DVC Moonlight Magic – Everything You Need To Know!
Calling all Disney Vacation Club Members! Have you heard about Moonlight Magic?! It’s one of my favorite perks about being a DVC Member. Every year, DVC will host Moonlight Magic in each of the US Disney Parks. It is COMPLETELY FREE and gives you the chance to experience the park after hours with far less of a crowd.
What Is “Moonlight Magic”:
Moonlight Magic is a Member-Only After Hours experience at a select Disney Park. Some perks and special treats included with Moonlight Magic are listed below:
- Free Entrance to the park during this time! (This means, if you don’t have a ticket to the park, you can still get in for free at the start of the event).
- Free Dinner Voucher
- Free Unlimited Ice Cream
- Free Carnival Game Voucher (Animal Kingdom Only)
- Shorter Lines for Rides
- Unique Character Meet & Greets
- Special DVC Merchandise
Do you see a lot of “free” listed above?! Yeah, it’s that amazing. I’m going to review all of the perks further in this post.
DVC will allow you to go to (1) Moonlight Magic per park, per year.
When is “Moonlight Magic”
DVC will host Moonlight Magic throughout the year at different parks. Dates are typically released in November for the next year. It is typically on a Wednesday night (sometimes on a Tuesday). The event is Rain or Shine, so you don’t have to worry about it getting rescheduled.
How To Sign Up:
In order to sign up, you must be a DVC Member. One DVC Member can sign up to 3 non-members up for Moonlight Magic.
Next, visit this site to find out when the registration window will open. Keep in mind, it opens first for those DVC members that have a DVC hotel booked over the date of Moonlight Magic. You need to be online the moment that the registration window opens – it books up quickly. Have your Member Number ready, too. The system will put you in a virtual waiting room until you’ve been approved.
Check In Upon Arrival:
You can begin checking in for Moonlight Magic 2 hours before the event begins if you have a park ticket. This includes guests that do not have a ticket to the park.
Upon walking up to the park entrance, you’ll see a large Balloon – head over there! This is the official DVC Check In. Ensure you have your Member ID Card and Photo ID that matches.
After checking in, pick up your Dinner Voucher, Moonlight Magic Map, and Wristband. All three of these items are crucial. The wristband will give you permission to stay in the park after hours. The dinner voucher gets you free dinner (if you lose it, you’re out of luck) and the Moonlight Magic Map gives you all of the details for the night: where the unique character meet and greets are, what dinner locations are open, etc.
Free Dinner Voucher
DVC treats you to (1) free dinner that includes a meal and a drink. Typically there are about 3 dining options to choose from. Be sure you pick up the voucher upon entrance and hold onto it tight – if you lose it, you’re out of luck.
Personally, I recommend dining early – the lines can get long later in the evening and sometimes they run out of popular options.
Free Unlimited Ice Cream
That’s not a typo – there is truly FREE UNLIMITED ICE CREAM. There is usually one or two places in the park that will offer this special treat (usually in a Starbucks location). The line can get long but moves very quickly. I wouldn’t make this a priority unless you’re dying for ice cream! 😉
Unique Character Meet & Greets
Seeing the unique characters during Moonlight Magic is one of the best things to do. The lines for the characters can get long because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to get pictures with rate characters that some have never seen before. Your Moonlight Magic Map will tell you who is there and where they’re located. Some of the characters I’ve met at Moonlight Magic are listed below:
- Tarzan, Jane, and Terk (Animal Kingdom)
- Flick and Princess Anna (Animal Kingdom)
- Pocahontas, Meeko, and John Smith (Animal Kingdom)
- Darth Vader (Hollywood Studios)
Lines start forming at the popular characters about 30 minutes before Moonlight Magic actually begins.
Shorter Lines for Rides
This is an obvious perk. With only a select handful of DVC members permitted at each Moonlight Magic, the lines for the rides can be as low as 30 minutes for the Tier 1 Rides (like Flight of Passage and Space Mountain). Other ride lines are essentially walk-ons.
DVC Merch
Disney would never miss an opportunity for new merchandise. DVC is just the same. Each Moonlight Magic has a few trinkets that you can purchase with DVC logos. It typically includes a shirt, a mug, and a DVC boardgame.
Is Moonlight Magic worth it?
100% Yes.
If you’re still on the fence, go back and read about all of the free things offered. 🙂
Moonlight madness should be available to members even if you bought resale
Unfortunately, it is tied to your Disney resort reservation. That being the case you cannot modify your reservation – the date of the event. For example, if the event is on May 20 and your reservation is tied to the hotel reservation at Disney Vero Beach resort (location), you cannot opt to check-out on that date; since you will loose your Moonlight reservation. Even if you book in Disney Saratoga Springs resort (location) for May 20. It does not transfer. You could book at Disney Saratoga Springs but you’d be having two reservations for that night. Basically, throwing your points away.