Hi there, Christine! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! We appreciate you taking the time to stop by and ask your wonderful Walt Disney World Resort vacation question!
There is some much to see and do at Walt Disney World Resort, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of information available! Even as a "seasoned Guest" who has visited many times over the years, I often see new changes and alterations being made to make the Guest experience even more magical!
One great example of this concept is the availability of two different offers:
Extra Magic Hours and
Disney After Hours! Though these experiences are similar in name, there are some key differences to keep in mind! Extra Magic Hours are times in which Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels may visit one of the theme parks either before or after standard operating hours. These extra hours are complimentary and switch each day. I would highly recommend checking out the Park Hours page to keep track of when and where Extra Magic Hours are being offered each day!
Disney After Hours is a special ticketed event that takes place after standard operating hours at either the
Magic Kingdom or
Disney's Animal Kingdom. This event allows Guests the opportunity to experience popular attractions and Disney Character Meet and Greats with little-to-no-wait due to the limited number of tickets sold for each event. In addition, Guests are also welcome to enjoy as much ice cream, popcorn, and select bottled beverages as they like throughout the event!
I hope this information has assisted you in differentiating between these two offerings! Please let us know if we can answer any other questions for you!
~Wyatt