Disney After Hours: A Comprehensive Guide

by | Sep 25, 2025 | Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World

Disney After Hours are a unique after hours event at Walt Disney World Resort. Available at three of the four parks, the event requires a separate ticket, which will give you after hours access to the parks (as you may have guessed) with lower crowds, complimentary snacks, and shorter wait times. Dates have officially been announced for 2026, so we’re sharing everything you need to know about the event.

Disney After Hours 2026

Disney After Hours Overview

Disney After Hours is a separately ticketed event that takes place on select dates at select parks. The event gives guests access to the parks after they have closed to the general public. Typically, a ticket for the event will allow you entry into the park a few hours before its closure, and three hours after it’s closed. A ticket to Disney After Hours may give you shorter wait times for the most popular rides, as well as unlimited complimentary snacks at select locations throughout each of the parks.

Disney After Hours Dates and Cost

There are different dates and costs for each of the three parks at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT, along with the start and end times.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom After Hours will take place on select nights from January 12 to July 27, 2026. Tickets will go on sale for guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green on October 9, 2025, and everyone else beginning October 14, 2025.

Magic Kingdom tickets range from $175 to $199 (plus tax), with a $30 discount for Annual Passholders and DVC Members. The event takes place from 10 PM to 1 AM, with your ticket giving you entry beginning at 7 PM.  At Magic Kingdom, you can ride popular newer attractions like TRON Lightcycle / Run, which will be available by standby queue.

The event takes place on the following 2026 dates:

  • January 12 and 19
  • February 2, 9, and 23
  • March 2 and 9
  • April 13 and 20
  • May 4, 11, 18, and 25
  • June 1, 22, and 29
  • July 13 and 27

EPCOT

EPCOT After Hours will take place select nights from January 22 to September 24, 2026. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green who would like to purchase tickets for 2026 dates can do so beginning on October 9, 2025. All other guests can purchase tickets for these dates online beginning October 14, 2025.

Tickets for EPCOT range from $155 to $179 (plus tax), with a $30 discount available for Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members. The EPCOT events take place from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM, though your ticket gives you entry beginning at 7 PM.

The event takes place on the following 2026 dates:

  • January 22 and 29
  • February 19
  • March 5 and 12
  • April 2, 9, 15, 23, and 30
  • May 21
  • June 11 and 18
  • July 9
  • August 6 and 13
  • September 16 and 24

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have events on select nights from January 14 to September 12, 2026. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green who would like to purchase tickets for 2026 dates, can do so beginning on October 9, 2025. All other guests can purchase tickets for these dates online beginning October 14, 2025.

Tickets range for Hollywood Studios from $155 to $189 (plus tax), with a $30 discount available for Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members. The Hollywood Studios events take place from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM (10 PM to 1 AM on May 30 and September 12, 2026).

The event takes place on the following 2026 dates:

  • January 14 and 28
  • February 4, 11, 21, and 25
  • April 29
  • May 6, 14, and 30
  • June 3, 10 17, and 24
  • July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29
  • August 5, 12, 19, and 26
  • September 2 and 12

What is Included in the Cost?

Your Disney After Hours ticket gives you exclusive access to the parks, as well as unlimited, complimentary snacks such as popcorn, ice cream treats, and beverages. One of the big draws is also access to the most popular rides. Here are a few highlights of what rides you can expect.

Magic Kingdom

At Magic Kingdom, you can enjoy after-hours access to rides such as the following highlights:

  • TRON Lightcycle / Run
  • Space Mountain
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  • Haunted Mansion
  • “it’s a small world”
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid
  • Mad Tea Party

For TRON Lightcycle /Run, a standby queue will be used.

EPCOT

At EPCOT, you can enjoy after-hours access to rides such as the following highlights:

  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
  • Test Track presented by General Motors
  • Frozen Ever After
  • Soarin’
  • Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
  • Living with the Land
  • Mission: SPACE
  • The Seas with Nemo & Friends
  • Spaceship Earth

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

At Hollywood Studios, you can enjoy after-hours access to rides such as the following highlights:

  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
  • Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  • Slinky Dog Dash
  • Alien Swirling Saucers
  • Toy Story Mania!
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Is the Event Right for Families?

As a late-night event, you may be wondering if this is right for your family. There’s no denying that the price of the ticket is expensive — often more expensive than a full-day ticket. However, if you opt for a Disney After Hours ticket instead of a daily ticket, it could be worth it. You will experience lower wait times and fewer crowds than you will during the day, plus you won’t have to pay for the complimentary snacks. At parks like Magic Kingdom or EPCOT, you can also ride the most popular rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run with a Lightning Lane, which are only available with a Lightning Lane or virtual queue during the day.

However, one major drawback may come for families with younger kids. The hours are late, and if you are visiting with toddlers or young children, the timing may go well past their bedtime. Ultimately, it will be up to your and your family’s needs. If you have kids that want to ride all the attractions and can stay up that late, you may find the Disney After Hours events are well worth the cost of admission.

Latest Stories

Could Your Disney Vacation Be Better With a DVC Rental?

If you're like most families planning a Disney World vacation, you've probably spent hours comparing resort prices. Maybe you've looked at Deluxe Resorts like Disney's Polynesian Village Resort or Disney's Beach Club Resort, only to decide they're simply out of your...

The 7 Most Surprising Parts of My First DVC Stay at Disney World

Disney Vacation Club is a timeshare program operating across Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and other destinations across the U.S. Members have access to special perks and experiences that regular park and resort visitors do not, so we went on a mission to find out...

The Best Disney World Rides to Ride When Your Toddler Skips Their Nap

No nap? No problem. Here’s where to go when your toddler’s running on pure Disney magic. I’ve been to Disney Parks enough times with a toddler to know one thing for sure: Even the best-laid plans crumble when nap time doesn’t happen. You can have the perfect park...

The Disney World Holiday Planning Hacks Everyone Overlooks

The holidays are the most magical time to visit Disney World, and also the most crowded and expensive. The good news is that a few overlooked planning tricks can help you skip the worst of both. Planning a trip to Disney World over the holidays can feel daunting. The...

Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge

For a peaceful waterfront retreat with distinctly Disney storytelling, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge blends the beauty of nature with inspiration from films including Bambi, Pocahontas, Encanto, Brother Bear, and Fantasia. Opening July 1, 2027, on the shores of Bay Lake,...

epcot-clothing_creations-shop_chiu

Authored by
Morgan Flaherty

Morgan Flaherty, Disney World Expert and Mom | A lifelong Disney World visitor and fan, Morgan has become an expert on all things Disney. After dozens of visits at a Disney Adult, Morgan is now acquainting herself with the parks as a Disney Mom who has learned to navigate the Most Magical Place on Earth with a toddler by her side. If you're planning a Disney vacation with toddlers, she has all of the expert tips you need!