We went to Hollywood Studios After Hours at Disney World

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stay inside a Disney park after it closes? We’re not talking about extended magic hours, filled with guests from the 12 deluxe resorts on property. Nope, this is an exclusive, limited, specially ticketed event – Hollywood Studios After Hours.

Hollywood Studios After Hours

Limited ticket events at Disney parks aren’t anything new at this point, they’ve been holding them for years. Halloween parties, Christmas parties, and the occasional themed late-night event have all been prevalent since the late ’90s. In the past few years, since the parks reopened following 2020, there have been more events than ever.

I’m actually not a very big fan of these events. The parks have to close early but the price for daytime admission isn’t any less, and we’ve never gotten information from Disney on the number of tickets sold for the parties. So, I haven’t been. But on my most recent trip to Disney World, I decided to suck it up and see what it was all about. How else could I possibly give you an adequate recommendation about whether it’s worth your time and money?

Hollywood Studios After Hours Dates and Pricing

Costs for this event vary by date and are sometimes eligible for DVC or passholder discounts. We paid $119 each (as passholders), which is about the same as a daytime ticket – especially if you include the cost of Genie+ and Lightening Lane.

The After Hours event at Hollywood Studios takes place on most Wednesdays in 2023. The party officially starts at 9:30 pm and lasts until 12:30 am! Your ticket allows you entry as early as 7 pm.

Dates for Hollywood Studios After Hours

• Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023  (sold out)
• Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, March 8, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, March 22, 2023
• Wednesday, March 29, 2023 (sold out)
• Sunday, April 2, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, April 5, 2023
• Wednesday, April 19, 2023
• Wednesday, May 3, 2023
• Wednesday, May 17, 2023
• Wednesday, May 24, 2023
• Wednesday, May 31, 2023
• Wednesday, June 7, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, June 14, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, June 21, 2023 (sold out)
• Wednesday, June 28, 2023 (sold out)

What’s Included in Hollywood Studios After Hours?

Tickets for After Hours at Hollywood Studios are the same or more than a regular park ticket. So what do you get for that price tag?

Available Attractions

Every single, operational, ride in Hollywood Studios is open for After Hours. Unfortunately, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was closed for refurbishment during our visit but has since reopened.

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania!

Available Food and Dining

The following items are included with the price of your ticket, there is no maximum quantity. You can eat as much of these as you want.

• Popcorn
• Mickey Ice Cream Bars
• Frozen Fruit Bars
• Bottled Water
• Bottled Soda

Several iconic eateries will remain open throughout the event as well:

• Anaheim Produce 
• KRNR The Rock Station
• Milk Stand 
• Oga’s Cantina (walk up availability)
• Rosie’s All-American Cafe 
• Woody’s Lunch Box 
• Select bars around the park

Character Meet and Greets

It wouldn’t be Disney without a few characters roaming around the parks! During Hollywood Studios After Hours you can find:

• Wood and Bo Peep (Toy Story Land)
• Chip and Dale (Center Stage)
• Donald and Daisy (In Front of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway)
• Chewbacca and Rey (Roaming Galaxy’s Edge)

Shops and Stores

• Dok Ondar’s 
• Droid Depot (check for walk-up availability at the location)
• Jessie’s Trading Post 
• Mickey’s of Hollywood
• Rock Around the Shop
• Savi’s Workshop (reservations first come first serve)
• Tatooine Traders
• The Market Merchants in Galaxy’s Edge
• Tower Hotel Gifts

Entertainment

Two nighttime project shows will happen during the event, both of which take place on the facade of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

• Disney Movie Magic — 11:25 p.m.
• Wonderful World of Animation — 11:45 p.m.

What isn’t included in Hollywood Studios After Hours?

While there are a ton of attractions, entertainment, and free snacks(!), guests to this after-hours event will miss much of the daytime entertainment and dining experiences.

Shows and Entertainment (not available)

• Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage
• Disney Junior Dance Party
• Fantasmic (occurs at 9 pm, so you can make this if you enter the park early)
• For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Muppet*Vision 3D

Characters (not available)

• Animation Courtyard: Doc McStuffins, Fancy Nancy, Pluto, and Vampirina
• Celebrity Spotlight: Olaf
• Front Entrance: Donald and Daisy
• Galaxy’s Edge: Kylo Ren and Stormtroopers
• Near Tower of Terror: Goofy
• Red Carpet Dreams: Mickey and Minnie
• Star Wars Launch Bay: BB-8, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader
• Toy Story Land: Buzz Lightyear and Jessie
• Walt Disney Presents: Sulley

Restaurants (not available)

• 50s Prime Time Cafe (Table Service)
• ABC Commissary (Quick-service)
• Backlot Express (Quick-service)
• BaseLine Tap House (Quick-service)
• Catalina Eddie’s (Quick-service)
• Docking Bay 7 (Quick-service)
• Dockside Diner (Quick-service)
• Fairfax Fare (Quick-service)
• Hollywood Brown Derby (Table Service)
• Hollywood & Vine (Table Service)
• Kat Saka’s Kettle (Quick-service)
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano (Table Service)
• PizzeRizzo (Quick-service)
• Ronto Roasters (Quick-service)
• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant (Table Service)
• The Market (Quick-service)
• Trolley Car Cafe (Quick-service)

Highlights of Hollywood Studios After Hours

There are a lot of things to love about the After Hours events. From the low crowds to the (I cannot say this enough) FREE SNACKS. But these are some of our favorite parts of the event.

