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Could This Be The Big Reason For Shorter Park Hours At Disney World?

Could This Be The Big Reason For Shorter Park Hours At Disney World?


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Do you miss longer hours at Walt Disney World?

After Hours Events

Credit: Monica

Disney After Hours are specially ticketed experiences that occur after the gates close for the night, extending access to favorite attractions and providing you with more opportunities to have a magical Disney experience. Best of all, the number of tickets for these events is limited, which means lower wait times for some of your favorite attractions. 

Some guests feel like this is worth the high price to experience the parks with low crowds; while others think Disney Parks should simply extend regular theme park hours to give guests more time in the parks.

When first announced, Disney After Hours was just offered at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. In February, Disney announced that EPCOT will also participate in After Hours Events.

EPCOT After Hours

Credit: Donna

Guests get access to top attractions like Frozen Ever After, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. This is your chance to explore all four neighborhoods in the park with shorter attraction wait times. Many guests love the freedom to enjoy Cosmic Rewind without a virtual queue during these After Hours events.

It is not uncommon for Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to completely sell out for these After Hours events. Disney shares that there is a limited number of guests for each event. Guests are encouraged to purchase their tickets early.

Many guests questioned if the EPCOT After Hours events were as popular as with other parks. No dates were sold out since the first EPCOT After Hours event on June 1, 2023. That is until now, the July 27th After Hours Event for EPCOT is now completely sold out.

Credit: Monica

It will be interesting to see how a completely sold-out event may affect wait times throughout EPCOT. With so many events selling out, Disney World may offer even more event dates.

EPCOT sells out its first Disney After Hours Event for July 27th.

Extended theme park hours are also available for select guests such as DVC Members and also Deluxe Resort guests with Extended Evening Hours. Although these are “free” these guests are still paying a high price to be included in this “perk.”

It seems like those park calendars with late-night hours may be a thing of the past unless you are willing to pay the high event price to enjoy them.

What do you think of the After Hours Events? Do you love them or think they are too overpriced? Do you think this sold-out event means these events are gaining in popularity? Share your thoughts with us and share this news with a fellow Disney pal.

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Peggy ORoak

Wednesday 26th of July 2023

The thing I don’t like is mid August Animal Kingdom is open 8:30am to 7pm but the second week of August it’s open 7:30am to 8pm. When does the sun set? Won’t it still be light out at 7pm?

Ian Lamble

Wednesday 26th of July 2023

The current hours are pathetic. Nothing to do after 9.00pm. About time they started catering for adults in the parks and at the resorts. Stay at the Swolphin. At least the bar is open until 2.00am. No anal bedtime there.

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