Knowing the hours of operation for each of the Disney Parks ahead of time is a great way to start planning your next Disney vacation. By seeing which parks have Extra Magic Hours on which days or when early closures go into effect for special events (i.e. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party) you can decide before you leave which park you will visit on which day of your trip. This also allows you to better plan your dining and Fastpass+ reservations.
Where can you find these park hours? There are four places you can look whether you’re at home, on the go, or already at the Disney Parks. By utilizing all four during your planning and vacationing stages, you’ll be able to take advantage of every hour available to you.
4. Disney Websites
Whether staying at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, park hours can be found on either of their websites. Just visit https://disneyland.disney.go.com/calendars/park-hours or https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars and pick the days you’ll be visiting the parks. Here you’ll not only find regular park hours, but information on which parks have Extra Magic Hours that day and if any attractions will be closed for refurbishments. Hours for the water parks, Downtown Disney and other areas on Disney property can also be found here.
3. My Disney Experience App
If you’re on the go, you can download the My Disney Experience App for free. This is available for both iPhones and Android devices for the Walt Disney World Resort. After downloading the app, go to the menu and select Park Hours. Like the website, you can choose which date or dates you’d like to look up and the same information will be provided. You don’t even have to be in the parks for the app to work. This app also lets you look at queue wait times for each attraction. This lets you know before you walk across the park what the wait time for attractions will be and plan accordingly. Check out “My Disney Experience App 101 – How It Helps You Get The Most Out Of Your Disney Trip.”
2. Ask the Concierge Desk
When you’re already on Disney property, each Disney Resort Hotel guest gets a packet of information when they check in. In addition to the map of the resort and a schedule of poolside activities, you can also get information on park hours for the week. If there are any questions about the hours of operation, there is someone available at the front desk 24/7 who can provide additional information and even offer a few tips on how to make the most of your Disney vacation.
1. Times Guide
As you arrive at each of the Disney Parks, there are paper maps and Times Guides available near the entrance. The Times Guides are the size of the brochure and have the time schedule for that current week. What makes these special is that the schedule for parades and character meet and greets are listed here as well. While this information is readily available on the My Disney Experience app, some guests prefer to have a paper schedule with them and that’s what the Times Guide offers.
Keep in mind that park hours and certain events can change depending on the weather or other conditions. The parks will stay open as long as they can, but in hurricane weather or in a state of emergency an early closure may be issued for the safety of park guests. Likewise if a park reaches maximum capacity, arriving guests will not be allowed admission until guests currently in the park leave. Again, this is for safety reasons. Disney has also on occasion canceled parades or firework shows on rainy or extremely windy days.
Research the park operating hours for each day of your Disney vacation before making decisions on Fastpasses or dining reservations. You can use one method listed above to find this information, or all four. It’s completely up to you. Either way, you’ll be better prepared to take advantage of every minute of your next Disney vacation.
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