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Disney World Just Released Their Extended Park Hours for the Holidays, and They’re Not Great

Extended Holiday Hours Overview

Disney World has released its park hours for the upcoming holiday season, providing guests with crucial information as they plan their visits. The new schedule indicates that EPCOT will extend its closing time to 9:30 p.m. on select days, a slight change but an important one for evening visitors.

A large geodesic sphere illuminated with swirling red and white lights at night, surrounded by futuristic glowing pillars and landscaped trees.
Credit: Disney

Other parks, however, will see park hours staying quite similar to previous weeks. This consistency can make some guests apprehensive, but it doesn’t necessarily mean limited fun during the holidays.

Importance of Holiday Events

The holiday season at Disney World is widely anticipated due to its festive events. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a highlight for many, featuring complimentary snacks, holiday parades, and unique character meet-and-greets.

A nighttime view of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, brightly illuminated with colorful lights and projections, surrounded by palm trees also lit with red and green lights.
Credit: Disney

Meanwhile, Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios offers a different celebration flavor with themed attractions and special performances. As guests await more details on these activities, the excitement continues to build. The atmosphere during this time is always magical, drawing visitors from near and far.

Current Park Hours Details

One significant aspect of the current park hours is the early closures for certain attractions.
Specifically, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom will close at 6 p.m. for guests without tickets to the evening events. This might challenge those hoping to explore the parks during the holidays. Visitors must plan accordingly, especially if they aim to experience Disney World’s excitement during this magical time of year. As crowds are expected to swell during the holiday season, those wishing to make the most of their visits should know these constraints on park hours.

A cheerful couple takes a selfie in front of a brightly lit Disney Jollywood sign. The man is wearing a hoodie, and the woman is dressed in festive attire with Minnie Mouse ears. They are standing next to a neon-lit gingerbread man decoration.
Credit: Disney

Disney has a tradition of using placeholder hours on its website and mobile app, which allows it to gauge crowd sizes and hotel bookings before finalizing park hours. This practice provides flexibility in adjusting schedules based on real-time demand. Guests can remain optimistic; while park hours appear limited, adjustments may be made as the holiday season progresses.

Future Adjustments Expected

Disney is keenly aware of crowd dynamics and may extend park hours in response to increasing demand. Guests should not worry too much about the current hours released; Disney habitually changes them as it gathers more information from its operations. Historical trends show that hours often extend as more visitors arrive and the holiday spirit takes hold, ensuring a more robust experience for everyone.

A view of Main Street at Disney World decorated with festive Christmas wreaths and garlands, leading up to the iconic Cinderella Castle under a clear sky.
Credit: Disney

As the holiday season approaches, potential visitors should stay informed through official Disney channels for any updates. Ultimately, as the parks get ready for their festive celebrations, adjustments are likely, promising a season filled with joy and world-class entertainment. While the first announcement of park hours may not be encouraging for everyone, it is essential to remember that change is a hallmark of Disney World, especially during the busy holiday season.

Author

  • Rick Lye

    Rick is an avid Disney fan. He first went to Disney World in 1986 with his parents and has been hooked ever since. Rick is married to another Disney fan and is in the process of turning his two children into fans as well. When he is not creating new Disney adventures, he loves to watch the New York Yankees and hang out with his dog, Buster. In the fall, you will catch him cheering for his beloved NY Giants.

Rick Lye

Rick is an avid Disney fan. He first went to Disney World in 1986 with his parents and has been hooked ever since. Rick is married to another Disney fan and is in the process of turning his two children into fans as well. When he is not creating new Disney adventures, he loves to watch the New York Yankees and hang out with his dog, Buster. In the fall, you will catch him cheering for his beloved NY Giants.

2 Comments

  1. It’s pretty pathetic how awful the hours are and how they added “parties” to more days to monetize the same park days twice. Limited events, cost-cutting everywhere….

    1. This is why we have boycotted disney over the last year, almost two I don’t like the changes.And I don’t like the way disney has been trying to indoctor things on children.And I don’t like that, they put alcohol in the magic kingdom.And i’m sixty one years old.I went there the first year.They opened i don’t know why they just couldn’t leave magic kingdom pretty well alone, even though they had some more acreage there to put the new car stuff and left tom sawyer island but getting rid of splash mountain.And changing the country bears and keeps coming up about doing away with the hall of presidents.I think is terrible but changes come with everything.So we have decided to change and go to universal seaworld and possibly lego land but we’re from south carolina.So when we was going to disney, we had annual passes, because we would go at least 2 toto tmes a year.And that’s disney world. Plus the price hasn’t done nothing but increased on everything. And we did not drop our Disney plus because the Jimmy Kimmel layoff. We’d already decided to do it, and we had it through November 13th. So it’s gonna be gone after then. I’ve got enough dvds. I bought over the years when they used to have the movie club and I thought that was great because, you know you got special pens and a card with it when the special movies come out. And then you could get the dvd and blu-ray together, and then I could share that You know, I keep the DVD and I give my grandchildren the blu-ray, but anyway, like, I say everything changes over time. I’ve seen so many changes in my life. And where I live with the cutting down of trees and having wildlife moving around people complaining about it, except they’re complaining that there’s more animals. Now that they have to worry about. Well, if you wouldn’t have tore all their places down to live, just so you could build many mansions. Wouldn’t have to worry But Florida knows plenty about that. Just in the Daytona area of Florida, you go off of 95 and turn to go toward D land and then turn back L. PG a and you’ll see the 6000 homes on one side, the 4000 on the other where I think it’s called margaritaville. And now, people complaining about the bears that live more toward d land because they move that way, where was they supposed to go? And developers don’t care They never have h* A’s only care about the rules. They want to make to put on you if you made a rule to put on them, they would be mad. But that’s because all the Yankees and I’m sorry, because I saw that. You’re probably a Yankee, because you’re a New York Yankees fan, a New York Giants fan. I was back years ago I was a New York fan when rich Jackson played for him but I was an A’s fan before that. When he played for them, but I’m always a Braves. Fan.

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