It seems like we can never get enough time at Disney World. Luckily, there are ways to get even more time inside the parks during your visit. Some of them don’t cost anything extra, while others charge a separate admission fee. And some are limited to certain Guests, while others are open to anyone with a park ticket. Here’s a look at different ways you can get extra time in Disney World parks.
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- What Is It? Enter the theme park 30 minutes before the general public
- Who’s Eligible? Guests staying at an official Disney World resort hotel (must also have a theme park ticket)
- Does It Cost Extra? No additional cost beyond your theme park ticket
- Does it Give You More Time for Rides? Yes, but only certain rides
Each day, all four of Disney’s main theme parks open 30 minutes early exclusively for guests staying at any of the Disney Resort hotels.
While 30 minutes may not seem like very long, it’s enough time to ride one or two of the attractions that are open early. This perk may also let you be in a better position to get at the front of the line for a ride that is not operating during the early admission perk.
Which Hotels are eligible for Early Entry?
- Disney Deluxe Resorts
- Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts (Disney Vacation Club resorts)
- Disney Moderate Resorts
- Disney Value Resorts
- Other Select Hotels (Such as Swan & Dolphin, Four Seasons, Shades of Green, and others that have a special relationship with Disney)
A good rule of thumb is if your hotel has “Disney” in its official name, you’re all set. But a few other select partner hotels are allowed in, too.
Check Disney’s Early Entry page to see the most up-to-date list of eligible hotels.
Which parks offer Early Entry?
- Magic Kingdom
- EPCOT
- Hollywood Studios
- Animal Kingdom
All four offer early entry every day of the week. Look for a special entrance line just for Hotel Guests — don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to wait in the giant crush of day guests waiting to enter.
Which rides are open during Early Theme Park Entry?
The list changes from time to time, but here’s a general idea of what to expect:
- Magic Kingdom: Rides in Fantasyland, Storybook Circus, and Tomorrowland are the most likely to be offered
- EPCOT: Most rides in the front half of the park (World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature neighborhoods), plus a couple of the bigger rides in World Showcase
- Hollywood Studios: the roller coasters, thrill rides, and Star Wars rides, among others
- Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest and the rides in Pandora are the most likely to be open
Disney’s Early Theme Park Entry page has the current full list of rides offered during the early morning hours — be sure to re-check it closer to your vacation.
Early Entry is only a half-hour, so you’ll probably only have time to ride one ride — maybe two if you’re lucky. So choose carefully based on crowd patterns, average wait times, and any Lightning Lane passes you may have purchased.
Image © Disney
- What Is It? Stay in the theme park an additional 2 hours after closing
- Who’s Eligible? Guests staying at some Disney World resort hotels (must also have a theme park ticket)
- Does It Cost Extra? No additional cost beyond your theme park ticket
- Does it Give You More Time for Rides? Yes, but only certain rides
Extended Evening Hours give you additional time in the theme park, but they can be harder to qualify for and fit into your schedule. It doesn’t happen every night, and not every Disney hotel guest is eligible.
But if the stars align for you, you’ll enjoy two more hours inside the theme park after everyone else has gone home. It’s a great way to avoid long lines as well as Florida’s notorious daytime heat and afternoon thunderstorms.
Which Hotels are eligible for Extended Evening Hours?
- Disney Deluxe Resorts
- Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts (Disney Vacation Club resorts)
- Other Select Hotels (which have a special relationship with Disney)
You will not be able to attend if you’re staying at a Disney Moderate Resort or a Disney Value Resort.
Check Disney’s Extended Evening Hours page if in doubt about whether your resort hotel is eligible.
Which parks offer Extended Evening Theme Park Hours?
The list of participating theme parks varies by day and by time of year.
All four major parks have participated at one time or another in the past, but not necessarily all in the same week. In fact, this perk is not even offered every day of the week. It’s usually only one or two nights each week, so it’s quite possible your favorite park won’t be participating during your visit.
Historically, Magic Kingdom has been the most likely to participate at any given time. But EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom have also taken turns as an additional offering.
To find out the schedule of days and parks for your trip, look for the “Extended Evening Hours” listing in each park’s operational calendar. You can also check the My Disney Experience app, ask your resort hotel front desk, or contact Guest Relations.
Which rides are open during evening extra hours?
It’s generally the same as the rides that participate in Early Theme Park Entry (listed earlier in this article), plus a few more.
The list can change, so you’ll want to verify the current list closer to your visit.
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- What Are They? Special nighttime events that take place outside of normal park hours
- Who’s Eligible? Most are open to anyone willing to buy an event ticket
- Does It Cost Extra? Yes, these are separately ticketed events
- Does it Give You More Time for Rides? Yes, but usually only certain rides
Disney parks are well known for their after-hours special events.
