Disney Villains Unite The Night: A Wickedly Magical Party

Over the last year or so, Walt Disney World has welcomed even more nighttime activities and special ticketed events.  These events have become a magical way for Guests to enjoy a few extra hours in the parks with smaller crowds, unique treats and pixie dusted opportunities.  This summer, they tried something a little different.  They adjusted the magic a bit and brought some Disney characters out who typically don’t visit until later in the year.  Instead of waiting until the fall to let the Disney Villains come out and play, Disney Parks decided to let them enjoy a few extra evenings of roaming around Magic Kingdom this summer.   That way Guests who are huge Disney Villain fans can experience a little Disney mischief and wickedly fun pixie dust during their summer vacation.

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I was invited as the guest of Jennifer Hay from My Boys and Their Toys, who was invited as media to opening night of Disney Villains After Hours at Magic Kingdom.  All opinions in this post, however, are 100% mine and alone.  This post does contain affiliate links.  Please see my Disclosure policy for more information.

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Disney Villains After Hours Event

The Disney After Hour events are a blast!  Whether it’s an event for Disney Vacation Club members, Annual Passholders or a special event that anyone who purchases a ticket can attend, there is always something magical about these parties.  For the summer of 2019, Disney Parks decided to let some of the Disney Villains come out to entertain guests during a few extra hours on select nights between June and August.

I had the pleasure of attending the very first night of this diabolical shindig as a guest of my friend, Jennifer.  To be honest, while I’ve attended a few After Hours events over the course of the last year or so, this one was extra fun.  Why?  Because, as part of the media group, we were sent on a scavenger hunt!!  This was THE perfect way to get us acquainted with what is happening all around the park while the party was in full swing.

What Did We Find During Disney’s Villains After Hours?

We Found Snacks!

Oh, my ~ we found some wickedly good looking snacks, too!  Some of these snacks were even FREE!  During the Villains After Hours event, Guests have the opportunity to snack all night long on some of the favorite Disney novelties.  Jen and I munched on complimentary Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars, while many of our friends enjoyed complimentary Mickey Ice Cream Sandwiches, strawberry fruit bars and popcorn!

Thirsty?  Definitely do not forget to hydrate!!  If you find yourself a little parched, you can grab a free Dasani water or a bottle of a Coca-Cola brand soda anywhere the free snacks were located.

Along with the freebies, there were also some very unique treats to find and purchase in select locations around the park.  Now, you’ve been warned.  These are going to tempt you in every way possible as you read their descriptions.  These are treats that cannot be found in the park during normal business hours.  Nope ~  we are talking themed snacks that you can only find during the very few hours the party is in session.

For the Disney Villains’ After Hours, be sure to check out these locations for these vile treats:

Cool Ship

• Evil Emperor Zurg’s Noodles: Chilled noodle salad with snap peas, red onion and sweet garlic chili sauce.
• Yzma’s Llama Potion: Dry ice-infused vessel filled with Strawberry Fanta.

Main Street Bakery

• Not-So-Poison Apple Cupcakes: A spiced “apple” cupcake with pecan crunch and buttercream.

Casey’s Corner

• De Vil’s Treat: A brownie topped with black and white icing.

Storybook Treats

• Maleficent Cone: Lime soft-serve topped with chocolate horns and purple sprinkles, served in a black waffle cone.
• Dragon’s Breath Float: Lemon soft-serve and sprite, topped with a green cherry and cherry-flavored syrup.

Sleepy Hollow

• A Drink from The Other Side: A non-alcoholic Hurricane-like drink, themed after one of the most popular drinks in New Orleans.
• Dr. Facilier’s Tarot Card Tart: A chocolate tart filled with dark chocolate ganache, topped with peanut butter mousse and a white chocolate tarot card (obviously not for those with a peanut allergy).

Tortuga Tavern

• Hades Nachos: Black bean nacho chips with “fiery” buffalo chicken and nacho cheese (my boys would love this!).
• Hades Temptation: Purple frozen mocktail “Cosmo” with lemonade, violet monin syrup and a gummy worm.

Liberty Square

• Headless Horseman Browkie (Liberty Square Popcorn Cart): A half-chocolate chip cookie / half-brownie topped with a chocolate piece featuring the Headless Horseman.

