Magic Kingdom’s After Hours is an exciting experience that occurs at Walt Disney World after the sun has gone down and the park gates have closed!
The After Hours events promise a night of fun, enchantment, tasty food and beverages, and access to all your favorite attractions.
However, the ticket price is higher than a ticket for entering the park on a regular day. So, is it worth it?
Let this guide be your comprehensive review of the Magic Kingdom After Hours experience!
We’ll detail:
- Exactly what to expect
- How to plan your evening
- Whether or not you can get value for money.
Let’s get into it!
Overview of Magic Kingdom After Hours
Held at Walt Disney World in Florida, USA, The Disney After Hours event at Magic Kingdom is an exciting experience held on select evenings from January through to April.
Disney After Hours events commence at 10 pm and end at 1 am. Tickets cost between $155 and $175 USD.
Park pass holders and Disney Vacation Club Members can get their hands on tickets for a discounted price. It’s a limited-capacity event, which brings a sense of exclusivity. You’ll need to get in quickly to secure your tickets!
A night out at Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom promises beloved park attractions, delicious food and beverages, and a chance to make cherishable memories with your loved ones.
Experiencing Magic Kingdom at night, after the gates close, is a truly magical experience that you won’t forget.
The After-Hours Experience
Attractions and Rides Available
Many of Magic Kingdom’s beloved attractions and rides are available to enjoy, with lower wait times due to the limited number of tickets available for the event.
Board a doom buggy and embark on a spooky journey through Haunted Mansion, or be transported to exotic rivers of Asia, Africa, and South America on the Jungle Cruise.
Thrill seekers will enjoy blasting off into Space Mountain’s rocket roller coaster ride or speeding through a fluorescent sci-fi world on Disney’s New TRON Lightcycle / Run!
Journey through a galactic space battle and earn points by firing your laser on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, or be delighted by Disney’s famed “It’s a small world” as you embark on a whimsical boat ride, passing through lively choruses of children from around the globe.
Many more of Magic Kingdom’s most popular attractions are open for guests to enjoy after dark!
Further, many of your favorite Disney Characters will be located around the park – waiting to meet and greet you.
Entertainment and Special Shows
The well-loved nighttime fireworks show, Disney Enchantment, delights guests at Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park.
Disney Enchantment is a spectacular fireworks and light projection display that debuted at Magic Kingdom in 2021 to celebrate Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary.
The show celebrates magic, imagination, joy, and hope, and is exclusive to the After Hours events. As the name suggests, this show is sure to enchant you and is not to be missed!
Atmosphere and Crowd Levels
As Magic Kingdom’s After Hours events have limited ticket capacities, the crowds are much lower.
The exclusivity of the event makes it an excellent and unique way to experience Magic Kingdom.
If you visit on an ordinary day, the masses of crowds and queues can often detract from the enchantment of the park.
However, during an After Hours event, Magic Kingdom feels relatively empty – it’s almost as if you have it to yourself!
Witnessing Magic Kingdom after dark has a whimsical and sometimes eerie feel that is incomparable to during the daytime when the crowds and heat can feel overwhelming.
Food and Beverage Options
Tasty snacks are included in the After Hours ticket cost. Indulge in novelty ice creams, popcorn, and select beverages, which are available at carts throughout the park.
On top of this, many goodies are available for purchase from select locations throughout the park (including Main Street Bakery).
Comparing Value: After Hours vs. Regular Hours
The After Hours experience is similar to a regular day at Magic Kingdom, with most of the same popular attractions being open and your favorite Disney Characters scattered around the park.
However, there are some key differences between the two experiences.
What really sets the After Hours experience above a regular day at Magic Kingdom, is the lack of crowds, minimal wait times, complimentary snacks, and spectacular fireworks display!
Magic Kingdom After Hours provides a unique experience for guests to be enchanted by the magic of Disney after the sun has gone down.
The park feels even more whimsical and magical after dark, and the absence of crowds and overwhelming Florida heat is a win.
Is It Worth the Splurge?
As mentioned, tickets to Magic Kingdom’s After Hours events cost between $155 and $175 USD (depending on the date).
On the other hand, a day pass to Magic Kingdom costs around $140 on average. Therefore, the After Hours event is slightly more costly, but there is a good reason for this…
The minimal wait time for attractions is perhaps the most valued aspect of this experience. You’ll waste no time queuing for rides, and be able to see many more attractions in a shorter space of time.
Although the price appears high for just 4-6 hours at Magic Kingdom, it makes sense if you think of it in terms of the number of attractions you can get through, rather than the number of hours.
Tips for Maximizing the After-Hours Experience
In order to make the most of your After Hours Experience, and get the best value for money, there are a few tips you can follow to enhance your evening:
1. TIP: Enter at 7 pm to allow for the longest amount of time possible at the park!
While the event officially kicks off at 10 pm, you can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 7 pm with your special-event After Hours ticket!
Therefore, it is recommended that you enter Magic Kingdom before the event starts to really get the most out of your experience.
Note that Magic Kingdom is still open to other guests during this time, but arriving early gives you additional time to enjoy all of the attractions and entertainment the park has to offer.
Further, if you arrive early, you’ll be able to witness the spectacular Happily Ever After fireworks extravaganza at 8 pm – featuring an abundance of lights, lasers, and special effects.
During this time, you may also wish to visit any attractions that won’t be open during the event. Therefore, it’s definitely worth entering at 7 pm to make the most of your ticket cost.
2. TIP: Plan your route wisely
During Magic Kingdom’s After Hours events, the majority of the park is open. There are attractions on offer in Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.
Due to the small wait times, you’ll be able to get to a lot of rides and attractions. We recommend planning your route through the park so you have an idea of your order of proceedings!
Note which attractions you’d like to see, and plan a logical route through the park, to avoid crisscrossing back and forth between locations.
3. TIP: Prioritize the most popular park attractions that you’d normally have to queue for hours for.
During the day when Magic Kingdom is open to all guests, many of the popular attractions can amass very long queues – causing significant wait times.
Thanks to the exclusivity of Magic Kingdom’s After Hours events, you can take advantage of the limited crowds and experience popular attractions with little to no wait time!
For example, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has an average maximum queue time of 120 minutes during the park’s normal opening hours.
During an After Hours event, the queue for this attraction tends to be significantly lower, and you may not have to queue at all!
Make the most of Magic Kingdom After Hours’ exclusivity by enjoying the attractions that you’d normally have to wait hours for.
Final Verdict: To Attend or Not?
While the After Hours events may appear costly, experiencing Magic Kingdom’s best attractions with little to no wait time makes these events a truly valuable and unique way to experience the park!
For a fun, lively, enjoyable, and magical night out with family, friends, or lovers, consider booking a Magic Kingdom After Hours experience for your next visit to Walt Disney World in Florida!
Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando. In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.