Details vary by event, but a general rule of thumb is that the park will close to Day Guests around 6:00 PM or so, then the special event will start around 7:00 PM and last until midnight or later.
Many (but not necessarily all) rides will be open, and there’s often special food and merchandise for sale. There may be freebie keepsakes or snacks during the event, too.
As an added bonus, some of these special events even allow you to “mix in” with Day Guests a few hours before the special event starts. So you might be able to enter Magic Kingdom at around 4:00 PM without having to buy a regular theme park admission ticket.
Here are a few of the special events and parties typically offered:
- Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (Magic Kingdom), complete with specialty fireworks, a special Halloween parade (my favorite Disney parade ever!), and Trick-or-Treating inside the park.
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (Magic Kingdom), featuring a special Christmas parade and fireworks, free cookies and hot chocolate, and “snow” on Main Street, USA
- Jollywood Nights (Hollywood Studios), celebrating the holidays with all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s golden age
- Disney After Hours / H2O Glow After Hours (various theme parks and Typhoon Lagoon water park), offering lighter crowds with a focus on shorter wait times for rides
- Moonlight Magic (Various parks), a free after-hours event exclusively for Disney Vacation Club Members
Remember — these are separately ticketed events. You won’t be able to get in using your regular daily admission ticket or annual pass.
Of course, if money is really no object, you could consider renting out an entire Disney theme park so only your group has access.
- What Is It? Getting to the park before it opens
- Who’s Eligible? Anyone with a park ticket
- Does It Cost Extra? No
- Does it Give You More Time for Rides? Maybe
As tempting as it might be to sleep in while on vacation, those who are early to rise at Disney World often reap benefits.
Theme park fans love to “rope drop” the parks, meaning they get there early enough that they have to wait for Cast Members to drop the ropes that serve as barriers to entry. (Sometimes these ropes are more metaphorical than physical, but you get the idea.)
Disney World parking lots usually start to open around 60 minutes before each theme park’s published opening time. Disney World transportation (buses, monorails, etc) should be up and running at least 30 minutes in advance. You can even walk to the theme parks from some hotels. So it’s not hard to get to the park before it opens.
Disney doesn’t just make you wait outside the park entrance; you’ll usually be allowed to make your way at least partially inside before reaching a stopping point. You might be able to browse a shop or grab a coffee and pastry, but the main benefit is being ahead of everyone else who doesn’t show up until park opening or later.
There are usually dedicated queues and holding areas to separate the rope droppers who are also eligible for Early Entry from those who aren’t. Early Entry perk-holders might even get to enter their first attraction queue just a little earlier than the published start time for Early Entry. Those not eligible for the Early Entry perk shouldn’t reasonably expect to actually ride anything until the park’s official opening time.
Rope drop procedures can change over time, and even may vary depending on how crowded they’re expecting it to be. But generally speaking, getting there early gives you a head start over everyone else, which could help you squeeze in an extra ride or two thanks to shorter lines at the moment the park opens.
Image © Disney
- What Is It? Making a dining reservation at a restaurant inside the park before the park opens
- Who’s Eligible? Anyone with a park ticket and a dining reservation
- Does It Cost Extra? Just the cost of your meal
- Does it Give You More Time for Rides? Usually not
You can get an early start on your theme park day by dining at one of the select few Disney World restaurants which offer breakfast before the park opens.
For example, the first breakfast seating at princess dining favorite Cinderella’s Royal Table is usually around 30-60 minutes before the park opens for the day. At the park entrance, look for the sign for early dining reservations.
Note that you must have a dining reservation for this to work — you won’t be allowed in the park just to try for a walk-up spot.
It should also be noted that this is a sort of double-edged sword. You can get in the park early, and perhaps snap a photo or two without the crowds, but no rides will be open.
And, because you’ll probably still be dining when the park actually opens to the rest of the public, you’ll miss out on those key “rope drop” opportunities to ride a popular attraction the instant the park opens. By the time you’re done with your breakfast, the morning rush will be well underway. So if you have a pre-opening breakfast reservation, you might find it’s also worth the money to buy Lightning Lane that day.
- What Is It? Planning your visit so that the parks have a longer operating day (earlier opening and/or later closing)
- Who’s Eligible? Anyone with a park ticket
- Does It Cost Extra? Technically no, but see our notes below
- Does it Give You More Time for Rides? Yes
This one’s pretty easy to do — just pay attention to Disney’s theme park hours calendar. And it’s not just big yearly trends — park hours can vary from day to day, so you can easily pick up an extra hour or two by just going on, say, Saturday vs Tuesday (as an example only).
