Today is the day! If Magic Kingdom Park is on your Walt Disney World Resort itinerary for Wednesday, May 13, there are a few things you need to know before you head out the door.
Why Magic Kingdom Park Is Closing Early
Magic Kingdom Park will stop admitting regular guests at 5:30 p.m. today, nearly four hours before its typical closing time. The early cutoff is the result of a full park buyout by the SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, which has taken over the entirety of Walt Disney World Resort’s flagship theme park for a private ticketholder event headlined by a Dave Matthews Band performance. Stage setup near Cinderella Castle was already visible on Monday, with Disney cast members spotted constructing what is presumably the concert stage.
Access to the SAP event wasn’t available to the general public. Conference tickets — which bundled the full event at the Orange County Convention Center from May 11 through May 13 with the Magic Kingdom buyout — were priced between $1,699 and $2,399 per person and are no longer available.
What Regular Guests Are Missing Tonight
Anyone exiting Magic Kingdom at the 5:30 p.m. cutoff will be walking away before the park’s nighttime entertainment gets underway. Happily Ever After and the Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away electrical parade — if performed this evening — will run exclusively for SAP conference attendees. Regular Walt Disney World Resort guests will have no access to either show on Wednesday night.
Planning the Rest of Your Week
The Magic Kingdom is expected to draw heavier-than-usual crowds on Thursday as families who skipped Wednesday make their way to the park. Securing a good viewing spot for Happily Ever After or Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away on Thursday night may require arriving earlier than you otherwise would.
Walt Disney World Resort publishes its theme park hours on the official website and through the My Disney Experience app well in advance. Checking the calendar before building any park day itinerary is the simplest way to avoid being caught off guard by closures like today’s.
Has the early Magic Kingdom Park closure impacted your visit to Walt Disney World Resort this week? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments!
