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How to Make the Most Out of Disney After Hours Events — 2026 Tickets On Sale Now!

by Tad on January 11, 2026

121 Orlando Video

'Sup! Tad here. Free, unlimited popcorn and ice cream, plus staying up super late, is basically my jam, so I toadally love attending Disney After Hours events. Enjoy little-to-no waits on your favorite attractions at Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Disney After Hours returns on select nights in 2026! 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 you — as well as our top tips for attending. (Psst ... you can save some extra green by purchasing through your favorite frogs — tickets are on sale now!)

FAQs

What are Disney After Hours events? Disney After Hours events are limited-capacity events that take place at select parks after official park hours.
When do these events take place? After Hours events are three hours long and usually take place on select nights from January to September.
Which parks host After Hours events? You'll usually find After Hours at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios — plus Disney H2O Glow After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.
What's included? Low capacity means short lines for rides! The majority of rides are open, and you can enjoy complimentary snacks and bottled beverages.
Where can I get discount Disney After Hours tickets? Undercover Tourist is now selling 2026 Disney After Hours tickets. (Disney H2O Glow tickets usually go on sale later in the spring.)

Disney After Hours Events Overview

First appearing in 2016, 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 midday 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.

Disney After Hours events allow guests to stick around the participating parks after normal park hours with limited crowds. Yipee! 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 during the official event time!

These three-hour nighttime events typically happen from January to September. Be sure to check out some of our park-specific After Hours guides — Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, H2O Glow After Hours — for even more details.

They may have a similar name, but it’s important to point out that Disney After Hours events are NOT the same as Extended Evening Hours. The extended evening theme park hours are a benefit that allows Disney Deluxe Resort hotel guests to stay in a park a few hours later than normal park hours. This offering is exclusive to deluxe resorts and does not require a separate purchase beyond valid park admission, unlike Disney After Hours events.

Disney After Hours Dates & Tickets

Disney After Hours is returning in 2026 on select nights at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. The event normally takes place from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Hollywood Studios and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. You may enter as early as 7 p.m. with only an event ticket.

Magic Kingdom

Monday, Jan. 12, 2026
Monday, Jan. 19, 2026
Monday, Feb. 2, 2026
Monday, Feb. 9, 2026
Monday, Feb. 23, 2026
Monday, March 2, 2026
Monday, March 9, 2026
Monday, April 13, 2026
Monday, April 20, 2026
Monday, May 4, 2026
Monday, May 11, 2026
Monday, May 18, 2026
Monday, May 25, 2026
Monday, June 1, 2026
Monday, June 22, 2026
Monday, July 13, 2026
Monday, July 27, 2026

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026
Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Saturday, May 30, 2026*
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026
Saturday, Aug. 26, 2026
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026**

*On May 30, Disney After Hours will run from 10:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m.

**On Sept. 12, Disney After Hours will run from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.

EPCOT

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026
Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026

For select Disney Resort hotel guests, 2026 tickets went on Oct. 9, 2025 (including guests booked at Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green). For the general public, tickets went on sale Oct. 14, 2025 (and don't worry – your favorite frogs are offering discount tickets for all event dates!).

Arriving at Disney After Hours Events

Even though Disney After Hours officially starts sometime between 9:30 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. (depending on the event), event guests can enter the parks as early as 7 p.m. You’ll definitely want to take advantage of that extra time! If arriving at 7 p.m. or later, only an event ticket is required. If you'd like to enter before then, you’ll need regular park admission. Park reservations are no longer needed for those with date-based tickets. (Annual passholders may still need to make a park reservation.)

Experience all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks this summer with the 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket! Valid for arrivals from May 26 to Sept. 26, 2026.

If you arrive at (or after) 7 p.m., head to the specific event turnstiles where you'll receive a special event wristband. 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 typically stations inside the park where cast members distribute wristbands. 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. There are typically 30 minutes to an hour from when the park closes to when After Hours officially starts to allow for this transition. 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. Depending on the park hours, there may not be any transition time. On our Magic Kingdom night, the park closed at 10 p.m., the same time as the event started, so just know you may have some crowds up until the event starts.

Before the event starts, we recommend eating dinner if you have not done so previously. Most restaurants are closed during After Hours, plus you'll want to maximize your event time. The overlap with regular park hours is a great time to do anything not open during the event. We recommend Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios or the fireworks at EPCOT or Magic Kingdom as the perfect time filler.

