Opening And Episode Set-Up

Intro 0:03

Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor, mantenganse a las puertas. Please stand clear of the doors.

Alicea 0:23

Hello everyone. I'm Alicea.

Nathan 0:25

And I'm Nathan.

Alicea 0:26

Welcome to this week's episode of Adventures and Mouse Capades.

Speaker 2 0:30

This episode is for adults. Disney adults. This is Disney after dark.

Alicea 0:38

Um, yeah, this is for kids too. We are not like that. Come on, I mean Disney isn't either. I'm just trying to build anticipation. Uh-huh. Good to know.

Nathan 0:50

This week we are talking about Disney Parks after hours parties and events for 2026. Now, sure, we've already started the year, but there's plenty on offer for the discerning Disney guest who's looking for a little something different. Something special, something else that we can go do that lets us go beyond the regular offerings of the parks.

Alicea 1:10

These events are held at the Disney Parks, but are separately ticketed, meaning that these are not included in your day ticket or your annual pass. You have to pay extra for them. These are also different from extended hours that let you get into a park early or stay late. That said, they can be incredible opportunities to experience special nighttime shows, meet rare characters, enjoy unique parades, eat theme snacks, which Disney really likes to do, go deep into special communities, or even just have access to many of your favorite rides in a park with limited capacity and no lightning lanes, meaning a lot less time waiting in ride queues.

Nathan 1:50

Many of these are annual events, so even if you're not able to make this year's edition, keep your ears out for Disney's announcements for next year and beyond.

Alicea 1:59

Have we done any Disneyland after darks?

Nathan 2:03

Have we done um Disneyland after darks? Yeah.

Alicea 2:08

I don't think we have. We've had the opportunity to with other trips that we've made.

Nathan 2:16

Yeah.

Alicea 2:17

But I don't think we've done them just because of timing.

Nathan 2:22

You guys, you did a you did a hard, you did Pride Night in Disneyland Paris a couple years ago.

Alicea 2:30

That was amazing.

Nathan 2:31

That's not included on our list, by the way. We're only talking about Disney World and Disneyland today.

Alicea 2:35

Okay.

Disneyland After Dark Overview

Nathan 2:36

I don't think we've done a Disneyland uh after hours event. Now, that's not to say that we don't want to. It's just timing hasn't worked out and all the rest of that stuff. So with that, Disneyland After Dark. All of these are in the original Disneyland park. It starts off with Sweetheart's Night. This is already past for 2026. There are nine events in late January and early February leading up to Valentine's Day. Just after. Indeed. And their tagline is L'Amour is in the air. Join us for an after hours soiree bursting with heartfelt fun. Cute. Hmm.

Sweethearts’ Night Details

Alicea 3:21

Yeah. This is 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and park entry is at 6 p.m. Uh the cost is from $159 per person, and it'll fluctuate based on guessing how close you get to Valentine's Day. This has the Celebrate Love Cavalcade, the Once Upon a Dream Castle Stage Show, Lou Ray Jazz Club on the Mark Twain Riverboat. That sounds cool. That doesn't sound like Lewis the Alligator and Ray Ray the Firefly, maybe?

Nathan 3:54

Perhaps. Maybe. Okay. You get a keepsake gift, a special photo op opportunities all around the park, and unlimited photo pass photos during the event. And of course, there are lots of character couples. You've got Mickey and Minnie, Princes and Princesses, and a bunch of others, including all three madrigal sisters from Encanto. Sorry, no Bruno.

Alicea 4:18

No Teo Bruno.

Nathan 4:20

No.

Alicea 4:20

That's cool. All three sisters are there. Yeah. Like I've seen Mirabelle before in the parks. I haven't met her. But I haven't seen Isabella or Luisa.

