Walt Disney World has added extra hours to the calendar by way of February 2025 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom, and prolonged hours for the vacation season by way of the height week between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve. This covers the adjustments plus zig after they zag technique for Magic Kingdom and whether or not to belief typical knowledge at DHS throughout these dates.
We’ll begin with the newest launch of recent working schedules. All 4 theme parks have had hours for an additional week added to DisneyWorld.com’s park hours, and the present calendar now runs by way of February 5, 2025. Listed below are the hours for many newly-added dates through the winter:
- Magic Kingdom: 9 am to 9 pm
- EPCOT: 9 am to 9:30 pm
- Hollywood Studios: 9 am to 9 pm
- Animal Kingdom: 8 am to six pm
- Blizzard Seaside: 10 am to five pm
- Disney Springs: 10 am to 11 pm (11:30 pm on Fridays & Saturdays)
As a reminder, Walt Disney World’s regular follow is to launch boilerplate or placeholder hours earlier than extending these based mostly on attendance and lodge occupancy projections. This has been widespread follow for years, and can proceed for the rest of this yr and doubtless in 2025, 2026, and so on–till the rise of the machines.
One exception to the park hours above is that Magic Kingdom closes on a number of nights per week at 6 pm to day visitors for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering over the course of the following couple weeks. This separately-ticketed occasion begins at 7 pm and runs till midnight, and happens a number of nights per week.
The excellent news is that Magic Kingdom will deliver the vacation leisure from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering to all visitors beginning December 21, 2024. So in case you’re visiting that date or later, you might have that “free” choice versus paying for the events, that are all offered out now, anyway. And actually, it isn’t free. It’s included with admission, which is costlier the final two weeks of the yr. To not point out considerably greater lodge prices. Minor particulars.
Much like Magic Kingdom on MVMCP nights, Hollywood Studios closes at 7 pm on evenings when the Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Social gathering is held. That tough ticket occasion happens with far much less frequency than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering.
Along with these newly added hours, Walt Disney World has additionally prolonged park hours by way of the height week between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve–however not all the way in which to NYE. Nevertheless, we do have already got the leisure schedules and park closing occasions (openings are prone to be prolonged earlier) as coated in our Information to New 12 months’s Eve 2025 at Walt Disney World.
Anyway, on with the added hours for December 2024, from current by way of the latest wave of extensions…
Magic Kingdom
- December 8, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- December 9, 2024: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 11, 2024: 9 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 12, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- December 13, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- December 14, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 15, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- December 16, 2024: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 18, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 20, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- December 21, 2024: 9 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 23, 2024: 9 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 24, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 25, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 26, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 27, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 28, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
Walt Disney World has solely up to date hours by way of December 28, 2024. Any dates past that present boilerplate hours. There might be extensions for dates from December 29 by way of January 4, 2025 within the subsequent wave of updates. Dates beginning January 6, 2025 are much less prone to see main extensions, however some smaller ones are attainable.
The opposite factor to which I need to name your consideration to is December 11, 14 and 18.
All of those are ‘purple flag’ dates to keep away from throughout weeks main as much as Christmas that may in any other case have solely average crowds. It’s because every of those are the one day in 4-day stretches when Magic Kingdom doesn’t shut early for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering.
Past this, we need to reiterate but once more that midnight closures must be normal working process for Magic Kingdom throughout Social gathering Season on dates when the park isn’t closing early. Disneyland closes at midnight nearly on daily basis this vacation season, and Magic Kingdom ought to match. The crowds on non-party dates all through December are greater than enough to justify 8 am to 12 am hours each single day. Not doing so is a mixture of cheapness on Walt Disney World’s half, combined with eager to push individuals in the direction of Lightning Lanes.
On a constructive notice, there are the extensions on days of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Social gathering, with Magic Kingdom now opening at 8 am on many dates. That is the way it ought to be throughout Social gathering Season (and, in my view, most days).
As we’ve mentioned numerous occasions, Social gathering Season working hours trigger chaos with crowds, pushing attendance a lot greater on the dates it’s not occurring and decrease on the dates it’s occurring. On occasion nights, Magic Kingdom closes to day visitors at 6 pm. Additionally it is more and more opening at 8 am. Due to this, Early Entry begins at 7:30 am, which makes this on-site perk far more extremely really useful.
Count on party-shortened days at Magic Kingdom to have crowd ranges of two/10 to 4/10 as a substitute of 1/10. This occurs as a result of crowd ranges as a complete are growing nearer to Christmas. Which means they’re greater throughout the board, on each social gathering and non-party days. It’s additionally occurring as a result of social gathering dates have gotten extra frequent, making them tougher to keep away from. Meaning extra visitors can have no alternative however to do Magic Kingdom on social gathering days.