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. (Note that during the transition time from park close to event start, you can hop on any available ride by showing your event wristband. Ride wait times will not appear in the My Disney Experience app during this time, but all event attractions should remain open.)

Here are the rides you can expect to be open:

Magic Kingdom

Jungle Cruise
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Pirates of the Caribbean
Swiss Family Treehouse
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
Country Bear Musical Jamboree
Haunted Mansion
The Barnstormer
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
"it's a small world"
Mad Tea Party
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Peter Pan's Flight
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Under the Sea — Journey of The Little Mermaid
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (temporarily closed for refurbishment and is planned to open in 2026)
Space Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
TRON Lightcycle / Run

Hollywood Studios

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (which will debut a brand-new story featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu and other frogciting updates on May 22, 2026)
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Alien Swirling Saucers
Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Mania!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (which will be transforming into Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets in 2026)

EPCOT

Note that the World Showcase section from China through Morocco is closed during the event, so you'll need to go from Norway, Mexico, the entrance to World Showcase, Canada, the United Kingdom and then France.

At these events, you're able to enjoy nearly every ride, either before or during the event! Most rides are typically under a 10-minute wait, often even a walk-on!

Characters at Disney After Hours

Character meet-and-greets may also be available at every After Hours event. However, character greeting locations may be limited. At Hollywood Studios, there are lots of rare characters that rotate throughout the night, such as Stitch, Jimmy Cricket and even Duffy. At Magic Kingdom, you can visit Mickey at Town Square Theater. At EPCOT, expect to find Mickey Mouse at the Dreamer statue, Goofy at the DJ dance party in CommuniCore Plaza and Minnie Mouse at the France gazebo. You can expect that character greetings will be more limited during the party than during daytime hours, so if characters are a priority, hop to it during that early entry period!

Entertainment at Disney After Hours

The nighttime fireworks spectacular "Enchantment" came back again for Disney After Hours events at Magic Kingdom in 2025. If you come early on event nights, you can catch both "Happily Ever After" and "Enchantment." It's double the fun!

Over in EPCOT, the party is going all night long at Goofy's DJ dance party at CommuniCore Plaza, where you can show Goofy your best dance moves! Plus, hop on over to the Canada Mill Stage where you can toast, groove and howl under the moon with your squad.

PhotoPass photographers are also available at select locations during the event.

Disney After Hours Dining & Shopping

While exploring the park after hours, you’ll definitely crave a late-night snack. Included in the cost of event admission are unlimited ice cream treats (Mickey bar, Mickey sandwich and strawberry bar), popcorn and select beverages (bottled water, Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke), available at carts stationed throughout the park once the event officially begins.

Most table-service and quick-service restaurants will be closed, but some select locations may remain open. We recommend eating dinner before the event starts so you can easily grab the complimentary snacks as you walk.

Though we don't recommend spending too much time shopping during the event, select merchandise shops may be open during event hours. Limited walk-up availability may be offered at both Savi's Workshop and Droid Depot.

Themed Disney After Hours Events

Disney H2O Glow After Hours

Typically held each summer, Disney H2O Glow After Hours is a separately ticketed event at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. This tadpole-friendly event features DJ dance parties, specialty food and drink, and a chance to enjoy your favorite water attractions glowing at night. Check out our guide to H2O Glow After Hours for all the hoppin' details.

Tips and Strategies for Disney After Hours Events

Here are our top tips for attending 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. Remember that you can get in at 7 p.m. with just your After Hours ticket. If you want to get there earlier, you'll need to have valid admission — and possibly a park reservation if you're an annual passholder. (Those with date-based tickets do not need a park reservation.)
If you arrive before After Hours officially begins, visit any attraction or show that is unavailable during event hours. For example, last year, we watched Fantasmic while at Hollywood Studios. At EPCOT, be sure to enjoy the World Showcase pavilions during regular park hours, as most of the countries are roped off during the event.
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 you have, 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 want to hop on those popular rides with minimal wait times.
You want to avoid long lines, large crowds and the daytime heat as much as possible.
You're a huge "Star Wars" fan. Honestly, with one of this year's events taking place in Hollywood Studios, we think it's an incredible opportunity to visit with shorter wait times AND get a fun nighttime ambiance.
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.
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 park 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!

Stay cool!