Not everything in the Walt Disney World Resort has to be done early. Unlike other Orlando theme parks, the Walt Disney World Resort takes advantage of their customers wanting to spend as much time in the parks as possible. Most people come to Orlando on vacation and who likes to wake up early during their vacation when you can sleep in and charge up for the day? For the night owls out there, the Disney parks have Extra Magic Hours available to all guests of the Walt Disney World Resorts.

Here’s how it works. If you’re staying in a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you’ll be given special access to stay at the park three hours after it closes. Just approach a cast member at the wristband locations set up throughout the parks with your hotel key and admission ticket for a wristband. Once the park closes during its official hours, everyone without a wristband must leave. This will weed out a large majority of the crowd and make certain park attractions easier to visit. Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT all participate in the Extra Magic Hours. Many times you will be able to ride your favorite attractions back to back as the lines are greatly diminished.

Most of the parks most popular attractions remain open at this time. At EPCOT, rides like Soarin’, Mission Space and the Gran Fiesta Mexico ride remain open. Tower of Terror, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and Star Tours are open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom maintains Splash Mountain, It’s A Small World and the Haunted Mansion operating for the Extra Magic Hours time. If you aren’t sure what is open during your time in the parks, just ask a Disney cast member for assistance.

Another great bonus of staying late is the characters. The lines for character greetings and photo opportunities will be far shorter than they are during the day. Nights also provide relief from the warmer day temperatures one might experience in Orlando, so waiting in line will be a lot less troublesome. You’ll be able to get photos with many characters you don’t see in the parks earlier during the day. Late night Extra Magic Hours are a great way to experience the Disney parks without the larger crowds, so make sure you check out the Walt Disney World Resort hotels to ensure you can get in on the fun.