2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom: Dates, Particulars, Ideas, Rides & Evaluation

After Hours at Magic Kingdom is a tough ticket occasion with restricted attendance and low wait instances for points of interest in Walt Disney World’s hottest park. This shares our experiences, 2025 dates & ticket costs, suggestions & methods, the way to maximize your trip depend, and whether or not it’s well worth the cash. (Up to date December 26, 2024.)

That is the most recent of the After Hours occasions, which debuted at Magic Kingdom a number of years in the past and has had a number of completely different themes (Villains, Halloween & Christmas) since then. This yr, the common or “vanilla” After Hours returns to Magic Kingdom, with dates between Winter 2025 and shoulder season.

After Hours at Magic Kingdom is held choose nights from January 6 till Might 19, 2025. This occasion takes place from 10 pm till 1 am. Along with that, After Hours attendees can get a head begin on the enjoyable by coming into the park at 7:00 PM—just a few hours earlier than the occasion formally begins!

Should you’re questioning why After Hours at Magic Kingdom is ending so early in 2025 as contrasted with earlier years, and hoping for an extension for dates deeper into summer time, our recommendation is: don’t maintain your breath.

Our greatest guess is that Walt Disney World purposefully opted for the shorter schedule for the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom, particularly on condition that EPCOT has After Hours dates all the way in which till September 2025. There are two doable explanations for this.

The primary is that Walt Disney World lastly plans on bringing again Villains After Hours for Summer time 2025, which might make sense as a synergy play with the recently-announced Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom. Getting followers excited for this tentpole growth and likewise having an opportunity to do discipline testing of which characters and ideas resonate most with company can be invaluable. Nonetheless, we’re skeptical that that is the explanation why.

The second and extra possible rationalization is Disney Starlight Evening Parade, which, because the identify suggests, is the brand new evening parade debuting at Magic Kingdom in Summer time 2025. We focus on its most probably begin date in When Will Disney Starlight Evening Parade Debut?, however suffice to say, the reply is “after Might 19, 2025.”

Each time Starlight begins, it’ll be in extremely widespread. It’s been a very long time since Walt Disney World has had an evening parade, by no means thoughts a brand-new one, and there’s more likely to be a ton of demand for Starlight Evening Parade. We’re absolutely anticipating Disney to increase park hours at Magic Kingdom consequently, and run two nightly performances of Starlight. It’s possible they count on the identical, therefore the dearth of After Hours dates past Might 19, 2025.

With that mentioned, there’s at all times the chance that attendance projections fall in need of expectations or that demand isn’t as sturdy for Starlight, by which case we might see extra After Hours at Magic Kingdom dates added to the calendar “by widespread demand” (however probably not). But when that does occur, it most likely wouldn’t happen till June 2025 or so.

Because it stands, listed here are After Hours at Magic Kingdom dates:

• January 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2025
• February 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2025
• March 3, 17, 24 and 31, 2025
• April 7 and 28, 2025
• Might 5, 12 and 19, 2025

Occasion tickets are $175 to $185 per ticket, plus tax (costs fluctuate by date). There isn’t any low cost on tickets for Annual Passholders, DVC Members, or Forged Members this yr.

Regardless that it hasn’t occurred but, we’d nonetheless count on most of the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom to promote out. Then once more, perhaps these huge worth will increase have priced out too many potential company, and others have reached their breaking level on the occasion.

In any case, right here’s a mixture of new information and technique based mostly on prior experiences with After Hours at Magic Kingdom…

One factor that received’t be altering is the hallmark of the After Hours at Walt Disney World: UNLIMITED PREMIUM MICKEY ICE CREAM BARS!!! These, plus different ice cream novelties, popcorn, and bottled drinks are all included in the price of After Hours at Magic Kingdom.

You merely stroll as much as out of doors merchandising carts stationed all through the park and seize a Premium Mickey Bar, Coca-Cola, or no matter else. It’s an admittedly good contact of the occasion, and though it’s undoubtedly priced into the (very excessive) value of tickets, it nonetheless has a pleasant, all-inclusive sort of feeling. Maybe I’m only a man of easy tastes who is well impressed, however I really feel fancy strolling away from an ODV with “free” ice cream and pop.

It’s also possible to buy meals and drinks at choose eating areas, however that is sometimes a horrible use of the restricted occasion time. Eat earlier than you arrive or replenish on ice cream and different treats on-the-go throughout After Hours at Magic Kingdom.

In a shocking twist, the nighttime fireworks spectacular “Disney Enchantment” will return completely to After Hours occasions at Magic Kingdom. Which means on occasion nights, early arrivals could have the chance to see each Fortunately Ever After and Enchantment.