Which of the above is on YOUR “must-try” list?????

We Found Magic Shots!

Many who have visited Walt Disney World know that magic shots have become a much-sought-after item.  What is a Magic Shot, T?  It’s when you have a Disney PhotoPass Photographer snap a memory of you and your crew in a designated PhotoPass location and, when it shows up in your MyDisneyExperience account, you just happen to find one of our favorite Disney characters in the photo with you.

During the After Hours parties, there are more unique magic shots offered and, at Villains After Hours, there are FOUR opportunities to seek out!

Where are they? 

• In Tomorrowland, you may find Oogie Boogie in your photo
• Over in Adventureland, Guests may find Scar photobombing their shot
• Over by the Mickey & Walt Disney Statue, Hades may pop up into one of your photos
• And in Liberty Square, Maleficent may very well be waiting to upstage your photo memory.

T’S TIP ~ BONUS PHOTO OP!!!  ~While there are many places around the park to snap a memorable photo, there are three walls around the Kingdom that are designed for wickedly good selfies!!   These walls can be found in Tomorrowland by Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, in New Fantasyland near Ariel’s Grotto and at the Purple Wall near Tomorrowland Terrace!

We Found Attractions With Shorter Lines!

Ah, this is one of the best parts of these After Hours parties!  For at least three hours, the crowds roaming the park are smaller and there is more of a chance to ride your favorite attraction.  At least 20 of the classic attractions are open during the event.  Now ~ while you may enjoy The Haunted Mansion or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you may want to make sure to check out two of the Magic Kingdom attractions that have villainous overlays.  It’s a great way to make the experience just a little more vile and diabolical.  So, which ones are they?  You need to make your way over to ride both:

• Space Mountain
• Pirates of the Caribbean

Whether you find a Cast Member telling you a tale or hear a little more thematic music during your ride, the experience becomes a villainous adventure you won’t soon forget.

We Found Face Painting!!

I haven’t had my face painted since I was a child!!!  It was NOT something my mother let us do often ~ primarily because my skin was so sensitive when I was younger.  So, I guess I can understand.  However, now that I get to make the choices….(hee, hee), I couldn’t pass up this opportunity!  They had a guide for ideas available, but the artists were also very skilled at coming up with something creative and unique depending upon what character Guests may have been Disney-bounding as.

Not sure what Disney-bounding is?  Check out my friends’ Sami’s post, AND Audrey’s post!!  You don’t want to skip any of them!

Jen and I both jumped in and had the same Cast Member make-up artist design something unique for each of us.  Jen had something designed on her hand, while I went for the face.  What do you think?  Can you tell who I am Disney-bounding as?  (Pssst – I never said I was good at Disney-bounding!)

We Found The Villains Unite The Night Stage Show and Fireworks Display

One of the two highlights of the night is a 20 minute show taking place in front of Cinderella Castle.  The all-new presentation features some of the big wigs on the Disney Villain roster, including Hades, Meg, The Queen, Dr. Facilier, Maleficent and Jafar.  The castle lights up beautifully with purples, blues, greens and yellows as we listen in on each of their diabolical plans to rule the universe.

The show is hilarious and will entrance you from beginning to end.  The music is amazing and the digital show on the Castle is spectacular, not to mention the fireworks display of course.  The show takes place three times a night and will ignite the inner villain in all of you.

We Found Maleficent Roaming the Grounds!

Of course, the main attraction of the night is when Maleficent roams the park in dragon form!  Three times a night, she is led by her creepy team of dastardly evil minions and creeps past Guests, breathing fire every so often.  It’s beautiful, it’s powerful and it’s fun to see her control the night.  Be sure to check the times and her route in the party guide because her final farewell as Guests are leaving the park takes a different route.

Speaking of the event guide ~ Be sure to pick up one of the gorgeous event guides on your way into the party.  This will be a tremendous help to you throughout the night!

We Found Merchandise!!

What would a Disney event be without specialized merchandise, right?  Everybody wants something to take home with them to commemorate the unique evening.  From t-shirts to phone cases, your favorite Disney villain is waiting on some form of memento for you to pick up at a variety of locations throughout the park.

