After Hours events return in January 2026 at three of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks! This shares dates, pricing, and different particulars concerning the low-crowds particular occasions at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, plus our suggestions about when to do and not do them, and extra.
Let’s begin with the fundamentals. In case you aren’t accustomed to Disney After Hours, these late-night, individually ticketed occasions allow you to get pleasure from a Walt Disney World theme park for 3 further hours after common park hours. After Hours occasions embrace “free” treats reminiscent of ice cream, popcorn and choose drinks (air quotes round free because you’re paying for a ticket and it’s presumably constructed into the associated fee).
Disney After Hours will begin on January 12, 2026 at Magic Kingdom; January 14, 2026 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; and January 22, 2026 at EPCOT. The events run by July 27, 2026 at Magic Kingdom; September 12, 2026 at DHS; and September 24, 2026 at EPCOT. The explanation for the sooner finish date at Magic Kingdom is because of the begin of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration.
The one park not taking part in After Hours is Animal Kingdom, which might be as a result of its preliminary experiment with the providing didn’t go so effectively. Folks did appear to get pleasure from Prolonged Night Hours at Animal Kingdom final Celebration Season, however that’s a “free” occasion for sure on-site company, so there’s a distinction in expectations between that and the expensive After Hours events.
It’s additionally price noting that followers had been far much less smitten by ExEH at DAK this summer time, and having an ‘after darkish’ occasion that ends round sundown in the summertime won’t be well-received. Oh, and there’s the truth that Animal Kingdom will probably be down a couple of sights in 2026, lightening its already mild journey roster. So perhaps verify again in 2028 as soon as Tropical Americas is open!
The principle promoting level of Disney After Hours occasions is that the variety of tickets for these occasions is proscribed, which suggests decrease wait occasions for a few of your favourite sights. In contrast to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration, these After Hours evenings are marketed as low crowds occasions.
Occasion occasions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT are from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., whereas Magic Kingdom is from 10 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. You may get a head begin on sights by getting into the park starting at 7 p.m. to squeeze much more enjoyable out of your midnight merriment with household and pals.
There are additionally character meet & greets and shock encounters throughout After Hours. This positively shouldn’t be a promoting level, and beforehand wasn’t even one thing that was closely marketed. It’s extra ‘shock & delight,’ since there are so few characters relative to different particular occasions. Specifics haven’t but been introduced for Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, however listed below are the EPCOT characters:
- Mickey Mouse on the Dreamer statue
- Goofy on the DJ dance get together in CommuniCore Plaza
- Minnie Mouse on the France gazebo
Let’s check out sights, occasion date ranges, ticket costs, and different particulars for After Hours at Walt Disney World in 2026…
After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Throughout After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you may play in Andy’s yard in Toy Story Land, be part of the resistance with Chewbacca in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and embark on a whimsical journey aboard Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, amongst different favorites.
The 2026 After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will happen on:
- January 14, 2026
- January 28, 2026
- February 4, 2026
- February 11, 2026
- February 21, 2026
- February 25, 2026
- April 29, 2026
- Might 6, 2026
- Might 14, 2026
- Might 30, 2026
- June 3, 2026
- June 10, 2026
- June 17, 2026
- June 24, 2026
- July 1, 2026
- July 8, 2026
- July 15, 2026
- July 22, 2026
- July 29, 2026
- August 5, 2026
- August 12, 2026
- August 19, 2026
- August 26, 2026
- September 2, 2026
- September 12, 2026
Deviating from typical hours, the Might thirtieth occasion will run from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and the Sept. twelfth occasion will run from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, sights embrace:
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Slinky Canine Sprint
- Toy Story Mania!
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Word that Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster shouldn’t be on the record.
See our Information to After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for full dates and particular ticket costs, technique, and extra.
After Hours at Magic Kingdom
At Magic Kingdom, you may see the lights of Prince Charming Regal Carousel swirling simply past the citadel, go for late evening popcorn runs on the best way to Haunted Mansion and journey the PeopleMover by a glittering Tomorrowland.
The 2026 After Hours at Magic Kingdom events will happen on:
- January 12, 2026
- January 19, 2026
- February 2, 2026
- February 9, 2026
- February 23, 2026
- March 2, 2026
- March 9, 2026
- April 13, 2026
- April 20, 2026
- Might 4, 2026
- Might 11, 2026
- Might 18, 2026
- Might 25, 2026
- June 1, 2026
- June 22, 2026
- June 29, 2026
- July 13, 2026
- July 27, 2026
At Magic Kingdom, this implies you may get pleasure from greater than 20 well-liked sights with decrease wait occasions, together with however not restricted to the next:
- TRON Lightcycle / Run
- House Mountain
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Underneath the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Mad Tea Celebration
Word that Tiana’s Bayou Journey, Buzz Lightyear’s House Ranger Spin, and Large Thunder Mountain Railroad usually are not on the record. This could possibly be modified later for the reason that record shouldn’t be exhaustive, however two of the three are closed for refurbishment/reimagining and TBA was beforehand faraway from the After Hours lineup after initially being marketed as a part of the occasion.