Bringing again Enchantment is a really curious resolution, positive to immediate “nobody requested for this” and “that’s one technique to preserve attendance restricted” jokes in response from Walt Disney World followers. Nonetheless, it’s robust to argue with having the chance to see two completely different fireworks exhibits in a single evening…even when it will’ve been higher to have one in every of them be Needs!

Anticipate very low crowds within the viewing space for Disney Enchantment. Even should you’re not an enormous fan of the present, you need to be capable to arrive final minute and have a big swath of Fundamental Avenue just about to your self. Viewing also needs to be pretty straightforward (however barely busier) nearer to Cinderella Citadel. It’s a uncommon alternative to observe the fireworks up shut with out preventing for a chief spot!

Points of interest open for After Hours at Magic Kingdom will possible embrace most or the entire following:

• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin
• Nation Bear Jamboree
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Jungle Cruise
• Mad Tea Occasion
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice
• Area Mountain
• Swiss Household Treehouse
• Goofy’s Barnstormer
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• TRON Lightcycle Run
• Underneath the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

TRON Lightcycle Run will use a standby line, quite than a digital queue, for the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom. It’s unclear whether or not Tiana’s Bayou Journey might be included within the trip roster, however we count on that it’s going to. You possibly can be taught extra concerning the attraction lineup, pricing, and 2025 Disney After Hours dates on the official web site.

With the possible trip roster out of the way in which, the operative query about After Hours at Magic Kingdom is what number of rides are you able to accomplish? Narrowing {that a} bit additional, we assume most individuals studying this are involved with headliners like Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice–and the way a lot time may be saved by paying to attend After Hours versus a traditional day at Magic Kingdom…

We’ve attended a number of After Hours occasions, themed and unthemed, at Magic Kingdom. Over the past one we attended, we did the next:

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Jungle Cruise
• Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad (x2)
• Underneath the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin
• Astro Orbiter
• Area Mountain (x2)
• Peter Pan’s Flight (x2)
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice

That’s a complete of 15 issues, and we might’ve completed extra if effectivity had been our lone purpose and we didn’t backtrack as a lot. With tickets costing $175 to $185 for the 2025 After Hours, that breaks right down to round $11.67 to $12.33 per expertise.

Our value was truly rather a lot decrease because of cheaper tickets and AP/DVC reductions. I can’t say we’d pay ~$12 to skip the road at Tomorrowland Speedway or Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin…which is exactly why we received’t be attending in 2025.

We additionally ate a few half dozen ice cream novelties and had just a few Cokes, the worth of which might’ve exceeded $50 had been we paying out of pocket. Nonetheless, I might by no means purchase a bottle of water at Walt Disney World within the first place, a lot much less 6 of them in a day. So ascribing $50 of worth to the snacks is a little bit of a stretch. I’d truly say that added about $15 value of worth, as I did dinner in sugar-infused type.

After Hours at Magic Kingdom doesn’t require common theme park admission and permits entry as early as 7 pm. Not like the Disney’s Hollywood Studios model of the occasion, the particular occasion begins proper at official park closing time–at 10:00 p.m., and runs for 3 hours till 1:00 a.m. This implies you may see the fireworks or knock out just a few less-popular points of interest earlier than After Hours formally kicks off.

The final time we attended, we did precisely that–engaging in one other half-dozen points of interest (together with a number of not open throughout After Hours) in the course of the mix-in hours. It additionally helps that Walt Disney World tends to inflate wait instances on occasion nights in an effort to “gently discourage” day company from leaping in line on the final minute for one final trip.

We’ve attended After Hours at Magic Kingdom on a number of events. If one factor has been constant, it’s the inconsistency of crowds. When these occasions first began, they seldom bought out and had been completely wonderful. Over time, they’ve change into extra widespread and began promoting out.

Unsurprisingly, there’s an enormous distinction in crowds between events which might be bought out and ones that aren’t. Extra surprisingly, there has additionally been variance in wait instances and attendance even amongst bought out nights. Walt Disney World appears to have oversold some After Hours nights in late 2019 and early 2020, leading to worse crowds. Nonetheless, that was not our expertise with the themed After Hours nights for the final 3 years.

However, it’s inconceivable to say what the 2025 After Hours events will maintain by way of crowds. Our guess is that the capability is in keeping with final yr’s occasions, which had been nearly proper. One other constructive is that, with pent-up demand now exhausted and ticket costs greater throughout the board, maybe fewer dates will promote out. We will see, and can report again!

Sometimes, strains are brief and manageable throughout After Hours at Magic Kingdom. As soon as the occasion will get began, most points of interest are walk-ons and are dispatching trip autos with empty seats. A handful may need 5 to 10 minute waits, with a pair being worse than that.

