Credit: Steven Miller, FlickrThe Walt Disney World Resort is a hub of change. From land rethemes to attraction closures to operational adjustments, Central Florida’s leading theme park destination is undergoing an intense period of evolution.
Despite what feels like more construction than usual, Disney is still trying to welcome as many guests as possible. One of these ways is through additional openings for its millions of visitors, like the hard-ticketed events Disney After Hours and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, or the exclusive Extended Evening Hours for Deluxe resort guests.
Disney’s Upcoming After Hours Events
While Magic Kingdom Park hosted Extended Evening Hours on Wednesdays, that trend has now favored Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At first, speculation about the change was rooted in theories that the debut of the Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away parade at Magic Kingdom was causing the operational change.
Now that seems to be true, as on July 20, the new nighttime parade will officially begin at The Most Magical Place on Earth with performance times at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. At Magic Kingdom, Extended Evening Hours run for two hours, usually beginning at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m.
The current Extended Evening Hours events are as follows:
- Magic Kingdom Park: June 25; August 13
- EPCOT: June 30; July 7, 14, 21, 28; August 4, 11, 18, 25
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; August 6
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: August 29
As you can see, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is only hosting one event so far this summer. Known for its iconic Sunset Boulevard, complete with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the beloved Fantasmic! nighttime show, and, of course, the sprawling Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney World’s third theme park, is extremely popular with guests.
However, those able to attend the Extended Evening Hours event on August 29 will have to enjoy the park without one of Disney World’s E-ticket attractions.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Is Not Available to Disney World Guests
According to the official Walt Disney World My Disney Experience app, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will not be available to guests attending the 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. event at the theme park. The list of available attractions includes:
Alien Swirling Saucers, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Slinky Dog Dash, Star Tours–The Adventure Continues, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and Toy Story Mania!
This was also confirmed not a year ago by the official planDisney support network. After being asked by a guest attending the Extended Evening Hours at Hollywood Studios, planDisney reiterated the attractions available during the nighttime hours, with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance noticeably absent.
Of course, Disney states that attraction availability is subject to change, so guests may be surprised by a Rise of the Resistance opening. That said, it is common for the Disney World theme parks not to allow guests on every attraction during these special events. For example, Magic Kingdom’s latest ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, is not available during Extended Evening Hours at that park.
How to Ride Rise of the Resistance Late–A Tip From Disney
In that same interaction, planDisney outlines a top tip for riding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance later on at the Disney park.
“While this may not be the magical news you had hoped to hear, if you’re really committed to experiencing this attraction on the day of your visit, you might consider jumping in the standby line for the attraction just before the regular park closing time,” the response reads, “once you’re in line and the park officially closes, the standby line does tend to move a little swifter since the Lightning Lane entries will be finished for the day!”
Change Is in the Air for Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios, like Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is undergoing a significant overhaul. The park recently lost the Muppets-themed area, including attraction Muppet*Vision 3D and restaurant PizzeRizzo, as Disney commences the construction of Monstropolis–a new land themed after Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. franchise.
The land will be home to a suspended coaster based on the door sequence at the end of the 2001 movie. At last year’s Horizons Showcase at D23 Expo, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro explained that the new coaster will be a dream come true.
“The first time I saw Monsters, Inc., all I wanted to do was ride on one of those doors like Mike and Sulley,” D’Amaro said at the Anaheim convention. “You’ll go into the factory and experience the first suspended coaster ever in a Disney park.”
He added, “Remember in the movie how those claws grab the doors and hoist them up into the air to take them away? We’re doing that, too. And you’re going along for the ride.”
Since the June closures in the Grand Avenue area, construction walls have gone up, officially ushering in this new era for the Hollywood Studios theme park.
How do you feel about Rise of the Resistance not being available during Extended Evening Hours? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!