EPCOT Closing Early on October 22

EPCOT will be closing early to regular guests on Tuesday, October 22. This closure is likely for a private event.

EPCOT Closing Early

Screenshot of the schedule at EPCOT for October 22. It shows early entry from 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM, park hours from 9:00 AM to a closing early time of 9:00 PM, and the event "EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival" from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Upon checking the Walt Disney World park calendars, we noticed that EPCOT is closing early on Tuesday, October 22. As usual, the park will open for guests with Early Entry at 8:30 a.m. and to all other guests at 9 a.m. However, the park will close at 5 p.m. rather than the standard 9 p.m. Guests will not be able to park hop to EPCOT after that. Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will all observe normal park hours on October 22.

While we don’t know the exact reason for the closure, it is likely due to a park buyout. Park buyouts are not unusual for corporate events. On June 5, 2024, Disney’s Hollywood Studios closed early for the SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference Orlando. In the past, Disney has closed Magic Kingdom early for Cast Member celebrations.

Walt the Dreamer at night

This early closure occurs during the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. The festival runs from August 29 through November 23, 2024. At this time, no other early closures for EPCOT are scheduled during that span. The full menus for the annual festival have been released. Be sure to check out the the lineup for the 2024 Eat to the Beat Concert Series.

Will this early closure affect your trip to Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments.

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