Extended Evening Hours Questions and Answers

[scrappinginontario]

We have many threads that discuss Extended Evening Hours (EEH)so starting a central place for guests to look for Questions and Answers in one location rather than a bunch of little threads.

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours are offered to guests staying at a Disney deluxe resort. There is no longer any set pattern to which parks offer EEH on particular days, it seems to vary, especially during party season in the Magic Kingdom (MK) and Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS).

Guests who are eligible to attend EE may try for a VQ at 6PM even if they have not tapped into the EE park. (Thank you @Flossbolna for confirming this.)

Please feel free to ask your questions here and assist others who are seeking information.

 

[PrincessNelly]

We are attending EPCOT EEH on our resort switch day to POFQ. Any one have experience on this? How did you get back to your resort since I'm sure disney won't be running bus to non-deluxe resorts at this time.

 

[Babsy]

You could exit the IG and call an uber/lyft to the BC or BW? Or exit the front exit and get an Uber/lyft there?

 

[brightlined]

We are attending EPCOT EEH on our resort switch day to POFQ. Any one have experience on this? How did you get back to your resort since I'm sure disney won't be running bus to non-deluxe resorts at this time.

The short answer is you're on your own. Uber/Lyft is probably the right answer.

The backup plans if you were trying to avoid the expense:

1) Leave before the last POFQ bus leaves. (Could potentially be more than an hour after close, depending on if they count the fireworks as being "after close".)
2) Leave before the last Disney Springs bus leaves*, either from Epcot, Boardwalk, or Beach Club. (Aim for 10:45pm at the latest.) Catch a POFQ bus at Disney Springs.
3) If there's a Jollywood Night happening at DHS, you could walk over there and take a POFQ bus from there. (The event runs until 12:30am.)

* I put an asterisk here only from my own experience. You might be able to find a bus to Disney Springs after it closes at 11pm - the messaging says that buses run an hour after close - but I've had drivers refuse to take me to a closed destination before (even though they were heading to that destination to pick up more guests).

 

[PrincessNelly]

The short answer is you're on your own. Uber/Lyft is probably the right answer.

The backup plans if you were trying to avoid the expense:

1) Leave before the last POFQ bus leaves. (Could potentially be more than an hour after close, depending on if they count the fireworks as being "after close".)
2) Leave before the last Disney Springs bus leaves*, either from Epcot, Boardwalk, or Beach Club. (Aim for 10:45pm at the latest.) Catch a POFQ bus at Disney Springs.
3) If there's a Jollywood Night happening at DHS, you could walk over there and take a POFQ bus from there. (The event runs until 12:30am.)

* I put an asterisk here only from my own experience. You might be able to find a bus to Disney Springs after it closes at 11pm - the messaging says that buses run an hour after close - but I've had drivers refuse to take me to a closed destination before (even though they were heading to that destination to pick up more guests).

Thank you. We will try to Uber, but this is helpful if this doesn't work.

 

[robotsneedlove2]

Thanks for starting this thread! I'm planning for a December trip, and I know we'll have EEH at AK on 12/4 but still don't know what the 2nd EEH night of the week will be.

 

[Babsy]

Thanks for starting this thread! I'm planning for a December trip, and I know we'll have EEH at AK on 12/4 but still don't know what the 2nd EEH night of the week will be.

I doubt that it will be at MK or DHS as those will be having their christmas parties that week. Maybe Epcot? I was pleasantly surprised that we were getting AK own the 4th actually.

 

[ironz]

Can I ask a question for someone to be on the lookout when they start doing the HS extended evening hours? Would like to know if all guests watching Fantasmic leave out towards the front of the park or if they could exit back towards ToT and RnR? Assuming 9:30 pm Fantasmic. I know the HS ones don't start until later this week, but just hoping someone can scout that out for us. Thank you!

 

[Rich M]

I am staying at Bay Lake and Boardwalk during my stay all DVC stays. My sister is on my reservation for all part of my stay but she is staying at AoA. She will be able to do the EEH with us since she is on my reservation?

 

[SnowWhitee]

I am staying at Bay Lake and Boardwalk during my stay all DVC stays. My sister is on my reservation for all part of my stay but she is staying at AoA. She will be able to do the EEH with us since she is on my reservation?

Per the Disney EEH website:

• Valid theme park admission and MagicBand, Key to the World Card or Disney MagicMobile pass is required. Guests without the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option must spend the day at the same park where they’d like to enjoy the early theme park entry benefit.

They check which resort you are staying at based on your MagicBand, KTTW card, or mobile pass. It doesn't go by whether someone is linked in your friends and family on MDE.

 

[Rich M]

Per the Disney EEH website:

• Valid theme park admission and MagicBand, Key to the World Card or Disney MagicMobile pass is required. Guests without the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option must spend the day at the same park where they’d like to enjoy the early theme park entry benefit.

They check which resort you are staying at based on your MagicBand, KTTW card, or mobile pass. It doesn't go by whether someone is linked in your friends and family on MDE.

