A note from Mommy Frog: After a temporary closure due to COVID-19, Walt Disney World Resort is slowly beginning to reopen! Disney Springs began a phased reopening May 20. Walt Disney World Resort will reopen its theme parks in phases, as well, starting July 11 for the general public! Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom will be the first parks to open, followed by EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios July 15. For more details about park openings and procedures, read our blog post, which we will continue to update with the latest news. Guests who have purchased tickets for Disney After Hours from March 16, 2020, through the end of the closure period will be automatically refunded.

'Sup! Tad here. We frogs are always excited to experience Disney World in different ways. So when Disney made it possible to attend late-night events at select parks, we leapt at the opportunity! It wasn't hard to convince me to try it out. Free, unlimited popcorn and ice cream plus staying up super late is basically my dream come true.

Disney After Hours events turn Disney World parks into a whole new world. You get to see the parks come to life under the stars, and you don’t have to deal with large crowds or the mid-day Florida heat. It’s a win-win!

On the other hand, Disney After Hours is a time-limited, separately ticketed event, so you also have to consider whether it’s right for your schedule and budget. In this guide, we cover everything you’d need to know, so you can decide if an After Hours event would be a good fit for your frog fam's vacation.

Overview and Dates | Arriving at After Hours | Rides and Entertainment | Character Meet-and-Greets | Food, Drinks and Merchandise | Villains After Hours | After Hours Tips and Strategies | Is After Hours Worth It?

Disney After Hours Dates & Tickets

Disney’s Animal Kingdom (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)

• Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019
• Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019
• Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019
• Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019
• Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019
• Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020
• Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020
• Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020
• Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020
• Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020
• Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020
• Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020
• Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020
• Thursday, March 5, 2020
• Thursday, March 19, 2020
• Thursday, March 26, 2020
• Wednesday, April 1, 2020
• Tuesday, April 7, 2020
• Tuesday, April 14, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Wednesday, April 22, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Saturday, May 2, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Saturday, May 9, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Saturday, May 16, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Tuesday, May 26, 2020 - No Longer Available

Disney’s Magic Kingdom (event times vary)

• Monday, Nov. 18, 2019 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Monday, Dec. 9, 2019 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Monday, Jan. 6, 2020 (8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)
• Monday, Jan. 13, 2020 (8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)
• Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
• Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
• Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 (8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)
• Monday, Jan. 27, 2020 (8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)
• Friday, Jan. 31, 2020 (8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)
• Monday, Feb. 3, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
• Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
• Monday, Feb. 17, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
• Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.)
• Monday, March 2, 2020 (8 p.m. - 11 p.m.)
• Monday, March 9, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Monday, March 16, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Monday, March 23, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Monday, March 30, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Sunday, April 5, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• Monday, April 13, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.) - No Longer Available
• Monday, April 20, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.) - No Longer Available
• Monday, April 27, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.) - No Longer Available
• Tuesday, May 5, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.) - No Longer Available
• Monday, May 11, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.) - No Longer Available
• Monday, May 18, 2020 (9 p.m. - 12 a.m.) - No Longer Available
• Monday, May 25, 2020 (10 p.m. - 1 a.m.) - No Longer Available

Disney Villains After Hours at Magic Kingdom (10 p.m. to 1 a.m. unless noted below)

• Friday, Feb. 7, 2020*
• Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
• Friday, Feb. 21, 2020*
• Friday, Feb. 28, 2020
• Friday, March 6, 2020*
• Wednesday, March 11, 2020
• Wednesday, March 18, 2020
• Friday, March 27, 2020
• Friday, April 3, 2020
• Friday, April 10, 2020
• Friday, April 17, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, April 24, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, May 1, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, May 8, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Thursday, May 14, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, May 22, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, May 29, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, June 5, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, June 12, 2020 - No Longer Available
• Friday, June 19, 2020
• Friday, June 26, 2020
• Monday, June 29, 2020
• Monday, July 6, 2020
• Friday, July 10, 2020

*Event takes place 9 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Tickets are limited for each date and can sell out, so you’ll want to plan ahead and buy them in advance. Tickets for After Hours events at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom can be purchased in advance for $129 per adult or child, plus tax, or on the day of the event for $139 per adult or child, plus tax. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can take advantage of specially priced advance-purchase tickets for just $99 per adult or child, plus tax.

Hoppin' good news! You can also get After Hours tickets for any of the parks — Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom — from your favorite theme park frogs!

Arriving at Disney After Hours Events

Even though Disney After Hours officially starts sometime between 8 p.m. or 10 p.m. (depending on the event), event guests will be able to enter the parks as early as 7 p.m. You’ll definitely want to take advantage of that extra time! If you'd like to enter before then, you’ll need regular park admission.

If you arrive at (or after) 7 p.m., a cast member will give you a special event wristband when you check in at the entrance. But if you have regular park admission and you’re already inside the park for the afternoon, you won’t have to go all the way to the entrance. There are stations inside the park. For example, when we went to Animal Kingdom’s After Hours, cast members were distributing wristbands at Ticket Corner outside Discovery Trading Company. Just be on the lookout for special event signs!

