Extended Evening Hours Questions and Answers

[vcasey]

She is registered in my rooms

Her name may be on your reservation but if they check entire party, what will matter is what's in her My Disney experience on the night of EEH and if she's checked into AOA that's what will show so she won't be allowed on rides

 

[juxtapose]

How early do they usually release the dates for these? We have a trip planned in mid-April. The first 3 nights are at a moderate, last 6 nights at a deluxe. I would potentially want to upgrade the whole trip to deluxe if we are missing any EEH nights, but I'm not sure how long I will have to wait to know. I booked the deluxe part of the stay thinking MK and Epcot would be consistent on the nights they are offered but now I'm not sure that is true.

 

[rdevans_2000]

Can you share a little more about Epcot hours? What was available, wait times, was it worth it?

As stated by others, it's a great free benefit for deluxe resort guests. So we think it's awesome even if we are not hitting the rides heavy. We are thrill junkies, even at 58 years old, but we also love taking it easy and just appreciating the details we often miss when in a hurry. I suggest to anyone going when it's available and just playing by ear. If you get bored, leave. But I also agree that I would not upgrade to a deluxe resort if it was only to get EPCOT extended hours. Likely not worth it then.

 

[aerxo17]

What dining options are open at Epcot during EEH? My family are big Epcot festival goers -- seems from this thread that they close half of World Showcase, though. Anything stay open in Mexico, Norway, France, UK, and Canada foodwise?

Also, is there any entertainment during EEH, like the bands that play in the UK or Canada or the Jammitors? Or is EEH strictly for rides?

(This is all hypothetical for me, at the moment, since our trip is in late January-early February and no EEH hours have been announced yet. But planning our daytime activities at Epcot to avoid some rides until after official park close could allow us to do more during the day other than, say, going to the Seas or Living with the Land.)

 

[Disney Mickey&Minnie Fan]

Who remembers the days when the Magic Kingdom was open until midnight?
Memories!

 

[aerxo17]

Who remembers the days when the Magic Kingdom was open until midnight?
Memories!

I remember being a guest at MK until 3AM one night

 

[SkyGuy]

What dining options are open at Epcot during EEH? My family are big Epcot festival goers -- seems from this thread that they close half of World Showcase, though. Anything stay open in Mexico, Norway, France, UK, and Canada foodwise?

Also, is there any entertainment during EEH, like the bands that play in the UK or Canada or the Jammitors? Or is EEH strictly for rides?

(This is all hypothetical for me, at the moment, since our trip is in late January-early February and no EEH hours have been announced yet. But planning our daytime activities at Epcot to avoid some rides until after official park close could allow us to do more during the day other than, say, going to the Seas or Living with the Land.)

Just a few places are open for food - the walkway between Norway and France is closed in the WS, so none of that area is open for food or shopping. It’s pretty much rides only; we didn’t see any entertainment when we were there.

Found my post from May ‘22, but I don’t think much has changed. We don’t do Epcot EEH anymore as we can always get it done during the day: Rose & Crown Pub was open for drinks when it first started - as in EEH in general, not the last time we were there. I don’t actually remember if it was open this last time. All festival kiosks are closed. The area between France and China is closed; you have to walk around to get from Remy to Frozen, so no carts are open in those areas either. The only places that were open when we were there end of April and then again 2nd week of May were the popcorn/pretzel places up front. The QS across from the pyramid may have stayed open a bit later, or that may have been a holdover line from regular hours. It’s very barren food wise.

 

[garris3404]

I really miss the good ole days when all resort quests got 1 hour before park opening and 3 hours after park closing (select parks per day). Those were great times. This is just another way Disney is charging much more money foe less magical benefits!

 

[Silvermist999]

We are staying Deluxe from December 30th to January 8th, 2024.
I need to book our ADRs. Also still haven’t decided on our park days yet since no info on EEH for the first week of January.

Anyone have any advice? Should I just assume Monday for MK and Wednesday for Epcot? I also see EEH for AK on Thursday Dec28.

 

[robotsneedlove2]

We are staying Deluxe from December 30th to January 8th, 2024.
I need to book our ADRs. Also still haven’t decided on our park days yet since no info on EEH for the first week of January.

Anyone have any advice? Should I just assume Monday for MK and Wednesday for Epcot? I also see EEH for AK on Thursday Dec28.

Check the app!! I had no idea that the app will post hours further out than the website until last month.

