After Hours at Magic Kingdom is a tough ticket occasion with restricted attendance and low wait occasions for points of interest in Walt Disney World’s hottest park. This shares our experiences, 2025 dates & ticket costs, ideas & tips, easy methods to maximize your trip rely, and whether or not it’s well worth the cash. (Up to date December 26, 2024.)
That is the most recent of the After Hours occasions, which debuted at Magic Kingdom a number of years in the past and has had a number of completely different themes (Villains, Halloween & Christmas) since then. This yr, the common or “vanilla” After Hours returns to Magic Kingdom, with dates between Winter 2025 and shoulder season.
After Hours at Magic Kingdom is held choose nights from January 6 till Might 19, 2025. This occasion takes place from 10 pm till 1 am. Along with that, After Hours attendees can get a head begin on the enjoyable by coming into the park at 7:00 PM—a couple of hours earlier than the occasion formally begins!
In the event you’re questioning why After Hours at Magic Kingdom is ending so early in 2025 as contrasted with earlier years, and hoping for an extension for dates deeper into summer time, our recommendation is: don’t maintain your breath.
Our greatest guess is that Walt Disney World purposefully opted for the shorter schedule for the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom, particularly provided that EPCOT has After Hours dates all the way in which till September 2025. There are two attainable explanations for this.
The primary is that Walt Disney World lastly plans on bringing again Villains After Hours for Summer season 2025, which might make sense as a synergy play with the recently-announced Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom. Getting followers excited for this tentpole growth and in addition having an opportunity to do subject testing of which characters and ideas resonate most with company could be invaluable. Nevertheless, we’re skeptical that that is the explanation why.
The second and extra probably rationalization is Disney Starlight Evening Parade, which, because the identify suggests, is the brand new evening parade debuting at Magic Kingdom in Summer season 2025. We focus on its most definitely begin date in When Will Disney Starlight Evening Parade Debut?, however suffice to say, the reply is “after Might 19, 2025.”
At any time when Starlight begins, it’ll be in extremely common. It’s been a very long time since Walt Disney World has had an evening parade, by no means thoughts a brand-new one, and there’s more likely to be a ton of demand for Starlight Evening Parade. We’re totally anticipating Disney to increase park hours at Magic Kingdom consequently, and run two nightly performances of Starlight. It’s probably they anticipate the identical, therefore the shortage of After Hours dates past Might 19, 2025.
With that mentioned, there’s all the time the chance that attendance projections fall wanting expectations or that demand isn’t as robust for Starlight, during which case we may see extra After Hours at Magic Kingdom dates added to the calendar “by common demand” (however probably not). But when that does occur, it in all probability wouldn’t happen till June 2025 or so.
Because it stands, listed here are After Hours at Magic Kingdom dates:
- January 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2025
- February 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2025
- March 3, 17, 24 and 31, 2025
- April 7 and 28, 2025
- Might 5, 12 and 19, 2025
Occasion tickets are $175 to $185 per ticket, plus tax (costs fluctuate by date). There isn’t a low cost on tickets for Annual Passholders, DVC Members, or Solid Members this yr.
Regardless that it hasn’t occurred but, we’d nonetheless anticipate lots of the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom to promote out. Then once more, perhaps these large worth will increase have priced out too many potential company, and others have reached their breaking level on the occasion.
In any case, right here’s a mixture of new data and technique based mostly on prior experiences with After Hours at Magic Kingdom…
One factor that gained’t be altering is the hallmark of the After Hours at Walt Disney World: UNLIMITED PREMIUM MICKEY ICE CREAM BARS!!! These, plus different ice cream novelties, popcorn, and bottled drinks are all included in the price of After Hours at Magic Kingdom.
You merely stroll as much as outside merchandising carts stationed all through the park and seize a Premium Mickey Bar, Coca-Cola, or no matter else. It’s an admittedly good contact of the occasion, and though it’s undoubtedly priced into the (very excessive) price of tickets, it nonetheless has a pleasant, all-inclusive kind of feeling. Maybe I’m only a man of easy tastes who is well impressed, however I really feel fancy strolling away from an ODV with “free” ice cream and pop.
You too can buy meals and drinks at choose eating places, however that is sometimes a horrible use of the restricted occasion time. Eat earlier than you arrive or refill on ice cream and different treats on-the-go throughout After Hours at Magic Kingdom.
In a shocking twist, the nighttime fireworks spectacular “Disney Enchantment” will return completely to After Hours occasions at Magic Kingdom. Because of this on occasion nights, early arrivals could have the chance to see each Fortunately Ever After and Enchantment.
Bringing again Enchantment is a really curious choice, certain to immediate “nobody requested for this” and “that’s one method to hold attendance restricted” jokes in response from Walt Disney World followers. Nevertheless, it’s robust to argue with having the chance to see two completely different fireworks reveals in a single evening…even when it could’ve been higher to have one in all them be Needs!
