This guide contains affiliate links to Booking.com. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Disney Extended Evening Hours keep one Walt Disney World theme park open for up to two extra hours after regular closing on select nights, but only for guests of Disney’s Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts and four other hotels on Disney property. Disney says the perk continues through 2027.
The schedule changes with the seasons, and Disney publishes it only on its Hours & Events calendar. When we pulled that calendar on October 15, 2026, it ran to December 18, and every session was at EPCOT, Animal Kingdom or, on one night, Hollywood Studios. Magic Kingdom had none.
Below you’ll find those nights, the hotel list, what’s open, how the perk differs from Early Entry and the three eligible hotels on Booking.com.
Quick answer: On Disney’s calendar through December 18, 2026, Extended Evening Hours run at EPCOT on Mondays from 9 to 11 pm and at Animal Kingdom on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 pm, plus a few one-off October nights. You qualify by staying at one of Disney’s 8 Deluxe or 14 Deluxe Villa resorts, the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve, or Shades of Green. The Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve are the only ones sold on Booking.com, and all three are a walk from EPCOT.
Check prices at hotels near Walt Disney World
On this page
How Disney Extended Evening Hours work
On a scheduled night, one park stays open after its posted closing time. Disney calls it a benefit for registered guests of the participating hotels. A Disney Parks Blog post from October 2, 2026 describes it as “up to two hours extra after the park closes on select nights”, and every session on the current calendar lasts exactly two hours.
Disney keeps a list of attractions “scheduled to be in operation” for each park, plus select shops and food and drink locations. It is not the whole park: Disney says not all attractions are available, and the lists change.
- What you need: valid theme park admission and a MagicBand, Disney MagicMobile pass or Key to the World Card, per Disney’s Extended Evening Hours page.
- Park reservations: Disney says they are no longer required for date-based tickets; other admission types may still need one. With a Park Hopper ticket that requires a reservation, you must enter your reserved park first.
- How long it lasts: Disney’s page says the benefit “will continue through 2027”.
Extended Evening Hours schedule: parks and nights
These are all the sessions on Disney’s Hours & Events calendar as checked on October 15, 2026. Disney’s calendar returned no park hours past December 18, and Disney moves sessions between parks from season to season, so treat the pattern as a guide.
| Park | Nights | Extra hours | Regular close |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPCOT | Mondays: Oct 19; Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Dec 7, 14 | 9 to 11 pm | 9 pm |
| Animal Kingdom | Tue Oct 20, Mon Oct 26; Wednesdays Nov 4, 11, 18, 25; Dec 2, 9, 16 | 6 to 8 pm | 6 pm |
| Hollywood Studios | Wed Oct 28 only | 9 to 11 pm | 9 pm |
| Magic Kingdom | None through Dec 18 | None | Varies |
Magic Kingdom’s evenings go to separately ticketed parties: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on select nights through October 31 (all 2026 dates sold out) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights from November 8 to December 22, 2026, from 7 pm to midnight. On party nights the park closes to day guests at 6 pm.
The EPCOT Monday sessions overlap with the last weeks of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, which Disney says runs through November 21, 2026. Disney promises only “select” food locations during the extra hours, so don’t count on every festival booth staying open. Our EPCOT tips for first-timers cover entrances and ride order.
Animal Kingdom’s session runs from 6 to 8 pm because the park closes at 6 pm on those nights. From November, when Orlando’s sunset falls around 5:30 to 5:40 pm, the whole session is after dark, so you ride Pandora and Expedition Everest at night.
Which hotels get Extended Evening Hours
Disney’s Extended Evening Hours page lists 26 hotels in three groups. Disney’s other resorts, such as Pop Century, Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs, are not on it, even though their guests get Early Theme Park Entry and the 7-day Lightning Lane window.
Disney Deluxe Resorts (8)
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts (14)
These are the Disney Vacation Club resorts.
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas: Jambo House and Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney Vacation Club Cabins only (not the campsites)
- Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, which Disney already lists although it does not open until July 1, 2027
Other select hotels (4)
- Walt Disney World Swan, Walt Disney World Dolphin and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve: Marriott-run hotels on Crescent Lake, sold on Booking.com (details below).
- Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort: an Armed Forces Recreation Center run by the U.S. Army for service members, retirees, eligible veterans, Department of War civilians and other authorized users, per its eligibility page. Its “Salute to Our Veterans” program opens it to all honorably discharged veterans in January and September.
The other 11 non-Disney hotels on Disney’s Early Entry list (the eight Disney Springs Resort Area hotels, the two Bonnet Creek hotels and the Four Seasons) do not get Extended Evening Hours. Our list of non-Disney hotels with Early Theme Park Entry names all 15 and compares them.
What’s open during Extended Evening Hours
These are the attractions Disney listed as scheduled to operate in October 2026. They can change, so check the My Disney Experience app on the night.
EPCOT (10)
Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, Mission: SPACE, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Soarin’ Around the World, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo & Friends and Test Track.
