There’s something extra magical about Walt Disney World Resort parks at night. During the exclusive Disney After Hours which limits the number of people in the park, the magic really heightens. In the summer, the temperature drops as the sun sets, making strolls in the parks more comfortable than in the scorching heat. Regardless of the season, crowds decrease drastically, allowing for a greater appreciation of the details found in the architectural and natural landscapes. And of course, there are reduced wait times for the park’s most popular attractions.
Beyond Imagination Vacations travel planner Vicky Narde recently attended a Disney After Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Today on the blog she reports on her experience and shares whether the ticket price is worth the magic.
Disney After Hours are hard ticket events that give guests exclusive access to a Walt Disney World Resort park when the park officially closes to regular guests. After Hours is currently available at Magic Kingdom Park (from 8/9/10 pm to 11 pm/midnight/1 am) and Animal Kingdom Park (from 9 pm to midnight). Ticket prices start at $125 plus tax when purchased in advance. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can take advantage of lower-priced tickets. The events take place on select nights with Magic Kingdom After Hours currently scheduled until January 2020 and Animal Kingdom After Hours scheduled until March 2020.
Guests receive a flyer indicating the attractions and entertainment available for their night at Disney After Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.
The main draw of attending an After Hours event is the low crowds as a limited number of tickets are made available for each night. Although every attraction is not open during the event, the ones that are made accessible to After Hours guests are ones whose standby wait times often exceed the 60-minute mark. Vicky rode Avatar Flight of Passage six times during the event which is incredible considering it could very well take an entire park day to ride it six times via the standby line. Not to mention, securing a FastPass+ for Flight of Passage is challenging even when making selections at the 60-day mark and nearly impossible to secure the day of your park visit.
The attractions currently open during the Animal Kingdom event are as follow according to the Disney website (subject to change):
Avatar Flight of Passage
Na’vi River Journey
Pandora Drummers – Swotu Wayä
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
DINOSAUR
You’ll speed through the queue at Animal Kingdom Park’s Dinosaur attraction.
Mickey & Minnie Greeting at Adventurers Outpost
Rivers of Light: We Are One
Tree of Life Awakenings
It’s Tough to be a Bug!
TriceraTop Spin
Although the event at Animal Kingdom officially starts at 9 pm, ticket holders are entitled to enter the park at 7 pm - a whopping two hours prior to the event kick-off. BONUS! As Vicky suggests from her own experience, this makes for a great opportunity to ride the attractions that aren’t open during the After Hours event like Kilimanjaro Safaris and Primeval Whirl. Or perhaps even enjoy a relaxing dinner at Tiffin’s Restaurant, or sip on a refreshing cocktail and nosh on small plates at Nomad Lounge.
Hit Nomad Lounge for small plates like a tuna poke bowl and chicken satay and exotic cocktails and mocktails before the long night ahead of you!
You’ll want to save room for savory and sweet snacks as unlimited popcorn and ice cream are readily available, as is unlimited water and soda.
So, is After Hours worth the cost? Vicky answers with a resounding “YES!” It’s a definite must for park-goers whose favorite stop is Animal Kingdom Park. For visitors with a short amount of time at Walt Disney World Resort, she recommends visiting Animal Kingdom Park with an After Hours ticket after you visit another park during the day.