Early Entry & Extended Evening Hours Coming to Disney World
Walt Disney World has announced more details about the replacement for Extra Magic Hours, which will be offered both in the morning and evening at every park–Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom–daily. In this post, we share more details. Plus, commentary about the “pay to play” nature of the extended hours, recent rope drops, and what’s still unknown. (Updated July 8, 2021.)
Just in time for the start of the 50th Anniversary celebration, on October 1, Walt Disney World will be rolling out a new early theme park entry benefit for on-site guests (meaning Disney-owned resorts plus some third party ones like Swan & Dolphin, Shades of Green, etc.) giving them the first chance to enjoy select attractions at every theme park, every day. Guests will need a valid ticket or pass and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same date for early theme park entry.
In addition, guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts at Walt Disney World will also be able to enjoy extended evening hours on select nights in select theme parks. Extended evening hours will begin in early October 2021. Further specifics, including dates and parks will be shared at a later time…
For the extended evening hours, guests will also need valid park entry and a reservation for the same park on the same day to experience extended evening hours. Alternatively, guests may Park Hop for extended evening hours so long as they entered their first park where they made their reservation earlier in the day.
During both of these extended park hours options, select attractions, merchandise, and food and beverage locations will be available. Eligible guests will need to bring a MagicBand, Disney MagicMobile pass, or Key to the World card linked to the hotel stay, or another form of Resort ID.
Back at the hotels, the “Caravanning ‘Round The World” RV will continue to roll around during Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. This is a nice touch, and we’re totally on board with the ways Walt Disney World has found to infuse characters into the experience, despite the lack of meet & greets and regular character meals.
During the World’s Most Magical Celebration, characters will be dressed in their EARidescent best and dropping by to visit with guests at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Sounds nice!
In one final tidbit before we get to the commentary, Walt Disney World gave a non-update update on the Disney Dining Plan: “While we’re not quite ready to share an update on timing, we are planning to bring this guest-favorite option back at a later date. We will also continue to reopen more Resort offerings, including restaurants like ‘Ohana (with the noodles!).”
This is undoubtedly because it’s among the top 2 most asked questions by guests, right after when will FastPass+ return? It should come as absolutely no surprise whatsoever that the Disney Dining Plan will be coming back, and as soon as possible. As we explain in When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return?, it’s a cash cow for Disney that is only temporarily suspended out of necessity. What’s “interesting” is that no such reassurances were given about the fate of FastPass. 😉
As for commentary, my main thought is that this is all super vague. Honestly, this feels more like a “hey, we haven’t forgot about this, it’s still coming! Please keep booking resort stays.” reminder than anything else.
Based on Disney’s verbiage, I’m not even totally confident that morning early theme park entry begins on October 1, 2021. That seems to be the implication, but there’s enough ambiguity and it’s possible they’re simply reiterating that’s when the 50th Anniversary starts. Personally, I think having a little bit of a buffer between launching theme park early entry and the onslaught of the World’s Most Magical Celebration makes sense, but that’s just me.
In addition to whether theme park early entry will start on October 1, there’s the question of duration. In the first reveal of this program, it was stated to be 30 minutes at every park, every day. This “details” post glossed over that important detail. Perhaps it’s an oversight, but in an announcement that’s 75% fluff, it seems like that would’ve merited inclusion as something substantive.
My hope here is that there’s still internal debate over how long early entry should be, and the potential for it to be expanded from 30 minutes to an hour. That seems inconsistent with the direction Walt Disney World is taking things right now, so we can probably file that under naive wishful thinking on my part.
Recently, rope drop has returned to “normal” at all four Walt Disney World theme parks. In the process, it has become something of a de facto early entry, but for everyone who is able to arrive in time for it. (I’m guessing it’s mostly on-site guests given the challenges of driving, parking, and entering on time.)
If our preliminary “restored” rope drop experiences are any indication, early theme park entry will not be particularly valuable. I’m still not totally sure what the deal is, but in our (admittedly limited) visits thus far, it has felt like we would’ve been better off sleeping in, arriving late, and staying late. We plan on making some more visits before jumping to any conclusions, though.
On a random note, I think it’s odd that they’re dropping the Extra Magic Hours moniker. The names for these future offerings are more descriptive than anything, and the lack of capitalization (which was present in the original announcement) suggests these are not even proper names.