Disneyland 70 Years Of Favorites

Nathan 4:30

Yeah. That'd be really cool. They are all three there. Yeah. So this, yeah, there was nine of these nights this year, uh, running from January 2nd, excuse me, January 22nd through February 17th. Ironically, not on Valentine's Day. And just so you are understanding, the actual event runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. That is the actual hard-ticketed event. The the park closes, I think, for guests. Eight probably. At eight. Yeah. It's usually an hour. And so you can get in at as early as 6 p.m. with your hard-ticketed event. So you can have some overlap with regular day guests. And then between 8 and 9, they are slowly funneling all the people who don't have this hard-ticketed event out of the park. And then it is free range after 9 o'clock at night.

Alicea 5:23

If you don't have your wristband for this event, you got to get out.

Nathan 5:27

Exactly. So that is how this works. All of these, you get a wristband to make sure that uh they don't throw you out of the park or gently usher you out of the park.

Alicea 5:36

Gently usher you. Yes. New this year is 70 years of favorites. This is celebrating Disneyland's 70th anniversary. The tagline for this one is rewind the clock to experience fan favorite Disneyland offerings from the past seven decades. There are only two of these. They were March 3rd and 5th.

Nathan 5:59

Mm-hmm. Same deal. These are from 9 to 1 a.m. Well, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Park entry at 6, 159 per person. And then again, these have already happened. So now, yes, this is new this year. I'm guessing they had some of these last year. I don't expect this one to come back next year. They will replace because it won't be the 70th anymore. Uh so maybe there'll be something else. Just keep an eye on the parks page as uh that stuff starts getting announced later this year in 2026. They'll start announcing what's coming for 2027.

Alicea 6:30

So this had the Videoopolis dance party at Tomorrowland Terrace. This is where they do dance parties. This is over at Tomorrowland Terrace, and it's it's a lot of fun. Yeah. Be immersed in the neon nostalgia of the 80s with a throwback dance party featuring a live DJ, nonstop 80s hits, and iconic retro decor. And hopefully some iconic retro costuming for some of the characters. I don't know.

Nathan 6:55

That would I'm sure. Yeah. I'm sure. Uh there's line dancing at the Golden Horseshoe. There's a toe-tapping tribute to Woody's Roundup in Frontierland's most iconic venue where music characters and Western fun come together in a rootin' tootin' good time.

Alicea 7:11

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Characters, Mickey and pals, of course. Princesses and some long-lost friends from the Disney afternoon. Mother and father from the carousel of progress. Getting some sassarella.

Nathan 7:26

Yes.

Alicea 7:27

Merlin from Sword and the Stone. Oh my gosh, I need to meet Merlin again.

Nathan 7:30

He needs to dance. Have you seen those clips of him in parade? Wow.

Alicea 7:34

With his bright fuchsia pink uh boxers, yeah. Yes. Flickin Atta from a Bug's Life and the Phantasmic Monkeys. This, of course, has a keepsake gift, special photo backdrops, photo pass during the vent, and of course, merchandise.

Speaker 1 7:48

Merch.

Disney Channel Night Highlights

Alicea 7:49

It sounds like, just reading through this, they had like an 80s night. Yeah. If I remember correctly, last year. It sounds like maybe they tweaked this one a little bit and added a couple of other things to make it the 70 Years of Favorites.

Nathan 8:07

I like that. Yeah, maybe it'll be 80s night next year when this comes back around. Yeah, okay. Fair enough. Fair enough. Next up, we have Disney Channel Night. Celebrate iconic Disney childhood shows and characters. There are three evenings for this event. They are April 12th, 14th, and 16th. Uh, these also run from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with park entry at 6, and they run from $1.59 per person, and they are still available. Tickets are still available as of this recording.

Alicea 8:40

This has a high school musical zombies pep rally, which is a mashup of the two shows. Um the high school musical kids are not zombies. I know this because we think you think you have not seen you don't watch this stuff with your kiddos. Nope, I don't. Um, although I haven't seen zombies, I've seen high school musical and descendants.

Nathan 9:05

Hmm. Yeah. So there's a chance.

