Disney After Hours events have been happening for a couple of years at Magic Kingdom, but recently it's been kicked up a notch with the introduction of a wickedly good theme.
Disney Villains After Hours offers guests the same low waits at their favorite attractions as the regular version with a few additional evil entertainment elements tossed in.
Here's everything you need to know, including how much it costs, who we think should attend, and a suggested itinerary if you plan to go.
What is Disney Villains After Hours?
Disney Villains After Hours is a separately-ticketed event (meaning it's a ticket that is purchased separate from regular park tickets) that allows people to enter Magic Kingdom at 7 p.m. and stay until either 12 or 1 a.m. (depending on the party date).
Unlike the regular version of this event, though, Disney Villains After Hours has more of a party atmosphere.
In fact, you can think of it as a sort of hybrid between Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the regular Magic Kingdom After Hours.
Some things are the same
Like regular After Hours event, your ticket will get you in at 7 p.m., which is before the official start time of either 9 or 10 p.m. (start time depends on the night).
If you are entering with just your party ticket (meaning you aren't spending your day at Magic Kingdom), you can get your credentials (a wristband) at the gate.
If you will be in Magic Kingdom before 7 p.m., you'll be able to pick up your wristband at special locations throughout the park.
Even though this version has a theme, there are still a limited number of tickets sold.
Though the ticket allows you to enter at 7:00 p.m., the event doesn't begin until 10:00 p.m. which means you can do things between 7 and the event starting time that aren't available during the party.
Most importantly, that includes fireworks, attractions, and character meets that won't be open during the event.
Here's how it is different
Food
Complimentary snacks:
Villains After Hours does include the same complimentary snacks (unlimited ice cream treats, popcorn, and bottled beverages) as the regular version.
You'll typically find these at the carts and kiosks spread throughout the park, so if the line looks long at one it might be worth it to hold off and try the next one you come across.
Available for purchase:
But, in addition to all the free stuff, you'll also have access to lots of other wicked goodies (all villain-themed) that you can purchase:
Adventureland
- Tortuga Tavern - Diamond in the Rough
- Cheshire Café - Painting the Roses Red
Fantasyland
- Storybook Treats - Body Language and Poor Unfortunate Soul
- Gaston's Tavern - Five Dozen Eggs Slush
Liberty Square
- Sleepy Hollow - Just Take Three
Frontierland
- Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Lounge - small bites, beer, wine, and specialty beverages
Merchandise
Like merch?
Villains After Hours has its own collection of exclusive merchandise, too.
If you're looking for something to remember the evening by you'll find several items to choose from...
Entertainment
Probably the most obvious way Villains After Hours differs from the regular After Hours is by the special entertainment offerings it has:
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- Disney Villains stage show – This show called "Villains Unite the Night" stars Hades and Meg from “Hercules” with some special appearances by Jafar, The Queen, Dr. Facilier, and Maleficent.
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- Cursed Caravan (NEW for 2020) – A few "friends" join Maleficent the Dragon twice nightly for the new "Villains' Cursed Caravan." The caravan features several villains, including Gaston, Oogie Boogie, Cruella DeVil, and Captain Hook, among others.
- "Villanous Enhancements" to attractions - Both Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain have some fun villain-themed additions for these special nights. On Pirates, live actors join the animatronics to entertain you as you ride. For Space Mountain, the experience is changed to be completely in the dark (no lights at the beginning, no projections, etc.).
Disney Villains After Hours map
Click to open PDF version of map.
Dates and times
If you want to attend in 2020, you'll have plenty of options to choose from:
Note: due to worldwide events, some previously scheduled dates have been effected and are indicated below:
- Friday, February 7, 2020*
- Friday, February 14, 2020
- Friday, February 21, 2020*
- Friday, February 28, 2020
- Friday, March 6, 2020*
- Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Wednesday, March 18, 2020Friday, March 27, 2020Friday, April 3, 2020Friday, April 10, 2020Friday, April 17, 2020Friday, April 24, 2020Friday, May 1, 2020Friday, May 8, 2020Thursday, May 14, 2020Friday, May 22, 2020Friday, May 29, 2020Friday, June 5, 2020Friday, June 12, 2020Friday, June 19, 2020Friday, June 26, 2020Monday, June 29, 2020Monday, July 6, 2020Friday, July 10, 2020
*These 3 Disney Villain After Hours events will take place from 9:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m.
