Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios Review: Is It Worth It?
Wondering if Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios is worth it? Here’s my honest review after riding 10 attractions in 3 hours, plus tips, pricing, strategy, and a comparison to Premier Pass.
Estimated reading time: 26 minutes
I wasn’t completely sold on Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios before I went.
Magic Kingdom After Hours made perfect sense to me. There are tons of attractions, exclusive fireworks are included, and Magic Kingdom simply has more to do.
Hollywood Studios?
I wasn’t so sure.
There are fewer rides. There’s no nighttime spectacular exclusive to the event. And now that Disney offers Premier Pass, I honestly wondered if that would be the better way to experience the park.
After actually attending Hollywood Studios After Hours…
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Not only do I think it’s worth the money—I actually think it’s one of the best values Disney currently offers.
During the three-hour event, I rode 10 attractions, including Slinky Dog Dash twice, Toy Story Mania twice, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway twice, Tower of Terror, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Rise of the Resistance, and Star Tours.
I never waited more than about 10 minutes.
I watched Fantasmic before the event even started.
I enjoyed two additional stage shows beforehand.
I wandered through an almost empty Galaxy’s Edge.
And I walked out carrying enough free popcorn to survive a small road trip.
If you’re wondering whether Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios is worth it, here’s exactly what my evening looked like—and why I’d absolutely do it again.
Looking for more special experiences? Don’t miss my complete Disney World Enchanting Extras Guide, where I rank every Enchanting Extra I’ve personally experienced.
What Is Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios?
Disney After Hours is a separately ticketed event that lets guests enjoy Hollywood Studios after the park closes to regular day guests.
Unlike Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, this isn’t a special entertainment event with parades and exclusive fireworks.
Instead, Disney keeps attendance intentionally low so guests can enjoy some of the park’s biggest attractions with dramatically shorter waits.
- Admission beginning at 7:00 pm
- Three hours of exclusive After Hours access once the park closes
- Complimentary popcorn
- Ice cream novelties
- Bottled soda and water
- Access to many of the park’s most popular attractions with minimal waits
For me, the low crowds—not the snacks—were the real selling point.
The snacks were just a really fun bonus.
Disney After Hours Hollywood Studios Dates, Hours & Ticket Prices
Hollywood Studios After Hours doesn’t run year-round.
Instead, Disney typically offers the event on select nights from late winter through early fall (generally February through September). Dates vary each year, so you’ll definitely want to check Disney’s calendar if you’re planning your trip around the event.
One thing I really appreciated is that your ticket lets you enter Hollywood Studios as early as 7:00 pm, even though the After Hours event itself doesn’t officially begin until later that evening.
During my visit, the event officially ran from 9:30 pm until 12:30 am.
Those extra three hours before the event turned out to be incredibly valuable.
Instead of standing in attraction lines, I used that time to enjoy several shows, have dinner, and watch Fantasmic. Then, once the park officially closed to day guests, I spent the entire After Hours event doing nothing but rides.
How much does Hollywood Studios After Hours cost?
Ticket prices vary by date but generally range from about $155–185 per person (plus tax).
Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members often receive discounts on select nights.
At first glance, that sounds expensive.
Honestly, I thought so too.
But after actually attending the event, I walked away thinking it’s one of Disney’s best values—especially when you compare it to Premier Pass or paying separately for Lightning Lanes during a regular park day.
My Biggest Tip Before You Go
Eat dinner before the park officially closes.
Seriously.
There are only limited dining options available once After Hours begins.
You’ll have unlimited popcorn, bottled drinks, and Mickey ice cream bars throughout the night, but if you want an actual meal, don’t wait.
We grabbed a light dinner at Docking Bay 7 before the event started, and I’m so glad we did.
The last thing I wanted to do during After Hours was spend valuable ride time waiting for food.
My Strategy (And Why I Think It’s the Best One)
Before my trip, I’d read that the smartest After Hours strategy was to begin on Sunset Boulevard, then gradually work your way across the park toward Galaxy’s Edge.
The idea is pretty simple.
Even though regular guests are supposed to leave once the park closes, plenty of them are still making their way toward the exit during the first 30 to 60 minutes of the event.