Alicea 9:08

Um, I don't think so. I've seen all the high school musicals. Fair enough. And then there is Descendance near Rivers of America. So this is not at Tomorrowland Terrace. This is over at the Rivers of America. This is join the VK dancers from the Isle of the Lost. VK means villains kids, by the way. From the Isle of the Lost as they show off their wicked moves. Because I know you didn't know that, Nathan, did you?

Nathan 9:34

I mean, this is from the Descendants. And it's a dance party called Descend Dance. No, I had no idea what VK stood for.

Alicea 9:44

Near a small world Disney Channel Rocks. It's a rock concert stage show featuring songs from popular Disney Channel shows and movies.

Nathan 9:53

And then there's the Camp Rock sing-along at the Golden Horseshoe. This feels pretty self-explanatory to me.

Alicea 10:02

Characters. Yes. Characters from favorites, including DuckTales, Goof Troop, Kim Possible, Lilo and Stitch, The Proud Family, which is new this year, and Tailspin.

Nathan 10:14

Tailspin. Yeah. Good times. Of course, you get a keepsake gift. There are special photo backdrops. There is free photo pass during the event. And of course, merch.

Alicea 10:27

And of course, merch. This is the one that we have a chance to go do because we are going to be down there. But timing still, there's so much going on.

Nathan 10:39

There's so much going on. And this one doesn't really feel compelling to me. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

Alicea 10:46

Well, it's all the characters, I think, sound interesting. But we are not dancers. No. Especially in our current state. Yes. And a lot of this is featured uh seems featuring dance type stuff. So Sterling would have a blast. It would. Sterling didn't watch any of these, so No.

Star Wars Night Deep Dive

Nathan 11:06

Very true. Very true. All right, something that we are very much into. Let's talk about Star Wars night. Set your controls to hyperspace, is what they say, and experience the ultimate Star Wars extravaganza packed with galactic fun, epic photo ops, and specialty entertainment. There are four of these events on April 28th, 30th, May 4th, and May 6th. These are $179 per person and are on sale now. Guessing May 4th is sold out. I could be wrong. I was just going to say these typically go quickly. I wrote these notes a few weeks ago. We've had some schedule shuffle going on. I would imagine that one or more of these nights are sold out, but if you want to go, you should go and get on this. But they're a little bit more expensive. These start at 179. There is a lightsaber instructional. This is uh a demonstration of lightsaber skills and learn from elite instructors. Yeah, that's cool. This sounds like the uh the Jedi training camp that they used to do for kids, but for adults, which sounds fun to me.

Alicea 12:23

The whole learn from elite instructors. I'm hoping this is like somebody who really knows how to wield a lightsaber and do like the trick shot, not shots, but the the tricks and everything like that. Yeah. That'd be neat. There's also the march of the first order featuring Captain Phasma. Oh.

unknown 12:41

Yeah.

Alicea 12:42

Must have taken a while to march all the way from Orlando to Anna.

Nathan 12:45

Jeez. Well, that's why we haven't seen her in so long.

Alicea 12:49

I I liked this. I liked when they had this at Hollywood Studios. I did too. I missed that.

Nathan 12:54

It was really cool. I missed that.

Alicea 12:55

Oh my goodness. The Cantina band is floating down the rivers of America.

Nathan 13:02

Sign me up. Yeah, that sounds fantastic. There is the Fleet of Fandom cosplay showcase on Main Street. This sounds fun. And you know for Star Wars Night, there's going to be some elite cosplay going on.

Alicea 13:16

Oh, yes. Definitely, definitely. You can choose your path. There are places where you can scan QR codes throughout the park to show your allegiance to either the light or the dark side of the force. There are hourly tallies announced by the Galactic DJ in the hub.

Nathan 13:33

Wow. Yeah. Um interesting. Let's talk characters. Let's. We have the Mandalorian and Grogu hawking their movie that opens a few weeks later, no doubt. Boba Fett will be there. Emperor Palpatine has somehow returned. Um Darth Maul. He's half the man he used to be. Actually, there's the Darth Maul. Like, there's somebody who like cosplays as Darth Maul and does like all the wicked lightsaber stuff that I've seen online. That's the one that I want to see doing the uh lightsaber instructional. That would be cool. That'd be amazing.

