Hi Jennifer!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! Thank you so much for asking your Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning question to us hEAR. And it's certainly my pleasure to help a fellow Texan!
This is a valid concern, and I actually felt this way the last time I attended an
Evening Extra Magic Hour at
Magic Kingdom Park. I do think that the first half hour of a separately ticketed
Disney After Hours or
Disney Villains After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park event will have some hold outs of day guests who, like you said, were able to enter an attraction queue at the very last minute of the park's regularly scheduled operating day, so their last ride will technically happen in the time frame of your after hours ticket. But, nights that host after hours events usually also see evening Extra Magic Hours at another park which usually lures most guests to enjoy nighttime entertainment elsewhere. Either way, I think with some smart scheduling you won't even notice they are there.
Over
20 attractions participate in
Disney Villains After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park, and two of them even receive malevolent makeovers - be sure not to miss Pirates of the Caribbean or Space Mountain. If this were me, at the kick-off time for the event, I'd either try to enjoy the attractions that don't usually draw huge wait times in the evenings. (Think more kid-centric '
any height' attractions - they have huge wait times during the day but not so much after bedtime.) OR, I'd use that first half hour to scope out event-only snacks and merchandise. Popcorn, ice cream treats and bottled soda are included with the purchase of your event ticket. But, there are also some wickedly delicious looking event-only treats available for purchase. Check out the
Disney Parks Blog Foodie Guide to Disney Villains After Hours 2020 here!Pro Tips:
~ Did you know that you can enter Magic Kingdom Park as early as 7:00 P.M. with your Disney Villains After Hours admission ticket? That means that you'll be able to enjoy all that Magic Kingdom has to offer up until the event start time.
~ Eat dinner before you enter Magic Kingdom Park so you won't miss a minute of the fun, or plan to grab a
Quick-Service meal before 8:00 P.M. as your full-meal options will be limited during the event and some dinner-menu locations start to close around this time.
~ Characters will not be hosting Meet & Greets during the After Hours event, so be sure to find your favorite Disney Princesses and Pals before the regularly scheduled park hours close for the night.
I hope this helped plan your upcoming Disney Days, Jennifer, and if you have any more Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning questions, We're All Ears!
~Kristen