Guests staying at official Walt Disney World resort hotels receive special perks not available to other visitors, including extra time in the theme parks. One of the most popular perks, available to guests at select Disney Resort hotels, will soon be changing.
This popular hotel perk is changing in a move that will likely last into 2027. We have details on this change and which guests it affects. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including our pick for Disney World’s best Princess character meal and the Disney World hotel with the best gym.
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Disney Changing the Extended Evening Hours Schedule
Guests staying at select Walt Disney World hotels receive access to Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, an extra two hours in the park after it closes to the general public. This perk is complimentary and only takes place at one theme park at a time on select dates.
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Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are only available to guests staying in the “deluxe” tier of Disney World hotels and select other properties. These include:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort (Disney Vacation Club cabins only)
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
- Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
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The location of Extended Evening Theme Park Hours can technically be any of the four Disney World parks, but for most of 2026 so far, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT have each hosted it once a week, more frequently than Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This will change as 2026 enters its final months.
Magic Kingdom will likely stop hosting Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for the remainder of 2026, starting in late August. This is to accommodate the increasing frequency of the late-night Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in August, September, and October, followed by Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in November and December.
The farthest-out Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at Magic Kingdom is currently scheduled for August 19, 2026. Disney’s Animal Kingdom takes over on August 26, 2026, the next announced date that ordinarily would’ve gone to Magic Kingdom.
It’s always possible that Disney may schedule Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at Magic Kingdom here and there, but the perk is unlikely to be regularly offered as a weekly benefit, as it currently is, while the Halloween and holiday seasons continue.
We expect Magic Kingdom’s slot will be filled by Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom, depending on the date. EPCOT is likely to continue its cadence of weekly Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. At the time of this writing, park hours are only posted through August 31, 2026.
Note that all of the above changes only pertain to Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. Nothing changes about Early Theme Park Entry, which remains available at all four Disney World theme parks every day, 30 minutes before park opening time, for guests staying at any Disney World hotel, not just the deluxe resorts. See our Early Entry strategy guide for planning tips. Early Entry is included with park admission.
Separate Ticket Nighttime Special Events at Disney World
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are included with the cost of park admission for eligible guests. However, Disney also offers several separately ticketed events after the parks close, which provide an alternate way to experience low waits on popular rides, available for purchase to all guests.
Disney After Hours events continue through July at Magic Kingdom and through September at EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. Some dates have sold out.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party takes place at Magic Kingdom on select nights from August 7 through October 31, 2026. See details and dates here.
This November and December, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will return to Magic Kingdom, and Disney Jollywood Nights will return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Disney is expected to announce dates and ticketing info for these events very soon.
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