If you immediately head to Slinky Dog Dash or Rise of the Resistance, you’re competing with some of those lingering crowds.
Instead, I started with Tower of Terror, worked through Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, then Toy Story Land, and finally finished the evening in Galaxy’s Edge.
After trying it myself…
I completely agree with this strategy.
Everything just flowed naturally.
By the time I reached Slinky Dog Dash, the park felt almost empty.
(One note: MuppetVision had already closed permanently, and the new Muppets coaster hadn’t opened yet. If that attraction had been operating, I probably would have squeezed it in near the beginning or end of my Tower of Terror stop since it’s in the same area.)
Here’s Exactly How My Evening Went
One thing I always want to know before spending this kind of money is…
“What can I realistically accomplish?”
So here’s my actual evening—from the moment I picked up my wristband until I walked out of the park.
5:56 pM
Picked up my After Hours wristband.
6:00 pM
Stopped for a few Disney PhotoPass pictures.
Since we had plenty of time before the event officially started, there was no reason to rush.
6:05 pM
Sampled the Oreo Funnel Cake from Epic Eats.
(For anyone wondering…I’m currently writing a whole series of Hollywood Studios snack reviews. I promise I wasn’t actually eating every bite of every snack I sampled that night. 😂)
6:15 pM
Grabbed a light dinner at Docking Bay 7.
Again…
Eat before the event starts.
Future You will thank you.
6:30 pM
Spent a few minutes watching the Stormtroopers interact with guests in Galaxy’s Edge.
I don’t care how many times I see this…
It’s still funny.
6:35 pM
Stopped by the Toy Story Land snack stand to try the new spring rolls.
Research is hard work.
6:45 pM
Barely made it into The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure.
In fact…
I grabbed literally the last available seat.
Still adorable.
7:40 pM
Watched Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After. This will always be a high priority show for me. It’s one of the best shows in all of Disney World!
8:30 pM
Found a great seat for Fantasmic about thirty minutes before showtime.
I didn’t arrive super early.
I just found a nice seat, relaxed for a bit, and waited for one of my favorite nighttime shows at Walt Disney World.
9:00 pM
I’ve seen Fantasmic several times over the years, and it never gets old. It’s still one of my favorite nighttime spectaculars at Walt Disney World, and it was the perfect way to end the regular park day before the After Hours ride marathon began.
9:30 pM
The show ended.
By 9:37, I was walking out of the amphitheater…
…and officially beginning what I can only describe as a three-hour ride marathon.
The Ride Marathon Begins
9:38 pM — Tower of Terror
I headed straight to Tower of Terror.
Walked through the preshow.
No real wait.
By 9:46, I was already off the ride.
My first stop afterward?
Free popcorn and a bottled soda.
I grabbed both while walking toward Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
One thing I loved about the complimentary snacks is that they never slowed me down.
I’d simply grab something as I walked between attractions instead of making dedicated snack stops.
9:53 pM — Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
I entered the queue at 9:53.
By 9:59…
I was already on the ride.
Even better?
I had an entire row to myself.
I was off the attraction by 10:03.
So naturally…
I turned around…
…and got right back in line.
Ride #2
By 10:08 I was already back at the preshow.
By 10:13…
I was riding Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway again.
This is exactly what makes After Hours feel so different from a regular park day.
Instead of debating whether an attraction is “worth” a 60-minute wait…
You simply ride it again because…
Why not?
10:23 pM — Toy Story Land
Next stop…
Toy Story Land.
The atmosphere here at night is fantastic.
The oversized Christmas lights, colorful decorations, and lower crowds somehow make the entire land feel even more playful than it does during the day.
I walked straight through the queue for Toy Story Mania.
No waiting.
I was on the ride by 10:33.
Off by 10:40.
10:45 pM — Slinky Dog Dash
This is the ride I had intentionally saved until later in the evening.
I grabbed another free popcorn and bottled soda while heading toward the entrance.
The posted wait looked longer than what I actually experienced.
I entered the queue at 10:45.
I was on Slinky Dog Dash by 10:54.
About nine minutes.
That’s it.
For one of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World.
I got off…
Walked around the exit…
…and immediately got back in line.
