There is a lot of fun to be had at Disney World at Night. All of the parks become a different experience as do some of the rides and attractions too. Over the years we have made some great memories from spending time in the Disney World Parks at Night. From enjoying a dessert party at Magic Kingdom and watching the fireworks, riding Tower of Terror over and over again at Hollywood Studios and surprise character meets too.
You can have so much fun that we thought we would share what we think are the best rides, places and areas to enjoy in Walt Disney World Parks at Night.
Walt Disney World at Night
Let’s take a look at what to expect when it comes to visiting the Disney World Parks at night. You might spend the whole day in one of the parks or park hop over to a park in the evening. A good tip on a very hot day is to head back to your resort in the afternoon to take a break and then head back out early evening. We do this a lot during our vacations at Disney World.
Epcot at Night
We’ll start with Epcot at Night. Both areas of Epcot really come alive at night. Spaceship Earth at the front of the park looks stunning at night when it glows from the lights that illuminate it. Epcot’s World Showcase is also stunning at night with all the Pavilions illuminated. Standing from one side of World Showcase Lagoon and looking across to the other is such a wonderful sight.
Best Area of Epcot at Night
I would have to say that World Showcase is my favorite area of Epcot at night. As I said above it looks spectacular at nighttime and if there are entertainers performing too they really add to the atmosphere.
Epcot – Best Attractions at Night
These are the attractions we enjoy the most during a visit to Epcot at night.
Spaceship Earth
I love Spaceship Earth it is a classic Disney Dark Ride and at night you can very often get on the ride fairly quickly due to the crowds being more evenly spread across the whole park. It is also a great way to start an evening at Epcot which is something we have done many times when entering from the front of the park.
Hollywood Studios at Night
Entering Hollywood Studios at night is always a treat. The park looks fantastic as you walk up Hollywood Boulevard with the Chinese Theatre in front of you. All of the separate areas of the park bring something different to experience too.
Best Area of Hollywood Studios at Night
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge looks great at Night and I would have to say I prefer Toy Story Land during the day. For myself personally my favorite area is Sunset Boulevard especially up near the Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster area. I like the atmosphere and you have rides, shows and shopping to enjoy all in close proximity.
Hollywood Studios – Best Attractions at Night
These are the attractions we enjoy the most during a visit to Hollywood Studios at night.
Tower of Terror
Tower of Terror is one of our favorite rides at Disney World and it is such a fun experience at night. You lose your bearings more as it is darker and you find it more difficult to anticipate the drops and sudden elevations due to it being darker. At quieter times of the year you can ride it alot too especially if Fantasmic is showing or during the fireworks.
Fantasmic
Fantasmic is only shown during the evening at Hollywood Studios so you have to see it at night. It is a great spectacle of a show and really has to be seen. You see so many different characters, fireworks and water effects that really make Fantasmic a special show.
You can read our full guide to Fantasmic here.
Animal Kingdom at Night
Animal Kingdom was never really seen as a nighttime park until the last few years. The addition of Pandora and nighttime shows has changed that perception. Although Animal Kingdom doesn’t tend to stay open late compared to the other Disney World parks it is still one worth seeing at night.
Best Area of Animal Kingdom at Night
This is a very easy answer for me; Pandora. The Avatar themed land looks great anytime of the day but at night it really seems to come alive. This really is a part of Animal Kingdom that has to be experienced at night. The lights and sounds really add to the atmosphere and Pandora really does seem to transform at night. It has to be seen to be believed.
Animal Kingdom – Best Attractions at Night
These are the attractions we enjoy the most during a visit to Animal Kingdom at night.
Expedition Everest
Roller coasters at night are always fun and Expedition Everest is very much so. Like Tower of Terror the drops, twists and turns are harder to anticipate when it is darker. The views at night of the Animal Kingdom and Epcot in the distance as you climb the mountain are great too.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Although you might not see quite as much at night Kilimanjaro Safaris is still quite exciting. Riding it in the dark is a fun experience and as it is cooler some of the animals do tend to be more active. The lower light levels also give the ride a more real life feel than what you experience during the day.
