You’re probably MISSING some things when planning for your Disney World trip.
Disney World
Don’t worry, it’s completely normal to forget a few things — like thinking about transportation between parks or checking to see if that snack you want is still on the menu. And one thing that’s really common to get messed up is hours of operation! What do we mean? Well, many restaurants, attractions, shops, or experiences close at WEIRD times in Disney World, and if you don’t know that before you arrive, you might be disappointed. So today, we’re sharing a full list!
Restaurants
First of all, let’s kick off this list by mentioning the restaurants that close early. Food is an important part of your Disney trip (and keeping everyone happy!) so if you were planning to eat later in the night, you might be met with a rude awakening when you find that you’re down to half the number of dining options. And believe us, nobody wants to suffer from the dreaded “hanger” when you’re spending the day in a theme park!
The Friar’s Nook
So, to prevent disappointment in the future, we’ve gathered up a list of restaurants that close early on a typical park day. Note that this list doesn’t include places that close at 8 or 9PM, because that’s fairly common, so we recommend eating before then if at all possible. And if there’s somewhere specific that you really want to dine, we highly recommend checking the hours on the website for the day of your visit! (They can also be found in the My Disney Experience app on that particular day.)
In Magic Kingdom
Tortuga Tavern
In Hollywood Studios
Ronto Roasters
In Animal Kingdom
Pizzafari
In EPCOT
Surprisingly, with its many restaurants and quick-service locations, everywhere to eat in EPCOT currently stays open until 8 or 9PM. The more important thing to note at EPCOT is that there’s not a lot of breakfast available!
Connections Cafe is the new Starbucks location in EPCOT
With the exception of a couple of bakeries in World Showcase and the new Starbucks location, Connections Cafe, you won’t find much to eat when the park opens — restaurants start opening at 10AM, with most of them (including festival booths) opening at 11AM. So, if you are rope-dropping EPCOT, our advice is to not show up hungry!
In Disney Springs
Most of the eateries in Disney Springs do not close early. In fact, you can often find a late bite in Disney Springs, with spots like The Edison, Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar, and Raglan Road staying open well after the parks close most nights. One exception is the food trucks that are often parked on the West Side — their hours, and even their locations, vary more than the permanent restaurants.
Local Green Orlando!
It’s also important to note that some places within the parks stay open for a bit AFTER the parks close. Over at Magic Kingdom, Main Street Bakery and Plaza Ice Cream Parlor both stay open 30 minutes after the park does, while Main Street Confectionery stays open one hour later. And any of the Joffrey’s stands that are outside the entrances of the theme parks will remain open for 30 minutes after the park closes.
Shops
When it comes to shopping, we’ve often heard the advice that guests should wait until the end of the day to buy their souvenirs. (Which you certainly should NOT do if you’re hoping to buy a popular item — we’ve seen select things sell out in a matter of minutes before.) However, there’s always the chance that the fun little souvenir stand you passed by earlier in the day may not be open when you go back at the end of the night.
The Emporium
For the most part, each park’s main gift shops will be open throughout the day. However, if you’re visiting a spot that’s off the beaten path, you can probably bet that it’s only open during select hours. So, if you see something you really want, don’t wait or count on it to be in the “big store” — go ahead and buy it ASAP!
In Magic Kingdom
- Big Al’s (11AM-5PM)
- Big Top Souvenirs (10AM-7PM)
- Bonjour! Village Gifts (10AM-7PM)
Big Top Souvenirs
- Bwana Bob’s (11AM-5PM)
- Ursa’s Major Minor Cart (11AM-5PM)
- Shops on Main Street, U.S.A. stay open an hour after Magic Kingdom closes.
In EPCOT
- House of Good Fortune closes 15 minutes before EPCOT does,
- Creations Shop stays open an hour after EPCOT closes.
EPCOT’s Creations Shop stays open after the park closes.
In Animal Kingdom
- Africa Hub Cart (8:30AM-6PM)
- Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures (10AM-7:30PM)
- Kilimanjaro Safaris Cart (9:30AM-7:45PM)
- Mariya’s Souvenirs (9:15AM-6:15PM)
Chester and Hester’s
- Mombasa Marketplace (8:30AM-8PM)
- Yak & Yeti Bhaktapur Market (9AM-7:30PM)
In Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Mickey’s of Hollywood stays open 30 minutes after the park closes.
- Sid Cahuenga’s One-of-a-Kind stays open 1 hour after the park closes.
You can still shop Mickey’s of Hollywood after Hollywood Studios closes for the night.
In Disney Springs
Not all Disney Springs stores are operated by Disney, so some of them have hours that are different than the Disney Springs operating hours for the day. For instance, UGG and the Coca-Cola Rooftop Lounge typically close at 9PM.
The Coca Cola Rooftop Beverage Bar usually closes early in Disney Springs
Several of the non-Disney stores in Disney Springs close 30 minutes early each night.
Attractions
And finally, we have to mention the attractions! This may be the most important spot on the list, because it could really throw off your day if you don’t realize that Kilimanjaro Safaris closes before Animal Kingdom does. Not many attractions close early in the parks, but the select few that do could completely mess up your plans if you’re unaware. Keep in mind that some of the “early closes” an move around some depending on the season — and the time the sun sets.
In Magic Kingdom
- Tom Sawyer Island and rafts (11AM-6PM)
- Liberty Square Riverboat (9:30AM-7PM)
- Main Street Vehicles only operate in the morning (based on crowds)
In EPCOT
- Many character meet and greets in EPCOT (9AM-5PM)
- Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along (8:30AM-6) turns into Impressions de France in the evening (6:30AM-8:45PM)
Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along and Impressions de France Theater
- In the past, we’ve seen Living with the Land close early (as early as 7PM)
In Hollywood Studios
- Many character meet and greets in Hollywood Studios (9AM-5PM)
In Animal Kingdom
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek (9AM-6:45PM)
- Kilimanjaro Safaris (8AM-7:15PM)
Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Wilderness Explorers (9AM-6:45PM)
Planning for Unusual Hours
If you’re heading to Disney World soon and there’s somewhere that’s a must-visit during your trip, we highly recommend looking up the hours of operation online before you go. You can also check these hours in the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit. This is generally good practice if there’s any attraction, shop, or restaurant that you’re hoping to visit in the early morning or late evening.
Magic Kingdom
So there you go — all the things that close at weird times in Disney World! For more important information that you need to know before your vacation, keep following DFB. We’ve got you covered!
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Have you ever shown up at a Disney World spot to find it closed? Tell us in the comments!
The post 50 Disney World Spots That Close At Weird Times first appeared on the disney food blog.
