Get ready for Disney Villains to join in the fun this Summer at the Magic Kingdoms Disney After Hours event. For events scheduled between June 6 and August 8, new Disney villains themed entertainment, food and drink, merchandise and more will be available.
If you’re not familiar with the Disney After Hours event, check out our recap here. Essentially it’s an event that takes place after the park closes to day guests and allows you access with little or not wait to many of the park’s most popular attractions. There’s also free soda, popcorn, and ice cream treats. Crowd size is kept to a minimal amount, so you enjoy the benefits of a mostly empty park as well.
Here’s what to expect at the new Disney Villains themed After Hours event.
- A Brand-New Disney Villains Stage Show – Hades and Meg from “Hercules” will set the castle stage ablaze in this all-new stage show, Villains Unite the Night, which will also feature appearances by Jafar, The Queen, Dr. Facilier and Maleficent.
- Spot Maleficent the Dragon – Maleficent the Dragon, with her Steampunk style and signature wicked grin, will be let loose for the first time at night – breathing fire as she creeps through the park as a one-of-a-kind experience for party guests.
- Villanous Enhancements: Discover surprising, villain-inspired additions at Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain.
- Wickedly Good Food & Beverage -A variety of special food & beverage offerings will also be available for purchase, including tasty desserts, drinks and dishes inspired by The Queen, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, Hades, Dr. Facilier and even Emperor Zurg.
- Event Merchandise – Event attendees can also purchase new logo merchandise, as well as items from a curated collection of the best Disney Villains merchandise available.
- One Notorious Item to Note: Ever driven to stand out in their unpredictable and audacious fashion, while the Villains will be entertaining guests in the new stage show, they will not be participating in character greetings during the event.
Disney is encouraging guests to Disney Bound as their favorite Disney baddie, but full costumes are not on the menu for this event. Save them for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Disney Villains After Hours tickets cost $139 plus tax in advance, $144 plus tax on the event night. Annual Passholder and Disney Vacation Club Members can take advantage of a $30 discount and purchase tickets for $109. Tickets for these specific Disney Villains After Hours event nights will go on sale April 29.
It makes sense to us that Disney is adding a little bit of entertainment value to the Disney After Hours event. It was a great value for guests who just wanted to go on ride after ride with minimal waits, but didn’t offer much more than that. Adding in the Disney Villains theme will likely attract more guests to participate. I hope they continue with keeping attendance levels to a minimum so lines for attractions don’t get too long. That’s the whole point of these After Hours events.
From an old-school Disney theme park fan perspective, I’m a little disappointed that this isn’t part of the regular park operating hours. Turning more and more what used to be long summer nights into events that require a separate ticket devalues the regular admission, which is already at an all-time high of a price. On the other hand, there is clearly a demand for events like this. So I hope Disney maintains a balance and only offers these After Hours events on a limited number of nights and then only after what would have historically been the normal closing time for the park.
Have you been on a Disney After Hours event excursion? What was your experience like?