Prolonged Night Hours returns to Animal Kingdom in Fall 2024 as a part of a Social gathering Season swap at Walt Disney World. This submit shares date(s), particulars, and technique for profiting from the on-site perk for company staying at a Deluxe Resorts, DVC Villas, and choose different motels.
For individuals who are new to Walt Disney World trip planning, Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours is nighttime counterpart to Early Theme Park Entry. There are a number of variations, most notably that company staying at Worth or Average Resorts aren’t eligible for Prolonged Night Hours. (Some may name these a magical perk of additional hours…or maybe further magical hours for the sake of brevity? I dunno, simply spitballing higher title concepts.)
Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours has two kinds of resort eligibility, happens two nights per week, is at two parks, and runs for 2 hours (just about all the things in regards to the perk happens in twos). It’s often Monday at EPCOT and Wednesday at Magic Kingdom. See our Technique Information Information for Prolonged Night Hours at Walt Disney World for extra ins and outs of the nighttime Deluxe profit.
Walt Disney World has already up to date the calendar reflecting that Prolonged Night Hours will transfer from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Wednesdays, beginning with September 25, 2024. The transfer has not but been formally introduced by Walt Disney World, however you’ll be able to see the change by way of the My Disney Expertise app. Prolonged Night Hours are as soon as once more at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 2, 2024. (We already reported on this–it’s not brand-new information.)
Curiously, the calendar skips the next Wednesday–there are not any ExEH that day in any respect–and jumps to Friday, October 11, when Prolonged Night Hours can be hosted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the primary time in 2024. Final yr, ExEH was held at DAK for a number of choose dates in November and December, and we anticipated a return of that in 2024.
This was to be anticipated due to Social gathering Season, which begins in early August however doesn’t actually kick into excessive gear with a full schedule till late September. Final yr, the very same factor occurred–Disney’s Hollywood Studios started internet hosting ExEH in late September. Then Animal Kingdom hosted ExEH all through the Christmas season as the choice as a result of each Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios had vacation events.
At the moment, the calendar lists Prolonged Night Hours as occurring from 6 pm to eight pm at Animal Kingdom on October 11, 2024. There’s an inexpensive chance that park closing will shift later, and ExEH will truly run from 7-9 pm and even 8-10 pm.
As for why Animal Kingdom is beginning Prolonged Night Hours so early this yr, my guess is due to Columbus Day the next Monday. That’s a vacation weekend, and one which has traditionally coincided with the peak of fall break for college districts that matter most to Walt Disney World attendance. That weekend will virtually definitely be the busiest at Walt Disney World in lots of months, surpassing late September on the finish of the present ticket offers and doubtless reaching heights not seen since spring break season.
On condition that and the latest crowds noticed at and previous to ExEH in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, it’s truly an extremely savvy transfer to shift Prolonged Night Hours to Animal Kingdom. That ought to assist redistribute crowds, making the opposite three parks barely much less busy and Animal Kingdom much less of a ghost city on the tail finish of the day.
That’s actually the one rationalization I can consider for this choice. There’s nothing within the schedule to counsel Wednesday, October 9 has a battle (though a park buyout for a conference or no matter wouldn’t be listed, anyway). No matter whether or not it’s this or a non-public after hours occasion at DHS on October 9, I feel it’s protected to say that that is in all probability a one-off for Animal Kingdom till Disney Jollywood Nights and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering necessitate shifting Prolonged Night Hours to DAK for the vacation season. We’ll preserve you posted on that as extra dates are added to the calendar, so keep tuned.
For now, what follows is our “pitch” on nighttime at Animal Kingdom and profiting from Prolonged Night Hours there…
We love Animal Kingdom at night time. Properly, when it’s open after darkish–however that’s often the case in the course of the vacation season due to Daylight Saving Time and earlier sunsets. Pandora – World of Avatar seems to be nice at night time, and takes on a completely completely different environment that’s surprisingly serene even when it’s busy. (It often will not be busy at night time.)
Whether or not Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom finally ends up being “good” or “dangerous” actually relies upon upon crowd ranges and climate. If it’s actually scorching in the course of the day, extra individuals will take noon breaks and attend ExEH. We frequently see the worst crowds for Prolonged Night Hours at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT not in the course of the busiest occasions of the yr, however in the course of the hottest. Whilst summer time crowds have decreased as an entire, ExEH crowds have worsened.
Animal Kingdom has one other difficulty, which is its potential to soak up crowds (or relatively, its incapacity to take action). That is all the time true, which is why there’s a ‘tipping level’ when DAK goes from completely manageable to insanely crowded, with out a lot of a reasonably busy in-between. Such is the character of a restricted experience roster.
We’ve discovered that there’s one thing of a tipping level, when the park goes from blissful and manageable to complete chaos. Though we weren’t there for it, my understanding is that occurred over the last ExEH in the course of the week between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve final yr. Earlier in November, the ExEH we attended at Animal Kingdom was downright pleasant. Given the massive distinction between fall break and NYE crowds, we’d count on this October ExEH to be pretty nice. That’s, assuming it isn’t overly scorching in the course of the day. Whether it is, all bets are off.
So far as technique goes, Avatar Flight of Passage is the principle substantive draw of Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom. Experiencing it with a minimal wait is a big promoting level of the perk; company will undoubtedly acknowledge this, seeing ExEH as an alternative choice to paying for Lightning Lane Single Cross.