I was a huge fan of the tervis and t-shirts and had the opportunity (thanks to Jen) to take home a hat from the event.  If I get to go again, I’m definitely getting a t-shirt!!!!

T’s PRO-TIP: Starting June 27th, annual passholders can stop by Mickey’s Star Traders and pick up a FREE Hades ornament (while supplies last).   Just be sure to have your photo I.D. ready along with your valid annual pass and your Disney Villains After Hours event wristband.

So, Let’s Talk Ticket Prices and Dates

Disney Villains After Hours is a special hard ticket event.  That means that it is not included with a regular day of park admission.  It is a separate event that requires a separate ticket.  Tickets for this particular party cost $139 plus tax in advance, and $144 plus tax on the event night. However, if you just happen to be an Annual Passholder or a Disney Vacation Club Member, there is a $30 discount granted on event admission (that’s a nice benefit).

Now, is it worth the cost?  I think so, but it does depend upon you and your habits.  If you think about it, regular park admission costs over $100 now as it is ~ but that doesn’t include ANY food and you may not get to ride all the attractions you had hoped (unless you plan it right, but that’s another post I need to write).  The party itself is held between 10 PM and 1 AM, but they allow those attending the party to enter as early as 7 PM.  That gives you a total of six hours to enjoy the park ~ LOW CROWDS!  Not to mention, Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars cost over $5 a piece now, so add up the number of snacks you may enjoy (FOR FREE) and it starts to make sense.

So – LOW CROWDS, FREE SELECT SNACKS AND SELECT BEVERAGES, unique entertainment experiences and the opportunity to purchase fun mementos.  Hmmm…..

What say you?

T’s PRO-TIP: If you are here on vacation, try not to spend the day AT Magic Kingdom if you are attending Disney Villains After Hours.  Use that day to either visit another park or, better yet, wake up a little later, enjoy your Resort, walk Disney Springs or just relax!  It makes more financial sense to NOT spend the day at Magic Kingdom if you’re going to spend all night there.  Rest up and be ready to enter the park at 7 PM so you can enjoy six hours of more attraction accessibility and ice cream.

So what nights does the party take place this summer???

If you are local or in town when any of these events are taking place, consider stopping by for some magical mischief.

• Thursday, June 13, 20, 27 (2019)
• Monday, July 1, (2019)
• Thursday, July 11, 18, 25 (2019)
• Thursday, August 1, 8 (2019)

You can purchase tickets on-line or at the park, but do remember what I said about the price of tickets.  They do go up if you purchase them the day of the event you plan to attend.  Purchasing them early is highly recommended.

My personal thoughts about Disney Villains After Hours

Point blank, I had an amazing time.  I was with friends and experienced something unique.

I mean, some may think that’s skewed because, while there with media, the cost aspect wasn’t as much of a factor.  However, my honest thoughts about the event were that I REALLY enjoyed the stage show, the dance party in the Hub, watching Maleficent breathe fire at night (what a video that provided!!) and munching on ice cream novelties to my devilish heart’s content.  I was able to hydrate at will with water or soda and enjoy the attractions with very little wait time at all.  While I didn’t partake in them personally, the themed snacks looked amazing and I’m kicking myself for not trying at least one of them while there .  The merchandise is downright wicked (I soooo love the look!!!) and, while I didn’t snap a magic shot, I’ve seen some of them and they are awesome!

Now, it’s your turn.  Does this ominous After Hours party sound like something you would love to attend?   If so, be sure to plan quickly!  The summer is going by fast and, before you know it, the Villains will be taking a break before the next seasonal event kicks into gear.

OH – BUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE PARK!!!

On your way out of the park, be sure to give yourselves a few extra minutes to stop by the train station and look up!  You may find an extra special farewell waiting for you.

Huge thanks to Jen from My Boys and Their Toys for giving me the opportunity to be her guest and scavenger hunt buddy for the evening!

For more information on Disney Villains After Hours, check out the Disney Parks Blog or the Walt Disney World website!!

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DISNEY VILLAIN FAN?  CHECK OUT THESE DISNEY VILLAIN AMAZON PICKS!

 

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