Thanksgiving week is bringing another round of operating changes to Walt Disney World Resort. With the November holiday approaching, Disney has expanded regular operating hours at three of its four theme parks, giving guests additional time to visit attractions during one of the resort’s major vacation periods.
The updated schedule covers November 22 through November 28, 2026, with Magic Kingdom receiving the most adjustments. Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are also gaining operating time, while EPCOT’s schedule remains unchanged.
For families planning their Thanksgiving vacations, however, the changes come with an important distinction. Magic Kingdom is extending several operating days while continuing to close early for separately ticketed Christmas parties on select nights.
Magic Kingdom Expands Thanksgiving Day to 15 Hours
Magic Kingdom is at the center of Walt Disney World’s latest schedule adjustments.
According to the Walt Disney World operating calendar, the park is now scheduled to operate from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day.
That represents a two-hour increase over the previously published 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule. Guests visiting on Thanksgiving will now have 15 hours of regular operating time, rather than the original 13 hours.
Disney has also extended Magic Kingdom’s closing time on November 22, November 23, and November 28. Each date is now scheduled to end at 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.
Another adjustment affects November 24, when the park will open at 8 a.m. rather than 9 a.m.
These changes give visitors more flexibility when organizing attraction visits, meals, and entertainment. However, longer hours do not necessarily translate into shorter attraction lines, particularly when holiday attendance is elevated.
Inside the Magic previously covered Magic Kingdom’s original Thanksgiving-week operating schedule, which showed shorter operating windows on several dates.
The latest changes provide additional regular park time on five dates, but they do not eliminate the early closures associated with holiday events.
Disney World Keeps Early Magic Kingdom Closures for Christmas Parties
While Disney is adding operating time, guests visiting Magic Kingdom on November 24 will still encounter a shortened regular admission day.
The park is scheduled to close at 6 p.m. that evening ahead of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Its earlier opening gives daytime guests an additional hour, but does not extend their access into the evening.
Disney’s official Christmas party information confirms that the separately ticketed celebration runs from 7 p.m. until midnight. Party ticket holders may enter Magic Kingdom beginning at 4 p.m.
The event is also scheduled for November 25 and November 27, creating additional dates when regular daytime admission does not provide access to the full evening.
This distinction matters for visitors deciding which day to spend at Magic Kingdom. A guest visiting on Thanksgiving Day can potentially remain inside the park until 11 p.m., while someone visiting on November 24 must leave at the regular closing time unless they have separate event admission.
Inside the Magic has also reported on Thanksgiving-week adjustments affecting Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, illustrating why attraction-specific schedules deserve attention alongside overall park hours.
Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom Receive Additional Operating Time
Magic Kingdom is not the only Walt Disney World park receiving schedule changes.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open at 8:30 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. on November 23 and November 24, adding 30 minutes of regular operating time on each date.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is receiving larger evening adjustments.
On November 22, Animal Kingdom will remain open until 7 p.m. rather than 6 p.m. The November 24 schedule has also been extended, with closing moving from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
That second change gives Animal Kingdom visitors two additional hours inside the park.
The adjustments follow other November operating-hour extensions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which Inside the Magic previously covered.
Although the new hours create more opportunities to explore the parks, individual attractions, entertainment offerings, and dining locations may operate on different schedules.
EPCOT Remains Unchanged as Disney Adjusts Three Other Parks
Unlike the other three theme parks, EPCOT has not received an operating-hours extension in the supplied Thanksgiving-week update.
Its regular schedule remains 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. throughout November 22–28.
That makes EPCOT the only Walt Disney World theme park without changes in this particular round of adjustments.
The difference also highlights how Disney’s operating schedule varies across the resort. Guests cannot assume that an extension at Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom means additional hours will be available elsewhere.
For visitors splitting their vacation across multiple parks, comparing operating hours by date may be more useful than selecting parks based solely on their usual opening and closing times.
What Thanksgiving Week Guests Should Know Before Visiting
The additional hours could make a meaningful difference for guests trying to fit more attractions into a holiday vacation. Magic Kingdom’s 15-hour Thanksgiving Day schedule is especially notable for visitors who want a longer regular admission day without purchasing a separate Christmas party ticket.
However, the extensions should not be interpreted as confirmation that Disney expects a particular crowd level.
The company has not identified a specific attendance forecast as the reason for these adjustments in the available official information.
Guests should also remember that more operating time does not guarantee shorter waits. Actual attraction availability, demand, and operational conditions will determine how much visitors can accomplish.
Those considering Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party can review Inside the Magic’s coverage of the separately ticketed holiday event before deciding whether daytime admission or an event ticket better fits their plans.
For now, the biggest takeaway is that Thanksgiving-week visitors have more operating time available at three Disney World parks, but the exact date of their visit still matters.
Before finalizing an itinerary, guests should check Disney’s official park calendar and the My Disney Experience app for the latest operating hours, attraction schedules, and separately ticketed events.
