Hello there Amanda, welcome to planDisney!
Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park is such a great way to experience Magic Kingdom Park in less time! It's especially nice to experience these special events during the summer months since it will be so nice to not worry about the hot sun and heat during the middle of the day.
You would only need an additional theme park ticket to visit
Magic Kingdom Park if you would like to visit during the day, the Disney After Hours event does not begin until 10:00 PM, but you are able to start entering the park starting at 7:00 PM. With the three additional hours to explore Magic Kingdom Park, you could grab dinner or a snack before the event begins, or ride a few of your favorite attractions. You may just want to stick with your Disney After Hours event ticket!
If you arrive early enough, you'll actually be able to
experience two nighttime spectaculars! You can check the
entertainment schedule prior to your trip, but if you arrive early to Magic Kingdom Park, you'll be able to see both
Happily Ever After and the exclusive showing of Disney Enchantment during the Disney After Hours event. We love both of those nighttime spectaculars, we even caught Happily Ever After last time during our ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover!
I hope this information is helpful for your upcoming trip, Amanda! Don't hesitate to
bring any other questions back to planDisney, we're here to help!
Have a magical day,
Melissa