Ideally, you’ll have Park Hopper tickets and can be capable of bounce to a different park at round 4 pm. Animal Kingdom will all the time be your only option for lower-crowd evenings through the vacation season.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- December 11, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- December 14, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- December 18, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- December 21, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- December 26, 2024: 8:30 am to 9 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 27, 2024: 8:30 am to 9 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- December 28, 2024: 8:30 am to 9 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
Just a few dates including hours for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s “solely” half-hour. It is a greater deal than it might sound as a result of Early Entry will as soon as once more formally begin at 8 am on these dates. As all the time, the sooner that Early Entry begins, the extra helpful it’s. There’s much less competitors and you may get extra carried out.
It additionally helps that almost all of those extensions are Jollywood Nights dates. We’ve had numerous reader questions on whether or not it’s savvy technique to copy the zig after they zag method to Magic Kingdom throughout Social gathering Season. Our reply, as mentioned at size again in Greatest & Worst 2024 Crowd Days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, might be not.
Admittedly, the sooner opening time does solid this into doubt a bit for on-site visitors. It most likely relies upon upon whether or not you’re an early chicken or night time owl. Should you’re the previous, think about taking the sooner headstart. Most visitors ought to take the longer hours and later closing, although. In fact, strategic Park Hopping is all the time going to be probably the most advantageous method, in case you’re in a position to try this.
It additionally helps that Jollywood Nights has not offered out most dates (and I strongly suspect it has a considerably decrease attendance cap than MVMCP within the first place), so it’s probably not having a pronounced impression on crowd ranges. We count on that to proceed to be true nearer to Christmas.
Animal Kingdom
- December 13, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 14, 2024: 8 am to eight pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 20, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 21, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 22, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 23, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 24, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 25, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 26, 2024: 8 am to eight pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 27, 2024: 8 am to eight pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- December 28, 2024: 8 am to eight pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
As with Magic Kingdom, the 8 am opening time is clutch at Animal Kingdom, and that’s the norm by way of December 2024. That’s actually excellent news even a baseline perspective, because it means extensions might be closing at 7 pm or 8 pm–which additionally means nighttime at DAK through the vacation season!
Critically, the baseline 8 am opening additionally means Early Entry at 7:30am, which is fairly sparsely attended. See Animal Kingdom Park Opening & Early Entry Experience Technique (or, “How I Did Each Experience at DAK Earlier than 10:30am.”)
On the reverse finish of the day, Animal Kingdom formally closes after sundown for the rest of the yr, in addition to all of Winter 2025. Between the later closing and Daylight Saving Time, you may get a pair hours in DAK after darkish–one thing not attainable many of the yr.
Tree of Life Winter Awakenings can also be again on the schedule (see our Information to Christmas at Animal Kingdom for full particulars). We extremely advocate staying for evenings in DAK to benefit from the Tree of Life Awakenings, plus Pandora and the remainder of the park after darkish.
Our Animal Kingdom Afternoon Arrival Technique is as soon as once more the best method for this park. Even on busier dates, Lightning Lane Multi Go is pointless with even a modicum of strategizing. Please don’t be fooled by the “cut price” pricing on LLMP at Animal Kingdom. Keep in mind, one thing is barely a deal in case you really need it–in any other case, you’re only a hoarder. (Nicely, you may’t actually hoard Lightning Lanes in the identical sense…however you get the concept!)
In the end, the newest two waves of park hours extensions aren’t as sturdy as I hoped or anticipating to see. The week earlier than Christmas is rarely as busy because the one between that and New 12 months’s Eve, however the extra modest extensions at DHS and DAK recommend Walt Disney World is projecting solely average crowds. That’s shocking, as this is able to nonetheless usually be one of many 5 worst weeks of the yr.
Then there’s the week after that. Final yr was utter madness, the busiest stretch at Walt Disney World since (not less than) 2019, surpassing even the height of pent-up demand in 2022. And take note, that was in what was in any other case a slower yr, as crowds have been already trending down final yr. This could lead us to consider that dates between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve (actually by way of January 4, 2025 since blockouts lifting and college breaks additionally play a task) will all have 10+/10 crowd ranges and wait occasions far exceeding all different weeks of the yr.
These park hours extensions don’t essentially replicate that. Don’t get us improper, 8 am to 11 pm isn’t dangerous for Magic Kingdom, but when these crowds are something like final yr, the park must be closing at midnight, if not 1 am, each night time that week. (Because it stands, this vacation season solely acquired one midnight closure, throughout Veterans Day weekend.)
Later closures at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and even EPCOT would even be known as for. So both Walt Disney World’s inner forecasts present decrease (comparatively talking) attendance or they’re opting in opposition to longer extensions regardless of the heavier crowds. Should you’re visiting that week, we’d advocate making ready for the latter and following our new Prime 12 Ideas for Beating Heavy Crowds at Walt Disney World, however hoping for the previous. It’ll be fascinating to see the way it performs out.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Walt Disney World’s working hours extensions for mid-to-late December 2024? Upset at no midnight closures through the week between Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve? Suppose this schedule is affordable? Do you assume Magic Kingdom must be open later? What has been your expertise with crowds and wait occasions? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
