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Walt Disney World Extended Evening Theme Park Hours allow Guests of specific hotels to enjoy the Disney Parks after Park closing. You could say that they are the replacement that The Walt Disney Company has brought about since getting rid of Extra Magic Hours.
About Extended Evening Theme Park Hours
Whilst Extended Evening Theme Park Hours do not provide Guests with as many hours in the Disney theme parks as Extra Magic Hours did, they are a benefit provided to Guests staying in Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels and Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, as well as select hotels. These include:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Villas
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower Villas
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Villas
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Villas and Bungalows
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, including Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Treehouse Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels and Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green on Walt Disney World
Guests of these Walt Disney World Resort hotels can enjoy Extended Evening Theme Park Hours on two nights each week: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday evenings in EPCOT; and 2 hours after park close on Wednesday evenings in Magic Kingdom. This is in addition to Guests using Early Theme Park Entry every morning of their stay at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Guests visiting Lake Buena Vista during December may also get to benefit from Extended Evening Theme Park Hours in Disney’s Hollywood Studios if their vacation includes December 15 and 22. Unfortunately, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not part of the extended evening hours at this time, although Guests can use Early Theme Park Entry when visiting the Disney Park.
We’ve recently stayed in Disney’s Beach Club Resort and took advantage of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours in Magic Kingdom. Here are our top tips that will allow you to get the most out of the extra time in the Disney Park.
When to arrive at the Disney Park
Whilst the time of arrival to Magic Kingdom is your choice, we recommend getting to the Disney Park by 5 p.m. This will allow you to have a relaxed morning, if you wish, to help save your energy for the late evening you will enjoy. Arrival in the early evening will allow you plenty of time in Magic Kingdom, where you can get to enjoy most, if not all, of the attractions throughout the evening.
Credit: V Mills
Dinner
We recommend eating whilst Magic Kingdom Park is open to all Guests. This will allow you to maximize the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours time that you have in the Disney theme park. Whilst select merchandise stores and food and beverage locations are open during extended hours, experiencing the attractions is what will allow you to maximize your time.
Have your Magic Band or Disney Genie ready
Once Magic Kingdom has closed to other Guests, you will be required to present your Magic Band or Disney Genie App when entering the attraction lines to show that you are a Guest of a Resort hotel and that the extended hours’ benefit applies. Only one Guest per Resort room is required to present their proof of accommodation, so decide who will be in charge of that earlier on to avoid a wait as you enter each attraction line.
Credit: Disney
Have a Plan
Decide which attraction you wish to experience during the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. Whilst you probably won’t have time to ride them all, we recommend prioritizing the attractions that usually have long lines, such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Credit: V Mills
Once you know which attractions you are saving until the extended evening hours, you can then enjoy the other Magic Kingdom attractions whilst the Disney Park is open to all Guests.
Make Use of the Disney Genie App
The good news is that the line times continue to be updated after the Park close, so Guests enjoying Extended Evening Theme Park Hours can plan which attraction they will head to next. Remember that actual line times may still be shorter than those shown on Disney Genie so that you may get through the attractions you plan to ride and have time left to enjoy others.
Credit: V Mills
Check the List of Attractions Ahead of Arriving
Not all attractions are open during Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, so be sure to check the list of those that are open before arriving. This will prevent you from heading to an attraction only to realize it is actually closed. You don’t want to waste your time in Magic Kingdom when there are fewer Guests around. Checking ahead will also encourage you to enjoy the attractions that will be closed later while they are open to all Guests.
Credit: V Mills
Fireworks: Watch or Skip?
Decide if you wish to watch Disney Enchantment or whether you’re happy to skip it. If you plan on watching the fireworks over Cinderella Castle before the extended hours begin, and you intend on riding all attractions whilst in Magic Kingdom Park, then you may want to arrive a little earlier in the day. Remember that to get a good view of Disney Enchantment means taking some time out of your evening to stand and wait. If you choose to skip the fireworks, then maybe plan to ride attractions that will give you a fireworks view.
A Final Note
Guests checking out of a Deluxe Resort on the day of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours can still use the extra time in a Disney Park. If the extended hours finish after midnight, then you may find that Cast Members have to ask about your stay. We found that when we explained that we had checked out the day that the extended evening hours started, they were happy to let us proceed through to the line.
Credit: V Mills
Now all that’s left to do is enjoy the extra time that you’ll get in Magic Kingdom. It’s awesome to experience lower crowds and shorter lines while surrounded by magic. It works in your favor to be a Deluxe Disney Resort Guest sometimes, and whilst it isn’t the Extra Magic Hours that we knew and loved, Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is still a great little extra to your Disney vacation!
