Walt Disney World has prolonged park hours at Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom for the beginning of Occasion Season. They’ve additionally revealed showtimes for Starlight: Dream the Night time Away at Magic Kingdom by October 2025, that are most likely mistaken. This shares dates & particulars, plus predictions of precise parade efficiency instances for Halloween & Christmas, and why the brand new schedule is probably going incorrect.
Let’s begin with the newest on park hours. Walt Disney World already prolonged park hours throughout the board at Magic Kingdom for August 3-30, 2025. The park will now be open from 9 am to 11 pm on non-party nights. This isn’t a brand new improvement–this calendar change occurred again on July 11. Previous to that, Magic Kingdom park hours have been prolonged for the start on Starlight’s run. These hours are definitely right and remaining.
At present, Magic Kingdom reverts to its boilerplate 9 am to 10 pm schedule on non-party nights beginning August 31, 2025. On Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion dates, the boilerplate hours for Magic Kingdom are 9 am to six pm. For those who’re taking a look at dates anytime in September or past, these are the hours that you just’re going to see. They could find yourself being correct, however they’re not remaining as of but!
As longtime followers possible know, Walt Disney World’s customary working process is to publish boilerplate park hours for extra distant dates, after which lengthen them based mostly on inner attendance projections as soon as these dates draw nearer (hours get longer or keep unchanged, however not shortened).
As of proper now, Walt Disney World has solely made focused park hours extensions by August 30, 2025. Right here’s a take a look at these:
Magic Kingdom Park Hours Extensions
- August 15, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 17, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 19, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 22, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 29, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
The rationale for these extensions is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion. As we’ve mentioned numerous instances, Occasion Season working hours trigger chaos with crowds, pushing attendance a lot greater on the dates it’s not occurring and decrease on the dates it’s occurring. On occasion nights, Magic Kingdom closes to day friends at 6 pm. It is usually more and more opening at 8 am, however be aware that there are exceptions to this (as of proper now, August 24 & 26, however extra weeknights in September will possible comply with the identical sample).
If in any respect doable, we advocate being conscious of this schedule and doing Magic Kingdom on days when Early Entry begins at 7:30 am. That’s, if you may get out the door in time to do Early Entry at that hour. If not, do MK on the opposite occasion dates. I’ll be doing subject testing at Magic Kingdom on one other 7:30 am Early Entry day very quickly, however suffice to say, it (hopefully) received’t go something like our latest publish, Magic Kingdom’s New Early Entry Course of & Pitfalls of Dreaded Delayed Openings.
Moreover, we strongly advocate visiting Magic Kingdom through the day on MNSSHP or MVMCP nights. That is one thing we’ve lined at size, many times. See Finest & Worst Days to Do Magic Kingdom in 2025 for a rundown of when crowds will probably be particularly good or unhealthy, together with a handful of ‘pink flag’ dates to keep away from in any respect prices this month by December.
Animal Kingdom Park Hours Extensions
- August 16, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 23, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
Hollywood Studios Park Hours Extensions
- August 15, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 16, 2025: 8:30 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- August 17, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 19, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 22, 2025: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 23, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 24, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 26, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- August 29, 2025: 9 am to 9:30 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
There are additionally a number of days within the subsequent week or so when each water parks, Storm Lagoon and Blizzard Seaside, have their closing instances prolonged till 7 pm or 8 pm. That is totally on Friday by Monday nights, however we don’t anticipate it to proceed for for much longer as water park ‘season’ winds down. There’s additionally the truth that Walt Disney World hasn’t prolonged any hours previous August 18, and we might’ve anticipated the next two weeks to be prolonged if that was going to occur.
As for why park hours at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are being prolonged, it’s additionally a results of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion, albeit an oblique one.
On the subject of Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, I are inclined to favor taking the additional hours assuming you’re going to be there all day. And even when you’re doing a noon break however will return to the identical park. Extra time is healthier. Nonetheless, when you plan on leaving early, the perfect follow is avoiding these parks when the closing is later. There’s a cause these dates get prolonged hours and others don’t, and it’s as a result of WDW’s inner attendance projections are greater.
Anecdotally, my expertise is that that is (normally) pretty marginal–particularly this time of 12 months. I’ll take the longer hours with the view that extra time outweighs greater common wait instances. For those who’re Park Hopping to these parks, the later closings are gravy–particularly with the afternoon exodus and Animal Kingdom and early night departures at DHS.
