Are the Disney World Extended Evening Hours Worth It?
Walt Disney World Resort rolled out Extended Evening Theme Park hours for select deluxe resorts. One of the resorts on the list is the “Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin.” Being Marriott Bonvoy members my husband and I decided to earn some points while investigating if the extended evening hours are worth the deluxe resort price.
Before I dive into how the hours work in the park let’s establish what exactly this perk is (if you already know about this perk and want to know how the hours work in the park scroll down to “Extended Evening Theme Park Hours in Magic Kingdom”):
Skip to 5:38 to view Extended Evening Theme Park Hours
What are the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours?
The exclusive perk is offered through select resorts on Walt Disney World property. The extended hours provide guests an opportunity to enjoy select theme parks two hours after closing. Guests do need a park ticket and proof of their stay in order to enjoy the extended hours.
What parks have Extended Evening Theme Park Hours?
As of February 17, 2022 Magic Kingdom and Epcot are the only two parks that host the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. To view the scheduled days these hours are offered at each park visit the Walt Disney World Resort Website here.
Which resorts offer the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours?
The list of all the resorts that offer this perk is on the Walt Disney World website. One of the resorts on the list is the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
The Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel is located near the Disney Boardwalk Inn and Beach Club Resorts. The resort is also walking distance from Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Being it is on the list for the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours guests can enjoy select parks two hours after closing.
Why choose the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel to try out the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours Perk?
Let’s be honest, Disney isn’t the cheapest trip let alone a deluxe resort stay. Of all the resorts on the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours list the Walt Disney Dolphin Hotel fit our budget best.
Is the Walt Disney Dolphin Hotel owned by Disney?
The Walt Disney Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve are all part of the Marriott Bonvoy umbrella. The biggest perk to staying at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel is being able to earn points or use points to pay for your stay.
Tip: Want to earn more points and faster when staying at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel? Check out the Marriott Bonvoy credit card here. In under a year we earned so many points we are able to pay for our next Disney vacation hotel stay at the Walt Disney World Dolphin.
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours in
Magic Kingdom
On the same list where the hotels and schedules are listed you will also find what attractions will be open during the two hour extension. The Magic Kingdom has more rides operating and from personal experience I can say the two hours are well worth it.
Note: They check your resort status at every line entrance so be sure to have proof of your stay.
How will they know I’m a deluxe resort guest?
Linking your reservation to your magic band is the simplest way to get through lines. However, technology doesn’t always work as it is intended to and your hotel may not show up with your magic band; in that case:
Tip: Have a copy of your hotel confirmation with check-in and check-out dates (screen shot or paper copy). Even though our reservation was linked to our magic bands we were not able to get into the lines using our magic bands. Luckily I had a screen shot of the reservation on my phone and cast members allowed us in the lines.
What were the wait times like?
They ranged from 5-30 minutes. A couple of the rides we walked right on including Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. The longest lines we experienced were for “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and “Seven Dwafs Mine Train.” We saved both these rides toward the end of the evening which I think worked out best. In total we road 7 rides in two hours and got some really great photos of the castle.
Tip: If someone in your party gets motion sickness I suggest medication or just not riding back-to-back like we did. My husband felt terrible riding 7 rides consecutively.
Were the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours worth the deluxe resort price?
It all depends. At the time of our visit we were considering doing the holiday after hours event. After looking at the prices and comparing them to a 2 night stay at the Walt Disney Dolphin hotel, the resort made more sense to us.
I genuinely enjoyed my stay at the Dolphin resort. I loved the location, felt like a VIP with the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours perk and appreciated the amenities of the resort. Plus, we can use points to pay for our stay which is a huge bonus to me.
Want to earn points? You can become a Marriott Bonvoy member for free by signing up online. We are able to afford our next trip to Disney because of earning 100,000 points with the Marriott Bonvoy credit card, which you can check out here.
There are many great videos and articles on “travel hacking” (using points to pay for things) and I highly recommend you check them out.
I hope these tips help you with your next vacation to Walt Disney World.
***Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Walt Disney World, Walt Disney Dolphin Resort or Marriott Bonvoy. Opinions are Hayilestory’s and are not in partnership with Walt Disney World Resorts or Marriott Bonvoy. Link to Marriott Bonvoy credit card is a referral link and does help Hayliestory with future travels when you sign up and are approved for a credit card. For more terms and conditions on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card view here. When traveling please reduce the spread of covid-19 by washing your hands, wearing your mask indoors, keeping distance from others and always abiding by the CDC and state guidelines. Extended Weekend Travel Guide is produced by HayRobin Media Productions LLC. Please drink responsibly. ***