We explain what Extra Magic Hours are, and how to make the most of them when staying at a Disney World hotel.
Overview
Extra Magic Hours is a perk for staying at any Disney World resort hotel. Every day, one of the four parks will open either an hour earlier or two hours later than their standard opening times. The example (image below) shows that Epcot will be open an hour earlier that day. Thankfully, this service (at the moment) costs no extra.
Requirements
To enter the park during Extra Magic Hours you need to be staying at any Disney World resort hotel. It doesn't matter which one! You could be staying at the All Stars or Grand Floridian. All hotel guests get access to Extra Magic Hours.
How It Works
If Extra Magic Hours are taking place in the morning, there will be a separate line for Disney World hotel guests to enter the park. They scan your magic band or ticket to verify you're staying at a hotel, and let you in.
In the evening after the park closes, you'll be required to scan your magic band or ticket for each attraction. This means that technically guests who are not staying at a Disney World hotel can remain in the park, but they will not be able to go on anything.
Worth it?
In our opinion, most of the time. The morning ones are usually worth it because the park is almost completely empty for the hour and you can get a lot done. The downside of course is it requires a 6am start (we don't personally mind this however). Depending on the time of year, the evening times can usually be just as busy as it is during the day. Saying that, we do plan some of our holiday around Extra Magic Hours. We look at what park is open late, and perhaps arrange dinner there to take full advantage of the extra time, even if it's not always a lot quieter than normal.
To find what Extra Magic Hours are available when you're at the parks, view the Disney calendar.
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