Disney After Hours Review: 10+ Magic Kingdom Rides in 1 Night
I was thrilled to be invited to check out Disney After Hours, and I wanted to share with you the details about this incredible event. All opinions are my own, and this review is an honest look at what happens at Magic Kingdom after dark!
I adore Magic Kingdom for its classic rides, photo ops, and nostalgia. Give me a Dole Whip, a Mickey pretzel, and let me live. I probably head to the Kingdom about once every three months, and we stick to our scheduled three Fast Passes. Since my son is six, we usually skip Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, and we only just recently were able to take him on Splash Mountain. I have longed for a day to enjoy the Magic Kingdom in its entirety, and I just experienced it! If you are traveling to Magic Kingdom and want to do almost everything in three hours, Disney After Hours is for you!
So, here’s the deal: Disney After Hours is a separate ticketed special event. It gets you inside the Magic Kingdom for three hours after the park closes. It’s not just that though. You can enjoy unlimited popcorn, soda, AND ice cream with your ticket. PLUS, as you can imagine, ticket sales are limited so there is little to no wait on all your favorite rides.
Disney After Hours Magic Kingdom Rides:
- Astro Orbiter
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Disney Princess Greetings at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- And much, much more!
Why This is a Wise Use of Your Disney Budget
You would never be able to get this much done in a regular park day. I dare to say that even if you make Magic Kingdom a 2-day park on your trip that you still wouldn’t get this all finished. Here’s what we managed to do in our time.
Our Disney After Hours Itinerary
When you buy a ticket to Disney After Hours, much like the other special events like the Halloween party and the Christmas event, you can gain access to the park before the event starts. For Disney After Hours, we were able to get inside at 7 p.m. This left us plenty of time to take photos before dark, find a good viewing spot for the fireworks, and knock out a few additional rides.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- *Fireworks*
- Pirates of the Caribbean where we were the only ones on our boat!
- Jungle Cruise
- Haunted Mansion
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Princess Fairytale Hall (we met Rapunzel and Tiana)
- Meet Ariel
- Under the Sea
- Dumbo
- People Mover
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
There was little to no wait for anything once the event officially kicked off at 10 p.m. Some rides that I adore, like Peter Pan’s Flight, are tough to get Fast Passes for so I haven’t been on in years. I also usually skip character meetings since I don’t want to use a Fast Pass for, and I was delighted to be able to see some of the princesses again.
In between rides, we scored popcorn and sodas along with water too to stay hydrated. Since the event is later in the evening, the hot and humid Florida temperatures are not so intense. It made for a nice night where we crossed off all our Disney To Dos and stayed cool and calm. No crowds, no rushing, and no hunger due to the unlimited snacks. 😉
So, what does this all cost?
You can buy a ticket in advance for $119 per adult or child plus tax or, if available, buy your ticket on the day of the event for $124 per adult or child plus tax. If you’re an annual passholder or a Disney Vacation Club Member, you can score a ticket for just $89 per adult or child, plus tax.
Disney After Hours Calendar
The event takes place from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM:
- Saturday, July 21, 2018
- Saturday, July 28, 2018
- Saturday, August 4, 2018
- Saturday, August 11, 2018
9:00 PM to midnight:
- Thursday, August 30, 2018
- Thursday, September 20, 2018
I think the key is to maximize your time when you’re on vacation or planning to head to the parks. I know that while I may able to visit often, I still don’t get to do all of the rides and character greetings that I would like to. So, this event gives you a chance to feel like a VIP and have the Magic Kingdom (almost) all to yourself. This is an awesome idea for a date night or a birthday celebration (need other ideas for special celebrations at Disney?). Shop, ride, dine, and adventure after dark!
