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Disneyland After Dark 2020. See which Disneyland After Dark events to attend in 2020 including Sweethearts’ Nite, 80s Nite, PIXAR Nite, Villains Nite and Star Wars.
Disneyland After Dark was reintroduced in early 2018 and has held events in 2019 and now 2020. These limited time, special ticketed events sell out quickly. Read up on the details for these limited time events and how to create your own throw-back night on any night at Disneyland. All current special event ticket offers can be found here.
Disneyland After Dark Tickets
Regular park admission does not grant you access to after hours events. If you are visiting Disneyland Resort on a “Disneyland After Dark” event day, the selected “after dark” park will close at 8 pm or 9 pm, check the daily schedule for specific details up to 6 weeks in advance.
Each Disneyland After Dark evening will feature a new theme and goes from 8:00 or 9:00 pm until 1:00am and requires a special ticket beginning at $109 per person. Ticket details for Disneyland After Dark are available here. If you’re looking to enjoy Disneyland after the sun sets on other evenings, be sure to get your Disneyland tickets at a discounted price here.
Disneyland After Dark Official Events
“Come dressed in your best to enjoy the Happiest Place on Earth under a million twinkling lights, swinging to the tune of the bands and enjoying your favorite rides in the cool moonlight ‘till the clock strikes 1 a.m.!” –Disney Parks Blog
Each Disneyland After Dark evening will feature a new theme and goes from 8:00 or 9:00pm (with earlier mix-in hours) until 1:00am and requires a special ticket. Regular park admission does not grant you access to this after hours event.
Your ticket to Disneyland After Dark (starting at $109 per person) includes:
- Access to Disneyland or California Adventure Park with limited admission tickets sold (i.e. smaller crowds)
- Admission to hosting park beginning 2-3 hours before official event start time
- Park at Mickey & Friends or Pixar Pals (additional fee)
- After-hours attractions (varies according to event date and schedule)
- Character meet and greets
- Live music and dancing at various locations
- Specialty throw-back food and drinks
- Tribute after dark shows like fireworks and World of Color (certain events only)
- Complimentary keepsake upon entry
- Free PhotoPass downloads during the event
Remember, event attire is encouraged to create an authentic themed vibe at Disneyland After Dark.
Disneyland After Dark: 80s Nite
January 29, 2020 at Disneyland Park. Get ready to bust a move with all the neon, big hair and a quintessential 80s experience.
Disney Parks Blog shares the details, including a unique fireworks experience:
- “Flashback To Videopolis!” takeover of the Fantasyland Theatre with a live VJ, music videos and dancers boogieing to the decade’s hottest hits.
- “Awesome After Dark – Fireworks To The Max!” fireworks show, high-energy musical entertainment and more.
- “Throwback”-style encounters with Disney friends of yesteryear.
- Immersive photo opportunities with a nostalgic twist.
- Decade-inspired décor, food, beverages and merchandise offerings.
- Access to Disneyland park starting at 6 p.m.
Read all the details on 80s night at Disneyland here.
Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite
Returning from 2019, Sweethearts night at Disneyland runs two nights in a row! February 12 & 13, 2020.
I’ve already detailed how to make the perfect date night at Disneyland here, but if you’re attending this after-hours event, here’s what’s going down. Disney Parks Blog reports:
- Love song-themed dance parties throughout the park, as well as a glitzy royal ball.
- Encounters with darling Disney couples, including Cinderella and Prince Charming, Aladdin and Jasmine, and of course, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
- Romantic photo opportunities featuring sweet scenes from iconic Disney films.
- Lovely décor, food, beverages and merchandise offerings.
- Access to Disneyland park starting at 6 p.m.
Disneyland After Dark: Pixar Nite
March 5, 2020 at California Adventure Park. This themed event doesn’t push the envelope too much, it seems keeping open existing Pixar attractions open later and charging an after-hours fee. Add in a few Pixar dance parties and backdrops, and call it a night.
Disney Parks Blog adds:
- Interactive dance parties themed to favorite Pixar stories, including the retro-cool Incredibles family and scare-tastic gang from Monsters, Inc.
