Time spent in the Disney parks is magical. Visiting the theme parks during a Disney vacation only adds to your Disney experience. But we’d all welcome additional time in the Disney parks, among fewer guests. While Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours are benefits of being a Walt Disney World resort hotel guest, they attract many Guests. Therefore, there’s a market for special events offered by The Walt Disney Company.
Disney Ticketed Events
Several ticketed events happen in the Walt Disney World resort throughout the year. For an additional cost, you can enjoy extra time in a Disney theme park after park close. The Disney ticketed events include:
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom park
- Disney H20 Glow After Hours in Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom park
- Disney After Hours in Magic Kingdom park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT
- Disney Jollywood Nights in Disney’s Hollywood Studios – new in 2023
We recently experienced Disney After Hours at EPCOT theme park. Let us share with you why we loved the event.
Disney After Hours at EPCOT
The Disney After Hours event at EPCOT occurred on select dates between June 1 and August 24. Tickets for the event were $139 per general guest, while Passholder and Disney Vacation Club Member tickets were $99. Disney After Hours at EPCOT runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., but guests can enter EPCOT with their ticket at 7 p.m. While the event officially started at 10 p.m., After Hours guests did not have to exit the Disney park to reenter. Wristbands were issued as we arrived at the Disney park earlier in the evening. Once EPCOT had closed to all other guests at 9 p.m., the presentation of our wristbands allowed us to enjoy all areas of the Disney park while day guests exited.
We arrived at EPCOT around 6 p.m. as we had a Disney Park Hopper Pass that allowed us entry before 7 p.m. At the entrance, we used the Disney After Hours entrance to collect our wristbands and guide map for the event as we entered. We used the time between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to dine at Garden Grill, browse the shops, and ride Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, and Journey Into Imagination With Figment. While the attractions were open during the After Hours event, we wanted to prioritize other top Disney attractions. We also watched EPCOT Forever before the Disney After Hours fun began.
So what did Disney After Hours at EPCOT include? Here’s all that we enjoyed during the evening in the Disney park.
Low Wait Times for Disney Rides
Due to the limited capacity for the Disney After Hours events, we could enjoy low wait times for top attractions in EPCOT theme park throughout the evening. The following rides were available during the evening:
- Frozen Ever After
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Soarin’ Around The World
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
During the evening, we rode Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, and Soarin’ Around The World, waiting less than 15 minutes for each attraction. But the main attraction for us was Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Attending Disney After Hours at EPCOT is your opportunity to see the Stand-By Line open for the Disney attraction. Disney After Hours guests could enter the line from park close. Generally, the attraction had a wait time of between 30 and 45 minutes throughout the evening. We enjoyed three rides at the attraction, each with around a 35-minute wait. Our After Hours event began with a ride on the attraction. We exited the ride around 10:05 p.m. Our evening ended with a ride on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, exiting the attraction around 1:15 a.m.
Unlimited Snacks and Beverages
We enjoyed plenty of snacks and beverages throughout our time in EPCOT during the evening. Throughout Disney park, you could collect bottled soft drinks, Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars, Mickey Premium Ice Cream Sandwiches, and popcorn. In particular, you can enjoy the Maple Popcorn from the Canada Pavilion during the evening, which went down a treat on our way from Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to Frozen Ever After. A Mickey Bar made the perfect midnight snack too! We also collected a bottle of water to leave the Disney park, having enjoyed plenty of beverages throughout the night.
Disney PhotoPass Opportunities
Throughout EPCOT park, plenty of Disney PhotoPass cast members were ready to take your photo. They took regular photos and also had paintbrushes that added fun Magic Shots to your photos. You could also get a photo with Tinker Bell’s lantern in the United Kingdom Pavilion. The Disney PhotoPass opportunities were particularly good if you had access to Memory Maker during your Disney vacation.
Disney Dance Party
Throughout the night, there was a dance party in World Discovery, in front of Mission: SPACE. Disney characters, including Chip, Dale, Goofy, and Pluto, joined cast members and guests on the dance floor. Meanwhile, the DJ played an incredible selection of Disney songs that were also played throughout EPCOT. We particularly enjoyed being able to sing along as we strolled around EPCOT World Showcase. It’s not every day you get to do the Cupid Shuffle in the Canada Pavilion or sing your heart out to the Hannah Montana theme song in the France Pavilion, is it?
Overall, we had an incredible evening in EPCOT. While it took a little persuasion for us to book our tickets, the price was definitely worth it. While Disney After Hours at EPCOT has ended its run, we hope the event will take place in the Disney park again soon.
Are you considering going to a Disney After Hours event? Speaking from experience, we highly recommend going. You’ll have enormous fun while enjoying low crowds, short wait times, snacks, and more!
