Extra Magic Hours haven’t been available at Disney World since it shut down back in 2020. Instead, Disney created new perks for hotel guests that aren’t quite the same as Extra Magic Hours but do allow guests more time in the parks. 

Hotel guests on Disney property are able to get Early Theme Park Entry to all 4 theme parks, meaning they can go into the parks before they officially open. This includes guests at every Disney-owned hotel on property as well as Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels, Disney World’s on-property military hotel, and other local hotels. We have a full list of all the hotels eligible for Early Theme Park Entry here. 

However, ONLY guests at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts have access to Extended Evening Hours, which allow you to stay in certain parks on select nights after they close. But the big question: would YOU be willing to shell out Deluxe resort prices for this perk? Here’s what our readers said!

Extended Evening Hours have typically been taking place at EPCOT and Magic Kingdom on certain days during the week. EPCOT’s are on Mondays, while Magic Kingdom’s are on Wednesdays. They let guest stay in the parks 2 hours after they officially close to regular guests. 

Not everything is open during these extended hours, though. Most restaurants and shops are closed, and only select rides are available. So, let’s talk about what is actually open during these hours. Here’s a look at the rides open in each park:

Magic Kingdom

• “it’s a small world”
• Astro Orbiter
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Haunted Mansion
• Mad Tea Party
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• The Barnstormer
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

EPCOT

• Beauty and The Beast Sing-Along
• Frozen Ever After
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — PLEASE NOTE: Guests going to Extended Evening Hours can request to join the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at 6PM. Find COMPLETE DETAILS here.
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
• Mission: SPACE
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Note that Hollywood Studios had Extended Evening Hours on one night in April of 2022, but we have not seen them return yet. We’ll be on the lookout!

As for food and drinks, we typically have only seen small stands with snacks available in Magic Kingdom. In EPCOT, it’s the same deal, except some of the bars stay open, like Rose & Crown Pub. Also note that food festival booths close at EPCOT, too!

For those of you holding your breath in anticipation, you can take a deep breath and exhale — the list of eligible resorts DOES include Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin hotels, as well as the Swan Reserve.

Here’s a refresher on which resorts have access to the Extended Evening Hours:

• • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
  • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
  • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Beach Club Resort
  • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
  • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas
  • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
  • Disney’s Riviera Resort
  • Walt Disney World Swan Resort
  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort
  • Walt Disney World Swan Reserve Hotel

As you can see, there are a lot of options! Keep in mind that these are the highest-priced hotels on Disney property.

Most of these hotels are NOT cheap. Many guests haven’t stayed at Deluxe resorts due to the extravagant price tags. We were VERY curious though if the option for slightly longer time in the parks would sway our readers to book a stay at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa hotel over the moderate and value resorts. Here’s what they said:

47% of our readers said “yes,” while 53% said “no,” so it looks like feelings are mixed! However, more people said “no” than “yes,” and we also asked them to explain their reasoning. As you might’ve guessed, the main reason people said “no,” they wouldn’t book at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa for the Extended Evening Hours, is because of cost.

One reader said, “They’re too expensive for just a place to sleep.” On that same note, another reader said, “Doesn’t make sense to me that I would need to pay more for a nicer hotel to spend less time at.” Others wrote that the perk was not worth the cost of staying at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort. One reader said, “The cost of staying at a deluxe resort is far too high just to have access to evening hours…”

Other people reasoned that they don’t need the extra time in the parks at night. One reader said “You can get so much more done during the hours after rope drop. Priceless.” Another agreed with both the cost factor and the no need for extra evening time, saying, “Out of my price range. Rather book a value resort & rope drop with the extra morning time.”

A point made by many readers was that they could use the money to be at Disney longer. A reader said, “For not much more, or even less, we could stay more days and have many more hours to enjoy.” A different reader shared the same sentiment, writing, “Nope. I’ll book the cheaper hotel, and buy the extra park tickets.”

Parents with young kids also said the Extended Evening Hours just don’t make sense for them. One reader said “Because going with a toddler I wouldn’t use the extra hours. We need our sanity more!” and another said, “Little kids — we do better with the early hours.” We feel that, parents!

And some adults said they don’t wanna stay out late either, one responding, “I go to bed early,” and another saying, “We don’t tend to use extra evening hours anyways. We prefer early mornings in the parks.”

Some also expressed concern about what’s available during these extended hours, one reader writing, “Food/drink doesn’t usually stay open later.” This is true! You’re not going to get to try out that busy restaurant during this time or go around to the festival booths in EPCOT. There is a very limited amount of food and drinks available.

And finally, a few readers said they wouldn’t book a stay at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort on principle. One person wrote, “It should be a perk for ALL Disney resorts” in regard to the extended evening hours.

As for people who said they ARE more likely to book at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort, many said that the perk is worth the price! One of our readers said, “I’ve learned that paying for the convenience/experience is always worth it for us!” Another agreed, saying “It would be the extra perk that makes deluxe worth the splurge.”

More readers went on to say things like, “Spending the extra money gives you extra perks, so seems like a better value now” and another said they’ve been, “wanting to try a deluxe out and this will push us to actually do it.”

Others expressed their love for being in Disney at night! A reader responded, “I’m a night owl and would rather stay out late than wake up early” and another said, “Late night Disney is the best.” A different reader also said, “I have older kids so extended hours at night work best for our family.”

Many said they were interested because of the potential for fewer people in the parks. One reader said, “It’s worth the extra money to be in Disney with less crowds.”

And there were a ton of readers who responded saying they already stay at these resorts so continuing to book Deluxe level resorts is an easy decision. Like one reader said, “We usually stay at a deluxe hotel anyway so now just an added bonus!”

Finally, our favorite response was from a reader who simply wrote, “Ratatouille.” What does it mean? Are they possibly thinking about using the Extended Evening Hours to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT (which is available during these hours!)? Or do they simply just love Pixar’s Ratatouille so much that they needed to express it to us? Maybe they thought we asked what they were making for dinner? ? We shall never know!

Overall, the general consensus from people who responded “no” was due to the cost, while the people who said “yes” either said the perk was worth the cost or they already only stay at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts. It’s hard to know if paying a higher price for your hotel is worth the access to Extended Evening Hours since its very much up to personal preference and if/how you would use that time.

Could this be a permanent replacement for Extra Magic Hours? That’s definitely a possibility! But, if we’ve learned anything from the past several months, it’s that Disney is not afraid to make changes. As always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news and updates!

Click here to read more about Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours

What do YOU think about this perk? Let us know in the comments!