Moonlight Magic events are returning to Walt Disney World in 2023, with dates at EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Hurricane Lagoon! Throughout these free after hours events, DVC members can expertise an evening filled with enjoyable: points of interest with quick wait occasions, uncommon character sightings, unique leisure, and free meals!
Disney Trip Membership is bringing the fan-favorite membership further again to the Florida parks. This isn’t as huge of a shock because the return of Moonlight Magic to Disney California Journey, which is happening after a prolonged hiatus. In contrast, the occasions returned to Walt Disney World final yr and it feels like extra of the identical this yr.
We can’t wait–we completely love Moonlight Magic, having executed this many occasions up to now, together with final yr. We’ve attended Moonlight Magic at each single Walt Disney World park besides Blizzard Seashore (to my recollection, they’ve by no means executed the occasion there…however I could possibly be fallacious) and often have a blast. Extra on that within the commentary.
Right here’s what Disney Trip Membership has revealed up to now in regards to the 2023 Moonlight Magic events:
EPCOT Moonlight Magic Occasion Dates: February 8, 2023 and February 15, 2023.
Preliminary Registration Window – Opens January 25, 2023: The preliminary registration window for EPCOT occasions is open to eligible Members with present Resort reservations at a Disney-owned-and-operated resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida or at Disney’s Vero Seashore Resort—with celebration dimension modifications finalized previous to right now.
Common Registration – Opens February 2, 2023 and February 9, 2023: Occasion registration for the February 8, 2023 occasion at EPCOT opens to all eligible Members on February 2, 2023 (pending availability). Occasion registration for the February 15, 2023 occasion at EPCOT opens to all eligible Members on February 9, 2023 (pending availability).
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Moonlight Magic Occasion Dates are Could 11, 2023 and September 13, 2023.
DHS Registration Window: Please examine again for details about when to register.
Animal Kingdom Moonlight Magic Occasion Dates are July 11, 2023 and August 2, 2023.
DAK Registration Window: Please examine again for details about when to register.
Hurricane Lagoon Moonlight Magic Occasion Dates: Could 23, 2023 and August 23, 2023.
Hurricane Lagoon Registration Window: Please examine again for details about when to register.
Per Disney Trip Membership, highlights for the “privileged partiers” at Moonlight Magic embrace:
- Shorter-than-usual wait occasions for choose park points of interest
- Disney Characters sightings (this presumably means meet & greets and simply hasn’t been up to date from final yr’s “sightings” language)
- Reimagined leisure
- Complimentary particular treats and delectable delights
Moonlight Magic Eligibility – To be eligible for Moonlight Magic, you have to be a “blue card” Disney Trip Membership member, which means that you just bought straight from Disney or purchased earlier than the resale restrictions have been applied again in April 2016. When you have a member card, you’re good. This additionally implies that anybody renting Disney Trip Membership factors isn’t eligible for Moonlight Magic. Not like different on-site perks, Moonlight Magic relies on the membership and never the keep.
Celebration Dimension Limits – A Member can register themself and as much as 4 further Company per Membership (for a complete of 5)—or as much as the variety of Company on their Resort reservation, supplied it was finalized previous to relevant deadlines for every registration window. Kids youthful than 3 years of age don’t must be registered for this occasion.
Members With A number of Resort Reservations – If Members have a number of Resort reservations, further celebration dimension tips apply relying on how the reservation was booked:
- When staying utilizing Trip Factors or Reservation Factors, Members can register themselves and as much as the variety of people on their Resort reservation(s).
- When staying in your Interval Worldwide Membership utilizing money or factors, Members can register themselves and as much as the variety of people staying in the identical room because the Member, per Membership.
- When staying in your RCI Membership utilizing money or factors, Members can register themselves and as much as the variety of people staying in the identical room because the Member, per Membership.
Modifications & Cancellations – This occasion can’t be booked or modified by means of Member Providers. If a Member needs to alter their celebration dimension throughout the celebration dimension limits, or the date that they’re attending Moonlight Magic, they might modify their occasion registration by means of the hyperlink discovered of their affirmation e mail. Please observe:
- When you cancel your Resort reservation, your occasion registration will likely be cancelled mechanically.
- Cancelling and rebooking an occasion registration will increase the chance of dropping one’s registration.
- Modifications or cancellations of an occasion registration can’t be made the identical day as reserving.
Registering for One other Member on Your Membership – If the first Member isn’t registering for the occasion, one other Member with the identical Member ID quantity could also be added as an alternate to examine in on the occasion. Legitimate Disney Trip Membership Digital Membership Card and photograph ID are required at check-in.
Occasion Date Limits – With a view to enable as many Members as potential to get pleasure from Moonlight Magic, just one occasion date for every taking part park will likely be accessible per Membership.
Different Necessary Info
- Registration is required and restricted. Sadly, walk-ins is not going to be permitted.
