Disney After Hours

Walt Disney World has just announced a new “after hours” program for the Magic Kingdom called Disney After Hours. This new event will be similar to the E-Ride nights Walt Disney World used to offer long ago, access to the park for a fee, but with a limited amount of tickets being sold. You purchase a ticket to Disney After Hours, and similar to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you gain access to the Magic Kingdom for three hours after the park closes to everyone else, but without the “party” additions. Disney After Hours will include access to select attractions, meet and greets as well as free ice cream and select beverage from special carts throughout the park.

Disney After Hours Ticket Cost: $124 per person plus tax (child and adult prices are the same) if purchased in advance, $129 per person the day of the event (DVC member and Annual Passholder receive a $30 discount.

Disney After Hours Dates:

• Magic Kingdom – November 26; and December 3, 10, 2018; and January 7, 17, 24 and 28, 2019; Febuary 7, 14, and 28, 2019; and March 7, 2019.
• Hollywood Studios – December 8, 15 and 22, 2018; and January 5, 12 and 19, 2019; February 2, 9 and 16, 2019; March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2019; and April 6 and 13, 2019.
• Animal Kingdom – December 4, 12 and 18, 2018; and January 8, 16, 22 and 31, 2019; and February 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 26, 2019; and March 5, 20 and 27, 2019; and April 3, 2019.

Disney After Hours tickets appear to be available for these dates today.

We will update the info as we get closer to April 6 and tickets go on sale. Rumor is that the number of tickets being sold will be very low, somewhere around 3,000 per night. That would make the Magic Kingdom seem basically empty. At this point, this appears to be a test over about a month long period, and no additional dates have been announced past May 19. Tickets are available to both Disney Resort and off-site guests.

Please note, all of the nights listed for the new Disney After Hours event are Thursday nights, other than May 8th, which is Mother’s Day. On the current Walt Disney World calendar, the Magic Kingdom is not schedule for Extra Magic Hours on these nights, so this is in no way replacing Extra Magic Hours. This is most likely just a test that if successful, Disney will offer during more busy times of the year to give guests the opportunity to visit the park while empty.

Consider this as a similar offering to the Wild Africa Trek in the Animal Kingdom. That is a VIP expedition into some areas of the Animal Kingdom that others may not ever see. The cost is quite a bit more, between $189 and $249 per adult depending on the time of year, and runs about the same amount of time, 3-hours. Disney After Hours, Wild Africa Trek and other similar events are targeted at visitors that want to have a different Disney experience, and are willing to pay for it.

Update – April 26, 2016 – Disney Vacation Club Members and Walt Disney World Annual Passholders receive 50% off all remaining Disney After Hours events, until May 19, 2016. Tickets can be purchased at any Walt Disney World ticket window or by calling (407) 560-PASS or (407) 560-7277. Discount tickets are not available online.

Update – December 8, 2016 – Walt Disney World has added additional nights in early 2017 during January, February and March. 

Update – September 14, 2017 -Walt Disney World has added additional nights in early 2018 during January, February and March. 

Update – May 2, 2018 – Walt Disney World has added additional nights for Summer, 2018 (June – September).

Update – November 5, 2019 – Walt Disney World has expanded Disney After Hours to include both Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well as announced dates through April, 2019

What do you think of Disney After Hours? Would you pay $150 per person for a ticket?