Walt Disney World Resort guests who are staying on property have a ton of extra perks available to them, including free package delivery to their resort room, free transportation to all of the parks and Downtown Disney and even the ability to charge purchases in the parks directly to their room bill. But perhaps the biggest perk for all Walt Disney World Resort guests (this also includes the Swan and Dolphin Resorts, the Shades of Green Resort and the Downtown Disney Hilton) is Extra Magic Hours. Extra Magic Hours allow only those guests staying on Walt Disney World property, in addition to the resorts listed above, to enjoy the Disney parks for either an extra hour in the morning before the parks open or three extra hours after the park closes to the general public. Select major attractions and dining establishments are open just for these special guests, providing them an extra opportunity to experience the magic of Disney.
It is important to note, however, that guests do need valid theme park admission to enjoy this perk – merely staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel will not get you in. It is also important to note that you will probably need to add the park hopper option onto your Disney tickets to receive this privilege. If you have a Magic Your Way Base Ticket, you can only visit one theme park per day. So, for example, if Epcot was hosting the evening Extra Magic Hours that night, you would have to go to Epcot that day in order to be able to attend the evening Extra Magic Hours. Or, vice versa, if Epcot was hosting a morning Extra Magic Hour, a base ticket would then only allow you to stay in that one park for the whole day. To make the most out of your visit to Walt Disney World, and to ensure that you can visit as many parks each day that you would like, we would like to highly suggest adding the park hopper option onto your Disney ticket package.
In addition to adding the park hopper option, we would like to offer another useful suggestion when it comes to obtaining your tickets for your Walt Disney World Resort vacation – purchase them here! OrlandoFunTickets.com is your No. 1 online source for discounted Disney tickets, along with discounted tickets to all of the top attractions here in Central Florida. Whether you will be staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel or not, we can help you hop from park to park at a much cheaper price than you will find anywhere else – just click here to see for yourself!
Now that you have your tickets in line, it is time for you to sit back and enjoy the Magic! If you are lucky enough to be able to attend an Extra Magic hours evening event at the park, there are a few things that you need to know that may help you make the most of your time. First of all, it is important to know what parks are hosting Extra Magic Hours each evening (each hotel will have this information handy for you). This can help you plan out your days, because you may want to get to the evening Extra Magic Hours park a little early to ensure that you get your wristband and are ready to go when the “extra” fun begins. Next, before you leave your hotel, ensure that each and every person in your party has their Key to the World card (your room key). Everyone will need one of those to acquire an Extra Magic Hours wristband, which is what will allow you to enjoy the magic long after the regular park guests exit. These wristbands are given out beginning two hours prior to the park’s regularly scheduled closing time at designated areas around the park. So, don’t rush to the first line that you see after you enter the turnstiles – the line for wristbands in the front of the park is always the longest of the lines, so go ahead and look for another much, much shorter line for you and your family to acquire your wristbands at a different location! This will save you time and frustration and will get you into the action much quicker.
Another suggestion for resort guests is to use your time wisely and pace yourself, especially if you have small children. The parks usually close late in the evening, so keep in mind that the Extra Magic Hours may last into the AM hours. If this is the case, and you want to take full advantage, it may not be best to spend a whole day on the go. Instead, you should try a break in the afternoon/evening so that you can take full advantage of this benefit. Also, know that just because the park’s guests are limited doesn’t mean the lines will be short. With thousands of guests staying at Disney each day (and limited attractions open), you could very well find yourself in just as long of a line as you would earlier in the day. But, the lines will dwindle down with time, especially during that last hour of the Extra Magic Hours.
Finally, if you wish to plan on what attractions to visit during the evening Extra Magic Hours, here is a list (subject to change) of the attractions open at each park.
Magic Kingdom Attractions: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, Dumbo The Flying Elephant, The Haunted Mansion, "it's a small world," Magic Carpets of Aladdin, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Peter Pan's Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
Dining Locations: Casey's Corner, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café, Pecos Bill Cafe
Epcot
Attractions: American Adventure, Gran Fiesta Tour, “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience,” Journey into Imagination with Figment, Living with the Land, Maelstrom, Mission: SPACE, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Test Track, Kidcot Fun Stops (until 11 p.m.)
Dining Locations: Bistro de Paris, Boulangerie Patisserie (France), Cantina de San Angel (Mexico), Les Chefs de France (France), Electric Umbrella (Future World), Harry Ramsden (United Kingdom), Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe (Norway), Lotus Blossom Café (China), Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, San Angel Inn (Mexico), Sommerfest (Germany), Sunshine Seasons (The Land), Tangierine Cafe (Morocco), Yakitori House
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Attractions: The Great Movie Ride, Muppet Vision 3-D, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Star Tours, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Dining Locations: 50's Prime Time Café, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, Rosie's All-American Cafe
Animal Kingdom Attractions: Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Festival of the Lion King, It's Tough to be a Bug, Kali River Rapids (Seasonal), Kilimanjaro Safaris (closes early), Primeval Whirl, TriceraTop Spin, The Boneyard
Dining Locations: Flame Tree Barbecue - Closes at 8 p.m., Pizzafari - Closes at 8 p.m., Rainforest Café, Restaurantosaurus
