Hiya Joy - welcome to
planDisney!
Thanks for stopping by with your question for our team of panelists. We love to help Guests just like you plan your very own, very magical, Walt Disney World Resort vacations!
Disney After Hours at Disney's Hollywood Studios is such a great way to add some extra pixie dust to your upcoming visit! You'll experience limited attendance meaning shorter-than-usual wait times for your favorite attractions, plus there are complimentary snacks included, and you'll get to interact with some exciting Characters throughout the night.
Given your arrival date, I'm assuming you're planning to attend one of the events that week. Theme Park Hours haven't been released yet (as of today), but I can give you some advice based on my own experiences and what usually happens. Even though the event doesn't formally start until 9:30 p.m., your After Hours ticket permits you to enter Hollywood Studios as early as 7:00 p.m. that evening!
Joy, dining reservations aren't connected to your Theme Park or Event Tickets, nor are they connected to your Park Pass Reservations. That's why you'll see a disclaimer when making an Advance Dining Reservation stating that a Park Pass Reservation and Valid Admission are both required to utilize any dining reservation inside of a Theme Park. Basically, you have to be able to get into the park to use the reservation. So, the simple answer is yes, you should be able to
make a dining reservation for 6:45 p.m. if one is available - anyone can.
Where it gets tricky is whether you would be able to actually arrive
on time for a 6:45 p.m. reservation. Most dining locations will still honor your reservation for up to 15 minutes after the reservation time, but at that point, may make your table available to other Guests and assess a no-show fee (if applicable). If you are allowed to enter the park at 7:00 p.m., you'd not be able to arrive at the restaurant within that 15-minute grace period.
There are two options to consider to resolve this conundrum. First, if you are already visiting Hollywood Studios on that day prior to the After Hours event, you won't have an issue at all! If you currently have a Park Pass Reservation for that day at another park, consider adding the Park Hopper Option to your ticket and simply head over to Hollywood Studios in time for your dining reservation.
Honestly, Joy, the easier option is simply to make a dining reservation that's after 7:00 p.m. to ensure you have plenty of time to arrive at the restaurant to be seated. I've gone ahead and checked some earlier After Hours dates for Hollywood Studios and am seeing good availability for some of my favorite restaurants between 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., including the Guest-favorite
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant!
I hope this information is helpful, Joy -
stop by with more questions any time!Ryan J.