Magic Kingdom Cancels Nighttime Fireworks and Electrical Parade for Regular Theme Park Guests
If Magic Kingdom Park is on your Walt Disney World Resort itinerary for Wednesday, May 13, there’s something important you need to know before you go.
A Private Buyout Is Taking Over the Park
Magic Kingdom Park is shutting its doors to regular guests at 5:30 p.m. on May 13 — nearly four hours before its typical closing time — due to a full park buyout by the SAP Sapphire & ASUG Conference. The corporate event includes a live performance by the Dave Matthews Band, and the entire original Central Florida Disney park has been reserved exclusively for conference attendees for the evening.
That means Happily Ever After and the Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away electrical parade — if performed that night — will be off-limits to anyone who isn’t part of the SAP event. Regular Walt Disney World Resort guests will be asked to exit the park by 5:30 p.m. with no exceptions.
How to Make the Most of a Complicated Day
The early closure creates a real dilemma, depending on what kind of ticket you’re holding. Guests with single-park tickets are better off skipping the Magic Kingdom entirely on May 13; a truncated park day simply doesn’t deliver the value of a full day. Putting that admission toward EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park makes far more sense.
For Park Hopper ticket holders, though, the situation actually works in your favor. The buyout will drive crowds down significantly during daytime hours, making May 13 one of the lighter days Magic Kingdom Park is likely to see all week. Arriving early, knocking out a handful of rides with shorter-than-usual wait times, and then hopping to another park before the 5:30 p.m. cutoff is a solid strategy.
The flip side of that crowd calculation applies to the days bookending the closure. May 12 and May 14 are likely to draw heavier-than-average attendance at Magic Kingdom Park as guests who skipped Wednesday make up for lost time. Longer ride waits, crowded walkways, and tighter restaurant availability are all expected on those days, particularly during evening hours when Happily Ever After and Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away are scheduled to run.
Plan Ahead to Avoid Surprises
Walt Disney World Resort publishes theme park hours on its official website and through the My Disney Experience app. Checking the schedule before locking in any part of your vacation itinerary is the simplest way to avoid walking into a situation like this one unprepared.
Has a theme park buyout ever impacted your trip to Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments!