Crowd Levels – or lack there of

After Hours is a limited-ticket event. Disney hasn’t provided any information about the number of tickets sold, but they clearly know what they are doing. We experienced a slight rush when we first entered, just before 9 pm. Likewise, Galaxy’s Edge had clusters of crowds – especially around Savi’s, Oga’s, and the Droid Depot. But the rest of the park looked deserted.

Attraction Lines and Wait Times

During our visit, we did not wait in any line for more than 15 minutes. And most of that was actually walking through the extremely long queue for Rise of the Resistance. This was a nice reminder of just how limited the event truly is since these queues would normally be filled with folks and barely moving.

The Snacks!

Disney doesn’t give anything away for free, but the unlimited popcorn and Mickey bars sure felt pretty close. Snack carts had the largest lines in the park, but they moved quickly. Cast members are present at each cart but it’s largely self-serve, which is excellent – and probably why I had days worth of popcorn when we left. I would appreciate more variety in the selection, but Disney might go out of business if they give me access to endless pretzels and Dole Whip.

Is Hollywood Studios After Hours Worth the Pricetag?

Yes. I’ve always been a bit skeptical of specially ticketed events. The price is nearly equal to a full-day ticket but you get less than half of a day in the park. That’s still true, but you don’t need an entire day when the crowd levels and wait times are so low. You can easily ride every single attraction at Hollywood Studios during the 3-hour event, multiple times if you plan ahead a little bit.

Ticket Value

Subjectively, the face value of this ticket is more than fair for the experience. But let’s do some Disney math and make sure objectively, the price evens out.

• Single-Day Ticket to Hollywood Studios: $140
• Genie+ for the day: $20
• Individual Lightening Lane: $15
• Bottled Water: $5
• Popcorn: $5
• Mickey Bar: $6.25
• TOTAL: $191.25

If you are staying for multiple days, you could get the price of a park ticket as low as $60. Which makes that total $111.25, and you will still be managing crowds and queue times all day. For around $30 more you can got to After Hours instead – ride everything and make up the difference in Mickey Bars.

Our Thoughts

After Hours at Hollywood Studios is definitely worth the cost – not just because we liked it, the math proves it. It also proves Disney pricing is a little crazy, but that’s a different article. There’s more to the worth of this event than the numbers, though. The experience of walking through a near-empty theme park cannot be described. Being able to walk on rides whose queues could easily take up half your day is unparalleled. Have you tried getting into any of the reservation-required locations in Galaxy’s edge during the day- good luck! And do not get me started on freaking cool the lightsaber pictures in front of the Millenium Falcon turn out. 😍

Should You Purchase a Ticket for Hollywood After Hours

So now that I’ve sold you on how absolutely amazing the After Hours events can be, let’s talk about whether it’s right for you. After all, a lot of things are closed and when was the last time you stayed up past midnight?

Yes, You Should Attend If:

• You’ve been to Hollywood Studios before
• You will have another opportunity to visit Hollywood Studios
• You have trouble with crowds 🙋‍♀️
• You’re a Star Wars Fan
• You want to ride Rise of the Resistance

Probably Not If:

• You’ve never been to Hollywood Studios before
• It’s outside of your budget
• You (or others in your group) will have trouble staying up past midnight
• You prefer the shows and characters of Hollywood Studios to the rides and attractions

Top Tips for Hollywood Studios After Hours

I can’t send you on your way without a few tips and tricks to maximize the experience. This is The Pixie Dusted Planner, after all.

Pre-game Your Caffeine

I looked and looked for coffee and energy drinks inside the park, with no luck. Make sure you are wide awake and ready for a fantastic (and long) night

Bring Things that Light-Up and Glow

Nearly everyone is toting around a lightsaber for the Hollywood Studios After Hours. If you have one – bring it! If you don’t, that’s okay too! Anything that lights or glows will make an awesome accessory or photo prop for this occasion, so don’t forget to dress up to shine.

Arrive Early

Your ticket for Hollywood Studios After Hours will let you in the park as early as 7 pm. During this time you can catch at least one show, even Fantasmic, or make a dining reservation for dinner. You paid for the ticket, use it to the max!

9:00 to 9:30 pm

Hollywood Studios will stop allowing entry to daytime guests around 9 pm, but ride lines will continue to be serviced for another 30-45 minutes. That doesn’t mean you have to wait in those lines though. During this brief windows Cast Members will prioritize After Hours guests and you can basically walk onto any of the rides, even if there’s a line.

FREE SNACKS

Get your money’s worth and take full advantage of those snacks. Calories don’t count at Disney, so live it up! In fact, skip dinner and leave more room for popcorn.