Extra hours to spend at Walt Disney World? Yes, please! For those staying on-site at Disney Deluxe resorts, Deluxe Villas and other eligible resorts, there is an incredible added benefit called Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. On select nights, certain parks are open two hours after park closing exclusively to Deluxe and Villa Resort guests. This is an underrated perk that can really help you get more done in the parks. Disney has confirmed the benefit will continue for visits through 2027. Read on for more details about Extended Evening Hours at Disney World!
FAQs
- How do Extended Evening Hours work at Disney? Guests of Deluxe and Villa Resorts at Walt Disney World with valid admission (and a MagicBand, MagicMobile Pass or Keys to the World card) can stay up to two hours in select parks after they close to the public.
- What days are Extended Evening Hours at Disney World? This is subject to change, but you'll typically find Extended Evening Hours on Mondays and Wednesdays (and occasionally Thursdays) at Disney World. Check out Disney's calendar of events for the most up-to-date schedule in the My Disney Experience app!
- Which hotels get Extended Evening Hours at Disney World? Guests of Disney World Deluxe and Villa Resorts, plus a few additional hotels (Disney Swan and Dolphin and Shades of Green) get Extended Evening Hours as a complimentary benefit.
- Which parks are open for Extended Evening Hours at Disney World? EPCOT, Magic Kingdom and sometimes Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are available for Extended Evening Hours at Disney World.
- Which rides are open for Extended Evening Hours at Disney World? Many popular attractions are available for Extended Evening Hours at Disney World, including Tron at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, and, most recently added, the all-new Zootopia: Better Zoogether at Animal Kingdom!
What Are Extended Evening Hours at Disney World?
Extended Evening Hours at Disney World debuted in October 2021 (along with Early Theme Park Entry, which is available to all Disney World hotel guests). Those staying at eligible hotels can utilize both perks to maximize their time. Extended Evening Hours are available for two hours after park closing on select nights. It's similar to the Extra Magic Hours benefit of the past. Typically, EPCOT offers Extended Evening Hours on Mondays, and Magic Kingdom offers Extended Evening Hours on Wednesdays. Be sure to double-check hours and dates on your My Disney Experience closer to your trip to confirm and plan accordingly.
During special event season, the theme park hosting Extended Evening Hours — and the night it's available — may change. During the Halloween season, for example, Hollywood Studios will take over for Magic Kingdom (while it hosts Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party). Then, Extended Evening Hours will be available at Animal Kingdom and EPCOT (while Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom host Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights). The benefit is available for trips through 2027.
Guests need a valid admission, along with a valid linked hotel reservation (and a theme park reservation only for those with non-dated tickets), to access Extended Evening Hours. Those with park hopping abilities must enter their first park, but then may hop over to the park with the extended hours.
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Which Hotels Offer Extended Evening Hours at Disney World?
Guests of Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts and a few select hotels have access to Extended Evening Theme Park Hours on select nights in select theme parks. Here's a full list of participating hotels:
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, including Jambo House and Kidani Village Villas
- Disney's Beach Club Resort and Disney's Beach Club Villas
- Disney's BoardWalk Inn and Disney's BoardWalk Villas
- Disney's Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort
- Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian
- Disney's Old Key West Resort
- Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney's Riviera Resort
- Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney's Wilderness Lodge, including Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas
- The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort - A Disney Vacation Club Resort (only applies to DVC Cabins, not campsites)
- Disney's Yacht Club Resort
- Walt Disney World Swan Resort Hotel
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort
Available Attractions During Extended Evening Hours at Disney World
During Extended Evening Hours, select attractions, merchandise and food and beverage locations operate. While attractions are subject to change without notice due to refurbishments or unplanned closures, here's a full list of the available attractions.
Magic Kingdom Park
- "it's a small world"
- Astro Orbiter
- The Barnstormer
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (reopen as of May 3, 2026)
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- Mad Tea Party
- The Magic Carpet of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mickey's PhilharMagic
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Peter Pan's Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
EPCOT
- Frozen Ever After
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
- Mission: SPACE
- Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin' Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets (opening May 26, 2026)
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- Na'vi River Journey
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether!
Strategy and Insights for Extended Evening Hours at Disney World
We recently utilized Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at Magic Kingdom and hoppily got so much done! We hopped into the park to catch Happily Ever After, but if you are arriving at or near park closure, look for the park turnstile (or signage) for Extended Evening Hours guests.
Once the park was fully closed, we were asked to scan in at rides, much like you would with Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations, so that cast members could verify that we were eligible to stay. You can use your MagicMobile pass on your smartphone or watch or your MagicBand (if your hotel reservation is linked to My Disney Experience), or your Keys to the World card. As a family, we were able to ride Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight and Space Mountain, all during Extended Evening Hours. On top of the rides, we were able to grab a snack or two and take some really beautiful shots of Cinderella Castle, as well as an empty Main Street.
We contemplated riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but at a 50-minute wait, we decided that it took up too much of our precious time that night. However, if you're a family who has been anxiously waiting to ride, the lowest wait times for Mine Train are during Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours. If you'd rather not wait, splurge on a Lightning Lane Single Pass for the ride during regular park hours. Wait times for other rides remained low throughout the evening. About half an hour after Extended Evening Hours began, wait times ranged from 5 to 15 minutes for most rides, with the exceptions of Mine Train and Peter Pan's Flight (which were posted at 25 minutes).
Disney transportation will continue to run during these extended hours — our bus back to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge was ready and waiting for us when we left! If you're at a Bay Lake resort with boat access, such as Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness, ask your skipper upon departing the boat how late it's running, as sometimes buses become the primary transportation option later in the evening.
At EPCOT, our experience with Extended Evening Hours was somewhat limited. Since there were fewer rides offered, we found that lines were longer, particularly for the most popular and high-demand rides. The Extended Evening Hours at EPCOT also typically fall earlier than the hours at Magic Kingdom, so more people may be more willing to stay later (for example, Extended Evening Hours at EPCOT were 9 to 11 p.m. while the hours at Magic Kingdom were 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.). We still think it's worth riding a high-demand attraction during this time, but please note that you may experience longer wait times at the park.
The Extended Evening Hours perk provides wait times from an After Hours party (excluding complimentary food and drink). For smaller children, nighttime may be challenging. But for kiddos (and let's be real, adults who really value their shut-eye) who can handle it, our ideal strategy would be to take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry in the morning, head back to the hotel mid-day for a nap or a swim, then head back at the end of the evening to take advantage of Extended Evening Hours. Use that time to ride popular attractions at their lowest wait times and take some gorgeous photos of an empty park!
Have you attended Extended Evening Hours at Disney World yet? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Your Complete Guide to Disney World Height Requirements and Disney's Rider Switch Service
Hoppy planning!