- Encounters with crowd-pleasing Pixar pals, including Russel and Carl from “Up” and Joy and Sadness from “Inside Out.”
- Playfully fun photo opportunities.
- Whimsical décor, food, beverages and merchandise offerings.
- Access to Disney California Adventure park starting at 5 p.m.
Get tickets and more details on Pixar Nite here.
Disneyland After Dark: Villains Nite
April 30, 2020 at California Adventure Park. Missed Oogie Boogie Bash or can’t wait for it to return? Villains come alive again in April in this spooky after dark event.
Michael Ramirez of Disney Parks Blog includes these details:
- Villains Cabaret with a cast of outlaws singing and dancing their way through a riff-raff-lovin’ revue.
- Spellbinding DJ-hosted dance parties and sing-alongs throughout the park.
- Encounters with some of Disney’s famously nefarious fiends or their henchmen!
- Photo opportunities themed to popular villain lairs and thrones.
- Dastardly décor, food, beverages and merchandise offerings.
- Access to Disney California Adventure park starting at 6 p.m.
Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite
Star Wars has made a huge impact on Disneyland Resort since the opening of Galaxy’s Edge in 2019. This year, Star Wars fans from around the globe will be in attendance at Star Wars Celebrate (a sold out event at the Anaheim Convention Center) . . . what better way to extend the fun with an After Dark event that anyone can attend?
Star Wars Nite is August 27, 2020 at Disneyland Park. See ticket information here. Remember this is separate ticketed event and will include:
- Access to Disneyland park beginning at 6 p.m. when you’ll mix-in with the regular guests (don’t worry, they’ll have to leave by the official start time)
- Star Wars entertainment including a special Star Wars-themed fireworks show.
- Enjoy dance parties (do Stormtroopers dance?)
- Star Wars character meet and greets and photo opps (with free photo downloads!)
- Themed decor, food and drinks
Read up on how to experience all the Star Wars rides, shopping, food and more at Disneyland Resort here.
Disneyland After Dark: Heroes Assemble
This event concluded in 2019.
This is the first After Dark event hosting at California Adventure on April 30 and May 1, and a super hero theme is exactly on point. Since California Adventure will soon be home to an all new super hero themed land, this makes complete sense.
I love this idea of celebrating all things super at California Adventure. Here’s what’s included during this event:
- Disneyland After Dark: Heroes Assemble tickets available at $109 and up.
- You may arrive as early as 6:00 pm, but the official event runs from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am.
- Super Heroes of all ages may dress as their favorite character, but please check costume guidelines before your arrival.
- Park at Mickey & Friends (additional fee).
- Iconic attractions will be open to enjoy including Guardians of the Galaxy.
- Popular super hero character meet and greets.
- Supreme Scavenger Hunt where you can “search for hidden artifacts throughout the park, solve the puzzle and help save mankind from complete chaos!”
- Super Hero dance party
- Food and drinks themed to the event.
- Free PhotoPass downloads during the event with exclusive photo ops.
More details here for your Heroes Assemble after dark event.
Disneyland After Dark: 90s Nite
This event concluded in 2019.
Disneyland After Dark 90s Nite March 7, 2019 at Disneyland Park, complete with a fanny pack. If that didn’t convince you, I don’t know what will. Here’s what to expect at this after dark throwback 90s nite:
- Disneyland After Dark 90s Nite tickets available at $99 and up.
- You may arrive as early as 6:00 pm, but the official event runs from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am.
- Dress in your 90s best like “grunge with flannel or enhance any outfit by adding slap bracelets, scrunchies and other quintessential accessories.”
- Park at Mickey & Friends (additional fee).
- Iconic attractions will be open to enjoy
- Rare character meet and greets, “including some from The Disney Afternoon as well as 90s feature films—during the ultimate blast from the past.”
- Y2K jams to help you bust a move all night long.
- 90s inspired food and drinks.
- After hours fireworks and dance party display.
- Complimentary keepsake upon entry.
- Free PhotoPass downloads during the event with exclusive photo ops.
Disneyland After Dark: Throwback Nite
This event concluded in 2018.