But, there are a few things to consider. First, longer hours usually correspond to when Disney expects the theme parks to be more crowded. So the extra time in the park may be offset by longer lines. And while Disney doesn’t necessarily charge more for park tickets on longer days than shorter days, tickets do tend to be costlier during periods of high demand (which longer hours usually indicate).
Bonus Technique: Park Hopping To Extend Your Day
To get the absolute most time possible in the parks, you could start your day at the park that opens earliest, then park hop over to the park which is closing the latest. Of course, you’ll need to pay for Park Hopper tickets to do so (which are costlier than tickets without this privilege).
- What Is It? Remaining in the theme park after closing time (within reason)
- Who’s Eligible? Anyone with a park ticket
- Does It Cost Extra? No
- Does it Give You More Time for Rides? No
Obviously, this does not mean “hiding out” or trying to stay in the park overnight. (Those are excellent get arrested and permanently banned from Disney World.)
But you might be surprised to know that Disney World fully expects people to stick around a bit after the published closing time on most nights. This offers a nice way to wind down your theme park day.
Anyone who was already in line for a ride or attraction will still get to ride even if the park closes while they’re waiting. But nobody new can join the line after the park’s published park closing time. (One exception: the ride and its queue may remain open for Hotel Guests via the extended evening hours perk — in that case you’ll only be allowed to enter the line if eligible for the perk.)
Similarly, diners at restaurants will be allowed to finish their meals, though new arrivals usually won’t be allowed.
Not much else will be open, but there are still some things to enjoy.
The nightly fireworks show may be scheduled for right at park closing time on some nights. (Pick a clever viewing spot to further avoid crowds.)
The main merchandise shops near the front of the park will usually remain open for another hour or so after closing time.
And while everyone else is rushing back to their hotels, you can take a few pictures of the relatively-empty park, people-watch from a bench, soak up the ambiance, and (best of all) avoid the initial rush for buses, monorails, boats, and Skyliners.
Whenever I’m at EPCOT, I usually watch the fireworks from the “front” of World Showcase Lagoon, then take a leisurely stroll all the way around the lagoon as the crowds empty. The country pavilions are gorgeous at night; add in a warm breeze on the lagoon and flickering lights from the torches… it’s almost like having the park to myself for a few serene moments after a hectic day.
Keep in mind that this should only be done within reason. Don’t expect to spend more than an hour or so in the park after the published closing time. Cast Members and Security will eventually “sweep” through the park to escort out any stragglers. Sometimes they sweep certain lands/areas earlier than others. Always follow Cast Member instructions and move along if you’re requested to do so.
Exception: Nights with Special After-Hours Events
Don’t plan on sticking around late on the nights when a park is hosting a special separately-ticketed event such as a Christmas Party.
On those nights, they do a so-called “hard close,” as in “6:00 PM means 6:00 PM — no stragglers.”
To enforce this, they often set up checkpoints at various parts of the park to ensure no one stays around if they’re not attending the after-hours party. I’ve even seen them go as far as forming a human chain of Cast Members walking from the back of the park to the front, checking for event wristbands along the way and not letting any ineligible Guests past the moving human wall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Disney still do Extra Magic Hours?
The old Extra Magic Hours perk for Disney Hotel Guests was one of the things that disappeared after the Disney parks shut down due to COVID-19. They have now been replaced with two separate offerings: Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. We outline both of these in the article above.
How are Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours different from Extra Magic Hours?
Extra Magic Hours selected one park per day, and then offered either one extra hour in the morning or two extra hours in the evening. Extra Magic Hours were open to all Disney Resort hotel Guests.
Early Theme Park Entry is offered at all four theme parks every day, but is only 30 minutes long. It’s open to all Disney Resort hotel Guests.
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is offered at only one theme park at a time, and only on certain days of the week. It’s two hours long. Only certain Disney Resort hotels are eligible.
Should I stay on-site just for the early entry and late night perks?
These perks are probably not the only reason to upgrade to a Disney World resort, but they’re one of the many reasons that staying on-site makes good sense for many people. Between the extra hours perks, free transportation, free parking, and remaining immersed in the magic for your entire trip, lots of families find that it’s worth the difference in price.
Final Thoughts on Getting Extra Time in Disney World Parks
With precious little vacation time and seemingly never-ending high prices everywhere, it’s understandable you’ll want to get your money’s worth on your Disney World trip.
Luckily, your Disney World day doesn’t necessarily have to end just because your Mickey Mouse watch says it’s closing time. Thanks to a variety of free perks, paid special events, and savvy touring strategies, you can easily pick up an extra hour or two inside the theme parks.
Wisely using these perks and strategies can help you make the most out of your trip and the time spent with your family.
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