Count on very low crowds within the viewing space for Disney Enchantment. Even in case you’re not an enormous fan of the present, you need to be capable to arrive final minute and have a big swath of Most important Road just about to your self. Viewing also needs to be pretty straightforward (however barely busier) nearer to Cinderella Fort. It’s a uncommon alternative to look at the fireworks up shut with out preventing for a main spot!
Points of interest open for After Hours at Magic Kingdom will probably embody most or the entire following:
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s House Ranger Spin
- Nation Bear Jamboree
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Social gathering
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare
- House Mountain
- Swiss Household Treehouse
- Goofy’s Barnstormer
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- TRON Lightcycle Run
- Below the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
TRON Lightcycle Run will use a standby line, somewhat than a digital queue, for the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom. It’s unclear whether or not Tiana’s Bayou Journey might be included within the trip roster, however we anticipate that it’ll. You’ll be able to study extra in regards to the attraction lineup, pricing, and 2025 Disney After Hours dates on the official web site.
With the possible trip roster out of the way in which, the operative query about After Hours at Magic Kingdom is what number of rides are you able to accomplish? Narrowing {that a} bit additional, we assume most individuals studying this are involved with headliners like Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare–and the way a lot time might be saved by paying to attend After Hours versus a standard day at Magic Kingdom…
We’ve attended a number of After Hours occasions, themed and unthemed, at Magic Kingdom. Over the past one we attended, we did the next:
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad (x2)
- Below the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Buzz Lightyear’s House Ranger Spin
- Astro Orbiter
- House Mountain (x2)
- Peter Pan’s Flight (x2)
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare
That’s a complete of 15 issues, and we may’ve completed extra if effectivity have been our lone purpose and we didn’t backtrack as a lot. With tickets costing $175 to $185 for the 2025 After Hours, that breaks right down to round $11.67 to $12.33 per expertise.
Our price was really so much decrease because of cheaper tickets and AP/DVC reductions. I can’t say we’d pay ~$12 to skip the road at Tomorrowland Speedway or Buzz Lightyear’s House Ranger Spin…which is exactly why we gained’t be attending in 2025.
We additionally ate a few half dozen ice cream novelties and had a couple of Cokes, the worth of which might’ve exceeded $50 have been we paying out of pocket. Nevertheless, I might by no means purchase a bottle of water at Walt Disney World within the first place, a lot much less 6 of them in a day. So ascribing $50 of worth to the snacks is a little bit of a stretch. I’d really say that added about $15 value of worth, as I did dinner in sugar-infused type.
After Hours at Magic Kingdom doesn’t require common theme park admission and permits entry as early as 7 pm. In contrast to the Disney’s Hollywood Studios model of the occasion, the particular occasion begins proper at official park closing time–at 10:00 p.m., and runs for 3 hours till 1:00 a.m. This implies you may see the fireworks or knock out a couple of less-popular points of interest earlier than After Hours formally kicks off.
The final time we attended, we did precisely that–conducting one other half-dozen points of interest (together with a number of not open throughout After Hours) in the course of the mix-in hours. It additionally helps that Walt Disney World tends to inflate wait occasions on get together nights in an effort to “gently discourage” day company from leaping in line on the final minute for one final trip.
We’ve attended After Hours at Magic Kingdom on a number of events. If one factor has been constant, it’s the inconsistency of crowds. When these occasions first began, they seldom bought out and have been completely superb. Over time, they’ve grow to be extra common and began promoting out.
Unsurprisingly, there’s an enormous distinction in crowds between events which might be bought out and ones that aren’t. Extra surprisingly, there has additionally been variance in wait occasions and attendance even amongst bought out nights. Walt Disney World appears to have oversold some After Hours nights in late 2019 and early 2020, leading to worse crowds. Nevertheless, that was not our expertise with the themed After Hours nights for the final 3 years.
Nonetheless, it’s inconceivable to say what the 2025 After Hours events will maintain by way of crowds. Our guess is that the capability is consistent with final yr’s occasions, which have been nearly proper. One other optimistic is that, with pent-up demand now exhausted and ticket costs larger throughout the board, maybe fewer dates will promote out. We will see, and can report again!
Sometimes, strains are brief and manageable throughout After Hours at Magic Kingdom. As soon as the occasion will get began, most points of interest are walk-ons and are dispatching trip autos with empty seats. A handful might need 5 to 10 minute waits, with a pair being worse than that.
The 2 rides that normally have measurable wait occasions within the first couple of hours are Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare. The latter is admittedly the largest offender, and we’ve completed a number of After Hours at Magic Kingdom throughout which the road by no means actually died down for that. In different circumstances, it has had a <15 minute wait time within the remaining hour.
