Walt Disney World has added extra hours to the calendar by way of mid-January 2025 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom, and prolonged hours for the vacation season by way of Thanksgiving week. This covers the adjustments plus zig once they zag technique for Magic Kingdom and whether or not to belief typical knowledge at DHS throughout these dates.
We’ll begin with the most recent launch of latest working schedules. All 4 theme parks have had hours for one more week added to DisneyWorld.com’s park hours, and the present calendar now runs by way of January 17, 2025. Listed here are the hours for many newly-added dates in the course of the vacation season:
- 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 observe is to launch boilerplate or placeholder hours earlier than extending these based mostly on attendance and lodge occupancy projections. This has been frequent observe for years, and can proceed for the rest of this yr and possibly in 2025, 2026, and so forth–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 friends for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion over the course of the following couple months. This separately-ticketed occasion begins at 7 pm and runs till midnight, and happens a number of nights per week.
Much like Magic Kingdom on MVMCP nights, Hollywood Studios closes at 7 pm on evenings when the Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas Occasion is held. That tough ticket occasion happens with far much less frequency than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion.
Along with these newly added hours, Walt Disney World has additionally prolonged park hours by way of the tip of November 2024.
This was to be anticipated, as we’re getting into the house stretch of the yr when crowds can spike as a consequence of lengthy weekends, faculty breaks, holidays and different particular occasions. Consequently, you may count on much more extensions–on a weekly foundation–from Walt Disney World going ahead for December by way of New Yr’s Eve and past.
Anyway, on with the extensions for November 2024…
Magic Kingdom
- November 8, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 9, 2024: 9 am to 12 am (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 10, 2024: 9 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 11, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 12, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 13, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 14, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 15, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 16, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 17, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 18, 2024: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 20, 2024: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 22, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 23, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 24, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 25, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 26, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 27, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 28, 2024: 8 am to 11 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 29, 2024: 8 am to six pm (beforehand 9 am to six pm)
- November 30, 2024: 9 am to 10 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
Walt Disney World has solely up to date hours by way of November 30, 2024. Any dates past that present boilerplate hours. There shall be extensions for many dates in December 2024 past that in future updates.
The very first thing to which I wish to name your consideration to is November 23, 25, and 28.
All of those are ‘purple flag’ dates to keep away from. 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 Occasion. (See Finest & Worst Days to Do Magic Kingdom in 2024 for a rundown of when crowds shall be particularly good or dangerous, together with a handful of such ‘purple flag’ dates to keep away from in any respect prices this month by way of December.)
As we’ve seen play out numerous instances previously, today are particularly busy. November 25, particularly, will possible be ridiculous as a result of it’s the busiest day of the week for Magic Kingdom and as a result of Monday and Tuesday are sometimes when Thanksgiving week crowds peak. There’s no excuse for all three of those dates–however particularly November 25–not having a midnight closure.
It’s additionally notable that November 28 is the primary date that sees peak costs for Lightning Lane Premier Go. Whereas we don’t count on 11/28 to be as busy as 11/25, Disney (in all probability?) didn’t set the value increased for no cause. It’s only a bit irritating to have the corporate sign to friends that attendance forecasts are at their highest through pricing…however not have park hours comply with go well with. Plan accordingly: arrive early, take a noon break, depart late, embrace savvy technique, and so forth.
We wish to reiterate as soon as once more that midnight closures ought to be commonplace working process for Magic Kingdom throughout Occasion Season on dates when the park isn’t closing early. Disneyland closes at midnight nearly day-after-day this vacation season, and Magic Kingdom ought to match. The crowds on non-party dates all through November and December are greater than adequate 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 desirous to push individuals in direction of Lightning Lanes.
On a optimistic word, there are the extensions on days of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion, with Magic Kingdom now opening at 8 am on many dates. That is the way it ought to be throughout Occasion Season (and, for my part, most days).