See our Information to After Hours at Magic Kingdom for full dates and particular ticket costs, technique, and extra.
After Hours at EPCOT
Bask within the vibrant glow of Spaceship Earth as you expertise the magic of EPCOT after darkish. Take pleasure in your favourite sights like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Frozen Ever After and Soarin’ Across the World.
The get together vibes are going sturdy at Goofy’s DJ dance get together the place you may take part on a enjoyable, interactive character meet and greet with the Goof himself. You’ll have loads of room at CommuniCore Plaza to point out Goofy your finest dance strikes and perhaps even those you’re nonetheless engaged on.
With loads of room to bounce (and plenty of seating for these evening owl legs), the Canada Mill Stage is a central hub to toast, groove, and perhaps even howl beneath the moon along with your crew. There will even be snack kiosks and bakeries open all through World Showcase to buy dishes and desserts.
The 2026 After Hours at EPCOT will happen on:
- January 22, 2026
- January 29, 2026
- February 19, 2026
- March 5, 2026
- March 12, 2026
- April 2, 2026
- April 9, 2026
- April 15, 2026
- April 23, 2026
- April 30, 2026
- Might 21, 2026
- June 11, 2026
- June 18, 2026
- July 9, 2026
- July 23, 2026
- August 6, 2026
- August 13, 2026
- September 16, 2026
- September 24, 2026
The next is an inventory of a few of the sights obtainable throughout EPCOT After Hours:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Check Observe 3.0
- Remy’s Ratatouille Journey
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin’ Across the World
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- Dwelling with the Land
- Mission: SPACE
- The Seas with Nemo & Mates
- Spaceship Earth
See our Information to After Hours at EPCOT for full dates and particular ticket costs, technique, and extra.
2026 Disney After Hours Ticket Costs & Gross sales Dates
Disney After Hours ticket costs vary from $175 to $199 (plus tax) for Magic Kingdom, $155 to $179 (plus tax) for EPCOT and $155 to $189 (plus tax) for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Annual Passholders and Disney Trip Membership members can get pleasure from the advantage of specifically priced tickets at EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, saving $30 off.
Company staying in any respect Disney-owned resort resorts, in addition to the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Accommodations, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Inexperienced should buy After Hours at Walt Disney World tickets beginning October 9, 2025. All different company should buy their tickets beginning October 14, 2025. There’s zero want in any way to buy in the course of the pre-sale. After Hours tickets received’t begin promoting out till December on the absolute earliest. Some dates doubtless received’t promote out in any respect.
All you have to do is decide your evening, decide your park and luxuriate in your after-hour exploration. To be taught extra about Disney After Hours occasions, go to the official web site: DisneyWorld.com/AfterHours.
Word that After Hours nonetheless doesn’t imply the tip of the free 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 2026 for company staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, or different choose resorts.
About the one factor which may change is the schedule, with modifications alongside the traces of what we’ve seen for Celebration Season. However even that’s uncertain, as After Hours doesn’t trigger Magic Kingdom to shut at 6 pm like MNSSHP or MVMCP.
When you’re eligible for it, we extremely advocate Prolonged Night Hours. It’s not so good as After Hours, but it surely additionally doesn’t value further. Provided that, it’s troublesome for us to justify (or advocate to others) paying extra for After Hours. For more information on the free ‘model’ of this perk, see our Information to Prolonged Night Hours at Walt Disney World.
As you’re planning forward for 2026 Walt Disney World holidays, one factor to remember is that ordinary park hours usually are not simply topic to alter, however completely will change. We’ve heard from a few dissatisfied readers who purchased After Hours tickets on the idea of shorter common hours, solely to have hours throughout their journey dates prolonged.
Don’t be shocked when common working hours are prolonged ~3 weeks earlier than your journey dates. This may doubtless occur, and if it doesn’t, that’s as a result of low crowds are projected. Walt Disney World all the time releases “boilerplate” hours which can be nearly meaningless, with the three parks that do After Hours open from 9 am to 9 pm.
Suffice to say, don’t use posted park hours as a foundation for making a call to purchase (or not purchase) After Hours tickets. Purchase tickets to the occasion, if in any respect, since you need to attend for enjoyable, not since you want to attend because of hours or expectations about crowds. There are different methods to beat crowds. After Hours is finest seen as a quasi-VIP splurge that makes for a neater and extra pleasant park expertise.