By way of ideas, our recommendation could be to start out in Adventureland and proceed to Frontierland, earlier than knocking out most of Fantasyland and all of Tomorrowland. Lastly, end off by backtracking and hitting Peter Pan’s Flight (doubtlessly a number of occasions) and Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare.
If you would like bang on your buck, the favored points of interest which might be best to knock out again and again both by re-riding or rapidly returning to the queue are Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Astro Orbiter. House Mountain nearly qualifies, however the lengthy queue and exit does add up.
As with a standard evening, you may bounce into line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare with one minute left within the occasion. In different phrases, in case you solely need to do that trip as soon as, the wait time is usually irrelevant, as you’ll be lining up at 12:59 am and doing most of your ready after the get together has concluded, anyway.
If you wish to do Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare greater than as soon as, you’ll in all probability need to do prior rides within the 12 am hour–maybe alternating between it and Peter Pan’s Flight if you wish to change issues up.
The small wildcards for the 2025 After Hours events are TRON Lightcycle Run and Tiana’s Bayou Journey.
These are minor wildcards as a result of each points of interest have operated with standby strains earlier than–throughout Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Social gathering and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering. The distinction is the decrease attendance cap throughout After Hours, which leads us to imagine each points of interest could have peak wait occasions of 30-45 minutes.
Our recommendation is to do TRON Lightcycle Run on the very starting of the occasion–actually proper because it begins. Tiana’s Bayou Journey you need to be capable to do in the direction of the tip, however the issue with that attraction (as all the time) is its unreliability. Put it aside in the direction of the tip, and it might be down and you could not be capable to do it in any respect. Conversely, do it early and also you may get caught and waste your evening throughout a breakdown.
When you’ve got a day in Magic Kingdom exterior of the After Hours occasion, we’d strongly advocate making an attempt for a spot within the digital queue and driving Tiana’s Bayou Journey then. Maybe you’ll adore it and need to do it once more, however you additionally may discover that it’s so much of effort, not well worth the threat, and your time throughout After Hours could be higher spent on the points of interest with zero wait in any respect.
As for whether or not After Hours at Magic Kingdom is well worth the cash, that actually relies upon. In the event you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort and have entry to Prolonged Night Hours at Magic Kingdom, I might not even think about shelling out $100+ per individual for this occasion until cash is completely no object. (Wherein case, why are you studying this evaluate?)
We’ve completed Prolonged Night Hours at Magic Kingdom a number of occasions, and have had a blast at that. On common, we accomplish 8-10 points of interest throughout that 2-hour window. In our expertise, it’s very akin to After Hours, minus the included refreshments and further hour. Try this as an alternative, pay for snacks out of pocket, and put the distinction in the direction of a distinct splurge.
In case you are not eligible for Prolonged Night Hours and are thus debating whether or not to do After Hours as an alternative…have you ever thought-about doing a break up keep and splurging on an evening at a Deluxe Resort? (See Tips on how to Do Cut up Stays at Walt Disney World Motels.) You could possibly additionally pair that with Membership Degree at a Magic Kingdom space resort, making the most of the early/late hours and having fun with the membership in the course of the center of the day.
Significantly. When you’ve got a celebration of 4, you’re taking a look at an outlay of ~$500 for After Hours at Magic Kingdom. That’s sufficient for staying at a Deluxe Resort for one evening, particularly in case you e book the Swan & Dolphin or do Disney Trip Membership Level Leases. Whereas break up stays should not for everybody, we love them–to every their very own on that, although.
If doing a break up keep is a non-starter otherwise you in any other case can’t or gained’t do a Deluxe Resort, there are nonetheless different choices. One is doing Early Entry and twine drop at Magic Kingdom. Usually talking, that’s not a comparable different to After Hours at Magic Kingdom.
For one factor, it’s within the morning somewhat than the perfect time of day (evening) at Magic Kingdom. For one more factor, Early Entry isn’t significantly helpful at Magic Kingdom (undoubtedly the worst of the 4 parks for the perk) because of the later park opening time. In case your solely choices are Early Entry or After Hours (a false selection, to make sure), we’d decide the latter.
Lastly, there’s Lightning Lane Multi-Move. In the event you’ve learn any of our many posts about utilizing paid FastPass at Magic Kingdom, you’re probably conscious we advocate for getting the service there. (If not, now !)
With the biggest Lightning Lane trip roster, availability is healthier at Magic Kingdom than another park. It sometimes has the perfect return occasions and you’ll strategize so you aren’t crisscrossing the park and backtracking an excessive amount of. There’s additionally much less motive to be in your telephone continuously enjoying the refresh recreation, as Lightning Lane Multi-Move is often “simpler” at Magic Kingdom.
