If you’re planning a Walt Disney World trip for October 2026, grab a notebook, because this month is packed with early closures, late openings, and Halloween party madness across three of the four parks. Only Animal Kingdom is sailing through October on a normal schedule (plus some bonus Extended Evening Hours for Deluxe Resort guests).
Hollywood Studios Guests: Watch Out for October 20
Got a Hollywood Studios day planned for Tuesday, October 20? You’ll want to wrap things up early. The park is closing at 5 p.m. that day, a full four hours ahead of its usual 9 p.m. shutdown. Early Entry still kicks off at 8:30 a.m., so regular guests get a window from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. before being sent on their way.
The reason: Disney is hosting a private evening event from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. tied to the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2026, a corporate conference happening October 19 through 22 at the Swan and Dolphin.
If your afternoon plans just got wiped out, don’t panic. Magic Kingdom is open until 10 p.m. that same day, EPCOT until 9 p.m., and Animal Kingdom until 6 p.m. with Extended Evening Hours running to 8 p.m. Plenty of other places to land.
EPCOT Sleeping In (Twice)
Mark your calendars for Friday, October 23, and Sunday, October 25. EPCOT will open an hour later than usual on both mornings, pushing back to 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m., with Early Theme Park Entry shifting to a 9:30 to 10 a.m. slot.
Why? Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend. The October 23 delay lines up with the Wine & Dine 5K, and October 25 lines up with the half-marathon itself. Rope drop regulars, take note: EPCOT will be the last park to open on both mornings, so you’ll want a backup plan, whether that’s another park first thing, a slower resort morning, or saving EPCOT for the afternoon with a Park Hopper ticket.
Magic Kingdom and the Halloween Party Shuffle
This one hits the most days. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is taking over Magic Kingdom sixteen times this October, on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th, and 31st. On every one of those dates, anyone without a party ticket needs to be out of the park by 6 p.m., a full four hours before the typical close.
The party itself starts at 7 p.m. with its own lineup, including Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade and Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular. Just know that Happily Ever After and Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away won’t be running those nights, so if you want the standard nighttime shows, plan your visit around the non-party calendar.
The Double-Whammy Dates: October 23 and 25
These two days are the trickiest on the whole calendar. EPCOT opens late at 10 a.m. while Magic Kingdom simultaneously kicks non-party guests out at 6 p.m. That means a shortened morning and a shortened evening on the same day, which really cuts into your park-hopping options.
There’s one more wrinkle: on Monday, October 26, Extended Evening Hours shift over to Animal Kingdom, likely wrapping up the Wine & Dine weekend and following a post-race event at EPCOT the night before.
Bottom Line
With three of the four parks affected at some point this month, and Disney’s schedule always subject to change, do yourself a favor and recheck park hours close to your trip date. It could save you from a day that ends a lot earlier than you expected.
What’s your game plan for Walt Disney World this October? Let us know in the comments!