Alicea 14:12

You've also got Fennex Shand, Queen Amadala, R2D2, C3PO, Hera and Chopper. Oh my God, I want to see Chopper so bad. Jawas, hide your iPhones and smartwatches because they will go after them. And Ewoks, make sure you get consent before hugging.

Nathan 14:31

Consent's important, y'all. Yes, very much so. And of course, there's a keepsake gift, special photo backdrops, photo pass during the event, and of course, merch.

Alicea 14:42

And of course, merch. And I just want to chime something in here. Yeah. Because you said consent is important. Especially at events like this where there are people dressed up in cosplay, always ask before you take their picture.

Nathan 14:55

That's fantastic advice.

Alicea 14:56

Yep.

Nathan 14:57

Yep.

Pride Night And Oogie Boogie Bash Teasers

Alicea 14:58

Next up we have Pride Night. This is June 16th and 18th. Experience a joyous event celebrating the diversity that makes us unique. They do not have um Take Us on Sale yet and information about this other than more details coming soon.

Nathan 15:14

I mean, we know when it's gonna be. It's gonna be June 16 and 18. Yep. I don't know anything other than that. It hasn't been announced. Similarly, we know that the Oogie Boogie Bash will be returning to Disney's California Adventure. This is also a hard-ticketed event. Uh details have yet to be announced there either. Um, we we do know that there will be a VIP tour that includes event emission uh for Oogie Boogie, uh, and that it will run select nights from August 18th through October 31st. These are Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays of each week plus the Saturday of Halloween. But that's all we know at this point. Disneyland runs on a much shorter timeline in terms of announcing things to when they go on sale and when they actually happen than Disney World does. Disney World is usually on a year to 15 month calendar of announcing stuff. So it's just different in California. We don't have those uh details yet, but stay tuned to uh a Disney website near you.

Alicea 16:21

There's not an after hours party for Christmas at Disneyland like there is in Disney World in Orlando.

Nathan 16:27

True. That is a difference to keep in mind. But speaking of Orlando, let's look at the hard-ticketed events in Florida for 2026. These are called Disney after hours, whereas they're Disney after dark in Disneyland. The after hours events are less themed and happen in a given park on select nights through September. Not everything is open. These are more geared towards knocking out rides and enjoying vibes, including character interactions, with reduced crowd levels for night owls. Tickets for all dates went on sale in October of 2025. And just like we were talking about, remember, Walt Disney World is less of a locals park, so they lean into people planning far ahead for their trips, much more so than Anaheim does.

Alicea 17:15

And we have been to a couple of these over the years. All right. Magic Kingdom's after hours events. They run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. And you can get in a little earlier with your hard ticket there. Uh park entries at 7 p.m. There are different dates through July 27th for this. Uh the rides that are open are Tron, Space Mountain, Seven Dwarves, Mind Train, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan's Flight, Little Mermaid, Mad Tea Party. No Tianas and No Pirates.

Magic Kingdom After Hours Tips

Nathan 17:52

And of course, you can always get Mickey ice cream bars, popcorn, and bottled water. These are all complimentary at carts throughout the park. There won't be a ton of restaurants open, just so you know. Don't think you can go to one of these events and get a meal. We made that mistake once and we will not make it again. Yeah.

Alicea 18:10

And because this starts later, it's at 10 o'clock.

Nathan 18:13

Right.

Alicea 18:13

Yeah. If you want dinner, I would recommend making a reservation for around 7.15 or so. Yeah. And going in early with your park entry.

Nathan 18:22

I think we had tried to do one of these or we did one of these on a travel day. So we really weren't able to get into the parks until, you know, 7 or 7.30 after we dropped stuff off at the hotel and got over there. And we figured we'd just find a restaurant to have uh dinner at and we're kind of stonewalled and that that didn't work.

