Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours is an on-site perk for Walt Disney World company staying at a Deluxe Resorts, DVC Villas, and choose different motels. This technique information covers every part you might want to know: eligibility, journey rosters, how the profit works, and suggestions for finest utilizing the time at evening. (Up to date September 12, 2023.)
By way of fundamentals, Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours (ExEH) is the oblique alternative for Night Further Magic Hours and is the present counterpart to Early Theme Park Entry. Nevertheless, there are a whole lot of variations between the morning and night further time within the parks.
Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours has a smaller pool of eligibility and likewise happens much less incessantly. The nighttime profit is solely for company staying at Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas (Disney Trip Membership items), and different choose motels (at the moment solely the Swan & Dolphin and Shades of Inexperienced). Visitors staying at Worth or Reasonable Resorts are usually not eligible for Prolonged Night Hours.
Whereas initially promoted as a particular perk for the fiftieth Anniversary, Walt Disney World has confirmed that Prolonged Night Hours will proceed all through all of 2024 for company staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, or different choose motels.
Prolonged Night Hours at Magic Kingdom have already modified this 12 months because of the opening of TRON Lightcycle Run. Walt Disney World’s new curler coaster makes use of a digital queue and has a 6 pm entry time on ExEH dates, just like what Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind provides at EPCOT.
Our newest report on TRON Lightcycle Run Digital Queue’s Curler Coaster Highs & Lows contains protection of Prolonged Night Hours, and the way you may wish to method the attraction to be able to reduce your wait within the return line.
On the horizon, one optimistic change is that Moana’s Journey of Water shall be open throughout Prolonged Night Hours at EPCOT.
That new water exploration path formally opens on October 16, 2023 and the primary ExEH throughout which Journey of Water shall be accessible is that exact same evening. We had the prospect to preview Moana’s Journey of Water throughout daytime, sundown, nightfall, and night–and nighttime is much and away one of the best time to do it. Particularly in case you’re visiting Walt Disney World within the first few weeks the brand new attraction is open, Prolonged Night Hours would be the strategy to expertise it with minimal crowds.
One other change is on the horizon for Prolonged Night Hours. For one factor, there shall be No Prolonged Night Hours at Magic Kingdom Throughout Peak Celebration Season. Because the identify suggests, Magic Kingdom won’t host ExEH when Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration kick into excessive gear.
However wait, there’s extra. Beginning in October 2023, the schedule begins getting bizarre. Disney’s Hollywood Studios hosts its first ExEH of the 12 months on September 30, adopted by a number of dates in October. EPCOT provides Prolonged Night Hours on extra dates than regular round Halloween, and following that, Animal Kingdom has its first-ever Prolonged Night Hours in November 2023. It’s unclear whether or not it is a ‘new regular’ for the height vacation season, anomalies resulting from particular occasions, or Walt Disney World testing which parks company desire. We’ll maintain watching and share updates as soon as extra park hours are launched for November and December 2023.
Turning to a different subject of confusion, Prolonged Night Hours is distinct and totally different from After Hours at Magic Kingdom and After Hours at EPCOT, neither of that are occurring once more till 2024. These are arduous ticket occasions to which anybody should purchase admission. After Hours additionally lasts longer and contains refreshments.
Against this, Prolonged Night Hours are “free” for company staying within the aforementioned lodge tiers, are shorter in period, and don’t embrace refreshments. After Hours and Prolonged Night Hours are additionally held on totally different dates. If cash isn’t any object, After Hours is definitely higher, however that’s a fairly large asterisk. We’ll take the “free” occasion any day of the week over having to pay further–they’re not that a lot totally different.
Early Entry can be totally different from Prolonged Night Hours. Clearly, one happens within the morning and the opposite at evening. Past that, Early Entry is obtainable in any respect 4 theme parks each single day, runs for half-hour, and each on-site resort visitor is eligible, together with the third celebration on-property motels. For every part you might want to learn about that profit, see our Technique Information for Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World.
As soon as once more, Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours has two sorts of resort eligibility, happens two nights per week, is at two parks, and runs for 2 hours (just about every part concerning the perk happens in twos). It’s normally each Monday at Epcot and each Wednesday at Magic Kingdom. That schedule does change infrequently, however is correct the overwhelming majority of the time. See Walt Disney World’s official Occasions Calendar for particular instances for every occasion evening.
The opposite massive distinction is you can accomplish an incredible quantity throughout Prolonged Night Hours. We’ve finished it at each Epcot and Magic Kingdom, and it’s been a veritable ghost city in each parks–eerily uncrowded by the tip, with most points of interest being stroll ons.
With that mentioned, it’s undoubtedly superior at Magic Kingdom, and that’s largely because of the extra sturdy journey roster–and the truth that a number of headliners are situated close to each other. Magic Kingdom has as many in style points of interest in Fantasyland as is the case within the entirety of Epcot. (Examine one such expertise in our Night Prolonged Hours at Magic Kingdom Picture Report.)
