Walt Disney Global has added new hours to the calendar via early January 2026 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom, and prolonged hours in November 2025. This publish covers the adjustments plus zig after they zag technique for Magic Kingdom at Christmas-time.
We’ll get started with the newest unlock of latest working schedules. All 4 theme parks have had hours for every other week added to DisneyWorld.com’s park hours, and the present calendar now runs via January 2, 2026. Listed here are the hours for the newly-added dates all through the vacation season, from November 28, 2025 and past:
- Magic Kingdom: 9 am to ten pm*
- EPCOT: 9 am to 9:30 pm
- Hollywood Studios: 9 am to 9 pm*
- Animal Kingdom: 8 am to six pm
- Storm Lagoon: 10 am to five pm
- Snowfall Seaside: Closed
- Disney Springs: 10 am to 11 pm (11:30 pm on Fridays & Saturdays)
As a reminder, Walt Disney Global’s standard observe is to unlock boilerplate or placeholder hours sooner than extending the ones in line with attendance and lodge occupancy projections. This has been commonplace observe for years, and can proceed for the rest of this yr and most certainly in 2026, 2027, and many others–till the upward push of the machines.
One exception to the park hours above is that Magic Kingdom closes on a number of nights every week at 6 pm to day visitors for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration over the process the following couple months. This separately-ticketed tournament starts at 7 pm and runs till middle of the night, and happen a couple of nights every week.
Very similar to Magic Kingdom on MVMCP nights, Hollywood Studios closes at 7 pm on evenings when the Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Celebration is held. That onerous price tag tournament happens with some distance much less frequency than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration.
EPCOT hours are prolonged for the 2025 EPCOT Global Pageant of the Vacations.
Beginning on November twenty eighth, EPCOT shall be open till 9:30 p.m. reasonably than its present ultimate time of 9 p.m. The park will proceed to open at 9 a.m., with Early Access starting sooner than that at 8:30 a.m. EPCOT can even proceed internet hosting Prolonged Night time Hours on (maximum) Monday nights, from 9:30 to 11:30 pm.
Our hope is that EPCOT will get even later ultimate occasions all through the center of the Christmas season. That is typically the busiest time of the yr due to Candlelight Processional and Pageant of the Vacations, along side nicer climate that pulls out locals. I nonetheless don’t moderately perceive why EPCOT doesn’t shut later. Undoubtedly the meals & beverage gross sales on my own would justify every other half-hour?!
Each unmarried seek advice from we made to EPCOT remaining yr after Black Friday, the park used to be completely slammed. This wasn’t at all times mirrored in wait occasions on the entrance of the park, which does hole out aside from Dwelling with the Land – Glimmering Greenhouses, however Global Show off used to be packed. EPCOT may just simply do 10 pm ultimate occasions and recoup the hard work and operational bills a number of occasions over.
In different calendar information, Walt Disney Global In the end Added Starlight Night time Parade Showtimes for the Vacation Season. Those don’t seem to be what we had been anticipating.
Sunlight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 2, 2025. This typically triggers showtime adjustments for the Magic Kingdom fireworks. In most cases as in each unmarried yr. Remaining yr, it intended Fortuitously Ever After shifting ahead to eight:30 pm to start with, after which ahead to eight pm. It stayed in that point slot till DST began once more in March.
We anticipated one thing an identical for Christmas 2025, with Starlight showtimes adjusted accordingly across the previous sundown and fireworks occasions. Barring a final minute agenda exchange, we had been unsuitable about that. So far as the calendar is going, there were no changes to start out occasions. It’s slightly strange.
Along with those newly added hours, Walt Disney Global has additionally prolonged park hours all over the primary few weeks of November 2025.
That is going to be taking place increasingly. We’re getting into the house stretch of the yr when crowds can spike because of lengthy weekends, faculty breaks, vacations and different particular occasions. In consequence, you’ll be able to be expecting much more extensions–on a weekly foundation–from Walt Disney Global going ahead.
Right here’s a take a look at the primary waves of park hours extensions for November 2025:
Magic Kingdom Park Hours Extensions
- November 1, 2025: 9 am to 11 pm (up to now 9 am to ten pm)
- November 7, 2025: 8 am to six pm (up to now 9 am to six pm)
- November 8, 2025: 8 am to 11 pm (up to now 9 am to ten pm)
- November 9, 2025: 9 am to 11 pm (up to now 9 am to ten pm)
- November 10, 2025: 8 am to six pm (up to now 9 am to six pm)
- November 11, 2025: 8 am to six pm (up to now 9 am to six pm)
- November 14, 2025: 8 am to six pm (up to now 9 am to six pm)
- November 15, 2025: 8 am to 11 pm (up to now 9 am to ten pm)
Walt Disney Global has best up to date hours via November 15, 2025. Any dates past that display boilerplate hours. There shall be extensions for many, if now not all, dates in November and December 2025 past that during long run updates, so don’t agonize if you happen to’re touring later all through the vacation season. That is the way it at all times works.