All the other events will take place from 10:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.
That's a LOT more dates than what were available in 2019:
- Thursday, June 6, 2019
- Thursday, June 13, 2019
- Thursday, June 20, 2019
- Thursday, June 27, 2019
- Monday, July 1, 2019
- Thursday, July 11, 2019
- Thursday, July 18, 2019
- Thursday, July 25, 2019
- Thursday, August 1, 2019
- Thursday, August 8, 2019
But, be prepared for a late night. Most nights, this event takes place from 10:00 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Attractions & Character Meets
Unlike Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the regular After Hours events, there aren't any character meets at these.
Other than that, the majority of the park will be open making it easy to see and ride all of your favorites (while still having time to check out the exclusive Villainous offerings).
Here's what you can typically find available:
Adventureland
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Jungle Cruise
- Pirates of the Caribbean (with Villainous enhancements)
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Enchanted Tiki Room
Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Splash Mountain
- Country Bear Jamboree
Liberty Square
- Haunted Mansion
Fantasyland
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- The Barnstormer
- Dumbo
- “it’s a small world”
- Mad Tea Party
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
Tomorrowland
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Space Mountain (with Villainous enhancements)
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
And here's what's NOT available:
- Happily Ever After (but you can see it with your ticket before the park closes)
- Character meets
Main Street, U.S.A.
- Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
- Meet Tinkerbell at Town Square Theater
Fantasyland
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Princess Fairytale Hall
Liberty Square
- The Hall of Presidents
Tomorrowland
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
- Carousel of Progress
Disney Villains After Hours cost
Tickets for this version are slightly more expensive than those for the regular one:
- $145 (plus tax) for tickets purchased in advance.
- $155 (plus tax) for tickets purchased on the night of the event.
Discounts are available, though. Guests that have Annual Passes or are members of Disney's Vacation Club can save $30/ticket (making the total with discount $115 plus tax).
Remember: your ticket will get you into the park starting at 7 pm so while it is pricey, it gives you 6 hours worth of park time, with several hours of that including free snacks, special entertainment, and access to most of the attractions.
We love the After Hours events at Magic Kingdom and think that if you're looking to add something special to a trip, this is a fantastic option.
How to get tickets
To purchase tickets you have a couple of options:
You can purchase them from a travel professional like the agents at Perfect Story Travel. Just indicate in the notes field that you'd like to buy Disney Villains After Hours tickets and one of the amazing agents there will get back to you ASAP.
Or, if you'd rather, tickets can be purchased online or by calling 407-827-7185.
Dress the part
It is very typical for some guests to dress up (or DisneyBound) for special events like these.
If that sounds like something you'd like to do, here's the costume rules (according to Disney):
- You can dress up, but remember you can't sign autographs (or try to pass yourself off as a Disney Cast Member)
- Costumes should be family friendly
- No weapons allowed (and nothing that people might mistake for a weapon), no sharp objects or anything that might injure another person
- Guests 13 and under can wear a mask as long as it doesn't cover the entire face
- For guests 14 and older: no costumes that drape heavily (like robes), capes should not go past the waist, and no masks of any kind
Planning your time
Here's how we'd suggest you spend your time:
- Arrive at Magic Kingdom just before 7:00 so you can enter the park as soon as you can.
- Visit any attractions and character meets that won't be open during the event.
- See the fireworks.
- Spend most of your time visiting attractions, picking up free snacks at kiosks throughout Magic Kingdom as you go.
- Plan to see at least 1 showing of the Villains Unite the Night Castle Show (typically shown at 11 p.m and 12:30 a.m. with a 10 p.m. event start time)
- See one showing of Villains' Cursed Caravan (typically shown at 11:30 p.m. and 12:45 a.m.)
- Check out Maleficent as she wanders through the park.
- Grab a bottle or two of beverages to take back to your hotel.
- Have a PhotoPass photographer snap your pic on Main Street before you leave.
- Catch the Villains gathered at the train station on your way out.
Who should attend
Trying to decide whether or not the ticket price is worth it?
Keep in mind that we think that you don't have to attend specially ticketed events like this in order to have a perfectly amazing vacation.
But, if you are looking for something special to add onto a vacation and you are traveling with people that can easily stay up late, this might be a good fit.
Also, people on short trips may find that purchasing an After Hours ticket instead of adding a day to their regular park tickets may make sense.
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