Everything You Need to Know About Extra Magic Hours at Disney World

Are Extra Magic Hours worth it? One of the most common questions you will have during your Disney vacation planning. Much like, is the Disney Dining Plan worth it, or should I stay on property, or even, do I need a Park Hopper ticket, it is entirely up to each party. In this post, we will go over everything you need to know about Extra Magic Hours at Disney World.

What are extra magic hours?

If it is your first time planning a Disney vacation you might not be familiar with extra magic hours or EMH as you might have seen it appreciated before. EHM are extra hours in the park either in the morning before the park opens or after it closes.

Who can use extra magic hours?

This is a perk that is available to anyone staying at a Disney resort. In recent years, this has also been one of the perks that the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels have also had. This isn’t always a given though, so if you decide you have to have EMH during your stay, but sure to see if these perks are still offered at the non-Disney hotels.

When are extra magic hours offered?

The schedule varies every day and is adjusted depending on the time of year. Disney releases this information well in advance for you to help plan your trip. Typically, the early morning hours will be for one hour before the park opens, whereas the late night hours are two hours after the parks have closed. Again, this isn’t always true, but it is a decent rule of thumb. Be sure to check Disney’s schedule to plan ahead.

Where are extra magic hours offered?

All four Disney theme parks have different variations for Extra Magic Hours. All four offer early morning hours, but it is not super common to see all four offering late night hours. Epcot and Magic Kingdom will usually have at least one late night each over the span of a week. Hollywood Studios will have them depending on the time of year, but Animal Kingdom doesn’t typically offer late night EHM. Hollywood Studios did recently, arguably because of the opening of Toy Story Land.

What is open during extra magic hours?

Each park typically has a different set of offerings in the morning hours vs late night. You will usually see more attractions offered at night. It is important to note that if a ride is currently under refurbishment, it is still closed during EMH.

Magic Kingdom Early Morning Hours

• Astro Orbiter
• The Barnstormer
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• “it’s a small world”
• Mad Tea Party
• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
• Meet Cinderella & Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
• Meet Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Stitch’s Great Escape!
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Magic Kingdom Evening Hours

• Astro Orbiter
• The Barnstormer
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak
• Country Bear Jamboree
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Jungle Cruise
• Mad Tea Party
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
• Meet Daring Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Sideshow
• Meet Magnifique Disney Friends as Circus Stars at Pet’s Silly Sideshow
• Meet Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• A Pirate’s Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven Seas
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
• Space Mountain
• Stitch’s Great Escape!
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Epcot Early Morning Hours

• Frozen Ever After
• Living With The Land
• Meet Anna and Elsa at Royal Sommerhus
• Mission: Space Advanced Training Lab
• The Seas Main Tank and Exhibits
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Soarin’
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Epcot Evening Hours

All of the World Showcase pavilions remain open, as well as:

• Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
• Frozen Ever After
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
• ImageWorks
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Meet Anna and Elsa at Royal Sommerhus
• Meet Disney Pals at Epcot Character Spot
• Mission: Space
• Mission: Space Advanced Training Lab
• O Canada!
• The Seas Main Tank and Exhibits
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Soarin’
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• Turtle Talk with Crush

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS early morning hours

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
• Star Wars Launch Bay
• Toy Story Mania!
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Walt Disney Presents

Hollywood Studios Evening Hours

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Disney Junior Dance Party!
• Muppet*Vision 3D
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
• Star Wars Launch Bay
• Toy Story Mania!
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Animal Kingdom Early Morning Hours

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Cretaceous Trail
• DINOSAUR
• Dino-Sue
• Discovery Island Trails
• Expedition Everest
• Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
• It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Na’vi River Journey
• Oasis Exhibits
• Primeval Whirl
• TriceraTop Spin
• Valley of Mo’ara

About Early Morning Hours

Early Morning EMH are the ones that are typically used incorrectly. Unless you plan to be there exactly when they start, do not go to that park. A lot of guests plan to go to the morning hours, but because of transportation or running late, do not make it until closer to the end of the park day. This leads to that particular park being extra crowded that morning. You should also only use this if you have a park hopper or you know it will be a less crowded day (which isn’t very typical for any morning EMH parks). If you go to the park right when the EMH start and stay until it starts to get crowded, you can bounce over to another park or head back to your resort for a pool day. The problem is if you only have a one-day park ticket, you only have the option of going back to the park you were at already.

Personally, if we do the early morning hours, we will fastpass attractions at a different park so we can take advantage of two systems in one day. You’ll be able to ride the more popular rides in two parks!

About Evening Hours

I do not vacation with kids, so staying up late is not a huge issue for us. We also like to take midday naps or breaks to avoid the heat, which means we can stay up later ourselves. I think the extra two hours in the park after closing are the best use of Extra Magic Hours. A lot of families won’t end up staying until the very end so it tends to be less crowded than the morning. Also, more attractions are typically available at night AND are sometimes more fun all lit up.

If you plan to do evening Extra Magic Hours, be sure to have a slow morning the following day. It can take roughly an hour to get back to your resort and room before you can sleep. Make sure you don’t schedule an 8am breakfast somewhere the next day.

Should I used extra magic hours?

Like I said at the beginning, this will vary depending on the group going. Park hoppers who like to remain flexible will typically get the most use out of Extra Magic Hours. If you only have a one park ticket, you will probably be better off visiting one without EMH that day since it is typically less crowded. As long as you plan properly, you can really take advantage of short lines.

If you believe park hopping is for you, be sure to check out Undercover Tourist to save on Park Hopper tickets.

Are you ready to keep planning? Check out everything you need to know before you go when planning for Disney.