Again.
I entered the queue for ride number two at 10:58.
I was back on Slinky Dog Dash by 11:07.
Again…
Right around a nine-minute wait.
Just think about that for a second.
During a normal park day, guests routinely wait 60, 90, sometimes even 120 minutes to ride Slinky Dog Dash once.
I rode it twice in roughly twenty minutes.
That’s honestly incredible. And while I waited in line I snacked on the popcorn… because, why not?
11:12 pM — Toy Story Mania…Again
Since I was already standing in Toy Story Land…
Why not?
I headed back to Toy Story Mania.
I was on my second ride by 11:22.
Off by 11:28.
As I left the area, I grabbed a Mickey ice cream bar and started walking toward Galaxy’s Edge.
The multitasking during After Hours is honestly one of my favorite parts.
Ride.
Grab popcorn.
Ride again.
Pick up an ice cream.
Keep walking.
Repeat.
Galaxy’s Edge After Midnight Is Worth Seeing All By Itself
One thing I wasn’t expecting?
How completely different Galaxy’s Edge feels late at night.
During the day, Batuu is packed.
There are people everywhere.
It feels busy and energetic.
During After Hours…
It almost felt like I’d wandered onto the set of a Star Wars movie after everyone else had gone home.
There were hardly any people around.
The lighting was gorgeous.
It was quiet enough to actually notice details I’d completely missed during daytime visits.
Honestly, even if I hadn’t ridden another attraction, simply walking through an almost empty Galaxy’s Edge would have been one of the highlights of my evening.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
By 11:39 p.m., I arrived at the Smugglers Run queue.
This is where I experienced what was probably the longest “wait” of the entire evening…
Except I wasn’t actually waiting.
I was just walking.
Because Disney was using the regular standby entrance instead of Lightning Lane, I swear I walked approximately 15,000 miles through that queue.
Okay… maybe not literally.
But it sure felt like it.
Ironically, the longest part of riding Smugglers Run during After Hours wasn’t waiting for the attraction—it was simply hiking through the entire queue to get there.
I reached the preshow by 11:44 and was off the ride by 11:54.
No waiting.
Just…a lot of walking.
Rise of the Resistance Was Even Faster Than I Expected
Next stop…
Rise of the Resistance.
I entered the queue at 11:59 p.m.
I expected to experience the normal queue and preshow sequence.
Instead, Disney routed us through a shortcut I’d never seen before.
Rather than going through the full transport ship sequence, we were directed much closer to the famous Stormtrooper hangar.
It almost felt like we “short-circuited” part of the attraction.
Whether Disney always operates Rise this way during After Hours or it was simply an operational decision that evening, I honestly don’t know.
Either way…
I wasn’t complaining.
I was on the ride by 12:12 a.m.
After saving Rise until close to the end of the night, there was essentially no wait at all.
One Last Ride…
By this point, I had already accomplished far more than I’d expected.
But there was still time.
So I walked over to Star Tours.
I boarded my tenth attraction of the evening around 12:22 a.m.
When I got off a little after 12:30…
I realized something.
I wasn’t leaving because I’d run out of things to do.
I was leaving because the event was ending.
That’s a pretty great feeling.
And Then Came…All the Popcorn
As I slowly wandered toward the front of the park, I noticed Cast Members lining the sidewalks with boxes of popcorn and bottled drinks, happily handing them out to anyone walking toward the exit.
I don’t know if they were trying to avoid throwing everything away at the end of the night or if they were simply spreading a little extra Disney magic…
Either way, I wasn’t about to argue.
It got to the point where it almost felt like Oprah was hosting the snack distribution.
“You get popcorn!”
“You get popcorn!”
“Everybody gets popcorn!”
By the time I left Hollywood Studios, I had accumulated enough popcorn to survive a small road trip, along with several bottles of soda and water stuffed into my backpack.
Not exactly the worst way to end the evening.
I finally reached the buses around 12:38 a.m., tired, happy, and apparently prepared for an emergency popcorn shortage.
What About the Character Meet-and-Greets?
There were several characters available during After Hours.
I skipped every single one.
Not because they weren’t fun.
Because every time I walked past one, I had the exact same thought.