Once the park closes, guests without wristbands are directed toward the front to exit the park. Expect some overlap, especially near the front of the park as they are leaving at the beginning of the event, but the process happens fairly quickly.

Disney After Hours Rides and Entertainment

As one of the most significant perks of Disney After Hours, you’ll be able to hop right onto your favorite rides with no — or very short — lines. However, it’s important to note that while most rides will be available, not all attractions will be open during the event.

Here are all of the rides, shows and experiences that are offered at each park’s After Hours event (subject to change without notice):

Magic Kingdom

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

Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• DJ Dance Party
• Na’vi River Journey
• Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• DINOSAUR
• Mickey & Minnie Greeting at Adventurers Outpost
• TriceraTop Spin
• It’s Tough to be a Bug!
• Rivers of Light
• Tree of Life Awakenings
• Pandora Drummers - Swotu Wayä

As you can see, this list includes many of the most in-demand rides. When we went to Animal Kingdom’s After Hours, we were able to hit nearly everything on the list — only missing the Pandora Drummers. Our longest wait of the night was Avatar Flight of Passage (no surprise there), but we were in and out of the ride, including its pre-show and the ride itself, just a few minutes short of a half hour. We hopped right onto Expedition Everest and even had the back rows all to ourselves on our first ride. (You bet I conquered that mountain more than once!)

It’s toadally up to you if you want to attempt everything or just take on your favorites again and again!

Disney After Hours Characters

Character meet-and-greets are also available at every After Hours event. However, character greeting locations may be limited. While we loved being only second in line to meet Mickey and Minnie in their safari gear, we wish more friends had joined them at Animal Kingdom when we attended.

Here’s a full list of character greetings at each park’s After Hours event (subject to change without notice):

Magic Kingdom

• Disney Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall

Animal Kingdom

• Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Adventurers Outpost

Disney After Hours Food, Drinks and Merchandise

While exploring the park after hours, you’ll definitely crave a late-night snack. Included in the cost of event admission, unlimited ice cream treats, popcorn and select beverages (bottled water, Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke) will be available at carts stationed throughout the park. Most table-service and quick-service restaurants will be closed, but some select locations may remain open.

Disney Villains After Hours

Disney introduced a wicked twist to this themed After Hours event in summer 2019, and it's making a villainous return in 2020! For 24 select nights from Feb. 7 to July 10, 2020, at Magic Kingdom, malevolent music and frightful lighting will take over the park … it's time for Disney Villains to shine once again! Like any other After Hours event, guests have exclusive three-hour access to over 20 attractions after the park closes, but the event also features a special stage show, a live DJ and specially themed ride overlays. 

Tips and Strategies for Disney After Hours Events

• Arrive at 7 p.m. for early access during normal park hours. You’ll want to maximize your time during the event, and this allows up to two or three extra hours that you can spend inside the park before the event officially begins.
• If you arrive before After Hours officially begins, visit any attraction or show that is unavailable during event hours. For example, we made sure to ride Primeval Whirl and Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom during our extra pre-event time while they were still open!
• Eat dinner before you arrive. While snacks and drinks are provided, only select food locations remain open. You’ll probably want to spend more time in line for rides and character meet-and-greets anyway!
• Prioritize your options. We highly recommend figuring out which rides or experiences are must-dos, and tackling those as soon as you get there. Three hours pass by in the blink of an eye!
• Start with your #1 must-do experience and continue to move from one part of the park to the next. You don’t want to lose precious time hopping back and forth from opposite sides of the park.
• Don’t hesitate to take a short break. You might feel pressured to get everything done in the short amount of time, but don’t get so overwhelmed that you don’t enjoy the experience. (Plus, a break is the best time to eat a Mickey ice cream bar.)

Is Disney After Hours Worth It?

We’ve laid out all the details before you, and now it’s time for you to decide. Whether Disney After Hours is worth it truly comes down to whether it’s right for your family, schedule and budget. To sum it all up, these are the main pointers to consider.

After Hours could be a good fit if ...

• You are a huge Avatar fan and want to hop on those rides with minimal wait times.
• You want to avoid long lines, large crowds and the daytime heat as much as possible.
• You're only visiting Disney World for a short vacation and you just want to hit the highlights. This event can help squeeze in a park that you otherwise might miss due to your schedule's time constraints.

After Hours might not be a good fit if ... 

• You want to experience everything that a park has to offer. Many shows stop performances after the daytime hours, and some rides are not available during After Hours events.
• You like to visit the animals at Animal Kingdom. Kilimanjaro Safaris Expedition does not operate, trails are closed and the entire section of Africa is blocked off during the event.
• Your budget can't accommodate the extra ticket cost.
• You have tadpoles. My sister, Lily, did not come with me on this one, since she's little and heads to bed so early. Instead, my dad, Leap, and I headed in to take advantage of all of the thrills and ice cream we could handle.

Overall, you're bound to have a great time in a nearly empty park with unlimited snacks no matter which event you choose!

If you're ready for a fun night at the parks, be sure to get your Disney After Hours tickets before they sell out. Have any questions? Ask away in the comments below!

Related: All the Glimmering Details of Disney H2O Glow Nights

Stay cool!