Alicea 18:43

Now, sometimes they do have some of the restaurants available, but you need to book them ahead of time.

Nathan 18:50

Right, right, right.

Alicea 18:51

And it is an additional cost. Correct.

Hollywood Studios After Hours Rides And Dining

Nathan 18:53

Correct. Hollywood Studios has their after hours events. They're typically from 9 30 to 12:30 with park entry at 7. Uh these dates run through September 12th of 2026. Uh, just note there are special fluctuating times on May 30th and September 12th. Uh, just check the website for details. Basically, uh, it's just shifting those time slots either ahead or back by half an hour. The rides that are open in Hollywood studios include Rise of the Resistance, Smugglers Run, Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Uh, there are outdoor bar locations that will be open, plus Oga's Cantina, which is awesome. Also, KRR, the rock station, which is uh over by the uh the rock and roller coaster, that little stand there, that will be opened, as well as the milk stand and Woody's lunchbox. So you do have some more food options here in Hollywood Studios than you do in Magic Kingdom. And of course, there's complimentary ice cream, popcorn, and bottled water at carts throughout the park.

Alicea 20:09

The prices for Hollywood Studios start at $155.

Nathan 20:14

Got it.

Alicea 20:14

For Magic Kingdom, prices start at $175.

Nathan 20:19

Wow. All right. Little uh little more expensive there. Well, how much is it at Epcot? Epcot, it is $155. Okay. Well, a little cheaper.

Alicea 20:28

From starting from. Right. Right. Of course. Of course. Epcot runs from 9 30 p.m. to 12 30 a.m. and park entry is at 7 p.m. They have dates running through September 24th. For the rides that are open, we've got Cosmic Rewind, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, Test Track, Frozen, Soren, The Grand Fiesta Tour, Living with the Land, which is amazing at dark, Mission Space, Spas. Spas. The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Spaceship Earth.

EPCOT After Hours Attractions And Characters

Nathan 21:03

You have uh some characters out and about. You have Mickey at the Dreamer Statue. Oh, that's cool. Goofy at the DJ Dance Party and Communicore Plaza, and Minnie is over in France at the Gazebo. Ooh, that's cool. There are various kiosks open around World Showcase for some Nosh, some food, as well as the Rosen Crown and the Norway Bakery and Cafe. All of those will be opened. Plus, of course, complimentary ice cream bars, popcorn, and bottled water at carts across the park.

Alicea 21:37

And for Animal Kingdom?

Nathan 21:40

No. The animals want their sleep. Go away. Okay. No, no after hours events. No. No.

Alicea 21:47

Let's, of course, talk about the big guns that Disney World brings to the Magic Kingdom to their after-hours event roundup. We've got Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. We believe they're happening, but the House of Mouse has not released any specifics yet.

Nathan 22:05

Indeed. So this is kind of the one, the one thing that that Disney World hasn't announced on the specifics. Now, these happen every year. It's not like they're not gonna happen. Uh this past year in 2025, not so scary, ran on select nights from August 15th through October 31st. The event runs from 7 p.m. to midnight, with park entry at 4 p.m. there in the Magic Kingdom. The party featured Mickey's Boo to You Halloween parade, the Hocus Pocus villain spectacular Castle Stage show. Spelltacular. Spelltackler, excuse me. And Disney's not so spooky spectacular fireworks projection show. All of the consonants in there, plus trick-or-treat stations, characters, photos, dance party, and a whole lot of fun. That parade is a banger.

Alicea 22:59

I love the Bootyou parade. Yes. Very merry, followed up with all the Christmas fun that you could shake a stick at in the Magic Kingdom. This was on select nights from November 7th through December 21st in 2025. And like not so scary, 2026 specifics have not been announced yet, but we expect favorites to return, like Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade, which I love that parade too, Mickey's Most Merriest Celebration Castle Stage Show, and Minnie's wonderful Christmas time fireworks.

Speaker 2 23:31

All of the things.

