Disneyland After Dark 2026 Events, Dates And Tickets

Published on Nov 21, 2025, 4:20 pm CST

9 min read

Key points

Disneyland After Dark 2026 events bring five themed after hours parties to Disneyland Park on select nights from January 22 to June 18, 2026
Each event ticket includes entry from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., shorter waits on many attractions, select entertainment, and unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads
Sweethearts Nite adds a new Celebrate Love Cavalcade and Once Upon a Dream musical show plus dance parties and themed snacks
New 70 Years of Favorites nights on March 3 and 5, 2026 celebrate classic Disneyland music, shows, and characters with swing and line dancing
Disney Channel Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite return in April and June 2026 with dates announced but detailed ticket sales and lineups still to come
Travelers should secure party tickets early, pair events with nearby Anaheim hotel stays, and plan daytime park tickets separately from After Dark admission

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: The biggest impacts will be on evening park capacity and ticket availability at Disneyland Park in Anaheim on party nights, especially for Sweethearts Nite and Star Wars Nite
Best Times To Visit The Park: Guests who want a quieter daytime visit should pick non party days while those chasing rare entertainment should target the specific After Dark dates and arrive at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets And Budget Planning: Travelers need to budget for separate After Dark tickets in addition to any regular day admission and should buy quickly once sales open to avoid sellouts
Onward Travel And Late Nights: Late ending parties that run until 1:00 a.m. mean visitors should allow for slow exits, limited late night transit, and plan nearby Anaheim hotels rather than long drives
What Travelers Should Do Now: Decide which 2026 themes matter most, lock in travel dates around those events, and be ready to purchase party tickets as soon as Magic Key and general sales windows open

Disneyland After Dark 2026 events will bring five themed after hours parties to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, on select nights from January 22 to June 18, 2026, giving guests extra park time and limited edition entertainment. These separately ticketed evenings are aimed at repeat visitors, locals, and dedicated fans who want unique character encounters, live music, and nostalgia heavy programming beyond a standard day ticket. Travelers planning California trips in early 2026 can use the new dates to line up hotel stays, park reservations, and flights around a specific Sweethearts, Disney Channel, Star Wars, or Pride focused night.

The Disneyland After Dark 2026 events create a predictable calendar of four returning parties plus one new 70 Years of Favorites theme at Disneyland Park, which lets travelers build Anaheim itineraries around after hours access instead of waiting for last minute announcements.

What Is Included With A Disneyland After Dark Ticket

Each Disneyland After Dark party in 2026 runs inside Disneyland Park from 900 p.m. to 100 a.m., giving four hours of exclusive after hours access once the daytime crowds have left. Tickets also include a pre party park mix in from 600 p.m. to 900 p.m., so guests with event wristbands can enter early, enjoy regular operating attractions, and position themselves for the start of the night specific entertainment.

Admission typically covers select attractions with reduced waits, character greetings tied to the theme, specialty food and beverage menus, and limited run merchandise collections. Guests also receive unlimited digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass photos taken during the event and a commemorative event guide, which can help them plan a route through shows, dance parties, and exclusive meet and greets.

These parties do not replace daytime admission, so travelers who want a full Disneyland experience should plan at least one standard park day ticket in addition to any After Dark event, especially if they have not visited in several years.

Sweethearts Nite Dates And Highlights

Disneyland After Dark, Sweethearts Nite returns in 2026 as a Valentine adjacent celebration of romantic partners, families, and close friends. The event runs on nine dates, January 22, 25, and 27, then February 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 17, 2026, each night following the same 600 p.m. entry and 900 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. party schedule.

For 2026, Sweethearts Nite will feature a new Celebrate Love Cavalcade that brings Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and friends down Main Street, U.S.A., in a concentrated burst of music and character appearances built around love themed moments. A new stage production, Once Upon a Dream, A Musical Journey Through the Disney Songbook, reworks classic Disney love songs into a live show with singers and Disney royalty, culminating in a nighttime ball atmosphere under the stars.

Inside Frontierland, The Golden Horseshoe will host Disney Duets karaoke sessions where pairs can take on familiar songs, while Tomorrowland Terrace turns into a Valentine s Dance Party hosted by Donald Duck and Daisy Duck. Scenic photo backdrops staged around the park invite guests to step into scenes inspired by fan favorite films, and multiple quick service and table service locations will serve special sweets and savory limited time offerings.

Inspire Key holders are scheduled to receive first access to a limited pool of Sweethearts Nite tickets on December 9, 2025, with broader Magic Key and general public sales following, and all sales windows stated as starting no earlier than 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Travelers who do not hold passes should expect early dates and popular Friday or Sunday nights to sell quickly once general sales open on December 11, 2025.

New 70 Years Of Favorites Nights In March

The all new Disneyland After Dark, 70 Years of Favorites party is built around the resort s 70th anniversary celebration, with a focus on classic shows, music, and character moments that longtime fans will recognize. It will be held on March 3 and March 5, 2026, at Disneyland Park, following the same 600 p.m. entry and 900 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. party schedule.

