So we have been asked this question often. Is it worth the extra price tag to do the After Hours events at Walt Disney World? So let’s first talk about what they are. After hours is a ticketed event that happens after the park closes, with VERY limited tickets available. You can basically walk on any ride, with zero wait time. Currently there are options available at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. We tested out the option at Magic Kingdom. We went during Christmas (the busiest season of the year) so we can really test its value. The cost was $125 per person, and the event ran from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am. You can access the parks at 7:00 pm, and enjoy them while everyone else is still finishing up their evening. So basically 3 hours with the crowds, and 3 hours with little to no crowd. Also included is unlimited popcorn, bottled soda/water, and ice cream bars.
Okay, so what did we get accomplished in 6 hours? Well the first 3 hours, when the park was open to everyone, we decided to take it easy. We had some Nachos, and walked around, people watched a little and camped out a spot for the fireworks. It was VERY crowded, so we really did not do much, except grab a dinner to share (so we can save room for all our free snacks), and watch the fireworks.
Once 11:00 PM hit, we got to work and guess what, we were AMAZED in what we could accomplish in 3 short hours. Here’s what we did:
- Rode Pirates of the Caribbean
- Rode Haunted mansion
- Rode Small world
- Rode Winnie the Pooh
- Enjoyed 2 Frozen bananas
- A quick trip on the People Mover
- Killed some Aliens on Buzz Lightyear
- Rode Astro Orbiter
- Rode Space mountain
- Enjoyed 2 sodas and 2 popcorns on the go
- Rode Little mermaid
- Rode Peter Pan
- Rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 3 TIMES!!! We did have to exit the queue, and go through it again. We timed ourselves. It took 4 minutes from once we got off the ride, to when we were sitting on the train again. And we even rode in the very back car each time (the funnest spot for sure)
- Enjoyed 2 ice creams and 2 sodas for the backpack
- Took some coveted Rapunzel Lantern photos
- Rode Thunder mountain
- 2 soda for the backpack and 2 popcorn (which also went in the backpack) and 1 ice cream to enjoy. We are getting full, but making the most of unlimited free goodies.
- Rode Jingle cruise
- Rode Aladdin Magic Carpet Ride
- 2 more sodas for the backpack and 2 ice creams to enjoy
- Rode Space mountain AGAIN
- Rode Buzz light year AGAIN
- Watched the Kiss Goodnight
- Empty Main Street photos as the park was closing
All in all, we walked 6.6 miles, 18 rides, 19 snacks (including soda, ice cream, and popcorn) for two people, and had 2 photo pass experiences with the Lanterns, and again on Main Street, Watched the fireworks, and the Kiss Goodnight. It was Amazing, we fit in more than we could ever imagine. We had a backpack full of sodas and popcorn, and honestly, had we had more room, we could have grabbed more. The soda and snack availability was absolutely wonderful throughout the park. The bottom line, it was worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY and we plan do do it again and again. Even as pass holders this was such a treat to have the run of the park. We absolutely cannot wait to try Animal Kingdom After Hours and Hollywood Studios After Hours! Such a great event!!!
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