Walt Disney World has added extra hours to the calendar by early December 2025 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom, and prolonged hours in October. This submit covers the modifications plus zig after they zag technique for Magic Kingdom in the course of the Halloween and Christmas seasons.
We’ll begin with the newest launch of latest working schedules. All 4 theme parks have had hours for one more week added to DisneyWorld.com’s park hours, and the present calendar now runs by December 5, 2025. Listed below are the hours for the newly-added dates in the course of the vacation season, from November 28, 2025 and past:
- Magic Kingdom: 9 am to 10 pm*
- EPCOT: 9 am to 9:30 pm
- Hollywood Studios: 9 am to 9 pm*
- Animal Kingdom: 8 am to six pm
- Hurricane Lagoon: 10 am to five pm
- Blizzard Seashore: Closed
- Disney Springs: 10 am to 11 pm (11:30 pm on Fridays & Saturdays)
As a reminder, Walt Disney World’s regular follow is to launch boilerplate or placeholder hours earlier than extending these based mostly on attendance and resort occupancy projections. This has been frequent follow for years, and can proceed for the rest of this yr and doubtless in 2026, 2027, and many others–till the rise of the machines.
One exception to the park hours above is that Magic Kingdom closes on a number of nights per week at 6 pm to day company for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration over the course of the following three months. These separately-ticketed occasions start at 7 pm and runs till midnight, and happen a number of nights per week.
Just like Magic Kingdom on MNSSHP or MVMCP nights, Hollywood Studios closes at 7 pm on evenings when the Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Celebration is held. That arduous ticket occasion happens with far much less frequency than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration.
The large purpose this schedule change is notable is that Walt Disney World has revealed that EPCOT hours shall be prolonged for the 2025 EPCOT Worldwide Pageant of the Holidays.
Beginning on November twenty eighth, EPCOT shall be open till 9:30 p.m. moderately than its present closing time of 9 p.m. The park will proceed to open at 9 a.m., with Early Entry starting earlier than that at 8:30 a.m. EPCOT will even proceed internet hosting Prolonged Night Hours on (most) Monday nights, from 9:30 to 11:30 pm.
Our hope is that EPCOT will get even later closing occasions in the course of the coronary heart of the Christmas season. That is normally the busiest time of the yr because of Candlelight Processional and Pageant of the Holidays, together with nicer climate that pulls out locals. I nonetheless don’t fairly perceive why EPCOT doesn’t shut later. Absolutely the meals & beverage gross sales alone would justify one other half-hour?!
Each single go to we made to EPCOT final yr after Black Friday, the park was completely slammed. This wasn’t all the time mirrored in wait occasions on the entrance of the park, which does hole out apart from Dwelling with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses, however World Showcase was packed. EPCOT may simply do 10 pm closing occasions and recoup the labor and operational bills a number of occasions over.
Talking of park closing occasions, Magic Kingdom is scheduled to shut at 6 pm on October 21, 2025 for a park buyout throughout a colossal convention, the Gartner IT Symposium. This normally occurs at EPCOT, however is shifting to Magic Kingdom this yr. (I ponder how far more that set Gartner again?!)
This one is simple to overlook as you’re attempting to dodge Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration dates that week, which additionally happen throughout this identical week on October 19, 23, 24, 26. Suffice to say, pack your persistence if you happen to’re visiting Magic Kingdom on October 20, 22, or 25. Plenty of crowds consolidated into these dates to see Starlight and Fortunately Ever After!
Actually, the larger factor is perhaps the Gartner IT Symposium and return of conference ‘season’ as a complete. Whereas attendees themselves aren’t spending all day within the parks, they’ll find time for evenings at EPCOT and elsewhere. Not solely that, however many spouses and kids tag alongside and go to the parks whereas the conventioneers sit in Crescent Lake convention rooms. Conference ‘season’ is among the large explanation why October stopped being the low season over a decade in the past!