- Legitimate Disney Trip Membership Digital Membership Card and photograph ID required at check-in. Member listed on the Digital Membership Card have to be in attendance.
- Complimentary admission to the after-hours occasion is legitimate during the occasion. When you want to enter a park earlier than the occasion, legitimate theme park admission and reservation are required.
- This supply is complimentary, nontransferable and can’t be bought. It’s topic to availability, change or termination with out discover.
- Attendees underneath 18 years of age have to be accompanied by a taking part mother or father or guardian.
- This can be a rain-or-shine occasion; some experiences could also be cancelled attributable to inclement climate.
- We request that Members cancel no less than 48 hours upfront.
- Disney Genie, Disney Genie+ and particular person Lightning Lanes usually are not accessible to be used throughout Moonlight Magic Occasions.
Reservations have to be made by the particular person listed because the “proprietor” on the Membership and could be booked with factors by means of Disney Trip Membership or with money by means of the Disney Reservation Heart or a journey supplier. Please observe that Members who’ve a Resort reservation booked underneath one other Member’s membership usually are not eligible for early reserving.
As famous on the high, we’ve attended many Moonlight Magic events for the reason that occasion started a number of years in the past. Many highlights exist, from stumbling upon uncommon characters from “a bug’s life” with zero strains to taking part in mini-golf with Disney Afternoon characters at DCA to being provided a complete field of cookies from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration. (A wholesale sized field that needed to have contained 200-500 cookies. I “settled” for filling my digital camera bag and a buying bag.)
We even attended the final Moonlight Magic that was held in Magic Kingdom, again in March 2020. That additionally ended up being our final night within the park earlier than the multi-month closure. I nonetheless suppose again to that night fondly, remembering scarfing down a number of sizzling canines from Casey’s Nook earlier than seeing the fireworks and assembly Disney fur character royalty.
In wanting again at a few of our celebration studies, I see there have been downsides to every occasion. There have been situations of surprisingly lengthy strains for meals, characters, or points of interest for the reason that starting. There have been additionally occasions early on when some members actually introduced coolers to replenish on ice cream and different snacks, inflicting the kiosks to expire.
Nonetheless, we largely ‘easy over’ the negatives in our minds, fondly recollecting the positives–particular fireworks, uncommon characters, free meals, and different distinctive moments having fun with (largely) empty parks. Even with points right here and there, the Moonlight Magic occasions are completely implausible.
Maybe its recency bias, however final yr did appear to have extra issues than regular. There have been nonetheless some uncommon characters, however not as many. Leisure was lighter than regular, notably unique nighttime spectaculars or particular fireworks. The distribution of particular popcorn buckets and snacks left lots to be desired.
lots of that may be attributed to staffing shortages that meant fewer Forged Members for character meet & greets and to function extra meals & beverage areas. (Passing the popcorn buckets out on the entrance or one other centralized location may’ve solved a few of this–and perhaps they did that at later occasions; I’m unsure.)
There’s additionally the fact that there have been fewer Moonlight Magic occasions than pre-closure, which is a development that continues in 2023. As a result of there being fewer Moonlight Magic events, I additionally suspect that Disney Trip Membership elevated the attendance caps, leading to bigger crowds. (Maybe that’s merely my notion, although. Not 100% positive on that one.)
In the end, Moonlight Magic continues to be nice, and the professionals of the free occasion far outweigh the cons–even final yr. I’m hoping that Moonlight Magic goes smoother in 2023, with improved staffing remedying a few of these points and classes realized from final yr fixing others.
Even with the hiccups, Moonlight Magic is a superb occasion that’s basically a free model of After Hours for DVC Members, with a number of further enhancements that make it higher than After Hours, in our view. It’s an awesome perk for individuals who are capable of take benefit; we’ve cherished attending through the years, and hope the 2023 Moonlight Magic events mark extra of a return to regular. We’ll be experiencing the primary Moonlight Magic of the yr subsequent week, and can report again on the way it goes!
Fascinated by becoming a member of DVC? First make sure to learn our Final Information to Disney Trip Membership. This covers the professionals & cons, resale v. direct, how a lot cash you’ll save, and different necessary issues to know earlier than taking the plunge. When you nonetheless can’t determine whether or not membership is best for you, “attempt before you purchase” and hire factors from DVC Rental Retailer. Planning a Walt Disney World journey? For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every thing it is advisable know.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Planning on registering for one of many 2023 Moonlight Magic celebration nights? Excited to see this free occasion returning as a profit for DVC members? Have you ever attended one of many Moonlight Magic occasions at Walt Disney World? Did you meet any uncommon characters or get pleasure from particular leisure? What did you consider the expertise? Any questions or ideas about something on this celebration report? Listening to your suggestions about your experiences is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas or questions under within the feedback!