The 2 rides that normally have measurable wait instances within the first couple of hours are Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice. The latter is absolutely the most important offender, and we’ve completed a number of After Hours at Magic Kingdom throughout which the road by no means actually died down for that. In different circumstances, it has had a <15 minute wait time within the last hour.

By way of suggestions, our recommendation can be to start out in Adventureland and proceed to Frontierland, earlier than knocking out most of Fantasyland and all of Tomorrowland. Lastly, end off by backtracking and hitting Peter Pan’s Flight (doubtlessly a number of instances) and Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice.

In order for you bang to your buck, the favored points of interest which might be best to knock out time and again both by re-riding or rapidly returning to the queue are Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Astro Orbiter. Area Mountain nearly qualifies, however the lengthy queue and exit does add up.

As with a traditional evening, you may bounce into line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice with one minute left within the occasion. In different phrases, should you solely need to do that trip as soon as, the wait time is generally irrelevant, as you’ll be lining up at 12:59 am and doing most of your ready after the occasion has concluded, anyway.

If you wish to do Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice greater than as soon as, you’ll most likely need to do prior rides within the 12 am hour–maybe alternating between it and Peter Pan’s Flight if you wish to change issues up.

The small wildcards for the 2025 After Hours events are TRON Lightcycle Run and Tiana’s Bayou Journey.

These are minor wildcards as a result of each points of interest have operated with standby strains earlier than–throughout Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion. The distinction is the decrease attendance cap throughout After Hours, which leads us to consider each points of interest could have peak wait instances of 30-45 minutes.

Our recommendation is to do TRON Lightcycle Run on the very starting of the occasion–actually proper because it begins. Tiana’s Bayou Journey you need to be capable to do in direction of the top, however the issue with that attraction (as at all times) is its unreliability. Reserve it in direction of the top, and it could be down and chances are you’ll not be capable to do it in any respect. Conversely, do it early and also you may get caught and waste your evening throughout a breakdown.

When you have a day in Magic Kingdom outdoors of the After Hours occasion, we’d strongly suggest making an attempt for a spot within the digital queue and driving Tiana’s Bayou Journey then. Maybe you’ll find it irresistible and need to do it once more, however you additionally may discover that it’s rather a lot of effort, not well worth the threat, and your time throughout After Hours can be higher spent on the points of interest with zero wait in any way.

As for whether or not After Hours at Magic Kingdom is well worth the cash, that actually relies upon. Should you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort and have entry to Prolonged Night Hours at Magic Kingdom, I might not even think about shelling out $100+ per particular person for this occasion until cash is totally no object. (By which case, why are you studying this evaluation?)

We’ve completed Prolonged Night Hours at Magic Kingdom a number of instances, and have had a blast at that. On common, we accomplish 8-10 points of interest throughout that 2-hour window. In our expertise, it’s very akin to After Hours, minus the included refreshments and further hour. Do this as an alternative, pay for snacks out of pocket, and put the distinction in direction of a special splurge.

In case you are not eligible for Prolonged Night Hours and are thus debating whether or not to do After Hours as an alternative…have you ever thought of doing a cut up keep and splurging on an evening at a Deluxe Resort? (See Learn how to Do Cut up Stays at Walt Disney World Accommodations.) You would additionally pair that with Membership Degree at a Magic Kingdom space resort, profiting from the early/late hours and having fun with the membership in the course of the center of the day.

Severely. When you have a celebration of 4, you’re an outlay of ~$500 for After Hours at Magic Kingdom. That’s sufficient for staying at a Deluxe Resort for one evening, particularly should you guide the Swan & Dolphin or do Disney Trip Membership Level Leases. Whereas cut up stays should not for everybody, we love them–to every their very own on that, although.

If doing a cut up keep is a non-starter otherwise you in any other case can’t or received’t do a Deluxe Resort, there are nonetheless different choices. One is doing Early Entry and cord drop at Magic Kingdom. Typically talking, that’s not a comparable various to After Hours at Magic Kingdom.

For one factor, it’s within the morning quite than the most effective time of day (evening) at Magic Kingdom. For an additional factor, Early Entry is just not significantly helpful at Magic Kingdom (positively the worst of the 4 parks for the perk) because of the later park opening time. In case your solely choices are Early Entry or After Hours (a false alternative, to make certain), we’d decide the latter.

Lastly, there’s Lightning Lane Multi-Cross. Should you’ve learn any of our many posts about utilizing paid FastPass at Magic Kingdom, you’re possible conscious we advocate for purchasing the service there. (If not, now you realize!)

With the most important Lightning Lane trip roster, availability is healthier at Magic Kingdom than every other park. It sometimes has the most effective return instances and you’ll strategize so you aren’t crisscrossing the park and backtracking an excessive amount of. There’s additionally much less cause to be in your telephone always enjoying the refresh sport, as Lightning Lane Multi-Cross is often “simpler” at Magic Kingdom.

