Credit: Inside the MagicThe Walt Disney World Resort has brought back the divisive Disney Enchantment fireworks at Magic Kingdom Park.
2025 marks a significant change, not just for Disney World but for the wider theme park landscape of Central Florida. In just four months, Universal Orlando Resort will open its highly anticipated Epic Universe park. This puts immense pressure on Disney. As guests wrangle with the Mouse’s rising prices and slimmer offerings, could Universal make a dent in Disney’s loyal fanbase?
Disney is seemingly already responding to Universal’s expansion, offering guests a chance to explore the Walt Disney “Worlds” in a new commercial and bringing back popular offers. Another way Disney bolsters its attendance is through hard-ticketed events.
Throughout the year, Disney World offers guests the chance to purchase tickets to events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in the fall and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party during the holidays. In addition to the seasonal events, the resort also hosts Disney After Hours at most of its parks.
Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park is scheduled for select nights between January 6 and May 19, 2025. The event dates include January 6, 13, 20, and 27; February 3, 10, 17, and 24; March 3, 17, 24, and 31; April 7 and 28; and May 5, 12, and 19.
Ticket prices range from $175 to $185 per person, plus tax, depending on the date. The event runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., but attendees can start enjoying the park as early as 7 p.m., offering a few extra hours of fun before the official event begins.
With no additional ticket or park reservation required for the earlier entry, guests will get a head start on experiencing the park is still open to daytime guests.
Arriving early allows guests to enjoy more attractions–like TRON Lightcycle / Run, which offers a standby line–and even catch the iconic Happily Ever After nighttime spectacular before the exclusive event begins. Interestingly, after being offered as an available attraction, Disney has removed Tiana’s Bayou Adventure from its After Hours webpage.
Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for showtimes, and remember that weather conditions can affect outdoor performances. That said, if Happily Ever After is running as planned, guests arriving early will have the chance to witness this Magic Kingdom staple in addition to Disney Enchantment.
Yes, Disney Enchantment returned to Cinderella Castle last night, January 6, at the first Magic Kingdom Disney After Hours event of 2025.
Disney Enchantment debuted as part of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration—The World’s Most Magical Celebration. This nighttime spectacular transformed Magic Kingdom Park with its use of projection technology, which extended beyond the iconic Cinderella Castle and down Main Street, U.S.A.
While Disney Enchantment was meant to mark 50 years, it left guests a little deflated. After the soaring Happily Ever After show, which replaced Wishes in 2017, many felt Disney Enchantment lacked the emotional depth for such a momentous occasion. The desire to have Happily Ever After return, in fact, was so strong that Disney Experiences reinstated the spectacular in 2023.
Alongside the After Hours event at Magic Kingdom Park, the Walt Disney World Resort also has the After Hours offering at EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
How do you feel about Disney Enchantment making a comeback? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!