Disney Alters Hours for Orlando Theme Park On The Most Important Day of Summer
The Walt Disney World park calendar just confirmed something that every guest with Hollywood Studios plans next week needs to know before they set their alarm.
On Tuesday, May 26, and only on that day, Hollywood Studios opens an hour earlier than on every other day that week. Park hours begin at 8 a.m. instead of the standard 9 a.m. Disney Resort hotel guests with Early Entry access can enter at 7:30 a.m. instead of the usual 8:30 a.m. Every other day next week, Monday and Wednesday through Friday, returns to the standard 9 a.m. opening with Early Entry at 8:30 a.m.
One day. One hour. And it happens to fall on the most anticipated day Hollywood Studios has seen in months.
Why May 26 Is Different
Disney has not officially explained the early opening, but the context makes the reasoning clear.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opens to the general public on May 26. The Passholder preview window for the reimagined attraction sold out Hollywood Studios park reservations on two of the three preview dates within hours of the announcement, which is as clear a signal as any of how much demand this opening is going to generate. The general public opening is going to be larger than the preview demand by a significant margin.
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! also debuts on May 26 inside a nearby soundstage as part of the new Walt Disney Studios area opening that day. The Mandalorian and Grogu mission at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run has been running since May 22 and is already adding to the crowd pressure at a park that operates with some of the highest average wait times at Walt Disney World on normal days.
May 26 also falls on the day after Memorial Day, a holiday weekend that brings elevated attendance on its own, regardless of what is opening.
What the Extra Hour Actually Means for Disney
For guests who use it correctly, the early opening is a genuine advantage on a day when every minute of head start matters.
Disney Resort hotel guests with Early Entry access and a Hollywood Studios reservation on May 26 can be inside the park at 7:30 a.m., a full hour before the general public enters and 30 minutes before Early Entry even opens on surrounding days. That window exists specifically to ride Rock n Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets before the standby line builds to the level it is almost certainly going to reach once the park fills up.
General park guests who arrive at 8 a.m. rather than 9 a.m. have the same opportunity on a slightly compressed timeline. Being through the gates an hour before the typical opening on a day with this much demand is the single most effective crowd strategy available for May 26 at Hollywood Studios.
Lightning Lane pricing for May 26 already reflects how high Disney expects demand to be, with Hollywood Studios sitting near the top of the pricing scale. The early opening is the most accessible and free alternative to paying premium Lightning Lane prices on the resort’s busiest anticipated day of early summer.
The Short Version
Hollywood Studios opens at 8 a.m. on May 26. Early Entry starts at 7:30 a.m. for resort hotel guests. Every other day next week opens an hour later. Set the alarm accordingly.