Talking of which, a bit extra strategizing is required to be able to knock out Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Frozen Ever After, Take a look at Observe, Soarin’ Across the World, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind throughout a single Prolonged Night Hours in Epcot.
Examine one in every of our latest makes an attempt at this in Night Prolonged Hours at EPCOT Technique & Report, which provides play-by-play from one evening that we did a pair months in the past. Nonetheless, we had a implausible time and extremely advocate benefiting from Prolonged Night Hours in each parks, in case you’re eligible.
Earlier than singing its praises an excessive amount of, we must always in all probability tackle the elephant within the room: that “if eligible” asterisk. Many Walt Disney World followers have been essential about Prolonged Night Hours for excluding Worth and Reasonable Resorts.
Their perspective is that it caters to the rich or creates two tiers of on-site lodge company. Clearly, the purpose about decrease tier resorts not being eligible is correct. The opposite factors are subjective, and the identical claims could possibly be made about off-site v. on-site company with the Early Entry profit.
Clearly, nobody likes shedding entry to a perk, however the purpose Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours are this pleasing is as a result of it’s restricted to a small subset of company. Night Further Magic Hours had been crowded to the purpose of being virtually ineffective and unenjoyable of their final couple of years.
Prolonged Night Hours are method higher than that, and likewise superior to the brand new early entry providing. That’s regardless of this solely occurring two nights per week and thus “consolidating” crowds into that single night. For essentially the most half, there haven’t been a ton of company benefiting from this–and that has been true even throughout peak season. Prolonged Night Hours have been wonderful–for individuals who are eligible.
In any case, we’re not right here to debate the basic equity of Prolonged Night Hours. Fairly, the aim of this information is to offer data concerning the profit and allow you to benefit from it.
To that finish, potential choices for benefiting from Prolonged Night Hours with out breaking the financial institution embrace doing Disney Trip Membership Level Leases or reserving the Swan & Dolphin Resorts, that are normally roughly the price of a Reasonable Resort.
One other concept that we actually like is doing a cut up keep, splurging on an evening at a Deluxe Resort (see Do Cut up Stays at Walt Disney World Accommodations) after which doing price range lodging the remainder of your trip. You possibly can additionally do a two night-stay, checking in on a Monday and out on a Wednesday, to be able to reap the benefits of each Prolonged Night Hours nights.
If you happen to actually wished to go massive, pair that with Membership Stage, benefiting from the early/late hours and having fun with the membership throughout the center of the day. You possibly can fairly accomplish each worthwhile attraction in Magic Kingdom or Epcot throughout the first few hours of the day plus the previous couple of hours of the evening. Do breakfast in one of many Membership Stage lounges, whereas additionally having fun with a pool day and each different foods and drinks unfold (save for desserts). That might be an superior strategy to TREAT YO SELF, and could possibly be made attainable by chopping prices elsewhere out of your Walt Disney World trip price range.
Usually, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom don’t take part in Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours–not an enormous shock, since neither had been staples of Night EMH in recent times. Nevertheless, Disney’s Hollywood Studios did take part in Prolonged Night Hours final spring and vacation season on a few events.
Moreover, each DHS and Animal Kingdom will supply Prolonged Night Hours in Late 2023, and presumably past. Though unusual at these two parks, Prolonged Night Hours must be nice at each, and supply an enormous benefit in knocking out headliner points of interest with comparatively quick strains.
Subsequent, let’s check out the eligible motels for Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours…
Prolonged Night Hours Eligible Disney Owned Accommodations
Deluxe Resorts
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Seashore Membership Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Up to date Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Membership Resort
Disney Trip Membership & Deluxe Villa Resorts
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Up to date Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo Home
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Seashore Membership Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Outdated Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Prolonged Night Hours Eligible Third Celebration Accommodations
- Walt Disney World Swan Resort
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Inexperienced
Subsequent, the points of interest lineup for Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours…
Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours Points of interest – Magic Kingdom
- “it’s a small world”
- Astro Orbiter
- Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s House Ranger Spin
- Nation Bear Jamboree
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Haunted Mansion
- Mad Tea Celebration
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Monsters Inc. Giggle Flooring
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare
- House Mountain
- Swiss Household Treehouse
- The Barnstormer
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Beneath the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours Points of interest – Epcot
- Magnificence and The Beast Sing-Alongside
- Frozen Ever After
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Mission: SPACE
- Remy’s Ratatouille Journey
- Soarin’ Across the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Take a look at Observe
- The Seas with Nemo & Buddies
Prolonged Night Hours Points of interest – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Canine Sprint
- Star Excursions – The Adventures Proceed
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Toy Story Mania!