“Wait twenty minutes to meet Mickey…
…or ride Slinky Dog Dash again?”
Sorry, Mickey.
You lost.
If your priority is rare character meet-and-greets, your strategy might look completely different than mine.
But I came for the rides.
And Hollywood Studios absolutely delivered.
Disney After Hours vs. Lightning Lane Multi Pass vs. Premier Pass
Before attending Hollywood Studios After Hours, I honestly assumed Premier Pass would probably be the better value.
After all, it’s Disney’s premium skip-the-line product.
It costs more.
It sounds more exclusive.
Surely that means it’s better…right?
After doing Hollywood Studios After Hours, I completely changed my mind.
Let’s start with Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
On the day I attended, Lightning Lane Multi Pass cost $27, and a Lightning Lane Single Pass for Rise of the Resistance was $22.
That’s about $49 per person, plus your park admission.
For a lot of guests, that’s still a great value.
It lets you reserve many of Hollywood Studios’ biggest attractions without waiting in the regular standby lines.
But here’s what it doesn’t let you do.
It doesn’t let you ride Slinky Dog Dash twice because the wait is only nine minutes.
It doesn’t let you hop right back onto Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway just because you loved it the first time.
It doesn’t let you ride Toy Story Mania twice simply because…why not?
After Hours gave me that freedom.
I wasn’t constantly checking the app.
I wasn’t trying to squeeze every ounce of value out of my Lightning Lanes.
I simply walked from attraction to attraction and rode whatever sounded fun.
That experience is hard to put a price on.
Now let’s talk about Premier Pass.
On my visit, Premier Pass at Hollywood Studios cost $289 per person.
That’s well over the price of an After Hours ticket.
Yes, Premier Pass guarantees Lightning Lane access to each eligible attraction once.
But that’s the key word.
Once.
For significantly less money, my After Hours ticket gave me:
- Tower of Terror
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway twice
- Toy Story Mania twice
- Slinky Dog Dash twice
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rise of the Resistance
- Star Tours
That’s 10 attractions in roughly three hours.
Before the event even started, I had also enjoyed:
- The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
- Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
- Fantasmic
- Dinner at Docking Bay 7
- PhotoPass pictures
- A few minutes laughing at the Stormtroopers in Galaxy’s Edge
And throughout the evening, I helped myself to complimentary popcorn, bottled drinks, and Mickey ice cream bars whenever I felt like it.
Could I have accomplished something similar with Premier Pass?
Parts of it, yes.
But I couldn’t have recreated this evening.
There’s simply no Disney product that lets you repeatedly ride your favorite attractions with almost no waiting while enjoying an almost empty Hollywood Studios.
For me, that’s what makes Disney After Hours such an incredible value.
The Value Is Even Better If You Don’t Already Have a Park Ticket
One thing that’s easy to overlook is that I’m an Annual Passholder.
That means I was already planning to be in Hollywood Studios that evening.
But if you don’t have an Annual Pass, the value proposition is arguably even better.
For many guests, the After Hours ticket isn’t an extra expense—it’s simply a different way to buy your Hollywood Studios admission.
Your After Hours ticket is your Hollywood Studios admission for the evening.
You can enter the park as early as 7:00 p.m., enjoy dinner, catch a few shows, watch Fantasmic, and then stay for the three-hour After Hours event.
In other words, you’re not paying for a regular park ticket and an After Hours ticket.
For many guests, the After Hours ticket replaces the park ticket.
That’s a very different calculation.
If you’re trying to save money during your Disney vacation, one strategy could be to skip a full Hollywood Studios day altogether and simply attend After Hours instead.
Would you have time to do every single attraction, every stage show, and browse every shop?
Probably not.
But could you experience nearly all of the park’s biggest attractions, enjoy Fantasmic, eat dinner, and still have a relaxed evening?
Absolutely.
In fact, that’s essentially what I did.
I arrived just before 6:00 p.m., watched three shows, enjoyed Fantasmic, rode ten attractions, ate dinner, grabbed plenty of complimentary snacks, and didn’t leave until nearly 12:40 a.m.
That’s a remarkably full Hollywood Studios experience packed into one evening.