Animal Kingdom (4)
Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Na’vi River Journey and Zootopia: Better Zoogether!
Hollywood Studios (9)
Alien Swirling Saucers, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, Slinky Dog Dash, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania!
Magic Kingdom (23)
For future Magic Kingdom nights, Disney lists 23 attractions, among them Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan’s Flight and “it’s a small world”.
At EPCOT and Magic Kingdom the evening lists are longer than the morning ones: TRON, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Gran Fiesta Tour and Journey of Water are on them but not on Disney’s Early Entry lists.
How to use Extended Evening Hours, step by step
- Check the calendar for your dates. Disney’s Hours & Events calendar labels the sessions “Extended Evening Hours”. Plan that park for the afternoon and evening.
- Have admission for that park that day. If you spent the day elsewhere, you need the Park Hopper option, which Disney says lets you visit another park “at any time of day during park hours” after entering your first park, subject to capacity. Disney doesn’t say you can hop in after the regular close, so arrive before it.
- Carry your MagicBand, MagicMobile pass or Key to the World Card. The Swan and Dolphin’s benefits page says you need “valid admission, a park reservation and your Resort ID”, while Disney’s own page says date-based tickets no longer need a reservation. If you stay there, ask the resort’s Disney Planning Center which rule applies to your ticket.
- Save the headliners for the extra hours. A planDisney panelist (Disney’s own Q&A site) wrote in February 2025 that Lightning Lane Multi Pass is not offered during Extended Evening Hours and that waits are usually shorter then. Disney’s Lightning Lane page says extra Multi Pass selections run “until regular park closing”.
- Plan the ride back. Disney says buses between its resort hotels and the parks stop one hour after closing, and the Swan and Dolphin FAQ says its buses run until 45 minutes after the parks close. Neither says whether that counts from the extended closing time, so confirm the last bus at your hotel.
- Don’t plan it for check-out night. Disney’s Early Entry page says that perk covers check-in and check-out days; its Extended Evening Hours page doesn’t say, so use a night when you are still a registered guest.
Extended Evening Hours vs Early Entry and the Lightning Lane window
Disney’s hotel perks overlap, but each has its own guest list, per Disney’s pages in October 2026.
| Perk | Who gets it | When | Parks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended Evening Hours | Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts plus 4 other hotels | Up to 2 hours after closing, select nights | One park per night |
| Early Theme Park Entry | All Disney Resort hotels plus 15 other hotels | 30 minutes before opening, every day | All four |
| 7-day Lightning Lane window | All Disney Resort hotels plus the same 4 hotels | Buy 7 days before check-in, up to 14 days | All four |
| Disney After Hours | Anyone with a separate ticket | Select 2027 nights | Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios |
In practice, Disney’s resorts outside the Deluxe and Deluxe Villa groups get you Early Entry and the 7-day Lightning Lane window but no late nights. The 11 other Early Entry hotels get the 30-minute head start but buy Lightning Lane passes 3 days ahead, like everyone else. Our Disney Lightning Lane guide explains Multi Pass, Single Pass and Premier Pass.
Disney After Hours is a limited-capacity event with its own ticket; a Disney Parks Blog post says the 2027 events run at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Eligible hotels you can book on Booking.com
Disney sells its own resorts directly, so the only Extended Evening Hours hotels on Booking.com are the three Marriott-run hotels on Crescent Lake. All three share these points, per the resort’s FAQ and transportation pages at the time of writing:
- FriendShip water taxis to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and the BoardWalk about every 20 to 25 minutes, starting an hour before the parks open (not in bad weather), plus walkways to both parks.
- Buses to Magic Kingdom (dropping at the Transportation and Ticket Center), Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs about every 20 to 25 minutes (the resort’s Disney benefits page says 20 to 30), running until 45 minutes after the parks close.
- A mandatory resort service package of $50 plus tax a day, which covers daily benefits for two guests, and self-parking at $40 plus tax a day, with free standard parking at Disney’s theme parks.
- Marriott Bonvoy points and member perks apply only to bookings made directly with Marriott, not through Booking.com.
Walt Disney World Swan
The Westin-branded Swan sits about 0.7 mile, roughly 15 minutes on foot, from EPCOT’s International Gateway, so on a Monday you can stay until 11 pm and walk back along Crescent Lake. Its Traditional rooms list two adults and two children, and Deluxe rooms add a balcony. Our Walt Disney World Swan review covers rooms, dining and fees.
See prices and availability at the Walt Disney World Swan
Walt Disney World Dolphin
The Sheraton-branded Dolphin, the Swan’s sister hotel, has the same 15-minute walk to International Gateway. Its Traditional rooms list two adults and three children, which makes it the pick for a family of five, and it has the Camp Dolphin kids club. Read our Walt Disney World Dolphin review before you book.
