Are Disney After Hours Worth It in 2026?
Disney After Hours is a great way to visit your favorite theme park at night after it has closed to the general public. These separately ticketed events are limited capacity and offer 3 hours in a park to enjoy rides, characters, and treats!
Which Parks Offer After Hours and When?
You’ll find Disney After Hours at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios through September 24, 2026. The dates offered depend on the park that you plan to visit:
Magic Kingdom
- May 25
- June 1, 22, and 29
- July 13 and 27
EPCOT
- May 21
- June 11 and 18
- July 9 and 23
- August 6 and 13
- September 16 and 24
Hollywood Studios
- May 30
- June 3, 10, 17, and 24
- July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29
- August 5, 12, 19, and 26
- September 2 and 12
There will also be Disney H20 Glow After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon. Disney has not yet announced the dates and details for these events, but its website states that Disney H20 Glow After Hours will take place on select nights from June 2 to September 5, 2026.
What’s the Benefit of After Hours Events?
The biggest perk of After Hours is the shorter wait times for top attractions since the events are limited capacity. This means more time to enjoy more rides!
Beyond the attractions, you’ll find character meet-and-greets, including a few rare characters. For example, a previous After Hours at Hollywood Studios had Duffy, Thumper, the White Rabbit, Meeko, Jiminy Cricket, and Pinocchio—just to name a few. Your ticket also includes unlimited snacks like popcorn and ice cream bars as well as bottled soft drinks.
It’s also hard to beat the cooler nighttime temperatures and the ambiance of the theme parks all lit up at night.
Are After Hours Tickets Good Substitutes for Regular Park Tickets?
Considering those perks and that After Hours tickets range from $155 to $199 per ticket plus tax (depending on the theme park and date chosen), some guests consider them more worthwhile than regular park tickets. Although regular park tickets can be as low as $119 per day, the cost can vary widely depending on the date and park you choose. Most of spring is well over $170 per day, and many summer dates are around $150 per day.
The value of After Hours tickets is quite good when you factor in that they allow you to enter the park as early as 7pm, which is before the official start of the After Hours events.
For even greater savings, you can purchase After Hours tickets through our friends at Unlocked Magic and save 10% off! This is especially helpful for After Hours tickets at the Magic Kingdom, which do not offer any Annual Passholder or DVC discounts.
Start planning your next Disney World vacation by booking a DVC villa! Browse the confirmed reservations, or request a free quote to rent DVC points and save up to 65% compared to booking directly through Disney.