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
As you possibly can see, not all Walt Disney World points of interest can be found throughout Prolonged Night Hours. With minor exceptions, these lists are an identical to the previous night Further Magic Hours with headliners being the emphasis.
Furthermore, the Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours schedule and accessible points of interest are topic to alter with out discover. Relevant theme park, days and instances of operation, attraction and repair availability could differ and are topic to alter with out discover. Topic to capability and cancellation. [Insert other boring boilerplate caveats.]
Legitimate theme park admission and MagicBand, Key to the World Card, or Disney MagicMobile cross is required. Visitors with out the Park Hopper Possibility or Park Hopper Plus Possibility should spend the day on the similar park the place they’d wish to benefit from the Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours profit.
To validate eligibility, Solid Members are stationed outdoors every attraction entrance, scanning MagicBands, lodge room keys, and so on. In contrast to Early Entry, this occurs at each single attraction all through the evening—not simply as soon as upon arrival. That’s as a result of different company are already within the parks–that’s the one possible strategy to decide who can journey points of interest because the parks are usually not actively cleared at the beginning of Prolonged Night Hours.
Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours Technique
Technique for Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours is surprisingly easy. Begin with much less in style points of interest and end with extra in style ones. Principally, do rides in reverse order of wait instances, whereas nonetheless retaining in thoughts that 2 hours goes by shortly, that means you don’t wish to waste any of that point on points of interest that can have minimal daytime waits (assuming you’re additionally visiting the identical park throughout the day).
One key to that is coupling Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours technique with Genie+ and Lightning Lane utilization, or lack thereof. (See our Information to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes FAQ for every part you might want to know.) Specifically, company who’re eligible for ExEH in all probability do not want to purchase Particular person Lightning Lanes, and may as a substitute backload these points of interest into the tip of their night.
Let’s shortly run by what this implies for every park.
At Magic Kingdom, your final three points of interest must be House Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare–with that order making essentially the most sense. Attempt to time it so that you get into line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare ~5 minutes earlier than the tip of Prolonged Night Hours. Disregard the posted wait time, because it’ll virtually actually be considerably inflated to discourage you from doing it.
Then there’s TRON Lightcycle Run. As mentioned above, this makes use of a digital queue for ExEH, and you’ll be a part of that at 6 pm. This fills up quick–we’d advocate studying our Journey Information for TRON Lightcycle Run, which incorporates our patented (not likely) velocity technique for scoring spots within the digital queue.
Lately, we’ve discovered that one of the best method for TRON Lightcycle Run is using as early within the night as attainable. Ideally, you’ll wish to use the aforementioned velocity technique to attain as low of a boarding group as attainable, and return instantly as soon as your group is known as to reduce your wait within the return line. That is the reverse of our beneficial method with Cosmic Rewind.
At Epcot, the technique is a tad tougher as a result of there are solely a handful of in style points of interest, all of which command decently-long waits throughout Prolonged Night Hours. Conversely, every part else is comparatively unpopular and shall be a walk-on, however that’s additionally true throughout many of the daytime working hours. With that mentioned, finish your night with Soarin’ Across the World, Take a look at Observe, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Journey.
Ideally, you’ll soar into line for the Rat Journey about 5 minutes earlier than the tip of the evening. The additional benefit right here is that you simply’ll be capable to take an extended, leisurely stroll out of World Showcase with nobody else round. You may even be capable to go the “good distance” round to exit the park–assuming you’re not leaving by Worldwide Gateway.
Since Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind makes use of a digital queue, slot that in each time your return is known as. We usually do that on the very finish of ExEH, largely as a result of the pre-shows are so lengthy that Cosmic Rewind takes up a whole lot of time from start-to-finish.
When DHS provides one other Prolonged Night Hours, our suggestion is beginning with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, adopted by Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster and Tower of Terror, and ending with Slinky Canine Sprint earlier than leaping in line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance proper on the very finish of the evening.
Principally, the concept is beginning with the lowest-demand points of interest and ending with highest. It stays to be seen whether or not Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will take part in ExEH in Late 2023. It’s not on the official checklist, but it surely was open final 12 months. If it’s not collaborating, we’d advocate leaping in line for that shortly earlier than official park closing.
Finally, that’s every part you might want to learn about Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours at Walt Disney World. What you do earlier within the evening doesn’t actually matter, as long as you put aside ample time for the aforementioned headliners on the very finish.
We are going to proceed updating this technique information within the coming months as Prolonged Night Hours proceed to evolve, and as issues “cool down” and discover their groove. Keep tuned–we’ll proceed to cowl all the essential planning particulars and likewise share extra Prolonged Night Hours picture stories from our experiences with this new on-site lodge profit!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about motels on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part you might want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on Prolonged Night Theme Park Hours at Walt Disney World? Excited to reap the benefits of the brand new on-site visitor perk or suppose it’s too quick to be helpful? Disillusioned concerning the eligibility guidelines or attraction lineups? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!