With all of that stated, you actually don’t want that a lot time at Animal Kingdom. For those who arrive for Early Entry and even common rope drop, you’ll be able to simply run the desk on the entire rides earlier than lunch. That leaves stage reveals and animal displays for the afternoon, which nonetheless received’t require you keep after 6 pm, except you intend on doing like a dozen countdowns to extinction on DINOSAUR. See Animal Kingdom Park Opening & Early Entry Trip Technique (or, “How I Did Each Trip at DAK Earlier than 10:30am.”)
Starlight Showtimes Shenanigans
Right here’s the present Magic Kingdom nighttime leisure schedule:
- Starlight Parade: 9 pm
- Fortunately Ever After: 10 pm
- Starlight Parade: 11 pm
- Park Closing: 10 pm or 11 pm
Walt Disney World has formally added extra night time parade dates to the leisure calendar, and Starlight will proceed to be carried out at 9 pm and 11 pm by at the least October 4, 2025 on nights when Magic Kingdom closes at 11 pm.
Walt Disney World has already confirmed that Starlight will solely be offered on non-party nights throughout Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion dates. Which means that, for instance, Starlight is not going to be carried out in any respect on August 15, 17, and so forth.
It’s completely zero shock in any way that Starlight goes to proceed being carried out twice nightly by October on dates when the park closes at 10 pm or 11 pm. As we’ve stated on numerous events, it’ll proceed to be added to the schedule, so don’t panic whenever you see “no instances out there” on the calendar. That’s just because it hasn’t been up to date but.
The true shock right here is the 9 pm and 11 pm showtimes all the best way into October. That is not what we anticipated, and at the least a few of these showtimes are most likely mistaken. Right here’s why…
The shock right here considerations Fortunately Ever After, as that nighttime spectacular beforehand had showtimes scheduled for dates deeper into the 12 months.
From now by August 30, Fortunately Ever After’s showtime is 10 pm, which is definitely late by historic requirements–it’s to accommodate an earlier efficiency of Starlight, which can not happen earlier than 9 pm as a consequence of sundown instances. That is definitely correct, which means Starlight’s schedule can be correct by then.
Starting Sunday, August 31, 2025, the fireworks will start at 9:30 pm. Solely a few weeks later, beginning September 15, 2025, Fortunately Ever After will probably be at 9 pm. For reference, the present sundown time is 8:17 pm, whereas it’ll be 7:30 pm on September 15, 2025.
All of this is smart and is to be anticipated. Even within the absence of an evening parade, Fortunately Ever After has its showtime transfer ahead as the sooner sundown and nightfall time permits. The rationale for that is fairly easy and simple, because it permits extra friends (youthful households) with earlier bedtimes to expertise the fireworks, and in addition is advantageous with staggering exit instances (shifting the fireworks away from park closing).
The ‘shenanigans’ listed below are that Fortunately Ever After and Starlight have conflicting showtimes.
The present cadence of 1 hour between Starlight and Fortunately Ever After isn’t accidentally–it’s out of necessity from a crowd management perspective. Starlight and Fortunately Ever After can not have efficiency instances inside half-hour of each other, not to mention overlapping schedules with each offered at 9 pm. One thing’s gotta give.
It’ll most likely be the Starlight showtimes. For a similar cause that it’s advantageous to maneuver ahead Fortunately Ever After, it’s additionally helpful to have night time parade showtimes which can be sooner than 9 pm and 11 pm. There’s a cause that the later efficiency is commonly uncrowded, and that’s as a result of it’s just too late for a lot of friends. It’s onerous to think about park operations wanting to take care of this schedule when it may shift the instances ahead.
As we frequently see with park hours and leisure calendars, the instances usually begin as boilerplate additions. That’s possible what’s occurring with Starlight. It’s simply odd that Walt Disney World has particularly up to date these calendars on a number of separate events for Fortunately Ever After, park hours, and Starlight, however hasn’t caught this discrepancy.
Occasion Season Starlight Efficiency Predictions
As soon as the ultimate schedule for Starlight is ready, we anticipate the night time parade to proceed its nightly cadence of two performances with Fortunately Ever After in between, spaced aside by an hour, however with earlier showtimes for the whole lot. If we take a time machine again to September 17, 2015–10 years in the past–we are able to see that the schedule was Essential Road Electrical Parade at 8 pm and 10 pm, with Needs in between at 9 pm.
