Check-in is officially at 3:00 PM at the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, but you can arrive at any time, even at 7:30 AM, to store your bags with Bell Services and get yourself set for a day in the parks.
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Theme Park HoursMagic Kingdom: 9:00am to 9:00pm or 10:00pm. EPCOT: 9:00am to 9:00pm. Disney's Hollywood Studios: 9:00am to 9:00pm. Disney's Animal Kingdom: 8:00am or 9:00am to 7:00pm.
Early Theme Park Entry is a perk of staying at a Disney hotel or select other hotel that allows these guests access to every park, every day, for 30 minutes before the park opens.
Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is a good way for on-site guests of Walt Disney World hotels to get a head-start, accomplishing a few attractions with low waits.
Even outside of Party Season, Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am on certain dates. Most frequently, this occurs during the peak season or on days of Magic Kingdom After Hours. As we'll discuss, there is a huge difference between Early Entry on 8 am v. 9 am opening days at Magic Kingdom.
Genie Plus is definitely worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and if you don't like early starts, you might consider it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. If you are park hopping, Genie+ is even better value as it maximises the number of rides you have access to.
The Magic Kingdom generally has at least one parade every day, and sometimes, two! When you were viewing the park hours, you were actually in the right spot to see the fireworks and parade schedules too!
On nights with a party, you can expect the parks to close for guests with regular park tickets as early as 6 pm. There are also a few nights each year when Magic Kingdom has been rented out for a corporate party or even a Cast Member appreciation event. On those nights, Magic Kingdom will close early as well.
If you are visiting the Walt Disney World Resort outside the busy holiday season (or the 4th of July), 30-45 minutes early can get you a “good” fireworks viewing spot for a family of 4. What is this? It probably won't get you the best of the best, but it will still get you a good view for the show.
Firework shows happen nightly EXCEPT on nights when the park closes early (like for Mickey's-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, or for select events like Cast Member appreciation nights). There really aren't any spots to eat and watch the fireworks at Magic Kingdom.
However, that has changed. You now can only park hop AFTER 2PM. So you'll have to wait until well after lunchtime if you're planning on visiting another park. However, this rule is different for Annual Passholders.
In our recent experience, the parking lots at all 4 parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) are opening about 1 hour before Early Theme Park Entry is scheduled to start. Try to time your arrival to the parking lots to match that opening time.
Annual Passholders have been exempt to this restriction since April 18, 2023 and may enter any of the Theme Parks after 2:00 p.m. EST with the exception of weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at Magic Kingdom Park as well as select Blockout Dates.
Disney World's Extended Evening Hours are available for those staying at Disney World Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villa Resorts, as well as the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green.
Even though Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party doesn't officially start until 7 pm, you can enter the park as early as 4 pm with your event ticket. You will not need a park reservation since it is a special event. Just a heads up–this event sells out pretty quickly and last year, we saw a huge demand.
From Ariel to Anna & Elsa, and of course Mickey & Minnie, this wondrous spectacle is a great way for little ones to spot all their favourites in one place. Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade runs every afternoon at 3pm† and there's plenty of space for families with buggies and little ones!
The Festival of Fantasy Parade occurs at 3:00 daily in the Magic Kingdom. This parade is a fantastic opportunity to view both rare and familiar Disney characters.