As we’ve mentioned numerous instances, Occasion Season working hours trigger chaos with crowds, pushing attendance a lot increased on the dates it’s not occurring and decrease on the dates it’s occurring. On occasion nights, Magic Kingdom closes to day friends at 6 pm. It is usually 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 beneficial.
All through November and December, count on party-shortened days at Magic Kingdom have crowd ranges of two/10 to 4/10 as a substitute of 1/10. It will occur as a result of crowd ranges as an entire are growing–they’ll be increased throughout the board, on each celebration and non-party days. Second, celebration dates have gotten extra frequent, making them tougher to keep away from. Meaning extra friends could have no selection however to do Magic Kingdom on celebration 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 the best choice for lower-crowd evenings in the course of the vacation season.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- November 8, 2024: 8:30 am to 9 pm (beforehand 9 am to 9 pm)
- November 9, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- November 16, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- November 18, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- November 23, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
- November 25, 2024: 8:30 am to 7 pm (beforehand 9 am to 7 pm)
Only some dates including hours for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s “solely” half-hour. This can be a greater deal than it may appear as a result of Early Entry will as soon as once more formally begin at 8 am on these dates. As we’ve talked about numerous instances, the sooner that Early Entry begins, the higher. There’s much less “competitors” and you will get far more achieved.
It additionally helps that the majority of those extensions are Jollywood Nights dates. We’ve had plenty of reader questions on whether or not it’s savvy technique to copy the zig once they zag strategy to Magic Kingdom throughout Occasion Season. Our reply, as mentioned at size in Finest & 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 friends. It in all probability relies upon upon whether or not you’re an early chook or night time owl. We’ll report again quickly as as to whether on-the-ground actuality comports with our expectations, however for now, don’t overthink it–most friends ought to take the longer hours and later closing. In fact, strategic Park Hopping is all the time going to be essentially the most advantageous strategy, should you’re ready to do this.
Animal Kingdom
- November 8, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 9, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 10, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 11, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 15, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 16, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 17, 2024: 9 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 23, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 24, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 25, 2024: 8 am to 7 pm (beforehand 8 am to six pm)
- November 26, 2024: 8 am to 7 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 ‘new regular’ going ahead by way of December 2024. That’s actually excellent news even a baseline perspective, because it means extensions shall be closing at 7 pm or 8 pm–which additionally means nighttime at DAK in the course of the vacation season!
Critically, the brand new baseline 8 am opening additionally means Early Entry at 7:30am, which is fairly sparsely attended. See Animal Kingdom Park Opening & Early Entry Trip Technique (or, “How I Did Each Trip at DAK Earlier than 10:30am.”)
On the reverse finish of the day, Animal Kingdom formally closes after sundown for all of today! Between the later closing and Daylight Saving Time, you will get a pair hours in DAK after darkish for the primary time shortly!
Tree of Life Winter Awakenings can be again on the schedule beginning Veterans Day weekend (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 perfect strategy 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 simply a deal should 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 thought!)
Finally, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see how dangerous crowds find yourself being over the Veterans Day vacation weekend and week of Thanksgiving, and what occurs with hours as soon as December extensions roll round. Truthfully, we aren’t anticipating a lot for the primary half of December–so don’t be alarmed if/when the boilerplate hours turn out to be the ultimate ones, or Magic Kingdom solely will get a scattering of 10 pm and 11 pm closings. There’s a cause for that, and for that being Our Favourite Week of the Total Yr at Walt Disney World!
As for the present wave of November extensions, the park opening instances are implausible. Early birds will most positively be getting the worm at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The issue is the closing instances at Magic Kingdom, particularly throughout busy weeks when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Occasion is held a majority of days every week. On the few non-shortened days, these 10 pm or 11 pm closings simply don’t reduce it. Magic Kingdom ought to be open till midnight–probably even 1 am on a few of these nights!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Walt Disney World’s working hours extensions for November 2024? Assume this schedule is cheap? Do you suppose Magic Kingdom ought to be open later? What has been your expertise with crowds and wait instances? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
