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Disney World Extending Hours -- Here's Where to Stay for Extra - Extra Magic Hours
Jennifer is a contributing writer to The Points Guy where she focuses on family travel. She is also the founder of Deals We Like where she helps her readers travel on a deal.
June 21, 2019 • 8 min read
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Quick summary
Walt Disney World is offering extended early park access, called extra Extra Magic Hours, from Sept. 1 to Nov. 2, 2019, for select hotel guests.
This benefit allows earlier entry to major parks, including special access to popular attractions like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Pandora – The World of Avatar.
Eligible hotels include Disney Resort properties and select partner hotels, many of which can be booked with points from major hotel loyalty programs.
Guests can use this perk to experience more rides with reduced wait times before regular park hours begin.
What to consider
Not all attractions are open during extra Extra Magic Hours and some experiences, like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, are subject to capacity limits.
Crowds may be higher during these early hours compared to paid early access events, and guests must be staying at eligible hotels to participate.
Point requirements for free nights vary by hotel brand and date, and some properties offer additional perks such as complimentary breakfast or a fifth night free on point stays.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of points redemption options at participating hotels and specific strategies for maximizing early park access during your Disney World visit.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Walt Disney World is adding another reason to stay at a Disney World Resort hotel this fall. Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 2, 2019, not only will you receive your typical Extra Magic Hours, but you'll have access to even more of them than usual. They call it extra - Extra Magic Hours.
Typically, Extra Magic Hours allow your family to enter the park as early as 7am or 8am — depending on the time of year, day of the week and the particular park, or sometimes it means you can stay until as late as 12am or even 2am. With this special extra bonus coming this fall, you'll actually be able to enter the three parks even earlier every single day of the week — starting as early as 6am. Not all rides will be open during those extra opening hours, but you'll be able to experience many of them before the rest of the parkgoers even walk through the turnstiles later in the morning.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World / photographer Ryan Wendler)
Here are the "extra" Extra Magic Hours for this fall:
Disney’s Hollywood Studios — including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land attractions and more — from 6am to 9am daily (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and its experiences are subject to capacity controls and open to the public on Aug. 29 at Walt Disney World)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom — including Pandora – The World of Avatar and other attractions throughout the park — from 7am to 9am daily
Magic Kingdom — including favorites in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland — from 7am to 8am daily
Staying at a Disney World Resort hotel (or at least one with Disney perks) means you get free access to Early Magic Hours and you don't have to necessarily spend the extra $79 to receive Early Morning Magic access at Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom or Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios. (Note: Early Morning Magic is different from Extra Magic Hours. Guests pay a per person fee to get into the park before opening hours and the package includes breakfast.)
Of course, the parks will be more crowded during those wee hours of the morning during (extra) Extra Magic Hours than the paid events. If you are feeling crazy, you can use the extra morning hours to try and ride every Disney World ride in just one day.
Eligible Disney World Resort Properties
This extra-extra benefit is available to those staying at all Walt Disney Resort hotels, Disney Spring Resort Area Hotels as well as Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Shades of Green Resort, Four Seasons Resort Orlando, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Orlando.
If you are looking to use points from any of the major loyalty programs, there are many participating properties.
Marriott Bonvoy Points
Use your Marriott points to stay at the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. Both properties cost 50,000 points a night or you can use your annual free night certificate (worth up to 50,000 points) that comes with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
(Photo courtesy of the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel)
Hilton Honors Points
Use your Hilton Honor points to stay for free at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, Waldorf Astoria Orlando, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace and Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista. Between the five hotels, the number of points required for a free night stay range anywhere from 29,0000 to 80,000 points a night, depending on the date and location. If you are staying at a Hilton property on an upcoming stay, make sure to have the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Cardas it will give you automatic Gold status. This status will give you your fifth night free on point reservations as well as complimentary breakfast.
(Photo courtesy of Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace)
IHG Rewards Club Points
Use your IHG Rewards Club points to stay for free at the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area. This property costs 40,000 points per night which means you can use your annual free night certificate that comes with the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card (certificate is capped at hotels costing 40k points or less).
The dining area of the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area. (Photo courtesy of Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs® Area)
Wyndham Rewards Points
Use your Wyndham Rewards points to stay for free at the Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista and Wyndham Lake Buena Vista. The Wyndham Garden costs half the number of points at just 15,000 points a night and is our suggestion if you are looking to redeem your points.
Photo courtesy of Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs
Best Western Rewards
Use your Best Western Rewards to stay for free at the Best Western Lake Buena Vista. This property requires 20,000 points for a free night award.
(Photo courtesy of the Best Western Lake Buena Vista)
All Other Properties
At all other Disney World Resort hotels, you can always use your Citi ThankYou points to book via the Citi travel site or use your Capital One Venture card and then utilize Capital One Miles to erase your stay.
Bottom Line
This is a great way to reduce your wait time and ensure you are able to see all of the rides at your desired WDW park. While there are many other benefits of staying at a true Disney World Resort property, such as FastPass+ ride reservations 60 days out and complimentary access to Disney's Magical Express Bus (airport bus not included for resorts where you can use hotel points), this is definitely a huge perk to not miss.
Your family will have to wake up very early, but you can go take an afternoon nap when lines and temps are heating up (and when the afternoon showers come into play). With extra Extra Magic Hours, my family's strategy would include being at the park from a bit before early access opens, get in as many rides as possible during the extra hours, take a siesta midday at the hotel and then head back to the park later when the lines and temperatures dwindle down again.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