The first in the Disneyland After Dark special event series is “Throwback Nite” on January 18, 2018. Here’s what’s going down:
- Tickets available at $95 and up, if you plan to arrive before the event, you’ll need a regular park ticket as well
- Dress in 50s and 60s attire encouraged
- You may enter Disneyland Park beginning at 6:00pm on January 18th
- Park at Mickey & Friends (additional fee)
- Iconic attractions like Peter Pan’s Flight, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise and more will be open
- Character meet and greets
- 1960s tribute band playing live on Disneyland Railroad platform over Main Street, U.S.A.
- Jazz and swing music in front of “it’s a small world”
- Live DJ broadcasting around Sleeping Beauty Castle and taking special dedications
- Music aboard Mark Twain Riverboat sailing Rivers of America
- Food and drinks from the park’s earliest days
- Fantasy in the Sky fireworks display
- Complimentary keepsake upon entry
- Free PhotoPass downloads during the event
- Skyway Photo Op at Disneyland After Dark. Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort.
Disneyland After Dark Hotels
After your late night riding after dark attractions and dancing to live bands, you’re gonna need a place to crash.
Check out all the hotels within walking distance or a short drive and save an extra $10 when you stay 2 nights or more with promo code DisneylandPlan.
Disneyland After Dark Unofficial Events
Experiencing Disneyland after sunset is simply magical! If you can’t make it to one of the official “Disneyland After Dark” events, choose to visit during extended park hours which usually fall on weekend, during holidays and school breaks.
Most nights in the summer Disneyland stays open until midnight, giving you ample time to explore the parks after dark. Some of my favorite attractions to ride after dark include:
- Space Mountain
- Astro Orbitor
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Mad Tea Party
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Splash Mountain
Plus, Galactic Grill serves up some incredible late night snacks most evenings including french toast dippers, cheesy potato bites, quesadillas and more.
Looking for more ways to make a night of it at Disneyland? Check out our Date Night at Disneyland article for tips and ideas.
If you don’t have a ticket to Disneyland After Dark, do they actually kick you out right at closing time? Is shopping open on Main Street past this time for people who don’t have the event tickets?
That’s correct. At closing time if you do not have a wristband you will no longer be able to get in line for rides. About an hour after they won’t allow you to shop or order food either.
We went to the 80s Night yesterday and it was great. They did not sell out so it wasn’t crowded at all. The longest ride wait was 20 minutes, but most were all under 10. We honestly didn’t go on the rides though because we were there for the 80s stuff! Videoapolis was my favorite.
The only negative for me was how they sold the special even merchandise. They only sold it in 1 location in Tomorrowland in the circular building with all the Star Wars stuff. The line was very long. We waiting about 40 minutes in the line, and they had you go through all the Star Wars display stuff while listening to Star Wars music. They should have changed to music to 80s music like they had in most of the park. It wouldn’t have been so bad then. The worst part is they were out of the pin which was the only thing we wanted. They should have list what was sold out at the beginning of the line. They only sold about 5 different items so a good percentage of people in that line were wasting their time. Other than that, it was a lot of fun!
Hey Bruce, thank you so much for sharing your experience. The Star Wars music thing is odd… I agree!
Any mention on when they’ll be doing a Disney after dark 90s nite.? I was so bummed to miss the first one and it looked like show much fun. I hope they do it again,
Please please let me if it’s something being considered and when. I’ll for sure be there , any info Willis help, thanks
Hey Michael, I mostly hear things as they’re released to the public. But if there are any rumblings of that event I will keep updating here and on my FB page (Disneyland Plan by The Happiest Blog on Earth).
If we are going to the park that will have a disney after dark event that evening will it be more full than usual. We are looking at going to DCA april 30. Or would it be better to wait until that Thursday. Thanks.
The opposite park tends to be the busier one. Most people stay away before after dark events because they feel like they will have to leave earlier than normal. It’s a great time to go, and also to people watch as guests come in ready for their event.
The After Dark looks so fun! It makes it look even more magical!
Disneyland after sunset is incredible! I love the ambient lighting everywhere and the glow of magic in the air!