No More Extra Magic Hours? What to Know About ‘Extended Evening Hours’

Fans haven’t been too pleased with Disney seemingly pressing the reset button after COVID closures. Now that much of Walt Disney World’s experiences are back up and running, Guest perks such as the old “Extra Magic Hours” have been removed. BUT – what many Guests miss is the new “Extended Evening Hours.”

So, here’s the deal! Extra Magic Hours (EMHs) was a daily perk that Disney offered its Guests staying at any of its Resort Hotels. Guest gained access to a select Park one hour either before or after the official Park hours for the general public.

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Now that the Extra Magic Hour perk is gone, Disney is offering “Early Theme Park Entry” for ALL Disney Resort Hotel Guests. This is a 30-minute window in the morning to enjoy any of the Disney Parks before they open to all non-resort Guests.

Only 30-minutes extra, you say? Well, Disney also offers “Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.” The kicker… you must stay at one of Disney’s pricier Deluxe Resort Hotels to take advantage of this perk.

What Are Extended Evening Hours?

When Walt Disney World kicked off its 50th Anniversary, it began inviting Deluxe Resort Guests to stay and enjoy select Disney Parks on select evenings for an extra two hours after the Park closes to the general public.

Ride select attractions, enjoy a bite or two, and simply enjoy the Parks without massive amounts of people.

Who Benefits from Extended Evening Hours?

Registered Guests staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort or Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, along with a few other select hotels, are eligible to stay for Extended Evening Hours. These participating hotels include:

Disney Deluxe Resorts

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Other Select Hotels

• Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
• Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
• Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World®

What Parks / Attractions Are Available?

Currently, Disney offers Extended Evening Hours at both Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT. Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park are not available.

Attractions open during Extending Evening Hours include the following, but take note that Disney has mentioned these are subject to change at any time:

Magic Kingdom Park

• “it’s a small world”
• Astro Orbiter
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Country Bear Jamboree
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Haunted Mansion
• Mad Tea Party
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• The Barnstormer
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

EPCOT

• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
• Frozen Ever After
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – New! (An extra opportunity to join the Virtual Queue is available at 6:00 p.m. on extended evening theme park hours nights at EPCOT.)
• Mission: SPACE
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Ticket & Theme Park Reservation Needed

Be sure the registered Deluxe Resort Guests also have valid admission to the Disney Park and a Theme Park Reservation for the same Park on the same day.

Extending Evening Hours Schedule

Visit Walt Disney World’s website to check out the latest dates and Parks available via their Extended Evening Theme Park Hours chart. Currently, EPCOT is typically available on select days between 9:00 pm and 11:00 pm while Magic Kingdom Park is available on select days between 10:00 pm and midnight.

While we wouldn’t say Extending Evening Theme Park Hours is the perfect replacement for Extra Magic Hours, it is a nice benefit if you’re willing to splurge on a Disney Deluxe Resort Hotel.