Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World (2025 Guide) 🌙

Update (Aug 18 2025): Disney has adjusted its Extended Evening Hours schedule—Animal Kingdom will now host the late-October 2025 slot instead of EPCOT.

Extended Evening Hours are one of the most valuable perks for guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts and Villas. On select nights, eligible guests get up to two extra hours in the parks after official closing time.

This late-night bonus means:

• 🎢 Riding Disney’s most popular attractions with much shorter waits

• 🌙 Experiencing the parks in a calmer, cooler nighttime atmosphere

• ✨ Feeling like you have a more exclusive, almost VIP-style experience

Whether you’re hoping to ride headliners like TRON Lightcycle / Run, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, or Avatar Flight of Passage, or just enjoy the ambiance of Magic Kingdom with lighter crowds, Extended Evening Hours can be a game-changing advantage for your trip.

Want the full picture of resort perks? Don’t miss our Early Entry Guide to learn how to make the most of mornings in the parks.

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Think of Extended Evening Hours as the nighttime version of Early Entry—but even better, because fewer guests qualify, making lines even shorter.

🏨 Who Can Access Extended Evening Hours?

Extended Evening Hours are not available to everyone—they’re an exclusive perk for guests staying at certain hotels. Eligible resorts include Disney Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, and select partner hotels.

Eligible Resorts

Disney Deluxe Resorts & Villas

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House & Kidani Village

• Disney’s Beach Club Resort & Villas

• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas

• Disney’s Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Villas

• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Villas & Bungalows

• Disney’s Old Key West Resort

• Disney’s Riviera Resort

• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Boulder Ridge Villas & Copper Creek Villas & Cabins)

• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

Other Eligible Resorts

• Walt Disney World Swan Hotel

• Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel

• Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

• Shades of Green (available on select nights only—check eligibility during your stay)

Looking for the full list of Deluxe Resorts that qualify? Check out our Deluxe Resort Guide —we’ll be giving it a fresh update soon, but it’s still packed with helpful details

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Staying at a Deluxe resort comes with a higher price tag, but Extended Evening Hours can feel like a VIP ticket to Disney’s most popular rides—especially during peak travel times when daytime waits are the longest.

📅 When Do Extended Evening Hours Happen?

Extended Evening Hours aren’t offered every night—they rotate between parks on select evenings.

The current 2025 schedule looks like this:

• EPCOT – Most Monday nights (2 extra hours after closing).📝 Important: The World Showcase is closed during EEH, except for Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.Update (Aug 18, 2025): For late October 2025, EPCOT’s slot has been replaced with Animal Kingdom.

• Hollywood Studios – Newly added on Wednesday nights in Fall 2025 (through early November, and possibly longer).

• Magic Kingdom – Still appears on select Wednesdays or around special events when other parks are unavailable.

• Animal Kingdom – Rotates in seasonally, often beginning in mid-November once Halloween and holiday party season winds down.Update: Animal Kingdom will also host Extended Evening Hours in late October 2025, replacing EPCOT on those dates.

Guests can confirm dates in the My Disney Experience app or on Disney’s official calendar before their trip.

Need help navigating the My Disney Expereince App? Check out our complete My Disney Experience (MDE) App Guide — your handy tool for unlocking real-time park features, including EEH schedules, attraction status, and more.

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: If you’re planning to stay out late for Extended Evening Hours, build in some afternoon downtime. A nap, pool break, or quiet resort stroll will recharge you so you can take full advantage of the late-night park time.

🎢 What Rides Are Open During Extended Evening Hours?

Not every attraction runs during Extended Evening Hours, but the good news is that most of the headliners and fan favorites are included.

👉 Remember: there are no Lightning Lanes during EEH. All rides are standby only—but with far fewer eligible guests, wait times are drastically shorter than during the day.

🏰 Magic Kingdom Attractions

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

• TRON Lightcycle / Run

• Space Mountain

• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

• Pirates of the Caribbean

• Haunted Mansion

• Peter Pan’s Flight

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

• “it’s a small world”

• Dumbo the Flying Elephant

• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

• Astro Orbiter

• Tomorrowland Speedway

• The Barnstormer

• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

• Swiss Family Treehouse

• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

• Mad Tea Party

• Mickey’s PhilharMagic

• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

Want the full scoop on what to ride, when to ride it, and what not to miss at Magic Kingdom?👉 Check out our Magic Kingdom Ride & Attraction Guide

🌐 EPCOT Attractions

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

• Frozen Ever After

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

• Test Track

• Soarin’ Around the World

• Mission: SPACE

• Spaceship Earth

• The Seas with Nemo & Friends

• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

📝 Note: Aside from Frozen and Remy, the World Showcase is closed during Extended Evening Hours.

From thrills to World Showcase classics, we’ve got your EPCOT day mapped out.👉 Explore our EPCOT Ride & Attraction Guide

🎬 Hollywood Studios Attractions (Fall 2025)

• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

• Slinky Dog Dash

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

• Tower of Terror

• Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

• Toy Story Mania!