We’ve accomplished each single After Hours occasion that Walt Disney World has held, from the themed ones (Villains, Halloween, Christmas) to those vanilla ones at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, in addition to the newer After Hours at EPCOT.
For probably the most half, our experiences have been constructive, though coloured by a bit by annoyance that what was as soon as free now prices cash. At this level, that’s simply the story of Walt Disney World. Magic Kingdom used to shut at midnight on even reasonably crowded days, and on lots of those self same nights, had Further Magic Hours till 3 a.m. (Night Further Magic Hours was once 3 hours lengthy).
This was even the case in the course of the Nice Recession when attendance was decrease than it’s now, so daytime crowds had been comparatively mild. Now, attendance is considerably greater (by a number of hundreds of thousands of company per yr), and common park hours have been lowered by a number of hours per day. Extra individuals crammed into fewer hours, which doesn’t compute.
However, we’ve (begrudgingly) purchased the After Hours tickets prior to now as a result of we’ve felt that the events are price it as quasi-VIP experiences for a extra approachable value. As famous above, After Hours is akin to the Halloween and Christmas events, albeit with considerably decrease crowds and minus the seasonal leisure. In reality, we’ve been so happy with this occasion in earlier years that it made our Finest Worth Splurges at Walt Disney World Checklist.
You may discover these assessments are prior to now tense. Ticket costs went up fairly considerably for the After Hours events a few years in the past. For a lot of the ones we’d need to attend (on the idea of crowds or climate), After Hours now prices $179 to $199. Including insult to damage, there’s no DVC or AP low cost for Magic Kingdom. That’s simply an excessive amount of for us to justify–however we’re additionally Annual Passholders who’ve been to the parks and accomplished each attraction tons of occasions.
Whereas we do count on many/most 2026 After Hours occasions to promote out, however not like MNSSHP or MVMCP. With this occasion, extra company have reached their breaking level. That is in all probability why Walt Disney World has strategically scheduled fewer After Hours dates in 2026 throughout sure months. When you’re questioning why sure weeks are skipped, that’s the more than likely rationalization–they’re not busy sufficient to maintain a number of After Hours occasions.
When you’re a first-timer or rare Walt Disney World customer, your calculus in all probability differs from ours as Annual Passholders who’re within the parks frequently. Basically, the worth proposition of After Hours is whether or not 6 hours (3 with low crowds, 3 with low to reasonable crowds) is best than 10-12 hours within the parks in the course of the day. Even in case you used an environment friendly itinerary for Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios throughout these regular working hours, the reply to that was once sure.
The equation has modified a bit with Lightning Lanes, in addition to Early Entry and Prolonged Night Hours. A minimum of two of these items are controversial, however could be extremely advantageous. We love Early Entry, and regardless of it solely being half-hour, it affords an amazing head-start. Prolonged Night Hours is likewise incredible at Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The opposite factor that it’s necessary to not overlook is the timing of After Hours. That is good or dangerous, relying upon your perspective. For a lot of mother and father, it’s a complete nonstarter, because the prime time for the occasion is post-bedtime for a lot of children.
For others, it’s an enormous upside when contemplating the truth of Florida climate. Humidity could be oppressive and the noon solar could be draining. At evening, the solar is down and it feels higher. That’s one of many the reason why we love After Hours in the summertime months. The climate may be very completely different firstly of the yr, however being within the parks at evening remains to be nicer.
Finally, that’s my foundation for reluctantly recommending After Hours at Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios to first-timers or rare Walt Disney World guests with restricted trip time and more money for splurging. (We don’t advocate After Hours at EPCOT besides in very particular circumstances.)
The After Hours occasions are unquestionably costly, but in addition a great way to get loads accomplished at Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios with out waking up on the daybreak for Early Entry or criss-crossing the park whereas utilizing Lightning Lanes. Most significantly, After Hours occasions are friction-less.
You don’t want some grand technique or plan-of-attack for experiencing a ton of sights throughout these arduous ticket occasions. They provide a quasi-VIP expertise with out having to be accompanied by a tour information–better of each worlds! On prime of that, After Hours happens at evening. Clearly. Level being, you’re getting the most effective of climate, crowds, wait occasions and (because of all three) simply normal pleasantness. You’re more likely to get pleasure from After Hours an amazing deal, particularly as in comparison with a traditional day within the park.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about resorts on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a novel have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the pieces you have to know!
Your Ideas
Have you ever attended After Hours at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or EPCOT? What did you consider the occasion? Will you be shopping for After Hours tickets for 2026? Would you attend, or is it too expensive? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we will 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!