Mon 1/1 - EEH @ Epcot
Wed 1/3 - EEH @MK
Mon 1/8 - EEH @ Epcot

 

[Silvermist999]

Check the app!! I had no idea that the app will post hours further out than the website until last month.

Mon 1/1 - EEH @ Epcot
Wed 1/3 - EEH @MK
Mon 1/8 - EEH @ Epcot

Omg! Thank you so much! I must admit I do not use the app until I’m actually at WDW. I really appreciate your help!

 

[robotsneedlove2]

Omg! Thank you so much! I must admit I do not use the app until I’m actually at WDW. I really appreciate your help!

Glad to help I never use the app until I'm there either!

 

[cyndi-rella]

I remember being a guest at MK until 3AM one night

Me too!

 

[KendraG2]

I don't think there is much impact on the regular park day crowd. I suggest just doing the stuff you want to do and not worrying about it.

Could there be some more people in the park because of EEH? Perhaps, but it wasn't enough for me to notice.

So would you say just use available crowd calendars online and assume EEH won't impact day crowds? We won't qualify for EEH so I'm more concerned about whether I should avoid those parks those days instead in case they will be more crowded than anticipated.

 

[Mintycake]

So we are planning EEH at Epcot on Jan 15 which is a holiday. The plan is to go to Epcot early/mid afternoon and stay for the EEH. How busy will it be given Jan 15 is a holiday?

We have dining reservations at Via Napoli at 7pm. Fireworks are usually at 9pm and last for how long? or would they do them earlier because the park officially closes at 9pm?

And lastly, does anyone have an Epcot strategy for EEH?

Would also appreciate MK EEH strategy as well since we are doing the same thing (start in afternoon) on Jan 17.

 

[Mle8308]

I remember being a guest at MK until 3AM one night

I remember working until 4:30am because the park was open until 3am!

 

[MickeyMice]

So we are planning EEH at Epcot on Jan 15 which is a holiday. The plan is to go to Epcot early/mid afternoon and stay for the EEH. How busy will it be given Jan 15 is a holiday?

We have dining reservations at Via Napoli at 7pm. Fireworks are usually at 9pm and last for how long? or would they do them earlier because the park officially closes at 9pm?

And lastly, does anyone have an Epcot strategy for EEH?

Would also appreciate MK EEH strategy as well since we are doing the same thing (start in afternoon) on Jan 17.

epcot fireworks should begin at 9pm at general park close. the current show (epcot forever) is mainly just pyro and can be viewed from really anywhere on world showcase. i think the show is changing over soon, not sure if before your visit.

make sure you click for a GotG VQ at 6pm if you're interested in that during EEH. other than that, a lot depends on where you are planning to leave the park at 11pm. if you are leaving through IG, do remy as you're heading out. if through the main gate, remy is still busy early - i would try to genie+ that during regular hours and stick to frozen and front of park for EEH. (though you may not want to risk getting wet on frozen on a january night).

MK EEH - just do what you want that doesn't have crazy waits, click for 6PM tron VQ, and i'd save 7DMT for last. you can't do everything at MK in 2 hours so just have fun with it.

 

[robotsneedlove2]

Thanks for starting this thread! I'm planning for a December trip, and I know we'll have EEH at AK on 12/4 but still don't know what the 2nd EEH night of the week will be.

Did anyone here attend the EEH at AK on November 8?? Looking forward to seeing Pandora at night again, also wondering what food options were open.

 

[Erinmc3]

Did anyone here attend the EEH at AK on November 8?? Looking forward to seeing Pandora at night again, also wondering what food options were open.

We were there. Although I’m not sure about food options as we were at the park all day and ate earlier…I can say that the whole Avatar area was very pretty at night

 

[Genie+]

So would you say just use available crowd calendars online and assume EEH won't impact day crowds? We won't qualify for EEH so I'm more concerned about whether I should avoid those parks those days instead in case they will be more crowded than anticipated.

Yes I would say EEH doesn’t make much difference to day crowds.

A few things are going on. EEH is a much smaller amount of qualified guests than years back when night EMH was open to all onsite. Plus WDW typically puts EEHs on a less attended park day of the week. EP is frequently slower on Mondays than any other day that week. MK is frequently slower on Wed (outside party season). This also coincides with another goal of theirs, softness to room bookings. Days left open ‘dangling’ after most everything else is booked usually occur after the weekend but early in the weekdays. Having EEH helps fill those dangling days at deluxe resorts.