I’m guessing no one reading this cares, but it’s fascinating to me. Walt Disney World is usually so good with branding, and Extra Magic Hours is a beloved offering. Tweaking the details while retaining the Extra Magic Hours name would’ve made sense. Dropping the EMH branding and replacing it with a descriptive name is surprising. (I feel the same way about FastPass, which I suspect will return with a different name, too.)
This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I’m fine with extended evening hours being limited to only guests staying in Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts. I’m going to assume this includes guests staying in Disney Vacation Club units, as those are technically Deluxe Villas. The positive impact it would have on DVC sales if included and the negative impact if not included makes that a no-brainer.
July 8, 2021 Update: Disney Vacation Club has confirmed exactly this in their latest Membership Magic email: “Members and Guests staying at a Disney Vacation Club Resort or Disney Deluxe Resort hotel will exclusively be able to enjoy extended evening hours on select nights in select theme parks providing more time to enjoy the Magic. Extended evening hours will begin in early October with specific dates and parks to be shared at a later time, so please be sure to check back on DisneyWorld.com for the latest.”
While bookings at most resorts are through the roof right now, numbers at the Deluxes have lagged behind Values and Moderates for years. That will likely be true once again once pent-up demand fizzles and the first few months of the World’s Most Magical Celebration play out.
I’m not convinced that someone otherwise considering Caribbean Beach will upgrade to the Poly now because of this–I think pricing is the core issue there and the return of discounts like Free Dining are more or less necessary to prop up the Deluxes–but it’s worth trying out. Walt Disney World can tweak this down the road or expand eligibility as necessary.
From a practical perspective, limiting the pool of guests eligible for nighttime extended hours is necessary to make it a worthwhile benefit for anyone. Evening Extra Magic Hours were a nightmare in their last few years due to the larger pool of eligible guests.
As a result of Walt Disney World expanding and building new resorts and adding to the list of participating on-site hotels, crowds had become pretty bad. It got to the point that not only did we recommend avoiding Evening EMH, but also the park hosting that hour during the day. As it turns out, people are more likely to be night owls than early risers on vacation!
The core problem here is the gradual reduction of park hours. This was becoming a pronounced issue pre-closure, and we actually had a post in draft form comparing park hours to a decade earlier. In the last couple years, there have been days when the Magic Kingdom was open for 4-5 fewer hours, despite millions more guests per year visiting the park.
This undoubtedly contributed to crowding in more recent years during Evening Extra Magic Hours, and it will likely lead to more frustration about the extended evening hours reserved only for Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort guests. It was one thing for Walt Disney World to reduce park hours last year post-reopening due to low crowd levels. However, with attendance projections for October and beyond sky-high, regular fall and holiday season hours should be extended significantly.
If regular operating hours were longer and allowed guests to have a satisfying day even without extended hours, I think the perk would be less controversial. In such a scenario, since it will operate on a more sporadic schedule (like EMH), it’ll be easy to plan around.
Early entry, by contrast, will occur daily and off-site guests won’t be able to plan around it. Nevertheless, I see that as less of a source of frustration since it’s shorter, fewer people rope drop, and most of those who are serious about the morning efficiency stay on-site.
As Annual Passholders who make most of our park visits without accompanying hotel stays, neither of these perks bother me. Personally, I think better benefits for on-site guests is fair, and more for the higher resort tiers is likewise reasonable. Don’t be surprised if the eventual replacement for FastPass and the included access it entails for resort guests works the same way. Every on-site guest gets something, but perhaps Deluxes receive more than Values. (Conversely, it’s ridiculous when the Deluxe Resorts have shared bus service.)
I love several of the Value and Moderate Resorts and we stay in them regularly, but Walt Disney World’s approach here strikes me as reasonable. As someone who wants there to be actual on-site advantages, instead of the illusory ones, I’m cautiously optimistic about this news. While some people might lament this as “pay to play” or elitist, my response would be–that’s the nature of on-site perks. It has always been that way, and just like Deluxe Resorts are a luxury some can’t afford, so too is staying on-site in a Value Resort…or even visiting Walt Disney World, period. It’s all relative. Exclusive perks are something everyone wants, until they’re the one being excluded.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of this news of early theme park entry and extended evening hours at Walt Disney World? Excited for these on-site perks? Disappointed the nighttime bonus time will only be for Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort guests? Hoping for an announcement on the Disney Dining Plan in the near future? Planning on going to Walt Disney World this summer, or holding off until the start of the 50th Anniversary celebration? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I don’t think it’s fair to penalize people who can’t afford to stay in deluxe hotel rooms to get the extra magic hours. This is the first time me and my family are staying at a Disney (Disney all Star Movie Resort). We are coming down for 14 days and wanted the full experience, with early morning and Extra Evening hours and now am very disappointed that we are not going to experience the extra evening hours because we can’t afford to stay in the Deluxe Hotels. Shame on Disney especially knowing the 18 months everyone has had financially and emotionally.
