UPDATE: We Were (Happily) Wrong!
Well, color is surprised—and delighted. After attending the event, we can confirm that Festival food booths were included as eligible locations for snack coupon redemption, despite the language in the pre-event email suggesting otherwise. And if that wasn’t enough, the night ended with a spectacular special fireworks presentation, just like in years past. While we’re not sure why those key details were missing from the original communications, we’re thrilled to report that the magic is very much alive at EPCOT’s Moonlight Magic!
If you’re anything like me, the days before a DVC Moonlight Magic event are a mix of excitement and last-minute outfit decisions, punctuated by that all-important “Know Before You Go” email arriving in your inbox. Well, I just opened mine ahead of this week’s EPCOT Moonlight Magic, and… let’s just say, I’m raising an eyebrow.
Buried in the usual reminders and tips was this new statement:
“Delight in light snacks. Upon arrival, each person in your party will receive three snack certificates to redeem across the park at participating food and beverage locations. (Please note that these coupons cannot be used on merchandise or at operating festival locations.) You may even satisfy your late night, sweet tooth cravings with complimentary ice cream novelties starting at 10 p.m.”
Now, maybe it’s just a typo. Maybe someone got a little too copy-paste-happy. But when you compare it to the 2024 language, it sure feels intentional:
“Delight in tasty treats. Upon arrival, each person in your party will receive three snack coupons. You may redeem these coupons during the mix-in period and throughout the event at various food and beverage locations, including Connections Eatery, Sunshine Seasons, Festival Kitchens and more. You’ll also find several locations offering complimentary frozen treats starting at 10 p.m. Please note that these coupons cannot be redeemed at merchandise locations.”
Notice the difference?
- In 2024, you could use your snack coupons at Festival Kitchens — one of the best parts of the event.
- In 2025? Festival locations are now explicitly excluded.
Why This Matters
One of the highlights of Moonlight Magic at EPCOT was being able to stroll through the park, snack coupons in hand, sampling festival favorites without spending extra out-of-pocket. It added real value to the evening and made it feel like a VIP experience.
Losing that Festival food access seriously takes some of the magic out of the event. Sure, you can still redeem snack coupons at regular quick-service spots… but it’s just not the same vibe when you’re settling for popcorn over a creative festival dish you were excited to try.
And that’s not all that’s missing.
This year’s email made no mention of the special event fireworks that were a literal highlight—both figuratively and physically blowing you away last year. Instead (insert heavy sarcasm here), Disney is inviting you to check out the new Château de Voyage DVC Welcome Home Center for a lovely late-night sales pitch!
What About Transportation?
One area DVC seems to have responded to Member feedback this year is transportation. In the past, getting back to your resort after Moonlight Magic—especially for those exiting through International Gateway and relying on the Disney Skyliner—was a major source of frustration.
This time, Disney Vacation Club has clarified that transportation options will be expanded:
“While the Monorail closes at 11 p.m., return transportation to all Disney Resort hotels via Walt Disney World Bus service will operate until 2 a.m., as well as the Disney Skyliner (for those staying at Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort) and Friendship boats.”
It’s a welcome update that should ease the end-of-night bottlenecks, especially for those staying at Skyliner resorts.
That said… did we lose some amazing food options at the expense of improved transportation? Sure, it’s great to get home easily after a night of fun—but part of the “fun” was also trying incredible food without pulling out your wallet at every stop.
Is EPCOT Still the Best Moonlight Magic Event?
Look, there are still plenty of reasons to attend Moonlight Magic at EPCOT:
- Exclusive after-hours park access
- Shorter wait times for rides
- Special Character Meet-Ups
- Free ice cream starting at 10 PM
- General atmosphere and fewer crowds
But if these changes hold true come event night, EPCOT could drop from my #1 spot for Moonlight Magic events across Walt Disney World. Part of what made it so special was the added experiences—trying new festival bites, experiencing a custom fireworks show—and not just rushing onto rides.
If DVC wants to continue marketing these events as a major benefit for direct buyers, they should be careful about trimming back the features that made Moonlight Magic feel truly exclusive and worth that direct contract premium.
I’ll hold my final judgment until Wednesday night when we get to experience it firsthand—but if these early signs are accurate, I’m genuinely hoping Disney Vacation Club will reevaluate what makes these events feel special… before too much of that magic fades away.
Stay tuned to DVCFan.com—we’ll have a full event recap coming soon, complete with video, impressions, and (hopefully) a few pleasant surprises!
Liz
April 28, 2025The last time we did Moonlight Magic at Epcot, the snack credits were incredibly time consuming to redeem. Only a few stands were accepting them and the lines, even for just popcorn, wrapped around the park. We had a few snack credits left at the end of the night that we couldn’t redeem without spending 45 minutes to an hour in line.
My advice would be to redeem them ASAP to avoid this, as at the beginning of the night we only waited 20 minutes for a soda, hot dog and mickey pretzel.
Randy
April 28, 2025Yeah, Paul… I also noticed that when I received the email this morning! NOT GOOD!!!!
Jeff
April 28, 2025There is no festival during the second Moonlight Magic date, so it makes sense for them to exclude it from the language, even if you can use the snack coupons during the first date.
Paul Krieger
April 28, 2025This also occurred last year and they released two different emails for each event respectively with the one during the festival being allowed to use the coupons at festival booths.