The primary reason why for those extensions is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration.
As we’ve mentioned numerous occasions, Celebration Season working hours purpose chaos with crowds, pushing attendance a lot upper at the dates it’s now not going on and decrease at the dates it is happening. On tournament nights, Magic Kingdom closes to day visitors at 6 pm. It is usually opens at 8 am on busier days, however there were exceptions to that over the process the remaining month.
The dangerous information is that those extensions are much less competitive than we had was hoping, particularly with later park closings. All the way through Jersey Week and within the lead-up to Veterans Day, there are just a few 11 pm ultimate days. In earlier years, all of those dates had been prolonged and that weekend were given middle of the night closings. In spite of the addition of Starlight this yr, hours are if truth be told shorter.
We’re specifically disenchanted via the standard 9 am to ten pm hours on November 12, 2025.
That’s a pink flag date to steer clear of, as November 10-11 and November 13-14 are Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Celebration nights. It’s the lone weekday all through that reach with a “past due” night time ultimate time. Although that’s now not a height week, that night time goes to be loopy. Magic Kingdom must be open from 8 am till middle of the night on that date, now not 9 am to ten pm. Keep away from that day in any respect prices.
The excellent news is that Magic Kingdom is opening at 8 am on maximum dates within the first part of November 2025. We predict this development to proceed in the second one part of the month, even if there it will be a couple of days with 9 am openings all through slower weeks. See our record of the Perfect & Worst Weeks to Consult with Walt Disney Global in 2025, 2026 & 2027 for a rundown of the great and dangerous dates subsequent month and past.
Those 8 am rope drops imply that Early Access begins at 7:30 am, which is massive. Glance no additional than our new box checking out: Magic Kingdom’s Additional Early Access is a Should-Do for Low Waits at Disney Global’s Greatest Rides!
That covers how I looped TRON Lightcycle Run (x3), and did Seven Dwarfs Mine Educate, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Tiana’s Bayou Journey as walk-ons. Don’t be expecting to copy the ones precise effects on height season dates, however the animating thought and technique is similar.
Don’t sleep in this! The strategic merit introduced is immense, particularly on days that shall be busier. Despite the fact that you’ll be able to’t knock out up to I did (and you almost certainly gained’t have the ability to), the daylight crowds that hit round 10 am on the ones dates shall be worse than what I encountered. Those 8 am rope drops and seven:30 am are you secret weapon to knocking out up to conceivable with out paying further for Lightning Lanes!
Be expecting to peer party-shortened days at Magic Kingdom have crowd ranges of two/10 in November and December as an alternative of one/10. First, as a result of crowd ranges as an entire are expanding, on each occasion and non-party days. 2nd, occasion dates are turning into extra widespread, making them tougher to steer clear of. That suggests extra visitors will don’t have any selection however to do Magic Kingdom on occasion days.
The upside is that much more folks will try to do Magic Kingdom on the ones uncommon non-party days. Because of this the space in wait occasions between occasion and non-party days will if truth be told develop. Suffice to mention, we strongly counsel visiting Magic Kingdom all through the day on MVMCP nights.
That is one thing we’ve coated at period, over and over again. See Perfect & Worst Days to Do Magic Kingdom in 2025 for a rundown of when crowds shall be particularly excellent or dangerous, together with a handful of ‘pink flag’ dates to steer clear of in any respect prices this month via December.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- November 2, 2025: 8:30 am to 9 pm (up to now 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 8, 2025: 8:30 am to 7 pm (up to now 9 am to 7 pm)
- November 15, 2025: 8:30 am to 7 pm (up to now 9 am to 7 pm)
Just a few dates including hours for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s “best” half-hour. This can be a larger deal than it would appear as a result of Early Access will as soon as once more formally get started at 8 am on those dates. As we’ve discussed numerous occasions, the sooner that Early Access begins, the easier. There’s much less “pageant” and you’ll be able to get far more performed.
