A few lucky Disney Vacation Club members currently vacationing at Walt Disney World received an unexpected invitation yesterday.
Thursday, April 14 marked the launch of the new "Disney After Hours" parties at Florida's Magic Kingdom. For a fee of $149 per person, guests enjoy 3 hours of exclusive access to the theme park, supposedly with an attendance cap far lower than other after-hours events like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.
Apparently Disney did not sell as many tickets as they had hoped. Several hours before the event's scheduled start, Disney Vacation Club members currently staying at Walt Disney World received email invitations to attend that night's "Disney After Hours" at no cost.
It is not known how many members were admitted for free, nor how many total guests attended the event. Reports posted to the DISBoards discussion forum suggest that some members were turned away after a limit was reached. One commenter who claimed to have attended the event stated that crowds were very light, allowing guests access to the park's most popular attractions with essentially no wait.
Six more "Disney After Hours" events are currently scheduled throughout April and May.
Disney Vacation Club hosted two similar events in February and March dubbed the "Disney Vacation Club 25 and Beyond Bash." Exclusive member events at Typhoon Lagoon waterpark and Disney's Animal Kingdom are scheduled for later this year.