Park Hours

[beesly]

The official word from Disney on theme park hours is: "Operating hours vary by season and from park to park. Hours are subject to change and may do so at any time without notice." Are you reading this vague statement and wondering:

• When will park hours be posted for my dates?
• Are park hours going to change for my dates? When will they change?

If so, then you're in the right place! This thread is intended to share recent trends to help answer those frequently asked questions. Please feel free to reply to this thread with any releases/changes you see that vary from what is stated below. As trends change and/or if corrections are needed, I will update this first post. Suggestions for other Park Hours FAQs that would fit here are also welcomed.

Official park hours can be found on Disney's website at: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars

New park hours are currently released approximately 72 days in advance (i.e., you will see these hours almost two weeks before you can start booking your dining) and they reflect the minimum hours that each park will be open each day. These have been referred to by some DISers as "placeholder" hours, "fake" hours, or "tentative" hours, as they may be extended before your trip. They usually look like this:

• Magic Kingdom: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• EPCOT: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Blizzard Beach: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Most recently, Disney has released operating hours one week at a time (Sunday-Saturday), usually posting on Fridays but occasionally on a Thursday:

• On 2/12/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 4/25-5/1 (72 days in advance).
• On 2/19/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 5/2-5/8 (72 days in advance).
• On 2/25/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 5/9-5/15 (73 days in advance).
• On 3/5/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 5/16-5/22 (72 days in advance).
• On 3/12/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 5/23-5/29 (72 days in advance).
• On 3/19/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 5/30-6/5 (72 days in advance).
• On 3/26/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 6/6-6/12 (72 days in advance).
• On 4/2/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 6/13-6/19 (72 days in advance).
• On 4/9/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 6/20-6/26 (72 days in advance).
• On 4/16/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 6/27-7/3 (72 days in advance).
• On 4/23/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 7/4-7/10 (72 days in advance).
• On 4/29/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 7/11-7/17 (73 days in advance).
• On 5/7/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 7/18-7/24 (72 days in advance).
• On 5/14/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 7/25-7/31 (72 days in advance).
• On 5/21/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 8/1-8/7 (72 days in advance).
• On 5/28/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 8/8-8/14 (72 days in advance).
• On 6/4/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 8/15-8/21 (72 days in advance).
• On 6/11/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 8/22-8/28 (72 days in advance).
• On 6/18/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 8/29-9/4 (72 days in advance).
• On 6/25/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 9/5-9/11 (72 days in advance).
• On 7/2/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 9/12-9/18 (72 days in advance).
• On 7/9/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 9/19-9/25 (72 days in advance).
• On 7/16/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 9/26-10/2 (72 days in advance).
• On 7/23/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 10/3-10/9 (72 days in advance).
• On 7/30/21, Disney posted operating hours for all parks for the week of 10/10-10/16 (72 days in advance).
• ***Break in updates***
• As of 9/23/21, All operating hours for all parks have been posted until 12/3
• On 9/24/21, Disney posted operating hours for 12/4/21 (71 days in advance)

Updates to existing park hours are often made about two to three weeks in advance, and recent updates have often been made on Fridays during mid-morning hours. Disney can continue to make updates at any time, as late as same-day - so check the calendar regularly. You may also find tools online that offer to send a notification to your phone or e-mail address when park hours are updated.

Most recently, updates have included:

• On 2/18/21, Disney extended hours for 2/20 for EPCOT.
• On 2/19/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the week of 3/7-3/13 and made additional adjustments to 3/5 and 3/6.
• On 2/20/21, Disney extended hours for 2/21 for MK.
• On 2/24/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the weeks of 2/28-3/6 and 3/7-3/13. They also extended hours for 2/26 and 2/27 for MK and EPCOT.
• On 2/25/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the week of 3/14-3/20.
• On 3/5/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the week of 3/21-3/27 and made additional adjustments to the week of 3/7-3/13.
• On 3/10/21, Disney extended hours for 3/11 for EPCOT.
• On 3/12/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the week of 3/28-4/3 and made additional adjustments to the week of 3/21-3/27.
• On 3/19/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the week of 4/4-4/10.
• On 3/26/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the week of 4/11-4/17.
• On 4/2/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the week of 4/18-4/24.
• On 4/9/21, Disney extended hours for all parks for the period from 4/25 through 6/19 - a change to the pattern! Note: They could still make additional changes to these hours, especially the ones in May and June, at any time.
• On 4/23/21, Disney extended Epcot’s closing time by one hour (from 9pm to 10pm) for the period 5/9-7/3.
• On 5/28/21, Disney extended DHS's closing time by one hour (from 7pm to 8pm) for 6/19 and 6/27-7/31.
• On 6/11/21, Disney extended AK's closing time by one hour (from 6pm to 7pm) for the period 6/28-7/3.
• On 6/15/21, Disney extended hours for MK for 6/27-7/31, Epcot for 7/18-7/31, and AK for 7/4-7/31.
• On 6/25/21, Disney extended DHS's closing time by one hour (from 7pm to 8pm) for 8/1-9/4.
• On 7/9/21, Disney extended DHS's closing time by one more hour (from 8pm to 9pm) for 8/1-8/28.
• On 7/16/21, Disney extended hours for all four parks on various dates in July, August, & September.
• On 7/23/21, Disney extended hours for MK, Epcot, and AK on on some dates in August & September.
• On 7/30/21, Disney extended hours for all four parks on a few dates in August, September, & October.

