Extra Magic Hours at Disney World

*EXTRA MAGIC HOURS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED AND REPLACED WITH EARLY THEME PARK ENTRY FOR RESORT GUESTS

Get more information on Early Theme Park Entry here

Extra Magic Hours are a perk that Disney World offers to guests staying at the resorts on property (and few other select resorts). But what exactly are extra magic hours? How do they work? Should I be planning around this perk?

I am here to help you get to the bottom of Extra Magic Hours so you can better plan your days at Disney World.

What Are Extra Magic Hours?

Extra Magic Hours are a perk offered to Disney World resort guests (and a few other select resorts). On select days one of the parks will be open earlier or later for resort guests only.

If Extra Magic Hours are scheduled for before the park opens, resort guests will be able to enter the park an hour before scheduled opening.

If Extra Magic Hours are scheduled for the evening, the park will be open for resort guests 2 hours after closing.

How Does It Work?

It's pretty simple. If you are staying at one of the resorts on Disney property, your magic band will show that information. So entering the park for Early Morning Extra Magic Hours will be simple.

If you decide to stay after closing to take advantage of the evening Extra Magic Hours, Cast Members will scan your band when you enter ride queues.

Should I Plan My Days Around Extra Magic Hours?

While this is a really cool perk... I don't recommend planning your days around Extra Magic Hours.

Parks that have Extra Magic Hours scheduled will always be busier. People tend to plan their park days around these hours (even guests who aren't staying on property). So the parks offering this perk will be more crowded all day long.

I would also consider the fact that literally tens of thousands of people are staying at Disney World Resorts on any given day. And all of those people also have access to this perk. Crowds can definitely get heavy, even during these extra hours.

Bottom Line

If you want to take advantage of early mornings or late evenings, I only recommend doing so if you have Park Hopper tickets. You can head to the park that has early hours, and then leave once the park starts to get busy. Or you can go to the park with evening Extra Magic Hours after the regular hours have concluded.

Still confused or need help?

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See you at the parks,
-Julie