On the subjects of shifting schedules and Magic Kingdom, right here’s the present nighttime leisure schedule for now by November 1, 2025:
- Starlight Parade: 8 pm
- Fortunately Ever After: 9 pm
- Starlight Parade: 10 pm
- Park Closing: 10 pm
After November 1st, there aren’t any occasions posted for parades. When you have a look at the official Starlight web page, it says “no efficiency at present.” The identical is the case for Pageant of Fantasy. This has occurred earlier than, so earlier than you freak out, it’s not correct. There’s no purpose to imagine both parade, not to mention each of them, will pause for November and December.
Curiously, Fortunately Ever After continues to have 9 pm showtimes all through November 2025. This has additionally occurred earlier than! For no matter purpose, Walt Disney World retains populating Fortunately Ever After showtimes even when there’s no schedule for the parades. I haven’t the slightest clue as to why, particularly when there have been simply visitor considerations and complaints about this final month. Making issues worse, this 9 pm showtime for Fortunately Ever After can also be in all probability inaccurate.
Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 2, 2025. This normally triggers showtime modifications for the Magic Kingdom fireworks. Often as in each single yr. Final yr, it meant Fortunately Ever After shifting ahead to eight:30 pm (this truly occurred in late October, as sundown occasions had already moved ahead). One week later, Fortunately Ever After moved ahead to eight pm and stayed in that point slot till DST began once more in March.
If we went again in time to November 3, 2015, we’d see showtimes of seven pm and 9 pm for Important Road Electrical Parade and eight pm for Needs. I’d count on comparable showtimes for Disney Starlight: Dream the Night time Away and Fortunately Ever After all through November and December 2025.
Clearly, nothing is official but, however there’s good purpose why that was the leisure cadence a decade in the past, and it makes much more sense in 2025 to revert to that schedule. That is Walt Disney World’s most well-liked schedule, because it permits households with children who can’t keep out late the prospect to see nighttime leisure, and likewise helps filter the park earlier. The one purpose that they had later showtimes over the summer season was as a result of sundown dictated it, and there’s a crucial hour hole between the showtimes.
Along with these newly added hours, Walt Disney World has additionally prolonged park hours all through the primary few weeks of October 2025.
That is going to be occurring an increasing number of. We’re getting into the house stretch of the yr when crowds can spike as a result of lengthy weekends, faculty breaks, holidays and different particular occasions. Consequently, you possibly can count on much more extensions–on a weekly foundation–from Walt Disney World going ahead.
Anyway, on with the primary waves of extensions for Fall 2025. As of proper now, Walt Disney World has solely made focused park hours extensions by October 18, 2025. Right here’s a have a look at these:
Magic Kingdom Park Hours Extensions
- October 3, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 4, 2025: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 10 pm)
- October 5, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 6, 2025: 9 am to 11pm (beforehand 9 am to 10 pm)
- October 7, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 8, 2025: 9 am to 11pm (beforehand 9 am to 10 pm)
- October 9, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 10, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 11, 2025: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 10 pm)
- October 12, 2025: 9 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 10 pm)
- October 13, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 14, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 15, 2025: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 10 pm)
- October 16, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 17, 2025: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- October 18, 2025: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 10 pm)
Once more, October 18th is the final date to be prolonged so far; any date beginning Oct. 19 is solely boilerplate hours at this level. Additional extensions will comply with, so don’t fret if you happen to’re touring within the second half of October and past. That is the way it all the time works.
The explanation for these extensions is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Celebration.
As we’ve mentioned numerous occasions, Celebration 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 company at 6 pm. It is usually opens at 8 am on busier days, however there have been exceptions to that over the course of the final month.
The excellent news is that Magic Kingdom is opening at 8 am on most dates beginning October 3, 2025. We count on this development to proceed within the second half of October, though there’ll in all probability be fewer days with 8 am openings till Veterans Day/Jersey Week in November, as Fall Breaks wind up and attendance sometimes decreases throughout that timeframe. See our checklist of the Greatest & Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2025, 2026 & 2027 for a rundown of the great and unhealthy dates subsequent month and past.