Nonetheless, we’re cognizant of the truth that many company need no display screen time or problem. To that finish, After Hours undoubtedly has that benefit over Lightning Lane Multi-Move. There’s no know-how required and 0 complications in any respect. In fact, the tradeoff is a massively larger worth.
With that in thoughts, higher comparability is to Lightning Lane Premier Move. It’s nonetheless not apples-to-apples, nevertheless it’s nearer. In the event you’re debating between shopping for After Hours tickets or Lightning Lane Premier Move, our recommendation could be After Hours, arms down.
Not solely is After Hours at Magic Kingdom cheaper than Lightning Lane Premier Move, nevertheless it additionally permits re-rides. This implies you could loop Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare, Mad Tea Social gathering, or whichever points of interest are your favorites. You may wait in barely longer standby strains, so there’s that ingredient of unpredictability, however we’ve completed a ton at After Hours prior to now.
Actually, I’d decide After Hours over Lightning Lane Premier Move even when the price have been precisely the identical. I benefit from the After Hours occasion that a lot. And though I believe it’s overpriced now, a minimum of it’s not as overpriced as Premier Move!
In the end, that’s my perspective on After Hours at Magic Kingdom. We are going to go for the sake of “analysis,” however I might not purchase tickets to this if we have been the common Walt Disney World guests. That’s a change from earlier years, after we really helpful After Hours at Magic Kingdom. Likewise, we don’t advocate it for the majority of planners, particularly these on tight budgets or, paradoxically, keen to splurge on a Deluxe Resort.
It is because Prolonged Night Hours are vastly superior to Night Additional Magic Hours and Lightning Lane Multi-Move is healthier than FastPass+ at Magic Kingdom. That’s ironic as a result of, as a normal matter, each of these adjustments have include a price. Nevertheless, on this particular case, the smaller swimming pools of company who can or do use each ideas the scales of their favor–in different phrases, their price is decrease than this price.
Actually, the one company to whom we do advocate After Hours at Magic Kingdom are those that hate any hassles or display screen time, and may in any other case buy Lightning Lane Premier Move. On the very least, that is higher than that. However everybody else can just do fantastic with Early Entry, Lightning Lane Multi-Move, Prolonged Night Hours, or savvy technique.
At the least from my perspective, After Hours is now a troublesome promote and not using a theme connected, as there are viable alternate options that price much less or have extra upside (or each). As all the time, to every their very own, although. I’m certain many nights of the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom will promote out, and the overwhelming majority of attendees could have a unbelievable time. It’s merely not how I might allocate my “TREAT YO SELF” price range for splurging on a Walt Disney World trip when selecting from the assorted choices.
To that time, we’d (and do!) advocate the 2025 After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In the event you hate crowds, hassles, and are keen to splurge, After Hours at DHS might be an important occasion for you. That is largely as a result of there are isn’t any (normally-scheduled) Prolonged Night Hours, Lightning Lanes might be headache-inducing, and Early Entry is barely a viable possibility for knocking out 2-3 points of interest. With that mentioned, After Hours can be not strictly vital at DHS, both. It’s only a extra wise splurge, from our perspective.
With all of that mentioned, in case you arbitrarily put aside the price or simply need to splurge, it’s arduous to argue in opposition to After Hours. As long as Walt Disney World doesn’t get grasping and enhance the attendance cap, it ought to proceed to be a wonderful occasion. Even then, demand for these is method decrease than for the Halloween and Christmas Events, so crowds are unlikely to be an issue.
On the finish of the day, limited-capacity night occasions are essentially the most fulfilling method to expertise Magic Kingdom–there’s actually one thing to be mentioned for nighttime in Walt Disney World’s flagship park whereas it’s just about devoid of individuals. I personally desire the Halloween and Christmas events for his or her leisure and environment–however I additionally don’t care about doing points of interest as a lot, so I do know that I’m not the norm.
After Hours at Magic Kingdom is just like the vanilla model of these for trip junkies or anybody who desires the bottom crowd ranges and essentially the most handy method to keep away from lengthy strains. It could not provide the perfect worth for cash from an goal perspective, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a robust possibility for individuals who are overwhelmed by planning, crowds, or the hassles of visiting Magic Kingdom within the present period. It’s not how we’d select to splurge, however that doesn’t make it a nasty occasion.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study inns on our Walt Disney World Motels Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things you could know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the After Hours occasions? Planning on doing the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom to see what number of occasions you may trip TRON Lightcycle Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare, Peter Pan’s Flight, or House Mountain in a single evening? Is that this one thing that pursuits you, or is the price too excessive to justify? Would you favor to do that, or splurge on a Deluxe Resort and get the 2-hour model for “free”? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluate of the occasion? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