You can find out what we think are the Best Rides and Attractions at Animal Kingdom here.
Magic Kingdom – The Best Disney World Park at Night
Magic Kingdom has created the most memories for my family at night. I have special memories of riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as the fireworks go off. Great dining experiences at Cinderella’s Royal Table again with the fireworks going off outside of our window as we were dining and having fun at Dessert parties in Tomorrowland.
We also had some fantastic times enjoying various rides at night, being offered free Mickey Pretzels at the end of the night and on one occasion as we were about to leave the park we stumbled across an impromptu character meet with Wendy Darling from Peter Pan!
For us Magic Kingdom has to be our favorite Disney World park to visit at night. It is always a magical park but at night it really is a special experience. Every land and part of the park looks great and I highly recommend you experience Magic Kingdom at night when planning your Disney World vacation.
Best Area of Magic Kingdom at Night
Main Street USA is my favorite area at night but it is a close call with Fantasyland being a very close second. At night Main Street just looks wonderful though. I love watching the fireworks here and you can get some great Castle photos here too of course.
Magic Kingdom – Best Attractions at Night
These are the attractions we enjoy the most during a visit to Magic Kingdom at night.
Big Thunder Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain comes to life at night. It may be a wild ride during the day but at night it is something else. In the dark it feels faster, the twists turns and drops feel bigger and sharper. Big Thunder Mountain definitely becomes more of a thrill ride at night with great views of magic Kingdom too.
Splash Mountain
I am going to pick Splash Mountain purely for the views of the park when you are in the higher up parts of the ride. The view of Cinderella Castle just before the big drop at the end of the ride is spectacular too. Splash Mountain is a great ride in itself but at night with the views of Magic Kingdom it really does make for a special experience.
Extra Magic Hours – Something to Think About
Do be aware that Disney World has now permanently suspended extra magic hours in favor of offering resort guests half an hour early access to any park each day of their stay. This means that the extra time in the evening for resort guests on specific days is now a thing of the past. These were always good for enjoying rides especially just before the parks close. You could often walk straight onto rides but do bear in mind this is now a thing of the past. Something to consider when planning your next Disney World trip.
Disney Springs at Night
Disney Springs can be a great location to visit at night if you fancy a break from the parks.
As well as all the shopping locations there are also a wide variety of quick service and table service locations to dine at in Disney Springs. Dining is a big part of the Disney Springs Experience along with a lot of the nighttime entertainment.
My suggestion would be the fried chicken at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin and then some shopping as you take in the sights and sounds of Disney Springs. You can enjoy a few drinks from the bars or kiosks and enjoy some of the various performers that you will find across Disney Springs.
You can find our article on the Best Shopping Locations at Disney World here.
Disney World Resorts at Night
If you are staying at a Disney World Resort then do be aware that each resort can offer different things to do in the evening. Most of the resorts will show Disney movies for the kids to enjoy, the pools will normally be open till around 9pm and some resorts have special evening shows as well as dining experiences too. Bear this in mind when you are looking at which Disney World resort to stay at when planning your vacation.
These offerings can be very enjoyable after a day at the parks to wind down a little especially if you have younger children. Some time in the pool at the end of the day can do you the world of good and help get the children to sleep a little quicker when you get back to your room.
You can find a full list of Disney World Entertainment including the resort offerings here on the Disney World website.
If you are planning a Disney World Vacation be sure to take a look at our Planning guide here.
Work out how many days you need to spend at Disney World with our vacation calculator here.
Disney World at Night
You can certainly have a lot of fun at Disney World at night. If you are planning for a Disney World vacation make sure you allow for time in the parks at night. You can make some special memories just like our family has over the years.
Don’t forget you can get our free Disney World Parks Guide here too.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Darren
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