Last time I was there they scanned one of our MB and asked how many of us there was. Did they start to scan everyone now?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Can I ask a question for someone to be on the lookout when they start doing the HS extended evening hours? Would like to know if all guests watching Fantasmic leave out towards the front of the park or if they could exit back towards ToT and RnR? Assuming 9:30 pm Fantasmic. I know the HS ones don't start until later this week, but just hoping someone can scout that out for us. Thank you!

Guests will use all exits from ToT. When we were there last month the majority of guests were funneled onto Sunset Blvd. Once EEH begin, CMs will be scanning each person's ticket before they enter a queue. If they are not staying at a deluxe resort they will be turned away. Non-deluxe guests will not be stopped from going towards ToT and RNNC but they will be stopped from riding the attractions.

I am staying at Bay Lake and Boardwalk during my stay all DVC stays. My sister is on my reservation for all part of my stay but she is staying at AoA. She will be able to do the EEH with us since she is on my reservation?

Only guests staying at Deluxe resorts are eligible for EEH. Is your sister registered in your room or her own at AoA? If she is staying at AoA she is not eligible at attend EEH.

 

[Simba's Mom]

It's fantastic to have this. I didn't know that there's no sort-of-set days for which park has EEH. I'll be at WDW in January 2024 and would love to know who's having EEH which nights while I'm there. But am I correct that not only has nothing been published, but there's no set history of which park on which night?

 

[Rich M]

Guests will use all exits from ToT. When we were there last month the majority of guests were funneled onto Sunset Blvd. Once EEH begin, CMs will be scanning each person's ticket before they enter a queue. If they are not staying at a deluxe resort they will be turned away. Non-deluxe guests will not be stopped from going towards ToT and RNNC but they will be stopped from riding the attractions.


Only guests staying at Deluxe resorts are eligible for EEH. Is your sister registered in your room or her own at AoA? If she is staying at AoA she is not eligible at attend EEH.

She is registered in my rooms

 

[Tom_E_D]

It's fantastic to have this. I didn't know that there's no sort-of-set days for which park has EEH. I'll be at WDW in January 2024 and would love to know who's having EEH which nights while I'm there. But am I correct that not only has nothing been published, but there's no set history of which park on which night?

There was a historical pattern, with EP on most Monday nights and MK on most Wednesday nights. There were some exceptions during the year, but those were the nights for Extended Evening hours last January. However, from now through December 4, the last date shown on the Disneyworld park hours calendar, there are no MK days, some AK days, some HS days, and a lot of EP days. For some weeks, there are two EEH at EP. There is EEH on every Monday, most at EP, but December 4 at AK. The "other" nights of the week vary between Wednesday, Thursday and even one Saturday. (There are two EEH in every Sunday-Saturday week, at least so far). This may just be because it is party season, but Disney has not said that. So, we don't know what will happen in January, It may return to "normal," but maybe not. We don't even know what mid-December will look like yet.

 

[musicguy856]

She is registered in my rooms

If she’s on your reservation it shouldn’t be a problem.

 

[uandmfan]

Any guesses as to whether the Monday EP and Wednesday MK pattern will hold? I'm asking as we need to book soon and where we book/stay could affect our eligibility. Also, it's not changeable/refundable.

I know it's all conjecture at this point, but I'd like to try my best to guess correctly.

TIA

 

[Tom_E_D]

Any guesses as to whether the Monday EP and Wednesday MK pattern will hold? I'm asking as we need to book soon and where we book/stay could affect our eligibility. Also, it's not changeable/refundable.

I know it's all conjecture at this point, but I'd like to try my best to guess correctly.

TIA

What do you mean by "hold"? There are currently no MK Extended Evening hours scheduled between now and December 4, the last day park hours are shown on the Disneyworld calendar. There are EEH every Monday between now and December 4, but Monday December 4 is at AK, not EP. For the weeks known, some of the non-Mondays are Wednesdays but there are also some Thursdays and one Saturday. (There are no Wednesdays for the weeks that have a Thursday or Saturday.) Some of those are AK, some HS, and some EP. Some weeks have two EP EEHs.

What we don't know is whether they'll return to the old "EP on Monday, MK on Wednesday" pattern once Christmas party season is over. That's all conjecture at this point.

 

[ironz]

Guests will use all exits from ToT. When we were there last month the majority of guests were funneled onto Sunset Blvd. Once EEH begin, CMs will be scanning each person's ticket before they enter a queue. If they are not staying at a deluxe resort they will be turned away. Non-deluxe guests will not be stopped from going towards ToT and RNNC but they will be stopped from riding the attractions.


Only guests staying at Deluxe resorts are eligible for EEH. Is your sister registered in your room or her own at AoA? If she is staying at AoA she is not eligible at attend EEH.

You mean exits from Fantasmic? Yes, they are staying at a deluxe resort. That's great if they can exit towards Sunset Blvd closer to the ride entrances for ToT or RnR. And actually, now that I'm looking at a map, I totally may be the one confused-- I just feel like at least one time our Fantasmic exit dumped us out from backstage over by that "service station" near the front gate?
Thanks!

 

[uandmfan]

Well that makes it hard to guess. Would anyone aim for a day of the week in particular or just assume it will have no rhyme or reason?