- Mar 13, 2024
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Ask any Disney World fan what EPCOT is known for, and you’ll get a dozen different answers — World Showcase, the festivals, the food.
Hello from EPCOT!
But over the past few years, EPCOT now has one of the strongest ride lineups in all of Disney World. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind alone can pull standby waits over an hour, Test Track keeps guests lining up to design and race their own concept car, and rides like Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure round out a day that can easily be swallowed whole by lines rather than actual ride time. So what if there were a way to experience nearly all of it, back to back, with almost no wait at all?
That trick is a Disney After Hours event ticket. These separately ticketed evening events are capped at a limited number of attendees, which means the park empties out dramatically once regular day guests head for the exits. We’ve seen firsthand just how empty EPCOT gets during these After Hours events, and the payoff is exactly what you’d hope for: wait times that stay remarkably low across the board, even on rides that are normally the hardest to access.
EPCOT After Hours!
That includes the headliners. It’s one of the only times you’ll catch Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind with a walk-on-friendly standby line, a ride that can otherwise require a costly Lightning Lane Single Pass just to experience once. With so few guests in the park, you can realistically ride Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, Soarin’, and Frozen Ever After all in the same night — and if a particular ride is calling your name, nothing is stopping you from hopping back in line and riding it two or three times before the night is over.
EPCOT After Hours
Disney’s Disney After Hours event at EPCOT runs from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM, but here’s the part a lot of people miss: guests holding an event ticket are allowed to enter the park as early as 7 PM. That means you can arrive well before the official start time, grab dinner or explore World Showcase while the park is still transitioning, and then settle in for three-plus hours of short lines once After Hours officially kicks off.
Popcorn and water at EPCOT After Hours
While subject to change, the attractions typically included are:
And the perks don’t stop at ride access. Your ticket also includes complimentary ice cream novelties, popcorn, and select drinks throughout the night — so you’re not just skipping lines, you’re getting snacks covered, too.
Mickey’s Ice Cream Bar
Here’s what’s currently on the calendar:
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
On the surface, $155–$159 per ticket sounds like a lot for an evening at the park. But run the numbers on the alternative, and the After Hours event starts to look like a genuine bargain.
Let’s say you wanted similar ride access during regular EPCOT hours using paid Lightning Lane. An EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi Pass has recently priced out in the roughly $19–$37 per person range depending on the day, and that gets you just one Lightning Lane return time per attraction on your list — not Cosmic Rewind, though, since that ride isn’t part of Multi Pass. For that, you’d need to add a separate Lightning Lane Single Pass, which has recently run about $16–$22 per person for a single ride. Add those together, and you could easily spend $35–$55 per person just to ride a handful of attractions one time each — and you’d still be sharing the park (and the standby lines) with the full daytime crowd.
After Hours check-in at EPCOT
Compare that to an After Hours ticket: for roughly $155–$159 flat, you get hours of dramatically reduced wait times across nearly every major attraction in the park, the freedom to re-ride your favorites as many times as the clock allows, and free snacks on top of it. If you’re the type of family or friend group that wants to ride Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, and Frozen Ever After more than once in a night, the After Hours event can end up being the smarter — and sometimes even cheaper — way to experience EPCOT.
EPCOT fireworks
Between the shrunken crowds, the included snacks, and the ability to re-ride your favorite rides, it’s one of the most efficient ways to experience everything EPCOT has to offer. For more tips like this one — plus the latest on Disney World pricing, food, and park strategy — keep checking back with Disney Food Blog.
Do you think paying extra for an After Hours Event is worth it? Tell us in the comments below.
Hello from EPCOT!
But over the past few years, EPCOT now has one of the strongest ride lineups in all of Disney World. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind alone can pull standby waits over an hour, Test Track keeps guests lining up to design and race their own concept car, and rides like Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure round out a day that can easily be swallowed whole by lines rather than actual ride time. So what if there were a way to experience nearly all of it, back to back, with almost no wait at all?
That trick is a Disney After Hours event ticket. These separately ticketed evening events are capped at a limited number of attendees, which means the park empties out dramatically once regular day guests head for the exits. We’ve seen firsthand just how empty EPCOT gets during these After Hours events, and the payoff is exactly what you’d hope for: wait times that stay remarkably low across the board, even on rides that are normally the hardest to access.
EPCOT After Hours!
That includes the headliners. It’s one of the only times you’ll catch Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind with a walk-on-friendly standby line, a ride that can otherwise require a costly Lightning Lane Single Pass just to experience once. With so few guests in the park, you can realistically ride Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, Soarin’, and Frozen Ever After all in the same night — and if a particular ride is calling your name, nothing is stopping you from hopping back in line and riding it two or three times before the night is over.
EPCOT After Hours
What’s Included (and When It Happens)
Disney’s Disney After Hours event at EPCOT runs from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM, but here’s the part a lot of people miss: guests holding an event ticket are allowed to enter the park as early as 7 PM. That means you can arrive well before the official start time, grab dinner or explore World Showcase while the park is still transitioning, and then settle in for three-plus hours of short lines once After Hours officially kicks off.
Popcorn and water at EPCOT After Hours
While subject to change, the attractions typically included are:
- Spaceship Earth
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Mission: SPACE
- Test Track
- Soarin’
- Living with the Land
- The Seas with Nemo and Friends
- Gran Fiesta Tour
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
And the perks don’t stop at ride access. Your ticket also includes complimentary ice cream novelties, popcorn, and select drinks throughout the night — so you’re not just skipping lines, you’re getting snacks covered, too.
Mickey’s Ice Cream Bar
Upcoming Dates and Pricing
Here’s what’s currently on the calendar:
- August 6 — $159.00
- August 13 — $159.00
- September 16 — $155.00
- September 24 — $155.00
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
But Is It Actually Worth the Cost?
On the surface, $155–$159 per ticket sounds like a lot for an evening at the park. But run the numbers on the alternative, and the After Hours event starts to look like a genuine bargain.
Let’s say you wanted similar ride access during regular EPCOT hours using paid Lightning Lane. An EPCOT Lightning Lane Multi Pass has recently priced out in the roughly $19–$37 per person range depending on the day, and that gets you just one Lightning Lane return time per attraction on your list — not Cosmic Rewind, though, since that ride isn’t part of Multi Pass. For that, you’d need to add a separate Lightning Lane Single Pass, which has recently run about $16–$22 per person for a single ride. Add those together, and you could easily spend $35–$55 per person just to ride a handful of attractions one time each — and you’d still be sharing the park (and the standby lines) with the full daytime crowd.
After Hours check-in at EPCOT
Compare that to an After Hours ticket: for roughly $155–$159 flat, you get hours of dramatically reduced wait times across nearly every major attraction in the park, the freedom to re-ride your favorites as many times as the clock allows, and free snacks on top of it. If you’re the type of family or friend group that wants to ride Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, and Frozen Ever After more than once in a night, the After Hours event can end up being the smarter — and sometimes even cheaper — way to experience EPCOT.
EPCOT fireworks
Between the shrunken crowds, the included snacks, and the ability to re-ride your favorite rides, it’s one of the most efficient ways to experience everything EPCOT has to offer. For more tips like this one — plus the latest on Disney World pricing, food, and park strategy — keep checking back with Disney Food Blog.
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Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
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Do you think paying extra for an After Hours Event is worth it? Tell us in the comments below.