Entertainment lineups call back to multiple eras of park history. Swing dancing will return to the Royal Theatre in Fantasyland, echoing earlier nightlife traditions in the park. Tomorrowland Terrace will host a throwback 1980s style Videopolis Dance Party that nods to the park s former teen focused music venue. In Frontierland, The Golden Horseshoe will feature line dancing as a tribute to Woody s Round Up and other Western themed offerings that have cycled through the park over the decades.

Themed food and beverage offerings are expected to reference recipes and treats from earlier Disneyland kitchens, giving returning visitors a chance to revisit flavors that may no longer appear during regular operating days. Character appearances and photo spots will highlight costumes and moments from past shows and parades, turning the party into a loose guided tour of seven decades of park history.

Ticket timing for 70 Years of Favorites mirrors Sweethearts Nite, with Inspire Key presales on December 9, 2025, followed by broader Magic Key sales on December 10 and general public sales beginning December 11, 2025, all with limited quantities and availability disclaimers.

Disney Channel, Star Wars, And Pride Nites

Disneyland After Dark, Disney Channel Nite returns in 2026 with a focus on characters, songs, and eras from the cable network that shaped many visitors childhoods. The 2026 dates are April 12, 14, and 16, 2026, with parties again running from 900 p.m. to 100 a.m. and a 6:00 p.m. park entry window. Disney has signaled that additional details and ticket sale dates for Disney Channel Nite will follow in early 2026, so travelers who care about this theme should monitor official channels in the first quarter.

Disneyland After Dark, Star Wars Nite will offer four dates, April 28 and 30, then May 4 and 6, 2026, timed around the fan favorite Star Wars Day on May the fourth. Past editions have featured large scale character gatherings, special projection shows on Sleeping Beauty Castle, and coordinated lightsaber meetups near Millennium Falcon, Smugglers Run, and It s a Small World, although specific 2026 offerings have not yet been confirmed.

Disneyland After Dark, Pride Nite rounds out the 2026 lineup with two evenings on June 16 and June 18, 2026, explicitly celebrating the LGBTQIA plus community and allies. Official descriptions highlight rainbow projections, lively decor, dazzling entertainment, and community focused programming, and prior years have included Pride Nite fireworks, cavalcades of Disney characters, and multiple dance parties across the park. Ticket sale timing for Disney Channel Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite is expected to be announced closer to the events in 2026.

Background, How Disneyland After Dark Works

Disneyland After Dark is a recurring series of separately ticketed nighttime events that layer themed entertainment on top of regular operations at Disneyland Park. On party days, the park opens normally for daytime guests, then transitions after closing to a wristband checked After Dark event, during which only ticketed party guests may access attractions and entertainment.

This structure lets Disney sell a concentrated set of experiences to a smaller group of guests in the late evening, which usually means lower wait times on many rides and more room around stages and landmarks, although popular photo locations can still develop long lines. For travelers, the main tradeoff is cost, since After Dark tickets are an extra expense on top of standard admission or hotel packages.

Because party hours run until 1:00 a.m., visitors staying off site or planning to drive long distances after the event should be realistic about fatigue and transportation. Hotels of the Disneyland Resort and nearby Good Neighbor Hotels within Anaheim can reduce post party travel time, while flyers using Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or John Wayne Airport (SNA) should avoid very early morning departures immediately after a late night event.

How To Plan Around 2026 After Dark Dates

The first planning step is to decide which themes matter most. Sweethearts Nite and 70 Years of Favorites are likely to appeal to couples and long time park fans, while Disney Channel Nite skews toward guests who grew up with specific shows and soundtracks. Star Wars Nite tends to attract costumed fans and collectors who want limited merchandise and photo ops, and Pride Nite serves both local community members and visitors who want a more explicitly LGBTQIA plus focused experience.

Once preferred themes are clear, travelers should map their dates against the 2026 calendar, then look at flight options into Southern California and hotel inventory around Anaheim. Families with younger children may prefer earlier in the season, such as January or early February, while those who want warmer evening temperatures or to pair a trip with other Pride events may aim for June.

Budget wise, it often makes sense to pair one After Dark night with one or two regular park days rather than stacking multiple late nights, especially for visitors with limited time. That combination gives at least one chance to experience the park with a smaller After Dark crowd and one day to enjoy shows, parades, and attractions that are not part of the party lineup. International visitors should also consider arrival buffers of at least one day before any party, both to adjust to time zones and to hedge against flight delays into Los Angeles or Orange County.

Because Disney has not yet published ticket prices or sales dates for Disney Channel Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite, travelers interested in those events should sign up for official email updates, follow Disneyland Resort social accounts, or work with a travel advisor who can monitor announcements and act quickly when booking windows open. Given the popularity of past After Dark seasons, it is reasonable to expect some 2026 parties to sell out.

In practical terms, the Disneyland After Dark 2026 events turn what used to be sporadic one off parties into a defined season of after hours access that can anchor entire California vacations. Travelers who lock in dates, budget for separate party tickets, and secure nearby accommodation will be well positioned to enjoy Sweethearts, nostalgia, Disney Channel, Star Wars, or Pride themed nights without scrambling at the last minute.