In truth, that’s how I Did Each Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Ahead of 11am By way of Standby Strains. Don’t rely on replicating those effects on November eighth, however the technique is sound. We’d thus extremely counsel doing DHS on this sort of dates if in any respect conceivable.
As for which date, that in point of fact will depend on whether or not you’ll keep at DHS all day. We’ve had a large number of reader questions on whether or not it’s savvy method to reflect the zig after they zag solution to Magic Kingdom all through Celebration Season. Our resolution, as mentioned at period in Perfect & Worst 2025 Crowd Days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, may not be.
With the park best ultimate two hours early on tournament nights (as opposed to 4-5 hours for Magic Kingdom), now not just about as many visitors are discouraged from doing DHS on the ones dates. Even on standard nights, now not just about as many of us keep past due in Hollywood Studios as accomplish that in Magic Kingdom. Attendance at DHS may well be a bit of decrease on tournament days, however now not considerably so.
Conversely, there’s the Jollywood Nights attendees that can arrive all through their mix-in time, and this may increasingly lead to longer strains for headliner sights at a time after they’d in a different way be in point of fact quick. Fantasmic is best proven as soon as (and at an previous time) on Disney Jollywood Nights dates, too. In contrast, it has two performances–certainly one of which is after park ultimate–on maximum vacation season dates.
The one exception to this could be if I had been merely beginning out at DHS and Park Hopping in different places. The ones 8:30 am openings are implausible from a strategic viewpoint, and may also be leveraged for a extra productive Early Access. It’s now not moderately as implausible as Magic Kingdom’s 7:30 am Early Access, however nonetheless superb.
Animal Kingdom Park Hours Extensions
- November 1, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 2, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 3, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 5, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 6, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 7, 2025: 8 am to eight pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 8, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 9, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 11, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 12, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 13, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 14, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
- November 15, 2025: 8 am to 7 pm (up to now 8 am to six pm)
With regards to Animal Kingdom, we desire taking the additional hours assuming you’re going to be there all day. Or even supposing you’re doing a noon spoil however will go back to the similar park. Extra time is best. On the other hand, if you happen to plan on leaving early, the most productive observe is warding off DAK when the ultimate is later. There’s a reason why those dates get prolonged hours and others don’t, and it’s as a result of WDW’s inner attendance projections are upper.
With all of that mentioned, you in point of fact don’t want that a lot time at Animal Kingdom. For those who arrive for Early Access and even common rope drop, you’ll be able to simply run the desk on the entire rides sooner than lunch. That leaves degree presentations 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 Access Experience Technique (or, “How I Did Each Experience at DAK Ahead of 10:30am.”)
On the reverse finish of the day, Animal Kingdom formally closes after sundown for all of at the present time! Between the later ultimate and finish of Sunlight Saving Time, you’ll be able to get a pair hours in DAK after darkish for the primary time shortly!
I don’t see Tree of Existence Wintry weather Awakenings again at the agenda simply but–however Walt Disney Global already showed they’d be again. We extremely counsel staying for evenings in DAK to benefit from the Tree of Existence Awakenings, plus Pandora and the remainder of the park after darkish.
Our Animal Kingdom Afternoon Arrival Technique is as soon as once more the best method for this park. Even on busier dates, Lightning Lane Multi Move makes no sense with even a modicum of strategizing. Please don’t be fooled via the “discount” pricing on LLMP at Animal Kingdom. Keep in mind, one thing is just a deal if you happen to if truth be told want it–in a different way, you’re only a hoarder. (Smartly, you’ll be able to’t in point of fact hoard Lightning Lanes in the similar sense…however you get the speculation!)
In the end, it’ll be fascinating to peer how dangerous crowds finally end up being in November 2025, and what occurs with park hours extensions as soon as the vacation season kicks into top tools round Thanksgiving. Our hope is that Walt Disney Global will get again to later ultimate occasions for the Christmas season.
In a perfect global, 11 pm closings at Magic Kingdom will be the default on non-party nights, with middle of the night closings going on at least one time every week. There have been best 2-3 middle of the night closings remaining yr between Veterans Day and December twenty ninth; it might be great to peer an building up from that, particularly round Thanksgiving and Christmas. However frankly, any day that’s between two or extra MVMCP dates must be a middle of the night ultimate.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you bring to mind Walt Disney Global’s working hours extensions for November 2025? Assume this agenda is cheap? Do you assume Magic Kingdom must be open previous and/or later? What has been your enjoy with crowds and wait occasions? Do you settle or disagree with our overview? Any questions we will allow you to resolution? Listening to your comments–even whilst you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas underneath within the feedback!
