Extended Evening Hours, New Harry Potter Magic, And More

Theme park enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to with an exciting array of updates from Disney and Universal. Highlights include a new generation of wands at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that offer a more authentic spell-casting experience, the return of Extended Evening Hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in May 2025, and the addition of a dedicated page on the official Walt Disney World website for the upcoming Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom Park.

Universal Orlando Unveils Next-Gen Wands for a More Magical Experience at Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Universal Orlando Resort is offering an even more magical experience for Harry Potter fans with the debut of second-generation interactive wands on March 1. These new wands promise to enhance the spell-casting experience throughout the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, featuring advanced technology that makes magic feel more authentic than ever.

The all-new wands will allow guests to cast spells in innovative ways, thanks to new features like illumination effects and custom haptic vibrations that respond uniquely to each spell. “The all-new Second Generation Interactive Wands will give guests an enhanced and exhilarating wand magic experience that includes several new features such as illumination effects and haptic vibrations custom to each spell so they can see and feel the results of their spellcasting like never before,” Universal Orlando shared in a statement.

In addition to the upgraded wands, the park is introducing five new spell locations across Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, with even more to come at the highly anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic when Universal’s Epic Universe opens this May. These new locations will bring the total to 30 interactive spell spots in the existing parks, with 14 more planned for Epic Universe, resulting in 44 magical experiences across the resort.

The new spell locations include:

• Hogsmeade: The Dueling Club Tent – Attempt to bring a dueling dummy to life.
• Hogsmeade: The Owl Post – Try to freeze pixies hiding behind packages.
• Diagon Alley: Ariadne’s Spinners – Repel spiders on newspaper-covered windows.
• Diagon Alley: Knockturn Alley Sky – Control a storm or calm the sky.
• Diagon Alley: Knockturn Alley Staircase – Conjure a Patronus to dodge a Dementor.

These wands will initially be exclusive to the Florida resort and will also integrate with the Universal Orlando app through Universal Play. By connecting their new wands, guests can create a personalized wizarding profile, including a custom wizard name, Hogwarts house, avatar, and Patronus. These attributes will be reflected in the spell-casting effects, making each experience unique.

Extended Evening Hours Return to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in May 2025

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will once again host Extended Evening Hours starting in May 2025, giving select Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests a rare opportunity to enjoy the park after regular operational hours. This popular perk, typically offered at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will bring a new nighttime experience to Animal Kingdom.

On May 5, the park will operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with Early Entry available to resort hotel guests from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. The Extended Evening Hours will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., allowing guests to experience the park in a unique after-hours setting. Disney has not yet announced which attractions will be available during the Extended Evening Hours at Animal Kingdom. However, previous after-hours events at the park have featured popular Disney World attractions like Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Avatar Flight of Passage, and Na’vi River Journey.

Extended Evening Hours are an exclusive benefit for guests staying at select Disney hotels, offering smaller crowds and shorter wait times for some of the park’s most popular rides. This special event also provides a chance to explore Disney’s Animal Kingdom at night, experiencing the park’s immersive environments and glowing bioluminescence in Pandora – The World of Avatar.

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Nighttime Parade Nears Debut at Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World is gearing up for the debut of its highly anticipated new nighttime parade, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, at Magic Kingdom Park. A newly launched page on the official Walt Disney World website offers a closer look at the upcoming parade, suggesting that Disney is in the final stages of preparation ahead of its summer 2025 premiere. The new webpage showcases concept art of the dazzling floats set to appear in the parade. These images, previously released by Disney, include floats inspired by beloved Disney and Pixar stories such as Moana, Encanto, Frozen, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio. One standout feature will be a Disney Princess unit, complete with a float and costumes that draw inspiration from Mary Blair’s original Cinderella concept art, adding a whimsical and artistic touch to the procession.

Disney’s description of the new nighttime parade invites guests to “Find a sweet spot under the stars to watch Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, a shimmering processional inspired by the classic Main Street Electrical Parade. It’s a star-kissed constellation of Disney dreams, brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy.” The parade promises to enchant visitors with its route winding through Frontierland to Main Street, U.S.A., bringing classic Disney magic and modern storytelling to the park’s evening experience. The event will feature the Blue Fairy as a central figure, evoking nostalgia for the classic Main Street Electrical Parade while introducing fresh, updated elements.

While Disney has not yet announced an official start date for Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, the newly added calendar feature on the website suggests that an announcement could be imminent. Currently, the calendar shows “No Performance Today” through April 25, which is the furthest date available to view.

Disney

Disney is a conglomerate and media company that owns a variety of television stations like ABC, Disney Channel, and Disney XD. They are also owners of the Marvel and Star Wars franchises and own the ever-popular Disney theme parks found all around the world.