Good news! A fan-favorite Disney World perk is coming back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is one of — if not the most — unique Disney Parks in the world. Offering plenty of fun attractions and close looks at real exotic animals, we can’t recommend this theme park enough. With that said, there is one caveat — at least where the general public is concerned — that will be slightly alleviated this summer thanks to a returning perk!
One of the biggest gripes about Animal Kingdom is that it usually closes pretty early. This is primarily due to the fact that it’s a zoo full of animals that require rest, care, and quiet hours. However, guests trying to squeeze just a little more time in Animal Kingdom this summer are in luck, as the park is bringing back Extended Evening Hours!
An evening in Animal Kingdom
According to multiple reports and the official Walt Disney World calendar, Extended Evening Hours of 6 PM to 8 PM are coming to Animal Kingdom starting Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025.
Tree of Life
Extended Evening Hours are offered only on select nights, so don’t plan on staying late at Animal Kingdom every night of your visit. This perk is offered to folks staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, and other select hotels.
This perk is offered at the other Disney World theme parks, as well, and is confirmed to continue through 2026. To fully maximize your time, you can combine Extended Evening Hours with the Early Theme Park Entry benefit! These guest perks not only give you more time in the park, but they also let you avoid crowds for the most part and incredibly long lines.
An empty park during Extended Evening Hours in Animal Kingdom
To experience Extended Evening Hours, you must be a registered guest staying at one of the following hotels:
Disney Deluxe Resorts
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort (The extended evening theme park hours benefit applies to Disney Vacation Club Cabins only.)
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Other Select Hotels
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green on Walt Disney World Resort
Swan and Dolphin Hotels
Select merchandise and food/beverage items will be available at the park during Extended Evening Hours, as well as the following attractions:|
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest
- Na’vi River Journey
Attraction availability is subject to change.
Expedition Everest
For dates and times of upcoming Extended Evening Hours, please check online with the official Disney World calendar before your trip.
Animal Kingdom During Extended Evening Hours
We’ll continue to keep you posted on all the latest Disney World tips, tricks, updates, and reviews, so keep it posted right here at DFB to stay in the know!
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To bad the (peasants) don’t qualify for any of the above perks.
I miss the days when all Disney resorts had evening EMH and they were 2-3 hours. We aren’t morning people but always stayed for evening EMH. Moderate resorts are still expensive. This isn’t an extra perk for deluxe guests – it’s a perk that all Disney resorts used to have that was removed from the moderate and value resorts.