Hi there, Julie! I'm excited to chat with you today about one of my favorite experiences at Magic Kingdom Park -
Disney After Hours! I attended this event in February and had an amazing time! From the bonus fireworks showing of
Disney's Enchantment to the complimentary ice cream and popcorn, and especially the super low crowds and wait times for all of my favorite attractions, it was an epic adventure!
Julie, for After Hours on April 29, the park is currently scheduled to close at 9 PM, following the Happily Ever After fireworks and the event officially begins at 10 PM. While hours are subject to change, the latest closing time would be 10 PM, which was the case for the night I attended. With the 10 PM closing, Cast Members began checking wristbands for attractions at 10 PM and guests that did not have After Hours wristbands were moved from the attraction areas towards Main Street, U.S.A. and the park exit. You can always keep an eye on the
Park Hours & Events Calendar online as your date approaches so you will know what to expect!
From our experience, we entered the park at 7 PM, got our wristbands, and started to ride some of the attractions that had lower wait times before
Happily Ever After began. We were able to ride several things with minimal waits even before the party time officially began, but once 10 PM hit, everything was easily a walk-on! We even double-dipped on favorites like
Space Mountain,
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and
TRON Lightcycle/Run! And speaking of TRON, one of the best perks of this event is that this new thrill ride operates on a standby line throughout the party; we rode twice and both times experienced only a 15-minute wait!
If you decide to attend this event, be ready for lots of late-night thrills and a completely magical park ambiance! There is nothing quite like strolling through Adventureland and feeling like you just might be the only people in the park! And those Main Street photos in front of Cinderella Castle with no one in the background? This is how to make that magic happen!
The event ended at 1 AM, but the shops on Main Street remained open and guests lingered for photos and those last glimpses of the castle for about 30 minutes. We exited the park around 1:45 AM to catch the Ferryboat back to the Transportation and Ticket Center where we had parked. One bonus tip I'll give you is that if you do drive your own car to this event, opt for the preferred parking as the trams were not operating that late and we had quite a late-night hike back to the car. If you're staying as a Guest at a Disney Resort hotel, complimentary transportation will be available to get you back to your resort when you leave the park!
I hope this helps you to plan for your late-night adventure at Magic Kingdom; if you have any more questions before your visit, come on back to
planDisney and let us know! We're always happy to help you make the most of the magic!
See you real soon,
Alison