There was a cause for this strategy a decade in the past. It’s fascinating from Walt Disney World’s perspective as a result of it’ll extra evenly redistribute crowds if the Starlight showings are at 8 pm and 10 pm versus 9 pm and 11 pm. Maybe most significantly, it’s additionally my understanding that the schedule can’t be condensed any additional, as 60 minutes is in regards to the minimal doable buffer between the parade and fireworks showtimes.
The latter showtime is hard for households, leading to a large imbalance in demand for the 2 showtimes, and a mass exodus after Fortunately Ever After. That imbalance will nonetheless exist as a result of 10 pm continues to be too late for a lot of young children, and it means leaving the park round 10:30 pm and never being again on the resort and in mattress nearer to 11:30 pm. But it surely’s an enchancment and may assist!
What can even assist is that if Walt Disney World continues extending the closing time till 11 pm. Longer hours are good for apparent causes, however having one more level for staggered visitor exits makes issues extra orderly within the evenings, permitting for much less chaotic crowds exterior the park, shorter strains for buses, boats, monorails, and so forth.
We anticipate this to happen all through Occasion Season, however there’s no assure that it’s going to. As soon as Starlight shifts ahead (assuming that occurs and HEA isn’t the one which has its schedule modified), the park received’t want to remain open till 11 pm. If the second Starlight is at 10 pm, the park may shut then. We wish to imagine that received’t occur throughout Occasion Season as a consequence of greater crowds, nevertheless it would possibly.
The opposite concern that we’ve talked about beforehand is that Walt Disney World would possibly attempt to “get away” with just one nightly efficiency of Starlight on choose nights in September. Within the above time machine situation, we went again to September 17, 2015. Had we gone again sooner or later earlier, we might’ve solely had one MSEP efficiency–at 8 pm.
I don’t assume Walt Disney World will do that. Starlight being scheduled for 2 performances (even when they’re on the mistaken instances) by October 4, 2025 is a reasonably robust signal that this isn’t the intention. Walt Disney World usually adjusts park hours and leisure instances as soon as they’re posted however earlier than they’re deemed “remaining.” However one factor they not often, if ever, do is take issues away. The park hours updates are about giving–and it’s very uncommon to see cutbacks made to the boilerplate schedules. It’s nearly all the time (over 99% of the time) additions.
If there have been going to be a time when just one nightly efficiency of Starlight have been to happen, it’d be weekdays in September. I’d’ve stated (and did say!) that was unlikely within the first place. With this schedule replace, I’d say there’s just about no probability of it occurring in 2025. October by December is when crowds choose up, and Walt Disney World is aware of higher than making an attempt to chop prices then.
Wanting ahead slightly additional, if we went again in time to November 3, 2015, we’d see showtimes of seven pm and 9 pm for Essential Road Electrical Parade and eight pm for Needs. I’d anticipate related showtimes for Disney Starlight: Dream the Night time Away and Fortunately Ever After all through November and December 2025.
Clearly, nothing is official but that far into the long run, however there’s good cause why that was the leisure cadence a decade in the past, and it makes much more sense in 2025 for Walt Disney World to revert to that schedule.
Accordingly, we’d anticipate Starlight to shift its schedule in accordance with these historic instances and the present Fortunately Ever After schedule.
It’s frankly odd that Starlight acquired the newer replace and that’s what we’re saying is most likely mistaken (versus Fortunately Ever After, which had its schedule up to date some time in the past). In spite of everything, why wait so as to add the Starlight showtimes till after the whole lot else is already up…after which publish the mistaken showtimes?!
It is mindless, however that’s par for the course–the Walt Disney World calendar is commonly mistaken. Attempting too onerous to make sense of it’s most likely a idiot’s errand…and I suppose that makes me a idiot, since we’ve simply devoted a number of phrases to it. If all of this leaves you confused, welcome to the membership. Regardless, that’s what we anticipate–and we’ll preserve you posted about future Occasion Season park hours extensions and leisure schedule changes!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on Walt Disney World’s calendar updates? Count on to see two nightly Starlight showtimes all through 2025 and 2026? Assume the parade will proceed at 9 pm and 11 pm, or is {that a} schedule glitch by Disney? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!