Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios (dates, cost, how to plan your time)

If you like exclusive events that make you feel like a V.I.P., you’ll probably fall in love with Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios.

Hosted at different parks at Walt Disney World, Disney After Hours are special-ticketed events that let guests explore their favorite attractions and experience a park with very low crowds.

Not all of the After Hours events are created equal, however. And, while we don’t recommend all of them, a couple (like the one at Hollywood Studios) are definitely worth it for some people.

Here is info about the event, how much it costs, who should attend, and a suggested itinerary if you plan to go.

What is Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios?

If you are a person who would love to ride your favorite headliner attractions over and over, Disney After Hours might be just the thing for you.

You may be asking yourself why you should pay for extra time in the park? Well, Disney After Hours are much more exclusive.

This is a special-ticketed event, and not only that, Disney has said over and over that the number of tickets sold is limited and from our experience, they are 100% right.

The limited number of tickets create parks that almost feel eerily empty with hardly any lines to be found, which is perfect for anybody who loves riding lots of attractions.

Disney After Hours cost

Current ticket prices are:

• $155-$175 plus tax per adult or child (depending on date)

Discounts

There are some discounts available, though.

Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members can purchase tickets for $125-$145 , so that is a nice bit of savings if you are a member of either of those groups.

How to get tickets

Tickets for 2024 After Hours events go on sale for onsite guests November 7. All other guests can purchase tickets beginning November 14.

When it comes time to purchase tickets, you have a couple of options:

You can purchase them from a travel professional like the agents at Small World Vacations.

Or, if you’d rather, tickets can be purchased online or by calling 407-827-7185.

Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios dates and times

In 2024, Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios runs from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. You can enter the park with just your party ticket beginning at 7:00 p.m.

When can you enter Hollywood Studios for After hours?

If you have an After Hours ticket for Hollywood Studios, you’ll be able to enter the park with just your event ticket starting at 7:00 PM. If possible, we highly recommend you do that because that means you’ll have 3 hours before the event officially begins to enjoy a few rides and, more importantly, catch the Fantasmic.

Checking in

When you arrive at the front of Hollywood Studios, you’ll be asked to check in and be given your credentials (wristband) for the evening.

Starting right at the official start time for the event, you’ll be asked to show your wristband when entering lines and guests without wristbands will be asked to head to the front of the park.

Planning on arriving earlier than 7 p.m.?

If you have a regular park ticket for that day, and you’ll be spending the afternoon before the check-in time at Hollywood Studios, you won’t have to go all the way back to the front to check in.

Guests already in the park can go to Ticket Central, located at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard (near The Hollywood Brown Derby) for their wristband.

When the official park closing time arrives, guests without wristbands will be directed towards the front.

People without the proper credentials won’t be allowed to enter any of the lines, and it doesn’t take long at all for the park to clear out of non-Disney After Hours participants, though you should plan on there being some overlap between day guests and the beginning of the event.

What’s available at Hollywood Studios After Hours

You should find lots to keep you busy, including:

Rides & attractions

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Toy Story Mania!
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Characters

• Select Character greetings

Entertainment

• 2024 availability TBD Disney Movie Magic (11:25 pm)
• 2024 availability TBD Wonderful World of Animation (11:45 pm)

What’s NOT available:

• Fantasmic! (but you can catch a show before the park closes, if you want)
• Star Wars Launch Bay (including Chewbacca, BB-8, and Darth Vader)
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Most character meets that are found during the day
• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Play and Dance
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

Free Drinks & Snacks

One of the perks of the After Hours events are the free snacks and drinks you get.

Those include ice cream novelties, popcorn, and select bottled beverages (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, water) – all for free. There will be carts stationed throughout the park. The lines at the carts can sometimes get long, but they move quickly. It is also a good tip to just keep walking to the next cart if you don’t want to wait!

You can also purchase other food and beverages at select dining locations.

You’ll find that most of the regular Table Service and Quick Service locations aren’t open (although there will be a couple of spots where you can purchase some select menu items).

Quick Service Locations

If you want something more than popcorn and ice cream, you can purchase those separately. While most places will be closed, there are a few that will be open. Keep in mind that the entire menu may not be available:

• Walk-up availability at Oga’s Cantina
• Select outdoor bar carts
• Woody’s Lunchbox
• Milk Stand
• Anaheim Produce
• Rosie’s All-American Cafe
• KRNR The Rock Station

Planning your time

Here’s how we think you can best use your time.

• Arrive at Hollywood Studios just before 7:00 p.m. so you can enter the park as soon as you can.
• Visit any of the attractions or characters that are not available after the event begins. That includes the Frozen Sing-Along and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
• See one of the nighttime shows.
• After the event starts, spend most of your time visiting attractions and meeting characters, picking up snacks at kiosks throughout Hollywood Studios as you go. Since daytime guests will linger at the beginning of the event, consider starting your rides and character visits outside of Toy Story Land.
• Grab a PhotoPass picture inside a nearly empty park.
• Grab a bottle or two of beverages to take back to your hotel before you head out.

Who should attend?

Yes, this event is not cheap. You’re paying a lot of money for what is essentially 3 hours of park touring, plus the time between 7 p.m. and when the party starts.

But for people on short trips or guests staying offsite that weren’t able to snag Genie+ Lightning Lane selections for the attractions in Toy Story Land, and Galaxy’s Edge, it might make sense to think about adding this event into your plans.

Thinking about a trip where you’ll only have time to visit each park only once?

Then the Disney After Hours might be an even better idea.

Here are some other people that might enjoy After Hours at Hollywood Studios:

• Photographers: With fewer people around, it’s a great time to take photos without the usual crowds photobombing the shots.
• People without kids: While families with young children might find the late hours challenging, adults or families with older children can take full advantage of the late-night atmosphere.
• First-time Visitors: If someone’s trip to Hollywood Studios is a once-in-a-lifetime event, they might want to maximize their experience.
• Repeat Visitors: Those who’ve been to the park multiple times might enjoy a different, more relaxed experience.
• Guests on Short Trips: If someone is only in Orlando for a short time and wants to make the most of it, this is a great way to experience a lot in a little time.
• People who dislike crowds: One of the main benefits of the After Hours event is the significantly reduced crowd sizes.
• Attraction Enthusiasts: Guests who want to experience as many attractions as possible, especially popular ones like the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run or Slinky Dog Dash, without the regular waiting times.

VIDEO: Disney After Hours: Is it worth it?

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Allyson Koerner

Allyson was able to take her lifelong love of Disney and her education (Bachelor’s Degree in English/minor in writing and a Master’s Degree in Print & Multimedia Journalism) and turn it into a career writing about all things Disney parks.

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