Final Advice, Disclaimers, And Listener CTA

Nathan 23:51

Now they love to do like a halfway to Halloween in a halfway to Christmas or halfway to the holidays event, uh, kind of in the middle of the year. So I would expect that we will probably see Halloween details come out in March at some point. And probably in April we'll see April and May we'll see more details about uh Christmas coming out. So uh just stay tuned. Uh they they won't forget to make money. Yeah. Lastly, we also know that Jollywood nights at Hollywood Studios will also return in 2026, though likewise the details have not yet been announced. This is a fun event aimed more at adults, though still kid friendly, that ran on select nights from November 8th through December 22nd last year in 2025. The uh event runs from 7:30 to 12:30 and is a fun dress to impress evening that features stage shows like Disney's Holidays in Hollywood, featuring Kermit and Miss Piggy. That was a fantastic show. Yes. What's this? A nightmare before Christmas sing along, also amazing. And live music and dancing at the Tip Top Club next to the Hollywood Tower Hotel, aka the Tower of Terror. There's also a skating show in front of the Chinese theater, and a special reservations required jazz-infused dining experience at the Brown Derby. And of course, there's a nighttime sky show, lots of amazing character meet and greets, and of course, merch.

Alicea 25:30

Yes. We have been to this and we loved it.

Nathan 25:33

Yes, we'll go again.

Alicea 25:34

We've been to all of the ones at Disney World. We've done Micke Mickey's Not So Scary, we've done Very Merry and Jollywood. Yep. They're they're all very good.

Nathan 25:43

And if you've listened to this show enough, you've heard me almost say Mickey's Not So Scary Christmas Parade or Christmas party. So it's just they are not so merry. Not so merry. Oh no. Oh no.

Alicea 25:56

It is worth mentioning that during Not So Scary, Very Merry, and Jollywood nights, there are many rides open, but not everything. Make sure you check out Disney's website to see what was open in 2025. And although that won't do you too much good in 2026 because that might change, if you are wanting to go to one of these, make sure you do check the website to see what rides will be open when they announce it in the coming months.

Nathan 26:19

Indeed. Well, that's about it. There is a lot going on after dark at the domestic Disney parks from Disneyland's themed soirees like Romantic Sweethearts Night and nostalgia-filled 70 Years Favorites, high-energy Disney Channel night, and the ever-epic Star Wars night to the promise of Pride Night and Oogie Boogie Bash later in the year. There's truly something for every kind of fan on the West Coast.

Alicea 26:47

And over at Disney World, the focus shifts to crowd-free ride marathons and nighttime vibes across Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. Each offers its own flavor of late-night fun. We also looked ahead at the big-ticket seasonal staples like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and the returning Jollywood nights. Events that continue to elevate the Disney nighttime experience year after year.

Nathan 27:13

Whether you're chasing rare characters, stunning shows, or simply shorter lines, the after hours lineup in 2026 is packed with reasons to stay out late and soak up the magic.

Alicea 27:26

Yes, indeed.

Nathan 27:28

Now, of course, remember we are not affiliated with Disney or their subsidiaries. These are just our thoughts and opinions based on what has happened in the past, what we've seen, and what has been published on Disney's website. Just remember though, we are affiliated with fun, snacks, and questionable decisions.

Alicea 27:45

As always.

Nathan 27:45

As always.

Alicea 27:47

We recommend working with a travel agent or contacting Disney directly to plan your perfect vacation and maybe to take advantage of some of these after hours events.

Nathan 27:56

Absolutely. If you have questions or suggestions or would like to be interviewed on our show to share your Disney experience, please send an email to podcast at our mousecapades.com.

Alicea 28:07

If you love this episode, please give us a rating and review. It really helps other Disney fans find us, and it's just a nice thing to do. Yeah.

Nathan 28:16

You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and threads at OurMousCapades. You can find us over on YouTube as well. Please share us with your friends and family and that one coworker who still thinks FastPass is a thing.

Alicea 28:30

Thank you for listening. We will be in your ears next week.

Speaker 2 28:33

Thank you for flying Star Tours. Bye bye.