That’s precisely why Flight of Passage can be busy in the beginning of Prolonged Night Hours. Based mostly on our previous expertise throughout particular occasions and evenings at Animal Kingdom, our recommendation can be to save lots of Flight of Passage till the top of the night time.
We’ve carried out occasions throughout which Flight of Passage posts a 60-90 minute wait in the beginning, is a walk-on after the primary hour, and has whole theaters going almost empty in the direction of the top. There have been events when nobody else was in all the theater (not simply our load space–all of them). It was surreal trying left and proper whereas driving the banshee and seeing a sea of empty seats on an attraction that’s among the many hottest at Walt Disney World.
As odd as this may sound, there’s a superb cause for the fall-off: Flight of Passage’s pre-show. In case you’ve solely skilled the attraction a handful of occasions, the awkward and rambling pre-show may strike you as mildly annoying. Strive experiencing that very same pre-show 4 consecutive occasions and also you’ll discover it interminably lengthy and bordering on torture (discuss in regards to the final first-world hyperbole, however nonetheless).
In principle, you may in all probability experience Avatar Flight of Passage just a few occasions throughout Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom. The total expertise from coming into the queue to exiting and strolling again to the entrance of the road as a walk-on ranges from 19 to 22 minutes (relying upon strolling pace, load time, and whether or not you may have Pandoran parasites).
Nonetheless, most company should not have the endurance to topic themselves to that pre-show that many occasions in a single night. It simply isn’t potential. As majestical, detailed, and euphoric because the experience expertise itself is, you’ll be spending the majority of your time within the pre-show every time, and that’s simply an excessive amount of. Sadly, there isn’t any solution to skip the pre-show because it comprises the security spiel.
That is exactly why the road will drop off sharply for Avatar Flight of Passage in the course of the course of Prolonged Night Hours. Folks will get their fill in the beginning of the occasion, and never do it once more both as a result of lengthy line they encountered the primary time, the lengthy pre-show, or each.
Accordingly, the most effective strategy to Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom is beginning in Asia and doing Expedition Everest, doubtlessly repeatedly. The overall experience expertise there’s considerably shorter and it ought to be an analogous story with the road. You would in all probability do Expedition Everest just a few occasions in brief order in case your physique is as much as it.
From there, doing Dinosaur is smart (if it isn’t extinct by then) earlier than ending the night time in Pandora – World of Avatar the place you need to be capable to knock out each Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage with minimal waits.
Our rationale for this technique is that everybody goes to go to Pandora first. It’s the principle draw, and why 95% of persons are going to attend Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom. Not solely will ExEH company flock to Pandora, however day company will nonetheless be there in the beginning.
After about an hour, day company can be lengthy gone, and Prolonged Night Hours company may even begin to transfer on to different areas of Animal Kingdom. The final half-hour or so, you need to have Pandora just about to your self. Not solely will you be capable to benefit from the sights with minimal wait, however you’ll be able to benefit from the ambiance of Pandora at night time devoid of crowds.
I really like the bodily surroundings of Pandora, however it’s usually so chaotic that it’s tough to get pleasure from. At night time, it’s often so devoid of those that the “natural” ambiance there’s far more convincing–actually like an alien planet being reclaimed by nature. Strolling round different areas of the park is equally satisfying.
Actually, that is the upside of Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom from our perspective. Whereas I contemplate Animal Kingdom to be the weakest of the 4 parks at night time, that could be very a lot a relative time period–even the “weakest” on this case remains to be unbelievable, and extremely underrated.
It’s not simply the moody environment, it’s the serene sounds and simply common peacefulness of the park. In case you’ve solely carried out DAK throughout scorching days, you’ll have a completely contemporary perspective on it–noticing particulars you’ve by no means seen earlier than and leaving with a newfound appreciation for the park. I promise!
The largest draw back to Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom is all the things that isn’t open. Kilimanjaro Safaris, Competition of the Lion King, Discovering Nemo: Huge Blue & Past, or Feathered Buddies in Flight, all of which at the moment finish operations properly earlier than 6 pm.
Accordingly, we’d advocate arriving just a few hours early, and allocating that point to different sights, stage reveals, and in addition the wonderful vacation season leisure that received’t be open or carried out throughout Prolonged Night Hours. Throughout the occasion, you’re essentially going to be repeating sights, as so few are open.
Finally, Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom is an occasion that leaves me conflicted. On the one hand, I favor nighttime within the different 3 parks, and I additionally favor ExEH in each Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom from a sensible perspective given the experience rosters in every of these parks.
Animal Kingdom is unimaginable at night time–criminally underrated when you contemplate the park’s regular closing time outdoors of some months of the yr. It’s an actual disgrace that so few Walt Disney World company expertise Animal Kingdom within the night, as all the park takes on a special vibe–particularly Pandora – World of Avatar. Greater than the rest, this actually simply makes me want Animal Kingdom had a (good) nighttime spectacular and bigger experience roster so individuals stayed late right here on common days.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be profiting from Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Disenchanted in regards to the lack of ExEH at Magic Kingdom for the ultimate few months of the yr? Hoping extra Prolonged Night Hours dates are supplied at DAK for the vacation season? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