These 8 am rope drops imply that Early Entry begins at 7:30 am, which is big. Look no additional than our new area testing: Magic Kingdom’s Further Early Entry is a Should-Do for Low Waits at Disney World’s Largest Rides!
That covers how I looped TRON Lightcycle Run (x3), and did Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Tiana’s Bayou Journey as walk-ons. Don’t count on to copy these precise outcomes on busier October by December dates, however the animating concept and technique is identical.
Don’t sleep on this! The strategic benefit provided is immense, particularly on days that shall be busier round Fall Break. Even if you happen to can’t knock out as a lot as I did (and also you in all probability gained’t be capable to), the daytime crowds that hit round 10 am on these dates shall be far, far worse than what I encountered. These 8 am rope drops and seven:30 am are you secret weapon to knocking out as a lot as doable with out paying additional for Lightning Lanes!
Up to now about rising crowds, you possibly can count on to see party-shortened days at Magic Kingdom have crowd ranges of two/10 as an alternative of 1/10. It will occur as a result of crowd ranges as a complete are rising–they’ll be greater throughout the board for fall break, which means on each celebration and non-party days. Second, celebration dates have gotten extra frequent, making them tougher to keep away from. Meaning extra company could have no selection however to do Magic Kingdom on celebration days.
The upside, if you wish to name it that, is that much more folks will try and do Magic Kingdom on these uncommon non-party days, particularly Saturdays. Because of this the hole in wait occasions between celebration and non-party days will truly develop. Suffice to say, we strongly advocate visiting Magic Kingdom in the course of the day on MNSSHP or MVMCP nights.
That is one thing we’ve coated at size, time and again. See Greatest & Worst Days to Do Magic Kingdom in 2025 for a rundown of when crowds shall 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
- October 3, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 4, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 5, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 10, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 11, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 12, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 13, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 17, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- October 18, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
In terms of Animal Kingdom, we favor taking the additional hours assuming you’re going to be there all day. And even if you happen to’re doing a noon break however will return to the identical park. Extra time is healthier. Nonetheless, if you happen to plan on leaving early, the most effective follow is avoiding DAK when the closing is later. There’s a purpose these dates get prolonged hours and others don’t, and it’s as a result of WDW’s inner attendance projections are greater.
With all of that stated, you actually don’t want that a lot time at Animal Kingdom. When you arrive for Early Entry and even common rope drop, you possibly can simply run the desk on all the rides earlier than lunch. That leaves stage exhibits and animal reveals for the afternoon, which nonetheless gained’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 Journey Technique (or, “How I Did Each Journey at DAK Earlier than 10:30am.”)
In the end, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see how unhealthy crowds find yourself being in October 2025, and what occurs with park hours extensions for the vacation season that begins in early November 2025. Our hope is that Walt Disney World will get again to later closing occasions for the Christmas season. In an excellent world, 11 pm closings at Magic Kingdom could be the norm on non-party nights, with midnight closings occurring a minimum of as soon as per week. If I recall accurately, there have been solely 2-3 midnight closings final yr between Veterans Day and December twenty ninth.
As for subsequent month, we’re happy to have the extensions. It might be good to have one other half-hour within the morning or night at DHS, and possibly even a couple of midnight closings at Magic Kingdom (the times wedged between 3-4 MNSSHPs shall be brutal, particularly with that Gartner IP occasion additionally within the combine), however all in all, it’s not too unhealthy. Despite the fact that attendance goes to extend–and doubtless by lots–Halloween and Christmas are our favourite occasions of the yr within the parks and on the resorts!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Walt Disney World’s working hours extensions for October 2025? Assume this schedule is cheap? Do you suppose Magic Kingdom must be open earlier and/or later? What has been your expertise with crowds and wait occasions? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist 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 under within the feedback!