I agree the most loyal fan base are those of us who come year after year sometimes more than one time and stay at the value resorts. To me there is no big deal to staying in anything other than. We usually come to visit when the crowds are somewhat less. I feel that Disney is punishing the value resort guest.
We have enjoyed over 20 plus years of WDW but like a fellow reader stated this could be the end of our Happiest Place On Earth. Using covid as a way to make the almighty buck!
Great rundown Tom! I’m all for paying extra to have a more enjoyable vacation!
We stay at Pop Century “because we LIKE IT THERE.” We could actually pull together the money to stay at a moderate resort. But our belief is why spend the extra money on a room we spend so little time in? We would rather stay an extra 2 or 3 days with the savings. Oh, and that means Disney makes extra money on all the additional food we eat and ticket days we buy. Try comparing the food court at Pop Century to the food court at Port Orleans – Riverside. Pop Century is far better. We have always really loved our time at DisneyWorld. And Disneyland for that matter. But whoever is in charge at Disney really does not get it anymore. Their contempt for the average American family – of average income or even more – is palpable. They make me sick. And it makes me sad.
Don’t want the smelly poor people from the cheap hotels like Pop Century mixing with the wealthy.
It’s funny how Disney thinks that if they take away Disney extended night hours to hotel guests that stay at Pop Century they’ll just find that extra couple thousand hidden away in their couches cushions tomorrow to up their stay and stay at the Poly.
This just shows how out of touch Disney has become with their consumers. The reason why people choose the Caribbean or Pop Century is not because they are just cheap and don’t want to spend the money. It’s because they don’t have the money to spend! Why penalize people who aren’t wealthy?
Waiting for Disney to say that Pop Century guests have to clean the parks in order to ride certain rides after hours.
Absolutely agree Margaret!! I wonder if Disney has some sort of “back door deal/kickback” with the off site properties??
I have a trip planned for the Feb/Mar time frame. This will be my last trip to what used to be our family vacation spot. We always stayed on property to get all the perks. Over the last few years Disney has decided to take one perk away at a time. With this announcement that takes away another perk from people that have to save for years to go to WDW. Price increase for the rooms, tickets continue to rise while the service and perks go by the wayside. No more Magical Express comes to an end the first of the year. Pay for parking at all resorts. Disneyland in California now charges $20 for what they call Maxpass. Another money grab. Disneyland Paris has announced that they will be charging for their Fastpasses. It will be between $8 and $19 per ride, not per day. No thanks I’m done..
FYI – Disney just sent an email out to DVC members confirming that DVC stays in villas qualify for evening hours: “Members and Guests staying at a Disney Vacation Club Resort or Disney Deluxe Resort hotel will exclusively be able to enjoy extended evening hours on select nights in select theme parks providing more time to enjoy the Magic.”
I never thought I would need to say this to you, of all people. But you have left me truly stunned. Why don’t you and Disney put up a huge sign that says, “Unless you are filthy rich, or willing to mortgage your children’s future for a vacation, you are not welcome here any longer. You seem to believe that a lowly family spending ONLY $150 or $250 or $350 per night for an on property hotel PLUS $75-$100 a day PER PERSON for a theme park ticket is not worthy of a glorious perk like Extra Magic Hours. You said, you are OK with that ‘perk’ being reserve for Deluxe Resorts and Villas DVC Members. Are you really serious? There are dozens of ways that Disney can provide extra benefits to people paying $$350 – 500 – $1000 per room night – or more – at Deluxe Resorts. Endless ways. I fully understand and agree with limiting EMH to people who are staying on property. Charging to park a car is insulting enough. Eliminating the Magical Express is offensive in so many ways. Renting a car is all but impossible now and will likely be for at least a couple of years. We have visited DisneyWorld every year for more than 25 years – first at Dixie landings and Pop Century since it opened. Not because it is cheaper. Simply because we like it better. Three years ago we took our whole family. But we will never be able to do it again. I guess we just are “the kind of people” Disney wants anymore. Their attitude is disgusting. But the idea that you agree with it is disheartening.
