollywood & Vine, Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Tips and Strategy for Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios
In order to maximize your time at After Hours, we've compiled our top tips and strategy for your night at Hollywood Studios.
- Arrive as close to 7 p.m. as possible to get the most park time for your money. We recommend eating dinner during this time if you have not already. Since most of the restaurants are closed during the event, the bonus time is a perfect way to try some of the great dining options at Hollywood Studios. Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for hours as some restaurants are only open for lunch.
- The pre-event time is also great for doing anything not available during the event, such as Muppet*Vision 3D. We also highly recommend watching Fantasmic and/or Disney Movie Magic and Wonderful World of Animation.
- There is typically half an hour between when the park closes and the event starts. Day guests can enter a ride up until 9 p.m., so there will still be some longer ride lines until the day guests are fully filtered out. During the in-between time, you can hop on any available ride by showing your event wristband. The complimentary snacks and drinks will not start until 9:30 p.m.
- Check the My Disney Experience app just before park close to get an idea of wait times. Ride wait times will not appear in the My Disney Experience app during the transition time, but all event attractions should remain open (wait times will reappear at 9:30 p.m.). We chose to ride Star Tours since it had a five-minute posted time. If you are looking to do all rides, this is a great one to knock out first anytime before the event starts.
- You'll want to decide if your goal is to either do each ride once or ride your favorites multiple times. Every ride is doable, especially if you go on each ride as you come to them instead of hopping around. Unlike Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios is not a perfect circle so your order can vary. You can also decide to repeat rides while you have the chance, especially in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. It's not often you can ride Rise of the Resistance multiple times in one day!
- Keep an eye out for rare characters that rotate throughout the night, such as Duffy!
- The shops and food carts close when the event ends at 12:30 a.m., so grab any last complimentary snacks and drinks before then.
What We Love About Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios
Just How Much You Can Get Done
Even with only three hours, you can get just as many rides done as a full park day, and even potentially more! We did every ride with either a walk-on or under a 20-minute wait, which is nearly unheard of for popular attractions such as Rise of the Resistance or Slinky Dog Dash. Doing all the rides during a regular day would mean waiting in lines most of the time, but instead, we could hop right on!
Experiencing the Parks in a Whole New Way
It's always fun to see the theme parks at night, especially Toy Story Land and Galaxy's Edge. It feels extra magical all lit up, plus it is a great way to escape the Florida heat.
The Calmness and Lack of Crowds
Tickets are limited for this event so you'll find the park nearly empty in some places. It's very peaceful with such low crowds. Staying up late can be draining but with very little standing in line, you hardly realize how late it is. Plus at any point, you can get a pick-me-up with free popcorn, ice cream and drinks!
Is It Worth It?
Disney After Hours is definitely worth the cost considering how much you can get done, especially with the number of popular attractions at Hollywood Studios. We think the event is highly recommended for the following:
- You aren't planning to go during the day with a regular park ticket, which will have similar costs, especially if you factor in purchasing Lightning Lane passes.
- You can book for your arrival day if you know your family can stay up late after a day of traveling. This could be especially ideal for those traveling from the West Coast. Reverse jet lag for the win!
- You are looking for a little-to-no wait for Rise of the Resistance. We know for many, this might just seal the deal!
After Hours might not be a good fit if ...
- You can only get to Hollywood Studios once during your trip and you want to experience everything that the park has to offer. The park has such a variety of shows and characters that are definitely worth seeing!
- You have young tadpoles that won't make it past midnight.
Have you attended Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios? Let us know your experiences in the comments below!
Related: How to Make the Most Out of Disney After Hours Events at Disney World
Keep hopping!