• Alien Swirling Saucers

• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Hollywood Studios is packed with top-tier rides—and strategy matters.👉 Get our complete Hollywood Studios Ride Guide

🌿 Animal Kingdom Attractions (Select Nights)

• Avatar Flight of Passage

• Na’vi River Journey

• Expedition Everest

• DINOSAUR

• Meet Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost

Learn which rides are worth rope-dropping, plus the best trails, shows, and hidden gems.👉 Dive into our Animal Kingdom Ride & Attraction Guide

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Save the biggest headliners (TRON, Guardians, Flight of Passage, Rise of the Resistance) for later in the night when crowds are thinnest—you’ll often find waits under 20 minutes.

🍽️ Dining Tips During Extended Evening Hours

Food and drink options are very limited during Extended Evening Hours, since most restaurants close with the park. A few snack stands may remain open, but don’t count on a late-night meal.

• Table Service Restaurants – These close at the park’s regular closing time, so you won’t find any sit-down dining during EEH.

• Quick Service & Mobile Order – Most locations shut down at official park close, though a handful may offer limited snacks or drinks.

• Plan Ahead – Eat dinner before the park closes so you can dedicate all your EEH time to rides and atmosphere.

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Grab a snack or dessert right before park closing (think popcorn, pretzel, or ice cream) so you have something to enjoy while you walk to your first ride of the night.

Hungry before your late-night adventures? Check out our full Walt Disney World Dining Guide for tips on where to eat before the parks close.

✨ Strategy for Extended Evening Hours

Extended Evening Hours give you just two extra hours, and they go by fast! A little planning makes a big difference in how much you can accomplish.

• Rest in the Afternoon – If you plan to stay out late, take a break mid-day. Head back to your resort for a nap, pool time, or quiet downtime. You’ll come back refreshed and ready to make the most of your evening.

• Start Small, Finish Big – In the first 20–30 minutes, many day guests are still clearing out. Use this time for less popular attractions you can walk right onto.

• Save Headliners for Later – Lines for major rides like TRON, Guardians, Flight of Passage, and Rise of the Resistance usually shrink in the final hour. Plan to do the biggest rides last, when waits are shortest.

• Think “Reverse Wait Times” – Instead of rushing to the most popular rides first, flip your strategy. Knock out smaller attractions early, then pivot to the heavy-hitters once crowds thin.

• Stay Focused – Two hours disappears quickly. Pick your top 3–4 “must-do” rides and prioritize those rather than criss-crossing the park.

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Some of the best Extended Evening Hours moments aren’t rides at all—it’s soaking in the quiet nighttime atmosphere, snapping photos without crowds, and enjoying the parks in a way most guests never see.

💡 Is Extended Evening Hours Worth It?

If you’re staying at a qualifying Deluxe Resort (or one of the eligible partner hotels), the answer is almost always yes. Extended Evening Hours are one of the best perks Disney currently offers.

Why It’s Worth It

• 🎢 Ride the most popular attractions with little to no wait

• 🌙 Enjoy the parks in cooler evening temps and lower crowds

• 💰 Skip Lightning Lanes—you can often ride everything you want during EEH without paying extra

• ✨ Experience the parks in a rare, almost empty atmosphere

When It Might Not Be Worth It

• If your family are early risers and not night owls, staying out until midnight may be tough

• If you’re already spending on Lightning Lane Multi Passes, the perk may feel less essential

• If you’re staying at a Value or Moderate resort, the cost to upgrade just for EEH may outweigh the benefit

Considering an Upgrade?

• A Deluxe stay comes with a higher nightly rate. If Extended Evening Hours is the main reason you’d consider upgrading, weigh how often you’ll actually use the perk.

• A smart workaround is a split stay: spend most of your trip at a Value or Moderate, then book 1–2 nights at a Deluxe to unlock EEH access. This lets you enjoy the perk without paying deluxe prices for your whole trip.

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Extended Evening Hours are often the only way to ride TRON, Guardians, or Rise of the Resistance multiple times in a single trip without waiting in long lines or paying for Lightning Lane.

🌟 Final Thoughts on Extended Evening Hours

Extended Evening Hours are one of Walt Disney World’s best-kept secrets—and a huge perk for Deluxe and Villa guests. With just two bonus hours, you can accomplish more than some families manage in an entire park day. From zipping through headliners like TRON and Guardians with almost no wait to soaking in the parks under the stars, this perk adds a layer of magic that feels truly special.

If your budget (or a split stay) allows, take advantage of it—you’ll walk away with unforgettable memories and some of the smoothest park touring you’ll ever experience.

🧚‍♀️ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Don’t just power-walk from ride to ride—pause for a moment to enjoy the rare, quiet atmosphere of Disney parks at night. It’s a kind of magic you won’t soon forget.

Pixie Dust Hugs,

Bren, Lyn, and Kim

P.S. Planning your own magical getaway?

✨ Start with our Walt Disney World Vacation Guide

🗂️ Download our printable Cheat Sheets for Walt Disney World & Universal Orlando

💫 Need accessibility tips or DAS advice? We’ve got you covered here

🎟️ Or let Bren help you plan your Practically Perfect Vacation