Never thought I’d say this but we are out. All the benefit cuts pushed us offsite for our trip last week and we loved it! We especially loved not paying $550+ per night. Perhaps if Disney is having trouble filling those rooms, then Disney has reached the threshold of what those rooms are worth. Values and Mods are packed because that’s what most americans value a hotel room–and those people will not be pushed up, they will instead be pushed out. As I did. For the same price I had an entire house with our own pool, was able to bring more people along and had a blast. Otherwise we kept our same schedule–met rope drop every day, park close every evening, and maxed our park time as usual. I saw benefit to not being on site last week. No fast passes, no EMH (and 30 minutes of early entry isn’t enough to change my mind–we want nighttime HOURS back!), no free resort parking, buses are terrible, skyliner is a hassle, etc. And it was easier for us to jump to universal when we weren’t committed 100% to Disney–and for the first time we spent more time there! They had characters out to greet, their rides did not break down on us constantly (we had 2 breakdowns over 3 days vs about 15 in 2 days), their table service reservations were easier to make, and their team members were just as friendly as Disney’s (for what that’s worth these days).
Also interesting sight we saw at Universal last week–a Latin American touring group of teens with a flag!
Totally agree !!!
Offering EMH to Disney Springs and Disney Village has made the perk of EMH less Perk-Like. Low crowds and shorter lines were the big draw for my family. Not offering night hours to moderate resorts cuts us out of our fav time to visit. They have left me with very little bargaining power when trying to convince everyone that staying on site is worth paying double for a place to lay our head on a pillow.
If this becomes the new normal this may be our last trip on-site. We are only able to afford a moderate resort. I can’t see staying in a moderate resort without the things we see as “Disney” being a part of our vacation. We’ll see how our trip goes this November. If none of this perks are back for moderate resorts next year, we’d be better off staying in Disney Springs or somewhere else…sad
Jesse mentioned that there was knowledge of which rides would be operating during the Extra Hours benefits. Has anyone else found a list and can point it out? So far I can only see implied direct parallels to what was operating before, which included many of their highly desired rides.
Also, is there any reason not to assume that Disney is TESTING the Evening Hours with Deluxe Hotel/DVC guests because of the current paltry benefits with stripped down dining, entertainment, transportation and even ADR windows being shortened for them to a tune of ~$200/night minimum difference? As in, they are testing the viability of perks on both ends (AM and PM), and during this initial phase just chose to offer it to the people losing more due to higher price to play? Correct me if I am wrong, but as of right now, the only benefit to paying more at the Deluxe end is the room and the pool. Maybe Disney just needs time to get that sorted based on pre-closure dissatisfaction combined with the post-pandemic upheaval…maybe their plans for change will include a better park experience for non-resort guests and they are tagging this on the front end?
I guess it’s not a crime to hope, right?
IIRC, the original EMH were for resort guests only, now this version is for Deluxe guests only (it would seem to include DVC as you suggest). I understand the thought processing here: 30 minutes for all resort guests in the morning, and ??? in the evening for Deluxe guests.
I’m not sure they’ve thought this through. Yes, this might boost some people to go up from a moderate to a Deluxe. But is that 30 minutes enough in the morning to prevent losing people who can’t get that extra evening entry? Because for me, the big deal would be the evening hours. Considering that the reasons to stay off property keep increasing, bringing back reasons to stay anywhere on property seems wise to me.
I understand the desire to have perks for deluxe resorts, so having deluxe guests use the Fast Pass entry while moderates and values have the usual line seems a reasonable compromise. Personally, I see more people willing to ditch the All-Stars and Pop for something inexpensive outside the resort than people being drawn to go up to a Deluxe.
We’re assuming this is a passholder or park hopper ticket.
It looks like I’m in the minority of readers choosing to comment, but extra evening hours for deluxe resorts would be a good perk for our family. We’ve got a non-Disney fan in the family who often says he’d pay extra for “shorter lines in cooler weather” and this could help. Plus, I like the idea of night hours — even though we’re early risers — because the temperatures are usually easier to deal with and the parks are so pretty at night. We just got back from Disneyland/DCA (which closed at 9pm every night but one) and the barely one hour of darkness felt like a bit of a cheat.
Not very long ago perks were for those staying at Disney owned resorts which included moderate and value resorts. Then Disney expand perks to hotels at Disney Springs and Disney village. That increased the amount of people eligible for perks tremendously! Looks like Disney created this mess and now are trying to fix it. Unfortunately, they are penalizing some of their most loyal fan base. Just go back to those who stay at Disney owned hotels and we will all see the value of staying on Disney property once again!
We have enough division in this country already, does Disney
feel the need to add more to the mix.