If your park hours have been extended, you may also be wondering:

• Will more in-park ADRs become available?
• Will more reservations open up for Savi's Workshop?

Many TS restaurants and Savi's Workshop release additional reservations when park hours are extended, but it is important to note that the timing is not always simultaneous. Some users have reported seeing increased dining availability 1-2 days prior to park hour updates, while others have seen changes a few days later. DISers have also reported new appointments becoming available at Savi's on the same day that Disney makes DHS park hour updates, or the following morning.

 

[lovethattink]

Thank you, @beesly this thread is now a stickie!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thanks so much for this information @beesly! I had just started tracking this information but your information is much more thorough. Appreciate you starting this thread!

 

[MomOTwins]

This is perfect! Thanks for putting this together.

 

[Raech]

So every Friday. for Extension of one more week. Got it.

 

[beesly]

So every Friday. for Extension of one more week. Got it.

Pretty reliably! As with anything Disney, that is subject to change without notice - but for now it seems to be their preferred pattern.

 

[TeKa21]

So if they update hours tomorrow for 4/4-4/9 then they will add ADRs next Monday AM?

 

[MMSM]

They updated our hours 2 weeks before my trip (on a Friday). We go next Friday. Then it wasn't until Monday night that hours were updated on each dining site. Yet the new reservation slots didn't show until Tuesday morning. So after they update look for the next two days.

 

[MomOTwins]

So if they update hours tomorrow for 4/4-4/9 then they will add ADRs next Monday AM?

Not necessarily and not all restaurants at once. When they updated ADRs for our trip they extended AK the same day as the park hours change, then MK on Monday night, then Epcot a day or two later. Never did see any HS extensions. Basically just keep an eye out.

 

[ArielSRL]

Hours are extended for the week of 4/4, as expected...just fyi.

 

[samsonjs]

Here’s to hoping they stick with at least 9pm closing for MK from now on.

 

[Disturbia]

So June 1-5 is now showing limited hours; posted 75-80 days in advance (e.g. MK 9-6 pm; doesn’t make sense with the Memorial Day weekend). So do you expect these to be extended?

 

[beesly]

So June 1-5 is now showing limited hours; posted 75-80 days in advance (e.g. MK 9-6 pm; doesn’t make sense with the Memorial Day weekend). So do you expect these to be extended?

Yes - I mean, I don’t have any inside info, but based on the pattern so far I’d expect to see an update on 5/14 that extends hours for 5/23-5/29, and one on 5/21 that extends hours for 5/30-6/5. Hours for MK on Easter looked the same until they were extended today.

 

[Disturbia]

Wow. That throws a monkey wrench into planning. I don’t know when to book dining, what park to book, park hopping and I can’t book Epcot on checkout day if it opens at 11 am (magical express required an extra 30-45 mins on top of the 3? hours they had previously required; and it took us 2 hours to get from MCO to AKL-Kidani).

 

[lorileahb]

Wow. That throws a monkey wrench into planning. I don’t know when to book dining, what park to book, park hopping and I can’t book Epcot on checkout day if it opens at 11 am (magical express required an extra 30-45 mins on top of the 3? hours they had previously required; and it took us 2 hours to get from MCO to AKL-Kidani).

Animal Kingdom always opens early - might be a safer bet for check-out day.

 

[Disturbia]

Animal Kingdom always opens early - might be a safer bet for check-out day.

Yes. We usually stay at AKL and AK is always on checkout day, but our Nov experience was not great (no Boma/Mara; no allergen free dinner options in the gift shop; Sanaa mobile ordering full, 2 hour transportation from MCO; 3 hr 45 mins ME outbound etc), so we are staying at AOA this time and would have to stick to a park on the skyliner route.

 

[beesly]

Wow. That throws a monkey wrench into planning. I don’t know when to book dining, what park to book, park hopping and I can’t book Epcot on checkout day if it opens at 11 am (magical express required an extra 30-45 mins on top of the 3? hours they had previously required; and it took us 2 hours to get from MCO to AKL-Kidani).

I wouldn’t expect any change to Epcot’s opening time - they’ve only been extending closing there, so DHS might be your best bet for your last day if you’re wanting to take the Skyliner (though personally I’d be hopping on a bus for MK or AK with the earliest openings).

 

[Marionnette]

Park hours have been updated for the week of 4/4 - 4/10.

MK 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
EPCOT 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM
HS 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
AK 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM

 

[bookgirl2632]

Do we foresee them opening Epcot at 9am by the fall?

 

[beesly]

Do we foresee them opening Epcot at 9am by the fall?

I don’t have any insight into that. If they increase capacity by then, they may need to - but with the current capacity, Epcot has been the last park to run out of park passes on “sold out” days (and there are only a handful of days when Epcot is unavailable to additional guests in any category), so there’s no need (in Disney’s eyes) to add hours (i.e. increase operating costs) right now.