However, we’re cognizant of the truth that many company need no display screen time or problem. To that finish, After Hours positively has that benefit over Lightning Lane Multi-Cross. There’s no know-how required and nil complications in any way. In fact, the tradeoff is a massively greater worth.

With that in thoughts, higher comparability is to Lightning Lane Premier Cross. It’s nonetheless not apples-to-apples, nevertheless it’s nearer. Should you’re debating between shopping for After Hours tickets or Lightning Lane Premier Cross, our recommendation can be After Hours, arms down.

Not solely is After Hours at Magic Kingdom inexpensive than Lightning Lane Premier Cross, nevertheless it additionally permits re-rides. This implies which you could loop Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, Mad Tea Occasion, or whichever points of interest are your favorites. You may wait in barely longer standby strains, so there may be that component of unpredictability, however we’ve achieved a ton at After Hours prior to now.

Truthfully, I’d decide After Hours over Lightning Lane Premier Cross even when the fee had been precisely the identical. I benefit from the After Hours occasion that a lot. And regardless that I believe it’s overpriced now, a minimum of it’s not as overpriced as Premier Cross!

In the end, that’s my perspective on After Hours at Magic Kingdom. We are going to go for the sake of “analysis,” however I might not purchase tickets to this if we had been the typical Walt Disney World guests. That’s a change from earlier years, once we really useful After Hours at Magic Kingdom. Likewise, we don’t suggest it for the majority of planners, particularly these on tight budgets or, paradoxically, keen to splurge on a Deluxe Resort.

It is because Prolonged Night Hours are vastly superior to Night Additional Magic Hours and Lightning Lane Multi-Cross is healthier than FastPass+ at Magic Kingdom. That’s ironic as a result of, as a basic matter, each of these adjustments have include a value. Nonetheless, on this particular case, the smaller swimming pools of company who can or do use each suggestions the scales of their favor–in different phrases, their value is decrease than this value.

Actually, the one company to whom we do suggest After Hours at Magic Kingdom are those that hate any hassles or display screen time, and may in any other case buy Lightning Lane Premier Cross. On the very least, that is higher than that. However everybody else can do exactly high quality with Early Entry, Lightning Lane Multi-Cross, Prolonged Night Hours, or savvy technique.

No less than from my perspective, After Hours is now a tricky promote with out a theme connected, as there are viable options that value much less or have extra upside (or each). As at all times, to every their very own, although. I’m positive many nights of the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom will promote out, and the overwhelming majority of attendees could have a implausible time. It’s merely not how I might allocate my “TREAT YO SELF” finances for splurging on a Walt Disney World trip when selecting from the assorted choices.

To that time, we’d (and do!) suggest the 2025 After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Should you hate crowds, hassles, and are keen to splurge, After Hours at DHS might be an awesome occasion for you. That is largely as a result of there are is not any (normally-scheduled) Prolonged Night Hours, Lightning Lanes may be headache-inducing, and Early Entry is just a viable choice for knocking out 2-3 points of interest. With that mentioned, After Hours can be not strictly mandatory at DHS, both. It’s only a extra smart splurge, from our perspective.

With all of that mentioned, should you arbitrarily put aside the fee or simply need to splurge, it’s laborious to argue towards After Hours. As long as Walt Disney World doesn’t get grasping and improve the attendance cap, it ought to proceed to be a wonderful occasion. Even then, demand for these is approach decrease than for the Halloween and Christmas Events, so crowds are unlikely to be an issue.

On the finish of the day, limited-capacity night occasions are probably the most pleasant technique to expertise Magic Kingdom–there’s definitely one thing to be mentioned for nighttime in Walt Disney World’s flagship park whereas it’s just about devoid of individuals. I personally want the Halloween and Christmas events for his or her leisure and environment–however I additionally don’t care about doing points of interest as a lot, so I do know that I’m not the norm.

After Hours at Magic Kingdom is just like the vanilla model of these for trip junkies or anybody who needs the bottom crowd ranges and probably the most handy technique to keep away from lengthy strains. It might not provide the most effective worth for cash from an goal perspective, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a powerful choice for individuals who are overwhelmed by planning, crowds, or the hassles of visiting Magic Kingdom within the present period. It’s not how we’d select to splurge, however that doesn’t make it a foul occasion.

Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about lodges on our Walt Disney World Accommodations Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot you want to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you consider the After Hours occasions? Planning on doing the 2025 After Hours at Magic Kingdom to see what number of instances you may trip TRON Lightcycle Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, Peter Pan’s Flight, or Area Mountain in a single evening? Is that this one thing that pursuits you, or is the fee too excessive to justify? Would you like to do that, or splurge on a Deluxe Resort and get the 2-hour model for “free”? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation of the occasion? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!