What I Think Is the Best Hollywood Studios After Hours Strategy
If I were doing this event again tomorrow…
I’d use almost the exact same plan.
Before After Hours officially begins:
- Eat dinner.
- Watch the stage shows.
- See Fantasmic.
- Take PhotoPass pictures.
- Browse the shops if you want.
Then…
As soon as Fantasmic ends:
- Tower of Terror
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Toy Story Mania
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania (again if the wait is short)
- Galaxy’s Edge
- Smugglers Run
- Rise of the Resistance
- Star Tours
Saving Toy Story Land and Rise until later worked beautifully because many of the remaining daytime guests had already filtered out of the park.
I wouldn’t change much at all.
Pros and Cons of Hollywood Studios After Hours
Pros
- Extremely short waits for headliner attractions
- Unlimited popcorn, bottled drinks, and ice cream
- The park is absolutely gorgeous after dark
- Galaxy’s Edge feels almost empty
- Fantastic value compared to Premier Pass
- Easy to ride your favorite attractions multiple times
- Admission beginning at 7:00 p.m. lets you enjoy several shows before the event
Cons
- Limited dining once After Hours begins
- Character lines can still be surprisingly long
- It’s a late night (especially if you’re rope dropping another park the next morning!)
- Fewer attractions than Magic Kingdom After Hours
Honestly…
That’s about it.
There really weren’t many downsides for me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you ride attractions more than once?
Absolutely.
In fact…
That’s one of the biggest advantages.
I rode Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway twice, Toy Story Mania twice, and Slinky Dog Dash twice.
If the waits had stayed that short, I probably could have ridden several of them a third time.
Is Fantasmic included?
Yes…. and I highly recommend seeing it.
It’s the perfect way to transition into After Hours.
Are the free snacks worth it?
They’re fun.
I wouldn’t buy a ticket just for unlimited popcorn and Mickey bars.
But they’re a nice bonus, especially because they’re conveniently located throughout the park.
I loved grabbing a popcorn or bottled drink while walking between attractions instead of making separate snack stops.
Is Hollywood Studios After Hours worth it for first-time visitors?
Yes.
Especially if you don’t have multiple park days.
Being able to experience nearly every major attraction with minimal waits makes it much easier to enjoy Hollywood Studios without feeling rushed.
Confession: About halfway through the night, somewhere between my second ride on Slinky Dog Dash and eating a Mickey ice cream bar while walking through an almost empty Galaxy’s Edge, I realized I had completely stopped thinking about strategy.
I wasn’t refreshing wait times.
I wasn’t stressing over Lightning Lanes.
I wasn’t trying to optimize every minute.
I was just…having fun.
And honestly, that’s a pretty rare feeling at Hollywood Studios these days.
Is Disney After Hours at Hollywood Studios Worth It?
Without hesitation…
Yes.
In fact, I’d go one step further.
If you’re trying to decide between buying Premier Pass or attending Disney After Hours…
I’d choose After Hours.
Every single time.
The atmosphere is incredible.
The crowds are tiny.
The free snacks are a fun bonus.
And there is something ridiculously satisfying about hopping off Slinky Dog Dash, grabbing a free popcorn, eating it while waiting less than ten minutes, and then riding Slinky Dog Dash again.
That’s simply not an experience most guests ever have during regular park hours.
The thing that surprised me most wasn’t how many rides I accomplished.
It was how relaxed the whole evening felt.
I never felt rushed.
I never found myself constantly checking wait times.
I wasn’t zig-zagging across the park trying to maximize Lightning Lanes.
I simply…enjoyed Hollywood Studios.
When I finally walked toward the buses at 12:38 a.m., I wasn’t thinking, “I wish I’d had time for one more ride.”
I was thinking…
“The only reason I’m leaving is because Disney is making me leave.”
And that’s probably the strongest endorsement I can give.
I’d happily buy another Hollywood Studios After Hours ticket.
In fact…
I’d buy another After Hours ticket before I’d buy Premier Pass.
And if I’m being completely honest…
I’m a little afraid Disney is eventually going to realize just how ridiculously good of a deal these events are and raise the price.
Disney…if you’re reading this…please don’t. 😄