Check your dates for the Walt Disney World Dolphin on Booking.com
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
The Swan Reserve, opened in 2021 in Marriott’s Autograph Collection, has 349 rooms including 149 suites and its own pool, and guests can also use the Swan and Dolphin pools. It sits across Epcot Resorts Boulevard, about 0.9 mile or 19 minutes on foot from International Gateway. See our Walt Disney World Swan Reserve review, or compare all three in Swan vs Dolphin vs Swan Reserve.
See available rooms at the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Disney Deluxe resorts closest to each Extended Evening Hours park
If you book with Disney instead, match the resort to the park with the most sessions during your stay (descriptions from Disney’s resort pages).
- EPCOT nights: Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is “within walking distance to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios”, and its page also lists Disney Skyliner transportation. Disney’s Beach Club Resort, which shares amenities with the Yacht Club next door, is “walking distance to EPCOT”. Disney’s Riviera Resort reaches EPCOT by Skyliner. Our hotels near EPCOT guide compares the walkable options.
- Animal Kingdom nights: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Jambo House and Kidani Village villas are in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort Area, and Disney runs buses between its resorts and the parks.
- Future Magic Kingdom nights: from Disney’s Contemporary Resort you can walk to Magic Kingdom’s main gate or ride the Resort Monorail, and the Grand Floridian now has a walking path to the park.
Our guide Is it worth staying at a Disney resort? weighs these perks against off-site hotels.
Is Extended Evening Hours worth booking a Deluxe hotel for?
On the calendar we checked, there are at most two sessions a week, in two different parks, so a five-night stay gets you one or two extra evenings.
- It suits night owls more than rope-droppers. After a 30-minute Early Entry start, an 11 pm finish at EPCOT makes a long day; teens and adults get the most out of it.
- It works best when you can walk home. Staying at the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, BoardWalk or Beach Club turns an 11 pm EPCOT exit into a short stroll rather than a bus queue.
- Check the dates before you pay for it. A trip with no EPCOT Monday or Animal Kingdom Wednesday may not include a session at all.
If late nights are not part of your plan, the off-site hotels in our guide to the best hotels near Disney World can cost less and still include Early Entry or a park shuttle. Rates vary by season, availability and how far ahead you book.
Disney dates: see the best time to visit Disney World: prices by date, events and closures month by month.
Frequently asked questions
Which hotels get Disney Extended Evening Hours?
Disney lists 26: its 8 Deluxe resorts, 14 Deluxe Villa (Disney Vacation Club) resorts including Lakeshore Lodge, which opens July 1, 2027, and four other hotels: the Walt Disney World Swan, Walt Disney World Dolphin, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve and Shades of Green. Disney’s other resorts, such as Pop Century, and the other non-Disney Early Entry hotels are not included.
What nights are Extended Evening Hours at Disney World?
It changes by season. On Disney’s calendar as checked on October 15, 2026, sessions ran at EPCOT on Mondays from 9 to 11 pm and at Animal Kingdom on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 pm through December 18, with a few one-off October nights, including Hollywood Studios on October 28. Check the Hours & Events calendar for your exact dates.
Do Swan and Dolphin guests get Extended Evening Hours?
Yes. Disney’s Extended Evening Hours page names the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve among its “other select hotels”, and the resort’s own benefits page confirms it. They are the only eligible hotels sold on Booking.com, and EPCOT’s International Gateway is about a 15- to 19-minute walk away.
Can you use Lightning Lane during Extended Evening Hours?
Probably not. Disney’s Lightning Lane page says extra Multi Pass selections can be made “until regular park closing”, and a planDisney panelist, writing on Disney’s own Q&A site in February 2025, said Multi Pass is not available during Extended Evening Hours and that waits tend to be shorter then. Policies may change, so check the My Disney Experience app on the night.
Do you need a Park Hopper for Extended Evening Hours?
Only if you spent the day in a different park. Your ticket must admit you to the park holding the session that day. Disney’s Park Hopper option lets you visit another park at any time during park hours after entering your first, subject to capacity. If you start the day in the session park, a one-park ticket is enough.
Is Extended Evening Hours the same as Extra Magic Hours?
Not quite. Extra Magic Hours was the name of Disney’s older hotel-guest perk, and Disney’s current pages no longer use it. Today there are two separate perks: 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry every morning for all Disney Resort hotels and 15 other hotels, and Extended Evening Hours on select nights for Deluxe, Deluxe Villa and four other hotels.
Bottom line
Disney Extended Evening Hours are a genuine perk, but a narrow one: two extra hours, in one park, on one or two nights a week, for Deluxe, Deluxe Villa and four partner hotels. If an EPCOT Monday falls in your trip, the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve let you use it and walk back to bed. Compare rates for the Walt Disney World Swan and its sister hotels for your dates.
Sources checked in October 2026: Walt Disney World: Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, Walt Disney World: Hours & Events Calendar, Walt Disney World: Early Theme Park Entry, Walt Disney World: Lightning Lane passes, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin: Special Disney Benefits.